AIT Job Preparation Workshop for Graduating Students

1. Asian Institute of Technology
Language Center
Sponsored by: March 16th, 2013
AIT Career Center
AIT CLIQ
AIT Fund-Raising Unit Hosted by: AIT Language Center

2. Covering all the basics:
Résumé
Cover letter/ email
E-Portfolio Development
Interviewing Skills Development
Mock individual and group sessions
2

3. Review, revise resume, Cover letter /
e-mail
Review E-portfolios (web footprint)
Develop job interviewing skills
3

4.  The perception
Personal or self analysis SWOT
 The target
Business or institution SWOT
analysis
Background information
Do you fit the perception?
4

5. It’s all about:
Communication
Collaboration
Compromise
Culture
5

6. Sample Resume’s
6

7. Here are 10 job search & resume rules that you
should break:
1. Limit your resume to one page.
You might have heard the one-page
resume rule, but times have changed
and two-page resumes are common
now.
7

8. 2. Write in formal language.
The most compelling resumes are
written in real language, without
jargon or stiffness.
Write your resume in normal
language, like the way you would
describe your achievements to a
friend.
8

9. 3. Include an objective.
Hiring managers don't really care
about your objective; they care
about what you can do for them.
Instead, include highlights or a skills
summary.
9

10. 4. Lead with your education.
While your college career center might
have convinced you that your degree
is your best-selling point, employers
care more about what you've achieved
in the work world.
Most resumes should list your
education beneath your work
experience, because the latter will be
more relevant to employers.
10

11. 5. Include "references available
upon request" on the bottom of
your resume.
Employers these days assume
that you'll provide references
when asked, so you don't need
to say it explicitly.
11

12. 6. After you submit your resume, wait a
few days and then call to schedule an
interview.
It might be hard to accept, but
once you apply, it is up to the
employer when to make the next
contact.
12

13. 7. Arrive early for interviews.
It's smart to give yourself a buffer
against being late, but don't walk into
the company's reception area too
early.
Instead, if you're early, mentally
prepare yourself for the expected
questions and kill that time in a
nearby coffee shop, or even in your
car if you need to.
13

14. 8. When an interviewer asks about your
weaknesses, answer with a positive
framed as a weakness.
Instead, talk about an area you've
truly struggled with and what you've
done to overcome it.
14

15. 9. Don't name a salary number first.
Since employers increasingly use online
application processes that require
candidates to input a desired salary
before they can proceed, job-seekers
need to be ready to talk money—
Which means being prepared with a salary
range based on research about what
comparable positions pay in your
particular geographic area.
15

16. 10. Ask for the job.
Interviewers like to think they're
hiring the best person for the job,
not the most aggressive.
Instead, what works better is to
treat the interview as a
collaborative process where you're
both concerned with finding the
right fit.
16

17. Recruiters and career experts agree
that, if you didn't get an interview or a
phone call -- or even a thank you
email -- it may be due to at least one
of six reasons.
17

18. 1. They're just not that into you.
You're good, but someone else more
closely met the qualifications.
In a tight job market employers can
usually get exactly the type of
candidate they want.
A polite "thanks, but no thanks" letter
or email would be nice. But don't
expect it these days.
18

19. 2. They may be into you, as soon as they get to
you.
Companies receive so many submissions
these days that they don't even have time to
send out letters or confirmation emails.
"I know a major software company that's
taking more than three weeks just to send
out acknowledgement notes, and some
companies are spending months sifting
through resumes for just one opening,"
workplace etiquette expert Sue Fox tells
Yahoo! Hot Jobs.
19

20. 3. They would have been into you if you had
followed directions.
"Many job listings use the word 'must,' not 'it
would be nice to,'" according to Dave
Opton, CEO and founder of ExecuNet.
"If it says you must have experience in X,
then tailor your resume to show that,"
Opton says.
20

21. If you're answering a job listing, be sure
you respond in exactly the way the
company wants.
And be aware that if you're not applying
for a specific job but rather sending
out dozens or hundreds of form
letters, your resume is likely to end up
in companies' spam folders.
21

