 Before you rush to apply for a vacancy, it is important to consider what you really want from your employment. Only when you have done so can you effectively decide whether a job is going to meet your needs and is therefore worth applying for.
There are several things you can do to help you determine what is most important for you in a job. The three exercises which follow require you to focus on:
- your overall goals and needs, both short-term and long-term
- your skills
- your work values.
Having done these exercises, you will have a much better idea of what you want from a job, and also what skills and abilities you can bring to it.
Exercises
Summary
The exercises you have just done will help you to determine:
- whether you want to apply for another job, i.e. does your current job meet your short-term goals, needs and work values
- whether a position you are interested in applying for meets your goals, needs and work values
- what skills and achievements you already have that you can bring to another position.
Finding Out What Jobs are Available at UWA
Advertised positions
Normally positions at the University are advertised internally, and are often advertised externally through newspapers and other sources. The main exceptions to this are appointments lasting less than three months or special cases where an executive dean approves the appointment of someone to a position without it being advertised.
Internal Advertising
Most positions are advertised electronically on the Jobs@UWA web page, which is updated weekly. This provides information about each position including a copy of the position description, selection criteria, the period of appointment (e.g. 12 months), the salary range, the closing date for applications, and the contact person for enquiries.
Short term and casual positions may be advertised through email lists such as the Secretaries and University Managers Groups, through the Mobility programme or via the Expressions of Interest list.
External Advertising
The most common source of external advertising is the Saturday edition of the 'West Australian', although other newspapers such as 'The Australian' may be used for more senior positions. Positions may also be advertised via email and other external networks.
Unadvertised positions
Some short term and casual appointments are not necessarily advertised. The way to find out about these kinds of vacancies is either by word of mouth, or by contacting different departments to find out what positions are available.
You may be interested in such positions if you are looking to broaden your skills and experience in the short term but don't wish to give up your current position in the longer term. In this case you would have to negotiate a secondment to the position with your head of department and the department where the vacancy has arisen.
If you are considering short-term positions, it is a good idea to write to departments where you would particularly like to work, enclosing your résumé and details of what you have to offer, and ask them to consider you if suitable short-term vacancies arise.
Finding Out More About the Job
There are several ways in which you can find out more information about a particular job.
Position Description
All advertised positions will have a position description.
The position description provides the following information:
- the main role, key tasks and responsibilities of the position
- to whom the position reports
- how many positions are supervised, if any.
Selection criteria
Attached to each position description is a corresponding statement listing the selection criteria for the job. These are normally listed in order of priority.
The selection criteria identify what is required in order for someone to perform the job effectively. It outlines what is needed in terms of education, qualifications, training, abilities, knowledge, personal attributes, skills and experience.
Information on how to address selection criteria is given in Section 3.
It is important to obtain a copy of the position description and selection criteria, firstly, to help you decide if you want to apply for the job, and secondly, to enable you to put together a comprehensive, relevant application.
Copies of the position description and selection criteria for advertised vacancies are available electronically from the Jobs@UWA site or by contacting Human Resources on the 24-hour "hotline" number 6488 3723.
Additional sources of information
Although the position description and selection criteria will give you a good idea of what the job involves, you may have additional questions about the duties listed or want more information about certain aspects of the position or the department, such as why the vacancy has arisen, what type of work the department does, etc.
If you do have questions about the position, it is a good idea to find out more information rather than just making assumptions. The more specific information you have about a job, the easier it will be to decide whether you want to apply for it, and if so, the more relevant you can make your application.
Contact Person
To find out additional information, contact the person listed in the advertisement.
This person should be able to answer specific questions about the duties, as well as general questions about the department or section.
You can either get the information you need over the telephone or, preferably, arrange to go and see the contact person. The advantage of this is that you may also have an opportunity to see what the working environment is like and possibly to meet some of the staff working there.
Current Job-Holder
You could also find out more by speaking to the person currently doing the job. They should be able to tell you about the job in detail, as well as what other members of the department or section are like, etc. However, bear in mind that they may have a biased view of the position depending on their reasons for leaving it.
Person Holding a Similar Job
Another option would be to talk to someone who holds a position similar to the one you are considering. This should give you a general picture of the type of work involved, although the specific duties may be different.
Deciding if the Job Meets Your Needs
Having found out as much as you can about the position, you then need to look back at your own requirements in terms of goals, needs, skills and work values (see exercises 1 - 3 at the beginning of this Section) to see if they match the job.
If the job matches your needs sufficiently you will probably want to apply for it. This involves submitting a written application, which includes a covering letter and résumé, and which indicates how you meet the requirements of the position.
Full details of how to put together a written application are explained in Section 3.
It will more than likely involve attending an interview, details of which are covered in Section 4.
If the job doesn't meet your needs, it is important to consider carefully whether or not you want to apply for it. You may decide to apply anyway, for example:
- if your present appointment is due to expire and you need to look for an alternative position;
- if you want to gain more experience in preparing an application and being interviewed.
Remember that you don't have to apply for something that doesn't interest you.
References
Bolles, R.N. (1996) What Color is your Parachute? A practical manual for job-hunters and career changers. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Hopson, B. & Scally, M. (1993) Build Your Own Rainbow: A Workbook for Career and Life Management. San Diego: Pfeiffer & Co.
Shmerling, H. (1993) Job Applications: The Winning Edge. South Melbourne: MacMillan Education Australia.
Stevens, P. (1981) Career Development Training Resources: Participant's Resources. Sydney: The Centre for Worklife Counselling. | 
