Working in Belgium - 23th February Mrs. A. Vanseveren – VDAB / EURES Mr. J. Herpelinck – Study Advice Service KU Leuven

> international students Jobfair KU Leuven – 28th February 2012 Working in (Belgian) diplomacy, EU and UN- organisations 20th March 2012 Working in Europe 23th February / 20th March / 25th April Postgraduate Studies at UCL – 1 st March 2012 Success in the US – 8th March 2012

How to apply for a job … Jan Herpelinck – Study Advice Service Working in Belgium – 23th February 2012

Job application How to begin How to write an effective CV How to write covering letter Some tips/trics for the interview

How to start? ANALYSE YOURSELF who am I? what do I want? ANALYSE THE COMPANY

Transferable skills (1) communication - ability to communicate orally, in writing or via electronic means in a manner appropriate to the audience teamwork - being a constructive team member, contributing practically to the success of the team leadership - being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the lead initiative - ability to see opportunities and to set and achieve goals problem solving - thinking things through in a logical way in order to determine key issues flexibility/adaptability - ability to handle change and adapt to new situations

Transferable skills (2) self-awareness - knowing your strengths and skills and having the confidence to put these across commitment/motivation - having energy and enthusiasm in pursuing projects interpersonal skills - ability to relate well to others and to establish good working relationships; numeracy - competence and understanding of numerical data, statistics and graphs.

CV AIM 1st screening of the candidates –Structured –Chronological / anti-chronological Guiding-principle for the interview –Content –Facts 1 à 2 pages

CV – personal details name address Telephone / Mobile place and date of birth evt. name and profession of partner evt. number of children nationality

CV - education secundary + higher education institution period studyprogramme main characteristics of the programme –courses –papers / dissertation exam results

CV - experience show evidence that you can apply your knowledge professional experience holiday jobs stages or internships

CV - content personal details education experience language skills other skills mobility career objectives

Example of a CV

CV Europass Curriculum Vitae: Prospect’s - the UK’s official graduate careers website

Europass

EUROPASS.CEDEFOP.EU.INT

Cover letter Introduce yourself, for -why this kind of work? -why this particular organisation -what makes me a suitable candidate (link your skills and experience with the organisation’s requirements) Evt. any “anomalies” in your experiences positive confident note to supply more information during interview

Some examples of a cover letters

Jobselection Different selection tools: -Interviews -Intelligence test -Personality Questionnaire -Biographical Questionnaire -Assessment Centre -References

interview not an exam 2-way conversation experience is relevant be yourself / be honest learn from previous experiences

Interview preparation Knowledge about yourself: –Why do I want this job? –Why should this organisation select me? –What are my ambitions? –What are my strengths and weaknesses? –What have I gained from my degree? –What skills have I gained from my work-related and extracurricular activities? Knowledge about the job –what does the job involve; –what skills will I need to perform the job well; –what skills, interests and motivation do I already have for the job; –what examples can I give from work, academic study or outside interests to show I have the skills the employer is seeking?

Interview – FAQ What will be your contribution to the company What will you be doing in 1/3/5 years? Why would you like to have this position? What was your most satisfactory experience? And the most unpleasant? Why? What kind of courses did you like the best? And the worst? What kind of supervising did you handle? In which field will you feel at ease / uncomfortable? Do you plan to marry or have children? What’s the opinion of your best friends about you? What do you do during your freetime? With what kind of person you find it difficult to cooperate with?

Points of interest First impression / Last impression Be on time Mobile Dressing code Body language

> international students Jobfair KU Leuven – 28th February 2012 Working in (Belgian) diplomacy, EU and UN- organisations 20th March 2012 Working in Europe 23th February / 20th March / 25th April Success in the US – 8th March 2012