Transcript A Professional Development Workshop Preparing your CV & Getting Ready for Your Job Interview Prof.

A Professional Development Workshop
Preparing your CV
&
Getting Ready for Your Job Interview
Prof. Dr. M. A Pasha
Chairman
Department of CS & IT
University of Sargodha
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Some Quotes
• “Find out what you really love to do, and then find a way to make a
good living doing it.“ [Napoleon Hill]
• “Everybody has talent; it's just a matter of moving around until
you've discovered what it is.” [George Lucas]
• “As tools become rusty, so does the mind; a garden uncared for
soon becomes smothered in weeds; a talent neglected withers
and dies.” [Ethel R. Page]
• “Your earning ability today is largely dependent upon your
knowledge, skill and your ability to combine that knowledge and
skill in such a way that you contribute value for which customers
are going to pay.” [Brian Tracy]
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Key to Success
You need to be the best you can at describing
your best qualities, particularly your key
strengths. And this is the key to success.
"What are you good at?”
Your answer to this should
be your key strengths
statement
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Key Strengths Statement
• Highlights your most important skills and abilities
• Differentiates you from others
• Avoids generalizations
• Provides examples of your achievements
In interviews
• Spoken naturally should take no more than two
minutes
• Rehearse it so that it sounds completely
spontaneous
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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For Example
• "I have very good communication skills; I work
well either leading or being part of a team and
I am self-motivated and capable of working on
several tasks at once. As a leader of small
teams I respect democratic values and
involve people in the decision making so that
they can put on their contribute."
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Interview Questions
• "What are your main strengths?"
• "why should we hire you?"
• "what do you think makes you the best
candidate?"
• "convince me you're the right person for us"
• "how do your skills match our particular
needs?"
• etc.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Some key strengths/skills to put in a
resume
• Communication Skills
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Learning agility: Quick
learner
• Tolerance: Stress tolerance
• Critical thinking: Decision
making skills
• Creating Ideas: Creativity
• Positive Attitude: Creating a
positive work environment
• Financial management
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Intelligent
Leadership
Responsible
Listening
Goal oriented: results
achiever, Meeting
deadlines
Motivating people
Self Motivated
Delegating tasks
Personal
Management
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Some key strengths/skills to put in a
resume (Cont.)
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organization skills
Prioritizing tasks
Judgment
Computer Skills
Strong Work Ethic
Honesty and Integrity
Punctuality
Analytical and
Problem Solving Skills
• Strong Analytical
abilities
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Attention to details
Accuracy
Interpersonal Skills
Team Work Skills
Initiative
Loyalty
Negotiation skills
Persuading people
People oriented:
Customer service skills
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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For Example: Project Management
Key Skills
• Team leader with the ability to
initiate/manage cross-functional teams and
multi-disciplinary projects
• Critical thinking, decision making and problem
solving skills
• Planning and organizing
• Excellent Personal Communication skills
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Example
General management skills
• Persuasion, leadership, negotiation and
delegation skills
• Conflict resolution
• Adaptability
• Tolerance for stressful situations
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Example
Technical Skills (Low Profile)
• Languages: C#, C++, ASP.NET, SQL, PHP, HTML,
Java Script, XML
• Softwares: InstallShield, Visio, CruiseControl.NET,
Flash, Dreamweaver
• Platforms: Windows Vista, XP, 2003 and UNIX
• Databases: SQL Server 2000 & 2005, MS Access
• Version Controls: Visual SourceSafe
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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For example
Technical Skills (High Profile)
• Development: Visual Studio 2003-2008, Eclipse, C++, C#, .NET 2.0 3.5,
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows Workflow
Foundation (WF), MFC, COM, DCOM, ATL, DirectShow, DirectDraw, Win32
SDK, Windows Digital Rights Management (DRM), GUI, Trolltech QT,
Unicode, Multi-Threading , NT Service development , InstallShield, SVN
• Protocols: TCP/IP, UDP/IP Socket Connections, FTP, POP3, IMAP, SMTP,
DMI, SNMP, Louth, Sony and Leitch control, XML
• Web: Javascript, HTML, DHTML, ASP
• Database: Access, MS SQL, OLE DB, Sqlite
• Encoding: AVI, YUV, MPEG, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC
• Encoders: Cerify, Digital Rapids, Rhozet Carbon Coder, IPV SpectreView
• Platforms: Windows, Linux
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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How To Find Your Strengths
Finding your strengths and weaknesses is part
and parcel of developing yourself. With a better
understanding of your abilities, expressing your
life purpose using skills that you're good at
becomes easier.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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How Do We Define What A Strength
Is?
