Slide 1 - PhD Society

							How to position
yourself on the
market?
How do companies
recruit?
How do companies recruit?


• Internally

• Via recruitment agencies

• Via their own website

• Jobsites: Monster, Stepstone, Vacature,
  Références, e.o.

• Via networks: Linked In, Plaxo Pulse e.o. (don’t
  use facebook, profile yourself as a professional)
   – Important: Use the right keywords in your
     searches!
What to do?
Be the right candidate for the job! How?


• Know your qualities

• Know what you want

• Be prepared

• Be a step ahead of other candidates

• You only get one chance to make a first
  impression!
A thorough
personal
preparation before
acting is a must?
Your personal preparation beforehand

Before you start applying, define …

   What are you good at?

   What are your interests (sectors, type of functions …)?
       • Info on this can be found on line, talking to friends, talking to professionals, …

       • You can read up on information and participate in tests e.g. on Références.be

   How do you wish to evolve?

You have your degree and extra-curricular experiences to start
 with – broaden the scope!

=> You will be able to pinpoint the opportunities and companies in
  line with your skills, interests and ambitions
Look for information on your target companies


What are the values that companies carry ?

What do they stand for ?

What is the experience other people working there have ?

What is their approach towards their employees ?
Look for information on your target jobs


What is the content of a certain position or job ?

What are possible contents of jobs with a similar title ?

What is expected from someone taking on a certain position ?

What are possible next steps in a career path ?
Approach the
market in a both
reactive & proactive
way
Approach the market reactively

Look for job postings
   In the paper
   On line
   On company websites
   On recruitment companies’ websites

Use your network: over half of the job openings are never
 published
   They are filled
      with internal people
      before they can be published
      through networks of the company
      through confidential missions
Approach the market proactively

Make sure the market
   Can find you

   Knows what you are looking for



Publish your resume on job sites, send it to recruitment
 companies, send it to companies …
Make an efficient
and effective
resume
Layout

• Restrict your resume to 1 or 2 pages. You can make an extended
  version or an addendum with more information.

• Write your resume in the language of the job posting.

• Do not use fulle sentenses: be concise and clear.

• Avoid typo’s.

• Use a clear structure, with clear blocks of information. Leave
  white spaces in between so that the reader has a clear overview.
Building blocks

•     Personal information

•     Objective

•     Experience (project management, teaching…): situations in which
      you developed skills

•     Education & if applicable conferences, publications, seminars, ...

•     Language skills

•     Hobbies


    … mention what is relevant for the job you apply for !

    … tell the truth !
A few examples
A few examples
A few examples
Letter of motivation
Content

• In a few lines indicate why you are the candidate for the job
  (experience, knowledge, …).

• Explain your motivation: why are you interested in the job / the
  company.

• Base your information on elements you checked.

• Avoid typo’s.

• Be short & concise.
Example
Example
Example

  From: pc (c@hotmail.be)
  To: (stephanie.de.lange@jobs.hudson.com)
  Cc:

  Subject: BE632759_1301040013
  Sent: 30-03-2011 09:51
  Attachments: -


    Dear Stephanie,

    Your ad where you are looking for a HR Manager drew my special attention. As I am currently looking for
    a new opportunity in Human Resources I hereby apply for this job. My extended experience in both HR
    and Operations should give my application an added value.

    Please find in attachment my resume and of course I am willing to present myself in an interview.

    Looking forward to meeting you.

    Kind regards,

    PC
Extra
recommendations
Some extra recommendations

• Restrict your resume to 1 or 2 pages. You can make an extended
  version or an addendum with more information.

• Name of the file: use your name.

• A resume is read in 2 minutes: make sure the structure reads by
  itself.

• Make sure your email adress and voice mail are professional.

• Work in a chronological order (most recent at the top).

• It is good to mention dates – if you did not have the perfect path,
  you do not need to mention it explicitely but need to be prepared
  for questions.

• Tell the truth!
Some extra recommendations

• If you insert a picture, make sure it is a professional one.

• Indicate language skills in a correct way.

• Only mention references if the people involved are informed. It is
  even better to mention ‘references on request’.
Good luck in your
search!

Questions?