FINDING A JOB AND A PLACEMENT

Career planning support material is made to help young people, who have finished

professional educational institution and got professional qualification. This material is made

to help group teachers and professional school teachers, to help learners became competitive

in job market. This material is possible to use individually or in groups. After finishing all

tasks in this material learner have get experience and have made practically usable materials

to find placement or job.

Usually written application is first step to apply for job. Nice and clear application is

one of main prerequisite for applying a job position.

Main aim for application is that applicant is noticed and evaluated as a suitable

candidate for the post. Important part of written application is application letter. It has

concrete structure:

In first paragraph applicant shows its interest about current position and describes

how he/she have find this job offer.

In second paragraph need to be described competences and qualification that

employer requires for this position. Its need to be showed that applicant really fits for this

position with its education and qualification.

In third and last paragraph it’s important to mention why exactly you would be the

perfect match for this position and what priorities you can offer to company. In the end you

need to mention possibilities of job interview.

Write your own application letter based on some real job advertisement.

In process of writing application letter it’s important to:

• Show your interest about company and position which you want to apply;

• Mention your best qualities and skills and describe why there are the best for current

position;

• Describe your possible contribution to company. Accentuate your personality;

SYSQA

Kabelstraat 5

1322 AD Almere

The Netherlands

16.05.2014.

APPLICATION LETTER

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have just graduated Bachelor’s Degree programme in Economics at the Latvia

University of Agriculture Faculty of Economics and also currently studying in one year

Bachelor’s Degree programme in CAH Vilentum Dronten in EU Fund management. In

2010 I graduated Riga Technical Universities Vocational School, where I studied in

program „Bank Deals, Insurance and Finances”.

This summer I’m graduating CAH university of applied sciences and I’m really

interested to get my job experience in Netherlands. Your job advertisement I found trough

eurojobs.com and I would like to apply for it. My previous experience is linked with work

with people, face to face sales, accountanting, paper work, and project management. I have

studied project management, supply chain management, quality management and business

and market analysis. I’m passionate about learning new things and taking new challenges in

my life. I fluently speak English and Latvian, intermediate level German and Russian. I have

good computer skills with Microsoft and Linux Os. I‘m free to work with different office

software. Have more than basic knowledge’s about construction of computer’s and what

they consists of. I’m social, open to new ideas, accurate, hardworking and wiling to learn.

I’m also able to organize my own and other person work as project manager, as well I’m

good team player too. I’m willing to take challenges and I’m also ready to give my best

contribution to the company. After graduation I’m able to move to any place in Netherlands,

I’m independent not tied to anything.

I am open for all the opportunities that life can offer, therefore, I am glad for the

opportunity to apply for this vacancy.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to your positive response

for interview.

Yours faithfully,

M M

Send your resume (CV) by e-mail without application letter and add only

short text that you are interested in some position;

Application letter starts with informal “Hey”;

Send e-mail to potential employer with question whether it would be worth it

to apply for jobs in the company and whether it would be possible to have

personal interview;

Applicant wrote in his application that this is perfect job for him/her, but

forgets to describe why he/she is perfect worker for this company;

Forget to do research about company, what king services or products they

offer;

Applicant send 100 “standard blank” applications and are surprised that don’t

get response;

In interview applicant asks too big salary, because she/he don’t know average

salary in this position;

When HR specialist asks what is your weak point’s applicant says that it

don’t have week points, it has only strengths. ( every person have they

weaknesses and even if you don’t want

to reveal you need to be ready to talk

about this question;

After interview applicant asks employer

to cover travel expenses, however it was

not agreed before.

Reason for rejection What to do?

Formal mistakes

Something is wrong with applicant’s

submitted documents.

Ask for help to somebody. In your own

papers often you don’t see some basic

mistakes, but other person can see it clearly

and maybe you like something that others

may not prefer (formatting and style).

Lack of education and skills

This job requires education and skills that

you don’t have (yet).

Pay attention what are requests in

advertisement. If you are not compatible with

requires, describe how you can compensate

with your competences and skills.

Not enough job experience

You have breaks in your job experience and

you don’t explain what you have done in this

time.

Try to explain what have you done in this

time.

Lack of professional experience

You are not grown enough for this position or

you have worked in different sphere before.

Mention practices, volunteering job if you

have it or temporary works, this will show

that you are collecting experience in different

ways.

