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grad toolbox

Applications for the 2009 graduate programs are open from 22 February until 31 March. For any available positions with Westpac, other than those offered through the Graduate Program, please refer to our website Westpac Careers

Selection Process
- Who should apply
  
  At Westpac we enjoy working with achievers. It's simply part of the way we do things around here. We love people who rise to a challenge, who go above and beyond the call of duty.
  
  You don't have to be the one with all High Distinctions, but we do have a minimum academic requirement. What we look for in our graduates is passion and a belief in reaching for the stars.
  
  So if you've ever said, "I can't do that", you're at the wrong website. If you happily stare a challenge in the eye and say "I can do that", read on and learn how you can work alongside like-minded, can-do players who challenge their potential.
  
  You're a person who thrives on working in a team, ready to bounce great ideas off others and always happy to lend encouraging support. You're also the type of person who wants to give something back to your community. You look for opportunities without stepping over your colleagues to reach them.
  
  You have great grades, communicate well and present yourself in a confident manner. You believe it's important that the company you work for has strong community awareness.
  
  Your passion is as important to us as your experience. You have a keen interest in financial services and value the idea of working for a strong, customer-focused Australasian company with a diverse range of people and career opportunities.
Graduate toolbox
We know that you can be overwhelmed by the application & selection process so we've broken it down for you into a series of steps below. Each stage of the process is an opportunity for you to show us who you are and, during the later stages, to get to know us a bit better.

Our internal recruitment team, Careers@Westpac, view hundreds of resumes every day and conduct many interviews (over the phone and face-to-face). To help maximize your chance of success, they have captured their thoughts on what you should consider to write a great resume, how to best prepare for online testing and interviews and other great tips to support you in the process.
- Choosing the right program
  Knowing which program to choose can be an overwhelming decision. For some, it is simple. You wanted to do Law, you studied Law and now you are looking for a Legal program.
  
  For others, the decision can be a little trickier. Your degree mightn't match up exactly to the programs listed or the link might not be as obvious. Don't get hung up on an exact match between your study and the program. Your degree is obviously important to us, but we also look for other skills, such as customer service and your ability to develop relationships. Think about the things that you enjoyed at university and at work and have a read of the Graduate programs on offer to help guide your decision.
  
  Understanding the Westpac business units will also help you make a decision on which program to apply for. Remember, working at Westpac is not just about working for a Bank. An organisation of this size requires infrastructure to support it, which results in opportunities in a variety of areas, including Finance & Accounting, Human Resources, Information Technology and Marketing, to name a few. There are a broad range of career opportunities that support most degrees.
  
  Still not sure? Check out our Degree Matcher below to see which programs are looking for people with your degree of study in their business.
  
  Recruiter tips
  - Self assess and analyse your strengths and what makes you happy in terms of your work life
  - If you are finding it difficult to choose your program, think about the courses that you particularly enjoyed at university and ask family & friends the type of job that they see you doing
  Degree matcher
  The Westpac Degree Matcher is a guidance tool only. This tool is in no way an accurate predictor of the suitability of each applicant to a particular program. Each applicant should consider their personal circumstances, strengths and weakness before applying for the graduate program/s offered by Westpac Banking Corporation.
  
  Based on your qualification you may apply for the following programs:
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  WIB Finance
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  Risk
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  Enterprise Business Services
  Risk
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Relationship Banking
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Relationship Banking
  
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Marketing
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  Risk
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Risk
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Operations
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Risk
  People & Performance (HR)
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  Risk
  People & Performance (HR)
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Marketing
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  People & Performance (HR)
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Information Technology
  
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Information Technology
  
  Enterprise Business Services
  Risk
  
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Operations
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  Enterprise Business Services
  Risk
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Risk
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  Operations
  Risk
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Accounting
  Operations
  Risk
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS People & Performance (HR)
  People & Performance (HR)
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  Accounting
  Operations
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Finance
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Information Technology
  
