Career and job search planner
-
Upload
lindaraleigh -
Category
Documents
-
view
264 -
download
2
description
Transcript of Career and job search planner
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Career and Job Search
Planner
©Linda Raleigh
dcdresearchproject.com
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
CAREER/JOB SEARCH PLAN
MY CAREER/JOB SEARCH GOAL
To gain an entry level post in Human Resources with an employer who values diversity
within an hour travel time and who can offer further training.
MY AGREED COMMITMENT
e.g.
two mornings a week = 6 hours on my days off
or
every day for 3 hours a day
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
WEEKLY PLANNER
Name: Date:
Key areas to work on What do I have to do What I achieved
1. Job Fit
Career Assessments
Job Descriptions
Observations
Informational Interviews
“Trade Offs”
Does this job match my skills and
abilities and is it what I want to do?
Who can I ask more about this job?
Do I know someone who does a job like
this?
2. Search Strategy
Traditional Job Search
Job Web Sites
Employer Web sites
Job Ads
Job Fairs
Job Agencies
Hidden Job Market
Networking contacts
Informational Interviewing
Cold/Warm calling
Job Leads
Am I using all the resources I need to
find job opportunities?
Who can I talk to about job
opportunities?
How many calls have I made this week
about job opportunities?
Am I staying in touch with people in my
network who can help me?
3. Personal Marketing
Plan
Develop CV
Develop cover letter(s)
Elevator Pitch
How many CVs have I sent/given out for
job opportunities that I am interested in?
Did I send a cover letter that matched
the job?
Did I follow up my application with a
phone call?
Did I send a thank you letter following
interview or informational interview?
4. Interviewing and
Negotiating
Interviewing Preparation
Salary Research
Pre-employment checks
Employer Guide for
Specific Learning
Difficulties
Are my references lined up?
Am I prepared for interviews?
Do I know the current pay for this job?
Have I discussed my DCD needs with
my employer?
Follow Up Notes: Please use Daily Planner to schedule activities and look up resources.
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Daily Planner:
8.00 am 9.00 am 10.00 am 11.00 am 12 noon 1.00pm 2.00pm 3.00pm 4.00pm 5.00pm
Monday
Update
CV
Update
CV
Draft
cover
letter
Draft
cover
letter
Tuesday
Wednesday
Coffee
with A N
Other re
job info
Thursday
Friday
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
JOB SEARCH RESOURCE GUIDE
1. JOB FIT
My Best Self
Dream Future
Comparing Competence
My Favourite Working Conditions
Success Criteria
Trade Offs
2. SEARCH STRATEGY
What are my resources
What am I initiating
http://businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/
3. PERSONAL MARKETING
Cover Letter format
CV checklist
CV Branding
Elevator Pitch
Work products/portfolio
4. INTERVIEWING AND PRE-EMPLOYMENT
Interview checklist
Interview Questions
Specific Learning Difficulties – Employer’s Guide
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
LEARNING LOG – REVIEW
What has happened this week in your job search that has been a good experience for you?
What do you wish had gone better this week?
What did you learn from this experience?
How will this affect what you do in the future?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Reflected Best Self Profile
I am currently taking stock my abilities to help me find a suitable job. As part of my career
review I want to construct a profile of my strengths and the contributions I have made to
others. This profile is based on work completed at Michigan Ross School of Business on the
Reflected Best Self. I am asking/inviting you to help me do this. I wonder if you could share
a brief story (or two) with me about when I was at my very best in your eyes.
It will be really helpful to me if you could describe the situation, explain what I did, said etc.
that made my contribution so important.
I made an important contribution to ……………………………. by…………………..
What did I do?
What did I say?
What was the impact on others?
What did you value most about me in this situation?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
DREAM FUTURE
Although real life involve compromises and trade-offs, it is still helpful to try to imagine what
an ideal life situation would be like. Imagining your fantasy future can give you a basis for
evaluating real possibilities as they develop in your life. Comparing the ideal to the reality
helps you to better understand the compromises you might be making by accepting a
particular situation.
In this exercise try to imagine what an ideal day in around two years time would be like. See
if you can picture what you would be doing and answer the questions below. Give as much
detail as possible.
