Transcript Computing Employers - University of Kent

Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent Careers & Employability Service
You can download a copy of this presentation
at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm
Actuarial and Maths Applications and
Interviews
Research by forum3 found:
• The average graduate will send out 70 CVs when looking for their first
graduate job. The average number of responses is 7 including 4
rejections and the remainder inviting the graduate to interview or further
contact.
• The more CVs you send out the more interviews you get.
• Applicants who addressed their application to the correct named
person were 15% more likely to get a letter of acknowledgement and
5% more likely to get an interview.
• Applicants sending CVs and letters without spelling mistakes are 61%
more likely to get a reply and 26% more likely to get an interview. The
most common mistakes not found in a spell check were: fro instead
of for, grate: great, liased: liaised, stationary: stationery.
Check yore speling!
• BSc. And MSc. Not Bsc or MSC!
• I am a prefectionist and rarely if if ever forget
details.
• Proven ability to track down and correct erors.
• At secondary school I was a prefix
• But I was not aloud to be captain
• In my spare time I enjoy hiding my horse
• I hope to hear from you shorty
• [email protected]
The Application Process
Competency Questions
 The hardest part of the form for most
applicants - asking for examples of
specific skills such as teamwork,
leadership, problem solving e.g.
• Describe how your personal planning
and organisation resulted in the
successful achievement of a personal or
group task.
• Give an example of where others have
disagreed with your views. How did you
deal with this?
Competency Questions
Answers could come from
 vacation or part-time work;
 university clubs and societies;
 voluntary work;
 study at school or university – especially projects;
 holidays and travel or personal and family
experiences. Planning and organising a week’s
independent travel in Scotland is as valid an
example as a trek through the Himalayas.
The STAR Approach
• One way of answering these
questions is via the STAR approach Situation, Task, Action and Result.
• It's a bit like a mini essay.
• Situation and Task are usually
combined and form the introduction
• The Action you took, should form the
main body of your answer
• The Result should be your conclusion
The STAR Approach
 S Whilst employed at Weaver Bros. last summer
• T I was given the task of rationalising the stock control
system
• A I would look at factors such as when the stock was last
ordered, what it was used for and how often it was used. I
worked out a method of streamlining the paperwork
involved in this process and redesigned the relevant forms,
which I then submitted to my manager.
• R My ideas were accepted and implemented and a 15%
reduction in stock levels was achieved“
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htm
The good…….
Please describe a time when you saw an opportunity to really
make a difference for the future of a group, an activity or
yourself. What did you do?
During the summer of 2003, I was recruited to be part of a two-month, sixman roadshow travelling around the M25 area promoting tennis and Ariel
Liquitabs. Within the first week of the roadshow the event manager resigned
and I applied to take over this role. Although I had no specific previous
experience, I felt it was a great opportunity to stretch myself and make a
difference to my future.
I was accepted as the new event manager and took over the very next day, it
was extremely difficult initially, but I drew on my experiences of Head of
School and captains of numerous sports teams and settled into the role
relatively quickly. My role necessitated dealing with a vast range of individuals
from Sainsbury’s Managers to children as young as 5 years of age, which
improved my interpersonal and communicational skills. In addition, my
motivational skills were also tested, as I was constantly required to motivate
my staff due to the roadshow becoming monotonous in the latter stages.
The roadshow appeared to be a real success with the tennis clubs receiving a
10% increase in applicants and rival soap powder brands putting on extra
promotions. The feedback I received on how I managed the roadshow was
extremely positive and I have subsequently been put forward to manage
numerous other events.
Rising to the
challenge
Selling self
Influencing a
variety of
people
Tangible
results
The ridiculous...
•
Mealtimes are a difficult and challenging time as this is one affair when my
friends and I are truly tested in our decision making skills.
•
There has been more than one occasion where a unified agreement on
what to do about dinner has proven to be a problem. I therefore take it
upon myself to be the spokesperson for the group. One example would be
where two of my friends wanted chicken nuggets and hence wished to go
to McDonald’s while three others preferred the Chicken Royale from Burger
King as opposed the the McChicken Sandwich one can get at McDonalds.
Using my initiative, intuition and lateral thinking I suggested that we all go
to KFC instead. My reasoning was that this was that KFC do chicken
popcorn and are a far better choice than chicken nuggets. While their Fillet
Tower Burgers are a step up from the standard Burger King Chicken
Royale as they have a hash brown in them as well. Thus using some
originality of thought, a certain degree of diplomacy and a persuasive
tongue I convinced them all to join me at KFC.
Does not
bring the
group with
them.
No
explanation
of how.
No
recognition
of others’
opinions.
