SCHOOLS’ BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPNOTES & RESOURCES

JOE O’DONNELL (OCTOBER 2014)

Presentation Purpose

The following presentation is based on the notes and materials I used when volunteering as part of the School Mentoring programme with Diageo in St. James’s CBS between 2007 and 2012. I have drafted them so they might serve as a guide for any other volunteers or companies who sign up to the Schools’ Business Partnership.

The additional educational resources I have listed towards the end of this presentation were all still valid and active in October 2014.

Joe O’Donnell, 13th October, 2014.

CONTENTSProgramme Weekly Schedule 4.Researching the Job Market 5.Cover Letters 7.Application Forms 10.CV Preparation 13.Interview Skills 21.Presentation Skills 38.Educational Resources 52. Other Online Resources 56.

Programme Weekly Schedule• Introductory meeting + CV Preparation (wk1)• CVs, Cover Letters & Application Forms (wk2)• Researching the Jobs Market (wk3)• CV Feedback Session (wk3)• Interview Preparation (wk3)• Mock Interviews (wk4)• Presentation Skills Workshop (wk5)• Group Presentation (wk6)• Social Event (wk7)

Researching the Jobs Market

Researching Job AdvertisementsJob Advertisements will tell you a lot about what to put in your CV.When you find an ad for a job your particularly want, it is worth studying it carefully before responding, and then drafting a fresh CV using the advertisement as a guideline.You need to do three things:

• Analyse what they want• Show what you have to offer• Match the two as closely as possible on your CV by:

1. Using words and phrases that appear in the advertisement2. Selecting the skills and experience you have that are relevant3. Putting the points relating to the Ad in first – others go in later4. Include all your relevant qualifications and experience.

Cover Letters

Cover Letters – The Basics• What’s the difference between a CV and a Cover Letter?

• It should be laid out as a formal business letter showing both your address and the name and address of the recipient.

• Send it to a named person - not Dear Sir/Madam.

• Include the name & address of the recipient of the CV & Cover letter on the top left hand side + with the date directly underneath

• Include your own home address on the right hand side

• Keep it concise - a single page of A4 is sufficient

• The body of the letter should consist of 4-5 concise paragraphs.

Cover Letters – The Structure• Paragraph #1: Say Why you are writing & name the post you are

applying for

• Paragraph #2: Why this company? Why do you want to work for that particular company, government department, organization?

• Paragraph #3: Why You? What do you have to offer? What is the relevance of your experience to the job?

• Paragraph #4: Why this job? Why do you want that particular job? Why are you applying?

• Final Paragraph: Conclude & look forward confidently to the interview

Application Forms

Tips on Completing Application Forms

When filling in forms remember you are trying to write your own invitation to an interview and if you want your application heeded, you have to make an impact. When completing your form, ask yourself:• Have you assessed accurately what the job entails? • Does it coincide with your career aspirations and interests? • Can you carry out the tasks in the job profile and would you enjoy

doing them? • What evidence can you provide of this?

Remember: make the link between your background (work experience, skills, achievements, hobbies & interests) and the demands of the job and show yourself to be a promising candidate.

Before you complete your Application Forms …

Before Completing the Form• You should research the company thoroughly. Read their website, and make sure you

know the job description.• Read something about the company’s competitors so that you know how it compares

with others in the industry.

When Completing the Form• Read through the form before you write anything. Note any general instructions. Note

the general lay-out of the form and the sequence of questions so that you avoid repeating yourself.

• Draft out your answers first, preferably on a photocopy. Make your answers relevant, interesting and personal.

• Use action phrases, particularly verbs e.g. “I managed, I organized, I achieved …” as these convey an 'action oriented' individual.

• Use a black pen - it photocopies more easily.• Keep a copy of every application you submit, so that you can recall the details before

an interview.

CV Preparation

The principles behind a Great CV• Format & Structure - Your CV should be clear, easy to

follow and well laid out• Consistency – one size and style of font + bullet-

points• Brief - No more than 2 pages stapled together• Be selective - space is short; give only the

information that counts• Be Honest - you should be able to support anything

you put on the CV with examples from real life if asked.

