Traditional Resume vs CV:

July 20, 2023July 20, 2023UncategorizedResume vs CVLeave a comment

What’s the Difference?

Whilst the resume and CV formally known as(short for curriculum vitae) are both used by people seeking employment, there are a a couple of differences between them.

Do you know what “curriculum vitae” means?

It comes from the Latin word curriculum (meaning “course”) and vitae (a version of the word “life”), translating roughly to “the course of [my] life.”

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the first known people to write a CV in the 1480s. He sent a letter to the city’s Regent offering up his many skills, including his ability to build implements of war, his prowess with sculpture and his architectural know-how, to get work in Milan.

The primary differences between a resume and a CV?

Its purpose and length.

A CV is a summary of someone’s life work, many skills and accomplishments, over the entire course of their working life up to that point.

A resume, is much more precise, targeted, and brief, usually a maximum of two pages. It’s meant to prove your qualifications for that particular job you are applying for, rather than show the entire course of your career development.

Purpose: Both a resume and a CV have the same ultimate goal of getting you a great interview. However, the documents themselves have different purposes in terms of what they hope to convey.

A resume is tailored to the position at hand, and includes relevant work experience and skills for that position your applying for.
A CV tends to be more static, meaning it might remain the same regardless of the job you are applying for. The CV is more like a biography of your entire career.

Length: A resume is a brief summary of your work tailored to a specific position you’re applying for; therefore, the length is pretty short–a page or two.

A CV, on the other hand, is far more comprehensive, including your education, publications, research, and achievements.

A CV is typically two to three single-sided pages, though it can go up to five or six. There is also the option to create an abbreviated CV in certain circumstances; this is a more focused, condensed version of a full-length CV. If an abbreviated CV is desired by an organization, they will typically note this in their job application requirements.

The Key Sections of a Resume

Basic information:
Include your name, phone number, and email address, plus your city and state. You may choose to omit your postal address, as many resumes are distributed online. Make sure that your email address is professional-sounding. For example, if your email address is wino4life (at) aol.com, create a new, professional email, such as your name (at) gmail.com. Studies show that an unprofessional email address can result in rejection up to 76 percent of the time!
Summary:
Include a brief summary of your qualifications and how you can add immediate value to the organization and job position you are targeting.
Work experience:
In the traditional, widely accepted chronological resume format, your relevant work experience will be listed from most recent to oldest experience.
Skills:
List skills that are relevant to the job being offered. The skills section is a great area to insert keywords and tailor your resume for the position. For example, if you’re applying for a position in the Information Technology field, you could emphasize your skills with technical project management and systems development.
Education:
A list of the schools you attended, including the highest degree attained and the dates attended. Unless you didn’t go to college, high school listings are not necessary. You can also include certifications, professional development, special training, and continuing education courses.
Additional sections:
You might also include other sections such as certifications, professional affiliations, awards, or volunteer work.

The Key Sections of a CV

The key sections of a CV are similar to those of a resume, but tend to put more emphasis on education and include expanded information about your experiences and accomplishments. A CV is a record of your life’s work, showcasing your achievements in academia, publications, research, and professional experience

Basic Information:
List the basics: your name, title, and contact information.
Education:
Include college and graduate studies, if applicable, in reverse chronological order. Include the name of the degree and concentration, the school name, and the dissertation/doctoral study topic if your dissertation has been completed and approved. Otherwise, include it in the research section.

Thesis or Dissertation Work:
When adding information about your thesis or dissertation, include the study topic, title, a brief summary, and the name of your advisor.
Research:
If your dissertation is still in progress, or has not yet been approved, include it in the research section rather than the education section. Additionally, list any other research projects or work you’ve done. Include the dates of the project, a brief description, your role, and any significant findings.
Work Experience:
In this section, list your work experience in reverse chronological order. It might be a single section or broken into sub-sections including employment, research, and/or teaching experience.
Honors and Awards:
Specific honors or awards should be called out prominently.
Skills:
List any career skills you’ve developed over the years that are relevant to your experience and expertise.
Publications:
List any publications or presentations you’ve written or contributed to.
Additional sections:
Added sections include professional affiliations, volunteer work, or licenses/certifications.

