Employability Resource Handbook

0

SUPPORTING GRADUATES INTO THE WORKPLACE www.journeytowork.net

Providing you with the information you need to stand out in a highly competitive job market.

1


Welcome!

We at journeytowork are passionate about supporting graduates into the workplace.

Everyone in our team has been in your shoes, we know what it’s like to be well educated, to

have aspirations to succeed in securing the dream job, and we too have a history of sending

countless job applications and getting few invitations to interview in return.

The team at journeytowork remembers well how terrifying those first few interviews

were, not knowing how badly we were perceived by the interviewers and only now, after

many years of career success, can we appreciate the mistakes we made.

The UK graduate employment market is incredibly competitive with some graduate positions

receiving 240 applications for a single job vacancy¹. News from around the world is even

more concerning…in 2011 China advertised 16,000 civil service jobs that attracted a total of

1.4 million applications. That is an incredible 87,500 applications per job!

How does anyone compete in this type of employment market?

Our training, whether delivered through our portfolio of written materials, workshops,

career coaching, virtual training or this handbook, is designed to ensure that you raise your

employability skills, impress the recruiter, and secure your dream job.

When commissioning this guide we were very clear about our approach. We listened to our

customers and found the answers to the most common questions, concerns and worries,

and included them all.

You need to ensure that you read this handbook, fully understand the messages contained

within, and finally take action to ensure that you get offered the job and not someone else!

If you feel you need further support or guidance, please enquire about our full range of

services by emailing [email protected]

Good luck and best wishes for your future success.

Wayne Boardman

Founder & Managing Director

¹ Aldi Retail Group’s management scheme 2010 received 12,000 applications for 50 available positions

mailto:[email protected]

2


Contents Introduction 1 - 4

Founder’s Welcome 1 Contents 2 Your journeytowork 3 - 4

Chapter 1: Job Search Preparation 5 - 8

Getting Started 5 Career Campaign Plan 6 Why You Need A CV 7 Planning Your Campaign 8

Chapter 2: Writing a Powerful CV 8 - 17

Creating A Powerful CV 8 - 13 STAR Stories 8 - 10 Example CV 14 - 15 CV Tips and Checklist 16 - 17

Chapter 3: The Ideal cover Letter 18 - 22

Cover Letters 18 - 20 Cover Letters Checklist 20 - 21 Example Cover Letter 22

Chapter 4: Effective Job Search Methods 23 - 30

Starting Your Search 23 - 25 Effective Networking 25 - 30

Chapter 5: Interviewing Techniques 31 - 50

Different Interview Processes 31 - 34 Example competency Based Questions 35 Assessment Centres 35 - 39 Interview Preparation 40 - 43 Successful Interviewing 44 - 49 Interviewing Tips 50

Appendix

Action Verbs 51 Our Group Provisions 52 Our Individual Provisions 53

3


Your journeytowork

Many graduates mistakenly think getting a job is about sending out as many CVs as possible

and sitting back waiting for a response, and hopefully an invitation to attend an interview.

When the invite arrives for an interview you dress smartly and turn up ready to answer the

employer’s questions on your suitability for the position. You might have done a little

preparation around what type of questions you can expect to receive, but otherwise you’ll

attend the interview in the hope that it simply ‘goes your way’.

I suppose it could be as simple as this, and I’m sure for the lucky few it can be this easy.

However, for the vast majority of graduates I can assure you that following this procedure

will only end in frustration at the lack of response you get and the apparent failure of your

CV.

Currently employers report that at many as 80% of graduate CVs fail to encourage them to

contact the graduate, the CVs they receive are simply not giving the employer the type of

information they need to make an informed decision on whether you are worth investing

time in seeing. Employers and graduate recruiters are very busy people and if they have a

single doubt in their mind as to your ability to do the job, they won’t invite you to interview.

So what is the right way? At journeytowork we think there is more work that

graduates must do before they even start to think about writing a CV, here’s the cycle that

we believe is the right approach to successful job seeking; and everything in the outer circle

is closely related to the result in the inner circle.

4


career objective

skills analysis

mindmapping

campaign plan

cv writing

interview training

interview preparation

JOB SUCCESS

We have a continuous circle as we believe you should never stop assessing your career objective, and every time you do you will need to reassess your skills, update your career plan and so on.

5


Getting Started

Knowing where and how to start your search for a job can be difficult. You first need to

understand that there are many different types of employers, each one using different

recruitment processes. Your responsibility is to understand each type and adapt your

approach to meet the objectives of each one.

If you have already started looking for employment you will have noticed that some job ads

are traditional ads asking for a CV and a covering letter, some perhaps requesting just a CV,

plus more modern techniques where you are asked to complete an online application form

and perhaps take part in various online tests.

Understanding all the different types of recruitment processes from the beginning of your

search will enable you to develop a campaign plan and if followed, will determine your

approach and how quickly success comes your way.

When starting out on your search for employment, there are a number of things you want to

know:

Why do I need to write a CV?

What can I do to make my CV compelling and attractive?

What do I need to do to ensure I am telling employers and recruiters want they

really want to hear?

Where do I look for available positions?

What can I expect during an interview and how should I prepare?

This handbook will provide these answers and more.

6


Career Campaign Plan

If you don’t already have a copy of your career campaign plan request one here.

You will receive your Career Campaign Plan via email formatted as an Excel spread sheet.

This document provides a framework to help effectively manage your new career campaign.

To use the document to its full potential, move through the worksheets from left to right,

completing each one in turn.

For the Core Objectives and Task Identification worksheets, there is a brief set of

instructions at the top of the page. Within these sections, you are asked to consider the

over-riding objectives you want to achieve through your campaign and the associated tasks

that will help to ensure those objectives are met.

The Master Sheet worksheet is then effectively your project planner, allowing you to have

visibility of the timings relevant to the completion of your tasks, to record and track the

progress of any vacancy applications through adverts and agencies and to keep track of your

networking activities and contacts. Please see the example worksheet to show how this can

be used in practice.

The final Progress Updates sheet should be used to record any action you have taken during

any month and the outcome from that action. This provides a running commentary of your

actions and helps in keeping track of your progress.

Please take time to study this tool and work out how best it can work for you.

If you need further help or guidance, your career management coach will be happy to help.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Career%20Campaign%20Plan%20Request

7


Why you need a CV

The primary way to sell yourself on paper and getting your message across is through your

CV. There is no such thing as a ‘perfect CV’, the chances of your CV being a success or failure

depends entirely on how it meets the demanding expectations and criteria of the reader.

Your CV is your advert and its main purpose is to open doors to an interview. Your CV is

your primary marketing tool and it needs to be effective. Your CV needs to make a strong

statement that demonstrates your skills and achievements. It needs to contain information

that will provoke a reaction from the reader to pick up the telephone or send you an email

and invite you to an interview.

Try to think of your CV as the shop window and yourself as the product. What do recruiters

see when they look through that window? Are you presenting yourself in a way that will

make them ‘purchase’ your product? Does your shop window encourage the recruiter to

walk in through the doors and browse? i.e. will they want to invite you to an interview?

Your CV remains an essential part of the job search process and you need to allow yourself

time to think about who you are, what your key skills are and what achievements set you

apart from others. You then need to consider how you can ‘dress-up’ your CV and ensure

that it presents the right image with the right information to the right person.

It is your responsibility to:

Give your CV as broad an appeal as possible

Make it as user friendly as you can

Ensure the contents are appropriate and relevant to each individual reader

Ensure the contents are honest, open and friendly

Delivers the impression that the recruiter’s time spent interviewing you will be time

well spent

Now is the time to reflect on your skills, your achievements and your successes to date –

from work experience and from your time at university – and to celebrate them in your CV!

8


Planning Your Campaign

Before you can start your campaign you first need to know what your objective is and keep

this in mind throughout the execution of your plan. Your objective could be any of the

following:

You may be looking to find your first ever job after leaving university

You may be looking for your second or third career move in a similar sector

You may be looking to find a similar job in a new sector

You may be looking to explore your career sector options

You may be looking to start your own business

Whatever your campaign is you need to remember that anything and everything is possible

if you plan for it, execute your plan timely, consider any adjustments along the way, and

remain confident throughout.

Creating a Powerful CV

Most graduates create a CV that simply lists their education background and academic

achievements, and if they have any work experience they simply list details of their

responsibilities. Seldom do graduates create CVs that celebrate their skills and

achievements, usually because they think they don’t have any. You have a lot more than

you think!

To best way to begin to learn about your skills and achievements is by developing STAR

Stories. This tool encourages you to access your memory files and locate your long

forgotten achievements; stories that will help you create a compelling CV and better prepare

yourself for interview.

STAR Stories

You should have received your STAR Stories Template via email as a Word document.

Complete the table within this template and start developing your stories today. You can

get another copy of this template here.

