EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
(Or, properly preparing to find and get a job)
A one hour Workshop which will cover:
What Employers really want
Writing your CV(s)
Researching Potential Employers
Analysing a Job Advert
Writing an effective Application Letter
Preparing for the Interview
Attending the Interview
Followed later by a Practice Interview
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
1
What Employers really want:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
A positive, “can do” attitude, enthusiasm &
willingness to follow instructions.
Reliability, dependability, & willingness to work.
Good verbal and written communication skills.
The ability to learn fast & regularly do pieces of
intensive work. (Few jobs have a consistent work-flow...)
A friendly approach, good manners & the ability to
get on with others, a real team player.
Intelligence & the ability to think on your feet.
Imagination, creativity and use of initiative.
SHOW them that you meet all or most of these 7
criteria, and they should be willing to train you in
everything else. (Not all of these apply equally to every job)
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide2
Human Nature
Employers are normal people like you and I, &
people make friends with, hire or do business
with people who they Like, Respect or Trust.
The challenge for you is to persuade them that
you have the 7 essential attributes, and that they
Like You.
Respect & Trust need to be earned, and take a
little longer.
PEOPLE HIRE PEOPLE THEY LIKE.......it’s
human nature....!
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide3
Basic Types of CVs (Résumé)
Chronological
• Outlining your career history in reverse date order,
beginning with the most recent items first.
• This usually works well for students with a good allround mixture of education, work and work experience.
Skills Based
• Highly-focused CVs which relate your skills and
abilities to a specific job or career area by highlighting
these skills and your major achievements.
• These work best when your education and work
experience is not directly relevant to your application.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 4
Every CV should have
Personal details - name and address, telephone
number and email
Education
Experience
There are additional sections that you could
also decide to include:
Personal statement
Skills
Hobbies and interests
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 5
Writing your CV (1)
What is a CV for? Is it a list of facts about you?
OR is it your personal sales document?
Your CV should be:
• Short (preferably 1P x A4, 2 at Max)
• Easy to read, visually attractive, & interesting
•Free of spelling & grammar errors
• Free of slang, abbreviations & “txt spk”
• NOT just a list of bare unexplained facts
It should include a short personal statement
which emphasises your strengths & skills and
says something positive about yourself.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide6
Writing your CV (2)
• Ideally, have more than just one CV, different
versions should emphasise different qualities, skills
or experience that you offer the employer.
• Try to match the CV you send to the requirements
of the job. Edit and amend your CV to match what
they need (after you’ve found out...!)
• Keep it short and to the point, your CV should be
on 1 page of A4 (max 2 pages).
• Try to always be interesting, and seem interested.
• What makes your CV stand out from the crowd ?
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide7
Writing your CV (3)
You should mention ALL the relevant skills and
experience you’ve got, and try to maximise the
perceived benefits to the Employer of these:
• If you’ve done The Duke of Edinburgh Award,
say this taught you resilience and initiative.
• If you’ve (eg) been a paper boy/girl, say this
taught you to be reliable, dependable and an
early riser. (Mention any part-time jobs or work
experience in the same positive way.)
• If you’ve been on a Team at school, say (eg)
that you learned to work with others, to never
give up and to obey the Team captain/coach.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide8
Writing your CV (4)
Focus on clarity, simplicity and economy:
• Selectors often take about 6 seconds before they make
an initial 'fit or no fit' decision" on a CV.
• The best CVs have a lean, mean, clean, crafted look
with the use of every inch of space carefully considered,
so don't make your CV too busy: if in doubt, leave it out !
• Use font, font size, straight lines and alignment to
organise your CV to be as clear & simple as possible.
• If you put absolutely everything that you think might
sell you in your CV it will be less appealing than one that
just focuses on your strongest selling points. KEEP IT
SIMPLE…!
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 9
Essentials
• Your CV should have a clear visual hierarchy and no
distracting visual elements. These hinder the selector’s
ability to find relevant information.