1. What time do you wake up?
2. Where are you?
3. What is your room like?
4. Go to your wardrobe and describe the clothing you put on?
5. What do you do before you leave?
6. Where are you going?
7. What time do you leave?
8. How do you get to where you are going?
9. Describe the building where you study or work?
10. How long do you study or work?
11. What are you studying or working at?
12. Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
13. Who will you be meeting or socializing with today?
14. What other images does this exercise bring to mind?
15. What do you like best about this time?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
COMPARING COMPETENCE
JOB REQUIREMENTS
HOW DOES MY COMPETENCE FIT?
What did I do and to what standards? In what circumstances did I do this? What knowledge did
I develop? What personal abilities did I develop?
Think CAR – what was the ‘Challenge’, what did I do ‘Action’ and what was the ‘Result’ – benefit
to my employer.
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
MY FAVORITE WORKING CONDITIONS
Your Favorite Working Conditions
Or
Under what circumstances do you do your best work?
Start with all the things you disliked about all your previous jobs using the following table. Column A may begin with such things as: “too noisy, “no
windows” or “too much supervision”.
When you get to Column B, you should rank these factors in their exact order of importance to you.
When you get to Column C, the factors are already prioritized. Your only job here is to think of the positive form of the factor that you hated so much
in Column B. It is not always the exact opposite. For example, “too much supervision”, listed in Column B, does not always mean no supervision, in
Column C. It might just mean: a moderate amount of supervision, once or twice a day.
Places I have worked in my
life
Column A
Distasteful Working
Conditions
Column B
Distasteful Working
Conditions ranked
Column C
The keys to my effectiveness
at work
I have learned from the past
that my effectiveness at
work is decreased when I
have to work under these
conditions
Among the factors or
qualities listed in column A
these are the ones I dislike
absolutely the most (in order
of decreasing dislike)
The opposite of these
qualities, in order:
I believe my effectiveness
would be at a maximum if I
could work under these
conditions:
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Places I have worked in my
life
Column A
Distasteful Working
Conditions
Column B
Distasteful Working
Conditions ranked
Column C
The keys to my effectiveness
at work
I have learned from the past
that my effectiveness at
work is decreased when I
have to work under these
conditions
Among the factors or
qualities listed in column A
these are the ones I dislike
absolutely the most (in order
of decreasing dislike)
The opposite of these
qualities, in order:
I believe my effectiveness
would be at a maximum if I
could work under these
conditions:
Adapted from “What Color is Your Parachute”, by Richard N. Bolles
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Success Criteria
Complete the table listing your success criteria (examples included based on our discussions). Success criteria are the specific
personal and professional imperatives we must have to feel successful.
List your previous, current and possibly future career options
Assign a numerical value between 1 and 10 to how well these criteria are satisfied in each job
Thoughtfully determine and list the specific personal and professional imperatives you must have to feel successful.
Rate criteria 1 – 10 with 10 being the highest
Success
Criteria
Option 1 Option 2
Option 3
Option 4 Option 5
Option 6
TOTAL
Source: Capitalizing on Career Chaos, Helen Harkness
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Job Criteria/ Trade Offs – Ranking exercise
Extrinsic Criteria Rank
Salary
Training
Working hours
Intrinsic Criteria
Job content e.g. ethical
People I work with
Please include any criteria that you feel is important
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Coaching Conversations – James Flaherty “Evoking Excellence in Others”
Focus – What Are My Resources
From your own observations and research
1. What are your greatest strengths professionally and personally?
2. Who is part of your network of support? What specific support does each person
provide
3. What does it take for you to live the way you do? Specifically address the question in
terms of :
Monthly expenses (include yearly items such as property taxes etc. by dividing
them by 12)
Hours dedicated to job (include travel), work at home, your spouse/lover, your
children, meal preparation, cleaning, maintenance of home, clothes, car etc.
Emotional energy
Hours devoted to self care
Any other costs, physical, mental, or monetary
4. What resources do you have to address all the costs listed in #3 above
5. What are you learning in this exercise?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Evoking Excellence in Others – James Flaherty
Focus: Gaining Strength – Initiating
Invent, by declaration, an internal separation in yourself. Divide yourself into two
persons, one who acts/reacts and one who observes and is passive in life.
