Online employment toolkit for facilitators and trainers

Online Employment Toolkit
2
Handbook for Facilitators and Trainers
This Handbook has been developed by the Key Competencies for All
project supported by the EU programme for Lifelong Learning
Employment Toolkit - Handbook for Facilitators and Trainers
by
 Interface3 a.s.b.l., Belgium
 Sozialforschungsstelle Dortmund, Zentrale Wissenschaftliche Einrichtung der
TU Dortmund, Germany
 Latvian Information and communication technology association ( LIKTA ), Latvia
 Foundation EOS, Romania
 Fundación Acción Social y Tiempo Libre ESPLAI, Spain
 Dynamic Organization Thinking SL, Spain
 Lasa, UK
is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at
http://www.keycompetences.eu/wordpress/contact-form/.
Editing: Lasa
Graphical layout: LIKTA
The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the
information contained therein. The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the
author.
www.keycompetences.eu

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Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 5
1.1. Key competencies for lifelong learning......................................................................... 5
1.2. The goals of the “KC4All” employment toolkit ............................................................. 6
2. Introduction to the structure and content of the “KC4All” employment toolkit ................. 8
2.1. An overview of toolkit structure ................................................................................... 8
2.2. Recommended duration of work with the Toolkit...................................................... 13
2.3. Symbols used in the toolkit......................................................................................... 14
3. Adult Learning Principles and the Role of the Facilitator.................................................... 15
4. Teaching methods............................................................................................................... 17
5. Introductory session............................................................................................................ 19
6. Section - Choose it! ............................................................................................................. 21
6.1. Introduction - general information ............................................................................. 21
6.2. Part A. General Career advice information................................................................. 21
6.3. Part B - Practical Workshops....................................................................................... 25
Workshop N°1: From skills assessment to advice, guidance and training.......................... 25
Workshop N°2: A treasure hunt!......................................................................................... 28
7. Section - Get ready for it!.................................................................................................... 30
7.2. Part A - Online resources: All you need to know to apply for a job............................ 31
7.3. Part B - Practical Workshops....................................................................................... 34
Workshop N°1: Job Adverts ............................................................................................... 34
Workshop N°2: Job Search.................................................................................................. 37
Workshop N°3: Preparing a CV ........................................................................................... 38
8. Section - Go for it!............................................................................................................... 42
8.2. Part A - Online resource: How can I market myself to potential employers? ............ 43
8.3. Part B - Practical Workshop......................................................................................... 51
Workshop N°1: Digital identity............................................................................................ 51
Workshop N°2: The art of speech ...................................................................................... 53
9. Some practical tips before you start................................................................................... 60
9.1. Group size.................................................................................................................... 60

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9.2. Classroom preparation................................................................................................ 60
9.3. Consult your local Jobcentre...................................................................................... 61
9.4. Adapting your job search according to location ........................................................ 62
9.5. Theoretical materials .................................................................................................. 62
9.6. Navigation ................................................................................................................... 62
Navigation Map................................................................................................................... 64
10. Contact Information............................................................................................................ 65
10.1. Belgium........................................................................................................................ 65
10.2. Germany...................................................................................................................... 66
10.3. Latvia ........................................................................................................................... 67
10.4. Spain............................................................................................................................ 68
10.5. Romania ...................................................................................................................... 70
10.6. United Kingdom........................................................................................................... 71

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1.Introduction
This Facilitator’s handbook will provide you with the information and guidance you need to act
as a tutor/facilitator for the online employability toolkit “Key Competencies for All.” The toolkit
supports the enhancement of basic key competencies in adults who wish to improve their
employability through an alternative learning approach (ICT-based, user-centred, interest-
oriented).
1.1. Key competencies for lifelong learning
Lifelong learning has become a necessity for all citizens. Skills and competencies need to be
developed throughout our lives, not only to participate fully in society, but also to improve our
ability to engage with the constantly changing world of work.
The recommendation of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 on
key competencies for lifelong learning proposed a European Reference Framework, which set
out eight key competencies:
1. Communication in the mother tongue;
2. Communication in foreign languages;
3. Mathematical competence and basic competencies in science and technology;
4. Digital competence;
5. Learning to learn;
6. Social and civic competencies;
7. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship;
8. Cultural awareness and expression.
Competencies are defined as a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to
the context. Key competencies are those which all individuals need for personal fulfilment and
development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment.
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/ll-learning/keycomp_en.pdf

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1.2. The goals of the “KC4All” employment toolkit
The employment toolkit was developed by the “KC4All” (Key Competencies for All) project,
which aimed to improve key competencies of citizens at risk of exclusion from the labour
market by improving their employability through an alternative learning approach. This
approach is ICT-based, user-centred, and interest-oriented. The Toolkit and all the learning
materials have been developed with the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the
European Union.
The aim of the toolkit is to enable end users to develop ICT skills, a ‘learning to learn’ attitude,
a sense of initiative, as well as the interpersonal and social skills necessary for finding a job.
Key competencies addressed within the toolkit “KC4All”:
 Digital skills;
 Learning to learn;
 Social and civic competencies;
 Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship.
Digital competence
Course participants will develop the ability to use MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint
software; search, collect and process information and use it in a critical and systematic way,
assessing the relevance of information for their personal needs. They will develop skills to
understand, produce and present information and the ability to search access and use
internet-based services making their job search process more targeted and effective.
Learning-to-learn
Course participants will develop their ability to organise their own learning, both individually
and in groups. The ability to manage one’s time effectively, to solve problems, to acquire,
evaluate and assimilate new knowledge, and to apply new knowledge and skills in a personal
context will be enhanced by the study process. Learning-to-learn contributes strongly to the
management of one’s own career path. Work on the toolkit requires independent learning,
self-discipline and the ability to collaborate with other participants sharing previous experience
and what has been learnt. Course participants will be invited to organise their own learning,
evaluate their own work, and to seek advice when necessary.
Interpersonal and civic competencies
Interpersonal skills are necessary for effective interaction on a one-to-one basis or in groups.
The structure of the toolkit and the methodology of teaching should develop the course
participants’ ability to communicate constructively in different environments. Course
participants are invited to express themselves in a constructive way and practical activities are
set-up to develop their skills and to distinguish between personal and professional spheres.
Sense of Initiative and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship involves taking responsibility for one’s actions, developing a strategic vision,
setting and meeting objectives, and being motivated to succeed. The toolkit aims to develop

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such skills: the ability to organise, manage, communicate, evaluate and record one’s own
actions in relation to job search and employment. The ability to identify one’s strengths and
weaknesses, and to assess and take risks is regarded as essential.
KC4All is designed as a pathway leading the jobseeker from the choice of a profession to a job
application through a set of structured online tools and workshops.
KC4All is intended for Online Centre users, but it can also be used by vocational learning
centres. Although end users can access KC4All independently, they will get more out of the
resources when participating in a group led by a facilitator or teacher.

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2.Introduction to the structure and
content of the “KC4All”
employment toolkit
2.1. An overview of toolkit structure
The “KC4All” employment toolkit consists of three parts: Choose it”, “Get ready for it” and “Go
for it”. Each part has two sections: Online Resources and Practical Workshops. The Online
Resources sections combine e-learning sessions, additional learning materials and online
resources. Online resources have been carefully selected to offer useful information for
jobseekers with low ICT skills. Practical workshops are aimed at implementing the acquired
knowledge through practical activities. The workshops are based on a case-study approach.
Initially participants engage in problem-solving activities for a fictional person then apply the
acquired knowledge and skills to their own personal job-search.
The first part “Choose it” helps participants to choose a profession based on their skills and
interests. Two workshops are provided for this section, the first is intended to improve skills
assessment, and the second is designed to improve the ability to search the web and use
word-processing software.
The second part “Get ready for it” offers end users online resources and three workshops to
help them apply for a job by developing the IT skills necessary to organise a job search, to
compare vacancies, and prepare an effective CV and cover letter. This part also improves the
ability to use word-processing and spread sheet software.
The third and last part “Go for it” raises participants’ awareness of the possibilities of social
networks for the creation of new job opportunities. It also demonstrates how users can
promote themselves using web 2.0 tools and presentation software.

