What am I applying for?

In 2025 , as part of the Year 10 Careers Program, you will be participating in two weeks of Work Experience. In order to ensure that this is truly a rewarding and valuable experience, we would like you to experience a full recruitment process, starting with a written application and interview for an internship of your choosing (or creation!). We believe you will benefit from selecting an internship that is also tied to your work experience industry.

Whilst we know that you may change your mind in Term 3 (and that is absolutely fine!), we would like you to select a internship within an industry and organisation that interests you. To further this, you will prepare a resume and application (cover) letter and bring these along to your interview on July 25th.

Start brainstorming…

• Google provides a ready-made list of jobs and organisations!

• Talk to people; friends, family, and teachers.

• Look around the local area, note the address of potential employers

• Look through the work experience database of programs and previous Year 10 Caringbah High School students

• Explore interest magazines e.g. IT, music etc...

• Consider contacting university faculties – e.g. psychology, medicine, science, engineering

• If all else fails, see the Career Adviser – Mrs Poppett / Mr Chisholm

Once you have selected your Work Experience Interview, please complete the below form!

Step 2 - Research

The JOB, ORGANISATION & INDUSTRY

Preparation is KEY! Do your research.

Companies use job interviews to get to know you, learn about your work experience and skills, and to see if you would be a good fit for an open position.  

 Because first impressions at a job interview are very important, it is necessary to present yourself in a positive way. When you are at an interview, you are also looking to see if the company is a fit for you. Being prepared will help you to overcome any anxiety or uncertainty you feel about the interview. There are techniques that you can practice that will give you more confidence when entering the room.  SEE BELOW

You may have heard that “failing to prepare is preparing to fail”… Mr Franklin certainly has a point, and failing to prepare puts you at a distinct disadvantage… and why would you want that?! Below you will find a number of resources, videos and information on the do’s and don’ts of interviews. One way to really impress your interviewers is to know your stuff when it comes to the JOB, ORGANISATION and INDUSTRY! You don’t need to know everything, but make sure you do your research and are able to speak about the requirements of the job, some accomplishments the organisation may be proud of, or currently working towards, and lastly, a little bit about what is happening within the industry, both in Australian and internationally. Has COVID-19 impacted things?

Step 3 - Resume & Cover Letter

Representing yourself on PAPER!

Please ensure you have your resume and cover letter ready to share with your interviewer in July. The way you present your portfolio is just as important as the way you present yourself on the day. Professional, ordered and organised. We have folders on the way, but in the case that they don’t arrive in time, I encourage you to organise your documents in a professional manner for presenting them to your interviewer. You will be provided feedback!

As you will remember, we prepared resumes and cover letters in Year 9 GIFTed. I encourage you to dust these off and update them with your most up-to-date experiences and achievements. I have included some refreshers below!

A few more tips & tricks…

The structure of an Interview … what did you learn?

• Presentation & First Impressions  

• Body Language

• Confidence & Communication (HOW THEY SPOKE) 

• Content & Information (WHAT THEY SAID) 

• Preparation 

How to prepare for an Interview - Interview Vocabulary 

• Experience-what you have learned from doing a job or going to school, e.g., volunteer, work, intern.  

• Skills-your talents or ability to do an activity or job well, e.g., customer service, communication, planning, computer. 

• Fit-whether a job is right for you.  

• First Impression-what a person first thinks about you when they meet you.  

• Techniques-a way of doing something by using special knowledge or skills.  

• Confidence-a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something.  

• Job Applicant-the person who applies for a job.  

• Employer-the company or organization that has a job opening.  

• Accomplishment-your achievements or things you have done very well. 

Step 5 - The Interview

Dos & Don’ts

DO

• Prepare in advance for your interview: know your strengths and learn about the company. Doing your research into the JOB ROLE, ORGANISATION and INDUSTRY communicates respect, enthusiasm, and organisational skills / self-management skills. 

• Dress nicely: it communicates respect for the organisation, and how you value personal presentation. 

• Know where you are going:  have the address with you and the name of the person you should ask for when you arrive, it communicates organisational skills.

• Arrive early for your interview (at least 10-  15 minutes before): communicates enthusiasm, passion and organisational skills.

• Turn off your phone: communicates commitment and respect.

• Be respectful of everyone you meet at the company: communicates cultural understanding and respect.

• Shake hands, smile and make eye contact: interpersonal skills through body language.

• Breath and be relaxed : confidence.

• Show a positive attitude during the interview: communicates willingness to learn, passion and enthusiasm.

• Respond to questions with specific examples: shows your commitment and organisation/preparation. 

• Be thorough but concise: comes with practice.

• Tell the truth and be honest: People are looking for a cultural fit, be authentic and genuine, but ensure that your responses relate to the organisation, job role, or your strengths that will contribute to the company.

• Ask good questions/Be prepared with at least three questions  

• After the interview, send a thank you email to the interviewer 

DON’T:  

• Wear casual, wrinkled, or poorly fitting clothes  

• Wear lots of jewellery, perfume or cologne  

• Arrive late  

• Chew gum  

• Give false information  

• Complain about a prior job, boss or co-worker  

• Fidget with pens, clothes or hair 

Step 6 - Evaluation Forms & Feedback

Nicely done Year 10!

Please complete your Mock Interview personal evaluation survey HERE.

Once you have completed your personal evaluation, you can collect your interview feedback from the Careers Office from Thursday 14th August.