Employer selection criteria
In Australia employers value your skills and your referees more than employers in other countries.
Qualities and Skills
In Australia skills and qualities (such as team work and communication skills) are very important in recruitment. Qualities are just as important to the Australian employer as your actual degree. There are many occasions when employers have selected someone for their skills and qualities, even if their degree result was not as good as another applicant.
An Australian employer will identify five or more qualities they want in a potential employer. The application and interview will be designed to see if you have the correct qualities. They will expect you to give examples of how you can demonstrate a quality (for instance – by playing football you are improving your team work and communication skills). Employers will almost always outline the skills and qualities they are seeking from applicants in the job advertisement, and sometimes more generally in statements on their website which describe the organisation’s values and beliefs. A separate document called a Person Specification will be provided if the position is in a State or Federal Government Department.
As an international student you have a lot to offer employers. Your second language and cultural awareness are important because in today’s workplace many companies have international clients and/or employees.
By coming to study in Australia you have shown determination, and good organisational skills. You are also developing the UniSA Graduate Qualities.
While you are at UniSA you can improve your qualities and enhance your employability by:
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Joining a society
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Playing a sport
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Talking to Australian students to improve your language skills
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Working part time
References
Australian employers like to see impressive referees (names and contact details of people who can comment on your performance) on your application. The employer will usually specify the number of referees required.
Usually you will be expected to provide the details of two people. It is best to use one member of the University – possibly your Program Director or a Course Coordinator who knows you well.
Your second referee should be someone who has seen you in a work environment (paid or voluntary).
Do not use friends or family members.
If you haven’t had paid work you can use two contacts from the University. The International Advisers at Learning Connection offer to provide references.
Degree
Your degree is important to employers. Some larger employers ask for a credit average, or higher. Other employers just want to see that you have a degree.
Australian employers differ from some international employers in their impression of a degree:
- A degree may help you to get an interview but it is your qualities and skills that will get you the job.
- A degree is more than a certificate – it represents a range of experiences you have had at university (from project work in groups to learning new theory). Employers want to hear about this learning and how it relates to them.