www.careers.qut.edu.au

QUT Careers and Employment

Marketing your Masters

Dr Nikki Penhaligon

Postgraduate Career Counsellor

QUT Careers and Employment

Today’s agenda

• Why are we here?• Where do we want to go?• How do I market my masters to get that job?!

Why are we here?

• What are you hoping to achieve out of today?

• What do you want to know?

• Person bingo

• Spend two minutes thinking about what you think are the most important things to do when marketing yourself for employment?

• Write your response on the post its provided.

How do we market ourselves?

1. Self Reflect

2. Define your brand

3. Develop key statement(s)

4. Do not wait to be noticed

5. Present a professional image

6. Cultivate people skills

7. Have a vision

8. Enact your strategy!

(Karalis, 2007)

Tips to effectively market yourself

• Ask yourself:– What motivated you to start your masters?– Where did you hope it would lead?– What challenges are you facing?– Has anything changed since you first

enrolled?

• Activity: Write them down in your booklet

1. Self reflect

Self reflect: Skills • Start looking at your skills:

– What skills are you developing through your Masters?

– What skills have you developed previously?

Activity: brainstorm as many skills as you can that you have developed during your program. Also consider the evidence (ie specifically where you developed these skills).

Valued skills

• Interpersonal/communication skills (written and oral)

• Drive and commitment/industry knowledge

• Critical reasoning and analytical skills/technical skills

• Calibre of academic results• Cultural alignment/values fit

• Work experience• Teamwork skills• Emotional intelligence

(including self-awareness, confidence, motivation)

• Leadership• Activities (including intra and

extracurricular)

.

Data from 2011 survey of over 350 Australian employers. For more information see www.graduatecareers.com.au.

Where might you have developed these skills???

Postgraduate Capabilities

• Critical, creative and analytical thinking, and effective problem-solving

• Effective communication in a variety of contexts and modes

• The capacity for life-long learning • The ability to work independently and collaboratively• Social and ethical responsibility and an understanding of

indigenous and international perspectives • Characteristics of self-reliance and leadership

PLUS: Advanced knowledge and understanding in your field!

What do employers consider as most important when hiring?

• Competence?– Technical skills &

softer skills• Fit?

– Role &organisation • Potential?

– Willingness and speed of learning

Source: Hudson Report 2005

2. Define Your Brand

• How do you stand out from the crowd?

• What makes you different from the other applicants?

• How do you add value?

• The goal of the puzzle is to link all 9 dots using four straight lines or less, without lifting the pen.

Think Outside the Box

One Solution

• Features versus benefits

• Feature = distinctive element: an attribute, characteristic, mark, peculiarity, property, quality or trait.

• Benefit = Something that promotes or enhances well-being; an advantage; Something that contributes to an organization (i.e., enhanced profitability, better efficiency, or reduced risk); Something that reduces hassles or inconvenience

Employers buy benefits, not features

How do you self manage, market and promote your skills?

Features vs Benefits

Workbook activity: What are my features?

How are they benefits?

Have an elevator speech.

A concise 30-60 sec summary of you and your degree. Write it in your workbook.

• Describe who you are

• Why you will be a benefit to the organisation?

• Why are you relevant to the role?

Pitching yourself

• Describe what it is

• Highlight specialist knowledge and features

• Apply the subject matter to the organisation

Pitching your qualification

3. Develop key statements

Remember!

• Who is your audience? Identify them: – Academia?– Industry?– Colleagues?– Peer?– Supervisor?

• Adapt your language and message to suit

• The one who gets noticed is the one who makes sure people know about their work and what they can do.

• Let people know when you are ready for the next challenge. The more people you talk to about it, the more likely you are to hear about opportunities as they arise.

4. Do not wait to be noticed

• Step out of your comfort zone into a new and unfamiliar area

• Always accept additional responsibilities that can build and diversify your curriculum vitae

• If there is a vacancy or assignment you want, ask for it

• Be proactive and look for opportunities!

How can you be noticed?

Make connections

• Attend conferences • LinkedIn• Join professional associations• Attend events or engage in

professional development• Network with others

Volunteer!

• Speak at conferences/seminars/organisations • Organise conferences/symposiums• Actively participate in professional organisations• Contribute to a blog• Serve on university committees • Do work experience • Get a mentor• Volunteer outside of QUT

– Volunteering Qld http://www.volunteeringqld.org.au/web/ – seek.com.au http://www.volunteer.com.au/

Activity: In your work book make a note a different ways you can get noticed!

BREAK

5. Present a professional image

• First impressions are crucial• Consider your online

presence – FaceBook– MySpace– LinkedIn

• Dress for success

• Good communication and interpersonal skills are crucial

• They can enable us to advance at a much faster pace than others with more experience

• They help us form positive first impressions

6. Cultivate people skills

• Smile• Eye contact• Listen to understand• Call people by their name• Being open and confident• Being positive

What are good people skills?

Activity: Networking cards

Activity: Team building

• What skills are important in teamwork??

• Have a broadly defined goal or a career vision

• It may be a bit unclear, but having some direction will keep you moving ahead.

• Activity: Think about where you want to be in: – 3yrs? – 5yrs?– 10yrs?

Write it in your workbook

7. Have a vision

How do I get to where I want to go?

• Have an overall vision of where you want to go

• Break your vision down into manageable steps

• Look for opportunities • Record your progress and reward

each achievement• Revisit, evaluate and revise as you

go

If you don’t succeed get some feedback and work out what you can do differently for next time

Be persistent!

8. Enact your strategy – Goal setting activity

S = SPECIFIC• Who is involved?• What do you want to accomplish?• Where? - Identify a location.• When? – Establish a time frame.• Why? – Specific reason, purpose, or benefits of achieving a goal.

M = MEASUREABLEHelps you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience achievement.

A = ATTAINABLEBreak it down into steps - each step should move you closer to that goal.

R = REALISTIC

Personal and situational factors which may influence your ability to reach your goal.

T = TIMEBOUNDDefine start points and end points to your goal and maintain commitment to these deadlines.

Writing an effective goal statement

• Use clear, specific language.

• Start your goal statement with TO + a VERB

• Write your goal statement using SMART Goal Criteria

• Avoid using negative language. Think positive!

Activity: Let’s now give it a go!

Questions?

LOCATION

Gardens Point Campus:

Level 2, X BlockReception: Room X226

Kelvin Grove Campus:

Level 4, C Block(Above the Refectory)

Caboolture Campus:

Student Centre - J Block

EMAIL

careers@qut.edu.au

WEBSITE

www.careers.qut.edu.au

PHONEGardens Point: 07 3138 2649

Kelvin Grove: 07 3138 3488

Caboolture 07 5316 7400

Contact Careers and Employment