Job Hunting

So, you would like to get yourself a job hey? That’s good news! Getting a job is a great way to show off your skills, learn useful new things and meet some fabulous new people! The bonus is you get paid for it – woohoo! For many people who are new to this job hunting thing, it may seem a bit daunting, so we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible!

You first need to decide what sort of job you would like! Ask yourself what sort of things you like doing? What sort of things are you good at? An excellent place to start is on the employment websites, both Career One and Seek have questionnaires which can tell you what industries or jobs you may be good at, or like doing.

If you have recently done one of our pre-vocational employment programs, you likely would have experienced many different trades while working. Which one did you like the most? Did you like the creativity and precision of Painting & Decorating? Maybe you like gardening so Landscaping might be something you’re interested in. If you like big machines, then maybe Crane or Machine Operation is something you’d like to do. There are over 70 careers in the Building and Construction Industry alone, so there’s plenty to choose from! There is a very handy A-Z description of jobs on the Be Constructive website, find it at Construction Skills Queensland.

So, you have a rough idea of the jobs you’re interested in, now where do you look for them!? There are lots of different places you can look for a job these days, the best to try are local newspapers, employment agencies and of course on the world wide web! The best thing of all is to use every resource you possibly can to find a job and not to sit back and wait for one to come to you, the jobs market is incredibly competitive and you’ve gotta be keen to get out there! Remember to read the ads properly and understand what the employers are looking for.

Newspapers

Never underestimate the power of print! Local papers are a great place to hunt for entry-level jobs, jobs requiring only minimal experience and the big construction company’s recruitment drives. Local newspapers such as Westside News or The Southern Star that come out weekly generally have a jobs section towards the back. Daily newspapers usually only have employment sections on certain days, for example The Courier Mail which is on both Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Remember time is of the essence when applying for jobs advertised in the paper, because everyone else will be doing the exact same thing at the same time! Buy the paper early in the morning and start ringing at 8.30am (but not before, especially if it’s a Saturday – you don’t want to disturb your potential boss’ sleep-in!). Make sure you keep a record of which jobs you rang about, and the responses you get from the employer. It can get hard to remember all the specific details of each job when you have applied for 15 of them!

Employment Agencies

The Australian Government reviewed their employment services and unveiled the new Job Services Australia in July 2009. Certain Employment Agencies get funding from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations through this program to actively help eligible jobseekers to find work.
To make use of these agencies you need to be on Centrelink benefits as a jobseeker. Centrelink will assign you to a Job Services Australia provider in your local area. Depending on your circumstances as a job seeker you are placed in a certain stream of eligibility for assistance. Depending on what stream you fit into, you may be entitled to support to find a job such as a transport/GO Card, free training and a Personal Protective Equipment allowance etc.
For more information, visit the Job Services Australia website.
There are also recruitment agencies, which work for companies to find them employees. Using a recruitment agency is free for job seekers, as the employer pays a fee to the agency for their services – a free personal job hunter, what a bargain! Avoid any recruitment agencies which charge you to get a job. Some recruitment agencies specialise in a particular industry, such as construction, science, IT or even executive positions.
Examples include:
Hays
Davidson

Labour hire companies hire you on a casual basis to provide labour to other companies who need it, generally but not always on a temporary timeframe. These are a good option for getting different job experience, and getting work quickly. Some specialise in a particular area or industry such as construction or factory work.
Some good ones include:
Skilled
Workforce Solutions
Labour Solutions

Online

Looking for jobs online can be a little like looking for a needle in a haystack, but not if you learn where to look and how to search properly. Search by region, industry, and keyword eg. ‘labourer’ to get the best results. The key is to not be too restrictive, but not be too open so that you are getting hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant results. Try different options and combinations to see what works best. Create a profile on the websites you use most often, so you can save your favourite search options, and save jobs to track down later. Remember to be vigilant and keep checking back daily to see if new jobs have been added. Save your searches and always keep track of which ones you have phoned already. Some websites including Seek and Career One have an option to sign up to receive e-mailed updates on jobs that might interest you. It is also worth remembering that some big companies recruit direct from their own websites such as Harvey Norman, Myer and Dick Smith.

