How Can Studying with ACS Help Me Get a Job?

There are 3 steps in getting a Job:

1. Finding the opportunity
2. Getting Considered for the Work
3. Beating the Competition and being offered the work

The same 3 steps apply for both being employed by someone or working in your own business.

Finding the Opportunity

People used to find opportunities by looking at advertisements in newspapers; but that doesn't really work the way it used to. The internet has led to people being connected more than ever before; and as a result, employers don't need to advertise so much. Even contractors who look for sub contractors are now fining them through their network of contractors, rather than through directories or telephone books. The way in which anyone finds work has changed and continues changing. It is important to start networking if you want work. You need to be connected and visible to large numbers of potential employers.

Getting Considered

Employers are usually confronted with large numbers of possible employees and not enough time to sort through all the possibilities. The ones who get considered are the ones who stand out -who are different. You need to study different things, get different experiences and develop a different attitude -then you are more likely to be considered. Being mainstream is a sure way to have a difficult and unsustainable career.

Beating the Competition

You need to not only be different; but also better and more valuable to the employer. Attitude is a big factor today. Broad life skills (eg. communication and IT skills) and an ability to adapt and solve problems are critical in a world that keeps changing.

Study Can Do the Following	Examples	How Much this Helps
Give you a Formal Qualification	Certificate, Diploma, Degree	Limited with most jobs but important with a minority. Helps mostly with step 2, but little with step 1 and 3.
Provide Indicators to Your Value as an Employee	Samples of work	Helps in all 3 steps
Develop Contacts (i.e. Networking)	Visiting industry, talking to people & observing things is a big part of our assignment work	Critical to Step 1. Many jobs are not advertised, so you must be in the loop or you don’t get past step 1.
Build up the amount of Factual Knowledge You have Stored in Your Head	Identifying & differentiating between lots of things –plants, types of animals, different illnesses, etc	Often impresses employers more than the qualification
Build Your Awareness of the Discipline/Industry	Knowing and understanding significance of trends and developments	Often impresses employers more than the qualification
Develop Your Capacity to Communicate intelligently with people in the Discipline Studied	Knowing terminology or jargon, Being able to write, speak and listen with clarity and conciseness	Very important for steps 1, 2 and 3. A good communicator may make up for deficiencies in other areas through their ability in this area. Without this, even if you get a job; your chances of promotion are limited
Lay a Foundation in the discipline –so you have a capacity to understand new things, learn and grow within the discipline	Being able to look at something you don’t know, and make sense of it; then remember it	Important for step 3, Without this, even if you get a job; your chances of promotion are limited
Problem Solving	Being able to see a problem, think laterally and systematically apply yourself to find possible solutions, consider them and test them	Can be important for both step 1 and 3 in particular Without this, even if you get a job; your chances of promotion are limited
Practical Skills	Being able to physically do something: build something, manipulate or create.	Depends on the job. Can be important in step 3

SEE OUR HORTICULTURAL CAREERS PROFILES AT

http://www.acsgarden.com/learning/careers/default.aspx

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How Can Studying with ACS Help Me Get a Job?

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