A strength consists of 4 components:
1. Your natural talent & abilities
2. The education you had
3. Your experiences in life, either working or
otherwise
4. Your skills
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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4 Components
• Natural talent and abilities are something that you tend to
do so naturally you don't realize that you're good at it. It
happens to everybody all the time.
• Your education helps to build your strength, because it
gives you additional background and knowledge that others
might not have.
• Your experiences give you a real life participation to
understand the actual events and requirements to make
something happen.
• Skills are something that we aren't born with. Skills are
abilities that you hone and polish over time, continually
and deliberately refining your ability to execute till you do it
unconsciously with a high degree of competency.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Practice: Finding Your Strengths
• On a daily basis, take a piece of paper and write down
what you think your top 10 - 15 strengths are. Just take
note of what you do naturally, and what you enjoy
doing. During the process, you'll experience several
"aha!" moments about what your strengths are, and
you'll find that you tend to write certain things over
and over again, indicating to you that you already
"know" your strengths, just that you weren't
consciously aware of them.
• After 2 - 3 weeks, compile your notes and look for the
items that keep coming up over and over again. These
are very likely what you think your strengths are.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Do You Know You are Special
• Your level of self-belief and the conversations you have
with yourself has a tremendous impact on the outcomes
you will enjoy in your life.
• You are the creator of your future, you write the script of
your life with every thought you think, word you speak and
action you take or fail to take.
• The more self-belief, self-worth and love you have for
yourself, the more prosperity and success you will achieve
• You can never truly believe in your-self or have a complete
understanding of your real value, unless you conduct a real
in-depth audit of your strengths, weaknesses, skills,
abilities, opportunities and threats.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Practical Steps
Select five to ten people that you trust and that are secure enough to offer
you honest feedback and meaningful input. Ask them to offer you honest
answers to the following questions:
• What distinct advantages or strengths do you think I have?
• What weaknesses do you see me exhibit?
• Where do you think I have unique leverage or gearing?
• What skills do you think I am lacking?
• What knowledge do you think I need to acquire?
• What weaknesses do you believe I have and how can I reduce their effect
on my future outcomes?
• Who can I get to help me in the areas where I have weaknesses?
• What potential hazards do you think lie ahead?
• What opportunities can you see that I am missing?
This self-audit will help you to patronize your strengths and make plans to
overcome your weaknesses.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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What you were good at?
• Strengths are the qualities and characteristics you
demonstrate, which may include areas such as
patience, determination or drive, and skills
include your ability to do certain activities well.
• If you know what you are good at you can behave
accordingly and make the most of your abilities,
and if you know what you are not so good at, you
can either take steps to improve these areas or
ditch or delegate these tasks to others!
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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If you do not have answer !
• Complete a personal SWOT analysis - taking a large piece of paper,
break it down into four areas labeled strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats, then reflect on each area and complete
the grid.
• Reflect on activities and events during your life - review what have
been your strengths during these times and if you have one, record
these strengths in your success diary.
• Think about the strengths that you exhibit at work or in your
business.
• Ask your friends, family or colleagues to tell you what you are good
at - you may find this difficult, but often other people will see things
that you don't see yourself.
• Take a personality profile, one that I use is the DISC personal profile
and there are other personality profiles you can complete online.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Build your Skills Inventory
• Education and Training
– What courses have you taken?
– What additional training have you participated in?
