Career Management Skills Effective Applications

1
Career Management Skills Effective Applications

• what every student should know about contacting
  employers and getting the job you want
• Your name

2
CMS Re-cap

• Finding your profile
• what I want from a job?
• What I have to offer an employer
• Finding the fit
• What jobs and opportunities are out there?
• What are they actually like?
• Effective Applications
• How can I do myself justice?

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Effective Applications - Aims

• Find out how to convince an employer that you are
  the right person for the job
• Learn how to research employers so you can market
  yourself effectively to them
• Discover the ways of making what what you write
  about yourself and what you say about yourself
  have maximum impact

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Structure of this session

• What happens in the recruitment process?
• How do employers choose who to employ?
• How do we know what employers want?
• Interview fundamentals.
• How do I know what they will ask me?
• Online material and assignment details.

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The Recruitment Cycle

• Identify job requirements
• ?
• Produce job spec/person spec
• ?
• Job description and advertise
• ?
• Applications received
• ?
• Forms assessed

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The Assessment Process
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Application Screening Guide

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If you were the employer, would you interview
these people?

• Have they answered each part?
• Is the answer clear and concise?
• Is enough evidence given?
• Could the answer be improved?
• Rate applications strong medium or weak.
• What characterises a strong answer?

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Application forms

• Be clear and concise
• Give examples
• Keep it personal
• Answer all parts of the question

• Be Positive
• Fully unpack your skills
• Draw on all aspects of your life
• Keep it tidy

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Relevant Skills

• Activities Academic
• and record
• Interest
• Work Other
• experience learning

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Does it Work? - A true story

• The applicant - described in detail the key
  management issues in removing someone from a post
  in the local choral society
• The CEOs question Did you interview the
  applicant?
• The employers answer We didnt just interview
  her, we gave her the job!
• Interview with Carl Gilleard in FT April 2001

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STAR Quality

• S - Situation (what was happening)
• T - Task (the goal you set yourself)
• A - Action (what you did to change things)
• R - Result (the outcome of your action)

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But, how can I know what the employer wants?

• Look at the job description/advert.
• List the skills and qualities mentioned.
• Read between the lines
• List the hidden or implied requirements

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Crop Production Specialist

• Hidden requirements
• Presentation skills
• Being persuasive
• Leading meetings
• Scientific report writing
• Explain technology to non-specialist
• Confidence

• Skills etc mentioned
• Communication skills
• Enthusiasm
• Knowledge of crop production
• Field work ability

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Agronomy Assistant

• Skills etc. mentioned
• Willing to learn
• Enquiring mind
• Initiative
• Field skills
• Computing / e-mail
• Fax / Admin
• Windows etc.
• Driving Licence

• Hidden requirements
• Quick on the up-take
• Needs little support
• Adapts quickly
• Supports others
• Very organised
• Telephone manner
• Attention to detail
• Meet deadlines

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Sources of employer information

• Company web sites - See Finding the Fit Research
  Resources
• http//www.rdg.ac.uk/Careers/cms/oppaware/home.htm
  l
• Recruitment literature
• Company reports / brochures
• Articles in trade press etc.
• Networks to get inside information
• CAS Contacts - Reading Alumni

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Why Interview?

• Reality check
• What personal impact do you make?
• What skills have you really got?
• What are you like?
• Will you fit in?
• Do you understand the job?
• Do you really want the job?

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Selection Scenarios

• 1 to 1 interviews
• Panel interviews
• First and second interviews
• Assessment Centres
• Observed group work exercises
• Individual exercises
• Psychometric testing
• Presentations

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Interview Basics

• Cultivate a positive mental attitude
• nothing succeeds like success!
• Dress appropriately
• Body language (eye contact posture)
• Be positive about yourself
• Prepare for the obvious and difficult questions

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How do I know what questions I will be asked ??

• Work out what the employer wants to know!

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The employer wants to know

• Can you do the job?
• skills
• qualities
• experiences
• Do you want to do the job for this company?
• Will you fit in and be enthusiastic and reliable?

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Anticipating interview questions

• Take 5 minutes
• Use the advert you have just analysed
• Imagine you are the employer, planning to
  interview some one for this job
• Write out some of the questions you might ask to
  find out if an applicant could do the job

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The Box

• What the Employer Wants??? Interview
• ?
  questions
• ?
• ? ?
• ? ?
• Job information ? ?You ?? Your
  answers

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Conclusions

• The keys to effective applications are
• 1. Identifying what the employer wants.
• 2. Identifying that you have what the employer
  wants.
• 3. Communicating that you have what the employer
  wants.

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Assignment

• Use the on-line material
• http//www.rdg.ac.uk/Careers/cms/home.html
• Work through CV Covering Letters
• Then Interviews section
• Assignment - write a CV
• Submit before end of term

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How CAS can help

• For the Assignment
• workshops on applications and interviews - see
  programme
• Related workshops on Psychometric tests
• Use quick queries to discuss applications and CVs
• Generally
• Employer presentations
• Part time jobs and vacwork
• Headstart
• See a Careers Adviser