career opportunities

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Professional Development and Research

February 2011

Lecturer: Rositsa Milyankova

Lectures 1, 2 and 3

Aims of the unit“Professional development and

research”

To provide the opportunity for students to acquire management skills that will assist them in implementing career decisions

To equip students with research skills that they will need to develop and use effectively in order to write a dissertation or undertake a research project

Learning outcomes of the unit “Professional development and research”

Draft a Curriculum Vitae, a Letter of Application and an Application form for a new job

Produce a personal development portfolio Write a research proposal and research plan

that have the potential to provide the basis for the production of a dissertation or a project at undergraduate level

Course outline

Preparation for result-oriented job application Research, understanding and dissertations

philosophies of research in the social sciences Accessing and reviewing literature as part of

research Methods: Desk based research, interviews,

grounded theory, visual and observational research methods

Course outline Preparing a questionnaire. Designing a

schedule for research Samples and sampling Analyzing and presenting quantitative data Analyzing and presenting qualitative data Research planning and management

Indicative readings Fisher, C (2007) Research and Writing a Dissertation. FT

Prentice Hall. London. Second Edition Smith, M (2003) Research Methods in Accounting. Sage

Publications. London. First Edition [E-Book

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003) Research Methods for Business Students, 3e, FT/Prentice Hall

Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Lowe, A. (2002), Management Research: An Introduction, 2e, London: Sage.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Recruitment process

Online applications

Pre-screening

Research

First-round interview

Assessment centre

Screening

Applicants should consider all stages in the process to be equally important

Selling yourself

Main objectives: To explore personal traits and establish

strengths and areas of potential development To consider how personality characteristics,

knowledge, skills, abilities and values are likely to affect career aspirations and choices

To know yourself in order to better sell yourself

Traditional Methods for advertisements

Employment agencies Web-information Newspaper advertisements Online vacancies / job boards Career exhibitions Internal search (in the organization)

CAREER MANAGEMENT PATH(1)Know yourself – using diagnostic psychometric

instruments as: Personal audit (personal SWOT analysis) The Big Five Model Meyers Briggs Type Indicator Locus of control test Tolerance of ambiguity test Career orientation inventory Belbin self-perception inventory

CAREER MANAGEMENT PATH (2)

Plan your career Research into the graduate employment

market Design future career plans and their critical

application Personal learning objectives (at least three),

related to self-diagnostics and career opportunities and challenges


Sell yourself Identify your generic success criteria for business or

for your chosen occupation Design a C.V. Design a Motivation letter Access a Career service web-site for job-openings Examine critically the requirements of an on-line

application for a chosen job (Application Form)


Prepare for selection interview Selection interview as a structured

conversation Selection committee Interviewing methods Preliminary preparation, dress code,

behaviour, manners


Participate in assessment centers Role of the AC in the selection procedure: Group discussions / panel interviews In-tray (in-basket) exercises Group work Case studies


Lifelong planning How to improve your competencies in order

to be successful in achieving your personal development objectives

Reflective and critical review of your personal progress achieved

Further development needs identified

Application Documents C.V. or Resume Motivation Letter / Cover Letter Application Form Copies of Diplomas, Certificates and other

documents

CV Design Gathering information Deciding what to include Choosing a format Sections of resume Write a resume draft Critique your resume

CV Design General approach (European, American) Language (NEVER NEGATIVE) Section by section Contact details Career summary / profile / history Academic results Hobbies & interests NOT LONGER THAN ONE PAGE

General Approach To be specific / personalized Achievement based Employer benefits from your application Relevant evidence

C.V. HEADING

Includes: Photo, name, surname, local address, E-mail

address, mobile / stationary telephone number with the international dialing code, if you apply for over seas jobs

C.V. objective (not always) – a short concise statement, that may show the employer what kind of position or role you are looking for

Targeted C.V. This kind of CV is a way to focus your career towards a

particular objective, within a specific industry or a specific company.

A targeted CV is written in a way that highlights skills, qualifications and experience that match the requirements of the advertised position. Writing a targeted CV is effective when:- You know the requirements of a particular position- You know which company you will be sending your CV to- You are sending your CV in reply to a specific job advert- You need to compose different CVs each corresponding to a different career objective

The chronological format of the C.V.

The chronological CV shows your career progression and growth. The information flows from the present situation to the beginning of your career. The CV is easy to read and one can easily go through the career history.

