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Projecting the right image

The Business Intermediate Unit 4. Careers

Subject Background

 

This page gives a brief six-point job search plan aimed at students and other people early in their careers. It may be a useful reference tool for them.

Job search plan

1. Decide on the ‘big picture’ issues.

  • Determine the job you want. If you have no idea, make a list of the things you like to do. If you have an idea of the general field (e.g. marketing), but nothing more specific, then investigate various job titles in your area of interest.
  • Determine where you want to live. Are you open to relocating? If you have a specific location in mind, then identify the companies that have offices / plants / locations in those areas.
  • Determine the best companies for you. You need to make some decisions about the types of companies that fit your needs, style, and personality.

Determine your search strategy.

On-campus recruiting? Career fairs? Networking through personal contacts and going to events such as conferences? Writing to specific companies with your résumé and a covering letter? Internet job sites? Company websites? Classified ads in newspapers and professional magazines? Local careers agencies?

3. Write a résumé (CV) and covering letter.

There are hundreds of Internet sites to help you write a résumé (CV in BrE) and a covering letter. Just type phrases like résumé tips or CV tips or covering letter into a search engine.

Obtain critiques of your résumé and covering letter from your family, friends, colleagues, professors, etc.

As well as any other ways you are thinking of using your résumé, post it on the Internet anyway.

Prepare for interviews.

Learn to research companies. One of the secrets of great interviewing is knowing something about the company where you are looking for a job.

Practise, practise, practise. For example, carry out mock interviews with other students! colleagues or a career counsellor. Also, if you are a student then have some on-campus interviews with companies who come to visit — just to gain confidence and experience. Use an Internet search engine to research Frequently Asked Interview Questions.

Gain experience.

Employers value work experience as much as educational background.

  • Internships — work part-time in your expected career field, either during one of the semesters or over the summer.
  • Summer jobs — these jobs are not always in your field of interest, but having any kind of work experience is valuable and many offer transferable skills that carry over to other jobs.
  • Self-employed jobs — a growing number of students start their own (very small) businesses in areas such as gardening or web design.
  • Temporary work — do work for an agency while you are waiting for something better, and make sure to include any transferable skills on your résumé.
  • Volunteer work — charity, community group, not-for-profit organization, etc.
  • Campus activities — key positions on sports, social, cultural and other organizations.

Follow up.



Be proactive after an interview — don’t just sit and wait for the phone to ring.

Write a brief ‘thank you letter’ restating why you would be the right person for the job.

Or make a follow-up call to ask how the decision process is going.

 

 

 

Reading

Text A

 

Projecting the right image

Read the text. Seven sentences have been removed. Choose from sentences A – H the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you don’t need. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

Today’s employers are looking for young people who have personality and the willingness to learn. (0) So says Lynn Hodges, managing director of style and image consultancy “Up Front”. Her work includes helping restaurateurs and chefs to improve their skills and image in the workplace.

Hodges advises that the golden rules of job-hunting are preparation, research and honesty. (1) Projecting the right image begins as soon as you have any contract with a prospective employer, whether telephoning a secretary or personnel department for an application form or sending a CV.

You can make these steps work for you by rehearsing what you need to say. (2) And before you write any information about yourself, make notes on your career or academic history and the experiences you want to emphasise. The time an employer spends reading a CV varies from three to twenty seconds. (3) You will definitely make a bad impression if you resort to gimmicks, such as CVs printed on brightly coloured paper or bound in elaborate folders. At this stage a two-page CV with a supporting one-page letter is sufficient.

When you do get an interview, find out what you have to take with you and plan what you are going to wear. (4) And play it safe, not trendy or jokey. Men should leave those “Wallace and Grommit’ ties at the back of the wardrobe, and women should wear skirts or shift dresses because there is always a risk that the employer dislikes trousers. And a heat wave is no excuse for women to have bare legs.

On entering the interview room, remember that non-verbal communication counts for 55% of the impact you will make. (5) Try to speak slowly and clearly but don’t try to hide your accent or lie about your background. A common question is: “Why do you want this job?” Answer this by referring to one of your strengths. For example, a good answer might be: “I realized from my work experience that I am well-organised and outgoing, which I think are the qualities needed for working in reception.”

(6) They show that you have drive and initiative, and are looking for an understanding of how the company works so that you can build a career there.

 

 

A – If you pay attention to these three aspects, you will show that you have the right attributes and can expect to make a good impression.

 

B – Clothes should be clean and well-pressed with polished shoes which you can walk in comfortably.

 

C – Hodges advises, “head held high, back straight and a handshake that is firm, not flimsy.”

 

D – Demonstrate an interest in the industry, such as work experience or attending open days.

 

E – So says Lynn Hodges, managing director of style and image consultancy “Up Front”.

 

F – Before you pick up the phone, know which department you have to ask for.

 

G – Finally, never be afraid to ask properly phrased and relevant questions such as, “When would I have my first appraisal?”

 

H – This means it is very hard to make a lasting impression, but extremely easy to make a bad one.

 

 


Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1073


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The right job for you | Alex, 27, was an account manager for a financial services company. He has taken a career break and is planning to return to New Zealand to work as a horse trail guide.
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