  BFS Generalist
  Enterprise Business Services
  Legal
  Risk
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  Risk
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Marketing
  BFS Relationship Banking
  CFS Generalist
  eBusiness
  Operations
  Westpac Asia
  WIB Generalist
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Marketing
  BFS Relationship Banking
  CFS Generalist
  eBusiness
  
  BFS Marketing
  
  Enterprise Business Services
  People & Performance (HR)
  
  BFS Agribusiness & Regional
  BFS Relationship Banking
  
  BFS Risk
  CFS Risk
  eBusiness
  Enterprise Business Services
  Information Technology
  
  BFS Finance
  BFS Generalist
  BFS Relationship Banking
  BFS Risk
  CFS Generalist
  CFS Research & Analytics
  CFS Risk
  Enterprise Business Services
  Operations
  Risk
  WIB Financial Markets
  WIB Generalist
  
  ^top
- Writing your resume
  Your resume is your opportunity to present the best impression to your potential employer. Investing time in developing a professional and attractive resume is the key to getting to the interview stage of the recruitment process.
  
  A resume is a marketing tool outlining your skills and experience so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the graduate program.
  We've taken the feedback from previous graduates that our application form is too long, so have removed some sections that were contributing to this. One section was around your work experience, which we felt was duplicated in your resume. So, your resume is the chance to get it right. We need to be able to clearly see what you have done, when, for how long and what you achieved/learnt from doing it.
  Click here for a blank template to help you when preparing your resume.
  
  Resume building checklist
  
  Remember to:
  - Only include information that is relevant to the program you are applying for, exclude date of birth, martial status, etc, as it is not relevant to the role
  - Provide contact details where we can get a hold of you
  - Include a summary of your key skills & experience
  - Include only relevant education & training
  - Order the resume in reverse chronological order - most recent experience first
  - Include any gaps - i.e. - travelling or studying
  - Include any form of work experience, not just paid work. Internships, coops, and voluntary work all enhanced your skill set and should be included
  - Use bullet points as well as writing full sentences
  - List all extra-curricular activities also - this tells us what you enjoy doing and a bit more about you
  - Keep the length to no more than 2-3 pages
  - Ensure it is well laid out, leaving plenty of white paper on each page to make it easy to read
  - Focus on your achievements & use specific examples under each role, where appropriate
  - Always spell check your resume
  - If listing your referees, only use those that have already agreed to provide a reference for you, speak to them before you put them down
  Don't
  - Use abbreviations or jargon
  - Put too much information on the page, making it hard to read
  - Use pictures, photos or gimmicks
  Recruiter tips:
  - It's always a good idea to have someone proof read your resume for spelling or grammatical errors
  - Structure your resume so that your education and qualification appears first. If you have the UAI result and university result available, it's also good to mention this
  ^top
- Online application
  As mentioned above, we have listened to the feedback of past applicants and our current graduates that the application form took too long to complete and we have reduced the time it will take you to apply.
  
  The application form allows us to get basic details from you, such as name, address and contact details, your resume and academic transcript information. We also assess written communication skills here, so make sure you check your spelling & grammar carefully. More is not always best with written responses, we want to see that you can be succinct, articulate and concise, so don't write huge volumes of information, it doesn't make you present better if it is repetitive and difficult to follow.
  
  Thinking of relocating? We have a question in the application form about whether you are interested in relocating. Please consider your answer carefully. If you think you would find it too hard moving to a new city or leaving your family and friends, don't select "yes" to this question. If you think that you can secure a place on an interstate program and transfer across to your home state while on the program, don't select "yes" here. Moving States is a big decision you need to take seriously at the application stage, not at the offer stage. We provide financial assistance and other support to help you move, but ultimately the decision as to whether it is something you really want to do can only be made by you. We recommend talking to family and friends about the reality of moving before making a commitment to this in the application form.
  
  No doubt you will want to stay up-to-date on how your application is going during the weeks it takes to assess all applications. You can log in to check your progress or update your contact details at any time using the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you receive when you apply. You will also receive emails asking you to book into the next stage of the process as your application progresses. You can do this by logging in. We will update you about your progress by e-mail and/or SMS, so double check these details are correct. If we need to talk to you for more information or to clarify a detail with you, we'll give you a call.
  
