Graduate Profile: Psychology (Honours)

Name: Jodie Christelow
Degree/s Awarded: Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and Graduate Certificate in Health (Mental Health Promotion) at Flinders.
Position Gained: Graduate Position in the Compass Program
Organisation: Commonwealth Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA)
Commencement Date: 4th February, 2008

With your experiences in securing employment what advice would you give to students?

I think that work experience in your area, whether paid work, volunteer or through your course is a critical component. It not only enables you to demonstrate to employers that you know how to apply the skills that you have learnt, but also enables you to gain confidence in your own skills and develop them further in the workplace. At times there can be a bit of a gap between study and the actual work environment, so I think some form of work is important.

I also think that it is important to develop skills and knowledge wherever possible. This includes attending the seminars held on all aspects of the application process as well as the graduate skills seminars. The Careers and Employer Liaison Centre is also a fantastic resource for helping you get your resume and application responses to a great standard. I would strongly advise that students utilise all the resources offered by the Careers Centre as they are a fantastic group of people and really help and support you throughout.

How did you go about finding graduate employment?

I used a number of sources. I looked at the graduate positions available through the Careers Centre website, I got the emails on positions available. I also searched the internet and looked at other graduate websites and the jobs available they had listed. I looked at the websites of the companies that I was interested in working for. Initially, my search was very focused in one area, but I worked on expanding it and find other areas that were relevant also.

Can you briefly describe the application process relevant to your position?

There were a number of stages in the application process:

Step 1: Initial application including basic information, education andachievements, 4 selection criteria and employment history.

Step 2: Online Assessment: This stage required me to complete an online Cognitive Ability test which looked at the extent that critical thinking and problem solving are likely to be my strengths and whether it is more probable that I will apply other qualities to enhance my performance at work.

Step 3: Assessment Centre: This stage involved 3 activities. Before I began these activities, I first had to hand over copies (and show originals) or my academic transcripts, id and proof of my Australian Citizenship.

The first activity was a group task divided into 3 sections, which required the group to individually look at a press release and prepare our own thoughts individually, secondly we shared our ideas and prepared a presentation and the final step was to present out ideas.

The next activity was a written task, which required that I respond to four questions with increasing difficulty (as they required greater interpretation of the information provided) and a final summary question.

The final task was a behavioural interview. In the areas determined in the original selection criteria, I was required to give a specific example of a situation where I had demonstrated those skills (areas were teamwork, adaptability/flexibility, initiative and motivation). The examples given had to differ from those used in the original application but could be taken from paid work, work experience, or even study experiences.

Final step - Waiting. This was the hardest stage where I had to wait to find out whether I had got the position. This can take at least a month and sometimes up to 2 months. I had to wait just over a month.

Do you have any further helpful hints for students/graduates?

Don't give up. It took me two years of seriously applying for jobs, trying different strategies (finding different jobs to apply for) and coming in second before I was finally offered a position. It is really hard to wait, particularly when you have done everything you possibly can to ensure that everything is at the best possible standard you can make it (e.g. resume, interview skills, etc). There is a bit of luck involved as well, and sometimes it can just be bad timing (e.g. you are up against someone with just a bit more experience). In the previous few applications before I got a job offer, I was getting fantastic feedback, but still coming second (and thus not getting the job). It is frustrating, but persevere, because it all works out in the end.

The job I ended up getting is better than some of the ones I was applying for previously. The whole process can be difficult and frustrating, but it is well worth it. You just need to try and keep focused and remember that it is all a learning experience and that you can get there in the end. Good Luck!