IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Agenda

IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Agenda IBM United Kingdom Limited Three key things 1.Preparation: Create your personal profile Applying for jobs effectively by: Your ticket to the interview Create convincing CVs and applications Knowing what all employers want 2.Curriculum Vitae: Communicating effectively in your application The story of you Careers & Employability Division University of Manchester 3.Application form: Give them what they want Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 2 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 3 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Work experience What’s in it for you? Financial Future employment That company or that industry Taste test Put theory into practice Enjoyment Skills development Know yourself What’s in it for them? Financial Future employment Their company, industry, or customers Taste test Put practice into theory Enjoyment Skills development Applications: their view What skills they need for the job Essential? Education, work experience, activities,interests Knowledge, skills, abilities, results Specific examples provide evidence “Critical incidents”: what did you learn? Nice to have? Can be taught? What you can you offer an employer What attributes the job requires Job description Person description Your personal skills profile 4 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 5 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 6 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited There’s good news and then there’s bad news You can work out the job description and the person description: Job adverts, brochures, presentations, web sites, site visits, employees, … Preparation: know what employers want “Candidates should show a genuine interest in the consulting industry, excellent written and oral presentation skills, and have a professional outlook” PA Consulting Preparation: know what employers want Identify the right person for the role: Qualifications Intellectual skills Personal skills Motivation and drive The awful truth is that big firms get 100 applications for every job: 70% rejected at the application stage 60% fail the aptitude test 50% rejected at first stage interview 75% rejected at second stage interview 7 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 8 “You must be keen to learn, hard-working, ambitious... a questioning, intelligent mind. We're after people with personality... who can communicate with others and, of course, have fun!” Sun Microsystems Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 9 Match these to the job description and person description Probe Verify Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 1 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Qualifications Professional: less usual for a training scheme, so aptitude is important Academic: important for some jobs, but also shows you can learn Application form: will provide the starting point Intellectual skills Logical reasoning Decision making Arguing a case Planning and organising Personal skills Communications: Written and verbal Relationships Team roles: Recognising your role(s) Participation Leadership 10 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 11 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 12 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Motivation and drive Motivation: Desire to do the job How can employers know this? Tests Logical reasoning Psychometric Written exercises Drive: Performing in adversity or competition Striving for excellence Flexibility Group exercises Presentations Interviews Individual Panel } Key stage 1: Preparation 1. Read the job description 2. Read around the job description You won’t get this far if you don’t survive the initial application stage! 3. Identify the skills and experience they want 4. Develop your personal skills profile 5. Match your skills to the job 13 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 14 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 15 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited CV content: start with your personal profile Select key info Don't include everything Include how you match the job requirements CV content: good things to do Length: two pages Layout: Short sentences Don't bury the good stuff Space on the page Logical structure Bullet points CV content: use positive language Tone: Positive, upbeat Emphasise facts Being positive does not mean lying! Sins of omission and sins of commission “Spin”? Be specific Relevant, varied, evidence Quantify your achievements Content: Relevant, quantified Avoid jargon Avoid negatives Passive should be avoided. Use active. Power words Found out: analyzed, assessed, classified, collated, defined, designed, devised, established, evaluated, forecasted, identified, interpreted, interviewed, investigated, researched, tested, traced, verified Be positive Action verbs Be honest Covering letter Tailored for each job Showed how: advised, coached, conducted, directed, guided, demonstrated, illustrated, instructed, led, managed, organised, performed, presented, taught, trained 16 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 17 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 18 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 2 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited CV content: technical roles Technical skills: Quantified... how good at Java are you? Organized... platforms, programming, operating systems, applications, web, ... Context Extra-curricular IT work: Design web page DB for placement job Build/fix PCs for friends Action Results CVs: common mistakes Form Too long (or short) Over-designed Poorly printed Bad spelling, errors in grammar, typos Too many colours shading Too much shading X Lots of italic and bold and underscore SHOUTING “I was part of the Manchester’s 2007 University Challenge team” Context: Granada TV approached the Student Union, who had an open invitation to all students Content Not focused on achievements Disorganized Irrelevant info Circumlocution Missing key dates Arrives too late No covering letter Transferable skills: Communication Time management Problem-solving Collaboration Action: I applied, tested, and got third highest score. I then volunteered to be captain, organised “rehearsals” and screenings to plan tactics. I publicised the recording date, and coordinated tickets for local students. Context Action Results 19 Project work: What was it (be brief) ? What was your role? What was the outcome? Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 Result: Fifty students supported us in studio, we stuck to our tactics, and we beat St Hugh’s Oxford by 240 points to 190 in Round 1. We’re going to study Durham’s team tactics ahead of Round 2 in October. 20 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 21 Varying point sizes fonts Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Transferable skills “Candidates should show a genuine interest in the consulting industry, excellent written and oral presentation skills, and have a professional outlook” PA Consulting Key stage 2: Curriculum vitae 1. Narrative: the story of you 2. Themes: echoing what they want 3. Style: positive, clear, convincing 4. Design: structured, logical, clear 5. Specific: tailored, relevant, evidence Application forms For some companies, this is the decider Don't rely on your CV being read Don't rely on your covering letter being read It's like a paper-based interview Prepare for it like an interview You know all the questions in advance You can take as long as you want to devise your answer “You must be keen to learn, hard-working, ambitious... a questioning, intelligent mind. We're after people with personality... who can communicate with others and, of course, have fun!” Sun Microsystems 22 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 23 Your starting points: Your personal profile Your CV Your research about the job Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 24 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Application forms: things you must do Read the whole form several times Draft your answers Follow instructions All of them, no exceptions Complete all sections Application forms: the content “Why are they asking me that?” Qualifications Skills Motivation and desire Application forms: sample questions ?Describe a situation where you have worked with others to achieve a goal ?Describe a group situation where you have met resistance to your opinion. What did you do? ?Explain an exercise in which you had to gather information from a variety of sources ?Give an example of a project which didn't go to plan. What did you do? What did you learn? ?What skills can you bring to XYZ Co.? Why are they important? ?Why are you applying to XYZ Co.? Describe three main challenges for XYZ in the next five years? 27 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 It’s standard: What makes you stand out? Variety: different experiences from your life Personal: In a team, what did you do? Achievements: What were the results? Behaviour: What did you do? Use your own words, match to employer’s “wants” Give full answers Don't say “see CV” Write in clear, positive English Review it, make a copy Write a specific, targeted covering letter 25 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 26 The “anything else” section Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 Context Action Results 3 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Application forms: brilliant answer as an IT summer “ When workingaccounting controlintern at XYZ Co., I observed an problem in a related department which nobody had the time to address. I researched the problem by looking at paper trails, talking to people who used the system as well as those who designed it. I formulated an outline solution and implementation plan which I took to management. With their permission, I formed a group of volunteers and we perfected and implemented the fix within schedule and budget, resulting in one-time savings of £40,000. Application forms: “Spin City" Be honest: you'll get caught! Be complete: “signifying gaps” Be positive: What did you learn? How do you compensate? Covering letter Brief introduction to tell them: What job you’re applying for Why you want it, why you’re perfect Why this company, where you saw the advert Spin bowling: Disclosing a disability? A-level resits? Change of university/course? Failed a year? Took a year out? Mature student? Been in jail? 29 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 30 Make it interesting Simple, straightforward language Present it neatly A4 paper, standard format Address it to a human being ” Finish on a positive note Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 28 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM United Kingdom Limited Key stage 3: Application form 1. Read and prepare before starting: follow the instructions 2. Complete all sections: honestly, positively 3. Include all your relevant qualifications, skills, work experience Three key stages 1.Preparation: Create your personal profile Jobs at IBM Work placements: http://www.ibm.com/employment/uk/students/it.html Register interest from next week onward Invited to apply from October 1st until end of January for a July 2008 start date e-mail: student_pgms@uk.ibm.com Student Recruitment Hotline: 023 9256 4104 2.Curriculum Vitae: The story of you 3.Application form: Give them what they want Graduates: http://www.ibm.com/employment/uk/graduates/index.html e-mail: 3grad@uk.ibm.com 4.Context, Action, Results 5. Keep a copy 31 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 32 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 33 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 IBM United Kingdom Limited IBM Competencies 34 Peter Anghelides September 19th 2007 4