To complete the table you need to think about Situations that have happened that are

related to certain competencies. You then need to break this down further by remembering

the specific Task, what Action was taken by you and what the final Result was.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=STAR%20Stories%20Template%20Request

9


Remember that your CV is a document that projects positive messages, so ensure you only

include happy and positive stories!

A competency is a behaviour or skill you use, such as teamwork, problem solving,

improvement or crisis management. When you read job adverts you should be able to spot

the competencies that are key to the position being advertised; when you do, ensure you

write them down or highlight them so that you can refer to them when tailoring your CV.

Situation

Think of a time and place where you have used the particular competency and write it down

in the Situation box on the template; use a trigger word to aid memory recall.

Task

What task or problem were you confronted with? Write a word or two in the Task box that

allows you to keep telling the story.

Action

What action did you as an individual take? Write a word or two in the Action box that helps

you recall the action you took.

Result

What was the result of your actions? This is the key part of the story as it highlights to

employers the type of benefits you can bring to their business. Try and consider what

commercial benefit was brought about by this story:

Increased revenue for a company, saved money, cost or time saving

Made something look better, tasks completed more quickly, cut costs

Received recognition, improved client relationship, improved teamwork

Improved brand awareness, accessed new customers/territories, improved turnover

If the story is related to a situation not in the workplace, perhaps it is based on a university

project that you were involved in, you might like to consider the following benefits:

Met deadlines, developed team performance

Introduced new processes, avoided potential problems

Saved time and delivered ahead of schedule

Lead an effective team, delegated and diversified tasks

10


Your STAR Stories will form the basis of your CV and will also be useful in promoting your

skills and achievements in interviews. Your STAR Stories will be most useful if you attend a

competency based interview; more on that later in the handbook.

Back to your CV

Your CV should start with either a Profile or Career Objective; or perhaps a combination the

two.

Recruiters usually decide whether to continue reading your CV or whether to reject it within

just a few seconds. The information given in your profile & career objective statement will

hopefully encourage them to continue reading. To further capture the reader’s attention

you also need to think about listing your key achievements and behaviours.

Profile & Career Objective

It can be tricky to get the right balance between being too vague with information and giving

so much information that you put the reader off. This section requires a lot of thought and

deserves at least a couple of hours of your time. You can call it ‘Personal Profile’, or

‘Personal Skills’, or even ‘Skills & Attributes’. Whatever you decide to call it remember this,

this section is NOT about your experience or training, but is about focusing on your personal

abilities and aptitudes – things you are naturally good at; plus some details on your career

plans and focus.

This section of your CV can be tailored to suit the role you are applying for, so long as it still

remains truthful and accurate. The rest of your CV can be based on unchanging facts such as

education, past work experiences, qualifications etc.

After the normal name and contact details we suggest you start your profile with a headline,

a clear and positive sentence that will get the reader’s attention and acknowledges your

career objective.

Examples include:

An Accounting & Finance Postgraduate now looking to apply my knowledge and

skills within the Financial Services sector

An experienced Technical Analyst now looking for a new challenge to continue my

career in the IT industry

A recent Marketing Graduate with practical work experience in the Fashion

industry, now looking to further develop my skills in a new sector

11


You then need to include a bullet list of key behaviours; your competencies, skills and selling

points that are relevant to the role:

Results driven, logical and methodical approach to achieving tasks and objectives

Strives for quality and applies discipline towards optimising performance

Understands the importance of customers and delivering excellent customer service

Happy to take on any task to meet the needs of the business

Articulate and comfortable in a variety of different situations

Sees tasks through to a result

Always worked and played in teams

Can work on own initiative and take responsibility

Keen to learn new tasks

Can be relied upon to do a good job

Identifies and develops ideas and opportunities

Lots of energy, drive and enthusiasm

Excellent attendance record

Act responsibly in the workplace

Can take instruction and follow procedures

A bullet list of key behaviours allows the reader to create a mental picture of who you are

and how you might fit within the existing teams. It is also good practise to include some

STAR Stories, especially those that highlight commercial benefits:

Won award for developing an innovative idea

Number 1 revenue generator during my internship at XYZ Ltd

Sat on the Campus Recruitment think tank panel

Streamlined administration that saved 35% man hours

You should aim to have between 4 – 7 bullet points as long as they are all relevant and

where possible they should provide some idea of a result you delivered as a consequence of

using that skill or behaviour.

The information you present will generally be unchanged as it will usually be based around

your past experiences. If you are lucky enough to have a large number of achievements,

then you will need to tailor the ones you list to the type of role you’re applying for.

When listing an achievement ensure you include any facts and figures to justify why it was

an achievement. For example, a candidate has listed that whilst working for Pro Capital she

‘Achieved regional investment balance growth of over £20million per annum.’ If she’d

12


simply written, ‘Achieved a large regional investment balance growth target’ - the statement

loses its appeal as the achievement hasn’t been measured.

Education

If you are new to work or have very little practical experience to mention in your CV, your

education and academic achievements become more important. The subjects you took and

the grades you received from your time at university are more important than what you did

at high school.

As a recent graduate it is worth including the core modules from your final year as this could

highlight any areas where you might have exceptional knowledge; you might also want to

consider adding details on your dissertation, especially if it is related to the

role/company/sector to which you are applying.

Professional/Vocational Qualifications

If you have any professional and/or vocational qualifications that are relevant to the role you

are applying for, then include them here. The qualification is more important than the

institution where it was obtained, so state the qualification and date obtained working

backwards. For example:

Certificate in Mortgage Advice & Protection Obtained 2008

Employment History

It is customary to start with the most recent role and work backwards. Start with the job

title, dates and employer’s name, and then add some detail about the role and any

achievements/successes from your STAR Stories. It is difficult to know how much or how

little to write, you will need to judge this carefully.

Your CV should not be any longer than 2-pages; if you have had many jobs you only need to

include STAR Stories from the most recent two or three. As you go further back in time the

jobs become less relevant to the reader, so reduce them to a one-line statement. If you

have a great STAR Story from an old position, include this within your profile.

Training & Development

If you have little work experience to highlight and your CV is looking a little empty, consider

adding details of any training and/or professional development that you have been involved

in. Include any training courses, seminars and conferences attended whether you gained an

13


accredited certificate or not. Employers and recruiters are interested and it all adds further

evidence of the standards you operate at.

Interests & Hobbies

How important this section is depends on how much information the reader wants on the

person who owns the CV, in order to generate the mental image we mentioned earlier.

Some readers like to know how you fill your time away from work and study; others will be

too busy to read it.

Usually people tend to either write a few single words to describe their interests; e.g.

Reading, Cinema, Travel; while others will use bullet lists, e.g.

My passion for reading is demonstrated through the book club that I founded at

university

I am a long distance runner and belong to a local running club and compete in team

and individual races

Highlighting that you can balance your time between work, study and social life is a positive

thing as it keeps you fit and productive – things an employer wants its employees to be.

Turn over to see the example graduate CV we have put together for your reference.

14


Miles Bagshaw 145 Acacia Avenue

London

00766 007007 N6 4PA

[email protected]

Profile & Career Objective

A 1st Class Accounting & Financial Management Postgraduate with practical experience,

now looking to apply his subject knowledge in a career within the financial services sector.

A confident communicator as evidenced when I presented at the prestigious

Institute of Chartered Accountants’ annual conference

Exceptional mathematician and results driven analyst

Very articulate and comfortable in different situations

Can work on own initiative and happy to take responsibility

Understands the importance of delivering excellent customer service

Excellent attendance record, ambitious and motivated

Determined and decisive; uses initiative to develop effective solutions to problems

Education

Hertfordshire University 2011 – 2012

MSc. Accounting & Financial Management 1st Class

Core Modules included:

Advanced Corporate Finance Investment Management Asset Pricing Derivatives Pricing Corporate Governance Fixed Income Markets Advanced Management Accounting Essay entitled “Financing SMEs during the Economic Downturn” was published in the

Project Finance magazine

University of Leicester 2009 – 2011

BA Accounting & Finance 1st Class

Core Modules included:

Financial Accounting Management Accounting Decision Modelling Taxation Harry Wilson Grammar School 2003 – 2009

A Levels

Economics (A); Business Studies (B); French (B)

mailto:[email protected]

15


Employment History

Investment Consultant Assistant Summer 2012

Inscape Securities

Summer internship placement, responsible for supporting Senior Consultants, delivering financial planning and analysis solutions.

Successfully introduced appropriate investment strategies to corporate investors under the supervision of the Senior Investment Consultant; which resulted in investment revenues of over RMB10million

Took ownership of summarising weekly reports and information in relation to macro-economic levels, banking and real estate industry and two specific companies, which helped improve my communication skills as had to report this information to senior managers

Developed brand loyalty by taking the time to explain complex technicalities of stock market, such as terminologies and how to understand candle lines and moving averages, to customers who struggled to understand

Assistant Financial Planner Summer 2011

Provincial Bank plc.