22. 4. They might be into you if you apply for a more
appropriate job.
Independent recruiter Cheryl Ferguson tells Yahoo!
HotJobs that many job seekers are overqualified,
under-qualified, or otherwise just wrong.
"If we need to fill a specific job, and you're not
right for it, don't assume that we're going to find
the right fit for you.
A lot of times people send me resumes, and I want
to ask, 'Did you even read the job description?'"
22

23. 5. Your presentation could use some work.
"A lot of mistakes I see are a lack of
cover letter, and an objective
statement on the resume that is all
wrong for the job opening," says
Lindsay Olson, partner and recruiter at
Paradigm Staffing.
"Even worse are obviously mass emails
where the candidates had no clue
what they were applying for."
23

24. 6. There isn't any job.
Sometimes, due to last minute budget cuts,
a position is eliminated before it's even
filled. Other times, according to Olson,
companies reel in resumes even when they
know there isn't any opening.
"Some companies want a bigger applicant
pool because they think they may be hiring
in the future," Olson said.
24

25. Dear Candidate Name,
Thank you very much for your interest in
employment opportunities with ABCD company.
I am writing to inform you that we have selected
the candidate whom we believe most closely
matches the job requirements of the position.
We appreciate you taking the time to interview
with us and wish you the best of luck in your
future endeavors.
Best regards,
Hiring Manager
25

26. 1. Do quarterly (or monthly) self-evaluation.
Schedule one hour every 90 days or so to reflect
on your performance and career goals.
Were you tasked with a specific project?
Do you have information to quantify your results?
Did any of your key responsibilities change
26

27. 2. Write down your successes as they happen.
It might not seem resume-worthy
at the time, but each company has
certain problems to solve and is
highly likely to hire the candidates
who have solved similar problems
in the past.
27

28. 3. Keep a note-taking application
like Evernote on your desktop and mobile.
This is my most used daily applications.
I use it for taking notes, logging things
I'd like to remember, and capturing
images or text I'd like to save for later
reference.
28

29. 4. Keep your LinkedIn profile current.
If you have to start from scratch, a
complete LinkedIn profile
(discussed later) could at least
give you a head start.
29

30. Cover letter sample
30

31. Quick Cover Letter Tips:
The purpose of the cover letter is to
demonstrate your organizational and
writing skills to future employers
while distinguishing yourself from the
other applicants.
A cover letter should always accompany
each résumé you send out, unless
otherwise specified and be specifically
tailored to the position applied.
31

32. Target your message.
Describe how your skills, expertise, and
accomplishments can benefit the employer. Follow
standard business protocol.
Write clearly and concisely and check your letter for
spelling and grammar.
Use the same font and paper that you used for your
resume.
Print your letter using a laser printer for better
quality.
Cover letters should be no more than one page.
32

33. Be purposeful.
Every cover letter is different, but many
effective cover letters provide evidence of
the following:
company knowledge, technical
knowledge,
enthusiasm, communication skills,
leadership, teamwork,
comfort with deadlines,
responsibility, ability to learn quickly,
maturity, and self-starting.
33

34. Do NOT mass produce.
It is especially important to relate your skills
and experience to a specific position in a
specific organization.
Incorporate information that reflects your
knowledge of the company, its industry and
relevant issues.
Spotlight your accomplishments and
measurable results.
34

35. Send your letter to a specific individual.
Ideally, the letter should be addressed
to the person who is likely to make
employment decisions.
It may take some resourcefulness on
your part to identify this person, but
the letter will be better received.
35

36. The "Get Attention" Paragraph:
This is where you capture the attention of the
reader. Give the name of the position you
are applying for (and perhaps indicate how
you learned of the vacancy - did someone
tell you about it?
Who? Did you see an ad? Where?)
Most importantly, you should give an outline
of the specific reasons you feel you are
ideal for this job in this company.
36