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Scheme of KC4All Toolkit Structure
Toolkit
KC4All
Section 2 -
Get ready
for it!
Section 3 -
Go for it!
Practical
Workshops
Section 1 -
Choose it!
Online
resources
Practical
Workshops
Online
resources
Practical
Workshops
Online
resources
1. Learn more about yourself
2. Explore all the possibilities
3. Training? Why not?
4. Employment legislation; your rights
and duties
W 1: From skills assessment to
advice, guidance and training
W 2: A treasure hunt!
1. General or specific guidelines?
2. Information is power!
3. Organise your research
4. Your CV = marketing tool
5. Your cover letter = your first advert
W 1: Job adverts
W 2: Job search
W 3: Preparing a CV
1. Your digital identity can help you find
a job
2. The art of speech
3. Interview preparation
4. Final checklist
W 1: Digital identity
W 2: The art of speech

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Part Goals Sections Subtitles / activities
Choose it
Help participants:
assess their skills, provide
information about the available
resources that can assist the job
search process and guide them
through the job search process
Develop:
internet search skills,
basic word-processing skills
Online resources: All you need to
know about how to choose a
profession
1. Learn more about yourself
2. Explore all the possibilities
3. Training? Why not?
4. Employment legislation; your rights and duties
Workshop N°1: From skills
assessment to advice, guidance and
training
Help Mrs. Kurma choose a job
1. Sales Assistant Job Description
2. Sales Manager Job Description
3. Vacancy 1 Mrs. Kurma
4. Vacancy 2 Mrs. Kurma
5. Test Skills Assessment Mrs Kurma
6. Skill Assessment Mrs. Kurma solution
Now it’s up to you!
1. Skills Assessment up to you
2. Test Assessment up to you
Workshop N°2: A treasure hunt!
1. Internet Search Mrs. Kurma
2. Internet Search Mrs. Kurma solutions
1. Internet Search - up to you

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Get ready
for it
Help participants:
use IT to organise job search
learn how to structure
information in CV using different
CV writing templates and styles,
Improve skills:
in MS Word (work with tables),
use of MS Excel software
Online resources: All you need to
know to apply for a job
1. General or specific guidelines?
2. Information is power!
3. Organise your research
4. Your CV = marketing tool
5. Your cover letter = your first advert
Workshop N°1: Job adverts
Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Information is power! Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Create a table to compare job vacancies!
Workshop N°2: Job search
Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Mrs Kurma’s Job Vacancy Spreadsheet
1. Job Vacancy Spreadsheet
Workshop N°3: Preparing CV Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Mrs Kurma CV
2. Evaluation sheet to analyse Mrs Kurma CV
3. Solution to the evaluation sheet
4. Improved version of Mrs Kurma CV
1. Write your own CV

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Go for it
Help participants
raise awareness of creation of
new professional opportunities
through the use of social
networks,
raise awareness of Facebook
security systems and practice use
of Facebook tools,
Improve skills:
in PowerPoint presentation
software,
in the preparation of
presentations for prospective
employers.
Online resources: How can I market
myself to potential employers?
1. Your digital identity can help you find a job
2. The art of speech
3. Interview preparation
4. Final checklist
Workshop N°1. Digital identity Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Examine and analyse Mrs Kurma’s Facebook profile
1. Analyse your digital identity and improve it!
Workshop N°2 - The art of speech Mrs. Kurma needs your help
1. Analyse Mrs Kurma’s presentation
2. Examine the improved version of Mrs Kurma’s
presentation.
1. Make your own presentation

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2.2. Recommended duration of work with the
Toolkit
We recommend devoting a total of 40 hours to toolkit training. Each section consists of
theoretical material and practical workshops, and more time should be devoted to practical
learning activities.
We recommend starting with a short introduction (around 0.5 hours) to each section, stating
the goals and learning outcomes which should be achieved and outlining the structure of the
section. A feedback and evaluation session should follow each section to find out what course
participants have learnt and to what extent their expectations have been met. The Feedback
session should not exceed 1 hour.
When the course participants have completed all three sections ask them to reflect on the
study process and complete a course evaluation questionnaire or, alternatively, run a group
feedback and evaluation session (1 hour).
Around 2 hours in each section can be devoted to individual studies.
Section 1- Choose it! Section 2 – Get ready! Section 3- Go for it!
Introduction 0.5 hours Introduction 0.5 hours Introduction 0.5 hours
Online
resources
3 hours
Online
resources
3 hours
Online
resources
3 hours
Workshop 1 3.5 hours Workshop 1 1.5 hours Workshop 1 2.5 hours
Workshop 2 3.5 hours Workshop 2 1.5 hours Workshop 2 3.5 hours
Workshop 3 3.5 hours
Total number 10.5 hours Total number 10 hours Total number 9.5 hours

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2.3. Symbols used in the toolkit
The toolkit uses several symbols and a colour scheme based on the traffic light system to
improve navigation.
Symbol for the first part of the toolkit “Choose it!”
Symbol for the second part of the toolkit “Get ready for it!”
Symbol for the third part of the toolkit “Go for it!”
Symbol for the first part of the workshop where course
participants engage in case-study activities.
Symbol for the second part of the workshop where course
participants apply their acquired knowledge and skills
Symbol for the toolkit language.
Symbol for the facilitators’ workshop information document.

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3.Adult Learning Principles and the
Role of the Facilitator
There are a number of “principles” associated with adult learning which have been used in the
toolkit:
1. Adults bring their background experience and prior learning to any new learning
process. It is important that the facilitator helps adult participants to make
connections between earlier learning experiences and new information. The major
function of the facilitator is to elicit participants’ existing knowledge so facilitators
should begin sessions by finding out what the adults already know about the topic.
2. In order to promote self-directed learning adults should create personal learning
objectives that allow them to set individual goals and to practice using the new
learning in practical ways. Therefore it is essential to find out the participants’ learning
needs and their objectives in each of the stages.
3. Learning is most effective when adults can proceed at their own pace so independent
study should be encouraged. It is advisable to allow course participants to work at
their own pace in the section “On-line resources” and afterwards have a feedback
session on their progress. “Practical workshops” can be done in group work or
individually but the section “Now it’s up to you!” is best done individually.
4. Adults like to know how the educational activity will help them reach their goals. The
facilitator should state the objective of each section at the beginning of each
workshop. Warm-up activities, such as welcoming participants, acknowledging who is
present, stating the goals of the toolkit, and explaining how the time will be used gives
participants an understanding of the purpose of the training. When participants
understand the relevance of their learning, they are more likely to learn. It is important
to choose warm-up questions that allow students to share their experience and at the
same time gives information about their prior experience.
5. Adults want course content to be relevant and practical. Adults learn best through
practical applications of what they have learned. The structure and activities of the
toolkit enable course participants first to conduct problem-solving activities and then
apply their learning to their own situation, linking theory to practice.
6. All learners need to be respected as individuals. The facilitator should strive to create a
respectful learning environment, in which all opinions are valued. In a true learning
community, all participants, including the facilitator, share ideas and learn from each
other. The instructor is seen as a facilitator or guide rather than the sole expert. The
instructor should always be courteous and patient, assuring learners that mistakes are
part of the learning process, and should encourage learners to support one another.
Learning takes place in an environment considered “safe” by the learner. Learners

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appreciate activities that use time effectively and follow a planned schedule.
Otherwise, they feel their time is not considered valuable.
7. Facilitators can motivate learners by establishing a friendly, helpful atmosphere and by
setting the degree of difficulty of the learning experience high enough to challenge
participants but not so high that they become frustrated by information overload. As
the toolkit is based on the use of IT, it is essential to know the level of the participants’
skills in case they have very low skills in which case sessions can start with an
introduction to the software they are going to use. The facilitator’s attitude should be
based on course participants’ prior knowledge and their needs, which may require you
to work to their timescales.
8. Course participants should be actively involved in learning the facilitator should
maintain a balance between theoretical knowledge and active practical learning and
encourage the sharing of experiences, questioning and discussion alongside the
practical exercises.
9. Not all people learn in the same way. To engage all learners, it is best to vary the
methods in which information is communicated. The main methods used in the toolkit
include group discussion, lecturing, case studies, questioning, and the use of
technology. Studies reveal that over a period of 3 days, the retention of learning is 10%
of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see (demonstration), 50% of
what we see and hear (discussion), 70% of what we say (practice), and 90% of what we
do.
10. Providing timely feedback leads to successful learning and the mastery of content and
skills. Sensitive feedback helps learners’ correct errors and reinforces good behaviours.
After each workshop it is advisable to provide a feedback session to find out what the
course participants have mastered. The information gathered can help with decisions
on the structure of the following workshop.

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4.Teaching methods
There are many different teaching methods that can be used to help participants. The
following list describes some of the methods included in the instructions for the facilitator and
can be helpful when organizing workshops.
An Interactive teaching approach is used to help participants make sense of and reflect on
their experiences, evaluate their work and set future learning goals. In the workshops
participants are encouraged to describe how they learn, express what problems they are
working on, what questions and ideas they have, and what are their future career plans.
As course participants will have different prior knowledge and skills, especially in IT, the
facilitator may need to provide explanations using a lecture method together with
demonstrations, but the main stress should be laid on practical learning where the
participants apply new information to practical activities in the practical workshop sections.
Lecture
This is the most commonly used instructional strategy for working with groups of learners. To
make it more effective it is advisable to use visuals - charts, slides etc to enable learners to see
what they have been hearing. Do not lecture for too long a period and do provide time for
questions and answers.
Demonstration
Demonstrations can be carried out in two ways:
 ‘Result Demonstration’ shows the results of some activity, practice or procedure
through evidence that can be seen or heard.
 ‘Method Demonstration’ illustrates how to do something step-by-step.
Discussions
There are a variety of different types of discussion that occur naturally and which we can be
recreated in the classroom. These include discussions where participants have to: make
decisions, give and / or share their opinions on a given topic, create something, solve a
problem
 A buzz group is a small, intense discussion group usually involving 2 to 3 persons
responding to a specific question or in search of precise information.
 In a group discussion learners are provided with an opportunity to discuss selected
issues in a group setting. Before organizing a group discussion it is important to make
sure that participants have a certain level of understanding and knowledge that will
allow them to share their ideas in the group.