Australia’s top 10 highest paying jobs you don’t need a degree for

February 22, 2023February 22, 2023UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s understandable that the thought of spending four years at a tertiary institution isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and a desired career trajectory doesn’t always intersect with the need for a Bachelor’s degree.

However, there are dozens of accessible, very well-paid jobs across a myriad of industries that don’t require the time or financial investment that a university degree does.

While most require a level of training or higher education, it is possible to earn more than the $1,633.80 Australian average weekly earnings and build a satisfying, successful career.

What is the highest paying job without a degree?

With an average annual salary of $150,000, the highest paying job in Australia that does not require a university degree is a construction manager.

Construction managers play an imperative role in the building industry and in addition to managing construction projects from start to finish, role responsibilities include everything from coordinating workflow, handling subcontractors, reading blueprints and supervising and advising staff.

As the title suggests, the ability to manage effectively is crucial to forging a successful career path; Upskilled offers relevant courses like BSB50820 – Diploma of Project Management and BSB40920 – Certificate IV in Project Management Practice to help hone your understanding of methods and techniques and assist in refining your leadership skills.

The 10 highest paying jobs you don’t need a degree for

Construction Manager.
Ethical Hacker.
Project Manager.
Digital Marketing Manager.
ICT Manager.
HR Manager.
Office Manager.
Health and Safety Advisor.
Social Media Manager.
Senior Care Worker.

1. Construction Manager.

According to Indeed, the average salary of a Construction Manager in Australia is $154,536 per year.

In addition to project management, construction managers often work directly with customers so strong interpersonal skills and a knack for developing rapport are necessary to work well with staff and clients.

Upskilled’s BSB50420 – Diploma of Leadership and Management endeavours to teach you what you need to know about leading and managing others in a professional scope.

You can gain formal skills in mentorship, communication and team leadership, and refine your skills in operational or technical workplace environments.

2. Ethical Hacker.

To catch a hacker, you must become a hacker yourself. With an average annual salary in the realm of $101,000 (according to Payscale) ethical hackers are responsible for “white-hat hacking”, which refers to third-party security research.

Ethical hackers are commonly hired by various companies and even government bodies to test cybersecurity vulnerabilities across the digital spectrum.

There are various reasons why organisations hire ethical hackers, however, the most common purpose is to identify weak points, provide valuable insights and to design an online structure that creates a better, stronger and more resilient network.

By studying the ICT50220 – Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security) through Upskilled, you will learn to plan, design, manage, and monitor an enterprise ICT network, either as an independent ICT specialist or as part of a ICT network security team.

3. Project Manager.

The average salary of a project manager in Australia is 122,585 per year in Australia, according to Talent.com.

If you want to gain some skills and knowledge to prepare for a career as a project manager, the BSB50820 – Diploma of Project Management is an excellent online course that can help you effectively lead and manage a team while also ensuring that project timeframes and deadlines are well executed.

4. Digital Marketing Manager.

If you have a strong interest in working across digital advertising and lead generation, you’ll thrive in this role as the digital marketing manager is responsible in creating strategies to optimise ads in order to boost the revenue of a company or organisation.

Talent.com outlines that the average salary of a digital marketing manager is $101,254 per year.

If you want to build you skills and knowledge towards the career path of digital marketing manager, we recommend studying the 10904NAT – Diploma of Social Media Marketing as you will go over key concepts in paid advertising that can help you strategise and help you generate leads that convert across social, Google and other digital marketing platforms.

5. ICT Manager.

The role of an ICT manager is an excellent pathway if you have a genuine interest in resolving technical issues, while also overseeing the security of ICT systems and analysing its requirements. You’ll also be responsible in creating strategic plans and policies related to ICT that directly impact an organisation or company.

The average salary for an ICT manager in Australia is $129,500 per year in Australia. (Source: Talent.com)

The ICT50220 – Diploma of Information Technology is an ideal course if you’re looking to broaden your skill set in preparation for this career path.

6. HR Manager.

HR managers are responsible for leading the functions of onboarding and recruitment, payroll and policy making in relation to benefits and code of conduct.