• Research has shown that All deviations from the
formal format reduced the chances of an interview.
Coloured paper had a clearly negative effect, while the
“creative” format was worst of all: the same candidate
had almost twice the chances of being offered an
interview with a formal CV as with a “creative” one.
• Whatever else you do, ALWAYS CHECK your spelling,
grammar and the consistency of the information you’re
providing. Illiteracy or Inconsistency = An instant NO.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 10
Remember, Presentation is All...!
The woman is saying “ ‘R. Sims, A Man of Conviction’
sounds better than ‘R.Sims, Prison Parolee’ “
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Slide 11
Researching Potential Employers (1)
THE BASIC THINGS TO FIND OUT
• Google them.
• Do they advertise?
• What do you think of their Ads?
• Would you buy from them?
• Do they have a web-site ?
• What does it say about them ?
• How large are they ?
• What is their turnover (annual sales ?)
• What is their annual profit?
• Who owns the company?
• What do they do?
• Where do they do it?
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 12
Researching Potential Employers (2)
• Who & where are their main customers ?
• What industry are they in ?
• What do the media say about this industry ?
What problems does their industry have?
• What are they doing about these ?
• What COULD they do about these ?
• Are they (eg) fully exploiting the Internet and
Social Media ?
• How do you think they might do better?
• Could you help them do it better ? How ?
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 13
Sample Job Advert (1)
Job title: Contract Manager
Location: Midlands, Coventry
Salary: Negotiable
We are recruiting a Contract Manager for a major aerospace engineering
company based in the Midlands.
As a Contract Manager you will be the primary liaison for your assigned
customer accounts with responsibility for purchase order requirements and
contractual obligations. You will communicate frequently with various
departments and management on customer’s behalf regarding purchase
orders and/or contract issues. You will negotiate with customers, draft
contracts, and travel to customer's sites, conferences & seminars to
represent the company.
You will be educated to at least A level (with good grades) with GCSE
Maths and English, and have some understanding of Commercial
Contracts. Experience in administering contracts and a background in
contract negotiations and knowledge of technical products are preferred for
this role. Organization and Computer skills are essential & the ability to
demonstrate problem solving techniques would be a distinct advantage.
You will be a good communicator, easy to work with and a team player.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 14
Sample Job Advert (2)
Key Accountabilities:
Liaise with selected customers for PO requirements & contractual obligations.
Provide quotations.
Sales Orders - order entry, changes, expedites, cancellations, status.
Troubleshoot customer problems, credit collection assistance.
Communicate with Management and all departments on the customer's behalf .
Customer Negotiations.
Draft contracts, amendments.
Travel to customers, conferences and seminars
Develop excellent customer service, with prompt and accurate responses.
Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills:
Minimum of 2 good A Levels (plus GCSE Maths & English). (Essential)
Experience in administering and negotiating contracts/PO's (Preferred)
Knowledge of aerospace technologies (Preferred)
Good organization skills and problem solving techniques (Essential)
Computer skills; sound knowledge of Word and Excel for daily use (Essential)
Ability to work well with others, and be part of a team (Essential)
Friendly approach, the ability to form good relationships with customers. (Essential)
Excellent written and verbal communication skills. (Essential)
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 15
Analysis of the Job Advert (1)
• This advert has been placed by a Recruitment Agency
– it says “We are recruiting a Contract Manager for a
major Aerospace engineering company based in the
Midlands”. There are very few of these, so an internet
search will probably give you a list of possible firms and
locations.
• They ask for an experienced Contract Manager with
knowledge of Contract Law, they want an Account
Manager, to be responsible for customer service, liason
and interaction and to represent the company at
meetings and seminars, and they’d like someone who is
familiar with aerospace technology and requirements.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide16
Analysis of the Job Advert (2)
• In large companies, these are 3 different jobs.
• They appear to be trying to cover all the bases,
however they may really want someone young
and relatively inexpensive (HINT: It says Salary:
Negotiable) to hire and train.