Using the following questions, begin to observe yourself in life. Observe quietly, passively.
Observe your internal states as well as what you show to the world.
At the end of each day, scan through your day and note what happened and how you
reacted. You may want to write notes so you can begin to notice patterns.
1. What actions, conversations, or relationships did you initiate?
2. What other actions, conversations, or relationships were there that you wanted to
initiate but didn’t? How are you justifying that?
3. What actions, conversations, or relationships will you initiate next?
4. What are you learning about yourself an initiating? How and when will you take
what you are learning into action?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Cover Letter Format
First paragraph: Tell why you're writing, in such a way as to arouse the employer's interest. Use
this paragraph to display your specific knowledge about the company you're writing to. You
must grab the employer's attention. Avoid openings such as "I'm writing to you in response to
your ad for a nutritionist in the Sunday Los Angeles Time. Identify the job title or general area
you're interested in. The reader shouldn't have to guess what kind of job you're looking for.
Second paragraph: Briefly describe your professional and/or academic qualifications. Cite
examples of your qualifications for the position sought. Draw on the power of your resume and
refer to it-better yet, expand on it. Avoid trite, overused phrases, such as "as you will note in my
enclosed resume" or "I have taken the liberty of enclosing my resume." If you are short on job
experience, mention extracurricular activities, especially examples of leadership, special
projects you worked on, or the fact that you worked your way through school. If you're a
homemaker returning to the workforce, don't forget to include volunteer work and family-
management skills.
Third paragraph: Relate yourself to the company. Provide details as to why you should be
considered. Use this paragraph to show off your research on the company and the industry. If
you can't research the company, then use this paragraph to expand on your qualifications.
Fourth paragraph: Request action. Ask for an interview appointment. Suggest dates on which
you're available. Tell the employer that you will call to make an appointment. Be sure to follow
up! It's a lot harder for the employer to ignore a request for action than a wishy-washy "call me
if you're interested" approach.
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
CV CHECKLIST
STRUCTURE
Personal Details
Job Objective/Focus
Career Summary
Professional Experience
Education
Membership Affiliations
FORMAT
Pretty
Balanced - top/bottom; side/side
Consistency of font – Headings and body
Visual Pattern
White space
Bullets – avoid polka dot effect
CONTENT
Reads like advertising copy
Omits superfluous
Active voice /action verbs
Prioritize info
Accurate, brief, clear
NO negatives
Keywords
MOTIVATION (to buy)
Challenge, Action, Results (CAR)
Features and benefits
Is the reader interested?
What does the reader need?
Substantiate claims
Buying Motivators
o Make money
o Save money
o Save Time
o Make work easier
o Solve a problem
o Be more competitive
o Build relationships/image/customers/vendors
o Expand business
o Attract new customers
o Retain existing customer
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
CV - Personal Branding
1. My top 5 strengths are?
2. What have people been saying about me all my life?
3. My passion is?
4. In what area can I be considered an expert?
5. What single core strength/talent makes me distinctive?
6. Who is my target audience and what is important to them – what keeps
them up at night?
7. What is the ROI (return on investment) I can offer an employer?
8. Who is my competition and how do I differ from them?
9. What are my top 5 competencies?
10. What have I done to demonstrate them? Facts?
11. What do my peers say about me?
12. What part of my work do I love?
13. Oprah’s brand is rich, compassionate, humanitarian, humorous, warm,
caring and powerful. What is your brand?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Elevator Speech - Example
Answer the following questions:
What do I want do?
e.g. I want to be a Customer Services Representative
The reasons I can do this…..e.g. because I am a friendly helpful person who
enjoys solving problems.
I really want to do this work because…. I enjoy making people’s lives easier and
more pleasant.
My capabilities benefit others/employers because....I am always looking for ways
to help people and I am patient in trying to find ways to do this.
