Career Coaching
Bojan Jovanoski, project assistant
University Skopje Business Start-up Centre
Contents
1. Identifying your goals and your key skills
2. Preparing different types of CVs
3. Winning with your CV
4. Making an impact with your covering
letter
5. Researching the job market
6. Job interview
If you don’t know where you
are going, any direction is
great
1. Identifying your goals and
your key skills
1. Understand the real purpose of a CV
2. Begin at the end
3. Think about your career objective
4. Write a brief biography
5. Review your experience
6. Put everything together
7. Get ready to move on
1. Identifying your goals and your key skills
common mistakes
You don’t think about your overall career
objective
You don’t bother working out your
marketable skills and jump straight into
writing your CV
You discount early life-experience
You’re unrealistic about the match
between your skills and your career goal
1. Identifying your goals and your key skills
steps to success
Think about where you are now and
where you want to be in a new position
Work out your career objective
Be realistic about how your skills match
your perfect job
Be prepared to train or gain new skills to
fill any gaps
Take the time to identify your main skills
1. Identifying your goals and your key skills
steps to success [2]
Keep the information in your biography
short and to the point
Be confident about your strengths and
realistic about your weaknesses
Look at all slides of your life for your
skills
Think about these skills that can transfer
from job to job easily
Talk to someone already in a similar job
2. Preparing different types
of CV
1. Choose the right CV for your job search
Chronological, functional, targeted, capabilities
2. Create your CV to fit the situation
2. Preparing different types of CV
chronological
1. Name and contact details
2. Employment history
Major duties and accomplishments
3. Education
4. Skills
Language
Personal
Computer
…
2. Preparing different types of CV
common mistakes
You try to include everything
You don’t use any particular format
You don’t follow up
You become disheartened
You lie
2. Preparing different types of CV
steps to success
Think about the job you are applying for
Use some kind of a template
Customize your CV
Don’t waffle
Follow up
Don’t be dissapointed of rejection
3. Winning with your CV
1. Get back to basics
2. Order the information on your CV
3. Write it!
3. Winning with your CV
common mistakes
You’ve send an old CV because it’s all
you’ve got
Your CV is too “busy” and hard to read
You oversell
3. Winning with your CV
steps to success
Plan your career objective carefully, and
make sure you are clear and precise
Map out your CV in rough first, (order)
Don’t write your life story
Make sure you present your CV
professionally and legibly
Remember to update your CV regularly
Process of selection
4. Making an impact with
your cover letter
1. Understand why a cover letter is
important
2. Draft the letter
3. Remember the essentials
4. Making an impact with your cover letter
common mistakes
You use a covering letter template from a
book
You use the same cover letter for all your
job applications
4. Making an impact with your cover letter
steps to success
Tailor your letter to the company and/or person
you are applying to
Research the company
Keep your letter short and to the point
Show how your experiences and qualifications
will help the company
Be polite, enthusiastic, and confident in your
abilities
Use good quality paper and a clear font
Proofread it and ask someone to read it
Check that you’ve given the information that
was requested from you
Back-up information
1. References/ recommendations
2. Certificates
5. Researching the job
market
YOU HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF
1. Do the research
2. Go from a macro to a micro level
3. Think about the job you want
5. Researching the job market
common mistakes
Your research is not thorough enough
You do so much research that you can’t
keep track of it all
5. Researching the job market
steps to success
Find out the major growth areas, major players,
major challenges and major problems
Find business references guides and
publications in library, online
Keep the research broad at start, than narrow it
Talk to the employees at the company
List what you’d like to know about specific job
ahead of the interview
Find out what you can about the human
resources manager to help you build a
relationship in the interview
6. Job interview
1. Practice presenting yourself
2. Practice presenting yourself
3. Practice presenting yourself
4. Practice presenting yourself
5. Practice presenting yourself
6. Practice presenting yourself
7. Practice presenting yourself
8. Practice presenting yourself
6. Job interview
interview questions
Background and qualifications:
1. Why did you apply for this job?
2. Why did you choose this career?
3. What type of work do you like to do best?
4. What type of work do you like to do least?
5. What courses did you like best or least in school /
college / university?
6. What did you like best or least about your last job?
7. Why were you fired?
8. How does your education or experience relate to this
job?
6. Job interview
interview questions
Understanding the company and job:
1. What do you know about this job or
company?
2. Why should I employ you?
3. What are your goals and how do you plan to
reach them?
4. What do you hope to be doing in 5 years?
10?
5. What salary do you expect?
6. Job interview
interview questions
Ability to do the job:
1. How would you describe yourself?
2. What would you like to tell me about
yourself?
3. What are your major strengths?
4. What are your major weaknesses?
5. What are your interests outside work?
6. What accomplishment gave you the greatest
satisfaction?
7. What was your worst mistake?
8. Why did you leave your last job?
6. Job interview
common mistakes
Late arrival for a job interview is never
excusable.
Lying. Answer questions truthfully, frankly
and succinctly.
Answer "yes" or "no“. Explain whenever
possible
Smoke, chew gum
You don’t bring a resume with you
Don’t have an eye contact with the
interviewer
6. Job interview
steps to success
1.Be self-confident
2.Do greet the interviewer by last name
3.Smile!
4.Shake hands firmly.
5.Be genuinely glad to meet the interviewer.
6.Sit upright, look alert and interested at all
times.
7.Be a good listener as well as a good
communicator.
6. Job interview
steps to success
1.Do follow the interviewer's leads
2.Do make sure that your good points come
across to the interviewer in a factual,
sincere manner.
3.Stress achievements
4.Do always conduct yourself as if you are
determined to get the job you are
discussing.
5.Never close the door on opportunity.
6.Do show enthusiasm
6. Job interview
what to wear
1.According to the culture of the company
2.As expensive as the salary
3.Look nice
4.Look clean
5.Be sure it’s not the first time you wear that
Bring CVs, certificates, business cards
6. Job interview
managing anxiety
1.Prepare in advance
2.Arrive on time
3.Focus on your breathing
4.You like the job
Don’t think of it as an obligation
Conclusion
Know what you want
The CV is just the step to get the interview
The cover letter is the face of your
application
Prepare for your interview
Always think about improving your career
Resources
1. www.cvindex.com
2. www.monster.com
3. www.worththinking.com
4. www.jobshuntersbible.com
5. www.career-world.co.uk
6. www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/work/index.shtml
7. www.careerpath.co.uk
Google, yahoo, msn . . .
Monster http://my.monster.com ; http://jobprofiles.monster.com/
ASA Job web http://jobs.amstat.org/search.cfm
Best jobs Usa Best Jobs USA
BEST http://bcc.best.eu.org/student/index.jsp
Mainecareercenter http://www.mainecareercenter.com/job-seekers/index.html
Idealist http://www.idealist.org/if/
JobCircle http://www.jobcircle.com/
Imdiversity http://jobs.imdiversity.com/jobseekerlogout.asp
Talentscotland http://www.talentscotland.com
Careerbuilder www.CareerBuilder.com
Careers http://www.careers.org/
Moscow Times http://www.careercenter.ru/
America's Job Bank America'sJobBank
Career Magazine Career Magazine
Yahoo Career Yahoo! Careers
Careercenter http://www.careercenter.ru/
MSN http://msn.careerbuilder.com
Dice http://seeker.dice.com/profman/menu.jsp
Cromaps http://www.cromaps.com/cromaps-navigator/zaposlenje/
eBullpen http://www.ebullpen.com/promo_wi.html
University Career Centre
www.bsc.ukim.edu.mk – Career Centre
Upload your CV online
Thank you very much for your attention
Feel free to contact me
bojan@mf.edu.mk