Career & Competence - Career Coaching Group for International Degree Students

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE - CAREER COACHING GROUP FOR INTERNATIONAL DEGREE STUDENTS - Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen University of Oulu VALOA-project GROUP MATERIALS

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 1 Getting started: getting to know each other and career planning Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

INTRODUCTIONS – GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER
1. Where do you come from? -Put yourself to the world map…
…
2. Who are you? What brings you here?

NOTE:
Job seeking process during C&C group;
Finding interesting job announcements
Choosing one, which you really find interesting
Preparing application + CV for that one particular job
Interview simulations for this job
Start keeping your eyes open for open positions!

RULES, IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES
Sincerity, openness
Confidentiality
Commitment
Active participation
Responsibility
Equality
… What else?

EXERCISE 1.1 REMEMBERING MY FUTURE The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

” Every student can have a career in the future,
but not every student is
aware of the possibility that they can shape their careers in the future”
Mark L. Savickas

WHAT IS A CAREER?
Series of jobs
Progress, vertical movement
Profession, movement between certain kind of tasks
Individual, sequential choises – life career
Self-satisfying progress and professional development
Growth in competence, skills, know-how and expertice
Development process of professional identity (or even personality)
Career Services, University of Oulu

CAREER PLANNING – WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

GOALS FOR CAREER PLANNING
Enhancing self-knowledge
Clarifying one’s own interests and goals
Increasing goal-orientation
Defining study and career plans
Increasing motivation
Improving job seeking skills

HIT-AND-MISS OR MASTER PLAN?
Making choices
Building expertise
Mastering one’s own know-how – knowledge, skills, learning ability
Creating potential for coincidences
Building expertise from experience

CAREER DEVELOPMENT VS. CAREER MANAGEMENT
Career development
Life-long development process, which includes different work roles and movement from one role to another
Career management
Target-oriented and conscious activities in individual’s career
Career skills
International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance

” CAREER BEHAVIOUR”
= action related to one’s own career and professional goals
Inner Pull-factors; values, personal meanings and experiences…
Social Push-factors; raising from culture and surroundings, role-determined attitudes related to gender, profession and positions…
Personal factors; traits, personality, self-direction, self-respect, self-concept…
Satu Lähteenmäki

KNOWING YOURSELF AND PLANNING YOUR CAREER  DOING THINGS Knowing Doing Career Services, University of Oulu

CAREER PLANNING AS KNOWLEDGE PROCESSING
The Pyramid of Information Processing Domains
Thinking about my decision making Knowing how I make decisions Knowing about myself Knowing about my options Metacognitions Decision-Making Skills Self-Knowledge Options Knowledge Gary W. Peterson, James P. Sampson & Robert C. Reardon

Starting point
Family, relationships, studying, work history, goals
Work life knowledge
Professions, branch,
Competence requirements
Information Processing
Action Plan
Setting and specifying your goals
Setting smaller steps towards your goals
Concrete plan how to achieve your goals
- What skills and experience do I need, how and when do I get those..?
Updating your plan Self-knowledge Competence, personality, values, interests, resources, health CAREER PLANNING Career Services, University of Oulu

EXERCISE 1.2 MAP OF WORK LIFE
Researching work life…
Work history
Competences
Visions of the future
Emotions, values, attitudes
The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

MY GOALS FOR THIS CAREER GROUP
Development of career skills
My development as ”career researcher”

ASSIGNMENT FOR OUR NEXT C&C MEETING
” A challenging situation”
For next week’s meeting come up with a challenging situation from studies / work / hobbies that you managed to overcome.
Try to figure out a situation when you really had to work hard to overcome the challenge.
Prepare to describe the situation and how you managed to get through it.