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Case study
Case studies are used to enable participants to examine a specific situation, event or single
individual. Usually the situation is prepared ahead of time. Participants often work in teams to
discuss how they might solve a situation.
Unlike traditional lecture-based teaching where student participation in the classroom is
minimal, the case-study method is an active learning method, which requires participation and
involvement. One section of the toolkit’s practical workshops is based on a case-study of a
fictional person. Participants must deal with various situations described in the case, in order
to find the solution and acquire skills and knowledge which is applied at a later stage to their
own needs.
Brainstorming
This technique is used to encourage participants to freely share their ideas. All ideas are
accepted at the beginning of the process, regardless of how impractical they may seem. As
ideas are contributed they are written up for the group to discuss. Discussion can include the
development, refining, combining, reinforcing of the initial ideas.
Role Playing
In role playing two or more participants are provided with a role to play and a situation in
which they are involved. The participants try to solve the situation from the perspective of the
given role.
Independent Study
Most adult learners do most of their learning through independent study. Independent study
allows the learner to select the content that he/she is most interested in and to select the best
time for learning at his/her own pace. The toolkit provides study materials, resource guides,
and self-testing materials which can be used for independent study.

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5.Introductory session
Recommended teaching time 0.5 hours
1. Before starting work with the online employment toolkit ”Key Competencies for All”
explain the aims of the training (see Section 1.2 above) .
2. Introduce the tool by writing the website address on the board or via a PowerPoint
presentation: http://www.keycompetences.eu/. The course participants open the
website. Explain that the tool is available in 5 languages.
By clicking on the English section of the toolkit menu they will open the toolkit in
English.
3. Explain and demonstrate that the toolkit consists of three sections: ‘Choose it’, ‘Get
ready for it’ and ‘Go for it’. Each section is subdivided into two parts: online resources
and practical workshops. Online resources have been carefully selected to offer useful
information for jobseekers. The facilitator should briefly explain the main goals and
activities of each section:
Section 1 – “Choose it” helps participants choose a job or profession based upon their
skills and interests. Two workshops are available in this section, the first is intended to
improve their own skills assessment, and the second is designed to improve their
ability to search the web.
Section 2 – “Get ready for it” offers participants online resources and three workshops
to help them apply for a job by analysing job adverts, collecting information about
vacancies and preparing a personal CV. This section also improves their ability to use
word processing and spreadsheet software.

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Section 3 – “Go for it” helps participants to promote themselves using Web 2.0 tools
and presentation software.
4. Demonstrate how to navigate from one section to another and give course
participants the opportunity to try navigating themselves.
5. As course participants will complete a number of practical exercises which should be
saved, participants should create a folder for this purpose. As course participants may
have low ICT skills the facilitator should help course participants to create a folder. The
folder should be given a relevant name, for example, the participant’s name. This
folder could also be saved in a memory stick for the learner to continue working from
home or on another PC.
6. Before starting work with the toolkit it is advisable to find out the needs of course
participants, their expectations and previous ICT experience. This information will help
you decide on the pace, methods, amount of activities to include in each workshop
and the required individual level of support.
Questions for discussion:
How confident are you with ICT?
How well can you work with the following:
Word processing,
Excel spreadsheets,
PowerPoint presentations,
Web search,
Social networks.
What ICT skills would you like to improve / learn? (Word processing skills, work
with tables, formatting, conditional formatting, designing PowerPoint
presentations, web search strategies)?
What ICT skills would you like to have?
Apart from ICT skills, what else would you like to be able to do? (For example,
writing a CV or cover letter or practicing for a job interview, etc.)

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6. Section - Choose it!
6.1. Introduction - general information
The Goals for this section are:
Help participants assess their skills, provide information about available resources to improve
the job search process, and provide information and advice on the job search process.
Required ICT skills:
 Basic word processing skills,
 Internet research skills.
The first section consists of two parts:
Part A - All you need to know about choosing a job or profession.
This section includes online information about obtaining a skills assessment or professional
guidance, tips for targeting jobs, locating training and information about employment law.
Part B - Practical workshops
The second part contains practical exercises, including an analysis of a case-study which will
help participants to analyse their own employment situation and find appropriate solutions.
6.2. Part A. General Career advice information
Recommended teaching time 3 hours
Warm-up
The facilitator can encourage participants to share their job hunting experience. Any resources
which the course participants mention can be written down for later reference.
What strategies do people use when they are looking for a job?
Have you ever looked for a job on the Internet?
Which websites have you used and which have been the most useful? Why?
What advice would you give to a person who is looking for a job?
1. Ask course participants to open “Online resources” in the first section “Choose it”.

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2. Inform course participants that this section addresses employment advice and
legislation. It is important to keep up-to-date with current employment law and to
know your rights and responsibilities as an employee. The information is divided into
four parts:
I. Learn more about yourself!
II. Explore all the possibilities…
III. Training? Why not?
IV. Employment legislation
3. Explain the importance of learning about yourself and your skills before choosing a job
or changing your career. Once you are aware of your skills and interests these can be
compared with job descriptions and the skills and competencies required by an
employer. Advise that a career adviser can provide professional support but there are
also online skills assessment tools which will be sampled on the course.
4. Ask course participants to go to the section “I. Learn more about yourself!” and open
the assessment quiz.
5. Course participants conduct the assessment quiz individually. When complete discuss
the results with the participants.
Questions for discussion
How do the results of the quiz coincide with your experience?
Was there anything unexpected? Why did it happen?

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How reliable is such information? Should you always keep to the results of the
quizzes?
Additional material for Facilitator
Career Assessment Do's and Don'ts, by Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
http://www.quintcareers.com/career_assessment-dos-donts.html
Here are the keys to successful career assessment. Follow these simple rules and you should
achieve success in this self-discovery process.
Do be aware that assessments are available to help guide you toward the right career for
you. A qualified career counsellor can administer, score, and interpret these assessments.
A number of free career assessments also are available on the Internet, though many
experts question their reliability.
Do compare online career assessments to see which ones might meet your needs.
Do keep your expectations in check when you take free online assessments. You may attain
some direction and guidance from these tests, but don't be overly reliant on them for magic
answers.
Don't discount the possibility that these free online assessments might suggest to you some
career ideas and directions you had never thought of and that are worth further
exploration.
Do take several different assessments to help you learn more about yourself and to help
you determine which tests provide the most reliable results for you.
Do print out and retain the results of the assessments you take online. Compare results,
and see if you can see patterns -- a "career snapshot" - beginning to emerge.
Do trust your gut. If a free online assessment tells you something about yourself that
doesn't ring true, disregard that information.
Don't rely on free online assessments alone for self-discovery and career guidance. Meet
with a career counsellor; college students and alumni usually have free or inexpensive
access to counsellors. Supplement the results you've obtained from free online assessments
with other assessments the counsellor might administer. Ask the counsellor to help you
interpret and integrate the results of various assessments.
Do use career assessments with a variety of other self-discovery activities, such as
examining your strengths and weaknesses and the activities you most enjoy and least
enjoy.
Do have fun taking career assessments. Self-discovery is almost always an enlightening and
often entertaining process.

