Some people say that searching for the career you want is a full time job and they are not far off the truth. Applications can take up to 3 months to be processed, so you need to be thinking about your career long before your graduate. It’s easy to get wrapped up in study and exams but there is a competitive jobs market out there and employers are expecting that you will have had some work experience, plus exposure to your own industry before you graduate.

UQ Careers and Graduate Employment have a range of workshops to prepare you for the job hunt. Our 5 top tips would be:

1. Prepare – It takes time to develop your resume into a professional document, don’t rush it. Download all your experience and add your achievements as well.Check out events on Careerhub to book into a Resume and Cover Letter Workshop. (Careerhub is UQ's career portal register at www.careerhub.uq.edu.au
2. Industry Experience – make sure you get a taste of your industry before you graduate and even if it is work experience, add it to your resume. If you are an International student its even more important for you to have work experience in your industry in an Australian context. Employers tell us time and time again experience pays!
3. Networking - Don’t just look in the paper for jobs, develop your networking skills while you are still at uni through lecturers and tutors, student associations, professional assocations or work experience.
4. Referees – Remember to cultivate some great referees while you are at uni, they can be a testimony to the strength of your application. These are the names that appear on the end of your resume that are normally your most recent employers, lecturers etc. An employer will call your referees, normally after you have been to interview to clarify what kind of a worker you are and make sure you are the right person for the job.
5. Professional Assistance – UQ Careers and Graduate Employment is available to assist students right up until 6 months after they have graduated so make the most of the free professional service. Our team is in constant contact with employers and up-to-date with the latest industry news and events. Find about more about the range of services on offer by registering on UQ's jobs portal www.careerhub.uq.edu.au and checking out the events section.