You can also save your resume on your profile online so prospective employers can browse your resume, however this should not be relied upon. If your resume is short and you don’t have a lot of experience or training, it’s probably best not to.

Some good websites to use are:

JobSearch

Seek

MyCareer

CareerOne

Quest

Ipswich Times

JobsJobsJobs

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When you’re only starting out on your career path you may find it hard to find jobs suitable for someone with limited experience & qualifications.

As a graduated participant of one of our programmes you’ll find the experience you gained while working on the project, as well as your Certificate I, is a handy stepping stone to further training or a smashing job. Look for base-level jobs such as ones stating: ‘labourer’, ‘assistant’, ‘on the job training provided’, ‘no experience necessary’. Everyone’s gotta start somewhere and entry-level jobs like these will open doors to learning and earning more!

Apprenticeships and Traineeships are a wicked option because you are paid while you train (think of all those suckers slogging at way at uni, accruing a massive debt!) and a trade or similar qualification is and always will be highly valued in the market. Click for more info on Apprenticeships or Traineeships.

Work Experience is when you offer to work for a week or two for free. Sounds crazy but its actually a pretty good idea – it shows you’re keen as mustard & hardworking, two qualities highly valued by employers, and you also get experience & some training in a job you’re interested in – bonus! Don’t expect anything in return and work hard – at the very least you’ll get a good reference for your résumé, and when that employer is next hiring he might think of you, or he might also spread the word to other employers!

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There are over 70 different careers within the Construction & Building Industry to choose from, and countless others in other fields.

There are some awesome resources online which help you to see what is involved in each job, how easy it is to find work, and what you are likely to earn. Jobs Guide is a great place to start as it also provides information on what qualifications if any, you would require.

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Common Terms

Ideally/Preferred – Does NOT mean you have to have this!! The employer would prefer you to have this skill/qualification/attribute already, but if you don’t they are willing to train you if you meet the other requirements of the position.

Own PPE – Some employers require you to own your own Personal Protective Equipment, and this means different things for different jobs. A welder for instance would require different everyday PPE than a bricklayer. A construction industry PPE staple is a pair of steel-capped workboots, though depending on the job you may also need; a hardhat, protective eyeglasses, hi-vis vest or shirt, gloves, respirator, ear muffs etc etc. If you are not sure what PPE is required for the position, it is best to ask when you call to enquire about the job to make sure you have it, or can get it easily
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HR Licence – Heavy Rigid Licence. Weight Restricted Truck Licence. For details on how to get a HR Licence, go to the QLD Transport website.

HC Licence – Heavy Combination Licence. Weight Unrestricted Truck Licence. For details on how to get a HC Licence, go to the QLD Transport website.

White Card – General Safety Induction Card. Replaces the QLD Blue Card, NSW Green Card and Victorian Red Card. The Blue Cards are still valid though they will be phasing them out soon. You NEED to have either a current Blue Card or White Card to legally work on any construction site. To get one, contact the Construction Skills Training Centre on 07 3373 8888 or you can do the test on-line at the Occupational Health and Safety Australia website. Courses cost approximately $80.

Leading Hand – Supervisor of a generally small group of fellow qualified workers.


Dodgy Ad Terms

These days there are scams everywhere, and job searching is no different! Keep an eye out for dodgy jobs ads. Things to look out for include:

• ‘A guaranteed job… once you buy a product’ – not likely!
  
  
• ‘Get Rich Quick’ claims – very dodgy indeed, and are usually scams.
  
  
• Anything asking for payment upfront – never respond!
  
  
• The terms ‘promotions work’, ‘marketing opportunities’, ‘store person’ and other vague terms are likely to mean door-to-door selling, or harassing shoppers in shopping centres – be aware!!
  
  
• ‘$200 - $2500 per week for the right person’ – usually means you get paid very badly to work very long hours.
  
  
• Same jobs being advertised every week – usually because the staff don’t stay very long because the job is so terrible and/or soul destroying, therefore avoid these ones too!

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