37. Step up the networking.
"It's always best to network your way
into a position," Opton says.
"You'll get a lot more individual
attention than someone responding to
a job listing."
37

38. The "Creating Desire" Paragraph(s):
Here you go into detail, depicting
yourself as a serious candidate and
one worth inviting for an interview.
It is generally a good idea to give the
hard details about yourself (specific
skills, history of responsibility,
success, etc.) above 'softer' details like
personality traits, attitude, and values.
38

39. It is important that you not only tell the
employer that you have a skill, but
show them how this skill is reflected
in your experiences.
Show, don't tell. Remember, you are
trying to set yourself apart from the
other applicants; anyone can claim to
be 'hard-working,' but only a truly
hard-working person can prove it.
39

40. Do not simply regurgitate the contents of your
résumé.
Wherever possible, emphasize how you will
benefit the company.
Do what you can do to demonstrate that you are
well-rounded. If every point you make about
yourself is drawn from your educational
background, the reader might think of you as
narrowly focused; if possible draw on
experiences from a variety of settings.
40

41. The "Call for Action" Paragraph:
Normally just a few lines in length, this is
where you express your strong interest
in the position and your desire to discuss
your application further in an interview.
You might also consider giving a brief
summary here of the key points in the
letter above, but avoid simple repetition
for its own sake.
41

42. Email to prospective employers
42

43. Emailing from a joint account
Some hiring managers don't feel comfortable
sending job-related correspondence to
addresses like JohnAndKim@email.com.
If you share an email address with your
significant other, you need a separate
account for job-searching.
43

44. Using an unprofessional signature.
If your email signature contains
inspirational quotes, political
messages, or the like, then you might
signal to your recipient that you don't
know what's appropriate for
professional communications.
44

45. Writing with offbeat fonts.
Avoid using Comic Sans font for your
professional correspondence.
A good email font is one that doesn't make the
reader think about what font you used.
45

46. Using email stationery.
Whimsical borders surrounding your
text might look tacky and
unprofessional to an employer.
46

47. Making recipients jump through anti-spam
hoops.
If you require someone fill out an anti-
spam form to get their email through
to you, you might find that some
employers just don't bother.
47

48. Not checking your spam.
If you're job searching, you have to check your
spam folder every day.
A surprising number of emails from employers
can end up there.
You might sit around wondering why no one
has gotten back to you when in fact there's a
response or two waiting in your spam folder.
48

49. Sending a mass email to multiple employers.
Whether you put them all in the "to" line
or bcc them, you’re signaling that you
aren't conducting a customized,
targeted job search.
49

50. Having an unprofessional address.
"Sexy Mamas" and "Partying Pauls" need a
different email address for job searching.
Addresses of that nature will trump anything
else about your application.
50

51. Formatting your email like a business letter.
There's no need to include the business letter
format when you're emailing someone.
Plus, it makes you look like you don't use
email much.
51

52. Using your work email account.
A surprising number of resume submissions
come from candidates' current work email.
If you're using work time to search for another
job, employers will assume you'll do the same
to them.
52

53. Please connect computers to internet
53

54. 54

55. Link to build a eportfolio video
55

56. https://mahara.org/
56

57. http://www.visualcv.com/
57

58. https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/
58

59. https:/www.blogger.com
59

60. http://www.indeed.com/
http://jobsearch.monster.com/
60

61. https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/
61

62. 62

63. Develop Resume , cover letter and email
63

64. 64

65. Every employer has a procedure that they
follow.
Job Description
Posting job advertisement
Pre-screening – Job application
Cover letters / Resume
e-portfolios
The Interviews
Job offer
65

66. OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS
Our interview process is a 2-way street.
We want to make sure that we know enough about
you to ensure that your career interests are
aligned with our company goals.
We also want to make sure that you have enough
information about us to make the correct
decision on where to begin your professional
career.
66

67. The image below will provide with you with an
overview of what to expect during our interview
process.
67

68. People often say "you
never get a second
chance to make a
first impression",
and that's actually
quite true—which is
why it's so
important to start
on the right foot.
68