Bad grades

Your grades in school haven’t been so good,

especially in subjects that are important for

this position.

Prove that you are educated enough,

competent and ready to learn and improve

your skills.

Mention more things what can you do.

Only part of vacancies is available in public. All others are filled using personal

contact network. In this way company saves time and money. This is one of reasons why it’s

important to stay in touch with your contact network and get new contacts.

Make list of 30 people that can help you somehow with finding job or help

find new contacts. Make to do list of activities and set deadlines.

Usually your resume is first information that employer gets about applicant. This is

reason why your resume is made to get attention and easy to understand all important

information about applicant. Some of HR specialists suggest using international Europass CV

bank.

Make structured resume (use Europass blank) .

It’s important to know all job seeking resources, were information is available about

job offers. In nowadays there is lot of job seeking possibilities. Important is to know in witch

companies and what positions applicant is interested in.

In mutual communication members of group exchange with information

about available vacancies in companies that they are interested. Which

companies requires specialist with qualification that they are studying.

Also group members exchange information about resources they use to

find job. After this discussion each group member (student) make they

own list of information resources and potential employers.

In application process it is important to get information about potential employer. By

getting familiar with company it’s possible to conclude what will be requirements for

applicant. Your knowledge’s about company can make good impression to interviewer and

help applicant understand is she/he really want to work in such company.

By using real job advertisements and available information collecting

resources make analyze about each company by using example below.

ABOUT COMPANY

Name of company……………………………………………………………………

Work sector……………………………………………………………………………

Products…………………………………………………………………………………

Public image ……………………………………………………………………………

Size, market share……………………………………………………………………

Local/national/ international……………………………………………………………

Future plans……………………………………………………………………………

Location, ways how to get there………………………………………………………

TASKS

Work description…………………………………………………………………….

Career growth options…………………………………………………………………

Work environment……………………………………………………………………

EDUCATION

Required education……………………………………………………………………

Special skills required (language etc.) …………………………………………………

Skills (for example social) ……………………………………………………………

Foreign experience……………………………………………………………………

Age……………………………………………………………………………………

Drivers license…………………………………………………………………………

Bonuses and benefits for workers………………………………………………………

Probationary period ……………………………………………………………………

Introduction training……………………………………………………………………

Social guarantees………………………………………………………………………

Further education possibilities…………………………………………………………

APPLICATION

Way of application, necessary documents……………………………………………

Communication by phone………………………………………………………………

Advertisement (date) ……………………………………………………………….

Resource………………………………………………………………………………

Glue here advertisement

Many HR specialists are complaining about applicant documents, which do not succeed

requirements of advertisements. It’s important to understand requirements mentioned in

advertisements and compare them with own competences and skills.

By using real job advertisements group members’ analysis own compliance

with each position, by filling table below.

Important skills required for

task

Applicants experience,

education and values, that are

compatible with this job

Applicants expectations and

motivation do this job

Many applicants are afraid of job interviews, because situation is unfamiliar, or they

have bad experience. Significantly is to understand interviewer’s interests. There can be given

questions like these in job interview:

Why did you applied for job exactly in our company?

What attracted you in job advertisement?

What interests you most in this work position?

Have you already some ideas about your tasks in company?

What do you know about our company?

How did you know about our company?

Do you know who our competitors are?

Tell about yourself.

What kind tasks you prefer in work, why?

How did you choose your profession, education?

Why did you change your choice?

Was there favorite study subject in school for you?

Can you use your knowledge’s that you get in school in work now?

Why did you left your previous job? / Why you want to change your current

job?

What did you like in previous job the most and the least?

How did you see yourself after 5 years?

How would you like to see your employer?

There are 200 applicants for this position, what will be our beneficiaries to

choose you?

What are your strengths/ weaknesses?

Do you have plans for further education, what sector?

Do you know good enough English (or some other language) to continue this

interview in it?

How would you act if client would criticize quality of your product?

What do you understand with good ……. (Any job position)? What

competences are necessary for this person?

How your current colleagues would describe you?

Which your characteristic you don’t like?

Do you like to work in team, which position is perfect fit for you?

How can you manage stress situations in work?

How big salary you would like to have?

When can you start to work?

What are your hobbies, how are spending your free time?

Do you want to ask smth?

Prepare answers on questions; make role play- pretend to be interviewer and

applicant.