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 2 How to become aware of your strenghts and skills? Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

CAREER COMPETENCES - KNOW WHY, KNOW HOW, KNOW WHOM
Motivation – Why am I making certain choices? What motivates me to choose certain career, job and life style?
Values, attitudes, needs (motivation), identity
Skills – How is my know-how compounded?
Skills, expertise, prowess, tacit vs. conscious knowledge, experience
Networks – Who do I know?
Relationships, connections
Maria Järlström

EXERCISE 2.1 CHALLENGING SITUATION The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

MY SKILLS AND KNOW-HOW
Starting point for job seeking process:
Identifying your own skills and know-how
Ability to describe it with examples and achievements
It’s important to believe in your personal competence, but also to recognize the areas you need to develop.
Read through job announcements carefully:
What is the employers looking for?
Tailoring the applications and CV according to that

EXERCISE 2.2 ACCOMPLISHMENTS WORKSHEET The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCE
What kind of competences and skills do you have?
Do you have some special skills that you could emphasis?
In what kind of assigments have you succeeded best in your previous jobs? Why?
What kind of assigments have been most challenging / difficult for you? Why?
What kind of skills and competences do you need to develope / gain more?
What is your best achievement so far?
What have you learned from your previous employments?

” Taito-Ura” Self-Assessment Tool
http://www.uraohjaus.net/DefaultUK.aspx

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 3 Job seeking process Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

GETTING READY FOR JOB SEEKING
Where can I find a suitable job?
What kind of skills and know-how employer wants?
What can you offer for the employer?
Where are you good at?
How will you contact the employer?

JOB SEEKING PROCESS Interview Goal achieved?? Contacting employers Set your goals! Make your action plan! Seeking information about employers and open positions Applications Selection What can you do? What do you want to do? Phone calls Career Services, University of Oulu

WHERE TO START – KNOWING YOURSELF
What kind of work are you interested in?
What kind of work experience do you have?
What are you good at?
What are you interested in?
What skills have you got?
What are your career goals?
What skills and experience do you need to achieve them?
This information you’ll need in your application

JOBS TO APPLY FOR…
Announced positions – public recruitment process
Everyone can see, everyone can apply
Free competition
A lot of applications
Open positions – hidden recruitment process
Information is in ”inner circle”
Requires networking
Limited competition
No open position, open application
Applicant’s unprompted contact & shown interest
Limited or no competition

PUBLISHED POSITIONS VS. HIDDEN POSITIONS Published positions Hidden positions Anita Perttunen

MOST COMMON RECRUITING CHANNELS
Internal recruitments
Personal contacts
Applicant unprompted, direct contact
Company’s web page
TE-office (employment office)
Directly from schools / universities
Advertising in newspapers / magazines
Recruiting agancies / consults
Commercial web-pages
Staffing services
Social media
EK 2011 – Nostetta liiketoimintaan ihmisillä

WHERE TO FIND JOBS…
Finnish employment office ( Employment and Economic Development Office)
http://www.mol.fi/paikat/ -> paikkavahti
Aarresaari – Academic Career Services
http://www.aarresaari.net/english/jobboard.htm
Company webpages (Yritys -> Työpaikat)
Sunday’s newspapers (Kaleva, Helsingin Sanomat)
Recruitment / staffing companies: Eilakaisla, Monster, JobBoard, VMP, Adecco, Barona, Manpower, Mercuri Urval, StaffPoint, Academic Work, Opteam, ElanIT, StudentWork
The announced traineeships, University of Oulu
http://www.oulu.fi/careerservices/harjoittelu/index.html
Personal networks (hidden positions)

… MORE JOB HUNTING / NETWORKING CHANNELS
Social Media
LinkedIn
BusinessOulu – database of companies
http://www.investinoulu.com/company_database
City of Oulu
Villa Victor http://www.ouka.fi/villavictor/
Info for expatriates moving to Oulu http://www.ouluexpatcity.fi/index.htm
Friendship house http://www.oulunsetlementti.fi/ystavyystalo/en/index.html
The House for Girls in Oulu http://www.likka.fi/index.asp?pid=94
Homelike Oulu http://www.ouka.fi/homelikeoulu/
Associations / organizations of citizens in Oulu area http://www.oulu.ouka.fi/linkit/yhdistyksia_jarjestoja.htm
General information about Finland & how to look for work
http://www.infopankki.fi/
http://www.expat-finland.com/index.html

HOW TO FIND THE HIDDEN JOBS?
Personal networking
Family, friends, previous employers, teachers, professors, study pals, acquaintances from hobbies, voluntary activities etc
Active monitoring of working life
Keep your eyes open!
Open applications
Application and personal contact
Sell your competence! Prepare your ”lift talk”!