Summer internship placement, responsible for providing appropriate financial product information to customers whilst delivering excellent customer service.

Responsible for introducing and selling a range of financial products to customers; won employee of the month during my term

Generated 100% customer satisfaction through assisting customers with their understanding of calculating NPV and IRR of their investments

Analysed the various investment environments that the business was exposed to and supported Senior Financial Planners by summarising this information to customers

Accredited as a representative of Provincial Bank at a major industry conference; gave a successful presentation highlighting some security problems that were being experienced

Training and Development

Attended a seminar on Derivatives Pricing to gain a deeper understanding of the

methods used for valuing derivative securities

CFA Level 1 obtained 2011

Interests

Cycling: Part of a touring club that rides up to 80 miles during a weekend

Reading: Keen student of financial management and business as well as enjoying a

good autobiography to relax

Travel: Enjoy visiting remote destinations and engaging with indigenous population

16


CV Tips & Checklist

Below you’ll find an outline of all the things you need to consider in order to create a

powerful and successful CV, together with a checklist that we encourage you to run through

every time you are about to send it out.

Tips

• Start by drawing up a list of skills that describe relevant strengths and abilities

• Present these strengths and abilities as bullet points, and quantify them with

positive statements

• Ensure bullet points include the outcome of what you achieved

• Give an indication of how you did something by starting with an action verb e.g.

“Speedily resolved a conflict situation….”

• Do not use pronouns such as “I”, “my”, or “our”; write in the third person

• Avoid jargon, or if you use jargon provide an explanation if you feel you need to

• Six or seven bullet points is enough; omit irrelevant information

• Try to use the profile section to create a mental picture of who you are

• Use examples from work, studies and hobbies

• Try to keep your CV to two pages, unless the employer has specifically asked for a

one page CV

• The most recent data needs to be read first, so work back from your current position

• Keep the presentation simple, don’t be tempted to show style and flair at this stage

• You only have two pages so ensure you don’t write endless sentences that include

unimportant information

• Always spell check your document!

• Remember to always only include positive statements in your CV

17


Checklist

Now that you’ve written your CV we advise you to think about the following and if possible,

to ask a friend to read your CV and also give their feedback.

1. Have you put your name at the top and NOT Curriculum Vitae?

2. What impression does your CV create?

3. Is your CV appealing? Is there enough ‘white space’ or too much writing?

4. Do you as a person sound interesting? Would you want to know more about the

person in this CV?

5. Have you used any jargon or sector specific acronyms in your CV?

6. If you have many technical IT based skills that use acronyms, should you include

an appendix explaining what the acronyms mean?

7. Don’t forget your degree is a big selling point, make it more prominent by

including modules or projects

8. Do you have a wide range of interests listed? Are they a mixture of team work

and lone working, social and professional, active and creative?

9. Check grammar and ensure there’s consistency in the text (tenses and

pronouns)

10. Are the margins the right size? Is text correctly aligned?

11. Ideally font size should be 11 and in the same style

12. Have you used Bold, Italics or Underlining consistently?

13. Save a template copy to your hard drive and also to a memory stick.

14. Email a copy to yourself if using internet based email (Yahoo, Google etc.), as

you’ll then always have access to it wherever you are

15. Keep a separate list of your skills and achievements (why not create a career

portfolio?), and edit your CV to tailor to the role you’ve applied for

16. Keep your CV up to date by checking it regularly

17. Make sure you account for any gaps in your timeline as these will raise suspicion

and look sloppy

18. Don’t be tempted to go in for fancy borders or jazzy fonts – keep it sober and

professional

19. Don’t include reasons for leaving previous jobs – remember to focus only on the

positive

20. Make sure you spell check and proofread your CV – spelling and grammatical

errors are an instant fail

21. And finally? Do another spellcheck!

18


Cover Letters

Whether or not to send a covering letter is usually determined by the company doing the

recruiting. Covering letters used to be very important, but with the current employment

market conditions, the UK sees approximately 87 applications per graduate jobs, recruiters

seldom have time to read them.

If the job advertisement requests a covering letter follows these tips.

A covering letter needs to demonstrate your motivation for applying for the role,

commitment to the sector and/or company, and any relevant skills that make you suitable

for the role.

Never use a standard template, instead always tailor your covering letter to the specific role.

Show you have researched the role, the organisation and the industry and outline why you

are attracted to the specific opportunity and highlight your unique selling points.

Your covering letter should be no more than one page of A4 paper and include around three

or four paragraphs. Here is an example of what each paragraph might include:

Paragraph 1: A formal introduction outlining how you heard about the opportunity

Paragraph 2: Highlight why you are interested in the role and/or company and how this

fits with your career objective

Paragraph 3: Demonstrate your suitability for the role by outlining your key skills and

experiences

Paragraph 4: A positive and assertive ending stating that you welcome the opportunity of

discussing how you meet their requirements in more detail and outlining

when you will be available for interview

Recruiters want to know what YOU have done and how YOU have helped a team, school,

company achieve its objectives. They want to read active and not passive phrases; some

examples include:

Active Phrases Passive Phrases

“I managed a small project…” “My role allowed me to do…”

“I organised and developed a…” “I was responsible for…”

“I completed the task…” “This allowed me to…”

“I implemented…” “I was able to…”

“I delivered…” “This resulted in…”

19


The Essential Ingredients

Writing a cover letter for a job is a bit like baking a cake. In most instances the ingredients

are essentially the same – what determines the flavour is the quantity of each ingredient,

and how and in what order they are blended and ultimately presented for consumption.

There are certain ingredients that go into almost every letter, whether it is a cover,

broadcast, networking, follow- up, acceptance, rejection or resignation letter. There are

others that rarely or never go in, and there are those special touches (a pinch of that, a

smidgen of this) that may be included, depending on your unique situation and the need

your letter will satisfy.

Brief is Beautiful

Adverts and job search letters have a great deal in common. The vast majority of ads in any

media can be heard, watched or read in less than 30 seconds – the upper limit of the

average consumer’s initial attention span.

It is no coincidence that both job search letters and CVs adhere to the same rules, as they

compete for attention from distracted consumers, and their initial purpose is simply to grab

the reader’s attention so that your CV will get read with serious attention – a seemingly easy

goal that isn’t necessarily so easy in its execution.

Before getting started on an advert, good copywriters imagine themselves in the position of

their target audience. They understand their objective is to package and sell the product, so

they consider what features their product possesses and what benefits it holds for the

purchaser.

This is an approach you might find useful in creating an effective cover letter. Imagine

yourself in one of your target companies, or in the personnel department screening

applications. Fortunately, it is a slow morning and there are only 30 CVs and job search

letters that need to be read. If you were to read all 30 applications without a break, you

would probably feel disoriented, as if your brain has turned to mush. If nothing else, you

would learn a very valuable lesson: brevity is beautiful.

20


Contact Information

Once you have determined a primary contact number you must ensure that it will be

answered at all times. There is no point in mounting a job-hunting campaign if prospective

employers can never reach you. Invest in an answering machine or voicemail system. Keep

the message business-like and, once recorded, replay it and listen carefully to the message

for clarity, tone of voice and recording quality.

Does it present you as a clearly-spoken, confident professional?

In your letter, you should always list your email address immediately beneath your

telephone number, as initial contact is often by email. Under no circumstances should you

ever use your company telephone or email for any job search, as that can only lead to

heartache and regret.

Cover Letter Checklist

Most cover letters should:

• Be addressed to a person, not a title, and whenever possible a person who is in a

position to make the decision on whether to employ you

• Be tailored to the reader as far as is practical, to show that you have done your

homework

• Show concern, interest and pride for your profession

• Demonstrate energy and enthusiasm

• Clearly establish why you are writing and the outcome you hope to achieve

• Maintain a balance between professionalism and friendliness

• Include information relevant to the job you are seeking

• Ask for the next step in the process, clearly and without apology or arrogance

• Always use a professional tone – never use text language!

Consider the following when putting together your cover letter:

• Gather information

• Identify and research your target job

21


• Go through your recent work history

• Consider teamwork and your professional profile

• Add in your previous work history and compile endorsements

• Create punchy sentences and keep it simple

• Voice and tense

• Appearance: length, layout and font

Please turn the page to see an example covering letter for your reference.

22


Stanley Lee

71 Birmingham Road

Manchester

M4 7QE

26th October, 2011

Mrs M Forrester

Graduate Recruitment Manager

Bexhill Financial Accountants

39 High Street

London, EC1V 5TP

Dear Mrs Forrester,

I was very interested to read your advertisement for a Graduate Trainee on Manchester

University’s recruitment database as it precisely fits my career plans.

