Congratulations, you’ve graduated from your Allied Health studies! Now it’s time to start searching for your first Allied Health job. While it might feel like a big task, there are plenty of things you can do to land a role you’re passionate about, rather than just the first one that comes along.
Here, you will find four key job search tips for graduates to help you kick start your career and secure your first full-time Allied Health position.
1. Identify Your Career Goals and ‘Must-Haves’
Begin by reflecting on your long-term career goals. Is there a particular area you’d like to specialise in within your field? Would you eventually like to manage a team, or focus on research?
Next, consider what’s most important to you in an Allied Health job when it comes to location, culture, benefits and salary. These will guide you towards ‘best fit’ roles. A specialist Allied Health recruitment agency(like us!) can be of real help here.
With our deep knowledge of the industry, extensive networks and years of experience placing graduates in great roles, we’re ideally placed to assist you in assessing your priorities and finding an opportunity that matches. We can also help with tailoring your CV to the role (see next tip).
2. Polish Your Allied Health CV
Next on your agenda is giving your resume a good polish. You can start with a few general tips for your Allied Health CV, and then move onto some specifics, such as:
An opening blurb
A short statement about you, this serves to highlight your best qualities and explain why you’re the best fit for the open role (note: personalising your CV to each position is key. It requires researching each role to uncover their pain points and addressing how you can solve those. It’s well worth the effort!).Employment history
As a graduate, this section may be a little light, but employers will understand this. Note down roles you’ve held, beginning with the most recent. This includes paid positions, work placements, as well as any other roles you may have had during practicum. An option is to write down your biggest achievements for each one, incorporating specific outcomes if you can.Professional development
Here you can include any relevant courses or events you’ve attended.Referees
List two professional referees – this could be your professors, a prior employer and/or a mentor.
Bonus tip: Review and update your LinkedIn, and check your social media profiles. Employers commonly Google potential employees, so it’s a good idea to ensure these don’t contain anything that might compromise your chances of securing a job. Better yet, consider setting your socials to private.
3. Build Your Industry Connections
Cultivating a strong network is one of the best ways to land your first Allied Health job. Consider:
Joining relevant industry groups and attending their events
Connecting with (and following) people in your field on LinkedIn
Keeping in touch with your alumni association
Reaching out to a professional Allied Health recruiter so they know you’re on the hunt for your first job
4. Master Your Interview Prep
There are plenty of things you can do to prepare for the most crucial stage of your job hunt – the interview. You can follow these steps:
Research– Thoroughly research the company. Ensure you’re up to speed with the details in the job advertisement and description, and how your skills align. If you’re working with a recruiter, ask for the names of those interviewing you. You can then look them up on LinkedIn so you know about their experience, both in the field and at the organisation itself.
Work examples– Once you’ve completed the research component, come up with a few examples from your study and/or placements that best illustrate your competencies in the key core job requirements and responsibilities. For instance, you might like to use examples that illustrate your teamwork abilities, what you have done in a challenging clinical scenario, or your understanding of occupational safety.
Practise– While it’s difficult to account for all the possibilities, there are some common Allied Health interview questions you might be asked. These include:
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Why do you think you’re a good fit for this role?
Why do you want to work for us?
What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
What are your greatest achievements?
Can you tell us about a time you experienced a work conflict and how you handled it?
What are your career goals?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Prepare your answers using the STAR format. Once you have your example answers, practise them and then do a mock interview with a friend or family member
4. Formulate your questions– It’s almost guaranteed the recruiter will ask you if you have any questions for them. What you choose to ask is a chance to illustrate how serious you are about the role, and how keen you are to work with them. Here is a list of top questions you can ask – aim for three or four.
Bonus tip: Interview feedback can give you a feel for your chances of securing the role. Contact your recruiter soon after the interview to share how you felt it went. At the same time, they can provide you with any client feedback.
Extra First-Job Help?
We hope these four tips will assist you on your path to finding your first Allied Health job. If you need further support in polishing your CV, crafting your interview answers or locating that amazing first job opportunity, please connect with us here at Tradewind Australia. We’d love to help!