• Attention to detail – get your teacher or parents to double-check your CV for any errors

CV Structure

There are 7 - 8 sections that an employer wants to see in your CV:1). Personal Details2). Personal Profile3). Key Achievements or Key Skills4). Work Experience5). Education & Qualifications6). Interests & Hobbies7). References

CV Mistakes to AVOIDSpelling errors, Typos, and Poor GrammarOmitting key, relevant skills Listing too many skillsWaffling (less is more!)Describing Work Experience merely as a list of duties,

rather than focusing on achievementsComplex format, gimmicks, colours, fontsDates in the wrong order Leaving your best, strongest points to the second pageUsing jargon or abbreviations without explanationNot adapting your CV to each job or employer

Emailing your CV to an Employer• Ensure you are mailing the correct person• Put your cover letter text in the actual mail and attach cv• Your email address should be 'business-like' not 'fun-

student' kind. • Use standard fonts and asterisks instead of bullets. Keep

the text simple and the presentation plain. • Save your files as plain text so that you can cut and paste

them into an email. Attachments can be less popular - check if employer wishes to receive them.

• Resist the temptation to simply save your CV as 'CV.doc' - imagine being the person at the other end who has to rename CVs before saving them!

CV Feedback Session

Objectives of the Session: The CVs will then be evaluated and feedback becomes the material for the second session. The company reps will return CVs with appropriate (constructive and encouraging) remarks and give some general feedback to the group. They would then discuss the interview process:

Interview Skills

Introduction to InterviewingThe company representatives should begin the session with discussing aspects of the Interview Process with the Students, such as:• How they should behave• The kind of questions asked• The way to answer them

The speaker could talk about the qualities the company looks for in:• their recruitment process• their Training and promotion practises

Top 10 Interview Tips• Be punctual – Aim to arrive at the interview at least 15 min’s

before the scheduled time • Dress appropriately – look the part, be well presented wear

shirt and tie.• Research/Prepare for the interview – Ensure you research

the company and the position itself, make sure you have the name of the person interviewing you, so that you can address them by their name, this creates a good impression.

• Smile and be friendly relax and be yourself, be the most professional version of yourself you can be

• Firm Handshake practice this before with family and friends, maintain Eye Contact – the interviewer will believe and trust your answer if you look at them.

Top 10 Interview Tips (Cntd.)

• Listen – listen carefully during the course of the interview and ensure that you answer the question you are being asked.

• Bring Copies of your CV to the interview• Think of some Questions the interviewer may ask

and prepare your answers.• Think of some Questions to ask about the job for

example what are the duties and responsibilities of the job.

• Always thank the interviewer for their time at the end of the interview

Interview Preparation: Researching the Company

• Prepare well by studying the employer's literature, and reading up on the type of post for which you are applying

• Before the interview, find out the basics about the company by checking their website

• Use Social Media to research both the company you are applying to & the person who will be interviewing you (e.g. on Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)

• Read through the job description thoroughly so you know what they are looking for and the skills you possess that match

Interview Preparation: Researching the Company (Cntd.)

• Ask yourself, "What do I have that would make someone want to hire me for this job?"

• Recognise what the most likely questions will be, and ask yourself how you could back up your answers with practical illustrations

• Refresh your memory about your previous employment and your work history

• Think carefully about your achievements and how to describe them

• Practice - ask friends and family members to conduct practice interviews with you

Interview Preparation: … At the Interview

• Dress appropriately - convey an image of professionalism, assurance and competence.

• Allow ample travel time, and arrive a little early to allow you to compose yourself

• Have a spare copy of your CV and any original references or academic records

Interview Etiquette and Behaviour• Do not sit down until you are offered a chair. • Do not chew gum, or enter the interview smelling of cigarettes or alcohol. • Do not answer questions with a simple yes or no. Explain yourself further as much as possible without waffling. • Do not answer a question without thinking about it. It is okay to sit and consider an answer. • Do not lie. Answer as truthfully and fully as possible. • Do not make derogatory remarks about your previous employers. • Do not swear in the interview even if the interviewer does. • Do not interrupt or talk over the interviewer. Wait until he/she is finished speaking.