I am particularly interested in a career with Bexhill Financial Accountants because of the

excellent reputation of your graduate training scheme and your commitment to giving new

recruits early responsibility.

I first became interested in accounting and financial management during an insight seminar

that I attended whilst studying for my A Levels at Beijing University. Since then, discussions

with my careers adviser and my own research have confirmed my belief that this is a career

that will enable me to use not only my interest in business and finance, but also my skills

working with people, both in an advisory and a managerial capacity.

During my time as a student I have held a variety of internship positions, all of which have

required me to work as part of a team and to deal directly with the public. I found my work

at Inscape Securities particularly valuable in teaching me the importance of ascertaining

clients’ needs and providing clear and accurate information to response to those needs.

I am available for an immediate interview and look forward to the opportunity of discussing

my strengths and the benefits I could bring to your organisation.

I enclose my CV for your consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Stanley Lee

23


Starting Your Search

The traditional methods of job searching include:

Scouring through newspapers

Using the internet

Approaching recruitment agencies

Trade and professional journals

This approach is a REACTIVE approach which targets jobs that are visible and known to

everyone. Because of this it is extremely competitive and you have to have a very slick,

powerful and compelling CV in order to get shortlisted. It is not impossible to secure a job in

this way, especially in the early stages of your career. However, it is only the tip of the

iceberg.

If you use a more PROACTIVE approach, you will access the HIDDEN JOB MARKET.

If you look at the job market as a whole, only 25% of existing opportunities ever appear in

the Visible market whereas 75% of jobs exist in the Hidden market. Yet 80% of jobseekers

tend to use the Visible or reactive method and only 20% use a more proactive approach.

In other words:

20% of Proactive job seekers are chasing a huge 75% of available jobs

whereas 80% of Reactive jobseekers are chasing as little as 25% of available jobs

It’s fairly obvious which group of jobseekers will secure a job quicker!

One popular method that can be used to access the hidden job market that every jobseeker

needs to have as their major strategy is Networking, which requires energy, drive, time and

creativity.

Before we look at Networking let’s establish how those of you who are new to Networking

might still find success using the Reactive method.

24


Direct Approach

Direct approaches have never been easier as employers publish their current vacancies on

their websites. Select the companies you wish to approach and find their websites. Most

websites have a ‘contact us’ page – this gives you the ideal approach.

Alternatively do some research and contact companies direct, speaking with the HR

department and asking for their Recruitment Manager or the person in charge of

recruitment.

Sample questions to ask include:

Do you have any vacancies for (your speciality)?

Are you expecting any in the near future?

Do you use contactors or consultants for (your speciality)?

Do you know of any other companies who might need (your speciality)?

Which Recruiters do you use for (your speciality)?

Never randomly mailshot companies without first doing some research and targeting, if you

send out random and untailored letters it will just end up in disappointment.

The Internet

There are many different types of job sites to choose from; general vacancies, specialist

industry sectors, local geographical sites etc. You will also find job sites that are specifically

for graduates and provide many opportunities for internships, work placements and

permanent positions.

The variety and choice is amazing so we suggest you first concentrate on the job sites

designed for graduates. If you want to see what the other non-graduates sites have to offer

you could be overwhelmed by the task of sorting out which ones are right for you. Try

www.alljobsuk.com as they have done the hard work of grouping together all the job sites

into categories.

In addition to the individual job sites you will also find web crawlers that have been designed

to narrow the internet job search for you. Web crawlers are sites where you put in your

search criteria and the site goes out to many other job sites on your behalf. At

www.alljobsuk.com you will see on the left-hand side ‘search for jobs now’ – this is powered

by ‘1job’ and is a good place to start your search. You could also try www.ukjobsnet.co.uk

http://www.alljobsuk.com/

http://www.alljobsuk.com/

http://www.ukjobsnet.co.uk/

25


Recruiters

You find recruiters or recruitment agencies on the high street and also online. Creating and

developing a good relationship with a recruiter can pay dividends and could be worth the

time it takes to develop this type of relationship. However, for graduate positions this can

be difficult.

Recruiters make money when they place a candidate into a new role, unless you can make

the recruiter believe that you are a valuable commodity, and you keep chasing them to

recommend you and introduce you to employers, it could prove a worthless task.

If you do want to try this method you should first visit the Recruitment and Employment

Confederation membership database at www.rec.uk.com and look for recruiters that

specialise in your target sector. Recruiters who specialise in graduates positions include:

Graduate Recruitment Bureau www.grb.uk.com

The Graduate Recruitment Company www.graduate-recruitment.co.uk

Milkround www.milkround.com

GradJobs www.gradjobs.co.uk

Effective Networking

Networking can be done in many ways, some of the more popular ways for graduates to

network are explained below.

Employer Presentations

Quite often graduate recruiters visit universities to promote their brand and highlight the

type of employment opportunities that exist for graduates. You should always check with

your careers department on campus which companies have presentations in the dairy and

ensure you reserve yourself a place.

If the presentation is being given by one of your target companies, ensure you listen to the

presentation while making notes for future reference. If there is a question and answer

session (there often is), this gives you a change to make yourself known to the company

representatives. Given that this is a target company you will probably have a question or

two so ensure you stand up, introduce yourself and clearly and confidently ask your

question.

If the company representatives invite the audience to an interactive session after the event,

or you see the representatives milling around while the audience is leaving, think about

http://www.rec.uk.com/

http://www.grb.uk.com/

http://www.graduate-recruitment.co.uk/

http://www.milkround.com/

http://www.gradjobs.co.uk/

26


introducing yourself again in a more personal environment. You never know what impact

this small gesture could have; it will certainly help them to remember you.

Insight Days

Many graduate recruiters organise insight days which are group events held on the

company’s premises. Your careers service will have details of any relevant insight days so

check early on during your final year and ensure you get your place reserved.

If you attend an Insight Day ensure you engage wholeheartedly; ask questions, provide

answers, introduce yourself personally to any company personnel you get to meet, and

make the most of this wonderful opportunity.

Stand out even further by writing to the facilitator after the event and thanking them for a

wonderful experience.

Volunteering

Try and find some time in your weekly schedule to get yourself involved in volunteering. Not

only does volunteering present opportunities for expanding your skills sets, it gives you an

opportunity to network with a wide scope of people.

Many companies nowadays have corporate and social responsibility budgets and to promote

their brand as a caring and community based organisation they may use this budget by

sending employees, often senior management, to volunteer on community based projects.

Imagine how comfortable and easy it would be to get to know the Finance Director of a

major blue chip organisation while painting the garden fence at a local school, or digging the

garden at your local nursing home.

Most large organisations promote the charities and other good causes that they support on

their website. If you have a target company ensure you search their website and get

yourself involved by volunteering in the same activities. You never know where this could

lead.

Work Shadowing

Spending a day or two shadowing someone doing the job you hope to eventually secure can

be an excellent way to network. Not only do you get to know someone who perhaps works

for your target company, this person might also be able to introduce you to other

connections they have elsewhere in the industry.

27


Work shadowing is a relatively new concept and you seldom see these opportunities being

advertised. The responsibility lies with you; you need to do some research and target those

companies at which you’d like to work shadow. You then need to pick up the telephone,

introduce yourself and state your request.

You might be thinking, what’s in it for the company? Well consider this. Recruiting a new

team member is expensive and can be a hugely time sapping and distracting task for a

company. By inviting graduates into their business to take part in a work shadow experience

gives the company the opportunity to develop a talent pool that they can turn to when they

need to recruit.

If you impress them during the work shadow, the chances are they will contact you before

engaging with expensive recruitment agencies or spending budgets advertising available

positions.

This is the hidden market at work right there!

Information Interviews

Information interviews are another new weapon in the job seekers artillery and they

put you in the driving seat. You ask the questions, the reverse of a job interview and they

are useful if you:

Need information to help you decide about a particular career direction

Have found a job to apply for, but need some insight into the work and employer

before you can make a convincing application

Have an interview coming up and need to know more about the employer

Identifying Suitable Contacts

Look at your networks - direct personal contacts within organisations are always

best. Is there someone who could help you access the information you want?

University careers services or alumni offices sometimes keep lists of contacts willing

to talk about their jobs

Professional bodies may help find a contact, or may hold local social events where

you could meet potential leads to the information you seek.

Setting up a Meeting/Telephone Appointment

Do this informally via email or telephone if you already know the person and use a formal

letter if you have been given the name by a third party.

28


Introduce yourself and either enclose a CV or describe your background briefly in your letter.

Explain the purpose of the information interview; for example, say that you would be

grateful if they could spare a little time to talk to you about their occupation and/or

employer to help you decide on your next career move. Ask if they can refer you to

someone else who may be more appropriate if they are unable to help.