• There is a clue to this at the bottom, they’re
only asking for 2 good A levels (such jobs often
ask for a degree), and Experience (shown under
Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills) is only shown
as Preferred and not as Essential.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 17
Writing your Application Letter (1)
• Your Application Letter and the CV you
send should always be a carefully matched
pair. They need to be consistent with each
other, and not disagree. ASK A FRIEND TO
CHECK THIS !!
• Analyse the Job Advertisement. What do they
REALLY want ?
• Make sure your letter highlights what you
think they really want. Most Applications end
up in the bin because they don’t match the
requirements in the Job Advert.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide18
Writing your Application Letter (2)
• First impressions count. Use good English, correct
spelling and grammar (avoid jargon or “txt spk”), nice
presentation and quality white or cream paper. Never
use fancy typefaces or coloured paper.
• Always use spell-check..! (And ask a friend to
check it as well)
• If you’re applying by email, the same rules apply. It’s
just an electronic letter. Check how attached documents
will appear on a printed page before sending. [PDF it?]
• Avoid unrealistic or frivolous claims, aspirations or
content. Wanting to be a pop-star, win the X Factor, be a
premier league footballer’s WAG or win the lottery and
retire to Hawaii lessens your credibility in the real world.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide 19
Writing your Application Letter (3)
• Make sure you “Tick ALL their boxes” – check and
then double-check this.
• Remember to SELL your strengths and good
points. Remember, it IS a sales document.
• The layout and appearance of your letter should
be clean and professional, and easy to read. It must
not be too long (under 1 x A4) and should look
attractive.
• It must be easily readable, so use at least Arial
size 12 Typescript (the over 40’s can’t cope with
small print, and if they can’t read it, they’ll bin it !).
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide 20
A few final hints
• Whatever you do, ALWAYS CHECK your spelling,
grammar and the consistency of the information you’re
providing. Ask a friend to check it for you. Remember,
Illiteracy or Inconsistency = An instant NO.
• If you ring them, remember that first impressions
always count. Be polite and friendly to whoever
answers the phone, even if you’re only asking them to
send you a form. (If you’re rude or abrupt to someone at
the firm, they may tell the recruiting manager...)
• A useful hint when using the phone is to stand and
smile. They can’t see you, but if you always stand and
smile when on the phone you transmit “I’m friendly but
business-like” and it does come across in your voice.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide 21
Preparing for the Interview
Now we’re going to discuss both the Art and
the Science of attending a Job (or any other
kind of) Interview, and doing all you can to
ensure a successful outcome.
• Art, because the biggest part of an interview is
in your body language, appearance and attitude.
• Science, because you need to carefully
prepare your “base” answers in advance, and
use these as the basis on which you build your
actual Interview answers to popular questions.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide 22
Before you attend the Interview (1)
Find out as much about the Employer and the
potential job as you can.
• Check them out on the Internet, social media, ask
friends, parents, extended family or anyone else
who may be able to tell you something useful.
• If they have a web-site, check their “employee
friendliness” – do they have family-friendly policies
(eg: a creche or child care vouchers), are they (eg)
enrolled in the Investors In People programme ?
• I’m always amazed at how many interviewees
arrive knowing nothing about either the company or
the job – naturally, they don’t get a job offer....!
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 23
Before you attend the Interview (2)
Prepare, learn and practice out loud standard,
carefully designed answers to the most popular
interview questions (see our web-site) – these include:
• Tell us about yourself ?
• What are your strengths & weaknesses ?
• Why should we hire you ?
