Create Your Own Job-Seeking Journey
By Nhung Vo
I have been passionate about this topic for years and always wondered how I could contribute. I heard of WIRE (Women’s Information Referral Exchange) two years ago after resigning from my first full time job in construction and thought of maybe volunteering there as a mentor to help unemployed women look for work.
I thought back to the Engineering Careers Panel ran by the School of Engineering at Melbourne University that I attended as a student. I envisioned myself up there talking about my journey in Engineering and Construction and representing someone I have not seen on the panel before – a woman of colour, first generation Australian who graduated from a marginalised public school in West Melbourne. But that idea too didn’t go anywhere as I realised you probably need to be invited to be a panellist.
Then the other day, I see a post on LinkedIn from Elinor, looking for submissions for her blog on The Construction Coach. It took me 2 seconds to reach out to Elinor letting her know that I’m putting in a submission! I am excited to share with you my personal story and my top 5 tips for how to stand out and create your own job-seeking journey!
1. Put 110% of your efforts into applying for a few jobs that vibe with who you are
When I was first looking for a graduate job, I set up an Excel spreadsheet with all the open graduate positions in Engineering and Construction, in Australia and noted application closing dates next to each listing. My aim was to get myself out there and apply for as many jobs as I possibly could.
I changed my strategy when there wasn’t any traction. I decided to put 110% of my efforts into 3 jobs that vibe with who I am. Think of it like this - imagine everyone was spreading their efforts across 20 job applications like I was previously doing, they’d be likely giving each application 100% of their efforts or even less. And then there is you, who’ll go in with 10% or more effort. Which application do you think will create more impact and elicit more interest?
2. Dress appropriately for the interview but don’t forget to dress for confidence and make a statement
To prepare for my first interview for a job in my field, I got rid of my red nails and swapped them for plain French tips. I felt safer straight away but at the same time felt a loss of uniqueness to who I am and did not feel like myself in the interview. I usually always wear red nails, even to this day!
For the interview that landed my first job in construction, I decided to wear the red nails. I also had a fresh haircut, exaggerating a straight blunt cut to make a statement. I could immediately feel the confidence in myself dial up. Also, don’t forget to top off your personal statement by bringing in the energy!
3. Work on growing the juiciness of the content of your Resume
What I mean by this is look at your current resume and figure out what other experiences you want to add on there to make it colourful and representative of the person you want to project. Then go and do it!
The new experiences I included were:
· Joining the Committee of Women In Science and Engineering Club at university as Sponsorship Representative.
· Borrowing money from my sisters (because I was a poor university student) and doing my first interstate trip to Darwin with a friend.
· Volunteering at my local council in Asset Management. My direct manager there later became a key Referee on my Resume.
4, Ask your friends, colleagues and family members what role they think will suit you
I didn’t know a single engineer or construction professional who was in my family community or friendship group. No-one in my community had connections to those professionals. However, I did know one colleague who worked part-time as a structural engineer. So I asked him, “What do you think would suit me? An engineering role or a construction management role?” His reply was that I’m a people-person, and to try construction management. And here I am. He was right!
Another good tip is to ask your friends and family to describe who they think you are. They are a good mirror to remind you of all your great and unique qualities. My favourite description from my friends that pops up often is quirky, bubbly and creative!
5. Look for work when everyone else is busy being on holidays
Fact: my first dream job came about from an application that I put in during the Christmas period. It might not be your typical graduate role as it is advertised outside the normal application period but isn’t it fun to be an outlier? Your job is what you make of it. So go and put your foot in the door.
I always compare looking for work to looking for a partner in crime. If the first interview or job doesn’t work out, it means that at this point in time there is a more fitting opportunity waiting for you to discover elsewhere. It’s not your fault, and neither is it the employer’s fault, it just wasn’t meant to be! So pick yourself up, continue with your job-seeking journey, keep fine-tuning how you show up on your Resume and in your interview and look forward to what is yet to come!
Nhung Vo is a Master of Engineering (Civil Engineering) Alumni of The University of Melbourne. She currently works in construction at INTREC Management as a Project Coordinator. She is also the host of the Everyday People Podcast with Nhung Vo. Her passion is in embracing diversity in all nooks and crannies of life, continuously learning, self-compassion and believing in your unique powers.