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International Student Skills
Seminars
Weds 9 September 2015
Business skills & etiquette
CRICOS Provider: 00111D | TOID: 3059
Swinburne
Presenter: Olivia DoyleInternational Student Advisor - EmployabilityInternational Student LifeTel 9214 8248Email [email protected]
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Swinburne International Student Life: Employability support
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Specialist support for international students aiming to work in partnership with you to develop your employability
Provide professional insights and guidance
Connect you with programs, events and activities to advance your professional career internationally and in Australia
Employability road map – a professional development guide for each stage of your Swinburne student life cycle
More details: www.swinburne.edu.au/student/international/employability
Swinburne International Student Life Employability
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Monthly Employability News
Regular program of employability seminars
Skill seminars
Student appointments
Connections
Networking events
Cross cultural events
Swinburne
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International Student Job Club
If you are looking for a part time / casual job or professional employment, join our Job Club to get support, share ideas and network
Come along to our informal fortnightly meetings to:
Find out who is hiring & share job leads Get advice on job search strategies Update your job search tool kit Learn about Swinburne support services Hear from guest speakers Support each other
Swinburne
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Semester 2 Job Club Dates
1.30 – 2.30 pm Thursday 10 September in BA602
12.30 – 1.30 pm Thursday 24 September in BA605
11.30 - 12.30 pm Tuesday 6 October in BA605
11.30 – 12.30 pm Monday 19 October in BA602
12.30 – 1.30 pm Thursday 5 November in BA606
11.30 – 12.30 pm Tuesday 24 November in BA602
No need to register – just come along
Dates are also on website
Swinburne Agenda
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Distinctive features of Australian business culture / etiquette
Hierarchy & leadership styles
Expectations of employees
Communication styles
Business dress
Networking etiquette
Dining etiquette – the basics
Swinburne
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Why focus on Australian workplace culture, skills & etiquette?
Globalisation has seen increased recognition of the importance of understanding links between culture and business success
Your increased understanding will assist you with:
• Transition into the Australian workplace
• Development of strategies to improve your effectiveness in the workplace
• Improving your employment prospects
Swinburne
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Understanding of Australian workplace culture
Communication skills – verbal & written
Limited Australian contacts and networks
Visa restrictions
Understanding Australian job search techniques
Lack of local work experience
Perception of returning home
Employment challenges facing people from multicultural backgrounds can include:
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What is culture?
The way we do things around here What we consider normal Core values and beliefs It is dynamic and changing
What is business culture? Business etiquette Organisational culture Policies and procedures Value and patterns of behaviour Ethics
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Discussion
What are some distinctive aspects of AUSTRALIAN social & business culture /etiquette?
What are some distinctive aspects of other countries social & business culture / etiquette?
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Cultural differences
Australian Culture- Less obvious hierarchy
- Appearance of friendly / relaxed
- Time – meeting deadlines
- Value initiative
- Team focussed
- Multicultural
- Workplace rights and laws
- Strong OHS emphasis
- Focus on policies & procedures
- Interest in environmental issues
- Work / life balance – in some orgzns.
- Coffee
- Sport / BBQs / holiday focussed
- Others?
International / Asian Culture- More hierarchy – respect for
managers/seniors – juniors keep quiet
- Less female equality?
- More individually focussed
- Time is more elastic
- More community spirit
- B2B relations have interpersonal focus
- Don’t like to say no
- Concept of guanxi
- More community spirit o/s
- Others?
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- Australia is one of the world’s most integrated multicultural societies
- Australians are generally interested and accepting of other cultures
- No two Australians are exactly the same despite being raised in the same national, local, and, in the case of siblings, family cultures – there is always individual variations
- This also applies in business settings
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Understanding culture in the work place is vital!
Problems and misunderstandings often stem from not understanding the culture or “the way things are done around here”
“We have a lot of international students in the workplace. Their technical skills are first class. But I often find I have to go around and fix up problems caused by differences in communication or lack of cultural understanding.”
Senior Health WorkerVictorian Hospital
Swinburne
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International student cultural issues
- Punctuality
- Written communication (emails, letters, reports)- Unprofessional style- Inappropriate style – too demanding
- Oral communication- Clarity- Too demanding / too quiet- Too formal / too informal- Not joining in e.g. office chat
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International student cultural issues
- Attitudes towards female colleagues and managers- Initiative – don’t wait to be told- Skills
- MS Office – esp. Excel- IT technical
- Personal presentation- Personal space
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I often see Australian employees taking the time to talk to the security guard, the cleaner and the tea lady, much more than you would in my country!Even top management will make sure they ask about families and get involved if there is an issue.”
DineshIndian Student
Swinburne
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“At my work there is a lot of joking and laughter, which I find to be quite disruptive. But I realise the other staff members don’t think it’s a problem, so I have had to change my thinking a bit.”
