SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY Interactive, online employability training program. ACTIVITY PACK Getting a Job 11 The Selection Process Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 1 SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY THE SELECTION PROCESS This pack contains an activity to help you apply what you have learned in the ‘The Selection Process’ module. Activity 1 will help you understand why employers use each part of the selection process and what they are looking for. You will also be provided with space to reflect on selection processes that you have experienced so far. Finally, you will find a set of top tips to help you to prepare for your selection processes. WHEN APPLYING FOR A JOB, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT: 1. Every employer may have a different selection process 2. The selection process is designed to help the employer reduce the number of applicants for their position from many to one It is also important to note that: • There’s a scenario in this module that is not applicable to the Philippine context. Please see below: Scenario Applicability to local context In slide 15, the narrator mentioned that you may talk to your advisors regarding pre-employment screening. Services offered by professional career advisors are rarely available locally. Instead use the online, self-help resources for job seeking needs like JobStreet, jobsDB, Philjobnet. In slide 15, there’s a statement on background check --> A check that you are authorized to work in the US - for example: that you have the correct identification documents such as birth certificate, green card or US work permit. Although green card is only applicable to the US, background checks are a standard for local employment but preemployment records are different from country-to-country. Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 2 SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY ACTIVITY 1: UNDERSTANDING THE SELECTION PROCESS This activity explains why employers use different types of assessment during the job application process. You will then get a chance to look at it from the employer’s point of view and judge your previous applications as an employer would. There is also a set of top tips to help you prepare yourself for the assessments that you may face during the selection process. Read the information below to understand why employers use each type of assessment and use this to improve how you perform in your own job applications. Remember – not all employers will use all forms of these assessments. APPLICATION FORMS Employers use application forms to ensure that they receive all applications in the same format. This means that every candidate presents information in the same way and so it is easier to make direct comparisons between them. RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS Resumes and cover letters allow employers to assess a candidate’s suitability for a specific job/role. They give employers a view of the candidate’s qualifications and their previous work history while also being personal and individual. ONLINE TESTS Employers often ask candidates to take different online tests. These are generally personality or reasoning based. Employers will use personality tests to understand what kind of person a candidate is, and reasoning tests to get an idea of how a candidate’s mind works. There are different types of reasoning tests, testing abilities such as numerical reasoning or comprehension. INTERVIEWS The employer can never know how much help an applicant may have had with their resume, application form and cover letter. The interview is therefore a chance to meet the real person unaided by parents, friends, advisors or the Internet. It gives the employer a chance to get to know the candidate and judge whether they will fit in with the culture of the company or team and allows them to probe candidates further on the content of their application documents. Interviews also help them to see first-hand the candidate’s: o Personal style, confidence levels, and interpersonal skills o Interest levels and the research effort they have put in ASSESSMENT CENTERS Assessment centers allow employers to see lots of applicants at the same time. These may last a few hours to several days and employers can use different exercises such as Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 3 SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY role play and team building activities. Employers use them to see how you deal with tasks that you may have to perform on a day to day basis in the job. They may also be looking to understand better how you work in a team. They are common for many customer service and retail roles. LOOKING BACK AT YOUR OWN APPLICATIONS Now that you have seen why employers use all the different types of assessment that can make up the selection process, think about the jobs you have applied for and write out the selection process you’ve gone through below. Of all the jobs that I have applied for, these are the slection process I've gone through while applying: 1.) Application forms through online; 2.) Resume and Cover Letter; 3.) Interviews; and lastly 4.) Assessment Centers. Using the information above about what employers want to learn from each type of assessment, put yourself in the employer’s shoes. Dig up any old job applications you have kept or go back to an online application you have submitted and think about your application from the employer’s perspective. For example, think about what an employer would say when they looked at your application form or resume. Write down your thoughts in the space provided below. If I were in the employer's shoes, I am positive that he/she will accept my applications. Nowadays, in the new generations, people, most especially students, are not into agricultural courses anymore. Our country is lacking of resources for our agricultural sector. If I were to apply in an agricultural job, it would be easy for me to get a job in no time. If I were in the employer's shoes, I would definitely hire myself easily if I know that I am a graduate and have exerience in farming because it is rare to get employees or student applicants who have completed college in agricultural courses. At the same time, I am confident that my experiences will make me pass my requirements. I am confidently sure that my requirements fir for the company. I would not think twice. If I am into the betterment of the company, I will definitely hire myself. Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 4 SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY TOP TIPS APPLICATION FORMS o A poorly filled out application form is unlikely to get you an interview. o Your application form will be compared very closely with those of the other applicants so make sure it really stands out and that you have filled it in as completely as possible. o Use the ‘Module 14 - The Application Form’ to help you with this part of your application. RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS o A cover letter is the first thing your employer sees. It’s your chance to get the hiring manager to look further at your resume. o Use your cover letter as a chance to impress the employer, display your personality, and include relevant information that you couldn’t fit on your resume. o Use the ‘Module 6 - Create Your Resume,’ ‘Module 13 - Tailor Your Resume,’ and ‘Module 15 - A Better Cover Letter’ to help you with these parts of your application. ONLINE TESTS o Online tests can be used to measure your personality or numerical, verbal or abstract reasoning. o For reasoning tests use online resources to take as many practice tests as possible. o For personality tests, just be yourself and answer the questions honestly! INTERVIEWS o Know all the information you put on your application documents. o Have some questions prepared so that you can find out if the job is right for you and show that you have done your research. o Later on in the selection process, interviews may go into more detail so use the ‘Module 10 - Test Drive the CAR technique’ and ‘Module 16 - Prepare for your Interview’ for advice on how to answer more detailed questions well. o Take a look at the ‘Module 17 - Sam and FuturoSystems’ to see Sam’s interview at FuturoSystems and get an idea of how yours might work. PHONE INTERVIEWS o Think about your tone and how it reflects to the interviewer on the phone. o Focus on what you say but also how you say it. o For detailed advice see the ‘Module 12 - The Call Out of The Blue.’ Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 5 SKILLS TO SUCCEED ACADEMY PANEL INTERVIEWS o o o o Keep eye contact with all the interviewers. Note down their names and use them. Research who will be on the panel. Ask questions at the end and use your research to direct these questions to the right person. o Know the company, industry, and job description. o Take a look at the ‘Module 19 - The Pearly Bank Panel’ to see Angela’s experience on a panel interview. ASSESSMENT CENTERS o Use online resources to research what tasks you may be given and prepare for them. o Sites like The Muse and Glassdoor include reviews from previous applicants and can often give you an insight into what to expect from the different parts of a recruitment process for a company. ADDITIONAL LINKS o JobStreet: https://www.jobstreet.com.ph/ REMEMBER These Activity Packs are yours to keep. Make sure you review them regularly and keep them updated. You can also discuss them with advisors, friends, family and anyone else you trust to provide valuable feedback. For any questions or concerns on the context, please email us at contact.ph@s2sacademy.ph Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 6 Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved. Skills to Succeed Academy, www.s2sacademy.ph No unauthorized copying or distribution Page | 7