Interview Etiquette and Behaviour (Cntd.)

• Don't interrupt, argue or fidget. • Don't admit that you are nervous. • Don't answer your mobile phone - turn it off before you

go in. • Don't make a racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted

comment. • Don't avoid looking your interviewer/s in the eye. • Don't ignore one of the interviewing panel. • Have some questions prepared that you can ask the

interviewer at the end of the interview

The 7 P’s to Interview Perfection• Preparation

• Practise

• Punctuality

• Politeness

• Presentation

• Personality

• Positivity

Common Interview Questions

Q. Tell me about yourself… Q. Can you please walk me through your CV?Q. What are your strengths? Q. What would you say is your biggest weakness?Q. What can you do for us that other candidates cannot? Q. What are your goals? or Where do you see yourself in five years time? Q. Why do you want to work here?

Common Interview Questions (Cntd.)

Q. Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? Q. What interests you most about this job?Q. Tell me three positive things your last boss (or teacher) would say about you? Q. Tell me about your proudest achievement.Q. What do you ultimately want to become? Q. What are you going to do to make that possible?Q. Have you ever been on a team where someone wasn’t pulling their own weight? How did you handle it?

Potential Questions to ask the Interviewer

• • Why has the position become available? •

• What are the main objectives and responsibilities of the position?

•• What are the measures used to judge how successful I am in the role?

•• What can I expect from you in terms of development, support and motivation?

• Does the company have any plans for expansion?

Mock Interviews Session

The objective of the session is to allow students to interview you (see questionnaire sheet on the following slides) so that they have a good understanding of your role in the company. You can also get to know your student at this time and they have been asked to bring along a copy of their CV so you might like to discuss with them.

Interview with __________________________ Job Title: __________________________________

Presentation Skills

Structuring your Presentation #1

Greet the audience (for example, 'Good morning, ladies and gentlemen'), and tell them who you are. Good presentations then follow this formula: • Tell the audience what you are going to tell them, • then tell them, • then, at the end, tell them what you have told them.

Your presentation MUST have a key message. Leave your audience in absolutely no doubt what you came to tell them. Don't lead them up to your messages - they won't stay the course. You should provide your key message within the first 15 seconds of starting your talk. Research shows that if you don't do this you risk losing the attention of your audience.

Structuring your Presentation #2Introduction and Attention Grabbers: You need to Start with a bang, and end with a bang! You have introduced yourself, now how do you get your audience keen to hear what you have to say? You do this by presenting a piece of information – it could be a statistic, a fact, an anecdote – that reels the audience in and gets their immediate attention. Shocking and surprising statistics can also grab their attention e.g. “Did you know that the failure to turn off the lights on the 1st floor is costing the school €40,000 a year in electricity bills?”

Conclusion or Attention Retainer: Just as you must start the presentation with impact in order to grab the attention of your audience, you must also finish with impact in order to drive your key message home.A good example of an attention retainer could be to elicit from the audience what they may have learnt from the presentation & elicit from them what action steps they must now take themselves (you could put this in a flipchart).

Timings

Keep to the time allowed. If you can, keep it short. It's better to under-run than over-run. As a rule of thumb, allow 2 minutes for each general overhead transparency or PowerPoint slide you use, but longer for any that you want to use for developing specific points. However, the audience will get bored with something on the screen for more than 5 minutes, especially if you are not actively talking about it. So switch the display off, or replace the slide with some form of 'wallpaper' such as a company or school logo.

Finishing Up the Presentation

Leave time at the end of presentation for discussion - 5 minutes is sufficient to allow clarification of points.

At the end of your presentation, ask if there are any questions. If questions are slow in coming, you can start things off by asking a question of the audience - so have one prepared.