To become a successful HR manager, you’ll need to be able to work collaboratively with people, have strong analytical and organisational skills, as well as knowing how to prioritise and delegate tasks.

According to Indeed, the average salary for an HR manager is $114,902 per year in Australia.

In order to gain the skill set needed to be successful as a HR manager, the recommended study option would be the BSB50320 – Diploma of Human Resource Management.

7. Office Manager.

The role of an office manager is a well-paying job where you’ll be responsible for the smooth running of the office on a day-to-day basis. You may even dabble in both administration and HR tasks, depending on the organisation and company you work for. You’ll be typically organising meetings, managing databases and other ad-hoc administration tasks such as booking business travel for employees.

Office managers have an average salary of $85,463 per year in Australia. (Source: Talent.com)

If you want to be trained for a high-level administration role like an office manager, the BSB40120 – Certificate IV in Business (Administration) can give you the skill set you need.

8. Health and Safety Advisor.

The main responsibility of a health and safety advisor is to ensure that employees in the workplace are safe – particularly at work sites. They also champion the compliance of health and safety standards and regulations in accordance to the government. This helps prevent work accidents, injuries and illness.

To become a health and safety advisor, you’ll need to have excellent interpersonal skills and have the confidence in demonstrating good leadership in your role.

Health and safety advisors have an average salary of $106,574 per year in Australia. (Source: Indeed)

If you’re keen to start a career as a health and safety advisor and want to create an impact in work health and safety, the BSB51319 – Diploma of Work Health and Safety is a great study option if you want to broaden your knowledge in this space.

9. Social Media Manager.

Do you enjoy using social media on a personal level? Do you have a creative and analytical mindset? A career as a social media manager has become a popular career option, especially for Gen Z and millennials looking to work in the digital space.

As a social media manager, you’ll have the freedom to use your copywriting and graphic design skills to engage an online community, as well as build organic and paid reach across different platforms to help generate revenue and brand awareness for the organisation, company or agency you’re working for.

Social media managers typically earn $81,139 per year in Australia. (Source: Indeed)

If you’re interested in pursuing this career pathway, we recommend studying the 10904NAT – Diploma of Social Media Marketing. This course will give you a great overview of key social media marketing concepts, as well as identify opportunities to broaden paid and organic reach across digital platforms.

10. Senior Care Worker.

With Australia’s ageing population on the rise, the demand for senior care workers is growing rapidly.

Senior care workers have scope to generate an average yearly income of $83,000 and are responsible for overseeing and monitoring care workers, care assistants and home carers.

While you are generally required to complete a qualification or undertake a traineeship, a CHC33015 – Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing, Home and Community) studied through Upskilled may help to further support other studies.

So just remember – even if pursuing a four year university degree doesn’t tickle your fancy, there are many other pathways you can take on your journey to achieve career goals and ambitions.

To discuss how an Upskilled course may help round out your further learning and even improve future job prospects, get in touch with a member of their team today.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in January 2021. Content has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

By Katie Quirk

INTERVIEW TIPS & SKILLS

February 2, 2023UncategorizedLeave a comment

5 ways to build rapport in your next job interview

It’s a cliché, but people hire people. In a more perfect world, perhaps you’d be hired based exclusively on your skills, experience, and ability to do a job.

But in reality, however good you are as a candidate you’re unlikely to be offered your next job without establishing one thing:

“Rapport” – that is, a good personal connection with the people interviewing you.

This goes beyond just being friendly – although that does help. It’s about making sure your interviewers leave the interview with the feeling that you’re the sort of person they’d like to work with.

So with that in mind, here are five ways you can build rapport in your next job interview, and give yourself the best shot of making it through to the next round:

1) The Greeting

They say that first impressions last, and the scientific evidence backs this up.

If you’re interviewing in person, start by greeting your interviewers with a smile, a firm handshake (but not too firm!), and genuine warmth.

If your interview is online, try a big smile, and say how happy you are to have this opportunity.

Make some small talk: ask how their day has been, what’s going on in the organisation at the moment, or other open-ended questions to encourage conversation. Really listen to the response and show genuine interest in how your interviewer responds.