My unique capabilities are (list three)…
I am patient and helpful and will help keep customers loyal
I am pleasant and polite and will ensure customers get a friendly experience
I am good at solving problems with technology so can help customers quickly
Put it all together…
I am a friendly helpful person who enjoys solving problems and I enjoy making
people’s lives easier and more pleasant. I am always looking for ways to help
people and I am patient in trying to find ways to do this. I want to be a
Customer Services Representative and my patience and helpfulness will help
keep customers loyal. Because I am pleasant and polite customers will always
get a friendly experience with me and I am good at solving problems with
technology so I can help customers quickly.
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
.INTERVIEW CHECKLIST
CONTENT OBSERVED EXAMPLE
Meets key criteria of job (see job
description/employee
specification)
Relevant answers
Communicates clearly
Illustrates competence by
reference to detailed examples
- stories
IMPRESSION
Appearance
Facial Expression
Eye contact
Gestures
Posture
Voice
SUMMATIVE FEEDBACK
INTERVIEWER:
DATE:
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Interview Questions You May Be Asked
Before attending an interview you should think about your responses to the following questions. Your answers may depend on the job or company in question, so you should go through your responses just before each interview. Wherever possible, give an example to support your answer.
Why do you want this job?
Think carefully about this question. Stress the positive aspects which have attracted you to applying for this position. Do not mention any negative aspects of the job in question.
What can you contribute?
This is your chance to shine. Tell them about your achievements which are relevant to the new position you are applying for.
Why do you want to work for this company?
Emphasize the positive reasons why you want to join their company, but avoid aspects such as more money or shorter hours. These would not endear you to a prospective employer.
What do you know about this company?
This is your chance to impress the interviewer with your knowledge of their company. Give them a rundown of their products/services, sales figures, news, company figures, customers, etc.
Why should we employ you?
The answer to this question will be based on your achievements or experience which relate to the company. At the end you could add that you think there is a good fit between you and the job, and do ask the interviewer for their opinion.
How would you describe yourself? / How would others describe you?
Pick your best attributes and achievements.
What was your greatest success? How did you achieve it?
You should pick an achievement which is related to their needs.
What has been your biggest failure?
Try to pick a failure which you were later able to correct or something that is not really important.
Do you work well with others? Or are you a loner?
Some jobs mean that you have to work very closely with other people whilst other jobs mean that you are largely working on your own, so you need to say that you are happy in both situations.
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
Are you accepted into a team quickly?
Hopefully you can answer a resounding "Yes" to this question.
Can you act on your own initiative?
You should say that you can. You could ask how much responsibility you would have.
How many hours are you prepared to work?
You would be prepared to work the necessary hours to get the job done on time.
What interests do you have?
Your hobbies and interests can tell an employer a lot about you, including whether you are sociable or solitary, and whether you can take on 'leadership' roles. So you should think about which interests will paint the right picture of you given the position you are discussing.
What level of salary are you looking for?
Be very careful when you answer this question - you do not want to appear to be greedy. If you are applying for a specific vacancy you could ask them what the salary range is and target the upper range. If they ask you this question fairly early on in the interview you could delay answering by saying "It is hard to discuss salary without first knowing a little bit more about the job and the responsibilities."
What will your referees say about you?
Say that you expect excellent references.
From the candidate to the interviewer:
Sample Interview Questions to Ask about the Job
* Would you please describe the ideal candidate for this job?
* What are the day-to-day duties of this job?
* Do you have anything to add to the job description that XYZ advertised?
* What is a typical workday like in this position?
* How would you describe the working environment?
* Who would be my immediate supervisor and where does he or she fit into the
organization?
* Why was this new position created?
* How does an employee know he or she is performing this job to expectations?
Sample Interview Questions to Ask about the Company
* Do you foresee any significant changes in XYZ Company?
Linda Raleigh/dcdresearchproject2012
* What's XYZ's policy about employees advancing their education?
* Does XYZ offer employee training?
* How would you characterize XYZ Company?
* Would you please describe XYZ's strengths and weaknesses?
* What can you tell me about the employees who work here?
Sample Interview Questions to Ask in Summary
* Is there anything else I should know?
* Is there anything else you'd like to know?
* Do you have any feedback?
* Do you have any concerns? What can I do to alleviate them?
* When can I expect to hear from you again?
* May I follow up with you by phone or email in about a week?
* If you decide to extend an offer, when would you like for me start?
* What’s the next step?