JOB SEARCH SKILLS Career Management Lecture 2 Lecturer: Rositsa Milyankova October 2009

Traditional Methods Employment agencies Web-information Newspaper advertisements Online vacancies / job boards Career exhibitions Internal search (in the organization)

HR Divisions ’ and Agency Functions HRDivision Fill a specific brief Administrative function Gatekeeper role Agency Fill a specific brief Time based service Paid on results

01/08/2008 Recruitment process Online applications Pre- screening Research First-round interview Assessment centre Screening Applicants should consider all stages in the process to be equally important

CV Design Gathering information Deciding what to include Choosing a format Sections of resume Write a resume draft Critique your resume

CV Design General approach (European, American) Language Section by section Contact details Career summary / profile / history Academic results Hobbies & interests NOT longer than 1 page

C.V.samples ( Find samples of C.V., Résumé or Cover Letter Find the difference between a C.V. and a Résumé Select the best for your case Cover Letter

General Approach To be specific / personalized Achievement based Employer benefits from your application Relevant evidence

Language Basic points – purpose for application General approach – personal SWOT Style, techniques, spelling & grammar Use active verbs, vary vocabulary, vary sentence length, use positive language Clear and concise Bullet points – if necessary Try to minimise use of ‘I’

Cover Letter / Motivation letter or Business Proposal? Grab attention Appeal to their self interest You are the solution (to their problem) Be specific Remember HR checklist Call to action

JOB-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE Letter of inquiry: In this type of query you are inquiring about possible job opportunities that fit your skills. You have to give a general area you are interested in working in. Letter of inquiry: Job Application Cover Letter or Response to an Job Advertisement: Answering a particular job advert. The important thing in the cover letter is to show that your skills match those for the job advert. Job Application Cover Letter Thank You Letter: A thank you letter shows the interest you have in a position you have been interviewed for. Thank You Letter: Acceptance Letter: In this letter you state that you are accepting the job offered. Acceptance Letter: Declination Letter: You inform your employer that you are no longer interested in the position offered.In all cases make sure you follow the Declination Letter:

And Finally 1 - Be proactive not reactive 2 - Be employer focussed 3 - Make CV & letter specific 4 - Do your own research 5 - Follow up everything

01/08/2008 Assessment centre elements Competencies interview Interactive exercises Technical interview n For technical disciplines – demonstrating the ability to apply received knowledge n For non-technical disciplines – demonstrating the ability work on a ‘case’ or ‘scenario’. n Listening and responding Key Elements Main requirement Advice n Drawing on past experience to demonstrate a track record of success. n Being specific n Drawing on a range of experiences n Making minimal use of received knowledge/ course work n Being authentic n Being yourself n Researching what the criteria might be – working together, drive, influence, thinking, business sense n Asking team members for help if you don’t understand the task n Providing help to others if you see colleagues struggling Ask for clarification if you don’t understand what is being asked of you Be prepared – have a range of examples to demonstrate more than academic achievement Remember the task is probably only a vehicle to gather behavioural data

01/08/2008 Assessment centre elements Dinner & drinks Collaborative Decisions Individual exercise n Understanding and responding to the brief n Working quickly n Writing legibly Key Elements Main requirement Advice n Being authentic n Asking for information – this is your opportunity to assess the assessors n Pre-preparing questions n Talking with other candidates as well as assessors n Including other people in your conversations n Not critiquing other candidates n Meeting technical requirements n Delivering an all-round performance n Remembering that development needs are taken into account n Acknowledging that no single person decides who is employed Do what the task requires Understand the ground rules Develop your criteria to enable you to decide if an offer is right for you

Decision matrix – integrating data

The Do s and Don ’ t s The Dos Research the company and a little bit about the industry Find out what the company is looking for in its graduates – and think of some examples when you’ve demonstrated these skills Use the career service Keep up to date with business and political news Take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about the company and the people, working there Answer the question that is being asked, after you understand it Be yourself!

The Do s and Don ’ t s The Dos Stay calm, be relaxed and don’t panic Make sure your appearance is smart, but be comfortable Let the company know of anything that may affect your performance e.g. dyslexia, special disease Plan your journey carefully – and arrive on time Get a good night’s sleep! Be confident – and trust your own ideas Have fun Take some medication for relaxation (Lexotan??)!

The Do s and Don ’ t s The Don’ts Tell them what you think they want to hear Lie Be afraid to ask questions Worry if one part doesn’t go as well as the rest Be too pushy Stay up late or drink too much Attend events for the sake of it