Teach First – Skills Session
CVs and application forms
Agenda
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Graduate Marketplace
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Insight into Screening
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Assessment Preparation
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Example - Teach First Experience
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Example - Transferable Skills
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CV & Covering Letter
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Application Forms
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Summary
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Questions & Answers
Graduate Marketplace
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Number of students receiving grade A at A-Level at highest levels
Number of graduates receiving a 1st or 2.1 at highest levels
Competition is fierce:
currently there are 3 graduates for every graduate job.
Importance of CV / Application form cannot be underestimated
- Primary purpose is to secure an interview
- Must be well presented and clearly structured
- No spelling mistakes!
Insight into Screening
What is an employer looking for?
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Right academic achievements – capable enough to do the job
Right set of skills, attributes and experience – able to handle the work and responsibilities
Right outlook – share the company’s value and goals
The reality
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Employer will spend 1-3 minutes reading your CV
Employer will have specific minimum requirements – if it’s not stated, you may not get interviewed
Employer will want to be clearly informed – if it’s difficult to read, employer will be frustrated
Employer will want to be impressed and engaged – you need your CV to stand out
The see–saw method – employers will then weigh up postivies+negatives on CV
Assessment Preparation
Assessment Preparation Activity
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Review your experience
- Write down your life achievements in 5 mins! What have you done so far?
- Catalogue achievements – academic / work experience / social activities / other
- Expand on these achievements – skills and knowledge required for each achievement
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Research Employer / Job role
- What does the employer do? What makes them different to their competitors?
- What are their values? What are their competencies?
- What does the job entail? What will you do on a day to day level?
- What does the culture feel like?
Study the company’s recruitment website, history, and job specification
What is Teach First?
» Unique 2 year graduate training programme
» Challenging and rewarding teaching experience – real experience
after 6 weeks of training
» Gain Qualified Teacher Status af the end of first year
» Innovative leadership development and management skills course
» Unparalleled internships, networking and coaching opportunities
» Exposure to over 90 prestigious supporters
» Making a real difference in schools that need it the most
3 Locations – London, The Midlands+ North west
Example - Teach First Experience
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The Teach First experience creates many transferable skills
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These will make you stand out from other Graduates and extremely employable to others
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Identify ‘Transferable Skills’
What do you think?
In 5 minutes, try to identify what transferable skills you
could gain and why they are so attractive to an employer.
Example - Transferable Skills
Skills / Competencies that are developed through the Teach First programme
Communication
Tenacity
Problem Solving
Calm under Pressure
Agent of change
Presentation
Motivation of Others
Humour
Judgement
Empathy
Influencing
Delivery
Flexibility
Mentoring
Resourcefulness
Discipline
Negotiation
Planning
Innovation
Leadership
Ambition
Energy
Commitment
Positive Outlook
Humility
Teamwork
Professionalism
Challenge
Tolerance
Fast thinking
Decisiveness
Resilience
Organising
Creativity
Initiative
Confidence
Coaching
Self Belief
Support
Respect
Integrity
Adaptability
Drive
Transferable Skills – What Employers Want
Teach First Survey of Times Top 100 Graduate Employers
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What do they look for in their assessment process? Skills / Competencies included:
Teamwork
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Leadership
Client
Commercial Awareness
Company Awareness
Responsiveness
Initiative
Problem Solving
Innovation
Critical Thinking
Creativity
Ambition
Confidence
Adaptability
Personal Effectiveness
Influencing
Integrity
Thrives on Challenge
Technical Ability
Entrepreneurial
Communication
Task Management
Top 5 skills that the Top 100 graduate employers look for?
- Teamwork / Communication / Problem Solving / Confidence / Creativity
Showing evidence of the Top 5 skills that the
Top 100 graduate employers look for
• Spend a minute on each of the top 5 skills, and jot down your
experience
1) Teamwork
2) Communication
3) Problem Solving
4) Confidence
5) Creativity
How did you get on?
Was it difficult, or did you think of a wide range of examples?
Showing evidence of the Top 5 skills that the
Top 100 graduate employers look for
Spend a few minutes discussing these experiences further
with a partner. Consider:
• If you have enough evidence to form the basis for a
competency style question for each skill
• What else you can do to increase your skills in these five
areas
• Would your evidence form enough of a basis for a ½ hr –
1 hr interview?
Curriculum Vitae
Structure & Content
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Personal Details – Name, contact details, etc.
Education & Qualifications – Degree back to GCSE’s. Always state most recent qualifications first.
Work Experience / Responsibilities
Notable Achievements / Relevant Skills / Interests / Extra-Curricular Activities
Tips for writing a CV
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CV must be clear / focused / relevant – spelling, grammar and punctuation must be correct
CV must never be in colour, or on coloured paper
CV must not be more than 2 pages long - standard typefaces (Arial / TNR) font size 9 or above
CV must be in a clear order (dates / duration), with sections and headings clearly marked
CV must make’ sense’ following your progression and experience. Do not leave gaps
CV must be targeted to the company and focused on the skills needed for the job
Never send a generic CV – an employer will spot this easily
Covering Letters
Structure and Content
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Introduce yourself in terms of your current situation
Explain why you are making the application
Provide a personal statement that demonstrates drive and suitability for the role
Highlight your key skills, experiences and attributes which are relevant to the role
Conclude the letter with a friendly “Look forward to hearing from you”
Tips for writing a covering letter
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Do not repeat your CV
Use it as a chance to align your skills with what they are looking for
Be positive and write a new letter for each application
Avoid spelling or grammatical errors as employer will be assessing verbal written skills
Letter must be interesting to read – tendency to become long-winded and lose focus
No more than 1 page with 3 / 4 justified paragraphs of short and simple sentences
Address to a particular person (ring up and get correct name / job title)
Align your address to the RH margin and the company’s to the left
Once completed, get someone else to read through to check for errors
Application Forms
Before you fill out an application form
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Research Employer – Company information and selection criteria
Research Yourself – Academic achievements / skills / experience etc
Try and understand what an employer wants from a question (tells you how to approach the answer)
Tips for completing an Application Form
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Read entire form before you start and
Responses should be clearly laid out and ensure all instructions are followed
Link your answers to what you know the employer wants in an employee and give evidence
When describing a situation be clear how it arose, what your role was and the outcome
Do not assume employer will read between the lines – explain motivations – what and why
Do not under sell yourself but be honest when dealing with qualifications and experience
Keep things clear and concise – cut out irrelevant information
Ensure you have completed all relevant sections
Once finished, check for grammar and spelling mistakes
Keep a copy as it will be used in your interview
Summary
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Competition is fierce – current market means it can be very tough to get the role that you want
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Employer wants to know you have the right academics, skills, attributes, experience and personality
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Employer has to be informed, impressed and engaged or no interview
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Make sure you spend a decent amount of time when making an application: it’s very clear who hasn’t!
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Assessment preparation is vital – Identify what makes you unique / Do your research
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CV & Covering Letter – Primary purpose is to secure an interview
- Clear / Focused / Relevant with NO spelling mistakes
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Application Form
- Research employer & yourself / Understand what an employer wants from each question
Interested?
Teach First is currently looking for 365 graduates to join the
“Class of 08”
Application Process
On-line at www.teachfirst.org.uk
Application Form
Deadlines – Winter deadline – 30th November 2007 (History, Geography,
Citizenship, Modern Foreign Languages, and Deloitte Teach First deferred
entry scheme)
Final deadline 28 March 2008.
Assessment Centre
Offer
Subject Knowledge Audit
Accept Offer
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_______________@teachfirst.org.uk with
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Questions & Answers