∂ 1 making effective applications david henderson careers adviser [email protected]
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Making Effective Applications
David HendersonCareers Adviser
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Making Effective Applications
• Online application forms: competency questions
• Marketing yourself in a CV
• What to include in a covering letter
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Online application forms
• Graduate job market is very competitive • On average at least 75% of applicants rejected
at the application stage:- Not providing credible evidence of competencies (skills) employers require- Not convincing employer you want the job- Not answering questions fully- Poor grammar/spelling
• Important that you are not de-selected at the application stage
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What are employers looking for?
Evidence that you CAN do the job (skills and experience)
Evidence that you WANT to do the job (motivation, enthusiasm, focus and commitment)
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Skills and Experience – What are employers looking for?• communication - ability to communicate orally, in writing or via electronic
means in a manner appropriate to the audience; • teamwork - being a constructive team member, contributing practically to the
success of the team; • leadership - being able to motivate and encourage others, whilst taking the
lead; • initiative - ability to see opportunities and to set and achieve goals; • problem solving - thinking things through in a logical way in order to
determine key issues. Creative thinking is also useful; • flexibility/adaptability - ability to handle change and adapt to new
situations; • self-awareness - knowing your strengths and skills and having the
confidence to put these across; • commitment/motivation - having energy and enthusiasm in pursuing
projects; • interpersonal skills - ability to relate well to others and to establish good
working relationships; • numeracy - competence and understanding of numerical data, statistics and
graphs.Taken from Prospects Directory 2009
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Skills and Experience – Where is the evidence?
• Course• Internship/work experience• Part-time work/vacation employment• Volunteering• Participation in societies/college activities• Outside interests/hobbies• Other responsibilities• Travel
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Tackling competency questions
• Answer the question directly – be aware of multiple elements
• Consider the purpose of the question...what is the employer assessing.
• Try not to use the same example for different competency questions
• Focus on specific examples rather than general ones
• Be aware of word limits – get to the point quickly; avoid narrative
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Skills and ExperiencesQ. Describe a time when you have worked within a team. What attributes did you bring to the team and what impact did you have? What did you learn about your own behaviour in this situation and how would you change your behaviour in a similar situation in the future? Assessing how you work with others and the contribution that you can make but also your self-awareness. Q. Give an example of a situation where you have come up with a creative solution to a complex problem.Assessing your problem solving skills but also your ability to think creatively and to cope with challenge.
Q. Describe the most difficult decision that you have ever had to make. What made it so difficult? How did you reach the outcome?Assessing the specific manner and process in which you make decisions.
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Skills and Experience – tackling competency questions e.g.teamwork
• Situation - describe with clarity and concision
e.g. Skills for Success course
• Tasks - outline what was undertakene.g. team project to develop a business plan
• Action - your actions takene.g. put forward a strategy to divide project into manageable tasks/allocated roles according to interest and experience
• Result - outcome of your actions - reflections & learning outcomes
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Skills and Experience – tackling competency questions
Teamwork‘Describe an occasion where you worked as part of a team. What contribution did you make?.’(100 words)
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Example answerIn my position as Welfare Officer for Ustinov College I was involved in working with other members of the College Community Committee to develop a programme of events related to welfare topics. I was able to effectively utilise the relevant knowledge that I had accrued through my role as Welfare Officer to communicate with the team some of the major welfare anxieties expressed by students. I also advocated how the programme might be structured and took responsibility for identifying and contacting appropriate professionals to deliver workshops. The outcome was five very well organised and attended workshops addressing student welfare issues.
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In my position as Welfare Officer for Ustinov College I was involved in working with other members of the College Community Committee to develop a programme of events related to welfare topics. Situation and Task
I was able to effectively utilise the relevant knowledge that I had accrued through my role as Welfare Officer to communicate with the team some of the major welfare anxieties expressed by students. I also advocated how the programme might be structured and took responsibility for identifying and contacting appropriate professionals to deliver workshops. Action
The outcome was five very well organised and attended workshops addressing student welfare issues. Result
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Motivation and enthusiasm…How do I demonstrate this? ...opportunity awareness!
Research, research, research!
Clear understanding of... Company/Organisation Job Description and Person Specification Career Area
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Motivation and enthusiasm...relating opportunity awareness to self awareness
• Relevant academic study – specific modules/dissertation
• Relevant experience• Contact with employer/sector exposure
(workshops, presentations, fairs)• Professional development (qualifications/training)• Relevant skills/qualities (relating to person
specification)• Independent research (careers websites e.g.
prospects.ac.uk, professional journals, business reports etc)
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Career MotivationQ. Why have you identified information technology as a career choice?
