Unit 1: JOB SEEKING

When choosing a career the first thing you need is self-awareness. This means looking at your skills, values, interests and personality, and analysing your strengths and weaknesses. You need to consider what you want from your career. To help others? Prestige? Responsibility or no responsibility? The second stage is to gather information on the opportunities open to you. Some careers, such as physiotherapy, are quite specific but may offer a large number of opportunities. Others are more open-ended, for example business management, though there may be either less demand or too many people looking for the same kind of work. Then comes the moment of truth – Making a Decision. At this point it is important to talk to friends, family and tutors. Many schools and colleges have a Careers Adviser who can help to inject reality into your ideas. If you have the chance, spend time with a person already working in your chosen career area. This can be far better than reading about it. Finally, when you have finished any special training or studies, you need to Take Action. Job Seeking involves finding out about employers and vacancies, writing your CV, applying for jobs, perhaps taking psychometric tests, and attending interviews.

Whether you are at school, college or university, or looking for a job, sooner or later you will be tested. Tested on what? Psychologists, companies and staff selection agencies use a vast battery of tests of all kinds. There is of course the classical IQ test, but in recent years many other types of test have been developed – for Communication Skills, Creative Problem-Solving, Emotional IQ, Ambition, Mental Toughness, Honesty, Hostility, Leadership, Management Skills, Organization Skills, Risk-Taking, Self Esteem, Sensitivity to Criticism, Social Skills, Team vs. Individual Orientation. And this is just a small selection. Since the first intelligence tests appeared in the early 1900s there has been a great deal of debate and criticism of them on the grounds that they are not objective, and that nobody agrees on what ‘intelligence’ is anyway, so you cannot test it, although one psychologist simply said: ‘Intelligence is what is measured by intelligence tests’. However that may be, the truth is that IQ tests, personality tests and aptitude tests are used all over the world and are not going to go away, so it is best to find out how different tests work and to practise. One good thing is that the more tests you do, the better you get at doing them!

Notice the expression “in the early 1900s” used in the text. It means “in the first years of the twentieth century”. 1900s is pronounced “nineteen hundreds”. For years in the middle of the twentieth century you can say “in the mid-1900s”, and for years at the end of the century you could say “in the late 1900s” or “in the late twentieth century”. The prefix “mid-“ is used in other cases like “in mid-July” or “in mid-Atlantic”. You can also use “early”, “mid-“ and “late” to talk about somebody’s age. For example “She’s in her mid-20s” means she is about 24, 25 or 26.

The visually impaired create special challenges for psychometric test administrators. Most available tests are heavily dependent on the sight of the test taker, to read questions, analyse diagrams and locate spaces on answer sheets. When using psychometric tests for recruitment, employers must revise the tests for visually impaired people, unless the nature and form of the test are necessary to assess a matter relevant to the job. The best way for an employer to decide how to administer a test to visually impaired candidates is to talk to them about their needs. The candidate may have previous experience of similar tests and a strategy that works, but will in any case know how he prefers to access printed materials, and may have specialist equipment. Braille can be one way of administering a test, although time limits need to be at least doubled, but employers should bear in mind that the need for increased time limits in testing does not necessarily mean that a blind or partially sighted person will be slower at the job. Some tests are available in large print editions, while other candidates may prefer equipment such as magnifiers, CCTV, or tapes. If someone is employed to read the test aloud, or write down dictated answers, the assistant should not be someone the candidate knows, but should be introduced beforehand to discuss the candidate's needs. For computer based tests, font sizes, screen resolutions, brightness and contrast can be changed, making it easier for partially sighted people to access the materials.

The most commonly used type of CV is chronological. Put your education, training and work experience in reverse order, with dates, placing the most recent first, and give an explanation for any gaps. When writing about previous experience, don’t just give the title of the post, but describe your responsibilities, tasks and achievements. Another type is the functional CV, which puts the emphasis on transferable skills and experience. People who have quite a lot of work experience, perhaps in a range of unconnected jobs, often use this type. In either case, bear in mind that the aim of a CV is to present yourself in the best possible light and to get you an interview. Your CV is probably the first impression a possible employer has of you, so it must be effective. Employers often receive hundreds of CVs, so yours has to stand out if you want to obtain interviews. Mention things you are good at, but don’t go over the top. Employers do not have time to read masses of information, so keep it clear, concise and specific, and be careful not to lie or exaggerate or you may get caught out in the interview.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Details

Education and Qualifications

2000 (summer):

RSA Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

1996 - 1999:

Liverpool University, BA (Hons) 2:1 in Modern Languages

1990 - 1996:

Longsight Comprehensive School, Manchester
4 'A' Levels: English, French, German, Philosophy
10 'O' Levels

Employment

2002 - present:

Teacher of French and German, Holy Mount School, Aberdeen.
Prepare & present pupils for Advanced Higher French & Higher German exams. Report to parents, write pupil reports, liaise with colleagues with regard to pupil progress and resources. Organise extra-curricular activities.

2000 - 2002:

English Language Teacher, Ace School, Malta.
Taught English at a variety of levels and ages. Responsible for course planning and exam preparation. Coordinated social events.

1999 - 2000:

English Language Assistant, Lycée Champollion, Grenoble, France.
Taught conversation classes to all age groups (11-18). Developed own materials for use with classes.

Computer Skills

Office Applications:

Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, Quattro Pro.

Internet Applications:

Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, Internet email, FTP.

Desktop Publishing:

Adobe Page Maker, Adobe Photoshop, Freehand, Netscape Composer.

Language Skills

Fluent in French and German. Basic Spanish.

Activities and Interests

Travelling, learning about different cultures in the EU, foreign languages, writing, music, computers, sports.

References: available on request.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Hoozit Menterbi
22, East Street
Glasgow
G14 5AB
hoozit@bignet.co.uk

My time in South America has caused me to consider new career goals. I am keen to work in the charity sector, particularly for an organisation that promotes the welfare of children. My aim is to use design and communication skills to raise awareness of issues in the developing world.

Key Skills

Ability to plan, organise and keep going when things get difficult. Increased awareness of other cultures and the effect of poverty on children. Experience of producing publicity material for a range of media. Competence with internet and web design software. Experience of marketing, advertising and conference organisation.

Career History

October 2003 - July 2004:

Travelling and working in South America. Work undertaken was mainly teaching English and other service related activities in Colombia.

2000 - 2001:

Multimedia designer, Scarlet Graphics Manchester.

Key features

Contributing to design of CDs, web sites, brochures and advertising material. Member of creative team of five designers and writers. Understanding of PR and marketing strategy. Tact, diplomacy and ability to deal with people at all levels. Working to tight deadlines.

Qualifications

1998:

Higher National Diploma, Media Technology. Brighton Metropolitan University.

Key features

Development of multimedia authoring skills. Development of visual and written communication skills. Project on evaluating the impact of promotional material.

Interests

Travel, painting, languages, playing the accordion.