Preparing for the Meeting

It is essential that you do not waste the contact's time - so be fully prepared with the

questions that are most important to you. Don't ask questions that you could answer from

other sources such as the company’s website. Research the occupation or employer by

looking at websites, annual reports and other published material.

Prioritise your questions so you cover the most important before time runs out.

Getting the most from an Information Interview

Prepare a script (look at the questions below for ideas) but be flexible and react to

your interviewee's answers

If a career obstacle is mentioned, ask how it can be overcome

Ask for elaboration if something isn't clear to you

Listen to the advice given and act on it

Ask for more referrals to continue your research. Get specific names and titles and

ask if you can use your contact's name when setting up the meeting

Thank your contact during and after the meeting (in writing or by email) for their

valuable time and keep them up to date with your progress. You never know when

they may hear of an opening

Be willing to return the favour in the future. The key to successful networking is

helping others in return

Questions you Might Ask

Only you know what information you need to fill the gaps in your knowledge, but here are a

few ideas.

Finding out about the organisational culture and the role:

Describe a typical day. Do the days vary?

What attracted you to the job/career?

Describe the most rewarding aspects of the job?

What do you like most/least?

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/1385/Networking.html

29


Do you feel that your work is recognised individually or as part of a team effort?

How would you describe the working environment, e.g. culture/resources/hours?

Is there anything you would change about the job/employer?

What was the recruitment process for your job?

Has the job changed since you started?

What are the challenges of the job?

How much control do you have over the direction of your work? Short term/long

term?

What are the possibilities for further training/development?

What skills do you have that make you good at this job/do you use a lot in this job?

What facilities are available to help people with work/life balance? (e.g. childcare,

flexible hours)

What rewards can I expect? (e.g. salary/personal recognition/fulfilment). Are

salaries comparable with other similar organisations?

Finding out about getting into this particular field:

These questions are more general and the answers potentially more beneficial to you. They

could take you to areas you hadn't considered or known about previously.

How does my background fit with opportunities in this area? Which skills or

experiences should I emphasise?

What advice would you give me for an effective job search? What techniques

worked for you?

Where are vacancies advertised? Are there particular agencies I could sign up with?

What fields are going to develop in the future? Are there areas that are going to

lead to fewer opportunities?

Would you be willing to give feedback on my CV?

Could you suggest who might have positions I could apply for?

Do you know of anyone else who might have advice for me?

LinkedIn

If you have been an active member of our LinkedIn group, Graduate Careers Advice & Jobs

UK, you will already have a good idea of the power of LinkedIn.

An excellent place to commence your networking is on LinkedIn, the world’s largest online

platform for professional networking. LinkedIn is used by 175-million executives around the

world and it’s quickly becoming the first place a recruiter looks when searching for potential

candidates. Anyone can create a personal profile and the basic package is free.

30


LinkedIn can be an incredibly useful and effective tool to finding your dream job, but the site

operates within defined rules and protocols and users must know what these are and ensure

they adhere to them. Failure to comply could result in your profile being removed, which

could be a catastrophic blow to your job seeking strategy.

When we tour universities to deliver speeches on careers advice we’re amazed by the

number of graduates who have heard about LinkedIn through their career service, but

haven’t been given any tutorial in how best to use this amazing platform. This led to the

creation of our highly popular LinkedIn e-Course, a series of remotely delivered lessons that

illustrate how to create a 100% completed profile (important if you want to be found be

recruiters), and how best to work within the protocols to network effectively.

This then lead to the launch of our highly successful LinkedIn Masterclass Workshop, a half-

day workshop that guides you through suggested strategies to ensure you and your online

profile stand out, enabling you to be found by recruiters and employers more quickly.

31


Different Interview Processes

Let us introduce you to the variety of interview processes and practices that you could find

yourself involved in when you are invited to take part in a company’s selection process. As

we’ve mentioned before employers use many recruitment practices and to excel you need

to know what they are, how to approach them and how to succeed, regardless of the

process your chosen employer decides to use.

Interviews

Informal and/or Information Interviews

Dropping in for a chat is an increasingly popular and preferred style of many employers.

Hopefully an informal interview can help put you at ease as you will naturally feel less

stressed, and this is the objective of the employer who uses this approach. However, just

because the environment may be relaxed, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to try as equally

hard as you would during a more formal interview.

An interviewer will take notes and try to remember what was said in the interview, and

when delivering their verdict other factors will come into play:

Did they like you?

Had you made an effort?

Had you showed desire for the role?

Were you open and honest?

Our advice to approaching an informal interview is as follows:

Dress appropriately and ensure the interviewer can see you’ve made an effort

Take a copy of your CV

Ensure you have prepared your Pride and STAR Stories

Always have positive stories and statements to engage the interviewer

Be open and honest, and that includes telling them if you’re struggling to answer a

question

Telephone Interviews

Many graduates like the idea of a telephone interview as they feel they are more likely to

succeed as they’ll be more relaxed given that they will usually be at home and that the

interviewer can’t see them.

32


However, don’t be fooled! In our experience telephone interviews, despite being shorter

and simpler in terms of the direction of questioning, can create an incredibly difficult

environment in which you the candidate is able to influence the interviewer.

Many recruiters report that they usually end up employing the candidate that not only was

better prepared and met their minimum criteria, but was also someone they liked and felt

comfortable with. The feeling that they liked you comes from the first impressions you

offered when you first met; your eye contact, your body language, and how these helped

the interviewer get a feeling of how open, honest and friendly you are.

During a telephone interview the interviewer can’t see your eyes or your body language and

so you have to work much harder at portraying the right image, and you can only do this

through your voice.

Nevertheless many graduate recruiters use telephone interviews at stage 1 and they are

designed to dilute the numbers of candidates going through to the next stage. Our tips for

telephone interviewing are as follows:

Have a copy of your CV in front of you for reference

Have your STAR and Pride Stories in front of you for reference and categorised by

competence (teamwork, leadership, communication etc.)

Have a pen and paper to hand and make notes of what your interviewer is telling

you

Take your time to think carefully before you give your answer

If you didn’t catch the question remember its ok to ask the interviewer to clarify

Ensure you stand up throughout the interview and if possible where what you’d

normally where to the interview

The last tip above is really important as doing this enables you to project your voice and

ensures you are using the correct tone. This, together with the air of formality you wearing

your interview attire brings, will ensure you can positively impact the first impressions you

are giving even though the interview can’t see you.

Panel Interviews

Some companies like to use panel interviews, especially if the role being interview for has an

impact on numerous departments within the business.

Many graduates worry about being interviewed by more than one or two people, but panel

interviews are a chance for you to impress a number of people at one time. Also, the

33


decision whether to recruit you or not is made by more than one person, so you could have

a better chance of securing a job through this route.

The same tips and advice as you’ve seen above are applicable to panel interviews and in

addition:

Ensure you address your answers to the whole panel and not just the person who

asked the question

Think very carefully about your answer and try and think about how what you’re

about to say could impact each department being represented by the panel. Your

aim is to develop synergy and not to alienate.

Competency Based Interviews

Throughout the process many organisations may use criteria or competency-based

interviews, these are structured interviews and selection processes matched against key

criteria such as communication/problem solving etc. Popular ‘competencies’ explored

include planning and organising, creativity, communication skills and resilience.

They want to know what YOU did. You might have worked in a team – but what was your

contribution? If you remember:

• Situation – describe the project/ background

• Task – what specific task did you have to perform?

• Action – what actions did you take to achieve the task/ project?

• Result – what was the result?

• Improve – what did you learn – what would you do differently next time

Many candidates tend to use STAR and miss out the Actions – you should mention briefly

the Situation and Tasks and concentrate on the Actions that YOU did and mention the

Results achieved. Also what did you learn from that situation? What would you do

differently next time? Remember that although you worked as a team, you must use the

I/My words – “I did this”, “my role in the group was ….”

It is essential to prepare your STAR Stories in advance because it is unlikely that the right

story “pops into your head” in the interview. List your achievements and activities (such as

work for university societies, interests, hobbies, internships or placements, voluntary or

casual work), make notes on the skills you used and ones you learnt, and what contribution

YOU made to different situations.

34


Try to find at least two examples for each competency and find multiple projects / situations

– very often when we’ve have been interviewing graduates they rely purely on one project

for most of their examples – this gets very boring and does not sell the graduate very well.

Many of the questions start off with “Tell me about a situation when…”; “Give me an

example when…”

If they ask “What would you do if ….”, try to think of an example where you have

demonstrated what they are looking for.

Interviewers, like most other people, like interesting situations to listen to that are easy to

remember. So find relevant, concise and specific examples – try to quantify things to make

them more real.