– What are your skills and expertise from education and
training?
• Hobbies and Creative Projects
– What hobbies do you enjoy?
– What artistic or creative projects have you been involved
in?
– What skills and talents were used?
(Consider: writing, painting, drawings, singing, music, woodworking,
sculpting, sewing, knitting, gardening and outdoor activities.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Build your Skills Inventory
Volunteering and Community Activities
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Where have you volunteered?
What role did you play in a community project?
What skills did you use?
What did you enjoy about the volunteer duties?
(Consider: Coaching, mentoring, fund raising, sales, record keepin
Family Projects and Household Responsibilities g, and
serving.)
– Family, parenting, and household responsibilities all require
talents and skills.
– What skills do you use at home?
– Consider: caring for others, first-aid, meal planning, coordinating
schedules, budgeting, decorating, painting, maintenance and
repairs.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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How to Find a Talent
• Think about what you love to do.
• Play (Experiment, explore, investigate. Try doing different things and
entertain different activities.)
• Try taking some personality tests.
• Learn about your learning style (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and
tactile/ kinesthetic)
• Notice what people tell you about yourself.
• Consider your interests.
• Notice what you're not good at, too.
• Keep a journal or notebook of some sort. (capture your thoughts now and
then. It can help you to spot patterns and themes within your life.)
• Practice (the thing you love to do.)
• Share your talent with others.
• Use your talent. Make the world a better place, or just show off.
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Important Tips
• Try doing many different things and reading about many
more. If something doesn't resonate, move on; if it does,
explore it more deeply.
• Be patient, too. It can take a lot of time and many false
starts to find out what you're best at.
• Be open-minded about what your talent might be. It may
not be quite what you expect.
• Just because you're good at something does not mean its a
talent. To be a talent you must enjoy it as well.
• Three C's in life.....Take a "Chance" to make a "Choice" to
bring a "Change" in your life.
• Don't expect to find your talent right away, it takes time!
• Don't lose hope. Keep practicing, practice makes perfect.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Plan your Career
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Vocation & Career
The word “vocation” refers to a strong feeling
within an individual that they are meant to do a
certain job. It can also be used to refer to a trade
or profession.
• The word “career” is used to refer to one’s progress
through his/her working life, particularly in a
certain profession or line of work.
• The goals that one has for one’s working life are
called “career goals,” and
• planning how we will reach them is called setting a
“career path.”
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Knowing Yourself
Assess your current situation. Get to know your interests,
skills and values and think about both the personal and
the broader economic factors that could influence your
work and learning choices.
Where do I start? Think about where you are at, where
you want to go and how you are going to get there.
– What are my interests? Explore your work interests.
– What are my skills? Explore your abilities.
– What is important now? Clarify what is important to you in
your work and your life.
– What else do I need to think about? Think about the other
factors that will affect your work and learning decisions.
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Find out
Explore the occupations and learning opportunities on offer and find
out about the occupations that interest you.
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For each occupation you explore ask yourself:
What are the daily tasks and duties?
What are the working conditions?
What are the personal requirements?
What skills and training do I need?
What career paths are available?
Where is the work?
How do I find out more about my preferred occupations?
Once you have a selection of occupations that interest you, start
researching specific occupations.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Decision Making
Before you make a decision ask yourself:
– What are my preferred work/learning options?
– How do they match with my skills, interests and
values?
– How do they fit with the current labour market?
– How do they fit with my current situation and
responsibilities?
– What are the advantages and disadvantages of each
option?
– What will help and what will hinder me?
– What will I do about it?
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Decision Making (Cont.)
• Speak to people working in your preferred
occupations.
• Search occupation list/resources to narrow
down your choices.
• Compare your options – narrow down your
choices (pros and cons) and choose the best
option for you now.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Action Plan
The most effective action plans are:
• based on up-to-date information;
• specific and detailed;
• tied to timelines with specific completion dates;
• challenging but achievable; and
• aligned with your goals and values.