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6. Explain that before choosing a job it is important to analyse the job description. Ask
course participants to open the online resources in section “II. Explore all the
possibilities” which contains job descriptions and professional profiles. Take feedback
from course participants and discuss.
What new information have you found?
What job would you like to do?
7. The next step is to decide if more training is required to obtain a particular job. Ask
course participants to return to the online resources and find the section “III. Training?
Why not?” Ask students to browse through the resources to find out about available
training, fees, and whether any state support is provided. Ask course participants for
feedback as they may have looked at different resources. Invited them to share their
information, what they discovered.
Did you find any new information?
What information is worth knowing when looking for a job?
8. After the discussion ask course participants to return to the online resources and find
section “IV. Employment legislation: your rights and duties”. Ask course participants
to look through some of the resources. Allow some time for reading, and check if
course participants can navigate to the resources and access them. Discuss
participants’ findings.
What new things have you learned?
Is the information helpful?
Can you suggest any other helpful links to general advice and information about
employment legislation, and the labour market?
Proceed to the next step - practical workshops.
Additional material for the Facilitator
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career, by Dawn Rosenberg McKay
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/tp/Career-Choice.htm

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6.3. Part B - Practical Workshops
Workshop N°1: From skills assessment to advice,
guidance and training
The aim of the workshop: to assess one’s own skills and develop the ability to conduct a
targeted job search using the internet.
1. Ask course participants to open practical workshop No 1.
2. Workshop No 1 consists of two parts. In the first part - “Help Mrs. Kurma choose a
job” course participants’ work with a case-study exercise to help Mrs. Kurma solve her
job application problems. In the second part - “Now it’s up to you!” course
participants complete their skills assessment using the template provided. They will
choose two types of job description and identify the essential skills for each. Drawing
on their skills assessment they will also identify their training needs.
3. Explain to course participants that they will analyse the five documents provided in the
workshop related to Mrs. Kurma. Mrs Kurma has found two vacancies: sales manager
and sales assistant. On the basis of her skills assessment and the job description course
participants will advise her on:

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o Which position is more appropriate for her, and which position she should
apply for?
o What skills Mrs. Kurma already has which she needs to update, and what
training she needs to do to meet the essential requirements for the post.
4. Course participants must read:
 Sales Assistant Job Description
 Sales Manager Job Description
 Vacancy 1 Mrs. Kurma
 Vacancy 2 Mrs. Kurma
 Test Skills Assessment Mrs. Kurma
5. If necessary explain how to work with five open Word documents.
In Word 2007 the safest way to switch between document windows is to use the Switch
Windows menu on the View tab. The menu lists up to nine open documents in Word. To
switch to another document, choose it from the menu.
Other switching techniques in Word 2007
A quick way to switch from one document window to another is to press the Alt + Tab key
combination.
Each window also has its own button on the Windows taskbar. To switch between windows
in Word, choose the document name from a button on the taskbar.

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Pointing the mouse at a taskbar button in Windows Vista displays a tiny preview window
detailing the document's contents.
The names on the taskbar buttons are the names you gave your documents after saving
them for the first time. When you see Document displayed, this means you haven't yet
saved your file to a disk.
6. Course participants work individually. The facilitator can monitor their work, and help
where necessary.
7. After reading the five documents, divide course participants into small groups (2-3
participants) and ask them to discuss the questions below.
Which position is more appropriate for Mrs Kurma? Which position should she
choose?
What skills does Mrs. Kurma have and which skill does she need to update? What
training does she need to meet the essential requirements for this post?
8. When the course participants have discussed the questions they can open the
document “Skill Assessment Mrs. Kurma solution” and see if they came up with the
same solution, or, before looking at the document ask the group to report back on
their solution.
9. As the course participants have helped Mrs Kurma to solve her problem they can now
work on their own job issues. Invite course participants to proceed to the second part -
“Now it’s up to you!”

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10. Tell course participants that they will now perform an assessment of their skills using
the document “Test Assessment up to you”. After completion course participants must
save the document in the folder ”Toolkit” with the name
“Test_assessment_up_to_you”
11. After saving the document course participants open the document “Skills Assessment
up to you”. After opening the document ask course participants to save this document
in the folder “Toolkit” with the name “Skills_assessment_up_to_you”. When the
document is saved course participants complete the necessary information.
Participants must locate two job descriptions for posts they are interested in applying
for. Ask course participants to save these job descriptions as documents and then print
them off. Based on their skills assessment and the selected job descriptions, ask course
participants to identify their training needs, (e.g. languages, ICT, techniques or other).
12. When course participants have saved the completed document discuss what they have
learned.
Have you learnt anything new?
How competent do you feel with word processing software?
Is there anything you would like to work on more?
Workshop N°2: A treasure hunt!
The aim of the workshop: raise participants’ awareness of their personal strengths and
identify areas of improvement. Guide participants through the practical job search process,
improve MS Word processing skills and internet search skills
In this workshop participants will find training opportunities for Mrs Kurma and themselves.
1. Ask course participants to open the document: ‘ Internet Search Mrs. Kurma’. Make
sure the course participants download and save this document either to the file they
created on their PC or their memory stick. Participants follow the instructions given in
the document and tip to help them complete the tasks. Participants will learn about
different aspects of an internet search, including internet navigation, toolbar,
favourites, URL, and used extensions. They will learn how to capture images, and Print

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Screen. During the workshop course participants will search the web and transfer
information into a Word document by using the 'copy-paste' function.
2. Course participants work on their own. If the general skills level is low demonstrate
the required actions, then ask course participants try to do the tasks themselves.
Participants will have access to the Treasure Hunt answers in a Word document. These
answers can be discussed at the end of the session.
3. When the course participants have finished helping Mrs Kurma they proceed to search
for themselves. Ask them to open the document “Internet Search – up to you” and
save it in the folder “Toolkit”. During workshop No 1 course participants identified
their own training needs, now they can find where and how to get the necessary
training. Course participants use the template provided and insert their findings into
the word document. Provide individual support to those who require it.
4. Ask course participants for feedback on the practical work.
What was the most difficult task in this workshop?
What skills have you acquired?

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7.Section - Get ready for it!
Help course participants -
 to organize their job search through the use of IT,
 to structure information on their CV and use different CV templates and styles,
 improve MS Word and MS Excel skills.
Efficient use of word processing software (MS Word or others), Internet search
Beginner level for spreadsheet software (MS Excel or others)
The section consists of two parts.
Part A - Online resources: All you need to know to apply for a job
In this part course participants will discover specialised job vacancy websites and how to
structure and store the information provided in job advertisements. Participants will learn to
collect all the essential information concerning a job before applying for a vacancy, and how to
write a reverse chronological CV.
The second part consists of three practical workshops. Course participants will learn how to
compare different vacancies and how to track and monitor information sent to employers.
Course participants will also learn to appraise their own skills and experience in order to write
a well-structured CV and a convincing cover letter. Participants will analyse Mrs Kurma’s
sample CV and apply their learning to their own CV.

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7.2. Part A - Online resources: All you need to know
to apply for a job
1. Ask course participants to open “Online resources” in the second section of the toolkit
- “Get ready for it”.
2. Inform course participants that part A consists of five sub-sections, which include
helpful online resources:
I. General or specific guidelines?
II. Information is power!
III. Organise your research
IV. Your CV = marketing tool
V. Your cover letter = your first advert.
3. In the first and second sub-sections course participants will examine some specialised
websites and select job adverts. Explain that before starting to apply it is important to
collect information about vacancies linked to the job they have selected. Every
organisation advertising for vacancies has its website, and it is a good idea to visit it
before applying.
4. Course participants will analyse Mrs Kurma’s sample CV and afterwards write their
own CV. Invite course participants to visit specialised websites that offer help creating
a CV and to look through CV writing tips.
Some tips on writing a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
1. Assemble your information: qualifications, etc.
2. Check out current trends in CVs in books, magazines and on websites dedicated to
careers. Look at CVs on the Internet, especially within your field of interest.
3. Have a friend or colleague proofread, edit and generally review your CV.
4. Remember to include a bit of personality in your CV through your language and your
personal style.
5. Update and refine your CV every time something changes
A curriculum vitae loosely means "this is my life," so make certain yours reflects your every
success and achievement in its best light.

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Print out your CV on high-quality paper - even in this virtual world, people equate quality
presentation with quality content.
Be sparing in your use of fonts; a nice, simple design is best.
Dates and names can be easily checked, especially in this Internet age. Keep your CV up-to-
date and honest.
http://www.ehow.com/how_15747_write-curriculum-vitae.html
5. Invite course participants to go to sub-section V. Your cover letter = your first advert
and get acquainted with examples and tips for writing a covering letter. Explain that
when possible a CV should always be accompanied by a covering letter. Use it to put
your CV in context with the position or organisation, outlining how you relate to its
values, ethos and aspirations. While your CV sets out the skills you have for the post,
your covering letter presents your motivation and adaptability.
A covering letter is a letter that you send to accompany your CV when applying for a job.
Do not overlook this tool as it can be a great asset in your job hunt.
A covering letter should:
demonstrate to the employer your interest in and knowledge of the company;
highlight particular parts of your CV that are your unique selling points;
give additional information that does not fit easily into a CV;
explain any personal circumstances or anomalies in your application.
Style
Address your letter to a named person, even if this means you have to phone the company
to ask for the name of the person who deals with recruitment. This will ensure that it
reaches the right person. It also gives you a contact name for a follow-up call or email.
Think from the employer’s perspective rather than your own. Tell them what you can
contribute to the organization rather than how it can benefit you. Do not send them a
standard letter with only the key details changed.
Your covering letter should be no more than one page long with short and clearly themed
paragraphs - aim for no more than four paragraphs as a rule.

