Interviewing and job preparation skills
- 1. Career Preparation Skills 1 Kolawole Falade UIBC Career Preparation Workshop 4 November 2017
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- 3. What is your CV doing? 3 Your CV is like painting yourself, a compelling picture of your strength and skills It shows what you have to offer To get an invitation for an interview, paint it well What is your CV saying? Look at me? See what I can do you for you.
- 4. What is the focus of your CV? 4 Focus your CV Focus is important for gaining an opportunity for interview/job How? You may choose to group the consequential jobs under a heading • Summary of relevant work experience • Specific assignments • Dates employment education However, experience may outweigh education Important CV elements
- 5. Making education count on your CV 5 Useful tips with regards to Education: Note continuing education Take advantage of continuing education, if you fall short of the mark on the job’s educational requirement List Professional Development Highlights, including participation at Seminar Workshop Conferences Education
- 6. Making experience count on your CV 6 Experience List all your experience within the last ten years •Specific job titles •Company names and locations •Date of employments Show progression and promotions within an organization Show your competencies Competencies are based on personal strength to fulfil the demands of the job How do accomplishments match competencies? Show these. Give examples: •Increased revenue, sales, efficiency, productivity •Saved resources including money •Improved record-keeping process, workplace safety •Effective budgeting, successful advertising campaign Experience and progression Competencies and accomplishments
- 7. CV format Be creative, think out of the box 7 CV format is how you shape (organise) and accentuate (emphasise) your information NOT how you design or the look of your CV Standard format- lists all employment and education beginning with the most recent and working backwards The targeted CV indicates what you can do instead of telling what you had done and where you did it The executive format indicates what you have achieved from your previous activities Standard format Targeted CV Executive format
- 8. Standard format 8 Standard format- lists all employment and education beginning with the most recent and working backwards Strengths • Straightforward and easy to use • Most popular with employers • Fits conventional industries • Underscores continuity • Shows weight of your experience • Positions you for the next upward career lift Weaknesses • Reveals everything including weaker roles and negative factors • Not appropriate when your job titles are very different from targeted position • Can spotlight periods of unemployment • Easily reveals your age • Easily shows that you were on a job for too long
- 9. Targeted format 9 The targeted CV indicates what you can do instead of telling what you had done and where you did it Strengths • Directs the reviewer to what you want him to notice • Helps to visualize what you can do instead of when and where you had been • Serves the precise function or skills requested by employer • Uses non-paid experience to your best advantage • Help to eliminate work unsupportive history Weaknesses • Assumption by reviewer that you are trying to conceal information • Unclear which skills grew from which jobs or experience • Does not show a clear career pathway
- 10. Executive format 10 The executive format indicates what you have achieved from your previous activities • Slightly long-winded but factual • Emphasizes on professional qualification and personal achievements • Emphasizes key achievements and skill • Reviewed with greater scrutiny • Mainly used by professionals in senior management, IT, marketing • Used when applying for a top-level civil service
- 11. Academic CV 11 The academic CV is a comprehensive biographical statement Emphasizes professional qualification and activities Number of pages can vary 6 to 10 pages is recommended for a veteran professional 2 to 4 is recommended for a young professional May have a brief Executive summary, if too long Weaknesses Too reading intensive Weaknesses in any area of professional credential is easy to spot Useful for people working in Ph D driven environment Education Elite Research and Development
- 12. Points to note Including career objective on CV is outdated Instead use key skills 12 Include contact details: Name (use larger font) Address (will there be a change of address or location?) Valid Telephone number (include area code) Other contact details: email address and web page Including a bait (Core skills) Solid experience in field of endeavor Ability to work under pressure to challenging deadlines Excellent negotiation skills for strategic partnership Language fluency Great adaptational skills Ability to manage multi-tasked teams and achievement of results Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to deliver
- 13. Flowing content Versus Juddering Detail Use every word to convince the recruiter What your CV says is mission critical Citing your earned accomplishments and achievements is how to make interview happen Focus on your best content and present it forcefully Build it right and you will land the interview 13 Major sections of best CVs Contact details Core skills Relevant experience Education and training Honours, awards and distinctions Hobbies and other interests (optional)
Editor's Notes
- #9: Standard format is quite straight forward and easy to use States your jobs and experiences from the most recent backwards (Focus on areas of specific relevance to your target position) Shows dates, employers and educational institutions (including employers and location, No of years, responsibilities, Measurable achievements) Shows a clear pattern of upward or lateral mobility (To create a standard reverse chronological CV, list relevant experiences)
- #11: Standard format is quite straight forward and easy to use States your jobs and experiences from the most recent backwards (Focus on areas of specific relevance to your target position) Shows dates, employers and educational institutions (including employers and location, No of years, responsibilities, Measurable achievements) Shows a clear pattern of upward or lateral mobility (To create a standard reverse chronological CV, list relevant experiences)
- #12: Standard format is quite straight forward and easy to use States your jobs and experiences from the most recent backwards (Focus on areas of specific relevance to your target position) Shows dates, employers and educational institutions (including employers and location, No of years, responsibilities, Measurable achievements) Shows a clear pattern of upward or lateral mobility (To create a standard reverse chronological CV, list relevant experiences)