• set yourself a key task like arranging work experience
or speaking to someone that works in the field; and
• find out about study or training pathways that would
help you to achieve a specific qualification for a
preferred occupation.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview
• Research the industry and company.
• Clarify your "selling points" and the reasons
you want the job. (three to five key selling
points in mind)
• Anticipate the interviewer's concerns and
reservations. (Put yourself in their shoes and
ask yourself why they might not want to hire
you)
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Prepare for common interview questions.
(Anticipate questions and prepare your
answers so you won't have to fumble for them
during the actual interview.
• Line up your questions for the interviewer.
(for example, "What do you think is the best
thing about working here?" and "What kind of
person would you most like to see fill this
position?")
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Practice, practice, practice. ("Why should we
hire you?“; practice interview with your
friend)
• Score a success in the first five minutes.
(interviewers make up their minds about
candidates in the first five minutes of the
interview)
• Get on the same side as the interviewer.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Be assertive and take responsibility for the
interview. ( Be polite but Do not become passive
during interview)
• Be ready to handle illegal and inappropriate
questions. (questions about your race, age,
gender, religion, marital status, and sexual
orientation)
• Make your selling points clear. (tell the
interviewer what your selling point is first, then
give the example.)
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Think positive. ("What courses have you liked least?"
or "What did you like least about that previous job?"
don't answer the question. Instead, say something like
"Well, actually I've found [class] to be very tough, I
liked the fact that [positive point about the class]“
• Listen. From the very beginning of the interview, your
interviewer is giving you information, either directly or
indirectly. If you are not hearing it, you are missing a
major opportunity. Good communication skills include
listening and letting the person know you heard what
was said. Observe your interviewer, and match that
style and pace.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Don't Talk Too Much. Telling the interviewer more than he
needs to know could be a fatal mistake.
• Don't Be Too Familiar. The interview is a professional
meeting to talk business. It is important to bring energy and
enthusiasm to the interview and to ask questions, but do
not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job.
• Use Appropriate Language. It's a given that you should use
professional language during the interview. Be aware of any
inappropriate slang words or references to age, race,
religion, politics or sexual orientation -- these topics could
send you out the door very quickly.
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Don't Be Cocky. Attitude plays a key role in your
interview success. There is a fine balance between
confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if
you're putting on a performance to demonstrate your
ability, overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being
too reserved.
• Don't Appear Desperate. When you interview with the
"please, please hire me" approach, you appear
desperate and less confident. Reflect the three Cs
during the interview: cool, calm and confidence.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Close on a positive note. (explain why you
think this is the job for you; explain your
strongest abilities; you'll be asking for the job,
explaining why you think it's a good match,
displaying your thoughtfulness and maturity)
• Bring a copy of your resume to every
interview.
5/23/2013
Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Don't worry about sounding "canned" (overly
polished or glib) If you're well prepared, you'll
sound smooth and articulate, not canned.
• Make the most of the "Tell me about yourself"
question. ("Well, obviously I could tell you about
lots of things, and if I'm missing what you want,
please let me know. But the three things I think
are most important for you to know about me are
[your selling points]. "Well, regarding the first
point, [give your example]. This question is the
golden opportunity; you must cash it
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Speak the right body language. Dress appropriately,
make eye contact, give a firm handshake, have good
posture, speak clearly, and don't wear perfume or
cologne! Sometimes interview locations are small
rooms that may lack good air circulation.
• Be ready for "behavior-based" interviews". (You
might be asked to talk about a time when you made an
unpopular decision, displayed a high level of
persistence, or made a decision under time pressure
and with limited information - (Situation-ActionResult))
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Tips for job interview (Cont.)
• Send thank-you notes. (Write a thank-you
note after every interview. Type each note on
paper or send them by email) To write a good
thank-you note, you'll need to take time after
each interview to jot down a few things about
what the interviewer said. Also, write down
what you could have done better in the
interview, and make adjustments before you
head off for your next interview.
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Don't give up!
Try and Try Again
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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Delivered at Dept. of CS & IT , UOS
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