Presentation Content• The Rule of 3

• K.I.S.S – Keep It Short & Simple

• Spice up your Content

Presentation Delivery – Overcoming Fear & Nervousness

10 steps you can take to reduce your speech anxiety:1. Know the room

2. Know the Audience

3. Know Your Material

4. Learn How to Relax

5. Visualise yourself speaking

Presentation Delivery – Overcoming Fear & Nervousness (Cntd.)

6. Realise People Want You to Succeed

7. Don't apologise For Being Nervous

8. Concentrate on Your Message

9. Turn Nervousness into Positive Energy

10. Gain Experience

Presentation Delivery – Body Language

55% of what we communicate is through body language shows the emphasis we must place on it. The crucial thing is to ensure that your audience listens to what you have to say, and is not distracted by the way you are saying it or what you do.

Body Language Tips:• Posture - nerves will make you tense up, so try to adopt a

neutral pose, and stand tall and let your arms hang loosely by your side.

• Move slightly when you talk - when you want to make an important point, moving will add impact.

Presentation Delivery – Body Language (Cntd.)

• Be energised – Movement stops your muscles from tensing and also puts extra air into your lungs. When you move, you relax. When you relax, you perform better.

• Entrance - think about how you come across at the start of your presentation, act and look confident here.

• Smile - a smile works wonders, lifting and relaxing the audience.

• Use your eyes for maximum effect - make eye contact with as many people as you can at the start of your presentation.

Presentation Delivery – How to Say It

• Speak clearly - Don't shout or whisper.

• Don't rush, or talk deliberately slowly. Be natural - although not conversational.

• Deliberately pause at key points - this has the effect of emphasising the importance of a particular point you are making.

• • Subtly change the pitch and speed of your voice

• Don't face the display screen behind you and talk to it!

Presentation Delivery – Involve your Audience

• Involve your audience – By interacting with your audience you will keep their attention

• Questions – if someone asks a question which may not be appropriate at the time, do not dismiss them by saying we’ll come to that later.

• And, Finally ... Enjoy yourself! The audience will be on your side and want to hear what you have to say!

Tips for creating Powerpoint slides

• Limit number of words per line: (3 to 4 per line optimal, 6 to 7 maximum)

• Limit number of lines per visual: (Less than 10 per transparency)

• Always write in lower case – It is more difficult for your audience to read CAPS

• Clarity - Focus on one idea per visual • Use colour to focus on key information• Complement the information on the slides with

your own verbal message

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

MOOCs

What are ‘MOOCs’? They are a course of study made available over the Internet without charge to a very large number of people. Among the biggest MOOC providers are Coursera, edX and Udacity.

Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/• Coursera is a website where you can take free online classes from over 80 top universities and

organisations. There are a huge range of free courses you can do from:• Business, Management & Marketing• Biology, Chemistry & Physics• Computer Science• Law & Medicine• Maths & Statistics• Teacher Training• I.T.• Psychology• Climate Change

MOOCs

Udemy - https://www.udemy.com/ Udemy is another provider of online course. While some of Udemy’s courses require a fee, they do have some free courses on HTLM, Java, Microsoft Office, Salesforce and Personal Development. Udemy also have an app which allows you to learn at your own pace on any device.

FutureLearn - https://www.futurelearn.com/Free online courses from top UK and International universities. Courses include: Web Science, Data Analysis, Cyber Security, Digital Marketing, Creative Writing, and many more. eCollege carry courses on ECDL, Programming, Mobile Technology, Software Development & Project Management.

NovoEd - https://novoed.com/NovoED is another MOOC that offers free online classes from top universities and educational institutes. They have a huge range of free courses on Entrepreneurship, Sustainability and Product Development.

MOOCs

eCollege - http://www.ecollege.ie/site/home.htmlIrish site that provides a range of interactive online learning courses “available any time through broadband for those who wish to learn at their own pace”.