The chronological CV is advised when:- When you have a solid career history, your career has flowed on the same area and there are no major gaps.- Your responsibilities have increased in each career change- You had high profile Job Roles- Your most recent jobs are the most important in your career history- The job advert specifies this kind of CV

Functional C.V. The functional CV emphasizes your accomplishments, skills and

qualifications at the beginning of your CV. The timeline is not an issue. Your career history is positioned at the end of your CV where you could also list small details about your previous jobs. The functional CV focuses on your skills and accomplishments rather than your life history. What you have done rather than when and where.

Employers are not happy with such CVs as they are often an indication that a candidate is trying to hide a gap or defect in his career history.

The functional CV is used in the following situations- You are looking for your first job- You do not want to advertise your age- Your major achievements happened a few years ago- You have been unemployed for a period of time- You are changing careers- You are returning to your previous career

C.V. to Resume The main difference between a CV and a Resume is brevity.

If you are applying for jobs in the US, recruiters will scan your CV for less than thirty seconds. US recruiters do not like lengthy job descriptions and personal profiles. If you have a 10 page CV you need to re-write it.

In the US, more than in other countries, time is money and recruiters do not have the time to spend 11 minutes reading your life history. Your resume should be: a teaser, the hook, pass on the essential information. Do not go into lengthy descriptions of how you saved your previous employer from bankruptcy. Just say “Implemented”

Cover Letter / Motivation letter or Business Proposal?

Grab attention Appeal to their self interest You are the solution (to their problem) Be specific Remember HR checklist Call to action

WHAT IS AN INTERVIEW?

A two party conversation in which (at least) one of the parties has serious, specific purpose (goal)

OBJECTIVES FOR INTERVIEWING:

Selection procedure Information gathering Performance appraisal etc. Disciplining (bringing under control) Consulting

Which results in different types of interviews

INTERVIEW’S CHARACTERISTICS:

Always purposeful Always structured (in different degrees) Has several distinct phases and involves

question-and-answer format Has an element of control Is bipolar – 2 parties participate Amount of speech - Pareto principle Is NOT longer than 2 hours

PREPARATION FOR THE INTERVIEW

• Yourself

• The Organisation

• The Job

• The Interview

PLANNING THE INTERVIEW(the interviewer)

Define the goal Identify and analyze the other party Prepare a list of topics: long/short term career

goals, knowledge about the company/products

Choose the best interview structure Consider the possible questions

THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERVIEW

Highly scheduled (structured conversation) – standardized list of questions

Nonscheduled – free conversation

Moderately scheduled – directed by interviewer

INTERVIEW STRUCTURE

Rapport Structure/length of interview Preamble about organisation/job General discussion about you Finding out about your character Detailed discussion about job Terms and Conditions Summing Up Next Steps

CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW

OPENING - DO NOT FORGET THAT:

50 % of decisions are made during the first 30-60 seconds

Next 25 % - in the first 15 min The rest 25 % are very difficult

decisions

CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW OPENING Greetings and self introduction – the 4 elements of

the “magic” greetings Orientation to:• Explain the reason for the interview• Explain what information is needed and how it will

be used• Mention the length of the interview• Motivation


BODY: exchange questions and answers Interviewer:- Controls and focuses the conversation- Listens actively- Uses different types of questions


BODY: exchange questions and answers Interviewee:- Reviews and clarifies the results- Corrects any misunderstanding- Covers his/her own agenda


CLOSING- Review and clarify the results- Establish future answers- Conclude with pleasantries

The 12 steps of the irresistible interviewStep 1: Get acquainted with the companyA) Formal way: corporate sites Bigbook.com Bizweb.com Businessweek.com/search.htm Businesswire.com Companiesonline.com Sec.gov/edgarhp.htm Fortune.com Hoovers.com Joboptions.com Jobsafari.com Morningstar.com Prnewswire.com Vault.com Westfeet.com

The 12 steps of the irresistible interview Step 1: Get acquainted with the companyBulgarian sites for job-seeking: Jobs.bg JobTiger.bg Rabota.bg Jobs.gbg.bg Zaplata.bg Jobs.neogen.bg Rabota.dir.bg

B) Non-formal way: call the company itselfYou can even receive instructions from the person at the phone

