Monthly Archives: November 2014

Prepare the questions and answers to three knowledge, skill and ability questions
Know the purpose of each question, and
have a few suggestions of answers that you could give besides your prepared answer

Knowledge, Skill and ability questions

Presentations will be on Nov.26th, next week

Have your questions prepared, and
dress formally!

Job interviews – Nov.18

Hey everyone, today we will watch and discuss:

Create Job interview questions relevant to the kind of work you are able to do (handout p. 8-10)

PDF booklet with very useful job interview information:
Focus on Interviews

Extra Job Interview questions (with answer examples):

Knowledge, skill and ability

For Nov. 20 class (Thursday), we will:
Prepare interview questions

Cover letters and job interviews – Nov.14

Hey everyone,

Today, we will:

• Collect finished resume’s
• Homework check – references
• Homework check – cover letter 1st draft brought to class

Discuss:
http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/interview.shtml
https://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/pieces.jsp?category_id=300&crumb=1&crumb=34&crumb=106

Watch this job interview video:

• What about it do you think was realistic?
• What about it was not realistic?

Peer-edit our cover letter’s
• review handouts p. 5-8

For Nov. 18 class (Tuesday), we will:

hand in our finished cover letters and references
typed and formatted according to handout
prepare for our in-class job interviews.

Top-10 tips for a successful job interview

Dress for success. Professional business clothes are always appropriate, regardless of the type of job you are interviewing for. Proper hygiene and a tidy appearance are important. Iron your clothes if you can, and avoid strong perfumes or colognes.
Be there on time. Try to arrive 5 or 10 minutes early to be safe. Find out ahead of time where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. Drive or travel the route a day or two ahead, at the same time of day as you will on the day of the interview. Confirm how often the buses run. Have a back-up plan.
Let your personality shine. If you’re excited about the job, don’t be afraid to show it. Employers want passionate employees, so be yourself. Just remember to always keep it professional.
Be confident. Feeling nervous in an interview is perfectly normal; just don’t let your nerves overpower your interview. Eye contact and a calm, clear speaking voice are excellent ways to show your confidence.
Watch your body language. During your interview, relax and sit naturally, but don’t slouch in your chair or lean on the interviewer’s desk. Avoid chewing gum, or fidgeting with jewelry or your hair.
Be professional. This begins with a smile and a firm handshake. Remember, this is your first introduction to the organization, so be polite to everyone you meet and turn off your cell phone.
Listen and ask for clarification, if you need it. Remember to listen carefully to the interview questions so that you actually answer the question, and never interrupt. If you don’t understand something, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.
Let them know what you have to offer. When answering the questions, let the employer see what you have to offer their organization. Talk about your past experiences and accomplishments without bragging, and tie those experiences to how they can help you contribute to their organization.
Think before you speak. Although you want to be open and honest in your interview, avoid talking about your personal or financial problems.
Don’t linger. Leave as soon as the interview is over, making sure you don’t linger. Shake the interviewer’s hand again, restate your interest in working for the organization, and thank them for the interview.

Resumes and cover letters – Nov.12

Hey everyone,

Last class we reviewed a first draft of your resume and talked about cover letters and references. We also discussed how to frame your marketable skills.

Here are some useful links:

Cover letters:

http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/cover.shtml

Advertised job
Unadvrtised job

References:

Character references
Profesiional references

http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/references.shtml

For next class, remember to bring in your finished resume, a 1st draft of your cover letter, and your references!

