Work Placements and Internships:

Making the most of the opportunity

Westminster AcademyVince Pizzoni MyBigCareer

13th July 2016

Agenda• Getting a Placement: CVs, applications, interviews

• The Work Placement: First day, developing employability skills, networking, daily log and achievements, work ethic

• Follow Up: Report, lessons learnt, networking, academic choices, career ideas

Getting a Placement• Identifying opportunities• CV• Application• Interview• Follow up

CV• The purpose of a CV is to get an interview• Your chance to sell yourself• Needs to show name, contact details, academic performance, work

shadowing, work experience, internships, interests and achievements• Keep to one page• Neatly laid out• No spelling errors/typos• Check font type and size

Interviews• Research and preparation• Dress code• Be on time• Be clear and concise• Positive body language• Use STAR to respond• Be prepared to ask questions• Follow up

Interview-Types of Questions1. Competency Based/Behavioural: Give me an example of when you motivated a sports team to achieve a win?2. Fact Based: Why did you leave your last school?3. CV Based: Talk me through your CV.4. Motivation/Drive Based: What do you know about our company?5. Strengths Based: What motivates you? What is something you are really proud of and why?6. Situational / judgemental: If someone disagrees with you, what do you do?

• Research: Have you researched for the interview? • Presentation: Are you dressed for an interview?• Body Language: Be aware of your body language

Read the body language of the interviewer

Non-verbal behaviour

(visual) 55 - 75%

Tones20 - 30%

Words5 - 15%

Interview

The importance of body language

STAR technique for competency based interviews

STAR Example• Interview Question: Where did you have a problem at school with work and how did

you solve it?• Situation: I had to get my Maths homework in on time but I was worried that with my

football training commitments for an important school match I wouldn’t do it by the date needed. It was stressing me out.• Task: Get my Maths in on time and keep my Football teacher happy as well.• Action: I spoke to my Football coach and explained the problem. He said he would

speak to the Maths teacher and discuss the situation that day.• Result: My Maths teacher spoke to me later and said she understood the problem and

was happy for me to hand the work in a day later.• What have I learnt? Don’t keep a problem to myself and it is often others I work with

that are able to solve it better than me.

The Work Placement• First day-get there early• Be polite to everyone you meet• Dress code-wear appropriate clothes• Time keeping-always be on-time• Communication-listening, positive, open, honest• Networking-get their business cards• Social media-don’t use it• Daily log-summarise who you met/what you did/what you achieved• Work hard-don’t leave early and show willing to get involved• Thank the manager and key staff-they will remember the ones who didn’t

Key Employability Skills• Verbal and Written Communication• Teamwork• Business understanding• Analysing and investigating• Initiative and self motivation• Planning and organising• Flexibility• Time management

Follow Up• Write up a report and present at school• Identify what you learnt, did well and could have done better• Maintain contacts with key people you met to let them know how you

are doing• Think through what the placement means in terms of your future

career and academic choices at school• Talk this through with your parents and school staff• Keep researching careers and look for your next placement

Acknowledgements• Marchesschool.co.uk• Carmelharrisonpr.com• Internchina.com• Mylastdart.com• Proresumecenter.com• Transmosis.com• Hashtagcv.com• Jantoo.com• Fareedsiddiqui.com• Leedstrinity.ac.uk