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Content
Use the following format as a guide for your letter:
Briefly introduce yourself, state the post you are applying for and where you saw it
advertised. For a speculative letter, specify the type of work you are looking for.
Explain why you are interested in this type of work and show an understanding of what it is
likely to involve.
Explain why you are interested in working for this particular employer. Demonstrate
enthusiasm and evidence of research into such aspects as their successes, involvements,
values or clients.
Highlight what makes you suitable for this position. Provide evidence of your key strengths
by referring to experience listed on your CV. Aim to show that your key strengths reflect
their requirements.
Take the opportunity, if necessary, to explain any anomalies in your background, such as
time gaps or ways in which you do not match the selection criteria. Perhaps explain how
any hurdles you have encountered have helped you develop in a positive way.
If the role and organisation are creative, you should reflect this in your writing style. If the
organisation is formal, you are more likely to be successful if you write a formal covering
letter.
Ensure there are no errors and spelling mistakes and that you have written the addressee’s
name correctly.
Respectfully request an interview or an opportunity for an informal discussion.
The letter should be typed, but a nice touch in formal letters is to use a fountain pen to
hand write ‘Dear ...’ (with the recruiter’s name) and to sign ‘Yours sincerely’.
A cover letter is comprised of several parts: contact information, a salutation, the body of
the cover letter, and an appropriate closing paragraph.
6. Explain that it is important to use word processing software to write a CV (e.g. MS
Word), but some specialised websites that offer a “CV builder” can also be used to
write a CV and save it on line.
Remember: a CV must be relevant to a specific vacancy, even if most of the information it
contains holds true for all job adverts. Change the CV where appropriate to focus on particular
professional experience, key skills, or specific training. This will depend of the type of company
and essential criteria in the person specification.

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What is your experience of writing a CV or covering letter?
What might be the biggest difficulties for you while writing a CV and covering
letter?
What new ideas have you gained?
7.3. Part B - Practical Workshops
Workshop N°1: Job Adverts
The aim of the workshop: to learn to format and improve tables in MS Word and summarise
the most essential information about job vacancies.
Warm-up
How do you usually collect information about a job/post that is vacant?
Have you ever applied to more than one job at a time?
Where and how do you keep all the information you have acquired about
vacancies?
Have you ever used a computer for these purposes?
Mrs. Kurma needs your help!
1. Ask course participants to open the practical workshop No 1 “Job adverts” in section
No. 2 “Get ready for it”

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2. Explain that in this exercise participants will help Mrs Kurma. Course participants will
analyse three job adverts for sales manager posts. The job adverts have been found
using three different strategies:
 via a search engine (using keywords);
 on a specialised ‘employment’ website;
 on a ‘Government agency’ website.
3. Ask course participants to open the document “Information is power! Mrs. Kurma
needs your help” and invite them to save the document in the created folder with the
name “GetreadyWS1Ayourfirstname-yourname.doc”.
4. Ask course participants to suggest the information required to compare several job
adverts before making a decision on which job to apply for. Write up course
participants’ ideas and compare their suggestions with the structure of the table given
in the document “Information is power! Mrs. Kurma needs your help”. To make the
table more useful suggest additional columns such as ‘address of the organisation’, or
‘travel time to get to the organisation’.
5. Course participants can improve the table either by adding or deleting columns.
6. If course participants’ spreadsheet skills are low, demonstrate how to make a new
table using MS Word, how to move from one cell to another, and how to format cells.
7. Discuss the rating of the provided job adverts.
8. To practise working with tables, invite course participants to copy-paste the table in a
separate document and improve the format. Explain that the content will be clearer
with a more consistent choice of fonts and colours. Once you have completed this
exercise, save it.

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Which job should Mrs. Kurma apply to first? Why?
9. Explain that in the second part of the workshop course participants will find
information related to employment they are looking for.
10. Ask course participants to open the document “Information is power! – Now it’s up to
you! and save it as ‘GetreadyWS1Byourfirstname_yoursurname.doc’
11. In the document course participants can see Mrs Kurma’s original table. Tell them that
if they have modified this template then they can use their own version to start a job
search. Ask course participants to copy into the document the template they improved
during the first part of the workshop.
12. When course participants have prepared the template invite them to find three job
adverts in the area they are interested in:
 using a search engine;
 on a specialized ‘employment’ site;
 on a ‘Government agency’ site.
13. Course participants should use different search strategies to look for information and
complete the table.
14. When the table is completed ask them to compare the three advertisements paying
attention to:
 the type of company, sector, recruitment process, the work environment, number
of employees;
 the salary scale
and make their rating.
15. At the end of this section ask participants to give feedback on their work.
Can technology be used in the job search process? In what way?
What information do you need to know before applying for a job? Which
information is the most essential?
What new skills have you acquired during this workshop?

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Workshop N°2: Job Search
The aim of the workshop: to improve course participants ability to organize their job search
using an MS Excel worksheet (or equivalent) as a support tool.
Warm-up
Have you ever used MS Excel worksheets? If yes, for what purposes?
Was it difficult to work with them? What caused you difficulty?
Optional: If course participants have little or no experience of MS Excel spreadsheets
demonstrate how to create a new spreadsheet and the most common functions.
1. If course participants have some experience of working with Excel spreadsheets ask
them to open workshop No. 2.
2. Explain that Mrs Kurma has prepared a spreadsheet to organize her job search. Ask
course participants to open the document “Mrs Kurma’s Job Vacancy Spreadsheet”
and save this file as "GetreadyWS2yourfirstname-yourname.doc".
3. Explain that the document has five tabs and ask course participants to open the first
tab “Savita Kurma follow up”.
4. Ask course participants to find and insert all the necessary information including
additional columns if necessary.
5. Ask course participants to examine the format of the table (use of colours, shading,
etc), and let them experiment with the format of the table (font, colours, format cells,
etc).
6. Ask course participants to Copy-Paste the table into the worksheet ‘Savita Kurma
improved table n°1’ and in the worksheet ‘Savita Kurma improved table n° 2’ tabs.
7. If time allows, course participants can experiment with the format of the tables in
these worksheets.
8. Invite course participants to open the Excel spreadsheet they worked with during the
first part of the workshop and to open the worksheet with the name “You”
9. Following the instructions on the worksheet, ask course participants to complete the
table and observe the use of formulas and conditional formatting.

38
10. Course participants should now have practiced storing job vacancy information in
tables. They will have discussed what information is essential to keep when applying
for jobs. Course participants will have practiced storing information in MS Word tables
and MS Excel tables, and practiced the use of some of the most common formulas.
What information is essential to record in the job-search process?
What is the most convenient way of storing this information?
What would you use in a future job search?
What new things have you learned in this section?
Workshop N°3: Preparing a CV
The aim of the workshop: to learn to evaluate previous professional experience, to organise
and structure information in a CV, and learn of various CV writing styles and templates.
Warm-up
What is the main purpose of a CV?
What information on a CV is essential for a future employer?
Can one CV be used when applying for several jobs? Why yes or why no?
1. Explain that in this workshop course participants are going to analyze Mrs Kurma’s CV.
In the first part course participants will suggest improvements to Mrs Kurma’s CV. In
the second part they will prepare two versions of their own CV.
2. In the first part of the workshop divide course participants into small groups (2-3
participants). Ask participants to open “Mrs S. Kurma CV” and the document “Mrs.
Kurma needs your help - “Your CV= your passport””.
3. Course participants will appraise Mrs. Kurma’s CV and use the provided evaluation
sheet to note down answers. Course participants will record how she can improve her

39
CV. In order to identify Savita’s competencies course participants can return to session
1 documents referring to Mrs Kurma’s job experience and self-assessment.
4. Invite course participants to read some helpful tips about writing a CV.
5. When the groups have finished their work, lead a group discussion about their findings
and the proposed improvements.
Invite one group to give their opinion about the first questions. Other groups can contribute.
Then invite the other groups to explain their ideas about the second question.
How do you like the layout of the CV? What changes would you suggest?
What spelling and grammar mistakes have you noticed? How have you corrected
them?
What improvements to the content can you suggest?
6. When the groups have suggested their own improvements open the ‘improved
version’ of Mrs Kurma’s CV. Discuss the changes in the improved version.
Can you see any differences?
What other information has been added to her CV?
7. After the discussion remind participants that a CV can be written in various styles:
reverse chronological CV, chronological, skills-based or functional CV.
Reverse chronological CV
Most employers prefer the reverse chronological CV. This CV lists an individual’s
professional qualifications starting from the most recent. What is emphasized is the job
titles and responsibilities that highlight experience levels. This is to ensure that the
prospective employee meets the right description for the job placement. A reverse
chronological CV is especially advantageous if you have not had many achievements in
your career yet. This type of CV is important if your career is progressing well within one
industry.