  Recruiter tips:
  - Print the application form first so that you can ensure you have any necessary documents ready before you start and to give yourself time to think about what you are going to say
  - Don't leave applying to the last minute, the system might be slow at the end of the process
  - If you are considering relocating, have a chat to family & friends about this before completing your application form. Moving States is a big decision that you need to take seriously at the application stage, not at the offer stage
  ^top
- Psychometric testing
  After applications close and we have screened your application form, if you have met the minimum criteria, we will send you a link to complete online psychometric testing.
  
  Psychometric assessment is a standardised method of evaluating individual capabilities and work styles. That is, job candidates are compared against others from a particular norm group (e.g., managers, graduates, IT professionals) on tests or scales that have been validated statistically.
  
  The online tests that we ask you to complete are untimed and will take you approximately 30 minutes to complete. The link we send you can be used on any computer with Internet access.
  
  How do I prepare? You can't really practice or prepare for a psychometric assessment, however some hints that may help you enhance your performance include;
  - Reading will improve your verbal skills for verbal tests
  - Doing number calculations and puzzles without a calculator can help numerical skills
  - You will be presented with some questions asking about your preferred ways of working and your attitudes to work. For these questions there is no right or wrong answers. We are simply interested in your work preferences so it is important to be honest when responding
  - However, the best tip is to get a good nights sleep the night before and try to relax as much as possible.
  Recruiter tips:
  - Complete the psychometric testing in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed and make sure you answer questions about your work preferences accurately and honestly
  - Make sure you are not distracted while completing the test (e.g. mobile switched off and let your family member/s know not to interrupt you during this time)
  ^top
- Telephone interview
  We are assessing your application at each stage of the process and at this stage might invite you to take part in a telephone interview. We will email or SMS you to ask that you book in for your telephone interview, which will take around 20-25 minutes to complete.
  
  Preparing for the telephone interview
  
  Good preparation is the key to any successful interview. Being organized will better position you to confidently deal with interview situations. You will feel more confident about presenting your abilities and achievements if you have had the opportunity to think and plan out everything in advance of attending the interview.
  
  Remember these points when preparing for an interview:
  
  Consider - What are the types of questions you could be asked:
  - Motivational and cultural fit questions
    
    Assessing Motivational and Cultural Fit
    
    Motivational fit identifies someone who wants to do the job, as opposed to someone who is able to do it. Assessing your passion and motivation for a place on the program, as well as your career aspirations, are one way we can determine if you are the best person for the graduate program.
    
    Motivational fit relates to the way a person works. The job needs to be right for that person so that they can remain motivated.
    
    Types of motivational questions may include:
    
    Why are you interested in this job?
    
    What are the most satisfying aspects of work to date? What is the least satisfying?
    
    Why are you looking to move on from your current role?
    
    What are your short-term/long term career goals?
    
    How will this job help you meet your career goals?
    
    Cultural fit looks to see if a person's style, values and beliefs align with that team's values, which helps to predict a better chance of job success and satisfaction.
    
    Types of cultural questions may include:
    
    What is your ideal job?
    
    In your opinion, what makes a good leader?
    
    What is your preferred working style?
    
    Describe the work environment in which you will most effectively be able to contribute.
    
    What do you describe to be your most "natural" ability?
  - Targeted Selection Interview (TSI) questions (also known as Behavioural Interviews)
    
    Interview style - Targeted Selection Interview (TSI)
    
    Known as "behaviour-based interviews", these interviews ask questions designed to show previous patterns of accomplishments relevant to the role requirements. They challenge you to provide clear examples of your achievements in different types of situations.
    
    Such interviews are based on the belief that how a person has responded to certain types of situations in the past is a good predictor of how that person will behave in a similar future situation.
    
    Behaviour-based questions are likely to begin with some variation of:
    
    Give me an example of a time when you . . .
    
    Give me an example of how you . . .
    
    Tell me about . . .
    