ALISON - http://alison.com/ Galway-based elearning provider who promise “free, certified courses from the World’s Top Publishers”. Their most popular courses include those on Psychology, Workplace Health & Safety, HR & Customer Service.

edX - https://www.edx.org/Online courses from academic institutions such as MIT, Harvard & Berkeley University.

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

GCFLearnfree.org - http://www.gcflearnfree.org/ ‘GCF Learn Free’ is a free resource where you can learn Microsoft Office programmes like Word, Excel and Powerpoint, and also learn the basics of Digital Photography, Image Editing and Photoshop. There is also a ‘Work & Career’ section on GCF Learn Free where you can learn job-searching skills such as writing applications, interview skills and networking, and CV writing. GCF Learn Free also gives you an app you can download so you can improve your learning while on your smartphone.

Code Academy - http://www.codecademy.com/ Code Academy is a website where you can learn computer programming and how to code – for free. Learn coding languages like HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, Python, Ruby and PHP.

Skillswise - http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/maths Skillswise is a BBC site that aims to help adults improve their reading, writing and numerical skills. The site offers ‘level one’ literacy and numeracy resources like worksheets, quizzes and games.

How to Start a Blog Online -http://startbloggingonline.com/ A step-by-step guide on how to set up your own website for free.

Internet Safety for Kids - http://www.gcflearnfree.org/onlinesafety/internetsafetyforkidsThis free Internet Safety course has modules on Cyberbullying, Staying safe from online predators, and using social networks safely.

Create Your Own App Studio - http://appstudio.windows.com/en-us?stay=1A website from Microsoft Windows which says you can develop your own app “in four easy steps”.

Diploma in Social Media Marketing - http://alison.com/courses/Diploma-in-Internet-MarketingA free online course from ALISON covers the concepts and application of social media marketing and will equip you with the skills to plan and implement a successful social media marketing strategy.

How to Get Free Microsoft Office 365 Resources, Training, Virtual Courses, and More - http://blogs.msdn.com/b/mssmallbiz/archive/2014/03/17/how-to-get-free-microsoft-office-365-resources-training-virtual-courses-and-more.aspxQuick Start Guides, Virtual Academy Sessions, Video Sessions & Free eBooks for Microsoft Office programmes.

OpenLearn - http://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages “The home of free learning” from The Open University

History Matters - http://www.historymatters365.com/History Matters is an online resource for Irish secondary school history students and teachers.

EU4Schools - http://www.eu4schools.com/index.php?lang=en EU4Schools is a free curriculum resource for “enquiry based learning projects in the Digital Classroom”. Environment & Citizenship of the EU.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter - http://www.keirsey.com/

This is a self-assessed personality questionnaire designed to help people better understand themselves and others.

Motivation & Careers Anchors - http://193.1.88.47/careers/units/unit-p013.shtml This exercise is a 64 question survey, originally devised by Edgar H. Schien, to investigate the main motivations were behind our career choices.

Visual CV - http://visualcv.com/

A free multimedia online resume that sets you apart from the competition. Sign up today to use images, charts, references, awards and more.

Mindtools - http://mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm

This site contains exercises and activities around “Prioritisation, Scheduling, Time Management Challenges, Self-motivation, Concentration & Focus & Goal Setting”.

Quintessential Careers - http://www.quintcareers.com/teen_jobs.html

This is a site that lists “job & career resources for teenagers … including tools for Younger and Older teens”.

Qualifax - www.qualifax.ie

Ireland’s National Learners’ Database that claims to be a "one stop shop" for learners. They provide comprehensive information on further and higher education and training courses so that students can make informed choices about their education, training and career paths.

Night Courses.com - www.nightcourses.com

Ireland’s largest part-time course finder database with thousands of further education, part-time and evening courses to choose from.

Careers Portal - www.careersportal.ie

“Ireland’s leading Career Guidance website”.

Student Finance.ie - http://www.studentfinance.ie/

“A convenient and user-friendly source of information on financial support for further and higher education”.

Prospects - http://www.prospects.ac.uk/

UK-based site that offers career advice and resources to school leavers and graduates.