# CV advice



## James83 (Apr 3, 2012)

There are few questions I have regarding tweaking my current Cv to meet Oz requirements.

I have found Some useful info on the net, but need some additional advice.

I am travelling from the Uk in September and looking to stay/live in Sydney for 4 months.

Would it be an idea to contact work agencies before my arrival? Send out Cv by e-mail... Introduce yourself.. Ect..

Do you include references or do you provide them on request from employers?

do you attach a personal statement letter?

How should the general layout be?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

James.


----------



## Perfect (Jun 6, 2012)

Hi James, 
Generally speaking it is important to know what you are after. So do you know the job area you want to get into or are you going for anything? 
Go out to see the people you are interested with - take you resume (1-2 pages) and be sure to include a cover letter (about half a page to 3 quarters of a page with a lot of white space to make it easier on the eyes). 
I find it alot more effective to search by going to see the companies in person. however if you want to cover more ground you can employ the services of an employement agency. 
you should google "theperfectcover" if you want some more tips on cover letters and resume's


----------



## John...WW (Nov 27, 2011)

Hi James,

I have a few different opinions on this. People always ask how long your resume should be. The answer from my perspective is how much information do you need to tell an employer for them to make an assessment of what you can do? I have spoken to HR Managers who have rejected resumes one page long because they could not clearly see the person had the right experience. As long as your information is clear, concise and relevant then you are on the right track.

In general you will need referees. These are the contact details for at least two people that can verify your work performance. If you go through an agency they will ask for referees. Written references in Australia do not hold as much weight anymore. Employers like to ring people and ask questions on your ability to do certain tasks and perform at a professional level in the workplace. Lets face it if you have a bad reference you are not going to provide it.

You are more than welcome to visit the news section of our site to download a free sample and see how we do it.

Hope this has been of some help.

John


----------



## James83 (Apr 3, 2012)

Great thanks for the tips guys..

I am looking at all sectors, but my skills lie in sales, marketing and key account management.. Have also worked in the motor trade and coffee industries.So maybe something in the city would suit my skills set? But I would like to do some vineyard or fruit picking work at some point..

Also I've heard in Oz that people put skills at the top and education and qualifications last?

Thanks again.

James


----------



## AUSConnect (May 14, 2012)

Hi James,

You are quite right, it is the norm in Australia to start with your experience first and education and training last, the opposite to the norm in Europe, perhaps because in Australia we just place more emphasis on practical hands-on experience rather than courses and school (a very broad generalisation but having lived in Australia and now Europe that is my experience and the opinion of my Euro mates here).

Best of luck!

Daniel
Australia-Europe-Connect - Advance your career in Australia



James83 said:


> Great thanks for the tips guys..
> 
> I am looking at all sectors, but my skills lie in sales, marketing and key account management.. Have also worked in the motor trade and coffee industries.So maybe something in the city would suit my skills set? But I would like to do some vineyard or fruit picking work at some point..
> 
> ...


----------



## inspireed (Dec 11, 2012)

If you know what field you want to work in why not send your CV out in advance. This will show employers you are organized and have initiative. And if you do get a job offer then you can look at things like accommodation and work around your job location. Have a look on Seek for job vacancies in your field of work. There's also various work agencies that will place you in temporary work and help you find a job - I have never been one to use them but I think they mostly focus on temp jobs (like 2 days work for a company here, or one day here... real general positions). 

Whether to include your references... Some employers may look at it and think its extra work to ask you to bring in references. But some won't be phased and simply tell you to bring the information to the interview or email them through.. I think its personal preference here, but perhaps if your resume is quite long leave them out - employers don't want to be bombarded with information.

Start with a maximum of one page cover letter.
Then your CV should be a max of two pages. Don't include things not relevant to the specific job you are going for. 

I would go firstly, personal info, secondly education/training, thirdly work history/skills, fourth volunteer/experience, lastly referees. Remember the longer your resume is the less likely the HR person will read through it!


----------

