To excel at matching the right Talent, to our Client Organisations’ needs – whether for an interim project, or a permanent role – whilst respecting all our stakeholders, with honest, open and efficient service.

Careers & Candidates specialises in assisting with finding permanent, contract and temporary job opportunities, within the field of accounting and finance, as well as, clerical and administrative roles. Our experience allows us to understand your skill set, and your drivers, and then to present you with the matching opportunities – and not to just pigeon hole you. Please refer to the About Us page, for a listing of specific roles.

At Careers & Candidates, we want to do more than solely find you a new job; we want to make sure it is the right one for you, and that we help to make your job search as easy as possible, as it can be a stressful process.

When you apply to an opportunity with us, you can expect to:

    • Receive a response to your application within forty-eight hours;
    • Have a phone call / email returned within twenty-four hours.

Basic stuff, we know, but so often it doesn’t happen.

We welcome your feedback at timsharp@careersandcandidates.com.au.

If you are open to some feedback, then your Careers & Candidates’ Consultant can provide you feedback around your interview with us, and some tips on your CV. Of course, we will also always look to provide feedback from our Client Organisations, when you interview for roles.

For further information, please refer to the following pages on the website:

  • CV writing tips and template
  • Basic, but fundamental interviewing tips
  • The dreaded Behavioural Based Interview (BBI / STAR) questions

Looking to apply to roles managed by Careers & Candidates?
All roles advertised by Careers and Candidates, can be found on SEEK.com.au

CV writing and tips
There is not a definitive template, when it comes to writing a CV. There are many different formats, that all work fine. We hope the tips below will help, and refer to our example CV, too.

    • Easy to read is THE KEY. Don’t make your audience work hard, as they may not bother.
    • Think of your CV, as your personal sales document. What do people need to know about you, in order to decide if you are right for the job? The interview is your opportunity to further expand
    • Do not copy and paste your position descriptions
    • 3 to 5 pages (not all on 1 page, and not 10 pages)
    • Responsibilities and achievements – have both, normally under each role
        • A responsibility is a key duty / part of your role
        • An achievement is an indication of how well you completed your responsibilities
        • Eg there may be many Accountants in your company, but only one will be awarded Accountant of the year; or be credited with contributing to minimising a project’s costs by 20% of budget, perhaps by improving reporting…
        • Try to measure your achievements eg reduced costs by 20% of budget
    • Company logos add colour, in a safe and conservative manner
    • Check spelling and if grammar isn’t your strength, get someone to proof read your CV
    • Do not include your photo
    • Remove inappropriate email addresses eg whowantstoparty@yahoo.com
    • Avoid industry and employer abbreviations and jargon
    • Never lie on a CV
 

Basic, but fundamental interviewing tips
An interview process is a sales pitch, and you’re on sale.

That may not be a nice way to think about it, but it’s not far from the truth. After all, you are competing against other Applicants for the job, and if successful, you will be looking to earn a wage, in return for doing the job.

Before the interview:

    • Know the roles you’ve applied for and why
    • Have your voicemail active
    • Check your emails
    • If you can’t take the call at work, just say so on the call
    • Preparation – it’s the best way to handle nerves
        • know your CV (company, team, role, achievements, challenges)
        • know the company & role you are applying to
            • website
            • Google (latest events)
            • position description
            • information from your Recruitment Consultant
        • think about why you want the opportunity – genuinely
        • have questions prepared
            • what sort of person has been successful in the past?
            • solely asking, “what’s the next step”, or “when will I hear” won’t do enough to impress and won’t cut it
 

At the interview:

    • Dress appropriately for the interview
    • Take a black folder, like Recruiters have. In it, have a copy of your CV, the position description with annotations / highlighted sections, and similarly the company website; doing so, will show you have done your research. So, just casually open the folder, as you sit at the table
      • BUT don’t read your CV, as you will break rapport
      • Be well prepared eg research the business, website, google for the latest events
      • Show enthusiasm for the job opportunity (company, role etc)
      • More is less re information in answers – if the interviewer wants more detail, then she/he will ask you
      • Listen to the question asked
      • Don’t waffle and be clear
      • Ask the right questions – good questions can impress more than your answers
 

The dreaded Behavioural Based Interview (BBI / STAR) questions

The point of BBI questions, it to ascertain what you have done in the past, and then to assume this will be a good indicator, of what you will do in the future.

    • Have 6 or 7 malleable examples, that you can use in your answers
    • Tailor these to the attributes you think will be most important for the job
        • Eg The job requires a lot of presenting technical concepts, to an audience whose members aren’t from the specialist area, in ways they can understand.
        • So, think of an example of when you have done this, so you are ready to answer, when asked.
    • Structure your answer, based on the above example:
        • Problem – explaining technical issues, to people not versed in the concepts
        • Process – I used diagrams, everyday examples to bring theories / concepts to life, and I left out the technical jargon
        • Outcome – people understood the concepts, when I asked for similar examples from their work experience. Also, I didn’t bore them too much, as I used entertaining examples.
    • Be aware of the words you use
        • First person, singular = ‘I’
            • Remember, it’s about what you have done, not your Manager / colleague / team etc. If you find yourself saying ‘we’, then quickly bring it back to you.
            • This IS the time to have an ego. Though, if you’re a naturally confident person, don’t overdo it
        • Past tense = ‘did’, not ‘would / should do’
            • Remember, it’s about what you have done. Not what you ‘would do’, nor ‘should do’. Theorising is okay, if you cannot think of an example.