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Creative Job-Hunting Skills in a Challenging Time

Your Job-Hunting starts here?. Effective job-hunting involves 3 main elements: knowledge of yourself - what type of job would match your interests, motivations and values; knowledge of the job market - where the jobs are and knowledge of the best job search methods.. Passive V's Creative Job-Huntin

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Creative Job-Hunting Skills in a Challenging Time

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    1. Creative Job-Hunting Skills in a Challenging Time Presented by The Careers and Counselling Service, CIT

    2. Your Job-Hunting starts here… Effective job-hunting involves 3 main elements: knowledge of yourself - what type of job would match your interests, motivations and values; knowledge of the job market - where the jobs are and knowledge of the best job search methods.

    3. Passive V’s Creative Job-Hunting Passive and Reactive job-hunting will only produce results for a small number of people during a recession. It involves applying for advertised jobs and being in competition with a large number of people. It also involves searching recruitment websites which a lot of people also do. It’s important to note that many employers use these websites to recruit experienced staff while they use third level college careers service websites to recruit graduates.

    4. Main elements to a creative job search: Research on yourself and the jobs market. Networking – developing a network of people who can give you career advice/ tips, industry contacts & heads-up information on potential job opportunities. Make speculative applications – this involves sending a CV/cover letter to firms who have not advertised jobs. Note: During a recession competition for jobs is higher and your CV could be on file before a job is advertised. This works in some cases only.

    5. Research – yourself and the jobs market Do you know what type of job would suit you as a graduate? To match jobs to your interests, motivations & values do the self assessment exercises on http://gradireland.com/careers-report To see what is involved in certain jobs the latter website also provides job profiles (with more to be added in 2011). See also www.prospects.ac.uk ( see ‘jobs & work experience’, ‘types of jobs’). Sector specific websites are a useful source of job descriptions as well as a source of potential jobs, e.g. www.engineersireland.ie, www.greenjobs.ie, www.constructionjobs.ie Talk to people you know who have a job that interests you. This is all essential research as potential employers are more interested in applicants who have researched job descriptions/ titles.

    6. Networking at its simplest involves asking people to help you in your job search. You want help initially in identifying and approaching any contacts who can link you to employers in your sector. NB: When networking, the first person you meet does not have to be in the sector or doing the job you are interested in, but may be able to put you in touch with the right person. Networking

    7. Networking Sources Any relevant employers to date or work placement employers may give you contacts in other firms within the sector. Join www.linkedin.com – professional networking website. Create your professional profile using info from your CV & state your aim regarding seeking work. There is an option to join relevant professional groups/networks – ideal way to get industry contacts & potential jobs. See ‘groups’ in drop down menu on homepage. Jobs are also listed for different sectors on the site. For a listing of companies and their profiles see www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/Source-a-Product-or-Service-from-Ireland/Sector-and-Company-Directories. Also www.idaireland.com

    8. Other Networking Sources Professional Institutes & Associations Your extended family & their friends/ acquaintances Your friends & their relatives/ acquaintances Community contacts - sports, clubs, church, committees…

    9. Networking - Information Interviewing These questions can be put to some of your network professionals – the purpose of these questions is to learn more about the particular sector and entry route information. How did the person get into the sector? Duties involved in their job? What is the competition for jobs like? How can I improve my chances of getting a job, e.g. extra training? What important skills are needed? What are the entry – level jobs? Opportunities for work–shadowing? Feedback on my CV?

    10. Start early! NB: If you start networking early & widely you may increase your chances of gaining valuable contacts, whom you can come back to when job-seeking at a later stage. (This is especially relevant to non-final year students.)

    11. Speculative Applications NB: Key point of Creative Job-hunting is that many jobs are not advertised: Advertising jobs is expensive and time consuming and may elicit an unwanted large volume of CVs - especially during a recession. Employers may already have received speculative CVs and will usually review these first for potentially suitable candidates to interview. They may ask internally if their own employees know of any suitable candidates for the job (networking). If none of these options brings any suitable/potential candidates they may then advertise.

    12. Speculative Applications Speculative applications are especially important to small-medium sized firms (up to 250 employees), who may have little budgetary resources for recruitment. The majority of firms in Ireland are SME’s, (Small & medium-sized enterprises).

    13. Speculative Applications See information on the ‘networking sources’ slide (previously) for targeting firms in your sector with speculative applications.

    14. Work-shadowing & unpaid work If on graduating, relevant paid work is hard to come by for a while, consider offering yourself voluntarily to a firm for a day/few hours. Work Placement Programmes for unemployed graduates – Fas www.fas.ie and IBEC www.ibec.ie/gradlink Or ask about work-shadowing – you ’shadow’ an employee to observe and learn about their job/duties involved. Both options could be obtained using networking and/or speculative applications.

