Preparing your resume (CV) early, anticipating interview scenarios, and answering with detailed numbers are how Hoang Ha successfully secured a job in Australia.
Bui Nhu Hoang Ha, 27 years old, a graduate of Deakin University, currently works as a business data analyst at Bunnings Group, a large furniture retail group in Australia and New Zealand with over 53,000 employees. Prior to this, she had applied for 100 jobs and been accepted by several other companies.
According to Ha, in Australia, companies have two main recruitment drives each year: the first from January to March, and the second from June to September. The process typically consists of four rounds: application submission (CV), online screening, video interview, and in-person interview.
To find a job, Ha used online forums like LinkedIn, Seek, GradConnection, and Glassdoor. She also noted down employer application deadlines, created job application emails, and checked them regularly to avoid missing out.
When creating her CV, Ha used templates and tools provided by the university, in her case, Deakin University. Prior to that, she also attended job-related workshops organized by the university and clubs to learn how to prepare.
Ha believes that a CV should be concise, fitting within one page for the reader's convenience, so she uses a font size of 10-11 with small line spacing. Additionally, the language should be proactive and demonstrate leadership abilities. She particularly emphasizes presenting data to describe the scale and effectiveness of her work, thereby showcasing her experience.
"When applying for a data analyst position, I wrote 'processed 1.5 million Yelp datasets to build an 84% accurate model using Python,' instead of 'used Python to process and visualize data from Yelp datasets'," Ha explained, giving an example. If candidates lack experience, Ha suggests they write about academic projects they've worked on, highlighting relevant experiences.
According to Ha, a candidate's personal information page or portfolio is a plus point on a CV. Ha uses Tableau to visually describe her completed projects. For technology or design fields, candidates can present their work using Github or Behance. A simpler option is to use LinkedIn to update past work experience, achievements, and certifications.
Finally, Ha reread her CV several times to remove unnecessary words before clicking submit.
She noted that the company's response time could be quite long, possibly up to a month, so she decided to stay calm. If she passed this round, the HR department would call to verify her information, so candidates should always keep their phones handy.
Bui Nhu Hoang Ha at an event at Bunnings Group. Photo: Provided by the subject.
If she made it to the online test round, Ha researched some frequently asked questions online by searching: "Company name + online test for graduate jobs," and then practiced answering them. She often encountered questions about personality, conflict resolution skills, teamwork abilities, and time management.
According to her, some large tech companies like IBM, Auspost, and Westpac use Revelian, a psychological test used in recruitment. Meanwhile, Canva and Thoughtworks use professional tests that require a solid understanding of knowledge and hard skills. The Big4 companies will have their own tests.
The video interview required candidates to answer situational questions and demonstrate their understanding of the company culture. Each question had a maximum preparation time of 2 minutes and an answer time of 4 minutes. For the situational questions, Hoang Ha prepared by researching and compiling a list of frequently asked questions online, then refining her sample answers with her own learning and work experiences. For the rest, Ha researched the company's core values, vision, mission, and culture beforehand. When answering, she applied the STAR method (Situation - Task - Action - Result).
"It means I describe the specific situation, the assigned task, how I performed the task, and the results achieved," Ha shared.
The final interview round typically takes two forms: a combination of individual and group interviews, or a combination of individual and case study analysis.
In the first format, candidates participate in a group of 6-10 people to discuss a hypothetical situation. Experts observe how candidates communicate, work in a team, and solve problems. When faced with this situation, Ha always honestly shared her own perspective and boldly asked her questions.
"There's no right or wrong answer here; they just want to observe how you interact with people in the team," Hoang Ha said. Afterward, candidates have a one-on-one interview with a senior staff member. The questions are often repetitive, similar to the video interview. Ha tried to highlight more details about her own experience, rather than giving generic answers.
With the second method, the HR department usually sends the candidate a problem to solve within 2-3 hours, then asks them to give a presentation. This is followed by a 1:1 interview as described above.
At Bunnings Group, Ha was interviewed in this way. She was asked to prepare a presentation for a client who wanted to build a website about organic food. Ha created a sample website, calculated the time and cost of implementation, and the desired results.
"The key to successfully securing a job in Australia is building your profile while still in school, through your GPA and projects. Additionally, applicants need to network, persistently apply, and improve their communication skills during interviews," Ha concluded.
Doan Hung
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