The 12 steps of the irresistible interview

Step 2: Dress appropriately – conservative style of dress

MEN: Dark suit, white shirt (long sleeves), dark stripped tie, black shoes (clean and shining)

WOMEN: Dark suit, trousers permitted, pale long-sleeve blouse (chemise), dark shoes (not very high heels)


Step 3: Go alone, no boy-friends or girl-friends (this is not professional)

Step 4: Arrive on time a/ coming earlier – drink coffee, use the

mirror b/ coming late – the interviewers never

shout, they just filter out


Step 5: The four magic greetings:

1. Smile

2. Direct eye contact

3. Hi, I am (first name) (last name). It is a pleasure meeting you.

4. Firm handshaking


Step 6: Do not accept the role of a subordinate or a superior

Ask the interviewer for an interesting object in his room – a picture, photograph, vase, flower. The more he/she speaks, the more you understand for him/her.


Step 7: Have a liking for the interviewer – we like people who are just like us

a/ observe the body language of the interviewer, in order to attract him when necessary

b/ present your C.V. only in case of their requestc/ start leading he conversation towards the offer

for the second interview, using phrases like: we have a good match here, my background is very suitable for this position, I am exited about this position, this looks like a long-term situation


Step 7: Have a liking for the interviewer – we like people who are just like us

d/ Develop your own dictionary (72 words recommended): aggressive, active, analyze, proficiency, careful, lead,

establish, affect, generate, pride, dynamic, diplomatic, direct, discipline, eliminate, energetic, effective, strengthen, vital, common sense, peform, initiate, control, focus, motivate, monitor, reliable, guide, train, provide, simplify, responsible, evaluate, win, improve, potential, innovate, recommend, conceive, efficiency, professional, develop, solve, streamline, results, conduct, attitude, systematic, tactful, accurate, accelerate, persuade, expand, skill, ability, participate


Step 8: Speak positive things about your present / previous employer

It is not easy!

Winners focus on passed successes and forget the passed failures

The thing that matters is the constant success, not the failures


Step 9: Admire the achievements of the employer, especially if he really deserves it. Ask questions about the production results, try to be impressed

Step 10: Be very observant!80 % of the decision is taken by now The good humor is very useful at this point


Step 11: Radiate powerShow personal traits like enthusiasm,

confidence, energy, reliabilityUnderline your loyalty, honesty, pride of

your work, of your professionTalk about your last strong characteristics:

effectiveness and efficiency, following procedures, cheapness, thrift, profit


Step 12: The four magic elements of taking farewell

1. Smile2. Direct eye contact3. It sounds like a great opportunity. I look

forward to hearing from you…4. Firm but polite handshaking

Possible questions to be asked:

Open vs closed qs Factual vs opinion qs Primary and secondary qs Direct vs indirect qs Hypothetical qs Leading and loaded qs

Possible questions to be asked: Why are you leaving your present position? How far do you think you can go in this company? Why? What are you looking for in a job? What are your career objectives? Why should we hire you? What can you do for us that someone else cannot do? Do you like to work? Why? What kind of salary are you worth? What are the last five biggest accomplishments in your last

job /your career? Can you work under pressure / deadlines / stress? What kind of people do you like?

Possible questions to be asked: What kind of people do you dislike? Why didn’t you do better at school? Why did you change jobs so frequently? What is your biggest strength? What is your biggest weakness? What makes you angry? How long will it take you to make contribution to our

company? How long will you stay with our company? Are you willing to travel? Are you willing to relocate/rotate? What positions do expect to have in years?

Possible questions to be asked: Don’t you feel you might be better off in a different type of

company? Why aren’t you earning more money? How is your family life? What do your subordinates think about you? Tell us all about yourself. How is your health? May we contact your present/previous employer? Do you prefer to work with a team or would you wok rather

alone? Do you like to work with people? Are you aggressive? How do you cope with stress? Are you innovative?

Possible questions to be asked by you:

What are your company’s plans for expansion? Is the department a profit center? How important are the department’s functions to the senior

management? Are you ready hire me now? How long has the position been open? How many employees have held the position in the last

five years? Why are the former employees no longer in the position? How many employees have been promoted from this

position during the past five years? What do you expect the person you hire to accomplish?

