1. JD & PS TASKS
TASK 1. The Person Specification
Individually, take a job you could imagine wanting to do upon graduation…. (eg:
Marketing Executive, Financial Planner etc…) then create a list of criteria you
would be looking for in the post-holder.
Consider these under two headings:
1. General personal characteristics / capabilities
2. Role-specific capabilities / knowledge required
• NB. Under each heading, classify these criteria as either ‘essential’ or
‘desirable’.
Then consider how and where in your cv and/or covering letter you can get these
issues across to the employer who receives your application for the post. How
will you convince him to put you in the ‘For Interview’ pile?
TASK 2. SPEED DATING
This is inspired by an advert in Le Monde of 6th
Oct 2007 which advertised a:
‘Meet your Future Employer’ Recruitment Fair.
Now imagine that you are one of the employers attending with potentially
hundreds, if not thousands, of applicants wanting to be ‘screened’ for a job. You
turn to the idea of ‘speed dating’ to enable you to process the volume. With each
candidate you will spend just three minutes across a table from one another to
determine whether this is someone in whom you could be interested or not.
1. What critical questions would you ask, and why? (given that there is NOT
time for big long answers)
2. What would you be looking for from the applicant?
If we have time…. We may try this out!!!!!
HOMEWORK
In the light of all we have discussed today:-
1. Review your cv and make changes as appropriate
2. Review your covering letter and make changes as appropriate
Make copies of these revised and enhanced cvs and covering letters and be
prepared to come to the next class to share them and have them critiqued
mercilessly (but positively!) by one of your colleagues.