    This is an opportunity for you to sell your positives with an example or two. Briefly describe the situation, enthusiastically explain what you did (adding information as to why if you think this would not be evident), and indicate the outcome. In presenting this information back in a logical format use the simple structure - STAR.
    
    Situation:
    
    Give an overview of where you were working, with whom and what the situation was.
    
    Task:
    
    Describe what you were challenged with and your specific tasks and goals.
    
    Action:
    
    What you actually did, how you planned & executed the task, whether you involved others, what research you did and timeframes you operated within.
    
    Result:
    
    What was the outcome of your actions? How successful was it? It is also worth reviewing any changes you would make in hindsight and what you learnt from the experience.
    
    Behavioural and situational questions
    
    Most interviews will involve a combination of questions that are: Behavioural based - focus on how you have dealt with an issue in the past (what you did) and Situational/scenario based - focus on how you would act in the future (what you would do).
    
    The following are some examples of the type of behavioural and situational questions that you may be asked at an interview:
    
    Types of behavioural questions may include:
    
    Tell me about a time when you exceeded the needs of a customer. What was the situation? What did you do?
    
    Tell me about a time when you were required to work with a group of new people on a task. What was the task? How did you contribute to the successful completion of the task?
    
    Describe a time when you took the initiative to resolve a problem that had an impact throughout your department/team. What information did you use? What did you consider?
    
    Describe how you have ensured that the quality of your work is high on a consistent basis?
    
    Tell me about a time when you had to motivate yourself to get your work done. How did you do this? What was the result?
    
    Tell me about something you have done at work which made you stand out from others in terms of performance. What was your approach to this situation?
    
    Types of situational questions may include:
    
    You are approached by your manager and asked to put together some guidelines for customer service staff to follow when dealing with customers. Outline the sort of information you would put into the guide.
    
    A new member of staff has recently joined your group at work. You have noticed that he/she appears to be struggling with some aspects of the job, in particular, he/she doesn't seem to have started a presentation that is due tomorrow. What do you do?
    
    You have been asked to share your knowledge of your work processes to a team in another area. How would you communicate your knowledge to this team to ensure that it was understood?
    
    You are working with a person who consistently makes errors in their work. How would you ensure that the quality of the end product is up to standard?
    
    You have been asked to arrange a work function for your team. The problem you have encountered is that not everyone is available on the same days. How would you reach a compromise among your team?
  In addition, make sure that you:
  Plan - Make sure that you have found out as much information as possible about Westpac and the graduate program. The intranet and previous annual reports are both great sources of information. Utilise your contacts. Speak to people you know who work for Westpac - they'll provide you with a good idea of the working environment and culture of the Bank. Prepare questions to refer to during the interview.
  Organise - Check that you have scheduled in a time and taken into account differences in time zones, if appropriate. The recruitment team will be conducting the telephone interviews from Sydney.
  
  Closing the interview - The interview should end on a positive note. Thank the interviewer for their time and the opportunity to speak with them.
  
  Recruiter tips:
  - Make sure that you are in a place where you can hear and can be heard and if not, politely ask if you can call the caller back. Do not proceed if either of you are unable to hear each other properly
  - If you are not able to understand a question clearly, don't be afraid to ask the interviewer to repeat it again. It's no use guessing what the question is and providing the wrong answer
  - Listen carefully during the interview stage, if you are describing your key achievements make sure it is relevant to the actual question
  - Practice for your interview. In describing scenario's, choose scenarios using 'I', not 'we'
  ^top
- Assessment centre
  After we assess all applications, conduct the online testing and telephone interviews, some candidates will be invited to attend our assessment centres. We start the day with a presentation from the business to give you greater insight into the organisation and we will give you a comprehensive run-through of the day. We expect you will be at the centre from 8.30am until around 3pm. This part of the process involves interviews, a group exercise and possibly a case study or presentation. You may also be asked to participate in some further psychometric testing.
  