EXERCISE 3.1 PERSONAL NETWORKS IN JOB SEEKING The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

MAIN PRINCIPLES FOR JOB SEEKING
Be active and creative in your job search
Let people know that you are looking for work
Show interest in the job you are seeking
Job seeking is a full-time job, it requires time and energy
Application periods can be very short, so you need to react quickly
Fill up several applications
Make two plans, A and B:
Seek jobs that you are really interested in (realistic daydreams)
Seek jobs from companies / organizations that have recruited students / graduates from your field / study program

SOME FINNISH CUSTOMS IN WORKING LIFE
Employers are used to applicants contacting them directly
Don’t be shy – be active!
Networking is the key
Punctuality is extremely important – be on time, always!

EXERCISE 3.2 ELEVATOR SPEECH
What would you say, if you met a person who could lead you to your dream job and had only 30 seconds to state your case?
Prepare to describe briefly:
Who are you?
What are you looking for? (What kind of industry and organization are you interested in? What kind of work would inspire you the most?)
What do you offer? (What are the main contributions you can make? What kind of competence, experience and achievements do you have that make you stand out from all the other candidates?)
Everyone presents his / her own elevator speech to others

Find an open position from newspaper or internet, that really interests you.
Bring the printed job announcement with you to our next session.

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 4 Application documents & interviews Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

JOB SEEKING PROCESS Interview Goal achieved?? Contacting employers Set your goals! Make your action plan! Seeking information about employers and open positions Applications Selection What can you do? What do you want to do? Phone calls Career Services, University of Oulu

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS (APPLICATION & CV)
” Style”
Speaks about applicant’s attitude and motives
Concers both application documents (layout) and applicant’s behaviour and dressing up (appearance) in an interview situation
Content
Applicant’s expertise and competence
Employer gets the information he/she needs to support selection process and decision making
Readability and clear structure helps them to find the accurate information
Correct grammar and linguistic form, no misspellings

THE APPLICATION (A.K.A. COVER PAGE)

APPLICATION MAKES THE FIRST IMPRESSION!
Emphasize your skills and know-how related to certain job and its requirements
Highlight your personality
Tailor your application to fit into each position
Decribe the additional value you can bring for the job
Remember to be truthful
If the job announcement is in Finnish, make a application in Finnish (but only if you know Finnish!)

GOOD APPLICATION IS…
… seemly and relavant
Think about what kind of picture you want the employer to get from you
Read the announcement carefully – what are they looking for?
Be honest and truthful, don’t ”over-sell”
Try to put yourself to employer’s position – why should they hire you?
… clear
Both outfit and content
” Normal” fonts, font size and margins
Pay attention to the logical order of content
… short
Concentrate on key issues
Don’t send copies of testimonial, diplomas etc. unless asked
Max 1 page

GOOD APPLICATION IS…
… personal
Keep your own personal style
If your style does not fit the company’s culture, maybe you do not fit either…
Avoid standard applications and used phrases – show that you have paid attention to this particular application
Humour is allowed, but be careful with it
… giving the employer answer WHY
Speaking about motivation, why you want to be selected
What in your personality, skills and know-how fits the position and company
If you can show your enthusiasm – you have more chances to be picked from the mass of applicants

CV - CURRICULUM VITAE / RÉSUMÉ -

GOOD CV IS…
… clear - both layout and structure
… readable and well-defined
… not too long (max. 2 pages)
… updated (no old dates)
… tailored for applied position
* All the important information should be
easily found in the CV *

CV MUST INCLUDE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
Contact details
Title; Curriculum Vitae / CV / Resume
Personal details; Name, date and place of birth
Education; in reverse order
Degree, educational institution and major
If degree not complited; stage of studies and estimated graduation time, if studies are in final straight
If your theses work is related to the applied job, describe the key elements of it
Studies abroad; dates and gained experience & know-how