Prior to the interview, do as much research as you can into the organisation’s work by reading their website, blog, or emails. Then you can demonstrate your interest by asking a question about something that’s going on in their organisation. Perhaps they have an upcoming event, new program, or piece of interesting news you could ask about?

This interest must be genuine, however. Interviewers will quickly see through attempts to curry favour if you show just a surface-level interest in what the organisation is up to.

2) Sitting & body language

During the interview, your interviewers will be spending up to an hour (or more) observing you closely. That means that when answering questions, the way you say things can be almost as important as what you say.

Use the way you sit and your body language to show that you’re engaged with the interviewers. That’s obviously much more the case when you’re interviewing in person, but it can make a difference online too.

You can show you’re engaged in a number of ways.

Sit upright and lean forward toward your interviewer, rather than back in the chair, which can make you look disinterested.
Use eye contact as much as possible, rather than letting your eyes roam or focusing on your notes. Eye contact is important in making you seem sincere and honest.
Smile as much as possible – particularly when you’re asked a question.
When you’re in person, keep your hands on the table and try not to fidget.
When you’re video-interviewing, try to always look at the camera rather than around the room or at your notes.

Where possible, try subtly mirroring your interviewer’s body language. It shouldn’t be obvious you’re trying to copy them, but according to Wikipedia:

Mirroring can establish rapport with the individual who is being mirrored . . . [and] allow the individual to feel more connected with the person exhibiting the mirrored behavior. As the two individuals in the situation display similar nonverbal gestures, they may believe that they share similar attitudes and ideas as well. Mirror neurons react to and cause these movements, allowing the individuals to feel a greater sense of engagement and belonging within the situation.

But be careful not to mirror disinterested or distant body language – that can have the opposite effect!

3) Passion

If you’re applying for an ethical job, then passion is probably one of the key attributes your interviewer is looking for during the interview.

Are you passionate about the role? Or about the broader work that the organisation does? Don’t keep it a secret – make sure to let the interviewers know!

If you’re asked about why you’re interested in the role or the organisation, that’s the best time to show some passion. But even if you’re not asked, a great way to start or end the interview is to mention how passionate or excited you are about working for the organisation or in the particular role, and why.

Don’t be afraid to talk about a personal connection if you have one – that’s one of the best ways to demonstrate your passion is real. For example, if you’re interviewing for a disability support role and someone in your family lives with a disability, talking about how that has affected you personally is a great way to show your interviewers why the job matters to you.

4) Asking questions genuinely

Interviews should be two-way conversations. As well as allowing a potential employer to find out about you, they are a chance for you to ask questions and find out more about what the role involves and the organisation’s culture, processes and work more generally.

But asking genuine questions in the interview can also be a good way to build rapport.

In particular, people love to talk about themselves! So getting your interviewers to open up and talk about themselves and their work will actually leave them with a better impression of the interview and of you.

There’s no perfect number of questions you should ask, but more than one is usually good. Interviewers should leave some time at the end of the interview for your questions, but if you’re deciding how many to ask and you’re unsure how long they have to answer your questions, just check with the interviewer.

Here are a few you might like to try:

What do you personally like most about working here?
How would you describe the culture of the organisation?
What’s changed in the organisation since you started working here?
Who are the people I’d be working most closely with in this role?
What will be the biggest challenge in this role?
What would you expect me to have achieved after 6 or 12 months in this role?
What new initiatives or changes are on the horizon for the organisation?

5) Ending and leaving

How will your interviewers remember you after the interview is over?

According to research by Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman:

People judge experiences largely based on how they were at their peak (i.e., their most intense point) and at their end, rather than based on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience.

That means the end of your interview is one of the most important moments to make a good impression on your interviewer.

As with when you greeted your interviewer, ending with a warm smile, a handshake and some small talk is a good plan.

If you haven’t had a chance to mention it fully, you could also reiterate your passion or excitement about the role, or about the work of the organisation.

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If you’ve successfully gone through these five steps, you’ve hopefully built a good rapport with your interviewer, so when they sit down to decide who gets the job, you’re the one who stands out in their mind as the person they’d really like to be working with.

By Ethical jobs