/ Home
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Frequently Asked Questions

The Careers Centre receives many enquiries each day. In this section you will find our responses to some of the more common questions, including links to further information, contacts and resources.

Study at Sydney?

Career Options?

  • "What occupations and employment outcomes could my course lead to?"
    You can check out the employment statistics, occupations and employers for most undergraduate courses at Sydney by looking at our Graduate Destination Statistics.

Work Experience?

  • "I want to do some part time work related to my degree. How can I find something suitable?"
    Part-time work, even if it’s not specifically degree-related, can help you to develop the key skills required for your ideal job at the end of your degree.
    With some degree areas it is possible to find part-time work that is very similar to the type of job you may obtain as a graduate. However, for the majority of degrees, you may have difficulty finding something that closely matches your ideal job. In this case, think about part-time vacancies in terms of the skills you can develop through the type of work or organisation.
    The Careers Centre receives some part-time degree-related vacancies from employers. Log in to Your Careers Centre to view job vacancies.

  • "I want to work for an employer on a volunteer basis just to get some work experience. How should I go about it?"
    In order to make voluntary work meaningful for a student, an employer needs to plan some tasks for the student to do and to arrange for a staff member to be available for both supervision and consultation. Unfortunately a lot of employers are not in a position where they can devote time and resources to organising voluntary work.
    Instead, major private sector employers will usually offer work experience in the form of a summer vacation program. Summer vacation positions are usually offered to students in their penultimate year of study and there is generally a lot of competition for these positions. While some employers advertise these positions in Graduate Opportunities and through Your Careers Centre
    many do not advertise these positions at all. Instead, they fill the positions from unsolicited applications that have been sent in to them.
    A good way to find volunteer work is through Volunteering NSW, an organisation which puts volunteers in to contact with non-profit organisations which really need their assistance. They offer a wide range of volunteer work opportunities that would enable you to develop a broad repertoire of skills that any employer would be interested in. Alternatively, if you know of any organisation that you would like to do some volunteer work for, such as a museum, Sydney City Mission or Community Aid Abroad, you can contact them directly and enquire whether they have a volunteer program and how you can arrange to go in to the program. Some volunteer work brokers are listed on our job links page, too.
    Volunteer work, even if it’s not specifically degree-related, can help you to develop the key skills required for your ideal job at the end of your degree.
  • Find out more about volunteer work by clicking here.

Postgraduate Study?

Job Search?

  • "I know what I want to do, but how do I find out how to get in to that area?"
    There are lots of resources available to help you with this dilemma. Firstly, the Job Guide at http://jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/ allows you to search for a job title or occupation, and then gives information on the qualifications required to enter that occupation, the main duties and tasks, and useful contact numbers. In our careers resources library we have several useful books on this topic and also a comprehensive set of occupational information (look for the yellow folders) in the Careers Centre. The Graduate Careers Council of Australia produces a range of occupational information booklets, and these are available on their web site at www.gradlink.edu.au, under the heading "Industry Career Profiles".
  • "Why are there no job ads for Arts students?”
    There lots of job ads for Arts students, but they do not necessarily state they are looking for someone who has completed an Arts degree. Employers will ask for graduates from any discipline, or for people with good research and analytical skills and excellent oral and written communication skills. People with "generalist" degrees, such as Arts and Science, go on to do a huge range of things. Some use the degrees as a springboard to further, vocational training, while others go straight into the workforce. You can get an idea of the occupations graduates take up, and the employers they work for, by checking out our Graduate Destination Statistics.
  • "How do I go about looking for a job - I don't know where to start?"
    Check out our web pages on job searching. The Careers Centre also runs regular workshops during academic semesters on resumes, interviews and job searching.
  • "I'm coming to Sydney on a working holiday. How can I get a job?"
    Please note that the Careers Centre does not have the resources to find jobs for people from outside the university. You may like to use our Job Vacancy Links page to check out online job databases and agencies.

Applications and Interviews?

  • "How do I write a resume or application letter?"
    There are lots of tips on the job search process, from assessing your skills and abilities, to completing written applications and attending interviews, on our application and interview pages. You may also like to call into the Careers Centre to check out our hard-copy and video resources on this topic.
  • "How can I find out what salary I should ask for if the employer asks me in an interview?"
    The Careers Centre has copies of recent Graduate Destination Surveys, which you can come in and read, and a handy summary of graduate statistics (called "GradStats") can be downloaded from the gradlink website at www.gradlink.edu.au You may also like to check out relevant professional organisations' web sites, as they sometimes survey graduates too, and of course, checking recent job ads for similar positions, in newspapers and online, can also help give you an idea of your "worth".
  • "The job I'm applying to needs an academic transcript. What is it? Where can I get it from?"
    An academic transcript is an official printout showing all the subjects you've attempted since you enrolled, and the results you achieved. You should apply for one at the Student Centre. Note that transcripts are not available in electronic format at this university - if an employer asks you to e-mail your transcript, you can either scan a hard copy and send that, or type your results into a word document and e-mail it. You should always take the original of your academic transcript to any job interviews, in case the employer wants to examine it. If the employer wants hard-copy applications, it is usually fine to provide a photocopy (rather than original) of your transcript, but, as with electronic applications, be sure to take the original along to any interviews you may have.

