Your first job
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Believing
in yourself
From the outside it can look as if everyone knows what they're doing and that
what they're involved in is complicated and difficult to master. Once you get
into an organisation you soon realise it's staffed by ordinary people doing things
that are easy to learn.
Just being in work makes you more confident about looking for other jobs. However,
don't make the mistake of taking the first thing that comes along just to prove
that someone wants you. If this experience is a bad one the negative effects
can cause ripples for a long time. Jobs that don't work out should be treated
as a valuable learning experience.
JOBS
Job Centre Plus
Houghton-le-Spring Jobcentre
Broadway House, Frederick Place, Houghton-Le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, Uk DH4 4DL, Telephone: 0191 5543000.
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Job Linkage
Jubilee Centre, Allendale road, Sunderland SR3 3EL
Telephone: 0191 5203529
Offers free access to, or use of a range of facilities to help clients, who are over 18 years old and out of work.
CV completion, help in completing applications forms, interview techniques, access to Job centre vacancies, postage and stationary, telephone and fax, photocopying, computer and internet and internet access. Access to training fund and job access fund (subject to criteria).
www.bbc.co.uk
fredsmith@bbc.co.uk
Latest newsletter
 A
Career in the NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) is the largest single employer within the country.
In England alone, the NHS employs about a million people - 5% of the working
population. One of the exciting and challenging parts of the health service is
that it offers a wide range of employment opportunities for many people. No matter
what qualifications a person has there is usually a job they can undertake. People
may never have thought of a career in the NHS because they associate the service
with nurses, doctors and therapists. However, there are many other types of jobs
needing to be undertaken to ensure the smooth running of the service. E.g. Heating
and ventilation engineering, estate management, portering, medical illustration,
pharmacy, clinical psychology, information technology, stores work, medical laboratory
work and accountancy just to name a few. There are over 70 professions within
the NHS, this means there is something for
everyone.
If you have any questions, call NHS Careers on 0845 60 60 655 or click HERE
Army Careers Service |
Navy Careers Service |
RAF Careers Service |
A Career
in the Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces off a vast range of opportunities, some of which can
take you around the world in a career which may span many years. Each of the
main services have a vast number of options covering many skills which are fully
transferable into civilian life when your time come to leave and return to civilian
life. Many employers look on military as strong, reliable, well trained and an
asset to any company.
To visit the careers advice section of each
service click on their logo.
University Careers Advice for Post Graduates
The North East boasts some of the best education centres in the country. Each
University can offer a range of support and advice to support and encourage students,
Their Careers Service is available to all undergraduates.
You can expect from a University Careers Service:
- A high quality,
student centred service, which constantly reviews and responds to changes
in student expectation and in the employment market;
- An extensive
range of information on occupations, employers, postgraduate courses, work
experience, voluntary work and the job application process, which is available
in a range of formats and media;
- Access to local
and national job and work experience vacancies, career information events,
employer presentations, interviews and networks, job fairs and Insight
into Management courses;
- A comprehensive,
up-to-date website with links to many other career-related sites and which
can be accessed from anywhere in the world;
To visit any of the University web sites, click on their logo.
Winning CV's
An article from workthing.com
Sue Edwards, Workthing's head of customer service at workthing.com, shares her
own CV ideas and the very frank and open advice she offers to candidates who
come to the Workthing site.
Font Format Content Structure Font Type: I suggest you use a single font, like
verdana, which is very legible and works well in small sizes. It's easy for the
eye to focus on and (research tells us) nice round letters make the reader tune
in. Italics are the most difficult type of font or character type to read. Keep
it simple. Everything you can do to help the reader will be useful.
Size:
Rather than use too many different sizes to highlight and
make an impact, use the bold command instead. Make key words, phrases, or
messages stand out like this. Back to top Format Keep your CV to two pages
(the reader will tune out after that) and fill it with information that is
relevant to the job. Back to top Content Your entire personal - and even career
- history is not required. You will see that I only account for ten years
or so of my working life in the sample CV. For someone 42 years of age, this
might be considered unusual. However, I don't consider my career history prior
to working at Rank Xerox relevant to what I do now. Tell the reader the relevant
milestones, whet their appetite, and leave the rest as talking points in either
cover letters or the interview.
