How To Get That Job

HOW TO GET THAT JOB? Written by Melinda Huszár

Introduction

This guide book is to provide career advising for those who are in search for a job. It offers help to develop job search tools and learn vital career planning and strategies. Explore how to elaborate you r CV and cover letter, how to conduct your job-hunt or interview effectively.

Contents

Identify your Skills 1.

What is the definition of skill ?

The ability to do something well, usually as a result of experience and training.

Something you are capable of doing.

What someone knows about a particular subject.

We can classify our skills into three groups:

UNIT 1

Identify your Skills 2. UNIT 1

Identify your Skills 3.

Discuss ion

What skills have you acquired in

your education/training?

Create lists around the three types

of skills that are true for you .

data researching, organizing, practical, problem-solving, creating, planning, adaptive, analyzing, cooperating, decision-making, visualizing, patient, computing, communicating, teaching, resourceful, advising, assessing, responsible, creative, performing, supervising, supportive, initiating, tactful, negotiating, dependable, diplomatic, handling, expediting, maintaining, calm, constructing, energetic, coordination, accurate, innovative UNIT 1

Identify your Skills 4. UNIT 1

Match your Skills with an Employer’s Needs

Discussion

Think of an employer’s needs and link your skills to those needs. THINK > LINK

The elements of a CV are essentially the same. What determines the uniqueness is the way you put them together. Knowing where you want to go will determine the layout of your CV. UNIT 1

Guidelines for CV Writing 1.

Di scu ssion

Read the job advert on the left hand side and the CV on the right. Why do you think Sara applied for the job?

Do you think this is a good CV?

UNIT 2

Guidelines for CV Writing 2. UNIT 2

Guidelines for CV Writing 3. UNIT 2

Reading comprehension

According to the previous interview are the following statements true or false ?

A potential employer cannot ask data about race.

It is enough to mention one’s objectives in the cover letter.

Education is placed first than experience, even if someone has already worked.

One should begin experience with present job or with latest job.

One can represent strengths and various skills under optional categories.

References have to be attached to your CV.

Is there any further

advice that you

consider to be important?

Name is at the top of the first page. There are no spelling errors. ____________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UNIT 2

When describing experience use active verbs and be sure that verb tenses are consistent (current job is in Present Tense, past jobs are in Past Tense). Keep repetition of words and phrases to a minimum. Here are some action verbs enlisted, group them into the correct skills.

UNIT 2 Management skills Communication skills Research skills Technical skills Teaching skills Financial skills Creative skills Helping skills Clerical/detail skills

Guidelines for CV Writing Sample 1.

Chronological CV

Functional CV

Relevant Experience

Apparel and Textile Promotions

Inventing and developing …

Designed, fashioned, created …

Computer Skills Proficient in… Knowledgeable in…

Graduate Student

Career Objective To obtain a position that utilizes and develops my expertise in… References Available upon request.

Guidelines for Cover Letter Writing 1.

Listening

Listen to four people talking about their approach to applying for a job. Match the people on the left to the summaries below.

I’m looking for a chance to develop and demonstrate my potential.

My qualifications and experience speak for themselves.

I’m so brilliant at whatever I do, they would be lucky to have me working in their company.

There may be people with better qualifications and experience, but no one is more enthusiastic or hardworking than me.

Discussion

Which speaker(s) do you agree with? What approach would you use to get a job? Does the approach you use depend on the job?

UNIT 2 1. 2. 3. 4.

Applications for professional positions require both the CV and the cover letter. Read the following extracts from letters of application. Match them to the summaries is 1.

UNIT 2 As a commercially aware and linguistically trained university graduate, I have a broad range of employment experience at blue-chip companies in both the USA and Europe. I am dynamic and creative, with a strong team spirit and leadership qualities. I have a proven record of working with individuals at all levels through highly developed interpersonal and communication skills. I am very keen to work for your company because of its excellent reputation. I do not have the specific qualifications or experience referred to in your advertisement. However, I am applying because I feel I am able to make up for this through hard work and willingness to learn. If you believe in the pursuit of excellence, then I am interested in joining your company. I set high standards for myself and expect them from others, especially the organizations that I work for. I look forward to an opportunity to add to the list of already outstanding achievements, which are outlined in my CV. From my CV, you will see that five years at a chemicals multinational have given me a solid business background. I am responsible for my department’s logistical planning, which has developed my organizational skills. However, I am now looking for opportunities for further development and responsibility , which my present employer cannot offer.

Read the extracts in 3 again. There are certain formal phrases people use in cover letters to talk about their qualities and achievements. Find phrases which mean the following :

I’d really like to work for you because you’re such a great company.

If you think doing things well is important, I’d like to work for you.

I don’t really have the profile of the ideal candidate.

I’ve worked with many different, important companies.

I’ve shown I can work with all kinds of people and get on with everyone.

I look after the practical day-to-day aspects of department organization.

I want a new job because my company probably won’t be able to promote me.

I have five years of international business experience working for a chemicals company.

UNIT 2

Guidelines for Cover Letter Writing 4. UNIT 2 5. How shall you build up your cover letter? And what should be included?

Guidelines for Cover Letter Writing Sample 1

DON’T FORGET:

One page preferred.