International Students

  • What services does the Careers Centre offer to International Students?
    The Careers Centre offers a wide range of services and support for our international students. We have a Careers Resources Library with books and folders on job search skills, cv writing, interview techniques, working overseas, employers and finding work experience. We are also able to provide advice on career planning and guidance with making career decisions. http://www.careers.usyd.edu.au/students/international/index.shtml will give you a brief outline of our services and answer some of your questions on finding work.
  • How can I find out which employers are interested in recruiting International Students?
    In the case of Australian graduate recruitment activities, you will find that many local employers are looking to recruit local students or students who have already attained permanent residency status. However if you are particularly keen to apply to a specific employer, it is up to you as an individual to approach them and find out if you are eligible to apply. For a list of local graduate recruitment opportunities see http://www.careers.usyd.edu.au/students/newsevents/events_gradrecprog.shtml.Occasionally a local employer will recruit International students but it is usually for employment in one of their overseas offices. For information about these opportunities, see http://www.careers.usyd.edu.au/students/international/index.shtml or alternatively check employers' web sites for information about how to apply to their overseas offices.
  • Do local employers recruit International Students (I am intending to apply for permanent residency)?
    There have been significant changes to the immigration regulations since 1 July 1999 for international students who have completed an Australian degree, diploma or trade qualification and wish to apply for permanent resident status. Please check out the Department of Immigration's website for further information at http://www.immi.gov.au. The gradlink website also contains a large amount of very useful information at http://www.gradlink.edu.au/content/view/full/148 In the case of Australian graduate recruitment activities, you will find that many local employers are looking to recruit local students or students who have already attained permanent residency status. However if you are particularly keen to apply to a specific employer, it is up to you as an individual to approach them and find out if you are eligible to apply. For a list of local graduate recruitment opportunities see http://www.careers.usyd.edu.au/students/newsevents/events_gradrecprog.shtml
  • Does the Careers Centre organise internships?
    Many international students visit the Careers Service seeking "Internships". Internships are difficult even for local students to pursue here and unfortunately the Careers Centre is unable to assist you with arranging an internship directly. However companies do contact us with internship opportunities from time to time and we advertise these to students on our noticeboards and at Your Careers Centre. We would recommend that you pursue your Consulate or relevant Chamber of Commerce so that you can contact organizations which operate both in your country of origin and here in Australia, for an internship opportunity.
  • How can I get work experience?
    Most vacation work positions advertised through us target penultimate year local students. In addition, the Careers Centre lists both full time and part-time vacancies at Your Careers Centre. The University's Casual Employment Service specialises in helping students find casual and part-time work during their studies and in University vacations.
    (Please note that only currently enrolled postgraduate and undergraduate degree students of the University are eligible to use these services.)
    An alternative way of finding work experience is to approach employers directly. It's often a good idea to look much broader than the employers that recruit on campus as these employers are often seeking students who are local students or who already have permanent residency status. If you look at the Yellow Pages directory, you might find small- or medium-sized employers in your local area or close to your local area who might be interested in offering you either some unpaid work experience or some casual work related to your degree.
  • How can I get permanent residency?
    There have been significant changes to the immigration regulations since 1 July 1999 for international students who have completed an Australian degree, diploma or trade qualification and wish to apply for permanent resident status. Please check out the Department of Immigration's website for further information at http://www.immi.gov.au
  • Can the Careers Centre help me with my application letters and resumes?
    Check out our online application advice and information. We also offer workshops on resume writing and have some great resources in our library. To find out more go to http://www.careers.usyd.edu.au/students/jobsearch/services.shtml .Please note that when checking application letters and resumes, our careers advisers give feedback on whether or not the information is relevant for the position being applied for and in particular whether it is addressing selection criteria. If you require assistance with English language skills, please contact the Learning Centre.
  • How does graduate recruitment differ from my own country?
    Each country has a difference process to recruit graduates.
    In Australia many of the large companies have graduate recruitment programmes and are actively seeking Sydney graduates.
    These employers will be advertising on campus in the first semester of your final year (for jobs starting the following January). These employers will give employer presentations on campus and will attend our Careers Fairs. The closing dates for the applications are from April onwards.
    A few employers interview on campus – although this is becoming less common in Australia. The employer will tell you where the interview will be held.
    Employers are looking for a combination of the experience gained from the degree and your skills (such as teamwork, leadership etc). You can show these skills through your academic study. However, many employers are interested in extra-curricular activities. Getting involved in student societies is strongly advised.
  • How do applications differ in Australia?
    Most graduate employers will ask for online application forms. However, CVs are still popular and are often requested even if you are sending an application form. Always send applications with covering letters.
    CVs can be two or three sides long.
    In Australia it is not common to send your certificates or transcript with a CV – unless it is requested by the employer. Australian CVs never contain a photo.
    You will need to consider how you are going to explain your academic results you gained from your home country. There are three ways you can do this.
  1. Compare your results to the average member of your year group.
  2. Show your results as a percentile
  3. Have your results translated by an authorized company so that you can explain them as an equivalent of the Australian system.

Sending letters and CVs to employers who have not advertised vacancies is encouraged if you are a permanent resident or Australian Citizen. It is advisable to be familiar with the immigration requirements for applying for work in Australia.

If you have other career related questions go to our student pages. If you can’t find the answer here, you can email our Careers Resource Librarian at