Top-10 cover letter tips

Do your homework. Learn what you can about the company or organization you’re applying to, so you can tailor your cover letter and really show the employer that you could be a good fit.
Follow instructions. Be sure to include any information that was requested in the job posting. If the posting asked for the amount of hours a week you are available to work, be sure to answer that question in the cover letter.
Don’t just restate your résumé. Use your letter as an opportunity to make a great first impression. Most employers read the cover letter first, so you want to catch their attention by describing your impressive skills. That way, they are more likely to read your full résumé.
Personalize your letter. When possible, address your cover letter to a specific person. Use their name and title, and make sure the spelling of the name is correct.
Tailor your letter to the job. Make sure the skills and experience you highlight in your cover letter are clearly connected to the job you’re applying for.
Presentation counts. Use a font that’s easy to read, like 12-point Times New Roman or Arial. Using 8.5 x 11-inch white paper is usually a smart choice.
Break it down. Make your cover letter easier to read by breaking the text down into short paragraphs.
Use a professional tone. Be sure to use professional and respectful language when writing your cover letter.
Be brief. Your cover letter should be no more than one page long—the best strategy is to keep it short and to the point.
Proofread. Review your cover letter several times; don’t just rely on spell-check. Ask someone else to proofread it as well.

Top-five tips for choosing references

Think ahead. Although reference checks typically happen during the final stages of the hiring process, it’s a good idea to be proactive. Think about who your references could be, let them know that you’re applying for jobs, and ask if they would be willing to be a reference for you.
Pick someone who knows you well. This will allow the employer to get an accurate, honest, and realistic description of your personality and work ethic. You want a reference who can easily speak about your strengths and abilities.
Update your reference list often. Make sure your references are as current as possible, and link them to your most recent job, volunteer, or community experience.
Presentation counts. Your reference list should be on a clean sheet of plain paper. Use an easy-to-read, 12-point font like Arial or Times New Roman to match your résumé.
Say “thank you”. Your reference is doing you a favour by speaking to an employer to help you land a job. Be sure to thank them for helping you out.

Planning 10 – Nov.6

Hey everyone,

Here are the due dates for upcoming assignments:

Wednesday, Nov.12 – Resume first draft

Friday, Nov. 14 – Cover letter first draft

Resume: http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/resume.shtml

Functional resume – skills
Chronological resume – work experience
Hybrid resume – both (more specifically targeted to job application

Cover letter: http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/cover.shtml

Top-10 résumé tips

Think ahead. If you wait until the last minute to hand in your résumé, you could miss the deadline and risk not being considered for the job.
Tailor your résumé. Include information on your résumé associated with the job you are applying for.
Chunk it out. If there is a lot of information, break it into separate sections with specific headings.
Use action words. Focus on things you have accomplished, and avoid starting every sentence with “I”.
Proofread. Never rely on spell check.
Repeat Tip 5. Seriously, even one misspelled word could put you in the “do not consider” pile.
Make it presentable. Make sure your résumé looks clean and organized. Use white, letter-sized paper (8.5 x 11-inch) and a font that’s easy to read, like Times New Roman or Arial.
Keep it concise. Try to keep your résumé as short as possible—ideally one page, two pages maximum.
Be honest. Lying on your résumé is never a good idea. Many people who lie on their applications end up losing their jobs when their employers find out the truth.
Be professional. Remember, this is a business document, so don’t include unnecessary embellishments like flashy paper or a picture of yourself.

Points to remember:

Provide your Job Objective below your contact info. but before your skills/experience
Your Job Objective must be a job you could and would do TODAY. You are not trained to be an architect but you could work with architects as a receptionist for example.
The headings on your resume’ ought to reflect the types of skills (groupings) and experiences you possess. Don’t feel you need to copy the headings from the examples provided.
The headings ought to be suited to the needs of your Job objective
Avoid sentences; rather list attributes/skills and use active verbs. For example:

Instead of: I have a positive attitude and I am willing to work hard to make the most of opportunities.”

On your resume’ write instead:

– Postive, hardworking, quick learner, team player

Instead of: I am self assured and relate well to people. I enjoy speaking in public.

– Self assured, sociable, skilled public speaker

Instead of: I was the manager of my basketball team.

– Managed a team of 16 players Jr. basket ball league.

You want the active verbs at the front of the line. These are your transferable skills
You want the most relevant information to be closest to the top.