Q. Why do you feel that you would be suited to a career in the health sector and how does it fit in with your longer term career aspirations?
Q. Please tell us how you arrived at your career choice and eliminated any alternatives?
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Career Motivation
Example application form…
Which candidate would you select for interview?
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Career MotivationWhat factors have influenced your choice of career and why do you think you are suitable? (150 words)
I have experience of working in retail which was good both at Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer's. I enjoyed the work and dealing with people. I feel as a result I would be suitable for a graduate trainee position in retail.
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Career Motivation - example
My interest in retail started when I worked as a part-time sales assistant at Tesco’s. I enjoyed the variety of the work, which included checkout duties and warehousing, and being part of a team. Contact with a wide range of people was particularly appealing and allowed me to demonstrate my strong interpersonal and communication skills. During my work experience with Marks and Spencer, I had the opportunity to see the running of a store from a management perspective. Working with staff and customers on a daily basis really excited me and developed my understanding of staff and floor management. It also exposed me to different aspects of retail including marketing and buying. The response I received from colleagues enhanced my strong desire to undertake this role as well reaffirming that I have the necessary leadership, problem solving and customer service skills to perform very effectively in a management capacity.
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Strategy – Making a Case
Second candidate successfully demonstrated:
• a long-standing interest in the career• the key skills required• a good insight into the nature of the work and
employer
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Marketing yourself in a CV
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Preparation• No such thing as the perfect CV…and
one CV does not fit all! • CV must provide a strong reflection of
you (qualifications, experiences, skills & qualities) but must also reflect employers’ needs.
• It must interest and meet needs of employer (1st page impact)
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Conventions• Which country? A UK CV is very different to aGerman CV – ‘Global Resume Guide’• How long? 1,2,3 or more?• What style…chronological, skills
based, hybrid, academic? • National legislationAge, Marital status, Gender,
Nationality
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What should I include?• Education• Employment• Work Experience• Volunteering• Extra-curricular activities/positions
of responsibility • Skills• Interests
http://tiny.cc/enj4u 23
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Impact• First impressions – logical structure, easy to pick out key
elements• Effective use of space – devote more space to key
selling points, use key areas of CV to maximum effect (halfway down 1st page, top of 2nd page)
• Fill in the gaps – nothing left to the imagination!• Keep it to a maximum of two sides of A4 – avoid leaving
any blank spaces• Tailor it to the employer/profession and/or type of work -
use different versions if necessary. Law CV likely to be more traditional than one for the media. Emphasise aspects of your work experience that are most relevant to the individual employer.
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Impact• Avoid long sentences and large blocks of type• Use colour/shading sparingly; consistent font,
layout• Positive language – action verbs e.g. negotiated,
demonstrated, evaluated• Positive outcomes – achievements, awards,
successes • Be careful when using abbreviations and technical
jargon• Add an effective covering letter supporting the
evidence presented in your CV• Put yourself in the position of an employer
who has looked at lots of CVs…is it well presented and easy to read? Are your main selling points transparent?
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Covering Letters
Your CV should link you to the area of work…
the ‘Covering Letter’ should link you to this particular opportunity
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Covering Letters• Make sure it reaches the right person- Contact company
• address it appropriately Dear Mr/Mrs………Yours sincerelyDear Sir/Madam……….Yours faithfully
• state position that you are applying for and where you saw it advertised (make it clear what the purpose of the letter is at the beginning)
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Covering Letters• take great care with spelling, punctuation, layout; if writing
multiple covering letters ensure that you refer to the appropriate employer!