40
Chronological CV
A chronological CV emphasises career progression, and if you make sure your CV also
shows how your experience and skills match the specification of the new job it can be a
very effective marketing document.
Chronological CVs are best when you have had continuous employment with no gaps. If you
do have gaps, then mention them and give an appropriate reason for them, such as
bringing up a family.
However it can end up as just a list of what you've done, leaving the employer with very
little idea about what you are like as a person.
Skills-based or functional CV
A skills-based CV emphasises your personal qualities rather than your employment history,
and is a very popular format with mature graduates
A skills-based CV is ideal if you have gaps in your employment history, because they are not
as prominent as they would be in a chronological CV.
However, employers are still likely to ask you about your career progression, so be
prepared to explain any gaps at interview.
If you have varied work experience, this type of CV provides the opportunity to show
employers how skills gained in other types of employment might be relevant for the post.
www.open.ac.uk/careers/chronological-cv.php
8. Tell course participants that in this section they will write their own CV. The empty CV
template in the ‘Do’s and don’ts of CV writing’ can be used, or use Mrs Kurma’s
improved CV as a template. Remind them to save their CV as Yourname-Yoursurname-
CV.doc
9. Remind course participants that the reverse chronological CV is the most widely used
so they should keep to that format.
10. While participants are preparing their CV, the facilitator can provide help where
necessary.
11. When participants have finished remind them to check their CV and invite other
course participants to proof read their CV.
12. Ask course participants to discuss their CV in pairs and suggest any improvements.
13. If the CV is ready, course participants can save it on a memory stick or send it to
themselves via e-mail.

41
14. If time allows course participants can check online resources to find other templates. It
is suggested that the participants familiarise themselves with the Europass CV.
What is the Europass Curriculum Vitae (CV)?
Europass CV has been set-up by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. Its aim
is to help people make their skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood, enabling
them to seek employment throughout Europe.
For further information and instructions on creating and uploading your CV see
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/

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8.Section - Go for it!
Help course participants to
 become aware of the possibilities of creating professional opportunities through the
use of social networking software,
 become aware of Facebook security systems and the use of Facebook tools,
 learn to use PowerPoint presentation software,
 prepare for a presentation and a job interview.
Efficient use of Web 2.0
The section consists of 2 parts.
Part A - How do I meet a potential employer?
In this section course participants will discover how to use social networking software as a job
search tool and acquire some tips about personal security on the web. Course participants will
learn how to prepare for a face-to-face job interview and successfully present themselves.
The second section consists of practical exercises. In the first workshop course participants will
analyse Mrs Kurma’s Facebook profile, discuss the importance of privacy settings and how to
use them. Course participants will then analyse their own social network profiles and adjust
their privacy settings.
In the second workshop course participants will practice presenting themselves to potential
employers, first by analyzing Mrs. Kurma’s PowerPoint presentation and then by preparing
their own presentation.

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8.2. Part A - Online resource: How can I market
myself to potential employers?
Warm up
There are several effective strategies for assessing prior learning. The ‘KWL’ strategy requires
the facilitator to ask course participants (on a handout) what they already KNOW about the
topic, what they WANT to learn about the topic and (at the end of the session) what they
LEARNT about the topic.
 Inform course participants of the goals of the section and the content of the two
practical workshops and four major themes to be discussed:
1. Digital identity
2. Social networks
3. Job interviews
4. Present yourself successfully
 Using the KWL strategy course participants can write on the handout what they
already know and what they would like to learn.
I know I want to learn I have learned
 When course participants have completed the first and second column, i.e. stated
what they know and what they want to learn about the four proposed themes,
take feedback, either by collecting the handouts or through a group discussion.
Pay special attention to their needs as you will return to them at the end of the
workshop to ascertain if participants’ needs and expectations have been met.
1. Ask course participants to open the first part “Online resources” of the third section
“Go for it”.

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2. Inform course participants of the helpful resources available in this section which will
help them to use social networks properly and improve their presentation and
interview skills. The information is structured in four parts:
I. Your digital identity can help you find a job
II. The art of speech
III. Interview preparation
IV. Final checklist
Networking is one of the most important components of job searching. Companies are
increasingly using social recruiting to source candidates for employment, as well as to
investigate applicants they are considering hiring. It is important to be aware of what
companies are doing. You can use company's recruiting tactics to your advantage. Social
media, including sites like Twitter and Facebook, can help you find a job and connect with
people who can assist you with finding a job. However, it works both ways. Social media
when used the wrong way can backfire and jeopardise a job offer or even your current job.
When you are looking for a job, it is important to have an online presence where you can
show your skills and experience. Your online profiles in social networks can also help you
connect with contacts who can expedite your job search and assist you with moving up the
career ladder.
Be very careful what you put online. If you have a MySpace or Facebook account, a lot of
people will be reading and assessing it, even if you think nobody will read it. A lot of
employers use this tool to investigate their future employees. Make your account private,

45
so only your friends can access it. Be extra careful, and do not post anything that you do
not want a prospective employer to read. If you are not careful, everything you post on
Facebook can be seen by your current employer or a prospective employer. Inappropriate
comments and/or photos can cost job seekers offers.
Do consider creating a personal web site, if you're unemployed, specifically related to your
job search including your CV. Include only professional and academic information. Or use
your profile on sites like LinkedIn to promote your experience.
Privacy Issues
Should prospective employers be reading your personal information? Maybe not, but, if you
put it on the Internet and it is readily accessible, they can and they might. Some people list
their personal web site or blog on their CV and most of us Google people we're interested in
knowing more about. There's nothing to stop a hiring manager from doing the same. If it's
on your CV, the employer will look at it. Even if it's not on your CV, if your blog, web site or
profile contains information on your real identity, the people you least expect, and those
that you certainly don't want reading it, may find it. Not only your boss and prospective
employers, but, also your customers and colleagues.
Advantages of Online Networking
There are thousands of discussion groups and community forums covering hundreds of
subjects.
You can "break the ice" before meeting someone in person.
You can listen, engage, or be engaged as you wish. You don't have to feel like a wallflower
since no one can see you standing off by yourself.
Many recruiters are lurking on the lists to find potential candidates.
Disadvantages
Networking online is just as difficult as networking in person! It may actually be even more
difficult because it’s difficult to establish a true connection online.
First impressions count even more. Be very careful with your first public posting.
Your online behaviour matters more than you think
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobsearchblogs/a/jobsearchblog.htm
http://www.rileyguide.com/network.html
3. Ask course participants to open part I. Your digital identity can help you find a job.
Give them time to get acquainted with the online resources and to find out about two
issues:

46
 How to use Web 2.0 to find a job.
 How to manage your digital identity safely on Facebook.
4. Ask course participants what are the most important things they have found out. What
new ideas have they gained?
How do you use Web 2.0 to find a job?
How do you manage your digital identity on Facebook?
What new ideas have you gained?
5. Explain that before hiring an employee, employers invite candidates for a job
interview. Ask if someone has had interview experience and invite them to share their
experience with the group.
How did she /he feel during the interview?
What essential information did the employer want to know?
Did he /she prepare for the interview? If yes, in what way?
Would she/he change anything about their behaviour in the interview next time?
6. After the discussion ask course participants to go to part II. The art of speech. Invite
course participants to browse through the online resources or watch some online job
interviews provided in part II, part III and part IV. Proceed with a group discussion.
Have you found any practical tips about preparing for an interview? (arriving,
speaking, things to take with you, what to wear, body language, psychological
preparation, what information you need to know).
Here are some tips:
Research the potential employer thoroughly. Use the Internet, libraries and periodicals to
find current information.
Know the organisation’s market, products and goals.

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Memorise some facts about the organisation and be prepared to cite them during the
interview.
Formulate a list of intelligent questions to ask during your interview.
Talk to people who work or have worked at the organisation.
A job interview gives you a chance to shine. What you say and what you do is going to
either move you forward or knock you out of contention. It doesn't take much to make an
impression - good or bad. If you haven't taken time to dress appropriately or if you say the
"wrong" thing, it will be over.
Take the time to prepare your interview technique including knowing what's on your CV
presenting why you are qualified for the job, why you are interested in the company, and
practice staying calm and focused. It's important to remember that the image the
interviewer has of you when he first meets you is the one that is going to last.
Know the Facts
Review your work history - and make sure what you say matches what's on your CV. Take
the time to learn about the organisation and about the job you're applying for.
What You Don't Say
What you don't say can - and will - be used against you in a job interview. If you come to an
interview chewing gum or drinking coffee, you will already have one strike against you. Too
much perfume or not enough deodorant won't help either. Not being dressed appropriately
or having scuffed shoes will give you a second strike. Talking or texting on your cell phone
or listening to an iPod while waiting to be called for the interview may be your final strike
and you could be done with your candidacy before you even say a word.
What You Do Say
Your verbal communications are important. Don't use slang. Speak clearly and definitely. If
you need to think about a response to an interview question, that's fine. It's better to think
before you talk than to stumble over your words. Practice answering some interview
questions so you're comfortable responding to the basics.
Listen
It can be easy to get distracted during a job interview. It's stressful having to respond to
questions. That said, if you do your best to listen to what the interviewer is asking, it will be
easier to frame appropriate responses.