    15. CVs and Cover Letters Go to CIT’s Careers & Counselling Service www.careersandcounselling.com for Sample CVs and Cover Letters. Other websites with CV samples and tips include www.gradireland.com www.prospects.ac.uk – postgraduate CVs/Mature Students

    16. Basic Rules for a Successful CV 1 or 2 pages (no more). Use a Standard CV Structure as shown in this presentation or something similar. Presentation is vital – clear simple style, easy to read, no colours/ pictures/borders. Font Style – Times New Roman. Font Size 10 or 12 for content & 14 for headings. Use bold/underline headings. Use bullet points not paragraphs.

    17. Before you start your CV… What is the job or work placement – is there a job spec? If you have a job spec match the skills/experience that are required to do the job. E. g. Communication, team-player, using initiative, technical/lab skills… Where have I developed these skills? Demonstrate with examples on your CV.

    18. 3 Key Areas ACADEMIC WORK SOCIAL

    19. YOUR CV A: Personal details Name Address Mobile number (with voicemail set up) E-mail address (NB: business-like)

    21. B: Educational Record Reverse chronological order Dates/Title of Degree/College Subjects – current year Projects/Group-work Techniques/Instrumentation used Achievements Competitions/Exhibitions Results – overall including any achievements

    22. Education CV Example THIRD LEVEL EDUCATION 2007-Present Cork Institute of Technology Bachelor of…………….(Honours) Results : Achieved Merit 1 (2:1) in 3rd year Subjects: List subjects or bullet point ………………. …………………. ………………. …………………. ………………. ………………….

    23. Education continued… CV Example Projects: ‘Title of project’. This team/individual project entailed research on… Responsible for designing…………… Technical-techniques/instrumentation/software…… Presentation (Power Point)…………………. Result:……………………….. SECOND LEVEL EDUCATION 19..-20.. Colaiste Chriost Ri, Cork Leaving Certificate (380 points including a B1 in (relevant subject).

    24. C: Work Experience Reverse chronological order- start with most recent job. Relevant Experience and Other Experience Past & Present tenses where relevant Responsibilities, duties, outcomes Equipment/techniques/software used Include summer and voluntary work-all important!

    25. Relevant Work Experience CV Example Name and address of Company June – Sept. 20.. Marketing Assistant Worked as part of a team within the xxx Department. Assisted senior marketing manager on various projects xxxx Up-dated and maintained files/database on xxxx. Additional Work Experience Name and address of company , June 20.. – Present Sales Assistant ( weekends) Provide customer service and deal with queries…. Reconcile cash tills and stock shelves. Work long and flexible hours in a team environment

    26. D: Skills Profile Computing / IT Skills: Proficient in the use of.. MS Word & Excel… Working knowledge of …MS Access… Familiar with …..(particular computer languages/software) Successfully completed ECDL course in 2005 Interpersonal Skills: Team player - developed through my weekend work in a team environment and involvement in soccer/society/college project.. Communication - developed through customer service jobs. Presentation skills enhanced by college presentations to group of 75 students and two academic staff. Other skills to consider including as relevant- are leadership, organisational skills, showing initiative and problem-solving Language Skills ( as appropriate) French/Irish to Leaving Cert Standard Other languages – state level of competency particularly if English is not your mother tongue. (exams/certificates obtained)

    27. E: Interests and Achievements Extra curricular activities Clubs/societies/activities State your level of involvement - secretary/chairperson/coach etc.. Individual and Team Based activities Travel Achievements – Recent or in the last few years (music grades/competitions/ Gaisce awards/captained a team…)

    28. F: Referees Referees – Two required normally One Academic - Lecturer/Co-ordinator/Head One Employer If you have no employers to use then use 2 academic staff members if possible. State their name, title, organisation, phone number and/or e-mail address. If there is no space for contact details then state simply-’Referees available on request’ at the end of your CV. NB: Contact Referees for consent first!

    29. Final CV Tips NB-Check Spelling/grammar Positive language Dates are correct DO NOT give incorrect information

    30. Cover letters Send cover letter with CV – either paper format or use main body of email with CV as attachment. Attachments as Word Docs can usually be read by all PCs. Structured letter with clear messages in each paragraph – summarize what you have to offer the employer & state why you want to work for them. Sample Cover Letters & CVs on our website www.careersandcounselling.com under ‘Careers Service’.

    31. We are here to help…. Careers & Counselling Service, 2nd floor, Student Centre. Appointments - Monday to Friday (021) 4335772 www.careersandcounselling.com

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