Graduate Profile - Bachelor of Arts (Honours Sociology)

Name: Amy Marshall
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (Honours Sociology)
Position Gained: Research Assistant
Employer: Office of Crime Statistics and Research
Commencement Date: March 2003

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

I collect data from police and court files and perform simple quantitative analysis on the data. I also write literature reviews and executive summaries of data and help conduct interviews. I liaise closely with other OCSAR staff, police and court personnel.

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

Very important-the methodologies learned at uni are used everyday in both collecting data and performing statistical analysis. More importantly, my approach to work-learning as much as possible, collecting the data the right way and ensuring information produced is informative, valid and reliable-stems directly from principles instilled whilst at uni. I am considering undertaking further study if viable.

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

Keep an eye out for advertised positions, make strong contacts with peers, utilise all available help, and be pro-active. Send letters and resumes to people you would like to work for. Don’t just pursue positions that exactly match your skills and qualifications-be broad-minded.

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

Due to financial constraints, I had to work part time to pay my way through Uni-this limited the amount of time and resources available. However, my lack of work experience or volunteer experience has shown me how advantageous it is. It is also important to gain people skills, no matter how (e.g. working in a café/bar etc).

How did you go about finding graduate employment?

I utilised the Careers Centre, applied for many advertised positions and sent out resumes. I was lucky to gain this position-it was a matter of right place, right time.

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

The position is not permanent so no process was set out. However, I sent my resume and qualifications with a letter expressing my interest in the department in general. There happened to be some work available and they contacted me.

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

I went over old notes re: methodology, learned about the department, and had a pep talk being confident. I was asked how I would handle certain situations, about what I did at Uni and about my work history.

Do you have any helpful hints for graduates?

Be confident. Make strong contacts. Utilise the available help and resources. Be honest and open. Above all, don’t despair if the perfect job doesn’t happen straight away, it takes time-gain all the relevant experience you can.