Five Employability Tips for Students

The academic year is upon us again. Whether you are new to New Zealand or have been here for a while, here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your year.

1/ Be engaged

Now I don't necessarily mean a ring on your finger (although that would be nice for those waiting for one!). I’m talking about engagement with AUT and Auckland employers.

NZ employers want graduates who have more than just a degree or qualification. Make the most of Orientation to find out about support services and activities - such as student clubs - that are available to you. Join some Meet Up groups. This is your starting point to building vital NZ networks and gaining NZ experience because it shows employers that you are human and have interests outside of studies. It also shows that you can handle multiple commitments – which is always a bonus!

2/ Start your employability journey

Find out what NZ employers are looking for. Attend our events and workshops to get inside information on how you can be the best candidate. Research to find out about roles and areas of work that match your interest areas. Connect with us on social media. It is best to be prepared as some skills, qualities and experience take time to develop!

3/ Build your knowledge of the NZ workplace

You may have heard horror stories about the NZ workplace but don’t worry. Not all of us are scary! Take a look at this resource to give you a more real impression of the NZ workplace and culture and the NZ way of working.

How is it different to your country? They also have a fun module that you can do to  give your communication skills a boost

4/ Keep up to date with visa requirements

It's important you keep up to date with your visa requirements and changes. The new Immigration New Zealand NauMai NZ website gives you valuable information about visas and your rights as a student in terms of employment. There are also resources for employers too. Check it out and bookmark it.

AUT International Student Support team is also always here to help you with visa questions.

5/ Develop a professional online presence

Increasingly, employers and recruiters use social media to find employers or check out job applicants - so you need a strong social media profile to get noticed!

Attend our LinkedIn workshop to start your online presence. We will talk about how you can set one up and how you can best utilise this tool.

For example, As well as a place that recruiters go to review job applicants, LinkedIn is a really good research tool for you to use to find out who works in different organisations, the kind of background and work history they have behind them, as well as what they do in the role.  Knowing this helps you see what you need to do to plan your future career.

Written by Rebecca Du, AUT career specialist - student employability