All these questions are an open invitation to sell
yourself. No-one ever admits to major weaknesses,
but if you’re impatient, say “I’m sometimes impatient
with poor customer service or quality”. Always try
to turn weaknesses into strengths.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 24
Before you attend the Interview (3)
Prepare (and practice !) one-liners to “evidence”
your strengths & weaknesses. For example:
• Strength – Hard Work – “I spent 3 weeks picking
apples at harvest time on my uncle’s farm in Devon,
often working from dawn till dusk”
• Strength – Communication – “I’m regarded by my
friends as the person to negotiate difficult issues”
• Weakness – Impatience – “When my sister and I had
bad service in (shop’s name?), I asked to see the
manager and persuaded her to fix the problem”
• Weakness (?) – Attention to Detail – “I sometimes
resist pressure to hurry up and finish when I feel it’s
more important to get it correct than to get it quickly.”
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide25
Before you attend the Interview (4)
An Interview is a (structured) conversation, and
employers will expect you to ask relevant
questions. If these are intelligent and/or useful,
so much the better.
• Prepare a few questions (at least 1 or 2, 3 at
the most) to ask them at the interview.
• Ideally, these should show you’ve researched
the firm, and thought about the firm and the job.
• If all else fails (and they haven’t already told you) ask when
you will be advised of the result of the Interview.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide26
Attending the Interview (1)
Before you go into the Interview Room:
• Ensure you’re well turned out and presented,
clean, tidy, alert and well rested (Partying the
night before is definitely NOT advised...!)
•Take a few deep breaths before you enter the
room, and RELAX. Remember, they’re human
too, and an Interview is a Conversation. They
have a job to fill, so they do need you too...!
•Imagine the interviewers are future colleagues
and good friends that you are just about to meet.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 27
Attending the Interview (2)
Body Language & Attitude – Do’s and Don’ts.
• Don’t Eat, Chew, Drink or Smoke (not even E-cigs)
• Do keep your hands by your side or on your lap, never
behind your head or folded.
• Don’t fiddle or keep touching your hair, body or face.
• Do sit (when you’re invited to do so) and try to adopt
an alert but relaxed posture.
• Don’t slouch, put your feet up or rock in the chair
• Do have your hair short or tied back.
• Don’t try to hide behind your hair or hands.
• Do practice giving a nice, short but firm handshake.
• Do dry your hands on your skirt or trousers first....!
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 28
Attending the Interview (3)
DURING THE INTERVIEW ITSELF
• Be polite, friendly, and try to be engaging.
• Stay calm and logical.
• Smile when you can. It helps people to like you.
• Listen a lot, and don’t interrupt the Interviewer(s).
• Even if you’re bored, appear interested and alert.
• Keep your answers short (but not abrupt) and
stick to the point.
• Don’t ramble. Stop and think before you speak.
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 29
Attending the Interview (4)
DURING THE INTERVIEW ITSELF
• Be thoughtful and considered in your answers.
You’re allowed a few moments to compose your
thoughts and address the question that they’ve
asked. Use this time to ensure your answer
presents you in the best possible light.
• Use your pre-prepared (and therefore positive)
answers as the basis for many similar questions,
if you’ve prepared your personal statement well
you can use it in many different ways.
• Have your CV in front of you to prompt you
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide30
Attending the Interview (5)
DURING THE INTERVIEW ITSELF
• If the Interviewer uses a long silence to try and stress
you, smile nicely and wait for them to speak again.
• If you think you’ve dug yourself into a hole, stop
digging...! Pause, breathe, smile, regroup your thoughts
and start your answer again in a more positive way.
AND FINALLY
• Always end on a positive note. Firmly
shake hands with the Interviewers, thank
them for their time and the opportunity, and
for goodness sake, SMILE...!
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
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Slide 31
What to do next
• Think what to say at your interview, & why ?
• A really useful information source is at
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples.htm
• You can download today’s slides from:
http://northwarwickshirecatenian.com/index.php/cat
enian-secondary-schools-initiative/schoolsinitiative-documents/ or just Google “North
Warwickshire Catenian” and follow the links.
• Practice your pre-prepared Personal Statement.
• We’ll see you at the Practice Interviews.
END OF
WORKSHOP
Delivered by The Catenian Association to
help Catholic youth succeed
Slide32