No spelling or typing errors.

Write to the person who can hire you.

Write in your own words, demonstrating knowledge, enthusiasm and focus.

Show you know something about the company and use terms that are meaningful to the employers.

Guidelines for Applying Conclusion UNIT 2

Prepare for your Job Interview 1. UNIT 3 1. Sara was interviewed for the job. Listen to the interview. Do you think they employed her?

Prepare for your Job Interview 2.

Listen again and complete the phrases below.

Now, this is just a preliminary interview to _____________ details.

Do your present _____________ you are?

What don’t you _____________ position?

Well, Sara, can I ask you a _____________ your CV?

Do you, in fact, have any _____________ experience?

… an ‘SPC professional’. What _____________ mean?

Yes, we provided _____________ twenty salesman from different sectors of the company.

… it was a position that required a lot of time _____________ and prioritizing of tasks.

I’d like more responsibility and to be able to _____________ and my languages.

Do you think the interviewer was fair in the interview?

UNIT 3

During an interview you can be asked about your career history. The interviewer may put up questions beginning like these:

How long have you…?

When/Where did you … before?

When did you start/leave/finish…?

These questions are in the past or in present perfect .

Now read the information about Shimano. Complete it using the words in the box.

SHIMANO

- Shozaburo Shimano ______________ the Shimano Iron Works to produce bicycle components.

- Shimano ______________ to present-day headquarters in Osaka.

1957 - ______________ first bicycle gears.

1971 - ______________ factory in Düsseldorf. Produces first Dura_Ace components for racing bikes.

1972 - ______________ market for fishing equipment.

1997 - ______________ Action Sports Division to produce new products for snowboarding

2001 - ______________ 80th anniversary.

2002 - ______________ hydraulic brake system in the XTR top mountain bike range.

opens enters incorporates sets up celebrates moves manufactures founds

Complete the sentences about Shimano using the verbs in the boxes.

Shimano _____________ bicycle components in 1921.

It _____________ bicycle components today.

It _____________ bicycle components since 1921.

Shimano _____________ a factory in Düsseldorf over 30 years ago.

It _____________ a factory in Düsseldorf today.

It _____________ a factory in Düsseldorf for over 30 years.

UNIT 3 + = + = still produces has produced started to produce has had still has opened

Match the sentences in 5 to the tenses below.

Past Simple Present Simple Present Perfect

Make similar sentences about Shimano with these prompts using the Present Perfect.

have / headquarters / Sakai City

______________________________________________________________________

manufacture / bicycle gears

______________________________________________________________________

make / fishing equipment

______________________________________________________________________

produce / components / mountain bikes

______________________________________________________________________

have / snowboarding / products division

___________________________________________________

UNIT 3

To say when the action began you use since or for . You use since with a point in time and for with a period of time.

You can also use for with the Past Simple. Compare the sentences: Present Perfect : I’ ve lived in Manchester for three years / since 1998. (I still live in Manchester.) Past Simple : I lived in Manchester for three years / from 1995 to 1998. (Now I live somewhere else.) UNIT 3

Rewrite the following sentences using the Present Perfect.

a) He works here – he started work in January.

He’s worked here since January.

b) He lives in Paris – he was born there.

____________________________________________________________________

c) She owns a business – she set it up five years ago.

____________________________________________________________________

d) They lead the market – they became market leaders in 1998.

____________________________________________________________________

Prepare for your Job Interview 6. UNIT 3

Prepare for your Job Interview 7.1

Evaluate the following job-hunting strategies and group the m according to ‘good’ , ‘bad’ and ‘neutral’ strategies.

UNIT 3 Continue d) You squeeze in a hair appointment just before an important job interview. j) You go to the interview with some notes on how you would develop their product or some idea of improving customer service. k) Your interviewer has not prepared very interesting questions. You take the opportunity to direct the interview in your own way. c) Your interviewer is looking uncomfortable you in the eye, so you avoid his gaze and look elsewhere as you talk to him. b) You mediate for half an hour before leaving for your job interview. a) As you sit down, you tell the interviewer you are really nervous. h) You have a very definite idea of how much money you want to earn. g) You phone your local employment office to see if they can offer you a job. e) You see an interesting job advertisement in the newspaper while riding on a bus. You decide to get off and call immediately from a public call-box. f) Before you start looking for a job, you decide what city or region you want to work in and exactly what kind of work you want to do. i) You send unsolicited letters of application to companies you are interested in.

Prepare for your Job Interview 7.1 UNIT 3 l) You make a list of questions you want to ask the interviewer. m) Before sending your letter of application, you show it to a few friends for their comments. n) You find out which newspaper carries ads for the kind of work you’re looking for, and study the columns regularly. o) You ask some friends to practice the interview situation with you before the big day. p) You wear very flattering clothes for your job interview although the waistband pinches and you feel uncomfortable. q) You decide to wear your most comfortable clothes for the job interview although they are not very smart. r) You make it clear to a prospective employer that you have a number of other interesting interviews lined up. s) When the interviewer asks you ‘What job would you like to be doing in ten years’ time?’, your answer is ‘Your job!’.

How to Get that Job? Conclusion UNIT 3