Structure
First
Open your CV with an objective: what you would like to do next. This is hugely
important but so often forgotten. Just a sentence or so outlining what it is
you want to do, and the reader can see at a glance what you are looking for.
Make a recruiter's life easier and he or she will thank you for it. It also helps
them see what else you might be able to do.
Then
comes a personal
profile
How you work. Provide a few sentences that paint a picture of you at work. It
helps the reader understand your 'intangible qualities' and how you would fit
into their organisation. It is also a useful exercise for you to consider your
strengths and weaknesses. One of my key strengths is also a weakness!
Next comes
select achievements
Consider three or four key things that you rank as an achievement. Explain not
only what you did and how you did it, but also the benefits to the company. Where
possible, quantify the achievement. I used the bold key to highlight the impact
any achievement had on the company. Why? Because it tells the reader how valuable
you can be. Remember, no jargon, plain English and one word not three! I've used
an example of managing an ISO 9001 standard registration; yours might be results
achieved.
Now comes
career history
Pick one approach, eg job title, company, dates worked, or company, dates, job
title, and stick to it. The point of this section is to tell the reader your
key responsibilities in each role, and so establish your credibility.
- the use of
bullets is always good
- as it cuts
down on romantic prose that makes the reader pick his way through sentences
Follow this with education and professional qualifications to establish your
credentials. New graduates will need to state their subjects and declare grades,
as they have no work or life experience as such to base their strengths or experience
on. You will see I list only academic subjects with no stress on grades. I don't
consider them relevant 25 years on. My career history is, though!
Professional
Training
is very relevant and I attempt to maximise that. List out
useful training so that the reader is made aware of your capabilities. If
you have been through many courses, be selective and spell out the key qualifications
you now have or the skills you have gained. Last but not least, a little about
yourself. You don't need to say too much. You have already painted a picture
of yourself at work, outlined your strengths, told them some selected achievements,
and listed your work experience. Keep something back for when you meet at
the interview..
Other
online Interview/CV advice sites
http://www.alec.co.uk/
http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/1800icjobs/cview/
http://www.workthing.com
Interview Techniques
(article from Susan Ford Recruitment)
Know
where the interview is
How long it takes to get there and plan your route - then 'have a dry run'.
When you then attend the interview, tell the interviewer that you did a dry
run. This
demonstrates excellent planning skills.
Always
be on time
Be on time, I mean specifically 10 minutes early. Any earlier is
annoying for the interviewer and it shows a distinct lack of planning
on your part. Interestingly,
if you think by being 5 minutes early that this is about right, it isn't! This
approach could firstly leave you with no room at all if you are held up in anyway
and secondly I always find candidates who think this is sufficient time are rushed
and unprepared.
Always
find out about the Company interviewing you
This shows a tremendous amount of respect for the Company and indicates
planning/preparation. If you do not have an opportunity to demonstrate
your fact find on the Company,
make sure you tell the interviewer in some way. Particularly impressive is to
have looked at a Company's website. Usually Companies are very proud of their
'website' so they are flattered by the attention, but it also indicates a high
level of PC literacy. CARE - if you do bother to find out about the Company then
do it properly, understand what you read/observe - do not make it a token gesture
- this will make you look pretentious and ignorant.
Look
the part
Make sure you are smartly and professionally dressed. No matter what
the job is, it can only benefit you by having a professional appearance.
It is important
not to wear too much aftershave/perfume - this can overwhelm the interview room
very quickly. Always take care with your hair - be well groomed. Make sure your
nails look cared for - many interviewers make the assumption that if a candidate
cares for their nails, then they truly care about their appearance. This is also
the case with shoes!
Listening
Skills
It is very important that you use listening skills to as this shows manners,
interest and enthusiasm. Listening skills include nodding, asking questions related
to what has just been said, leaning forward and eye contact.
Like
the person who is interviewing you
Even if you do not particularly take to the person interviewing make yourself
believe that you like them! Everyone fundamentally wants to be liked, even interviewers,
and it is very easy to pick up that someone likes as well as dislikes you. The
interviewer will naturally, but sub-consciously, incline towards the candidate
that likes them. Many wise people will agree that to be your best in an interview
you should 'just relax'. But that is easier said than done when your whole future
depends on one thirty minute conversation - or according to an Institute of Manpower
Studies report, the first four minutes of that meeting. There are, however, a
number of rules which can at least help you work the interview to your advantage.
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