48
Using Non Verbal Communication to Impress
What you don't say during an interview is as important as what you do say. What's
important, when interviewing, is to appear professional and attentive throughout the
interview process.
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/interviews/qt/interviewtiptechnique.htm
Preparing for a face-to-face interview
Your interview invitation will probably give the following information. If not, it is perfectly
acceptable to ring up and ask:
How long will the interview last?
What format will the interview take?
Will there be any tests or group exercises?
Do I need to bring or prepare anything specific?
Make sure that you:
double check the time and date of your interview;
know how to get to the venue and how long the journey takes;
confirm your travel arrangements carefully, especially if you have to make rail
connections;
check for any planned disruptions to road or rail services;
plan to arrive early, rather than rushing in late;
What to wear
Dress appropriately. It is important to look smart for your interview, but you also need to
feel comfortable so that you can relax. Some companies have a much more relaxed
approach to dress than others, but unless you are specifically told to dress informally, you
should wear a suit or equivalent business wear.
Decide what to wear well in advance - do not leave it until the morning of the interview.
Make sure that it is clean, ironed and ready to wear.
Make sure your shoes are clean.
It is a good idea to avoid excessive alcohol the night before an interview - you will perform
better with a clear head.
Avoid using an aftershave or perfume that has a very strong smell.
Smokers should resist the temptation to have a cigarette on the way or while waiting for an
interview, as the smell may be noticeable when you walk into the interview room.

49
Personal safety
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return - you may want to leave
an address and telephone number. Beware of going into private houses for an interview.
Knowledge about yourself
Read your CV or application form again, thinking specifically about the qualities the
employer is looking for. Work out how best you can demonstrate these to the
interviewer(s), and how you can sell yourself at interview. Remember that they have
shortlisted you for interview because they are prepared to spend time finding out more
about you.
In order to organise your thoughts, you could ask yourself questions such as:
What does the job involve and why do I want it?
What qualities do I have that make me suitable?
Why did I choose my degree course?
What are my key strengths and development needs?
How would I like my career to develop?
What skills will I need and what skills have I gained from my work-related and
extracurricular activities? Think of examples.
Alternatively, try putting yourself in the interviewer’s place. What would you ask, and how
would you be convinced you had found the right person for the job?
Think about yourself and how you match up to the job specification. Most employers will
indicate the particular skills they want for an individual post and, in addition, there are core
skills which every employer is looking for.
Make the most of your unique experiences and achievements. Do not undersell yourself.
You can identify your skills by considering the various areas of your life, such as your
education, work experience, interests, sport and voluntary work, and then listing which
skills you may have developed in each. This will help you to prepare evidence and think
about your answers for the competency-based questions you may be asked at interview.
Prepare your answers, but avoid sounding as if you have rehearsed them. Then prepare
your attitude: enthusiasm, a positive outlook and honesty are always the best policies.
Prepare your questions to ask the interviewer as this is your chance to find out more.
Knowledge about the job
It is important that you know as much as possible about the job for which you’re being
interviewed. Have a look at types of jobs and, if possible, speak to people already doing the
type of work you are interested in. Increasingly, employers are adding case studies of
employees to their websites and these can provide an interesting insight into the day-to-

50
day activities of certain roles. You do not need to know exactly what you will be doing in
the role, but an understanding of the types of activities involved will help. Refer to the job
advertisement, job description or person specification.
Read the advert and job description carefully and try to have some examples that relate to
the competencies mentioned.
Knowledge about the organisation
The fact that you have done research on your prospective employer will demonstrate your
interest and enthusiasm, as well as your motivation to work for the organisation. It will also
prepare you for answering questions at interview, and help you to think of some questions
to ask the interviewer. All employers will expect you to display some understanding of their
organisation, its size, and the sector in which it operates.
Have a look at their website and, if possible, their annual report. Many employer websites
have press archives of articles that have been issued by them or about them and you could
also do a web search to find out what is said about them by other organisations.
Psychological preparation
If you have prepared as thoroughly as you can in terms of thinking about yourself and your
skills, and researching into the employer and the job, and you have considered the
practicalities of getting to your interview, you should feel confident and positive.
However, do not worry if you feel nervous or apprehensive before the interview. Most
people feel nervous in these situations and it manifests itself in different ways in different
people, which may include a dry mouth, shaky hands, a fast-beating heart, sleeplessness,
sweating, a squeaky voice, or several trips to the loo!
Remember that the interviewers are not expecting you to be perfect. They will be looking at
your future potential, and how their organisation could help you to develop. Interviewers
want to find out whether you have the ability, knowledge and motivation to fit into their
organisation and make a valid contribution.
Whilst some nerves may be inevitable, there are things you can do to prepare yourself
psychologically:
Arrange a practice interview with your careers adviser, or go through some typical
questions and answers with a friend.
Try to get a good night’s sleep the night before your interview. Perhaps have dinner a
little earlier than usual and go to bed at a reasonable time.
Eat breakfast on the morning of your interview, even if your stomach feels like a
washing machine on spin cycle. You may have a long and intense day ahead, so feeding
your brain is important, and food should ultimately help to settle your nerves.

51
Try to drink plenty of water throughout the day, which will be better for you than
stimulants such as tea and coffee.
Breathe! Try taking a deep breath in, holding it for a few seconds, and then exhaling
fully, and then repeat this as necessary. There are lots of self-help books and CDs available
on topics such as breathing techniques, meditation, relaxation, and positive visualisation.
Find something that works for you.
Remember that interviewers know that candidates will be nervous. They will want you
to be relaxed and be yourself, so that they can get a better overall impression of you. They
will also realise that a few nerves are a sign that you really want the job.
Above all, try to stay positive and remember that any experiences you have as part of a
recruitment process are an opportunity for you to learn and to develop.
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/interview_preparation.htm
8.3. Part B - Practical Workshop
Workshop N°1: Digital identity
The aim of the workshop: to discover how online social networking can be used to find a job,
and to raise awareness of your ”digital identity”.
Warm-up
Do you have a profile on a social network? If yes, which one? Tell us about your
experience? How do you use it? What for?
What information have you included in your profile?
Have you thought about security and privacy issues? Who has access to your profile
and posts on your wall?
If the participants do not have a profile, help them to create one.
1. Ask course participants to open practical workshop No 1 of section No 3 “Go for it”.

52
2. Explain that course participants will examine Mrs Kurma’s Facebook profile. Ask them
to open the document: ‘Your digital identity=a job! Mrs. Kurma needs your help’. After
opening it, save it in the folder “Toolkit” with the name “GoForITWS1Ayourfirstname-
yourname.doc”.
3. Explain the situation: Mrs Kurma is looking for a job as a Sales manager in a fashion
boutique. She recently opened a Facebook account as she finds this helpful to keep in
touch with friends and family living in England and India. She has been posting lots of
messages recently, about her hobbies, family, holidays, hopes etc. She has been
publishing albums of photos too!
4. Divide the participants into small groups (3-4 participants) and tell them that each
group has to take on a different role. One group will perform the role of Mrs Kurma’s
friends and another group – the role of the employer. Ask each group to analyse Mrs
Kurma’s Facebook profile from the point of view of their allocated role.
5. Once the groups have analysed the Facebook page, and completed the necessary
information on the workshop document ask a member of each group to explain to the
other participants their group’s recommendations and conclusions.
What information is advisable and what is not advisable to publish on a social
networking site?
What might be the possible consequences of Savita’s behaviour on Facebook and
how could this affect her job search and any future employment?

53
6. Now ask course participants to apply what they have learned to their own Facebook
profiles. This can be done in the second part of the workshop “Now it’s up to you!”
7. End users are invited to open the document “3_Your_Digital_Identity_Up_to_you.doc”
and save it as “GoForITWS1Byourfirstname-yourname.doc”.
8. Course participants working individually analyze their digital identity and try to
improve it by following the questions and information provided in the document
”3_Your_Digital_Identity_Up_to_you.doc”.
9. At the end of this section, lead a discussion by asking participants to explain their
ideas.
Do you consider social networks useful for job search?
What precautions should the user make to protect his/her privacy and how do you
plan to improve the style and security of your digital identity?
Workshop N°2: The art of speech
The aim of the workshop: to improve course participants’ presentation skills by using MS
PowerPoint (or equivalent) as a support tool.
Warm-up
Have you ever used a PowerPoint presentation? If yes, for what purpose?
Was it difficult to create a presentation?
If the course participants have little or no experience of PowerPoint presentations the
facilitator can demonstrate the first slides of the document, explain the structure and how to
open and view a presentation. “2_Art_of_Speech_presentation_errors_Mrs_Kurma.ppt”.
1. Ask course participants to open workshop No 2.

