Author: OPC Admin

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How to research a company before applying for a job

Good company research is essential to deciding who you want to work for when you are ready to apply, and acing your interview when your knowledge of the company is put to the test. Here are some steps you could take to research a company:

1. Make a list of companies that share your values
Read employee reviews about the company’s culture, salary, job advancement and work/life balance and make a list of companies that share your values.

2. Research the company’s employee benefits
Do they offer healthcare benefits, stock options, flexible work schedules, or onsite facilities like the gym and cafeteria? Read the job description, the company’s website, and employee reviews to find out.

3. Learn about the company’s business operations
Refer to the company’s website, their annual reports, and public financial documents to learn how the company makes money, what industry the company is in, who the target customers are, how long they’ve been in business and how good/bad the company’s reputation is.

4. Research the company’s leadership
Read the About Us page and employee bios on the company’s website to see what the executives and directors are like.

5. Research news and recent events
Refer to news and specific industry publications, customer forums and product reviews, to find out recent updates about the company and its competitors as well as the company’s reputation.

6. Seek opinions from others
Seek opinions from trusted and reliable friends and associates. If you lack the network, consider reaching out to relevant people for a quick coffee chat.

Source: Indeed Career Guide

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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How to manage conflict in the workplace

As we work with people from various cultures and backgrounds and with different working styles and personalities, conflict in the workplace seems inevitable. Instead of resisting or avoiding it, knowing how to handle heated situations could be helpful for you to effectively manage conflict:

1. Calm down
This may help you choose a neutral location and stop other people’s anger and aggressiveness. Then you can have a heated-down environment that allows constructive conversations.

2. Listen comprehensively
The reason for conflict is usually more complex than we think. So, listen carefully when the other party is stating their perspectives. Don’t simply jump to conclusions and mind your words when sharing your interests.

3. Solution-oriented
Hastily found resolutions won’t last long! Instead, think about the interests of all the parties involved to reach a new balance.

How else do you manage conflict? Comment below!

Source: SHRM, Project Manager

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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Checklist series: Networking and how to do it right

Networking can be daunting. Here are a few tips to make your networking journey easier!

1. Learn about the event beforehand
– who is the host?
– will there be speakers at the event? Who?
– what is the dress code?
– who are the participants? Who do you want to meet?

2. Balance old and new connections
Reconnect with old connections to consolidate your network and make new connects to expand your network. Avoid doing too much of one thing.

3. Introduce yourself with confidence
Don’t sell yourself. Keep your introduction simple but specific. After your introduction, continue the conversation with shared experiences and topics of interest.

4. Sharpen your conversational skills
– Prioritize open-ended questions
– Listen actively
– End conversations politely. Some examples of polite exit lines you can use are:
‘It’s been really great meeting you, but I want to ask the speaker/a colleague some questions before he/she leaves.’
‘Well, I want to make sure to say hello to at least three people tonight!’
‘Anyway, I don’t want to take up all of your time.’
And then thank your conversation partner.

5. Follow up
Follow up on new connections using a consistent approach. This could be via an appropriate platform like LinkedIn or by email.

Source: GradAustralia

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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What are Career Gaps? Do you need one?

Career gaps are common and aren’t necessarily a bad thing, so it’s better to be honest about them in your job application instead of trying to cover them up.

There are many reasons why people have career gaps:

  • You might have lost your job or couldn’t find work
  • You might have suffered from long-term physical and/or mental illness
  • You might have had caring responsibilities
  • You might have spent time travelling
  • Or sometimes, you might purely feel the need to redefine your career path!

Whatever the reason, as long as you explain how you spent your time productively and faced challenges with resilience and strength, career gaps can actually work in your favour!
Source: Seek

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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Daily read

What are transferrable skills?

Each job has their own skill set, which is specific for that position, and only people in that area can perform the job sufficiently. For example, a Website Developer need to know about coding languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, while a Operation Surgeon needs to have excellent knowledge about human anatomy. Meanwhile, regardless which position you are responsible for, having transferrable skills are the skills you can use in every job position, which is helpful for you during job’s transition. Some examples of transferable skills are:

1. Communication Skills
Communication not only involves written and verbal communication but also includes using and reading body language and talking to people in different contexts.

2. Dependability
Dependability is what makes you a trusted employee. It could include punctuality, organization, and responsibility.

3. Teamwork
Effective teamwork requires qualities such as empathy, active listening, and strong communication.

4. Organization
Organized employees typically meet deadlines, communicate with others in a timely manner and follow instructions well.

