- Casey Grammar School

Are You Looking for a Job?

With the upcoming holiday break just around the corner, what better time to proactively try to source a part-time/casual job. The benefits of employment cannot be overstated.

Please find below some useful resources and tips to support students with their job seeking.

Online

Searching online, registering with a job website and browsing newspaper classifieds is a ‘well-worn’ way to look for work… but it can work! Some good websites include:

SEEK
Gumtree
LinkedIn
Indeed
Workforce Australia
Adzuna
CareerOne
CareerJet

Go Directly to the Source!

Many employers only advertise on their business websites. For example, a lot of large retailers and hospitality providers require prospective candidates to submit applications via their job portals.

These employers include:

Coles
Woolworths
Aldi
Target
Myer
McDonald’s
Hungry Jack’s
Bunnings
Kmart
David Jones
Hoyts
Village
KFC
Anaconda
Cotton On/Typo

Use Your Own Networks

Let people such as your family and friends know that you are looking for a job. Someone might know someone who can help. Once you have some names and contact details, you can find out if those employers are taking on new staff. Even if they are not, they might know someone who is.

Here are some tips for ways to chase down employers:

When you hear of a potential lead, get the name and contact details
Go ahead and give them a call
Consider offering to do some work experience first
Make sure you are paid for any trial work

Cold Calling

Many jobs are never advertised. Instead, an employer who’s looking for a worker gives the job to a person they know of, or they’ve already met. So how do you get to be ‘that’ person who gets the job? One way to increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time is to cold call.

How to Make a Cold call

Cold calling is when you contact an employer without waiting for a job to be advertised. It’s called ‘cold’ because you don’t have a ‘warm’ introduction. The employer isn’t advertising a job, and you don’t know anyone at the business. You’re using your own initiative to ask about job openings.

You could cold call:

Over the telephone
By email
In person
Or use any combination of these three

Phone, Email or in Person?

Although email may seem like a quicker or less stressful option, it is also easier for people to ignore or delete. When you call on the phone, there's more chance you'll end up speaking to someone who makes hiring decisions.

And when you're speaking to an actual person, you can find lots of useful information. You can ask about the best way to get a job with them. You can also ask what they look for in their staff.

Sometimes just showing up in person is the best approach. As an example, I would encourage you to print copies of your resume and walk around a local shopping complex. You could approach prospective employers in the following way:

“Hi – my name is John. I am currently completing Year 10 at Casey Grammar School. I am looking for a part-time/casual job. Can I please leave my resume with you?”

Who knows what will happen! Good luck.