CV MUST INCLUDE…
Work experience; in reverse order
Employer, time, title. You might want to give key words for job description and responsibilities (if it’s relevant for the applied job). Make it compact!
If you have long work experience you may outline your experience under subtitles, which helps the employer to find the information he/she is interested in. For example customer service work, project work, office work…

CV SHOULD INCLUDE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
Other education;
Supplementary education
Shorter courses
Mention at least those relevant for the applied job.
Language skills;
Languages and evaluation of your proficiency
Spoken vs. written
You may want to describe your level of language skills by giving examples.

CV SHOULD INCLUDE…
IT-skills
Programs and operating systems you are familiar with
Especially special skills; programming
Estimated level of your skills
If it’s a IT position, the information must be detailed
Research and publishing activities
Competence, know-how and strengths
Most significant achievements

CV COULD INCLUDE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
Photo
Military / non-military service
Marital status / number of children
Positions of trust / organizational activities /voluntary work
If your work history is short, you can emphasize skills and know-how gained in these kind of positions
Please note that positions of trust can also raise prejudice (e.g. political)
Hobbies
Gives a more personal touch of you
You may have gained special skills and competences needed in working life also in your hobbies
Pay attention to issues like ’what do your hobbies tell about you…’

CV COULD INCLUDE…
Future goals
Longer term goals for career
What kind of tasks you are interested in
Referees / recommendations
Persons who have promised to give further information about you
Give name, title, contact details and how this person is related to you
If you have not gained work experience related to your education, you can ask your professor, theses instructor, mentor etc. to give recommendations

EXERCISE 4.1 VALUE GAME The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

CONTACTING THE EMPLOYER
Think in advance what you want to ask . Don’t call just for calling, and don’t ask for information, which is found in job announcement or is otherwise useless. Short and punchy questions!
Remember to take notes about most important issues during the conversation (also name of the person you are speaking with)
Also note that the person you are speaking with might take notes
Be prepared to tell about yourself . Make a list of the things employer should know about your skills and know-how, and the things that might raise employer’s interest
Try to find out about things that are meaningful to you (how much travelling is required, who are you reporting to, number of subordinates if any etc.)
Avoid both excessive self-confidence and excessive humility
” Sell your competence”

THE INTERVIEW

GOALS OF THE INTERVIEW
Changing information – both sides
Evaluation – both sides
How the person would adapt to the job/position/team/organization (suitability)

INTERVIEW TYPES
Phone interview
Group interview
Individual interview
Work simulation
Aptitude tests
Combination of previous

PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
Get to know the employer
“ Why are you interested in us/our organization?”
Personal goals & motives
Your skills and competences
Try to predict what they’ll ask you and outline your answers
Give concrete examples of your skills and experiences
Try to approach negative things from positive aspects
Be consistent and logical
Prepare to ask questions
Be prepared to be asked about salary expectation
Forget all cliches
Be yourself!

HOW TO PREPARE…
Sleep well beforehand
Not too much coffee before the interview…
Take your certificates with you (degree diplomas, testimonials, letters of reference)
Be on time!!
Dress appropriately (smart casual)
Close your mobile phone
Be positive
Relax
Remember that the interviewers are nervous too…
Don’t be too modest or too arrogant
Trust yourself!

TOP 10 – MOST COMMON QUESTIONS IN JOB INTERVIEWS
Tell us about yourself
What do you know about our organization?
What are your strengths?
What about weaknesses?
What motivates you?
If everything goes as you have planned – where do you see yourself in 3 years?
What do you do in your free time?
Why are you interested in this post?
Why should we choose you?
Is there something you would like to ask from us?

