Course: Careers Support | WelTec Moodle

Whakahuahua Kaupapa

Careers Advice

Tiango i te Katoa Roha i te Katoa
We have a Careers Advisor on campus to assist with career planning and employability skills, to help you reach your career goals. With the assistance of various assessment tools, occupational and labour information, we can help you find job options which match your interests and values. We can also assist with job seeking skills such as writing a great CV, a cover letter that gets you noticed or helping you prepare for interviews. We offer workshops throughout the year on various topics, and have Employability Events on campus where you get the opportunity to meet employers from various industries. Like our facebook page Careers Advisor - Weltec and Whitireia to keep up to date with with events, workshops and career tips. To make an appointment with the Careers Advisor call 0800 141 121 or by email lss@wandw.ac.nz or visit a Student Helpdesk.
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What is a CV?

A CV, or Curriculum Vitae, is a summary of your experience, skills and education. A good CV gets you an interview. A good interview gets you the job.

Most employers will probably only spend a few minutes skimming through the CVs of potential candidates so you want to make your CV stand out.

Here are some tips on creating a successful CV:

Adapting your CV to suit the role – look at the job ad or selection criteria and make sure your CV clearly demonstrates that you meet the requirements.
Making your CV clear and concise. Your CV should be no more than 2-3 pages.
Ensuring it is easy to read and formatting is uniform.
Doing a thorough spell check before sending off your CV and have someone read over it to check for mistakes.

What to include in your CV

Contact Details

Include your name, phone number, LinkedIn profile and email address. Ensure you have a professional voicemail and a

professional email address, and that the details are accurate so that employers can get in touch.

Personal Statement

Tailor this to the role you are applying for, highlighting your personal attributes and personality traits which make you a good fit for the role.

Key Skills
Choose 4-5 skills to highlight which are relevant for the industry you are applying for. Rather than just listing bullet points, also add a description of how you demonstrate each skill.

Work Experience
List your most recent job first and work backwards.Include the dates you worked there, the role name, company name and a description of your responsibilities and achievements for each role. You do not need to include every job you have ever had, only the roles which are relevant and demonstrate transferable skills for the job you are applying for.

Education
List you most recent qualification first and work backwards. Include the date, full name of the qualification and the name of the institution. It is not necessary to include your school results once you have a tertiary qualification.

Interests (optional)
Give a brief description of your personal interests. These can help to show an overall picture of who you are and any transferable skills you may have.

Referees
Include the contact details of two referees if possible. These can either be work references or characters references, from someone who knows you well. Make sure you have spoken to the referees before you include them and only ask people who will give you a positive reference.

See the CV Information Sheet attached.

Book an appointment

You can book an appointment with the Careers Advisor to discuss your CV by visiting a Student Helpdesk, calling 0800 141 121 or emailing lss@wandw.ac.nz

Useful Links

You can find example CV's on the Careers NZ website. Click here to see their CV templates and examples. Also see the CV Information Sheet attached.

CV Workshop

CV Information Sheet kōnae

413.3 KP PDF document

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is an essential part of any job application and should always accompany your CV. Your cover letter needs to stand out from other cover letters. A well written cover letter will make the employer want to know more about you. It will make the right impression and encourage the employer to not only look at your CV but to read it with interest.

What to include?

All good cover letters should include:

Let them know what position you are applying for
Why you are interested in the job.
Why you are interested in the firm.
Why the employer should be interested in you. Highlight your key skills which match the job requirements.
Ask for an interview and thank the reader for considering your application.

Cover letter tips

Presentation should be attractive, professional and easy to read.
Should be no longer than 1 page
Vary the sentence structure and avoid overusing “I”.
Don’t duplicate sections of your CV. Highlight the main points and draw attention to the key information in your CV that matches you to the vacancy/company.
Show your interest in, and enthusiasm for, the position, the organisation and/or the industry.
Proof read very carefully. Then get someone else to check it before making your final copy.

Cover Letter Workshop

See the Cover Letter Information Sheet attached.