IMAGE/BEHAVIOUR

• First impressions count! • Appropriate clothes are essential• On greeting give eye contact, smile, shake

hands• Remain Alert• Act professionally

13 WAYS TO SHINE AT INTERVIEW

1. Make sure you keep a copy of your CV and/or application form

2. Research your potential employers3. Know the industry you are interested in entering4. Refer again to the job description that first inspired you to

apply for that job5. Consider your appearance6. Take with you the letter of confirmation from the organization

you are visiting7. Check how you are going to get there8. Be equipped – money, handkerchief, comb, lipstick

13 WAYS TO SHINE AT INTERVIEW

9. Learn the art of firm handshake

10. Remember that an interview is a two-way process

11. Think about your body language

12. Never be afraid of a pause

13. Give yourself time to relax and prepare

JOB-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE

Letter of inquiry: In this type of query you are inquiring about possible job opportunities that fit your skills. You have to give a general area you are interested in working in.

Job Application Cover Letter /Motivation Letter or Response to an Job Advertisement: Answering a particular job advert. The important thing in the cover letter is to show that your skills match those for the job advert.

Thank You Letter: A thank you letter shows the interest you have in a position you have been interviewed for.

Acceptance Letter: In this letter you state that you are accepting the job offered.

Declination Letter: You inform your employer that you are no longer interested in the position offered.In all cases make sure you follow the

What “homework” should you do?As part of doing your homework to prepare for the interview, you are trying to identify and clarify

five main areas: 1. Who you are---your capabilities, your skills, where you might fit in the organization,

preferred work style and environment. 2. Know what you want. This does not have to be in terms of job titles, but rather, what

skills do you plan to use. Where are you going? Have your short or long-term plans defined. Ask questions about your prospective job. Does this job fit with your current plans? Is it something you can handle? Would you be bored, or challenged by the job?

3. Research the prospective company. What do you know about the company? What is the corporate culture or way of doing things including their management style? How are they viewed in their industry? What are their critical issues facing their company? How do they treat their employees?

4. Anticipate questions and ways to communicate how you can impact their organization. 5. Find out more about the job itself. To whom do you report? What are they like to work

for? Is this a structured or unstruc tured environment? Is there opportunity for growth? Will I fit in? Will I thrive or just merely survive? What are the day-to- day tasks like?

EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE• Employers find Graduates one of the most

difficult roles to recruit

• Employers feel students with Work Experience: Manage their time better Are more realistic More mature

EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVE Your goal

– Stand out from all the other candidates

They look for:– Ability & Suitability– Willingness– Manageability & Teamwork– Professional Behaviour

EMPLOYERS PERSPECTIVEAll employers are interested in essentially the same kinds of things.

However, it does vary according to the purpose and nature of the organization. Here are a few examples of what they want from you:

How can you make money, or more money, for the company An Individual who creates or maintains systems that save time, or

save money are more efficient Someone who develops new products, services, or markets for the

organization (it doesn’t matter if it is a nonprofit or a private organization)

A person who will Improve or maintain exemplary customer service

FOLLOW UP Self Reflection

Feedback

Follow up Letter

REJECTIONS

Reason for Rejection– They did not feel you could do the job– They feel you lack a successful profile– They did not feel your personality would contribute to

the department/organisation

– You can not be the right person for every job!!!!

Language

Basic points – purpose for application General approach – personal SWOT Style, techniques, spelling & grammar Use active verbs, vary vocabulary, vary sentence

length, positive language Clear and concise Bullet points – if necessary Try to minimise use of ‘I’

And Finally

1 - Be proactive not reactive

2 - Be employer focussed

3 - Make the CV & Cover letter specific

4 - Do your own research

5 - Follow up everything

HR Divisions’ and Agency Functions

HR

Fill a specific brief Administrative function Gatekeeper role

Agency

Fill a specific brief Time based service Paid on results

Assessment centres

Main functions of assessment centres Insights into recent experiences –

simulations (in-basket / in-tray exercises)