Faye Lee
Malaysian Migrant
Swinburne
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I was raised in India where it was unacceptable to question the directions of someone more senior. It was normal to follow directions without question. It’s very different here.”
Nitesh
Indian Migrant
Swinburne
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“My manager asked me to get the quarterly sales figures. I requested them from Mr Lee, General Manager of China operations.
My manager said they were not accurate and blamed me for not checking them. I explained it wasn’t my fault as Mr Lee provided the figures – I didn’t want to show lack of respect by questioning his work.
My manager said I wasn’t showing any initiative.”
Zhang Li
Chinese Intern in Australian company
Swinburne
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I come from South Africa. It’s always ‘Yes Sir’ to the boss. At home people give orders and others accept. …. Australians don’t like anything that sounds like an order. They don’t give them and they certainly don’t take them well. Its not that there isn’t hierarchy in Australia, but it’s less obvious.”
KurtSouth African Migrant – Now Australian Manager
Swinburne
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Key differences between Australian and other workplaces
Hierarchy and leadership styles
Expectations of employees
Communication styles
Equal employment opportunity (EEO)
Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S)
Focus on policies & procedures
Swinburne
Flat organisational structures
Manager may not have a separate office
Don’t call them ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ – generally first names
Respect is earned
Communications between staff and management are open and direct
Managers are usually approachable
Managers often share in a joke, join staff for drinks etc
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Leadership styles
Swinburne
Australians love initiative!
Managers expect you to be able to work out for yourself what needs to be done, if not – ask!
New ideas and creativity are encouraged
Issues or problems are dealt with directly
Show flexibility / can multi-task
Team player but can also work independently
Show enthusiasm and are self-motivated
Have appropriate skills for the job
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Expectations of employees
Swinburne
Australian Government has identified 8 key employability skills:
Communication Teamwork Problem Solving Initiative and Enterprise Planning and Organising Self-management Learning Technology
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Expectations of employees
Swinburne
Casual and informal speech in the workplace is common – eg greetings are casual and relaxed
Direct communication style – appreciate brevity and not too much detail
Written communication still needs to be professional and formal (careful with your emails!)
Managers often ask staff for their input instead of telling them what to do
Humour is important
Tend to get down to business quickly with minimum small talk
Don’t like high pressure sales techniques – like facts & figures and a win-win approach 26
Communication
Swinburne
Value sincerity and authenticity – don’t like pretentiousness / showing off
Try to be polite, relaxed and friendly
Join in the jokes and laughs
Join in social activities – eg Friday drinks (you don’t have to drink alcohol)
Talk about what you did on the weekend
Aussie Rules football SportHolidays WeatherCooking Movies / TVCurrent events Weight loss (women!)
Workplace communication tips
Swinburne
Shake hands when commencing and concluding a meeting
Both men and women shake hands
Personal space – maintain an arms length distance
Eye contact – very important during meetings and interviews
Tone and volume of speech - speak slowly, clearly and at a volume where you are clearly heard
Smile
More workplace communication tips
Swinburne Improve your communication skills:
VISIT SWINBURNE’S LAS
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Do you use the free services provided by Swinburne’s Language and Academic Skills?
- Conversation groups
- Workshops
- Individual and small group support
Swinburne
- Men and women are treated equally- Australia has laws protecting all people from
discrimination and harassment in relation to:
Race Religion Political beliefs Sexual preference Age Disability Gender Carer or parental status Physical features
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Equal employment opportunity
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Be aware of your own behaviour and your rights
Discrimination Unfair treatment based on prejudices
Sexual harassment Unwanted attention / sexual advances
Sexual jokes, offensive phone calls and emails, displays of obscene or pornographic photos, pictures, posters, screen savers and internet sites
Making promises or threats in return for sexual favours
Victimisation / bullying Repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed toward an employee
Swinburne
Fair Work Ombudsman www.fairwork.gov.au
Job Watch www.jobwatch.org.au
Fair Work Ombudsman ‘You Tube’ videos to understand workplace rights in 14 languages!
www.youtube.com/fairworkgovau
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Useful links
Swinburne Australian culture
Personal presentation
Office dress – esp. for job interviews Wear business attire Men – preferably dark business suit and tie Women – business suit (jacket, skirt, pants) or conservative clothes with
minor decoration Limited jewellery Take care with personal hygiene, ironed clothes Casual Fridays
Appropriate Business Wear - Men
Appropriate Women’s Business Wear
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Networking etiquette
Networking is a key employability skill – but you must know basic networking etiquette
Swinburne What is networking?
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Networking is an essential career skill
Great way to research industry / positions, get introductions and career advice
Networking can uncover ‘foot-in-the-door’ opportunities: work experience, casual/part-time, temp employment
Demonstrates initiative, drive and a positive attitude
Power to market yourself proactively to the job you want
Swinburne Why network?