• evidence to support career and employer choice – demonstrate that you are making informed choice (opportunity to show employer that you have done your research)
• draw attention to your strengths, qualities & relevant skills/experience
• be concise and relevant
• only refer to weaknesses in you’re application if it is essential
• conclude on a very positive note
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Covering LettersSimple structure: • Why this job?- appreciation of role• Why this employer?- demonstration of interest• Why you?- emphasise your relevant
skills/complement information on CV
http://tiny.cc/i1jgh
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Support • CV and Application form clinics(pre-booked 30 min appointments) • If you have an immediate deadline use ‘Quick Query’ serviceResources• CVs for Graduates, Gerald Higginbottom (How to Books)• Preparing your own CV, Rebecca Corfield (Kogan Page)• Making Applications, AGCAS booklet• The Perfect CV, Tom Jackson (Piatkus)• Brilliant CV, Jim Bright & Joanne Earl (Prentice Hall Business)• The Global Resume, Mary Anne Thompson (John Wiley & Sons)Careers Folders• Career planning and job applications (2 – CVs & Covering Letters)Websiteswww.prospects.ac.uk http://www.selectsimulator.com/Welcome.asp www.get.hobsons.co.uk/advice/applicationswww.vitae.ac.uk (useful examples of academic CVs for PhD students)www.dur.ac.uk/careers-advice/students/generalinformation/effectiveapplications/
http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/downloads/publications/essentialsseriesofhandouts/greatcvsfromscratch/fileuploadmax10mb,161405,en.pdf
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The basic contents of a
CV…
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Basics of a CV – Contact Details• Name – can be used as a heading• Nationality? • Address – term and home address?• Profile? • Telephone (Mobile & Landline) • E-mail address – not too quirky!• Compact, clear font e.g. Arial,
Verdana
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David Henderson49 New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3PFHome: 0191 334 1432 Mobile: 0795553350 E-mail: [email protected]
Profile (Goal, Summary)Psychology graduate with highly developed analytical skillsand commercial experience seeking employment in marketresearch.
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Basics of a CV - Education Education
• Most recent/current programme of study – degree/postgraduate
• Some employers may ask for 1st or 2nd yr results• Predicted grade?• Additional degree related information – particularly if relevant
to job/organisation (e.g. modules/projects/dissertation)• Skills developed via study (presentation, analysis, research,
technical etc)• A2/AS subjects (or equivalent) and grades• summarise GCSE results e.g. 10 GCSEs - grades A-B
(including English, Mathematics and Science)• International qualifications – present them as they are (do not
attempt to equate with UK qualifications) • Reference to institution and dates attended• Some people separate education from qualifications –
pertinent if you have attended numerous institutions
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Education
Durham University 2002-2005
BA (Hons) Biology (2.1)
Modules included: Cellular & Molecular Biology; Microbiology; Molecular Virology,Genetic Systems and Human Genetics
Final Year Project: Assessing expression of cancer genes in tumour cells
• Cultured human tumour cell lines in sterile conditions over several weeks• Assessed ideal conditions for extraction of protein from cell lines• Separated proteins by gel electrophoresis and assessed levels of cancer genes
present by immunological methods.• Analysed results, wrote 6,000 word report and presented conclusions in a
seminar to 20 members of the department and 23 fellow students
Stockport Comprehensive 1995-2002
A-Levels Geography B, Mathematics B, History C 2002GCSE’s 8, including Maths A, English B, French C2000
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Education 2007 – 2010 Durham University
MChem (Hons) Chemistry Expected result 2:1 First year result: 62% Second year result: 67%
Modules:Core Chemistry (Thermodynamics, Organic Chemistry, Biological Chemistry, Quantisation and Spectroscopy,Transition Metal Chemistry, Symmetry, Group Theory and Covalent Bonding) Ring Chemistry (Aromatic and Heterocyclic chemistry, Ring Chemistry and Stereochemistry) Chemistry of the Elements (Chemistry of the S and P Block, Magnetic and Spectral Properties of Transitionmetal compounds)Properties of Molecules (Surface Chemistry, Magnetic Resonance, Introduction to Polymers) Learning outcomes:• Developed a broad range of transferable skills including teamwork, communication, problem solving and
decision making via assignments, laboratory practicals, workshops and poster presentations. • Broad range of technical and practical skills demonstrated including laboratory techniques and
instrumentation (analysis of compounds using NMR, IR and mass spectrometry), data analysis and computational methods.
2005 – 2007 Geitonas School, Athens (Greece)International Baccalaureate Literature (Standard Level 6/7), Latin (Standard Level 5/7), Philosophy (Standard Level 7/7), Chemistry (Higher Level 7/7), Physics (Higher Level 6/7), Mathematics (Higher Level 6/7)
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Basics of a CV – Relevant Information
Work Experience• vacation work• placements • full-time work• voluntary work
Most recent first. Information to include dates, job title, employer, duties and responsibilities
Opportunity to highlight achievements and contribution Organise work experience according to relevance e.g. legal,
teaching, retail etc Group similar items – useful if you have done lots of similar
jobs! Focus your experiences to the key requirements of job Recent experience…week spent with an employer while at
school not necessarily relevant
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Administrative Assistant
Durham County Council (June – September 09)
Responsibilities: Broad range of clerical duties within town planning department, including organizing meetings, taking minutes, word processing documents and handling public telephone enquiries.
Achievements: Directly responsible for planning a public meeting in respect of a significant city centre development. Arranged venue and public speakers, liaised with local media and promoted event to local communities.