Decision matrix – integrating data

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Action Discipline

9.5 5.8 7.7 6.8 3.0 32.7 72.3% Offer Mech Eng

8.5 8.0 6.7 5.8 3.3 32.3 71.7% Offer Mech Eng

8.5 6.5 5.7 5.8 4.7 31.1 67.8% Offer Chem Eng

7.5 6.0 6.3 6.8 3.3 29.9 64.2% Offer Mech Eng

7.0 7.0 6.7 4.8 5.0 30.4 64.1% Offer Mech Eng

6.0 6.3 5.3 5.5 7.7 30.8 60.5% Reject PE/RE

6.0 5.8 5.7 6.8 6.3 30.5 60.3% Reject Chem Eng

8.0 7.5 3.3 1.3 4.7 24.8 58.3% Offer PE/RE

7.0 6.0 7.0 4.3 0.7 24.9 57.0% Reject E,C & I

5.0 7.8 5.3 4.8 4.3 27.2 56.3% Reject Mech Eng

5.5 3.5 7.3 7.0 6.0 29.3 55.5% Reject Chem Eng

7.5 5.8 2.7 2.3 6.7 24.8 54.7% Reject PE/RE

5.5 7.3 5.3 1.3 5.0 24.3 52.3% Reject PE/RE

8.0 3.0 4.3 3.5 4.0 22.8 51.3% Reject PE/RE

4.0 6.8 4.0 3.3 3.3 21.3 45.1% Reject Chem Eng

3.0 6.0 5.3 3.5 4.0 21.8 42.8% Reject E, C & I

The Dos and Don’ts

The Dos

• Research the company and a little bit about the industry

• Find out what the company is looking for in its graduates – and think of some examples when you’ve demonstrated these skills

• Use the career service

• Keep up to date with business and political news

• Take advantage of the opportunity to find out more about the company and the people, working there

• Answer the question that is being asked, after you understand it

•Be yourself!


The Dos Stay calm, be relaxed and don’t panic

• Make sure your appearance is smart, but be comfortable

• Let the company know of anything that may affect your performance e.g. dyslexia, special disease

• Plan your journey carefully – and arrive on time

• Get a good night’s sleep!

• Be confident – and trust your own ideas

• Have fun

• Take some medication for relaxation (Lexotan??)!


The Don’ts

•Tell them what you think they want to hear

•Lie

•Be afraid to ask questions

•Worry if one part doesn’t go as well as the rest

•Be too pushy

•Stay up late or drink too much

•Attend events for the sake of it

CAREER MANAGEMENT DO:

– Audit where you are now– Audit where you want to be in the future– Evaluate how you can fill in the gaps– Ask for feedback– Think about the changes necessary– Talk to others, develop your network

DO NOT:- Depend on others recognising your potential- Devolve responsibility for your career on to your

organisation- Take silly risks – you should be making informed

choices

UPDATE YOUR CAREER PLAN REGULARLY!!!

CAREER MANAGEMENT

FINAL COMMENT– It IS important to manage your career!

– The people who get the best jobs are those who are most skilled at managing their careers and finding opportunities.

– Getting the perfect job is a job in itself!

Lifelong learning

Career planning report Personal review of experience Summery of main learning points Critical review of personal development

(linked to personal learning objectives) and link to future employability

Succeeding at wok Leading projects Managing time Planning Chairing meetings Negotiating Conflict resolution Managing stress

Ten Golden Rules for Career Management(1)

1. Main C.V. objective – to win an interview2. To prepare your C.V. as a means/device to better sell

yourself 3. Choose the most suitable for you C.V. format a/ chronological b/ functional c/ targeted 4. Design a new C.V. for every job-application5. Make the C.V. as long as ONE page


6. Use “powerful” words as: manage, organize, sell, invent, optimize, develop, perfect, coordinate, , produce, negotiate, create, control, monitor, implement, build

7. Be concrete8. Be specific: arrange a first class presentation of the contents,

use bullets, give free space to the text “to breathe”, underline titles, use Verdana instead of Times New Roman and font size between 10 and 14, avoid fancy style, use A4 white and more specific paper – cardboard or more expensive one, print only on one side, avoid dot matrix printouts and low quality photocopies, list phone numbers on different lines


9. The contents of the C.V. contains three types of information:a/ professional experience ~ 78 – 80 %b/ education and training ~ 18-20 % and

c/ personal information and contacts ~ 2-4 %.N.B. Do not write nonsense - not enough space10. The personal information includes: name, gender, ID or

date of birth, recent photo, family status, children, hobbies, knowledge, skills, interests, courses, which have nothing to do with the job

N.B. Title as European format of a C.V. or any other useless inclusions sound absurd and ludicrous


Bonus: Check for spelling mistakes, use positive language, give, if necessary addresses of your previous employers, do not hide negative experience and

BE HONEST!!!