54
2. Explain that participants will analyse a presentation Mrs Kurma has prepared. She has
included a lot of information but she would like some feedback on how to improve it.
3. Divide course participants into small groups (2 -3 people) and ask them to open Mrs
Kurma’s presentation and follow the exercise which will help them to analyse the and
provide suggestions. Ask them to save this document as “GoForITWS2Ayourfirstname-
yourname.doc”.
4. The aim of Mrs Kurma’s presentation is to present her professional career and
experience. Ask them to read the suggestions about professional presentation and
then analyse the slides following the notes in the provided document. Invite them to
consider the PowerPoint presentation from a technical point of view (correct use of
slide design, slide transition, etc.) and from a content point of view (personal skills,
professional life, use of titles, short sentences, keywords as a technique to remember
sections of the presentation).
5. After course participants have analysed the PowerPoint presentation and discussed it
in small groups, ask the groups to report back on their findings and suggestions.
6. Open the document “4_Art_of_Speech_presentation_good_Mrs_Kurma.ppt” and
point out the improvements in this second version.
7. At the end of this section lead a debate on the difference between a private and a
professional presentation and the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of professional presentations.

55
What is the main difference between a personal and a professional presentation?
Suggest some tips for a good professional presentation.
What new things have you learned from Mrs Kurma’s example?
10 PowerPoint Tips for Preparing a Professional Presentation
Presentations – whether they are made with PowerPoint or other applications, are a great
way to support a speech, visualise complicated concepts or focus attention on a subject.
However, a bad presentation can achieve the opposite. Badly designed slides with too
much text or bad graphics can distract or worse, irritate the audience.
Here’s is a short guide that will help you create presentations with a professional look and
concise content, avoiding the most common mistakes.
Design
The first thing that gives a professional touch to any presentation is the design.
Presentation Helper has a large selection of free PowerPoint templates for a variety of
topics. However, whether you download a free template or create your own, keep the
following in mind:
1. Compose Slides
Don’t copy & paste slides from different sources.
Keep the design very basic and simple. It should not distract.
Pick an easy to read font face.
Carefully select font sizes for headers and text.
Leave room for highlights, such as images or take home messages.
Decorate scarcely but well.
Restrict the room your design takes up and don’t ever let the design restrict your message.
2. Use Consistency
Consistently use the same font face and sizes on all slides.
Match colours.

56
You may use your company logo, highlight headers, create a special frame for
figures/images or the whole slide but don’t overload your slides with these elements.
Colours
A poor choice of colours can ruin a presentation.
If you’re unsure which colours match best, use ColorBlender
to get a set of up to six matching colours, simply by moving a set
of RGB sliders back and forth.
3. Use Contrast
Black text on a white background will always be the best but also the most boring choice.
If you want to play with colours, keep it easy on the eyes and always keep good contrast in
mind so that your readers do not have to strain to guess what you’ve typed on your slide.
4. Apply Brilliance
Carefully use colour to highlight your message!
Don’t weaken the colour effect by using too many colours.
Make a brilliant choice: match colours for design and good contrast to highlight your
message.
5. Text
Keep It Straight and Simple.
Keywords only.
No sentences!
Never read your slides, talk freely.
Remember that your slides are only there to support, not to replace your talk! You’ll want
to tell a story, describe your data or explain circumstances, and only provide keywords
through your slides. If you read your slides and if you do it slow and badly, the audience will
get bored and stop listening.
6. Take Home Message
Always express a ‘Take Home’ Message.
It’s your message, a summary of your data or story.
Make it a highlight that stands out.

57
Images
Images are key elements of every presentation. Your audience has ears and eyes – they’ll
want to see what you’re talking about, and a good visual cue will help them to understand
your message much better.
7. Add Images
Have more images in your slides than text.
But do not use images to decorate!
Images can reinforce or complement your message.
Use images to visualise and explain.
A picture can say more than a thousand words.
If you don’t have your own images, you can browse Flickr or Google’s image search for
material. If this is a very public and official presentation, however, you need to keep
copyright in mind.
Animations & Media
In animations, there is a fine line between a comic or professional impression. However,
animations can be rather powerful tools to visualise and explain complicated matters. A
good animation can not only improve understanding, but can also make the message stick
with your audience.
8. Don’t Be Silly
Use animations and media sparingly.
Use animations to draw attention.
Use animations to clarify a model or emphasise an effect.
Target & Content
Your target i.e. your audience, defines the content of your presentation.
9. Keep Your Audience in Mind
What do they know?
What do you need to tell them?
What do they expect?
What will be interesting to them?

58
What will keep them focused?
Answer these questions and edit your slides down to the very essentials.
In your talk, describe the essentials colourfully and choose your weapons i.e. text, images
and animations wisely (see above).
If you lose the attention of your audience, everything will be lost - it won’t matter how
ingenious your design is or how brilliantly you picked colours and keywords.
10. Practice
A well-prepared and enthusiastic talk will help you convince your audience and maintain
their attention. There are some key points that define a good talk.
Know your slides inside out.
Speak freely.
Speak with confidence – loud and clear.
Don’t speak too fast.
Maintain eye contact with the audience.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-tips-for-preparing-a-professional-presentation/
8. The second section “Now it’s up to you” is for participants to apply their new skills to
their own professional presentation.
9. Before course participants start creating their own presentation the facilitator
(depending on the skills of course participants) can demonstrate PowerPoint
presentation skills such as slide insertion, the use of templates, slide design, change of
fonts and colours.
10. Course participants create their own professional presentations by using a blank
template (“5_Art_of_Speech_presentation_Up_to_you.ppt”) at first by inserting
content and then by testing different templates. They can use the information from
their CV (prepared during session 2).
11. At the end of the session each participant should present themselves to the rest of the
group using their PowerPoint presentation. This will help increase their confidence and
interpersonal skills.
12. At the end of this section participants should return to the handout they started at the
beginning (KWL method) and complete the last column - what they have learned in
this section.

59
What have you learned during section 3?
What will you use in your own practice?

60
9.Some practical tips before you
start
Here is some helpful advice to help facilitators prepare and lead courses more effectively.
9.1. Group size
Two group sizes are recommended: five people in a group, or ten people in a group. The
facilitator must clarify participants’ IT competence level before the course has started as all
participants must be of a similar competence level. If participants have low knowledge of IT
they will require more individual support, in which case a smaller group is recommended. Each
participant needs a computer work space. Decisions about group size will also be based on
available space. If the facilitator chooses to work with a larger group it is recommended to use
two Facilitators. .When working with a larger group it is recommended to hold discussions in
smaller groups (between three or four people) that way all participants will get a chance to be
heard. If working with a group of five people there is no need to split into smaller groups for
discussion
9.2. Classroom preparation
To lead the course efficiently the facilitator will need a computer with a projector and an
internet connection. Every participant will need a computer space with an internet
connection. Participants will require the following software:
 OS Windows XP or Windows 7.
 Office software - MS Office 2007, MS Office 2010 or MS Office 2003 (with 2007
compatibility pack installed).
Before the course test all technical equipment to make sure it works properly. Students should
be seated so that the facilitator can see each student, and students can see the facilitator and
the screen, it is better to sit in a U form if possible. In the U-shape setup the tables are
arranged so they are facing a central point in the room. The facilitator stands in front. With this
style of setup, the facilitator can easily interact with the participants on an individual basis, and
participants can interact more easily with each other.
Start by asking every participant to create their own a folder on the computer and name it, for
example, using their own name. In this folder they can save all their documents and make a
copy of it on their own memory stick to continue with their own independent learning.

61
9.3. Consult your local Jobcentre
If it is possible consult with the local jobcentre or study their web page before leading the
course. This will update you on current employment trends and specialised welfare to work
programmes and training. The facilitator should also be up-to-date on projects and
opportunities for job seekers, such as courses, government study loans, volunteering, funding,
to sign post participants to etc. The facilitator may not know all the answers, but he or she
should know where to sign post participants and direct them to the most relevant online sites
and training providers.

62
9.4. Adapting your job search according to location
Finding work in a rural area can be significantly different from a big city. Not only is the variety
of job vacancies much smaller, but also how you seek them is different. The facilitator should
take this into consideration where relevant, for example, in practical Workshop No 2 (section
“Choose it!”) when searching for a job, planning routes and searching courses.
9.5. Theoretical materials
In every section there are two parts - A and B. In part A you will find suggested theoretical
material. These are external links which participants can use to improve their knowledge of the
topic. Before you starts make sure that all the external links work as these sites are not part of
the toolkit.
Encourage course participants to look through the online resources in their own time. Feel free
to demonstrate additional online resources based on the groups’ needs.
9.6. Navigation
The web platform can be used with the majority of web browsers: Google Chrome, Internet
Explorer v9 ( and older ) , Mozilla Firefox v5, Safari, Opera. It is also compatible with phone
operating systems - Windows Mobile, iOS and Android. No problems were found during
testing.
Users can reach the home page from any place in the toolkit just by clicking on the Home
menu. When opening www.keycompetences.eu, the facilitator will be able to see a choice of
five languages for the toolkit. Primary navigation is set at the top line of the web page. Users

Online employment toolkit for facilitators and trainers

Online employment toolkit for facilitators and trainers

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