69. Be On Time:
If this first impression is to be made at a
scheduled meeting—like a job interview,
perhaps—it should go without saying that
tardiness will not work in your favor
69

70. 70

71. Dress and Groom Yourself Accordingly:
Also among the obvious is to make
sure you look presentable whenever
you meet someone new.
That means dressing up for a job
interview, or putting on nice, clean,
situation-appropriate clothes for
social situations.
71

72. Be Aware of Your Body Language:
Your body language says a whole lot on a first
meeting.
If you're nervous, you're probably going to look
more introverted or disinterested than you
actually are.
Smile, try to keep from fidgeting, and adopt an
"open" posture—that means no crossed arms
or crossed legs.
72

73. Don't Talk About Yourself Too Much:
Job interviews may be somewhat exempt
from this rule, but generally, you want to be
careful of taking over the conversation.
73

74. Don't Be Afraid to Show Your Flaws:
Showing some of your little flaws will
not only make you look honest, but
you'll look a little less robotic, too.
74

75. Be Prepared:
Lastly, remember that first impressions
can happen anywhere, even when you
don't expect it.
75

76. 76

77. • Research the company thoroughly
• Where do you fit in (skill set)?
• Tailor your skills to company’s needs
(review job description)
• Information you uncover reflects your
interest and enthusiasm in position
• Establishes a common base of knowledge
for questions
77

78. • Age of company • Locations/length of
• Services or products time there
• Growth pattern • Size
• Reputation • Number of employees
• Divisions and • Sales/assets/earnings
subsidiaries • New products or
• Competitors within projects
the industry
• Culture and values
78

79. Have a focus--at least act like it,
even if you don’t have a clue
Identify challenges you are looking
for
Know what you want to accomplish
Have a plan or agenda
79

80. Draft written answers to potential
interview questions
Develop job appropriate scenarios based
on your research
A marketing plan for a new product
A solution to one of their problems
Previous Experience on a successful
related project
80

81. Relate them to the job
Give examples of where you have
demonstrated these
How were they developed
Identify your mentors and/or role
models
81

82. Relate these to your work
Show the positive side of these
Identify the steps you have taken for
improvement
Detail the results and/or time frames
expected
Identify criticism you have received and its
effects
82

83. Consider multiple areas
Corporate values
Anticipated responsibilities
Employment trends
Measures of work performance
Work environment
Quality of work
Personality factors
Demonstrate your knowledge of the industry
and company
83

84. If you don’t dress seriously, they can’t take
you seriously!!
Make a good first impression
Pride in yourself implies pride in your work
Show your creativity in your work, not your
appearance
Dress conservatively
Be well groomed and clean
84

85. Nicely styled hair
Natural, clean looking face/makeup
Clean your fingernails
Skip the clunky jewelry
Press your clothes
Avoid strong perfumes or colognes
Avoid cigarettes
85

86. Best choices
Navy or black suit, solid blouse
Suit in solid colors, printed blouse
Straight dress with jacket, solid colors
Wear polished, low heeled shoes
Minimal accessories, jewelry
Hosiery - appropriate color, no holes, no
darker than your hem
Don’t wear anything too tight or revealing
86

87. Best choices
Business suit, dark colors (blues, grays,
browns), white shirt
Suit with solid shirt
2-piece suit, lighter colors, striped shirt
Button your jacket when you stand
Shine your shoes
Socks-appropriate color, no holes, long
length
87

88. Be on time for the interview
Treat the receptionist with respect
Be enthusiastic, eager, and smile
Don’t sit until you’re invited to, and sit up
straight
Practice good eye contact
Walk with confidence
Adapt to your surroundings
Use Mr. or Ms. unless asked to use first name
88

89. Greet people with a firm handshake
Stand up to meet people
Keep your guard up during lunch or dinner
Practice your dining etiquette
Remember ―please‖ and ―thank you‖
Be good at chatting and small talk
Be culturally sensitive and aware of customs
89

