Billie sat down with Leah Lambart, SEEK Career Expert and Founder of Relaunch Me, getting incredible advice to help you land the job of your dreams!

What advice would you give to first-time job seekers, particularly young women looking to start their career? 

The job search can be an overwhelming process, especially if you don’t have much experience or aren’t sure what you are looking for in your next job. The key piece of advice for first time job seekers entering the workforce is to get clear on what you’re looking for before you start your job search. This includes thinking about what types of roles you’re best suited to by considering things like your educational background, personality, skillset and any technical knowledge or expertise that you would like to use in the future. It’s also important to factor in your location, desired work type (part-time, full time, hybrid, WFH) and salary range, then apply these to your search using filters to ensure you find the most relevant job matches for you.

The interview process can be incredibly daunting for a number of reasons as a young woman. How can we build up confidence and nail these?

It’s completely normal to get nervous before an interview and sometimes having a few nerves is actually a good thing. It usually means you care about getting the role and how you perform. Even CEOs and senior executives get nervous about interviews, especially if they haven’t done the right amount of thinking up front. Preparation is key, so calm the nerves by preparing well and in the right way, so you’re less likely to be put on the spot and have to think of a response under pressure.

Working with an interview coach or using the Practice Interview Builder tool on SEEK Career Advice can help you anticipate the questions that may be asked and help you develop well-structured and relevant examples that will show the hiring manager that you can overcome any challenges in the role.

Why should young women be excited about the job market and its opportunities?

There’s much to be excited about when looking for a job as it is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and find a role that really plays to your strengths and aligns with your interests and values. A new role is also a chance to take on more responsibility and develop new skills so don’t be afraid to aim high. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you haven’t done that important self-assessment. In fact, 51% of Kiwis have put off searching for a job because it is too time intensive which means many stay in roles for much longer than they need to. If you get clear on your key criteria and then use job search filters to narrow down your search, then this will make the job search process is less time consuming and produces the most relevant job matches for you.

Finally, a new role is also a great way to meet new people and expand your network. Some of the best relationships are discovered in the workplace so think of a new job as an opportunity to create lasting friendships as well.

What advice would you give to this group when pulling together their resume? Particularly those who don’t have much/any experience?

There’s no exact science to putting together a stellar resume, but there are steps you can take to make sure it’s the best it can be. If you’re putting together a resume early in your career or changing industry, focus on what is most relevant to the job that you are applying for. If you don’t have a lot of relevant experience, make sure you include your education, part-time, casual, or volunteer work and most importantly any extra-curricular activities that will demonstrate key employability skills such as leadership, teamwork, creativity, resilience, conflict resolution and time management. If you are applying for a specific industry, you can include any information that demonstrates your interest on a particular topic such as books that you read, short courses that you have completed, hobbies or podcasts that you listen to on relevant topics.

The job hunt can be really challenging, any advice for staying positive and not getting discouraged by rejection or not hearing back?

Unfortunately, rejection is part of the job hunt process and is not something that you should take personally, even though it can be disheartening. You should try to understand that even executives don’t always hear back after applying for a role. It may be nothing to do with you but instead be due to an internal change or someone else being the best fit for the job. Getting specific your job search to begin with so you’re considering the most relevant jobs for you is a good first step to a successful application. Try to stay positive and instead focus on what you’ve learnt from the process and how you can use knowledge for your next application or interview.

How can young girls identify and highlight their unique skills and strengths when applying for jobs?

SEEK research shows that 18-24 year old’s are the most excited by the job hunt process of any other age group but it’s disappointing to hear that this group that feels least confident about finding a job that meets their career goals. To feel more confident finding your first role or a new one, it’s important that young girls understand themselves well before starting their job search and that they can both identify and articulate their unique selling proposition – what makes them special – in an interview.

If you’re finding this difficult, I recommend speaking to friends, family, teachers or co-workers and ask for feedback on your strengths and where they see you at your absolute best. In many cases, when people have certain strengths, they tend to assume that everyone has those same strengths and don’t really understand what makes them stand out. Often those closest to us know us better than we know ourselves and they can help you identify your unique strengths. Think about any way that you can showcase your skills or work such as on a website, blog or personal project that will demonstrate your skills to a future employer.

What strategies can young girls use to negotiate their salary and benefits confidently? Especially when starting out?

Navigating salary discussions can be difficult at all levels, but there are a few things you can do to help make the process a little smoother. First research the market and understand the average salary for someone with your experience and/or education. It’s not a good sign to a potential employer if you ask for an hourly rate or salary that is way above what the market is paying so it pays to do your research. Second, make use of the salary filter on SEEK - that way you’ll only see jobs that sit within your desired salary range, saving you time and effort considering roles that may not align with your expectations. 

Finally, if an employer offers you much less than the average, then don’t be afraid to let them know that you have done your research and believe that the rate should be higher for that particular role or for your level of experience.