  The assessment centre gives you an opportunity to meet our people and learn more about us to give you a feel for our culture and attitude. A part of the day includes a tour of our building, Westpac Place, with current graduates, which is where you can get a real insight into what it's like to work here. You'll also get to have lunch with business unit representatives, which provides a great chance for questions that relate to specific businesses. It's also our chance to meet you and gives us a more personal impression of your skills, enthusiasm and potential.
  
  Remember:
  - Personal Appearance - First impressions count, so dress appropriately and professionally
  - Be friendly, sincere and enthusiastic
  - Ask Business Unit Representatives and Graduates questions
  - Make sure you allow enough time to get there
  - Bring your photo ID, original academic transcript and referee details
  Tips for your interview:
  - Greet your interviewer with a firm handshake
  - During the interview try to avoid nervous signs such as fidgeting, slouching or chewing nails
  - Maintain regular eye contact with your interviewer
  - Smile - look calm and stay relaxed
  - Make sure you have read your résumé beforehand and practiced providing behavioural interview examples
  - Talk in specifics regarding what you have done in the past, and how it is relevant to the role
  - Provide plenty of detail in your interview examples but ensure your answers are well structured. Try not to ramble!
  - Listen - if you don't understand a question, politely ask the interviewer to rephrase the question
  - Describe your achievements and accomplishments
  - End negatives with a positive. Don't just answer "no" to any questions about whether or not you have particular experience in something. Instead, refer to similar experience you have
  - Asking about remuneration, pay reviews and benefits right away is not recommended. Although these things are important, you run the risk of appearing concerned only with the remuneration and benefits. We will communicate a market competitive salary to you if we make you an offer at the offer stage
  If you are successful at the assessment centre, the next step is generally an offer of employment, however, we may ask you back for a second interview.
  
  Some of the process described above might vary a bit. It just depends on the position you are applying for. Regardless, by this stage, we'll know if you are right for us and you'll know if we are right for you.
  
  Recruiter tips:
  - Get a good nights sleep the night before and arrive 10 minutes early
  - Prepare for your interview by practicing responding to behavioural interview questions - review the section on Telephone Interviews, as most of this information applies here too
  - Ask enough questions throughout the assessment centre day to gain a thorough understanding of the Westpac Graduate Program and the area you are interested in
  - Make sure that you have found out as much information as possible about Westpac and the graduate program. The intranet and previous annual reports are both great sources of information
  - It's not easy, but try and relax. This is your opportunity to learn more about us as much as it is an opportunity for us to learn more about you
  ^top
- Offer
  If you are chosen for our Graduate Program or Internship, we will call you to let you know the good news and send a written offer of employment. And of course we'll also be contacting applicants who miss out.
  
  Reference checking
  
  We'll conduct reference and police checks on candidates who are successful at the assessment centre. This is part of our normal recruitment process. You'll find in most organisations it's routine nowadays. You will be asked to bring along the names and contact details of 2 referees when you attend the assessment centre. Please ensure you have alerted your referees that we may be contacting them. Please also ensure you provide us with recent referees preferably from your work or, if not applicable, your university.
  
  Recruiter tips:
  - Do tell us if you are considering other offers and ask for time if you need it. We ask that you don't accept more than one offer and speak openly with us so we can help you achieve the right outcome for you
  - Don't forget to bring along the names and contact details of 2 referees and remember to tell them that we might be contacting them in advance of the assessment centre
  ^top
- Feedback
  Evaluating your own performance
  
  It is useful to evaluate what you said or asked during the interview and at different stages of the process so you can be better prepared and possibly more effective in the future. At the same time, don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes you might find yourself blowing minor matters out of proportion when you re-live what you said. Try to take a balanced view and look for the good things as well as those you might need to improve upon next time.
  
  Receiving feedback
  
  Regardless of whether you are successful or not, you will be provided the opportunity to receive feedback. If you accept the feedback, you will be provided with some indication of your strengths and areas of development. You can then use this feedback to plan ways to enhance your skills and further develop your career plans. You will be advised when you can book in for your telephone feedback session via email or SMS.
  
  Recruiter tips:
  - Take up the offer to receive feedback; it's a great way to learn more about your strengths and potential areas for development
  ^top