How Sammie got a job when all hope seemed lost

TOOWOOMBA'S Sammie Dwyer, 19, applied for more than 100 jobs after she left high school without success. When all hope seemed lost, this is how she found a job.

IT'S Darren Smith's job to find the best candidates for employers to interview.

Which means he knows exactly what employers are looking for when they hire their staff.

Mr Smith is the training project manager at Golden West Apprenticeships and interviews job-seekers every day.

There are some key things he looks for when meeting a candidate for the first time.

The first is how they present themselves.

"People need to put their best foot forward and present themselves well," he said.

"Often if people turn up not wearing an appropriate outfit or looking unenthusiastic and that can hinder their chances of me putting them forward for jobs.

"Often there is a difference between what someone thinks is their best outfit and what outfit is best for an interview."

Mr Smith suggests men wear a collared shirt with long pants and women wear a smart outfit that isn't low cut.

Golden West Apprenticeships training project manager Darren Smith is proud to have secured Sammie Dwyer a traineeship as a dental assistant with ME Dental. Picture: Kevin Farmer

He also said a good attitude was key when applying for a job.

"Job-seekers need to present with a good attitude and appear as someone who would like to take on the opportunity," he said.

"I find if someone has a good attitude and can tell me what job they are interested in and why, then they have far more chance of getting a job and continuing to remain in that position."

On a resume Mr Smith looks for previous part-time work, volunteer work or time on a sporting team.

Sammie Dwyer, 19, ticked all the boxes when she signed up with Golden West Apprenticeships.

She has struggled to secure a decent job since graduating high school in 2013.

But within three months of signing up she had secured a part time job as an assistant at ME Dental Practice.

"I was amazed that I got a job so quickly," she said.

"For so long I was looking for a job. I had previously worked in the supermarket and retail industry but I was looking for a career rather than just a job."

Ms Dwyer applied for more than 100 jobs.

"I searched every day. I was really looking for administration jobs but I was applying for anything and everything," she said.

"I wasn't successful until I signed up to a traineeship."

Mr Smith encourages anyone who is struggling to find a job to look at different avenues.

Instead of applying for every single job you see on job websites, perhaps consider an apprenticeship or traineeships.

"We can help find the right opportunity for a job-seeker. If someone is good enough I will help them get across the line and gain employment."

He said for school students, a traineeship or apprenticeship was a way to gain the necessary experience needed when entering the working world.

"They can start learning in school and pretty much secure employment at the end of their schooling lives," he said.

"Effectively it is a head start on their career."

Originally published as How Sammie got a job when all hope seemed lost