And the hopeless …
 "I have a criminal record but I'm not in jail at the moment"
 "I have good writen comunication skills"
 "I want experience in a big sex practice"
 "I enclose a tea-bag so you can enjoy a cuppa while
perusing my form"
 "If called to interview I would like to discuss the salary,
pensions and sickness benefits"
 “Would you say their are any skill shortages in the UK for
actuary's ie their enough out their, is their a shortfall of any
kind of actuary?”
In an email from an HBOS HR manager!
HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS
• "How would you deal with an irate customer?”
• Interviewer picks up an object from the desk.
"Sell me this pen".
• BA pilot - asked what he would do if he met the
captain wearing a dress in the hotel bar.
Why do you want to join us?
• NOT “Because you are a prestigious international
organisation”!
• Demonstrate that you have carefully researched the
employer and tie your knowledge of them into the skills
and interests that led you to apply.
• Find some specific feature on which the employer
prides themselves: their training, their client base,
their individuality, their public image.
See our Commercial Awareness page
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/sk/commercialawareness.htm
Aptitude Tests On Computer
 Many organisations now have tests during your online application) to quickly reduce the number of
applicants to manageable quantities.
 Practice on our on-line practice tests.
Aptitude Test Web Page Numerical and verbal
reasoning tests plus links to on-line tests
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/psychotests.htm
 Also eFinancialCareers – 3 maths tests
http://students.efinancialcareers.co.uk/numerical_test.htm
Streamed videos
• On-line Applications
• Interviews - KPMG
• Selection Centres
• www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm
Other Links
• Help with applications and interviews
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm
• Actuarial CV www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actuary-cv.htm
• Maths CV www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/mathematics-cv.htm
• What can I do with an Actuarial degree?
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/actuarial.htm
• What can I do with a Maths degree?
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/Maths.htm
• Inside Careers Actuarial Careers Guide
www.insidecareers.co.uk
• Vacancy Database
www.kent.ac.uk/ces/vacancies.html
Moodle Careers Employability Award
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
I enjoyed the depth of the module. It went far
The amount of time put into this is
beyond some general tips on how to write a
astounding!
I actually
spoke
to
Comments
from
students
who
have
completed
good
CV
and
prepare
for
interview.
is very, veryan
useful!
I Rather
friends from other universities who The itmodule
went in to detail about the whole process of
the
award
really love
how it makes you to think
said they wished they had
graduate job search from the beginning to the
personality
helps.
It reallysomething
blew my mind
with some about yourend.
It was veryand
instructive
like this.
ideas I’ve never known before, such you to identify your strengths and
It was so easy, quick and I
weaknesses.
as portfolio working and working
I found the module to be highly thoughtlearned a lot.
from
home.
I
never
thought
about
provoking as it really encouraged me to
obtaining
happiness
my work
consider
how
my degreefrom
will benefit
my
Without realising, you have
Youand
get
abefore.
nice
future
what
I really
can be doing
now to
improvecertificate!
my graduate employment
prospects.
It would be mad to apply
for a job or attend an
interview without doing it!
I recently had a very
successful interview largely
because I put the advice on
the module into practice.
finished the course and have
already put together a very
It has made me feel a lot more
good CV and covering
confident when it comes to
letter. and has
applications and interviews
also made me think about skills that
I didn't think I had before.
Before the course I had only a vague idea of
my career path and opportunities. Now I am
applying for summer internships and know
how to effectively sell my skills to a
prospective employer and have a much more
focused plan for my future.
Location of the Careers Service
•
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays including vacations.
•
The Careers Web Site www.kent.ac.uk/careers is available 24/7
Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent Careers & Employability Service
You can download a copy of this presentation
at www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm
Making Applications
INTERESTS
• Reading, cinema, travel,
• Cinema: member of the University Film-Making
Society
Travel: traveled through Europe by train this
summer in a group of four people, visiting
historic sites and improving my French and
Italian
Reading: helped younger pupils with reading
difficulties at school
ACTION WORDS
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/actionverbs.htm
Numerical Examples
Which is the missing number in the sequence?
2 ? 8 16
A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6 E. 7
? 14 12 11 11
A. 13 B. 15 C. 16 D. 17 E. 28
ANSWERS Q1. 4 Q2. 17
• Administered under timed examination conditions.
These assess logical reasoning and increase in difficulty
during the test. Multiple choice with right and wrong
answers e.g. numerical and verbal reasoning tests.
• You are not expected to finish the tests. Your score
relates your performance to a 'normed' group.
• Your score can be used in different ways. There may
be a pass mark or the employer may have planned to
interview a certain number of candidates, or your score
could simply be a further consideration