ACCORDING TO FINNISH LEGISLATION THEY SHOULD NOT ASK ABOUT...
Religious beliefs and political conviction
Health, illnesses, disability
Family relations / family planning
Sexuality
Military /non-military service
Your ethnic backgroud
Only job related aspects should be asked
Things/questions that are not linked in that specific work should be arguable/justified

HOW THE INTERVIEW COULD PROCEED…
Introductions (organization, interviewers)
Applicant’s background
Competency, ability (education, experience)
Motivation, expectations
Career/Professional goals
Characteristics: personal strengths, weaknesses, future plans
How the process will proceed…
Applicant’s questions

EXAMPLES: ”DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ASK US…?”
What kind of expectations do you have for the employee who will be selected?
How could a typical working day look like?
What are the most important tasks in this job?
What do you think would be the biggest challenges in the job?
What kind of possibilities is there for career progression and personal development?
How about employees’ possibilities to educate themself further?
How is the recruiting process going to continue after the interview?
What else…??

HOW TO CONVINCE THE SELECTORS…?
BE YOURSELF - don’t play any roles
Be honest
SHOW your interest and your motivation
 Express your interest in the job and the company using information you gathered to prepare for the interview
BRING OUT your motives and your willingness to develope and learn
DON’T BE vague
REMEMBER THE BASICS: Be on time, behave well and be polite
And remember the eye-contact
… It’s ok to be nervous!

SOME OTHER THINGS…
Speak positively of former employers and co-workers no matter why you left even if you were fired.
When discussing salary, be flexible - avoid naming a specific salary if not asked. If you're too high, you risk not getting the job. If you're too low, you undersell yourself. Answer questions on salary requirements with responses such as "I'm interested in the job as a career opportunity so I'm negotiable on the starting salary". Negotiate, but don't sell yourself short. Check salary recommendation and salary level data (unions, interest groups, graduate surveys etc.)
Let the employer lead into conversations about benefits. Your focus on these items can be a "turn off." But, don't be afraid to ask questions about things that you really need to know.
More: http://www.careerknowhow.com/resumes/interviewing.htm

Prepare an application and a CV for the job that you found for today’s session
Bring your application and CV with you to next session

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 5 Finnish work life today – features & requirements Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

FINNISH WORK LIFE – HOW IS IT?
Communication style:
Communication style is formal. Finns do not engage in much small talk and prefer people to speak succinctly, not to discuss themselves or their interests, focusing primarily on work related issues.
Finns are limited communicators but very proficient in foreign languages – the fear of making mistakes limits their communication
Silence is golden in Finland; do not feel the need to fill every silence that occurs in a meeting.
Body language and feedback are limited and difficult to read. Do not be too disheartened if your presentation does not meet with the rapturous applause you had anticipated.
Don’t be overly enthusiastic about your proposals. It is necessary to look at the possible downsides before succumbing to optimism. Some would call it pessimism, but Finns think it as realism.
Finns are direct and prefer to get down to business quickly. They say what they think and expect you to do the same.
Maintain eye contact while speaking.
Management style:
Finns support a collaborative and participative management style.
Low hierarchy and little, if any, antagonism between grass root level and management.
Finns like to know exactly the perimeters of their responsibilities and will expect to be allowed to take the decisions which fall naturally within those perimeters.
www.worldbusinessculture.com

FINNISH WORK LIFE FEATURES…
Decision making:
“ Official” decisions tend to be taken in a collegiate style by a small group of senior managers. These major decision making processes can take a long time.
“ Smaller” decisions can be made quickly and implemented as swiftly.
Finns are very concerned with quality.
Time management:
Finland is a controlled-time culture, and adherence to schedules is important and expected.
In Finland missing a deadline is a sign of poor management and inefficiency, and will shake people’s confidence.
Punctuality is important!
Meetings:
Meetings can seem strange affairs to people not familiar with Finland or the Finns - long but quiet.
Meetings are well-structured, follow a pre-set agenda and are orderly with one person speaking at a time - often seeking permission to speak through the Chair.
People will be well prepared, as you are not expected to speak unless you have something concrete to contribute.
Finns tend less towards consensus than their Nordic cousins, expecting individuals to take responsibility

