Build the Skills to Find the Right Job

Start by identifying your strengths, transferable skills, experience, priorities and preferred working conditions. You can then compare this information with the requirements of different roles and industries. The right opportunity does not need to match every preference, but it should provide a reasonable connection between what you can offer, what the employer needs and the direction you want to pursue.

Your applications may not be showing employers clearly enough how your experience matches their requirements. Review whether you are selecting appropriate roles, tailoring each application, using relevant evidence, addressing required criteria and following application instructions. Competition, timing and internal recruitment decisions can also affect outcomes, so an unsuccessful application does not automatically mean you lack capability.

You can draw evidence from education, training, volunteer work, placements, projects, community activities, caring responsibilities and other relevant life experience. Focus on the capabilities you used, the responsibilities you accepted and the outcomes you helped achieve. Select a resume format that gives appropriate prominence to your skills and relevant evidence.

Explain an employment gap briefly and honestly when it is relevant to the application. You do not need to disclose unnecessary personal information. Where appropriate, identify constructive activities undertaken during the period, such as caring responsibilities, study, volunteering, travel, recovery, professional development or preparation to return to work. Keep the explanation positive and focused on your readiness for the position.

Identify the capabilities that transfer between your previous experience and the new field. These may include communication, customer service, leadership, planning, problem-solving, digital capability or technical knowledge. Research the new industry carefully, identify genuine capability gaps and use relevant examples to show how your existing experience could contribute in the new context.

No. Your core employment information may remain consistent, but each application should emphasize the experience, capabilities and achievements most relevant to the individual role. Tailoring helps the employer understand why your background matters for that particular opportunity.

Not necessarily. Applicant tracking systems perform different functions and are used differently by different employers. A clear resume with conventional headings, relevant keywords and straightforward formatting is generally easier for systems and people to understand. Always follow the employer’s application and file-format instructions.

Address each criterion directly and support your response with relevant evidence. Identify what capability is being assessed, choose a strong example and explain the situation, your responsibility, the actions you took and the result. Follow the employer’s instructions regarding format, length and whether separate responses are required.

Prepare several examples that demonstrate capabilities relevant to the position. Use the STAR method to organize each example into the situation, task, action and result. Do not memorize a rigid script. Become familiar with the evidence so you can adapt it naturally to different questions.

Ask for the offer in writing and review the position, employment status, duties, location, hours, pay, benefits, proposed start date and any conditions that must be satisfied. Clarify discrepancies before accepting. In Australia, employment contracts cannot provide less than applicable minimum legal entitlements. Obtain professional advice if you do not understand a term or believe it could significantly affect your rights.