Book an appointment

You can book an appointment with the Careers Advisor to discuss your Cover Letter by visiting a Student Helpdesk, calling 0800 141 121 or emailing lss@wandw.ac.nz

Useful Links

See the cover letters section of the Careers NZ website.

Cover Letter Information Sheet kōnae

296.3 KP PDF document

Job interviews are how employers decide if you would fit well into their organisation. It is important to prepare well for an interview, not only by dressing smartly but also by researching the company and thinking about how you might answer the interview questions. Check out the Interview Preparation Information Sheet attached for more information.

Book an appointment

You can book an appointment with the Careers Advisor for a mock interview, by visiting a Student Helpdesk, calling 0800 141 121 or emailing lss@wandw.ac.nz

Interview Workshop

Useful Links

See the Interviews section here of the Careers NZ website.

Interview Preparation Information Sheet kōnae

214.7 KP PDF document

It is really important to know your rights as an employee, to ensure that you are not taken advantage of, or ripped off. Check out the Work Rights Information Sheet attached for more information.

Useful Links

Employment New Zealand

Worksafe NZ

Works Rights Information Sheet kōnae

262.2 KP PDF document

Employability skills

Employability skills or soft skills are incredibly important to employers. In considering candidates for a job, employers value evidence of soft skills alongside evidence of qualifications and work experience. The Employability Skills Framework identified the soft skills or capabilities most desired by New Zealand employers. Check out the Employability Skills Information Sheet attached for more information.

LinkedIn Profile

For tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile, check out this workshop recording:

Job Seeking Tips

For tips on job seeking, check out this workshop recording:

Whitireia & WelTec Careers Hub

Check out our Careers Hub for internships, graduate programmes and job opportunities: https://whitireiaweltec-careershub.prosple.com/

Employability Skills Information Sheet kōnae

199.3 KP PDF document

Whitireia and WelTec Careers Hub

Your complete guide to internships, graduate programmes and job opportunities: https://whitireiaweltec-careershub.prosple.com/

Careers Fairs

We have virtual Careers Fairs throughout the year, check out our Whitireia & WelTec Careers Hub for more information:

https://whitireiaweltec-careershub.prosple.com/virtual-fairs

'If you find a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life'

The basic premise of career planning is to: Know yourself, know the world of work, and match these together. The Careers Advisor can help you to explore you interests, values and personality type and match these to work environments which would suit you. By exploring occupational information and labour market trends, they can assist you to evaluate alternatives and make career decisions.

Working out your interests

Interests reflect preferences for certain activities and work environments. According to the most popular theory of career interests, Holland’s RIASEC model, interests can be organized into six areas: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Not only can a person’s interests profile be defined by these six types, but work environments can also be classified into the same six categories. Aligning one’s work environments with his or her interests will not only increase satisfaction at work but also enhance the potential for achieving career success.

Think about your values

These core principles are an important part of who you are. They include things like honesty, service, self-respect, respect for others, helping people, money and success. Therefore, you must identify what work values you cherish the most before you choose a career.

Knowing your personality type

An individual's personality sometimes makes them more adaptable to certain jobs. Personality tests give people an idea of their psychological makeup and can be a great tool when looking for a job. Knowing what personality type you are can help you discover the ideal job and work environment for your type.

Knowing what jobs are out there

Investigating the world of work is an important step in the career decision making process. There are thousands of job options out there, many of which we don't even know exist. It is important to have relevant up-to-date occupational information, such as wages, job opportunities and any training required, so you can make an informed decision. Factors such as location availability and labour market trends also need to be taken into account as the world of work is constantly changing.

Creating an action plan

Krumboltz’s 7 steps to career decision making is a good framework to work with when making career decisions. It is summarised as the acronym DECIDES:

Define the Problem

Establish an Action Plan

Clarifying Values

Identifying Alternatives

Discover Probable Outcomes.

Eliminate Alternatives

Start Action

Assessment Tools

The Careers Advisor has many different assessment tools available to help you learn more about yourself, find occupational alternatives, and help you make career decisions. Book an appointment today by visiting a Student Helpdesk, or by emailing lss@wandw.ac.nz or calling 0800 141 121.

Whakahuahua Kaupapa

Careers Advice