FINNISH WORK LIFE FEATURES…
Building relationships with co-workers:
Relationship building often takes place outside the office: in a restaurant or the sauna. Never turn down an invitation to use the sauna, as it is an entrenched part of the Finnish culture and an important part of relationship building. There will be minimal, if any, small talk.
Team work:
Finns are more individualist than collectivist
But still comfortable working in teams
Finnish idea of team-working would tend to be that of a group of capable individuals being given the opportunity to complete well-defined tasks which, when put together, will enable the team to reach its goals.
Dress code:
A wide variety of styles and levels of formality can be observed – observe how your colleagues dress
Other:
Employees have been very loyal to employers with little job-hopping taking place (specially in smaller towns/villages).
The Finnish working culture is based on equality.
Women have historically played a major role in business life and women are found in the most senior positions in large Finnish companies.
Diligence, individuality and initiative are highly valued, together with strict observance of agreements and agreed schedules.

EXERCISE 5.1 WORK CULTURE STAR The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

FINNISH WORK LIFE - WAGES & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT http://www.tyosuojelu.fi/fi/workingfinland/ http://www.expat-finland.com/employment/index.html

FINNISH WORK LIFE – TRADE UNIONS
The main purpose of a trade union is to safeguard the benefits and rights of its members
Income development (salaries and transfer of income)
Employment security guarantees
Promotion of quality in working life
Possibility to join the trade union’s unemployment fund (earnings-related daily unemployment allowance )
Trade union members pay a membership fee to the union
It is possible to join the union already when you are studying!
http://www.infopankki.fi/en-GB/Trade_Unions/

TRADE UNIONS
SAK - The Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions http://www.sak.fi/english/whatsnew.jsp?location1=1&sl2=1&lang=en
Akava - The Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland http://www.akava.fi/en/
SEFE - The Finnish Association of Business School Graduates http://www.sefe.fi/portal/en/
TEK - Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland http://www.tek.fi/index.php?id=11
Akava Special Branches http://www.akavanerityisalat.fi/en/
OAJ - Trade Union of Education in Finland http://www.oaj.fi/portal/page?_pageid=515,452376&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Find your union (in Finnish only) at http://jarjestaydy.fi/www/fi/loyda_liittosi/

WHAT DO EMPLOYERS EXPECT FROM GRADUATES?
Expertise
Field specific theoretical knowledge (concepts, theories, knowledge)
Ability to apply theories
Knowledge of laws and regulations related to own field
Ability to analytical and systematic thinking
Ability to acquire information
Criticality for information sources
All-round education
Social skills
Group / team work skills
Interaction skills
Flexibility
General ”work skills”
Organizing and coordinating skills
Project management skills
Problem-solving skills
Learning ability
Ability for creative thinking
Ability for independent working
Initiative
Managing skills
Flexibility and adaptability
Eric Carver

WHAT DO EMPLOYERS EXPECT FROM GRADUATES?
Communication skills
Written and oral communication skills
Negotiating skills
Public performing skills
Technical skills
ICT-skills
Computer / technical equipment skills
International skills
Communication skills with foreign languages
Special know-how of certain country / culture
International attitude / mindset
Multicultural skills
Business and economical skills
Understanding of economic and societal mechanisms and systems
Financial administration
Financial planning and follow-up
Customer service skills
Marketing and sales skills
Eric Carver

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 6 Competence profile / portfolio and occupational identity Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

PORTFOLIO - PROFILE OF YOUR PERSONAL COMPETENCE – Picture from: http://portuguesemdia.pbworks.com/f/1266770545/portfolio.jpg

if CV is not enough…
too formal
too limited
you wish to tell more about yourself
… it is possible to create a portfolio
your own, personal achievement folder
“ self-praise folder”
you can make your ’path’ towards your expertise visible to yourself – and to others
A WAY TO TELL WHAT YOU CAN - PORTFOLIO

WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO?
Portfolio derived from Latin portare , ('to carry'/movable) and folium ('document'/artifact)
WIKIPEDIA: Portfolio literally means "a case for carrying loose papers," (from Latin, the imperative of portare "to carry" and the plural of folium , meaning a 'a sheet for writing upon')
A type of “briefcase”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portfolio

a purposeful collection of artifacts that describe your progress (in your profession)
works, samples, products, experiences, reflections
chosen for a purpose
it documents your efforts, progress, achievements
the purpose is to show your personal know-how and expertise

A portfolio is a process as well as a product
As a process , it requires you to identify and reflect upon what motivates and satisfies you. You examine and present your interests, skills, values, needs, goals and strategies. Much of the power of your portfolio comes from this process
A (career) portfolio is also a product , a concrete collection which documents evidence of your work and learning history, your skills, interests, abilities, and feedback from others.