These days it is generally more than a matter of a simple interview. Interviews themselves

have become much more structured than they were a generation ago and are likely to be

‘competency based’, which is to say focused on your strengths in relation to the job rather

than where you went to school or your hobbies and interests. It is of course fairer and more

valid, but do come armed with some examples you can discuss of how you have

demonstrated those very strengths.

There are literally hundreds of competency based questions and sub questions that

employers can choose from, so preparing your STAR Stories can sometimes be difficult. To

help you we have included some of the more popular questions on the next page.

35


Example Competency Based Questions

1. Describe a time you led a team or group project?

2. Describe time when you inspired others to meet a common goal?

3. Describe a time when you’ve been given the task of improving a service, product or

project

4. Describe a time when you’ve provided excellent customer service?

5. Describe a time you’ve solved a problem using initiative?

6. Provide an example of working outside your comfort zone?

7. Provide an example when you decided not to sell to a customer?

8. Describe a challenging situation at work or university?

9. Describe a situation where you showed persuasiveness?

10. Describe a situation when you’ve had to work on several tasks at one time? What

challenges were faced? How did you prioritise?

11. Describe when you’ve worked with someone with a different style, how did you get

on, and what was the outcome?

12. Explain when you’ve given a presentation, how did you prepare, who the audience

was, what was the outcome?

13. Describe a time you’ve developed yourself?

14. Give an example of when you’ve taken ownership of a problem or showed initiative

when something wasn’t going to plan?

15. Provide an example of when you’ve been decisive?

16. Describe a situation when you’ve delayed a decision to give yourself more time?

17. Describe when you’ve ensured your level of service consistently exceeded

customers’ expectations?

18. Describe when you’ve reviewed the service that you provide?

19. Describe a situation where you have dealt with a difficult customer?

20. Give an example of when you’ve had to respond to a customer’s or colleague’s

objections?

36


Psychometric Tests

Psychometrics is a useful tool to get an understanding of people, especially from people who

struggle to say positive things about themselves. Tests vary in format but have a common

type of output. Typically they will show a general profile based around your type of

character, style of communication, style of working, preferred environments etc.

Follow the instructions, be completely honest in your answers, take your time and use the

time allowed, and look forward to the results – they are often complimentary.

Finally, remember there are no wrong answers!

Literacy and Numeracy Tests

These are not as hard as you might first think; they are designed to check your basic level.

Take your time and follow the instructions carefully, and concentrate on getting each

question in turn, right – don’t be tempted to leave a blank answer and move forwards, with

the plan of returning to it – you might run out of time!

If you get the chance to do some practise tests beforehand then ensure that you do. You

will feel more comfortable and confident with the real test.

In-tray Exercises

In-tray exercises are hypothetical work situations that give you the chance to show how you

understand the role. These are very popular with graduate employers as they test many

things at the same time:

To understand the exercise you will need a good level of literacy

To complete the exercise you will need to work to a deadline

To deliver the exercise you will need presentation skills

To answer questions on the exercise you will need a depth of knowledge and

understanding of the role

Increasingly popular are E-tray exercises which can be completed online.

Presentations

Similar to In-tray exercises, presentations assess a candidate at multiple levels. Planning,

organising, communication, depth of understanding, even IT skills if you’ve to deliver a

PowerPoint presentation.

37


Our advice:

If you are asked to deliver a presentation in PowerPoint do so

Keep the slides brief and clear – no more than 4 or 5 bullet points per slide

Practise your presentation in advance if you are able to

Plan your presentation to include:

o an ‘introduction’ – tell them what you are going to tell them

o main body – tell them the reasoning

o conclusion – tell them what you told them with conclusions

Keep it simple and avoid overrunning

Group Discussions and Activities

This is your opportunity to show employers how you can interact with your peers. Usually

you will be asked to participate in a problem solving exercise or group discussion, and

sometimes you might find yourself involved in a role-play situation.

Make sure you participate and give the assessor something to assess

Don’t dominate in the hope of getting noticed, this could count against you

Be inclusive in your approach and think teamwork

Approach the task with a smile and enjoy it

The way you have participated in the task is often more important than the result

Assessment Centres

Some organisations prefer ‘assessment centres’, collections of assessments including group

exercises, where you frequently work in a team with other applicants to solve problems and

make recommendations. Other popular components of assessment centres are written

exercises (mock letters of complaint, press releases etc.) and presentations.

Sometimes the content of your presentation matters to the assessors while on other

occasions they are simply looking at how you present and what you talk about is less

important. On such occasions you are often given considerable freedom on the subject of

your presentation. On others you may have to analyse some information and base your

presentation on that.

All this may seem like a lot to go through, but employers are keen to take on the very best

candidates they can and current market conditions with its increased number of applications

allows them to be choosy.

(why not practice your assessment centre skills at one of our mock assessment centre events?)

http://www.journeytowork.net/assessment-centre-events/

38


Most employers are very fair in letting you know how you will be assessed and how you can

prepare. Many will give you example questions of the sort that appear in their tests and

there are many more available online – try doing them under timed conditions somewhere

quiet for the best effect. For most of the other assessments, it is simply a question of being

yourself, being honest and taking some time to think about what you have done and what

you have learned from it for the interview.

In the end, employers who assess thoroughly do so because they care: they want to get

candidates who are best suited to do the jobs available and to be comfortable and happy in

a job is to everyone’s advantage.

Role play is often used as part of an assessment centre’s selection process and is usually the

most feared task. Many believe that acting or improvisation skills are essential in order to

past the test. Here are some tips on what to expect and how to do well at role play

exercises.

Why have role play exercises?

Employers will design a role play exercise based on a specific aspect of the role so they can

see the prospective candidate demonstrate their skill in handling the situation. For the

candidates it will give a clear indication of what the job will be like and how comfortable

they will be in it.

What to expect

The best way to prepare is to know what competencies or skills the exercise will be

measuring. The company should give these to you. Typical competencies might be:

Communication and influencing

Decision making

Problem solving

Time management

You will be given a brief and you should read it carefully. Make notes to ensure you fully

understand what is required of you. It is likely that a manager or a trained assessor will play

the other role. There will be an observer with you taking notes – but not taking part in the

discussion.

Typical scenarios

Roles that are most likely to involve role play are those that have direct interaction with

people. Here are some typical scenarios you might expect:

39


Performing a sale: The first step to making a sale is to establish the relationship through

introductions. Then move on to data gathering to identify and understand the customer’s

needs. The next step will be to sell the benefits of your product based on identified needs.

There is likely to be a strong objection from the customer. Your aim would therefore be to

handle the objection, seek commitment from the customer and confirm the order.

Dealing with a customer complaint: Establish the nature of the complaint through open

questions, using skills to calm the customer down and build rapport. It is essential to

maintain credibility at all times and engage the customer for future business.

You don’t have to be an actor – but you do have to meet the needs of the brief

How to do well

Make sure you read the brief properly. Make notes and try to establish the objective of the

exercise. Plan on how you intend to manage the role but don’t write a script. You will have

time to write a plan, but writing a script is time intensive especially as the other role player

may have a different agenda from your own.

Listen well, make notes and concentrate on what is being said. Remember to use your body

language to build rapport –smiling, nodding and giving direct eye contact to show that you

are fully engaged in the discussion. It is important to finish the exercise on time. Keep to

your plan and move on if you feel that you are getting bogged down in a particular aspect. It

is better to finish the exercise and then ask all your questions. The aim at the end of the

exercise would be that you have a satisfactory outcome for both parties.

Be prepared to discuss your plan with the assessor after the exercise. Be concise in your

answers and clear about why you took the decisions that you did. It is also important to be

prepared to reflect back on what you could do differently next time.

40


Interview Preparation

Well done! If you have an invitation to interview it means that the employer likes what they

have seen so far and they want to know more – either by telephone or face to face. You

could be one of many candidates called for interview or the only one – it does not matter,

you just have to perform to the best of your ability.

As previously highlighted graduate employers use different kinds of interviews or

assessments at different stages of the recruitment process. So before you begin the

interview process – study any literature available as well as the web site. Better still ring up

the organisation to see what type of interview will be used, approximately how long will it

take, who will be interviewing you and what competencies will be assessed. This also gives

you an initial opportunity to create a first impression as a person – rather than relying upon

a CV or application form.

Step 1

Research the Company

• Read the ‘About Us’ page on the company website

• Find out where they are located

• Think about who their target market is

• Know their products and understand their services

• Google the company and check for recent news articles, recent developments

• Understand what their future plans are

When you have some of the information mentioned above, think about the role they’re

recruiting and how it fits into the organisation, what can you bring to the role, and how can

you support their future plans.

A company will be very impressed if you have taken the time and made the effort to think

about how you can fit within their organisation. It shows that you are not only interested in

getting a job, but that you want a job with their company.

