Graduate Employment Programs
Specific positions for graduates can be advertised at any time of the year, but the terms ‘graduate recruitment program’ and ‘graduate recruitment campaign’ usually refer to a process by which large organisations (both public and private) actively recruit a number of graduates in their final year of study to start work in the year after they complete their degree. It is a highly competitive process that involves universities and employers from around Australia.
Graduate recruitment programs aren’t for everyone and they are by no means the only way to secure employment after you gain your degree. However, they are promoted strongly and the positions on offer are highly sought after.
Go to the Graduate Opportunities website to find out more.
What you need to know
- Many organisations start their graduate recruitment campaigns at the beginning of March and applications can close as early as the end of that month. This is for positions that start at the beginning of the following year.
- Many graduate recruitment campaigns are handled in the first instance by recruitment agencies who act on behalf of and in consultation with the employer. The final decisions, however, are made by the employer.
- You need to research the organisations you wish to apply to very thoroughly. Have a look at Graduate Opportunities, which is also available from the Careers and Employment office in March each year. This gives you background information on organisations, who they are looking for and how to apply, but it is only a start.
- You must also research the organisation’s own website. You should try to attend the Graduate Recruitment Expo, a careers fair that is held at the Bundoora campus in March each year. Here you will be able to speak to representatives of many of the major employers, some of whom are recent graduates, and ask those questions that will help you choose whether or not to apply and assist you in preparing a targeted application.
- Look also at other sources of information such as annual reports and newspaper or journal articles. Graduate recruitment campaigns are listed in CareerHub.
- Part of the reason the process starts so early is that each organisation is competing for the very best graduates and they therefore want to get in early. Another reason is that the process is a lengthy one.
- The first part of the process will almost certainly involve you completing an application form online.
- You may also need to send a resumé and covering letter.
- Some organisations conduct a brief phone interview early in the process. This can happen when you are least expecting it, so be prepared to say if the timing is inconvenient and let them know when would be preferable. This does underline the need to answer the phone (yes, even your mobile) in a professional manner whenever you are applying for jobs.
- Psychometric tests are frequently used. You may be asked to go to a central location to complete them, they can form part of the activities at an assessment centre or, occasionally, you may complete them in your own time at a place of your choice.
- Providing you get through the initial stages of the selection process, you may be asked to attend an assessment centre where you will be observed while you are involved in a number of exercises with other candidates.
- You will certainly be interviewed at least once during the selection process, if not twice.
- At some stage, you will have to produce a transcript of your results. An official copy may suffice in the early stages but the original will probably need to be sighted before an offer is made.
- Some organisations host a social function so that candidates can meet in an informal setting the people with whom they could be working in the future. It’s really important that you use this opportunity to speak to their representatives and to ask appropriate questions – it’s worth thinking of a few beforehand. Remember too that although this doesn’t appear to be part of the formal process, they are still forming an impression of you and how you relate to others.
- If you get through to the last round, your referees will be contacted and asked some very specific, in-depth questions about you and your ability to do the job, so make sure you select appropriate people.
- When you consider how many stages there are in the selection process and the number of applicants for each position, it’s not surprising that it takes such a long time. You need to be prepared for this because it can put a big strain on your time management skills when you are also trying to gain the best possible marks in your final year of study. It may therefore be helpful to have your resumé ready and start doing your research before you begin your final year.
- Almost all employers tell us that they are looking for ‘well rounded’ individuals, not just those who have achieved academic success. They need evidence that you possess the skills and qualities that they are seeking and this will be tested at all stages in the selection process. Have a look at make yourself employable and build your skills, particularly if you are reading this before you are in your final year.
- One of the advantages of applying for a graduate recruitment program is that, if you are successful, you will know before you complete your degree that you have a job to go to.
- Many graduate recruitment programs involve rotation through a number of different areas so you can learn about different parts of the business. You may be assigned a mentor, and you will have a group of peers with whom to share the transition from study to work. However, the expectations will be high and you will be under pressure to perform. You must consider carefully if you are a ‘big organisation’ person. If you want to talk this through, please make an appointment with a Careers Consultant on your campus.