Dave Kilmartin Careers Adviser Faculty of Science Oct 6 Twenty10.
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Transcript of Dave Kilmartin Careers Adviser Faculty of Science Oct 6 Twenty10.
Dave Kilmartin
Careers Adviser
Faculty of Science
Oct 6 Twenty10
Employers perspective
• Who are you ?
• What can you do ?
• What contribution can you make you make
to the organisation ?
• Is it worth my while interviewing you ?
3
Part of the recruitment process that you control
An agenda for the interview
Your CV:• Reflects you professionally
• Your past is an indicator of future potential
• Your attitude & interest in the job
• Your Sales & Marketing Document
Get an
interview
Be professional and you’ll be treated as a professional
CV Exercise
• What would an employer want to see in a CV from a computer science student
• Be Specific
Skills Analysis Exercise
Area Skill Example
College
Work Experience
Interests
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Activities / Experiences
Responsibilities/Projects/tasks undertaken
Skills AcquiredAchievements
CollegeWork expHobbies and Interests
Active verbs; undertook; managed; liaised; solved; dealt with; oversaw;
e.g.InterpersonalTimeManagementLeadershipTeam
Be Specific
CV Contents
• Personal details • Education• Work Experience/Key
Responsibilities• Skills• Interests/Achievements• Referees
Lay it out
•Tailor CV for each job
•Before writing, do your research– Self awareness: how do your skills,
personality and experience relate to your target job/career?
– Employer and role research: what is the company looking for? Read the job specification, talk to people in the industry, use the internet…..
• Layout can help or hinder the reader
• Keep it simple, clear and short - 2 pages of good quality A4 (100gm)
• Be wary of templates
• Main selling points on first page
• Give highest priority to best and most recent examples of your ability to do the specific job
• Be positive, direct and concise
• Be selective - space is short, give only the information which counts
CV Contents
• Personal details
• Education
• Work Experience/Key Responsibilities
• Skills
• Interests/Achievements
• Referees
Arms length
So What
What is a Cover Letter?
• A vital part of your application - your CV is incomplete without it
• Another opportunity to sell yourself
• Highlight personal qualities
• Adds depth to factual information in your CV
• Highlights most interesting and relevant parts of your CV to an employer
Cover letter layout
• Concise - 1 page of A4
• Laid out as a formal business letter showing your address and the name and address of the employer
• Sent to a named person - not “Dear Sir/Madam”
• Spell-checked and grammar checked
Cover letter contents
• 4-5 concise paragraphs– First paragraph: who you are, why you’re
writing– Second paragraph: why you want to work for
that particular company– Third paragraph: why you? Highlight the
ways in which you meet the person specification, or the skills, qualifications and experience you have that are particularly relevant
– end on a positive note. Put your name at the bottom and remember to sign it
Summary - top tips• CVs
– present your CV in most visually attractive way, well laid out and no more than 2 A4 pages
– include only relevant information– balance your CV against the job description
• Cover Letters– write one!– be concise and precise - 1 page of A4– use the letter to personalise your application
and tailor it to the company/role