41


Step 2

Research Yourself

• Prepare a short paragraph that tells them in about 2 or 3 minutes, who you are,

what your character is like and why they should want to recruit you and not

somebody else. You could elaborate on the short profile or career objective

statement you might have at the top of your CV

• List your key strengths and try to think of examples of when you’ve used these

strengths to achieve something (your Pride and STAR Stories)

• Also list one or two weaknesses and think of ways in which you’ve tried to overcome

them. Give specific examples if you can

• Think of the one major achievement that you are most proud of and reasons of why

you are proud of it

• When listing your strengths, weaknesses and achievements don’t just use examples

from work. Try to include something you’ve done at university or something that’s

been part of a hobby of yours

• Think of a summary sentence that tells the recruiter why you think you’re the right

person for the job, this will give them something extra to remember you by

• Employers want to get to know the ‘real’ you so don’t be embarrassed to talk openly

and positively about yourself – they expect it of you!

Step 3

Practise

Your interview could be your one and only opportunity to directly get your message across,

to encourage and motivate the interviewer into employing you. You should view your

interview as a live performance and consider this - no live performer, whether actor or

singer, magician or conference speaker, would stand up and present themselves in front of a

live audience without first rehearsing.

Too many graduates fail at their first interview simply because they weren’t able to

coherently and confidently discuss their skills and achievements. Imagine the work you’ve

put into creating your amazing CV and this has enabled you to get an interview with your

‘dream’ company. If you fail to impress them at the first interview opportunity they give

42


you, you simply won’t be offered the job and you probably lose all hope of ever gaining

employment with your ‘dream’ company. Why risk that?

We encourage all job seekers, not just graduates, to engage with mock interview practice

sessions as they allow you to test your messages in a safe environment.

Prior to your interview you must practice your interview technique with a friend, a family

member or just record yourself answering questions – listen to your answers – don’t just

think them in your head – hear yourself. This way you may identify any annoying

mannerism you have – such as “um, err” “that’s a good question”.

If you have access to a careers service, try to book a mock interview. It’s much easier to

practice in a safe environment and it won’t matter so much if you make any obvious errors.

In an interview people tend to talk faster so slow down and speak up – if you mumble or talk

too fast you cannot be understood - it’s fine to pause before responding to questions to

gather your thoughts, if you’re unsure about a question it’s also OK to ask for clarification.

We provide excellent opportunities to practice your interview techniques, get in touch to

discuss your options.

Step 4

Plan the Day

Plan for your interview day in fine detail – buy tickets early to get any discount and avoid last

minute panic. Also plan to arrive at the area where the interview is being held 30/45

minutes before your interview and arrive at the actual premises approximately 15 minutes

before your interview time.

In case you or the public transport you’re using is running late, ensure you have contact

details for the organisation that you are visiting in hard copy and stored in your mobile

(mobile should be fully charged – and put it on silent / switch it off for the interview!!).

Make sure you know how you should dress – best advice is that if it’s a business meeting -

clean shoes & clean, neat hair – normally if you feel good about how you look it will give you

more confidence.

Take a fresh copy of your CV or make a new copy of your application form and organise any

supporting information you'll be taking with you.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Interview%20Practice

43


Step 5

Plan to make a Good Impression

When you meet your interviewer(s) – a firm handshake, eye contact and a smile will help to

create a good first impression. Add this to your interview practise.

Remember you may be watched as you approach the building where you are being

interviewed – and as you leave – so make sure that your entrance and exit is as professional

as possible. Avoid ringing friends telling them how the interview went until you are well

away from the building – and definitely not on a train – you never know who is listening!!

Finally, if the company has a receptionist always treat them very well and try and have some

meaningful engagement with them. Often senior managers will approach receptionists and

ask what they thought of you, were you well-mannered? did you engage in conversation

with the receptionist?

44


Successful Interviewing

Interviews are designed to do just one thing: identify the best possible candidate for the

advertised job. Sometimes it may feel that the questions being asked have been designed to

deliberately catch you out or make you question whether you are up to the job or not.

But that's not their intention. Some questions aim to establish how well you cope under

pressure, others will be to reveal your personality or to see what your career aspirations are.

Just remember that there is no need to draw a blank or clam up if you have done your

research and preparation beforehand.

When it comes to answering questions in the interview room, there is never a

straightforward easy method. However, these examples of potential questions will help you

along the way.

Answering Closed Questions

Interviewers should always ask you open questions that allow you to respond with full,

example-laden answers. However, interviewers aren’t always perfect.

Open questions:

“What do you like about your current job?”

“How do you get on with your colleagues?”

“What would you say are the key skills for a manager?”

Closed questions:

“Do you like your current job?”

“Do you get on with your colleagues?”

“Is leadership a key skill for a manager?”

As you can see, it’s perfectly possible to respond to closed questions with a simple “yes” or

“no” and leave it at that. However, if you do you severely limit your chances. Treat any

closed questions as if they were open ones. Say “yes” or “no” as appropriate, and then

follow up with a relevant example or anecdote. For example:

“Do you think attention to detail is important in this sort of job?”

“I would say attention to detail was very important in this type of job. If I may give an

example, in my last position (give an example of how checking details was part of the job

45


and, if possible, how your particular eye for detail saved time, inconvenience and/or money

for your previous employer).”

Note how the applicant softens the answer very slightly by saying “If I may give an

example…”

Dealing with Negative Questions

If you’re supposed to remain positive and upbeat during your interview, showing interest

and enthusiasm throughout, what do you do when the interviewer asks you a question that

seems to invite a negative answer? This section looks at how you can deal with these

questions without criticising your job and other people, or criticising yourself.

Criticising your job and other people

Sometimes, interviewers seem to want you to be negative about your job or people you’ve

worked with, asking questions like:

“What do you dislike about your current job?”

“What did you dislike about your last boss?”

“What are the sorts of things colleagues do that really irritate you?”

They’re not actually interested in what you disliked; what they really want to know is if

you’re going to be a moaner or complainer. Are you going to criticise the company outside

work? Don’t take the bait. Smile, and give a neutral answer. This is the one time you don’t

give examples or anecdotes.

“What do you dislike about your current job?”

“What appeals to you least about this job?”

‘I find that (a routine task that everyone dislikes, such as form filling, filing, record keeping,

etc.) is probably the least demanding part of my work. However, it’s one of my

responsibilities and important to the job as a whole, so I get it done as quickly and efficiently

as I can, which allows me to attend to the more rewarding aspects of the job.”

Criticising yourself

Another sort of negative question appears to invite you to criticise yourself:

“What is your greatest weakness?”

“What do you find most difficult to deal with in yourself?”

46


“What would you change about yourself if you could?”

As before, the interviewer isn’t really concerned with your weaknesses as such; what they’re

more interested in is how you react to implied criticism and your degree of self-awareness.

All these factors are keys to how well you will take direction, or how you will be able to

manage in the future.

The problem is that you are caught between two difficulties. Either you give an answer that

reveals damaging flaws in your character, or you claim, improbably, to know of no

imperfections in yourself. How do you give an answer that steers a path between the two?

You could try one of the following:

A ‘flaw’ that most people would see as a strength;

A humorous flaw that most people would sympathise with;

A former flaw that you’ve overcome;

A flaw that will have no impact on the job you’re applying for.

A ‘flaw’ that most people would see as a strength:

“What is your greatest weakness?”

“I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I won’t rest if I know something isn’t right.”

“My family would probably accuse me of being a workaholic because I can’t relax

while there’s something that needs doing.”

A humorous flaw with which most people would sympathise:

“What do you find most difficult to deal with in yourself?”

“My passion for chocolate…”

“Still expecting to wake up and find I’m a millionaire/rock star/Booker prize winner.”

A former flaw you’ve overcome:

“What sort of things do you find difficult?”

“I would once have said speaking in public and giving presentations was a bit of a

problem, but since I went on a course last year to improve my skills I find that it’s no

longer a problem.”

“I used to have difficulty keeping up with all the filing the job entails. I’ve learnt from

bitter experience to do it first thing in the morning so that I’m free to concentrate on

more demanding responsibilities.”

47


If you want to avoid an interview disaster, here are some of the toughest interview

questions and suggested responses.

"Tell me about yourself"

This is perhaps the most open-ended question of them all and is typically used by

interviewers as a warm-up question to give you the opportunity to shine. But resist the

temptation to start talking about your life history. What your interviewer is looking for is a

quick two or three minute snapshot of who you are and why you are the best candidate for

the job. So keep your response relevant to the position you are applying for. For example:

I am a recent accounting and finance postgraduate and have gained some valuable practical

work experience during two separate summer internships. During my time at university I’ve

developed a deeper understanding of the finance sector by attending related seminars and

workshops, and continual professional development is important to me. An article I wrote on

Asset Pricing was published in the Finance Project Magazine and I’m keen to establish myself

as a writer of influential and thought provoking editorials. I am now looking to secure a

position that enables me to further develop my skills and understanding of the financial

markets whilst also providing some new thinking and ideas to any team that I’m fortunate

enough to join.

