AUT Employability and Careers Info and Advice Blog

Have you ever wondered why your AI-generated seemingly ‘perfect’ CV has been rejected? Well, you’re not the only one. If used wrongly when applying for a job, AI tools can do more harm than good. But it can be a great support tool. Here’s how.

The company, the team and the activities you do in your first job are far more important than the job title. By focusing on workplace skills you can gain, rather than the job title, will make you more agile and attractive to employers, especially if you’re curious and keep learning. Don’t be one of those graduates that ignores great entry level roles because you don’t think the job title is quite right.

Volunteering opens up many opportunities. Not only does it provide ways to help others, but it also helps you develop new skills, including communication and networking skills. It’s a win, win. Read about three students who approached volunteering with some trepidation but have ended up huge advocates for it.

We’re nearly at the end of January and if you are looking for work in 2025, then it’s time to get your CV sorted. I’m not going to sprinkle fairy dust on this - the current job market is competitive and all roles are attracting a high volume of candidates. But there are plenty of things you can do to improve your chances of finding work.

Knowing someone who knows someone is often the way people find work so you need to build up a wide network. Sound scary? You may find you’re doing it anyway. It is all about talking to people you know about people they know. Here are 4 tips from our friendly AUT Employability and Careers team on how to start to do this.

Setting up the first community focused gaming club at AUT was a huge step outside Jason Alessandro’s comfort zone - and an achievement he is incredibly proud of. The club - set up as part of the leadership requirements of the AUT Edge Award – has hosted four tournaments since inception.

Gaining confidence and learning new ways to communicate were major achievements for Sione Finau as he took on the Beyond AUT Award. “It has also opened my eyes to the importance of connection, the value of looking for potential in others and how much you learn by reflecting.”

As a newcomer to New Zealand and AUT, international student Ataa Dalal enrolled in the Beyond AUT Award to understand New Zealand better and broaden her ability to engage personally and professionally with New Zealanders. She says it did that and more.

How to stand out to employers? The AUT Employability Awards may be the answer if you’re looking for a way to develop strong communication skills, become more confident and find out more about the world beyond AUT campuses? This semester 62 students graduated with the award – here is what some had to say.

Feeling a bit unsure about whether you should be including a personal statement or a career objective in your application and/or CV? Not even sure what the difference is between the two? Read on....