90. Several copies of your resume
Your portfolio, if applicable
New notebook and a nice pen
Briefcase or leather folder
Names, addresses, and phone numbers
of references
A project proposal ?
A SMILE works wonders
90

91. They have an agenda
To determine if you have the skills
Identify your personal attributes
Assess your motivation
Help them by
Showing how you fit their company
Exhibit your personality
Share your career goals
91

92. Create a 60-second sound byte
Include:
Geographic origins
Reason for choosing your major / field of study
Educational background
2 or 3 strengths related to the position
Specific expertise and accomplishments
How you can contribute to the company
Identify your career goals
Speak clearly and honestly
92

93. Previous behavior predicts future
behavior
Examples show the meaning you have
made of education and experience
Provides insight on how the candidate’s
mind works
93

94. Situation
Task
Action
Results
 STAR provides an outline for answers
94

95. Topics to avoid include
Nationality/race
Marital status
Religion
Affiliations
Disability or medical history
Pregnancy, birth control, child care
Age
95

96. Dress up and use a professional environment to
maintain your professionalism
Have your notes organized, highlighted, and
within easy access
Without non-verbal communication, be aware
that it is difficult to ―read‖ the interviewer, so
SMILE
Make sure your voice conveys enthusiasm
If more than one person on the other end, have
them identify themselves when asking their
questions
96

97. Ask for their business card
Use interviewer’s name
Send a short thank you note within 24 hours
Remind them of key points from the interview
Emphasize your interest
Keep and maintain a job status log
(Use Evernote)
97

98. How did you do overall?
What were your strengths?
What needs improvement?
Develop a follow-up chart for tracking
98

99. 99

100. Prepare for a Seminars, Conventions and Career
Fairs
Review the list of organizations & research
those that interest you
This video explains how to do research on
companies
Update your resume and have it reviewed.
10
0

101. Practice your elevator speech
Gather items to take to the Career Fair
A portfolio with notepad and pen
Copies of your resume (more than the
numbers of companies you plan to visit)
Research notes on the company
Prepare questions to ask employers
10
1

102. Plan & prepare appropriate attire
Business formal: suits for men and pants
or skirt suits for women
Prepare a strategy of how you will work
the Career Fair
10
2

103. How should you approach employers or
recruiters at a Career Fair?
Show respect to others who are in line and
conduct yourself professionally.
Leave your backpack, phones, and other
electronic devices at home or in a designated
area.
Establish eye contact, shake hand, and then
introduce yourself.
10
3

104. Be confident and upbeat.
Smile and thank the recruiter at the end of
your conversation.
Most interactions will be brief, often 1-2
minutes.
However, if there is no one else in line or
the recruiter is standing by him/herself, you
could have a longer conversation
10
4

105. What should you ask the recruiter?
You should ask about job/internship
opportunities, application process, and
qualifications, and potential career paths.
Relax and speak slowly.
Take notes and distribute your resume.
At the end of the conversation, request a
business card and/or contact information.
10
5

106. What should you do after the Career Fair?
You should send a quick thank you email within 24
hours if possible.
Refer back to something from your conversation and
attach your resume.
Reiterate your interests in the company and the
positions they have available.
Keep a file of all contacts made with the employer,
including dates and applications material sent to
them.
10
6

107. 10
7

108. Introduce Guest Speakers
Guest 1
Guest 2
Guest 3
Review process of speed interviewing
Review Handouts / Questions
10
8

109. Individual Interviews
10
9

110. 11
0

111. Group Interviews 11
1

112. Workshop Evaluations
Final Comments
Attendance certificate presentations
11
2

113. Guest 1
Guest 2
Guest 3
Group Pictures
11
3

114. Asian Institute of Technology
Language Center
Sponsored by:
AIT Career Center
AIT CLIQ
This presentation was compiled by:
AIT Fund-Raising Unit Mr. Rob Hatfield, M.Ed.
AIT Language Center