"What are your salary expectations?"

You should have done some research into the average salary and remuneration that this

type of position will pay. Try to deflect the question by turning it around and asking the

interviewer about the salary on offer. Typically, they will start with a lower figure than they

are prepared to offer because they want to keep their costs down. So if you are pressed to

give a number, its best to give a range to avoid pricing yourself out of contention. For

example:

I'm sure whatever salary you're paying is consistent with the rest of the market average of

£23,000 to £25,000.

Why should we hire you?"

This can be a killer question and can make or break your chances of winning the job. And

how you answer will depend on how well you have probed your interviewer about their

requirements and expectations. So what the interviewer is really asking you is, "What can

you do for my business?" Your response needs to answer that question. For example:

48


As I understand your needs, you are first and foremost looking for someone who can increase

your advertising sales and has experience of managing a sales team. I have a proven track

record in successfully managing and developing my territory within this sector, having

increased my sales from £150,000 to £210,000 over the last two years alone.

"Why did you leave your last job?"

You know this question will be asked at some stage, so have your answer ready in advance.

The rule of thumb is to always remain positive about your current and previous employers

because you never know when your paths may cross again. Besides, who are you going to

turn to for a reference? For example:

I learned a lot from my previous employer and enjoyed my time there. However, promotional

opportunities were few and far between and I am keen to advance my career sooner rather

than later.

"What are your weaknesses?"

Career manuals abound with ways to tackle this question. And most of them seem to

suggest that you should take one of your strengths and portray it as a weakness. For

instance, I work too much. But this will actually work against rather than work for you

because it may imply that you do not organise your workload effectively, or that you have

poor time management skills. Instead, opt for a genuine weakness but highlight how you

have worked on this weakness to limit its impact. For example:

I used to struggle to plan and prioritise my workload. However, I have taken steps to resolve

this and now I have started using a planning tool and diary system on my laptop.

"What motivates you?"

Short of telling your interviewer that you are motivated by the prospect of earning a

footballer's salary, driving a Bentley or having a holiday home in St Tropez, try and give a

constructive answer that will excite your interviewer into understanding what benefit you

will bring to his business. For example:

I get a real kick out of seeing my team exceed their sales targets and completing the project

on time and within budget.

"If you were a car ... tree ... animal what would you be?"

Baffling though it may seem some interviewers still insist on asking silly questions, such as If

49


you were a car, what type of car would you be and why? There are no right or wrong

answers. The interviewer is simply testing your reactions under pressure to see how you will

cope with the unexpected in an attempt to gain an insight into your personality and how you

view yourself. Don't get hung up on the implications of what type of car you say you would

be, just be mindful that you will be expected to explain your choice. For example:

I would probably be a 1962 Alpha Romeo Spider -- classy, stylish, driven and fast off the mark

"How would your former colleagues describe you?"

This is a sure sign that the interviewer likes you and is already thinking about contacting your

previous employer for a reference. And this is the time when you realise how important it is

to choose your referees carefully. So answer this question in the way that you would like to

think your employer would respond. For example:

I have an excellent working relationship with my manager and we have mutual respect for

each other. He considers me to be hardworking, dedicated, reliable and able to work well

using my own initiative.

Taking Notes

Take notes throughout the interview of important or detailed information about the role

and its responsibilities. Make notes on what went well at the interview – the types of

questions asked etc. – and what you could improve on. If you get invited back the

interviewers will have their notes in front of them, you should too.

Getting Feedback

Getting feedback from interviews where you have been unsuccessful is invaluable and most

recruiters are happy to provide it. A good line to use is “I’m disappointed that I was not

successful, I am not challenging the decision but if there were a couple of things I could

improve on what would they be?”

Not only does this allow you to gather vital information that could help you improve your

interview techniques or develop additional STAR Stories before your next interview, it might

also lead to the recruiter inviting you back. Sometimes the recruiter’s first choice of

candidate will let them down after they have informed all other candidates that they were

unsuccessful. If this happens and the recruiter is suddenly talking to you on the telephone,

he might just invite you back for another attempt.

50


Interview Tips

• Ensure you fully understand the role and company that you are being interviewed

for and by

• Fully understand who you are, why you’re applying for this job and what your career

objectives are

• Create your STAR and Pride Stories and ensure you memorise a few so that you can

recall them during the interview

• Ensure you have practised your interview technique to help reduce nerves and

improve your performance

• Don’t be late; plan your route to your interview

• If there’s a receptionist, be good to her! Receptionists are seen as key members of

the organisation and recruiters will ask how you treated them while you were

waiting for your interview

• Smile, use good eye contact and remember to use the recruiters name during the

interview

• Dress well and take notes! You might be asked back for a second interview and you

might need your notes to help you put together a presentation. Also you might use

them to ask further questions

• Ask probing questions and ‘interview’ the recruiter. This shows you’re not only

interested in knowing more about the job, but it shows you really want to ensure

that the company is the right one for you

• Don’t be scared to ask the interviewer to repeat a question or provide clarification

• If you don’t have an example to a particular competency based question, don’t be

tempted to make one up. The interviewer is well trained and can spot when a

candidate is making up a story on the spot. Be truthful and tell the interviewer you

can’t think of an example. They’d prefer you did this.

• Be confident and be yourself

Finally – enjoy the experience; interviews can be great fun!

51


Action Verbs

52


Need Support? Additional

At Journey To Work we are passionate about supporting graduates into the workplace and our team of careers advisers and trainers are here to help. Below you can find a list of services that we offer to graduates and other young people seeking help with their job search strategy. Free resources can be obtained from our website and regular articles and videos on careers advice can be found if you follow our Facebook page.

Click the logo to access our web site

Click the logo to access our page

Our Popular Group Provisions ASSESSMENT CENTRE SIMULATION EVENTS Our mock assessment centre workshops provide you with an opportunity to experience the pressures of corporate graduate selection in a safe environment; an environment where you can make mistakes and learn from them - ensuring you raise your chances of success during the real test. INTERVIEW SKILLS TRAINING If you have had little or no interview experience then you need to attend one of our interactive interview technique workshops. Our team of highly experienced recruiters will explain all you need to know to allow you to fully prepare for your next interview and impress employers to secure employment. Our seminars give you the opportunity to practice your interview technique and get constructive feedback to ensure you perform at your very best when it matters most. LINKEDIN MASTERCLASS LinkedIn is an online platform that allows you to connect and network with almost 200-million professionals from over 2.6-million companies in over 200 countries around the world. Not only that, LinkedIn is fast becoming the number one choice for recruiters to find potential new employees for their or their clients' organisations. Our workshops take you through each step of developing your LinkedIn profile to ensure that employers and recruiters find you while you take care of your studies. EFFECTIVE NETWORKING WORKSHOP Networking is about talking to credible connections in an informal environment whilst seeking mutual benefit. Networking gives the job seeker a unique opportunity to discover new and possible unadvertised opportunities and uniquely, it allows you to sell your USPs in an informal setting. Our workshop teaches you every aspect of effective networking, helps deliver solutions for overcoming your networking fears, and provides you will ideas to develop your own strategy to network effectively.

http://www.journeytowork.net/assessment-centre-events/

http://www.journeytowork.net/interview-technique-seminars/

http://www.journeytowork.net/linkedin-workshops/

53


Our Individual Provisions CAREER COACHING Career Coaching can lead to increased self-awareness, clarity of focus and help you develop a strategy for achieving your career goals. Your coach will help take the stress out of job hunting and help you plan to achieve your objective much quicker than if you did it alone. We offer individual career coaching sessions by the hour that are delivered either via Skype or telephone. Discounts are available when booking multiple sessions. INTERVIEW PRACTICE & COACHING To be successful at your interview you need to have an effective interview technique and do relevant and targeted research and preparation. Your coach will ensure you arrive at your interview with the right mindset, having done the right research and with lots of encouraging interview technique practice under your belt. We can provide individual interview practice and coaching sessions by the hour that are delivered either via Skype or telephone, or if preferred, we can arrange for your session to take place in person. JOB SEARCH PROGRAMME If you know which type of job you are after or even just the sector that you wish to work within, our Job Search Programme will support you throughout your job search campaign. Your coach will create a job search strategy and develop a route that will guide and signpost you into your dream job. The programme includes a CV review and writing service, interview practice and coaching, a personalised job search plan, access to eBooks, videos and other online resources, plus 121 support from you dedicated coach. The Job Search Programme is highly tailored to meet the individual’s needs and can run for as long as the coach and client deem fit and necessary.

Don’t leave it to chance; seek some professional support to speed up your job search.

Documents

Employability Resource Handbook