5. Adaptability
Adaptability means being flexible when encountering change. There are an increasing number of employers look for adaptable candidates, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Leadership
Leaders are people who can organize and inspire teams to reach shared goals.

7. Technology literacy
Technology literacy refers to comfort with and ability in navigating new technology.

Review the job description carefully and identify which of your transferrable skills are most relevant to the job!

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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Daily read

3 helpful career websites

Are you still unsure about your career path?

Are you looking to upskill?

Are you looking to change your career?

If you are in any of these positions, these 3 Australian Government career websites may be helpful for your journey.

1. Job Outlook

Job Outlook is an initiative of the Australian Government National Skills Commission. Job Outlook provides information about Australia’s careers, labour market trends and employment projections.

2. MySkills

MySkills website is an Australian Government initiative to ensure training consumers have access to current, straightforward, independent, and trustworthy information to help them make choices about their training options.

3. Your Career

Your Career website is a platform of the National Careers Institute. The role of the Your Career website is to: help people find clear career information and advice; create a single trusted source of career information; curate and publish transparent employment and education data and strengthen career information and research through collaboration.

Follow us to get more helpful information about leadership, management, career and workplace tips.

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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Business news overview

Weekly Business News overview: 13 – 17 June

An overview of last week’s (27 June – 01 July) business news brought to you by Opulence College (RTO 45644, CRICOS 03878K)

👉Are you too busy to keep up with the news everyday? Is all the jargon and technical terms on the news confusing you?

👉 Every Monday, we will summarize the previous week’s main business news in a nutshell.

Comment below for any content that you want to find out in more detail, we may prepare a special corner for it!

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

Categories
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What are the differences between management and leadership?

‘Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.’                                                is a famous quote from Jack Welch.

Although a leader can be a manager, not all the managers can be a leader.

👉 Managers are those who emphasize the term ‘I’, while leaders instead, would focus on the term ‘we’.

👉 Leaders tend to mentor, train, and develop employees based on their blueprint on their business strategy to fully use their abilities and cultivate their potentials. They would make a positive impact on the whole organization by making employees feel valued and respected.

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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How to tackle the graduate employment market?

Gaining success in the competitive graduate employment market always seems impossible for most new graduates. Here are three steps you can take to help you tackle this process.

1. Think out of the box about where you might add value

Your career trajectory may not always be limited to the professions that only relate to your major in the university. For instance, an Acquisition Specialist at a Big Four firm points out that, science graduates are also strong candidates for management consulting roles for their great logical mindset.

2. Careful preparation for every interview

Remember to conduct a thorough research about the company and the industry before coming to the interview, which is especially crucial when you receive an initial call from the recruiter. When it comes to a face-to-face interview, try to articulate the value you could offer the company instead of simply listing your significant achievements, which might be unattractive sometimes.

3. Anticipate problems and demonstrate that you are proactive

The graduate recruitment process can be long, and, normally, an interview may clash with your schedule. You can consider emailing the recruiter to request a reschedule of the interview. This action could be highly appreciated by the recruiters, as you demonstrate your ability to anticipate problems and how you would manage them.

Source: myfuture

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𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

Website: https://opc.edu.au

Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000

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Daily read

How To Make Sure You Won’t Regret When Switching Jobs

Switching jobs are common, and yet, sometimes you feel regret after taking a new job. Here are some suggestions you can take to avoid a painful career misstep:

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀
Career decisions are complex, and the structure of your decision is crucial. Try to outline your tailored career goals and criteria for acceptance, laying out a roadmap for how you will assess each element before you make your decision.

𝟮. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Please keep in mind that not every promise that’s made during an interview will be fulfilled. It is helpful to raise questions regarding employee engagement, growth potential, expectations, etc. Asking exploratory questions can help you avoid being led astray in the interview.

𝟯. 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗮𝘀
Cognitive bias is the tendency to favour information that you already have faith in. Beware of it as you are trying to make a life-altering decision!

𝟰. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱-𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲
Discussing your decision-making criteria with people you know that will challenge your points is always helpful. On the other hand, why not network with people who already work there so that you will know precisely whether a company’s values align with yours.

Source: Harvard Business Review

 

𝗢𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲

CRICOS 03878K | RTO 45644

————————

 Phone: (+61) 261 018 650

 Email: enquiry.act@opc.edu.au

 Website: https://opc.edu.au

 Canberra campus: Mezzanine Level, 15 Moore Street, Canberra ACT 2601

 Melbourne campus: Suite 802, Level 8, 474 Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000