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Policy research experience
April 07-July 08 Constituency Administrator,Sir Peter Soulsby MP for Leicester SouthDuties included: undertaking constituents’ casework, responsibilityfor the office reception and telephone callers, supporting theCommunications Manager by monitoring and recording mediacoverage, assisting with the organisation and running of meetingsand constituency events, providing some research support for thepreparation of briefings and letters.
Other experience
June 09 – September 09 Retail Assistant, TescoDuties included: providing high level customer service (checkoutduties, shop floor customer care), stock room management, stafftraining (customer service)
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MICROBIOLOGIST: Health Protection Agency - Year in Industry
July-July 2004
Responsibilities
• Analysed survival rates of range of micro-organisms in varying environmental conditions
• Grew pure cultures of bacterial strains
• Produced statistical analyses of results using SPSS
• Trained my replacement in use of equipment at the end of my contract
Achievements
• Developed excellent aseptic technique through careful handling of bacterial cultures
• Developed effective project management skills
• Received excellent feedback for end of year report and oral presentation
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Basics of a CV – Relevant Information Positions of Responsibility/Extra-curricular Activities • Clubs/societies/committees• Emphasise nature of responsibility/level of involvement
Skills/Additional Qualifications• Skills based courses e.g. Insight into Management/Routes to Success• Key element of a skills based CV – alternative to an extensive work
experience section• Chronological CV – IT, language, relevant technical skills (e.g. SPSS, C++)• Skills referred to should reflect those required in the position applied for
Interests and Activities• Offers employer a more personal picture of you but also opportunity to
highlight personal qualities and skills (e.g. working with others)• Context important – how often? level of attainment? achievements?
References (do not have to be included in a CV!)• Ideally one academic and one other – employer, personal (e.g. college tutor)• Don’t forget to ask permission!
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Positions of Responsibility Social Secretary – Collingwood
Football• Initiated contact with local employers
regarding team sponsorship. Following a number of presentations secured year long funding with two companies.
• Organized two week tour of USA. Responsible for itinerary and all communication with opposing teams.
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Structure of a CV…
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• Helpful to break the CV up into a series of key headings and sub-headings
• Effective means of grouping and reinforcing key information about yourself
• Effective use of headings can help to target your CV to the employer/role
• Does not matter what the headings are but must logically reflect what you have done and achieved; must also enhance structure of CV and improve ‘scanability’
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Education AchievementsInternships
Administrative experience
Volunteering Extra-curricular activities
Key Skills Relevant experience
Positions of responsibility Interests
Financial sector experienceOther experience Employment
Commercial experienceGap year Awards
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Styles of CV...
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The traditional CV (Chronological)
•presents information in order - chronological or reverse chronological order•keeps to standard headings (education, work
experience, achievements, volunteering etc)•Easy to organize and demonstrates your
progress•does not focus closely on a specific type of
work•Opportunities to customise and focus CV•Useful format if you have relevant work
experience (e.g. internships) or have demonstrated career progression
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Skills-based CV• Demonstrating evidence of your relevant
skills• Skills headings e.g. teamwork,
communication, decision making, problem solving etc
• Brief work experience descriptions• Difficult to organize but demonstrates that
you have considered needs of employer• Useful if you have had lots of different
experiences or if you have limited vocational experience but have done other things e.g. voluntary/society activities
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Targeted CV• may start with a career objective• is more highly focused – responsive to the needs of
employer/role• highlights relevant skills, experience and
achievements in both education and employment (giving evidence)
• may include a list of key achievements• useful for individuals with a broad range of relevant
experiences…as relevant for undergraduates?Hybrid CVs• Elements of traditional and skills based CVsAlternative CVs• Creative careers (advertising, media, design etc)
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Academic CV• More emphasis on
undergraduate/postgraduate study • Research interests/areas of expertise• Research/teaching or other relevant
work experience• Professional membership• Publications • Conferences & courses• Not restricted to 2 page rule!
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Using language to heighten impact…Experience: More than 3 years experience in… Demonstrated skills in… Extensive academic/practical background in… Experienced in all aspects of… Knowledge of/experienced as/proficient in… Provided technical assistance to…
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Using language to heighten impact…Ability: Extensive training/involvement in… Proficient/competent at… Joined organisation to specialise in…
Success: Promoted to… Succeeded in… Proven track record in…
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Using language to heighten impact…
Responsibilities In charge of/supervised/delegated… Now involved in/co-ordinate… Familiar with…
Roles: Edited, established/created/designed, formulated, initiated, implemented, managed, presented…