EMPLOYMENT AND JOB SEARCH You have to remember that you have to sell yourself because you are “the product” on the job market. It is the same when companies have to sell their products to succeed. There are many people who are interested in the job you have heard about so there is tough competition. It is very important to be able to stress your qualities. It is also important to know how to plan your job search. You have to: 1. spend some time designing strategies for a successful job search 2. carry out market analysis 3. think about your goals 4. carry out a thorough self-analysis – it is your first step in job searching Self-analysis It is necessary to get to know your skills, interests, values, personality and aptitudes. You should think about your education, work experience, activities, hobbies... Employers are interested in what you are able to offer, whether you are able to satisfy their demands. So you have to be able to promote all aspects of your personality correctly. That is why you should: Know yourself – you should consider your abilities, interests, knowledge and shortcomings. You should be honest with yourself. Determine your interests – you should analyse what activities are the most interesting for you. Recognize your aptitudes – you should identify the personal qualities and special abilities that you have, evaluate the qualities that make you an outstanding candidate – you have to be able to speak about them and to stress the importance of these features for your future. Understand your physical capabilities – you have to know your health. You have to admit if you have any physical handicaps and take them into consideration when you are applying for a job. Identify your skills – you have to determine what knowledge and skills you have obtained during your studies and work experiences. You will need to stress three types of skills – what you know, who you are, what you can do. After analysing yourself you should be able to decide on what type of job to search for. Once you have decided on the type of job you want, tell people you are looking for a job and what kind of job you want. Most jobs come from contacts of some sort. Talk to someone, who works in a company which you are interested in. Read job advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet. If any advertisements (ads) are interesting, try to learn as much as possible about the company and the job position. You can also go to an employment agency or a job centre and ask about jobs. When you decide to apply for a job you will almost certainly need to send them a covering letter (a letter of application) and a CV – Curriculum Vitae. These documents are the first contact, which you have with a prospective employer, and the employer uses them to decide whether to grant you an interview. In the letter of application you must state why you want the job and why you are potentially the best person for it. In your CV you must give your full name, date and place of birth and full address. You must name all your skills and abilities which you can offer to the job. The information about your education (qualifications) and career history (former experience) is also very important. It should be as short as possible (one page is best) and in a clear format which is easy to read. Employers may have hundreds of CVs to look through, so they want to see the important information immediately. Your perspective employer will need references about your character and experience from your former teachers and employers. If it seems that you match what they are looking for, you might be invited for an interview. You can get the job only if you make a good impression on the person who is interviewing you. Here are some rules to help. Before the interview: ü You should find out as much as you can about the job. You should think out how your qualifications and experience relate to the job, why the employer should employ you and not somebody else. ü You should choose your interview clothing with care. Whether you like it or not, appearance counts. ü You shouldn’t forget to take all your school certificates and letters of recommendation. ü You should take a pen because you will probably have to fill in an application form. You should answer all the questions as best as you can and write neatly. ü You should find out where the interview office is and how to get there. You should be there on time, or better, a few minutes earlier. ü Before the interview, you should have a light meal and go to the toilet. You shouldn´t be chewing gum, sucking on a sweet or smoking. ü You shouldn’t have an alcoholic drink beforehand to give you courage. At the interview: ü You shouldn’t smoke or sit down until you are invited to. You should avoid giggling, yawning, rambling or being argumentative. ü The interview is designed to find out more about you and to see if you are suitable for the job. So the interviewer will ask you questions. Your answers will show what kind of person you are and if your education, skills and experience match what they are looking for. You should make a real effort to answer every question which the interviewer asks. You should be clear. ü You should admit if you don’t know something about the more technical details of the job, but stress that you are willing to learn. ü You should show some enthusiasm when the job is explained to you. If the interviewer asks if you have any questions, you should have at least one question ready to show that you are interested. ü You should sell yourself! ü You shouldn’t ever stress poor aspects of yourselves, like your problem of getting up in the morning. ü You should always show your best side, especially your keenness to work and your sense of responsibility. ü You should ask questions at the close of the interview, e.g. about the pay, working hours, holidays, or if there is a training programme. ü You shouldn’t forget to shake hands with the interviewer. After the interview: ü You should think about how you presented yourselves. Could you have done better? If so, and if you don’t get the job, you can be better prepared when you are next called for an interview.