Graduate Profile - Bachelor of Behavioural Science

Name: Belinda Smith
Degree Awarded (and majors if relevant): Bachelor of Behavioural Science
Position Gained: Graduate Human Resources Officer, Workforce Consulting
Commencement Date: January 2003

Could you give us a brief description of what your position involves?

• I am a Graduate Human Resource Officer. Our clients are internal managers and employees of Department of Human Services.
• I am helping to co-ordinate traineeships and graduateships in DHS. This involves assisting the managers with requesting trainees and graduates and keeping stats on the number of trainees and grads.
• I am on a working party for aboriginal recruitment and retention and doing policy work regarding this. We also help aboriginal trainees with future employment prospects.
• I also co-ordinate review hearings.
• I have been involved with all the 2003 Careers Fairs.
• I am helping to co-ordinate an information day for all new employees, for which I will probably be MC.
• I have been doing heaps of stuff.
• I think it is important to let your manager know when you are bored and if you want to take on more challenging work. They then know that you are willing and that you have used your initiative to ask for more work.

Have the skills you developed at university been an important part of your job? (Have you, or are you planning to undertake further study?)

Yes, critical thinking is a valuable skill to learn and I wouldn’t have learnt this skill without going to uni. I may consider further education but not for a while.

Graduates are funded by the government to take part in a Government Practicing Certificate. This is streamlined for government employees and can be extended so that you are able to complete the Certificate 4 in Government.

At what stage during your studies did you begin to think about employment choices and options?

High School and all through Uni. I thought about job prospects in the market and what employment prospects were like. I thought that doing a major in Management with a Behavioural Science degree was the only way of securing a job and being ready for the workforce.

With your experiences in securing employment what advice would you give to students who are in their first, second, and final year of study?

First and foremost…..WORK EXPERIENCE.
I organised my own work experience during mid-year break. I went the Careers Centre and they organised insurance for me and I found my own organisation to work in. It was really easy to do. It was a pain not having holidays at all but it paid off because I got employment at the end of my degree.

I would also advise not to leave things to the last minute, eg. Resumes, applications etc. I left mine to the last minute and nearly missed out. My application probably could have been better if I hadn’t rushed it.

Many employers presenting employment information sessions have commented on the importance of students undertaking extra curricular activities during their time at university. Could you comment on this?

While I was at uni I was working three jobs and I could draw on a lot of experience from these jobs, eg. Communication skills, team work, initiative, presentation, customer service etc. These skills helped me to get my job. I went to a couple of seminars held by the Careers Centre.

How did you go about finding graduate employment?

I did work experience. I did the subjects that would help me get the job I wanted. I went on the Public Sector Graduate Recruitment Program. I rang them to make sure they received my application. I rang them to find out if they had put me on the database yet.

I just bothered them till I got a job, which didn’t take very long anyway!

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

Go to the website www.graduate.sa.gov.au

• Send in Declaration Form, Resume, Academic Transcript and Supporting Statement.
• Wait.
• Your details go onto a database where all SA government departments can access it. They are able to look at your qualifications and ask you in for an interview. All positions are won based upon merit.
• If you win a graduate position you have it for 12 months and during this time you are able to apply for any other available positions in a government department.
• Graduates are paid at least $33,117 per year.What did you do to prepare for the interview?

What did you do to prepare for the interview? What questions were you asked?

I read my application. I researched the Department of Human Services on the website and in particular, I researched the area where my job would be (workforce consulting). I read their policies, the issues they had worked on during the year, what they were about and the names of people who worked there.
I made sure that I’d arrive 5 minutes early and that I was presented appropriately.