Julia on Julia

Out of your many achievements, which one is the most significant?

If you talk about my life, having James [son] is my most significant achievement but in terms of business life, listing on the stock exchange would be my biggest achievement.

[Julia Ross is still the only sole female to have successfully listed on the ASX]

If you could change anything in your career what would it be?

Probably would have gone into business on my own earlier and would have grown faster.  When you’re young and energetic, you don’t realise what you’ve got when you’ve got it.  Being very cash conscious taught me how to be fiscally responsible however, it made me more risk averse.  In a nutshell, I would have gone out there earlier and faster.

What was the most daring career move you made?

It would have to be our first tender for a national account on our own.  We were tendering for Telstra and given our size, many industry commentators would have suggested entering a consortium other providers.  [Julia won the Telstra account and holds it to this day]

Another daring move was the acquisition of Spherion.  When you buy a business the same size as yourself, the integration can pose many challenges.  It changed the way we looked as an organisation and the way the entire group looked.

When was the last time you experienced a feeling similar to interview nerves and what did you to control them?

I would have a similar experience when making public speeches to large audiences.  I think candidates (and I) can feel quite diminished in circumstances where you feel small or when the situation demands a lot from you.  To control the nerves, I do all the things you’re supposed to do such as taking deep breaths or running cold water over my wrists to cool down.  I also recap with myself, the main points that I want to get across and I think it’s the same for candidates.  Whether it’s a sales pitch, an important speech or an interview, you must list to yourself the main points that you need to get across.  Latch on to the main points and you will not be disappointed with your performance

Broadly speaking, what are the key attributes you seek in an employee (across all disciplines of RHD)?

Work ethic is a massive issue.  People need to fit our culture and this may sound like a cliché so then you need to define the culture.  For me, it’s flexibility, hard work, buy-in to specific company traits.  It’s about people having the talent and the skills and being able to apply them in this culture.  Someone who is unsuccessful here could have success elsewhere and vice-versa.  In the past we had a clearly defined culture and people either bought in or they didn’t.  To move back to this culture we need to have everyone working in the same direction with the same vision and there needs to be a plan around it to bring it all together.  People also need flexibility, they need to go into a new environment, understand how things are done and be adaptable or open to change

Julia on Resumes

What resume format do you prefer to look at when you are hiring, Chronological, Functional/Skills or Combination and why?

I personally like a combination resume.  I like to see why a person is relevant for the role with all of their skills and attributes upfront.  The resume has to grab me at this stage but then I need to see the history in a chronological order otherwise I can’t see the career progression.

So would you say that candidates really need to tailor their resume to each application they’re making as opposed the generic approach?

Absolutely, if there’s a suggestion that it’s a generic resume, I have problems going through it on that basis.

Have you ever discounted an application because of a poorly presented resume?

Yes, if someone is applying for a role that requires good grammar or spelling or a degree of flair with the written word, you have to discount the application if its not demonstrated through the resume

What are the three most common mistakes you find on resumes?

Not tailor making the resume to each application – I’m busy and I need to find the relevant information fast

Poorly structured resumes.  Candidates need to demonstrate presentation skills

Spelling and grammatical mistakes

How many pages can a resume contain before you switch off?

Three to four for me but it does depend on the seniority of the role.  I would expect a managing director to have more content but that does not mean I want to read 10 pages

Julia on Cover Letters

How important is a good cover letter and why?

It needs to be short.  Most of the information I require will be on the resume.  The cover letter needs to tell me why I should read on.

What information do you expect to find in a cover letter?

It’s a brief introduction

This is where a candidate needs to show relevance to the role being applied for.

They need to convince me to read on.

If you came across a poorly constructed cover letter, could it prevent you from reading the resume?

Yes, it’s important to have a concise cover letter and demonstrate the “what’s in it for me” to the reader.  Many candidates will do the introduction and then talk about what they want.  They need to show what they are offering.

What common mistakes do you find when reading cover letters?

Not demonstrating to the recipient why they should read on.

Talking too much about their expectations such as salary.  A cover letter is not the place to state what you want rather, you should be telling the reader what you will bring.

Spelling, grammar and layout.

People have forgotten how to format a letter, possibly due to the widespread use of email.  I had a young assistant who did not know the basics such as where to put the date or the address.  Many young people do not know how to sign off at the end of a letter or when and where to use paragraphs.  There’s no “Call to action” at the end of the letter and I think many people simply don’t know how to put a letter together.

Lacking essentials such as letter formatting is quite serious, where have we gone wrong in society?

I don’t think people are taught how to format a letter in school anymore.  It doesn’t seem to be part of the curriculum.

Have you encountered generic cover letters where the candidate has forgotten to change some of the details such as the name of the recipient or the job title?

Yes, I have seen this and it’s very hard for a candidate to recover from.  They are negative in my mind before I read on.  And I will read on just in case but you would really have to be an outstanding candidate to progress further.  It’s a fatal mistake.

Julia on the Future

For school leavers choosing university courses, what industries will experience growth in the next 3-5 years?

In the short term we will see growth in industries non reliant on discretionary spend.  We will see growth in Government, Health & Education.  Infrastructure & Energy can expect growth together with the essentials such as Food and Pharmaceuticals. Long term you need to look at consumer habits.  We will eventually see a return to the luxury goods and industries dependent on discretionary spending.  The key will be to watch society’s habits, where people are spending and also on the industries and jobs relying on these spending habits.  For many years the number of people entering into trades has been in serious decline resulting in massive increases in the cost of employing a tradesperson.  Many trades people will earn more than middle level management yet the public’s perception is quite the opposite.  A person can be very happy and very successful in what most of society might incorrectly deem a low paying job or low paid industry.

What advice would you give to graduates struggling to find work in their chosen field?

Be flexible, get into the workforce, and try to use your studies in a transferable field.  The worst you can do is to go out of the workforce for a couple years.

What advice would you give to individuals who feel pigeon holed or stuck in a career they don’t like?

You first of all need to understand the opportunities available to you.  If you can get a better insight into the role you are seeking, possibly by spending some time in an observation capacity, this would leave the individual better informed and less likely to make the wrong move.  People also need to understand what it is they are unhappy with.  It may not be the job content.  The people you are working with are very important.

Given the fact that the tables have turned somewhat and employers now have more candidates to choose from, what changes will candidates have to make in their job search approach to be successful?

We need to have a shift in attitude.  Rather than looking only at what the company can offer you, we also need to look at what you can bring to the company.  It’s a two-way street which has been very much one-way in recent years.  Candidates will need to be able to sell themselves to an employer in an interview situation; they may have to leave the salary expectations out of the first interview until a more appropriate time.  They will need to show more flexibility and belief that if they prove themselves they will reap the rewards.

Thank you to Julia Ross.  For those seeking work in Administration, support, Call Centre, visit Julia Ross Specialist areas of the business including IT, Legal & Accounting can be accessed at Ross Julia Ross

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