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University graduates are increasingly finding it difficult to find professional employment
Flat job market Credential inflation International competition
Chance to get ahead of the crowd – cut down your competition
About 70 - 80% of positions are filled without an ad ever reaching the job market
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International students often lack a strong network of contacts to provide industry insights, career tips
and employment contacts
You need to create your own network
Swinburne Building a professional network
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University
Professional association membership
Professional events
Employment
General events / connections
On line – including LinkedIn
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
Networking etiquette tips
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Don’t ask for a job – ask for advice
Don’t just focus on what your needs & interests – it needs to be a 2 way relationship
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
Networking etiquette tips
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Make a confident introduction. Offer both your first and last name when making an introduction
Extend your hand first. A handshake always accompanies a greeting or introduction. (Make sure your handshake is firm and stable.)
Show genuine interest and curiosity – build a relationship
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 49
Hold only a glass or a plate of food in your left hand. This allows you to keep your right hand free for the customary handshake.
Remember names – repeat them back after the introduction. If you have forgotten you can say ‘Please remind me, your name is …..’ (Wear your name tag)
Careful with your sales pitch – don’t overdo it but do have an introductory pitch prepared
Prepare some interesting conversation starters
Don’t spend the evening catching up with friends. Say hello to those you know, but make it a point to spend most of your evening meeting new people and making new contacts.
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 50
Close the conversation gracefully
After you’ve spent approximately 5 minutes visiting with someone new, let them move on so you both can continue to meet other people.
Exiting is as easy as extending your hand for a handshake and saying “It’s been nice talking with you” or “Good to meet you, I look forward to talking with you again”
When you attend an event focus on trying to meet 5 new people – stretch yourself
If you don’t know anyone, look for other people standing on their own and introduce yourself
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 51
Help make connections for other people – introduce them and add in something about their backgrounds or something they may have in common to help get the conversation started
Listen actively and ask questions to keep the conversation going
Exchange business cards
Be genuine / be yourself
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 52
Follow up after the event
Join up on LinkedIn
Organise further catch up
Follow up on any promises / contacts / information
Don’t focus on ‘what’s in it for me’!
Do not stand in the corner and play on your iphone!!
Your professional ‘networking’ pitch (under 30 secs)
When networking you need a ‘pitch’ to introduce yourself
You need to tailor your pitch to suit the occasion and your goals
Eg. job search, business development etc
Consider:
Who are you meeting?
What do you want to learn?
What actions do you want to result?
What can you contribute?
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
Your professional job search pitch
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Your professional pitch needs to succinctly communicate what you are qualified to do, and what role / industry(ies) you are ideally targeting
Suggested structure:
Your qualifications / how you want to “professionally market” yourself
ie. Degree qualified IT professional, specializing in ……
What role (title) / industry(ies) are you targeting,
ie. Now targeting a xxxxxxxx role within the xxxxxxx sector …
Ideal role function
ie. Ideally collating, analyzing data and communication solutions
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 55
Dining etiquette – the basics
Table manners play an important part in making a favourable impression.
They are visible indicators of your manners and are important to professional success.
DO’s
Introduce yourself to everyone at the table and help to introduce others
Speak to people seated on either side of you
Prepare some conversation starters on various topics
Eg industry related, sport, travel, study (nothing controversial)
Place your serviette on your lap
Know which cutlery and glasses to use
Turn off your phone
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 56
Dinner etiquette – the basics
DO NOTS
Speak with your mouth full
Start until everyone at your table has been served
Wave your cutlery in the air
Don’t text
Arrive starving
Put elbows on the table until after main course
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 57
Dinner etiquette – reading the table setting
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 58
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 59
Finished eating
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Strategies for adapting to Australian culture
Be aware of your own cultural traits and how they differ from Australia
You may need to adjust your behaviour when necessary to communicate effectively and achieve your goals
Observation is the first step in cultural adaptation – watch what is going on
Pay attention to the actions of people who are similar to you in age, gender, social role, job
Consider how Australians are reacting to your behaviour – learn from your mistakes
Pick up on the cultural principles – the underlying norms, values and beliefs
You don’t have to give up your old culture and beliefs to thrive in Australia
Swinburne
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 61
Centre for Career Developmet- Career counselling
- Job search assistance
- Interview skills
- Employer information and on campus presentations
- Going Global international job search data base
- Career conferences, workshops and webinars
- Range of handouts / podcasts:- Interviews - What can I do with my qualification- Resumes - Networking- Cover letters - Job search- LinkedIn profiles - Assessment centres etc
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Free resume / cover letter / LinkedIn checks
Drop in to have your documents checked by a
Career Practitioner
No appointment necessary
Hawthorn: Monday – Friday