” The first and most significant act of portfolio preparation is the decision of the purposes for the portfolio”
Helen Barrett

WHY PORTFOLIO?
Creating a portfolio involves reflection, collection, selection, and making connections of
What you have done
How you have done it
What you have learnt
How you want to improve
Etc… … Helps you to realize your competences and skills 

PORTFOLIO TYPES FOR EXAMPLE
Project portfolio
to document the steps taken along the way to a finished product
Achievement portfolio
to document quality recent work to assess the level of achievement at a certain point in time
Growth portfolio
to show progress toward specific learning targets
documents increasing levels of achievement

DIGITAL PORTFOLIO (E-PORTFOLIO)
a portfolio that has been prepared for distribution online
differs from a traditional portfolio only in its form, not in its contents
digital portfolio, an electronic portfolio, ePortfolio , & a webfolio (if stored on the web)
work is not saved in a folder but to a computer hard-drive, a CD-ROM, somewhere on the web.
one EASY way to create an electronic portfolio: a blog

Remember to update your portfolio regularly.

Creating a portfolio is a reflective and on-going process.
Remember, your portfolio is never complete
- Your development process continues…

REMEMBER ALSO: YOUR WEB PERSONALITY/IDENTITY = ”YOUR OTHER CV”
Think, how you present yourself in Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube…
How about your blogging …?
” Työnantajan parjaaminen Facebookissa on johtanut ainakin yhden PAMin edustaman työntekijän irtisanomiseen[…]” (Taloussanomat 27.10.09)
Roughly translated: Badmouthing your employer in Facebook has led to at least one sacking…

An important ”Career Channel” for
professional networking nowadays is
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/
A place to network and find open positions
The most important recruiting channel for many companies
Creating a personal profile is easy  and networking after that goes fast…
More information: http://www.oulu.fi/careerservices/stepbystep.htm
(Presentation by Tom Laine)

EXAMPLES OF E-PORTFOLIOS
http://quintcareers.4jobs.com/SAMPLE-CAREER-PORTFOLIO-RES
http://www.sarahodavis.com/index.html
http://www.kzoo.edu/pfolio/archive/example/weigandt/
http://www.kzoo.edu/pfolio/archive/example/jenks/home.htm

AND IN FINNISH…
http://portfolioni.blogspot.com/
http://harto.wordpress.com/
http://www.helsinki.fi/~jaaleino/tievie/portfolio.html
http://www.cop.fi/kotisivut/ILeppisaari/

ENGLISH REFERENCES
http://www.uwfox.uwc.edu/admreg/downloaddoc/CAREER%20PORTFOLIO%20for%20Web.pdf
Building a personal and career portfolio http://www.curriculum.org/tcf/teachers/projects/repository/portfolios.pdf
http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/teachfolio.html
http://www.usask.ca/tlc/teaching_portfolios/index.html

EXERCISE 6.1 LETTER TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER
Practicing to describe your skills…
Write a letter to your grandmother telling her;
What do you study?
What have you learned in your studies?
What is the topic of your graduate thesis?
How would your dream job be like?
Remember to put it in an understandable way – tell things in a way that ”even your grandmother would understand it”!

OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY
One’s understanding of him/herself as a professional actor
Understanding of myself in relation to work
Understanding of myself in relation to occupation
What kind of professional / employee I want to become
What kind of values / ethical standards related to work are important for me
Occupational identity is based on one’s life history, but it also includes future hopes and goals related to work life
Building one’s occupational identity starts already during studies, even it is mainly shaped in work life by acquiring methods, values and norms from work community
The process lasts throughout one’s whole career path
Eteläpelto 2007

BUILDING MY OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY
How do I see myself as a professional?
What kind of professional do I want to be in the future?
What values and beliefs are guiding me on my path to become a professional?
What kind of expectations do I have for work life?
What kind of dreams and hopes do I have for work life?
“ Civilian identity” vs. work identity

EXPERTISE
Nowadays being an expert is not all about personal/individual competences – expertise is seen more as collaboration and results gained in groups
Important skill in work life: being able to work in expert teams
A successful team can achieve more than its’ members could have achieved individually
Progressive problem-solving
Ongoing reflection
Interest towards new solutions, challenges and tasks
Motivation to learn more
Working at ’upper limits’, surpassing the limits, acquiring new knowledge and know-how
Continuous development of competence
Creating new knowledge

DIFFERENTATION OF ROUTINE EXPERTS AND ADAPTIVE EXPERTS
’ Routine Experts’
Successful in familiar situations, problems and circumstances
Successful in similar routine tasks
No/little development of expertise and work
’ Adaptive experts’
Successful in variable situations, problems and circumstances
More likely to be able to construct new knowledge as they solve problems
New problems handled and solved successfully
Development of expertise and work

MORE ABOUT EXPERTISE…
Hatano G., & Inagaki, K. (1992). Desituating cognition through the construction of conceptual knowledge. In P. Light & G. Butterworth (Eds.), Context and Cognition: Ways of knowing and learning. (pp. 115-133). New York: Harvester.
Bereiter, C. & Scardamalia, M. (1993). Surpassing ourselves. An inquiry into the nature and implications of expertise. Chicago: Open Court Publishing Company.
Gruber, H., Palonen, T. Rehrl, M. & Lehtinen, E . (2007). Understanding the nature of expertise: Individual knowledge, social resources and cultural context. In H. Gruber & T. Palonen (Eds.), Learning in the workplace – new developments (pp. 227–250). Finnish Educational Research Association. Turku: Painosalama.

INTERVIEW SIMULATIONS
Instructions for job seeker:
E-mail your revised application & CV to your interviewer by deadline
Remember to send also the job announcement for the position you are applying (if it’s not an open position, describe the imaginary position; company, title, responsibilities etc)
Bring all needed documents with you (certificates, testimonials, letters of reference)
Instructions for interviewer:
Prepare interview questions for your pair (see previous materials and use your imagination)
Bring job seekers application documents with you
Instructions for both interviewer & job seeker:
Be on time
Dress properly
Behave like it is a real interview!

Getting ready for interview simulation;
Revise your application & CV
Send the application, CV and job announcement (or description of the job) to your interviewer
Prepare for the interview
Prepare interview questions for your pair

C & C CAREER & COMPETENCE CAREER COACHING GROUP Session 7 Interview simulations & personal action plan Milja Tuomaala & Tiina Hämäläinen, University of Oulu, VALOA-project

EXERCISE 7.1 INTERVIEW SIMULATION The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

DISCUSSION ABOUT INTERVIEWS
What do you think about this kind of excercise?
Which things were good?
Which things did not quite work?
What did you learn from your role as a job seeker?
What did you learn from your role as an interviewer?

MY PERSONAL PROJECT – CAREER GOALS & ACTION PLAN FOR JOB SEEKING
Setting your career goals
Preparing a concrete action plan, which helps you to direct you actions towards set goals
You can book an individual appointment with tutors to discuss about your project…

EXERCISE 7.2 MY PERSONAL PROJECT The exercise is found on SlideShare; http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA/documents (C&C Exercise Package)

THE END – FEEDBACK FOR GROUP ACTIVITIES
Was this group helpful to you?
Was there some important issues that were not covered in the group?
What was the best thing about this group?
Feedback will also be collected also via anonymous feedback form – the link will be e-mailed to you…

THANK YOU!

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Career & Competence - Career Coaching Group for International Degree Students

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