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Experience is the best qualification

1 October, 2008

Students must not rely on the current skills shortage to kick-start their careers but instead gain industry exposure to impress prospective employers.

This is the advice handed down by Paul Dumble, general manager of APM, a leading Australian training provider in marketing, public relations and event management.

Mr Dumble says school leavers should enrol in courses that offer advice through internships and work placements, as the experience gained in such programs are invaluable.

"During skills shortages, existing staff have full workloads and are often spread thin," he said. "The repercussion of this is that employers need to hire staff that understand basic processes and don't need excessive on-the-job training."

Mr Dumble believes graduates who are able to demonstrate they have gained industry exposure can potentially increase their chances of being hired for a permanent position.

He refers to a recent survey that shows 80 per cent of companies involved in the APM Internship Program, such as Maverick Communications and Let's Launch, indicated they would employ their intern student in an entry level position.

As a result, he asserts candidates who seek out unpaid employment opportunities are more job-ready when they embark on their careers.

"Giving students practical training during their course will see them quickly gain jobs after graduation," Mr Dumble said.

Brian Mahoney, NSW president of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, agrees with these sentiments.

He believes a course accredited by the relevant industry body can also be beneficial as it indicates to employers that those in the industry regard the course as being superior.

"The role of an industry body includes setting standards within that industry, promoting professionalism and encouraging skills development," he said.

"With that in mind, it is easy to understand why employers rely on course accreditation as a benchmark when vetting job applications."

Michelle Ramas, who finished her Certificate IV in Business Marketing at APM last month, says she pursued this particular course because of its link to key industry bodies.

She argues that opting to study such accredited programs can be beneficial, as it provides job hunters with a competitive advantage over their counterparts.

"As a student, industry accreditation carries a lot of weight in terms of relevance and practicality and gives you an edge over other candidates taking on a similar career," she said.

"If you have already done an apprenticeship, you acquire a certain level of understanding in the industry and, if you can hire someone who already has that level, it just works."

Source:  Miawling Lam, The Sunday Telegraph, September 2, 2007