Employability
There are a bunch of things employers are looking for when they take school leavers or graduates on. Local expert on employability and enterprise, Faye Smith, shares some top tips on what she’s learnt over the past twenty years in seven employers and all three sectors: public, private and voluntary. From having researched employer’s needs, and having conducted hundreds of interviews over the years she was head of the Meadowhall Retail Training Academy, Faye was responsible for the recruitment and training of many of the centre’s staff from before it opened its doors in September 1990, self-esteem and customer care training that was so whacky and cutting edge, it was featured on all four TV channels and in the national press. She was also involved in leading the Meadowhall Job Club, the most successful in the region at getting hundreds of long term unemployed people back into work. Each year, Faye trains thousands of young people across the region at colleges, schools and universities to get jobs and start businesses. Get a cracking CV together on good quality stationery, have a pitch about your best points memorised and make sure you have a couple of unique things about you, you can drop into the conversation or interview to make you memorable. “Remember that guy who had wrapped the lion at Weston Park Museum?!” “Remember that girl who let her friends shave her hair off for charity, after her mum got cancer?” Make sure you know where you’re going next, job, career, industry, country you want to work in even- and exactly what you have achieved so far in life to help you get there. Write a victory list of all the things you are proud of. Include not just academic qualifications, but skills like driving, First Aid or Food Hygiene certificates, talents like music, drama and busking, any outside hobbies and interests beyond the usual Facebook and socialising, languages you speak, places you’ve been, the books you read… plus all your vital volunteering and work experience (paid or unpaid) of course. Also, include your positive character traits like the employer’s number one ask- ENTHUSIASM! If that doesn’t boost your confidence- nothing will! Ask around friends and family, maybe they see positive qualities in you, or other achievements which you haven’t thought of to add to your list. We’re not brought up to blow our own trumpets culturally in Britain, so this can be hard at first- get over it! If you don’t know what you are good at, how on earth is an employer going to? They are usually short on telepathy! Employers are looking for enthusiasm above every other quality, beyond that, they tell us they look for young people who have: drive…motivation…enthusiasm…confidence… communication…determination…reliability… honesty…dedication…team player… energetic…organised…listener…analytical… efficient…hard working…capable…creative… And don’t just tell an employer you are these things… emphasise the evidence! For example, “I’m an energetic hard worker”, becomes “I have shown I am an energetic hard worker through managing to achieve good grades despite playing two musical instruments to a high standard, volunteering at a charity shop one night a week after school, achieving Duke of Edinburgh Silver and holding down a responsible part time job in a busy city centre café every Saturday.” Ask yourself… SO WHAT? The employer’s favourite radio show is WIIFM… “What’s in it for me?” Everyone wants to know what these skills and qualities mean to them. So don’t just say you play football, say “I play football every Sunday in a local team and train hard twice a week. I arrange all our socials too, so not only do I keep fit and healthy, I have to be dedicated to pushing myself physically and playing well as a team to ensure we stand the best chance of winning. I also have to motivate others and be really organised, skills which I can see will help me in this role.” Whether you are dropping your CV in to the corner shop or being interviewed for a sought-after job or apprenticeship among thousands of others applicants, you need to be able to create a fantastic positive first impression. You’ll need to be in good SHAPE, which stands for Smiling, having a dry, firm Handshake, an “Allo allo” greeting using the employers name, saying pleased to meet you and thank you for the opportunity of the interview, an upright, assertive Posture as you walk into the room and friendly Eye contact- none of these easy usually for young people. Remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression. It’s only about 11 seconds to do that these days- just enough time for the above! 79% of all communication we receive we deem to be boring apparently, so practise, practise, practise making yours interesting and entertaining. Only 7% of the message we receive comes from the words said, the rest is made up of the tone of voice used (38%) and 55% from the body language of the communicator. If ever there was a good reason for those drama classes, this is it! ACT enthusiastic, don’t just say you are, warm smiles, a sense of humour (not cracking jokes though!), open body language (no folded arms or crossed legs), head up, shoulders back, then leaning forward with an air of concentration, nodding when the interviewer says something you agree with, all show your terrific communication skills which are prized by employers. Smart looks the part- it’s as simple as that. In our casual society, people who look smart quite simply look as if they are smart (ie brainy). Simply checking out the dress code in the workplace (though butcher’s aprons or staff polo shirts are not necessary), can make you look like a proactive, thoughtful, well-organised person you are. If you want to work in a solicitor’s, look like you could start the next moment in a smart dark suit, if you are hoping to work in a nursery with young children, a more casual look might be in order. ALWAYS well groomed and smart though, tidy and clean hair, teeth, nails, skin and of course clothes and shoes- often overlooked. If you are a young woman, a little light make up could help, but is not considered necessary as a school leaver. More and more employers are noting the demise of good manners among young people. There is no need for it. It costs nothing and does not depend on academic success or background. Please, sorry, you’re welcome, can I help? Thank you on being shown a chair, may I sit here? My name is… and your name is? That’s a good question, may I take a moment to think about that? Polite, open, pleasant tone of voice with answers that are assertive not defensive, “What do you mean I’ve a gap in my CV? I can’t see it’s any of your business…” And don’t forget to leave as well as you entered the room. Good posture, warm smile, head up, shoulders back… “ Thank you so much for your time today… I’ve really enjoyed the interview…this is the job I most want… I’d absolutely love to work for your company… I do hope I have been able to show you how enthusiastic I am, may I say two other things I think you could find helpful in making your decision? I do hope I will be hearing from you positively… when is that likely to be?” There is no excuse for not anticipating and preparing for likely questions. Do your research- it’s so easy online these days. Know everything you can about the company. Who is the founder? Chief executive? Likely to manage you? What will your department’s role be? What skills will they be looking for? What experience can you bring that could be useful? What are your best qualities in relation to the job? Do you have any weaknesses that could hinder you? What could you say so they aren’t an issue? Where could you see yourself going in the company? What are the prospects? Just try to avoid the sins of bluffing, gabbling or reciting. Interviewers are often trained to see through a lot of flannel or off-pat rehearsed answers. There are hundreds of books and resources online that could help, DVDs on interview techniques, books in the library, you name it… Don’t leave that all-important interview to chance! Interviews are often won or lost on the preparation candidates put in before they even go through the door. Part of that is getting a family member or friend (not one who will only say nice things to you- constructive, honest feedback on areas you can improve is far more helpful) to run through a mock interview, asking you those tricky questions and putting you under pressure. Practising your body language as you enter a room in front of a mirror is very useful, even getting yourself videoed (revealing your grumpy “screensaver” face, nervous jangling of coins in pockets, tapping feet or hair flicking) if you can. Those pictures really do speak a thousand words and can be a powerful; force for change! The first interview may go disasterously wrong: you spill coffee all over the interviewer, you get their name wrong, you arrive an hour late, you forget all your carefully-rehearsed answers and babble… let it go. Make some notes on what you learned to add to your do’s and don’ts list and move on. Don’t let one failure put you off from doing your best at the next interview. If you think you did well, but still miss out, a handwritten note after the interview thanking them for the time and reiterating your commitment to that career and your interest in their company could secure your place if someone drops out…it HAS happened. As President Roosevelt once famously said, ““The person who succeeds is not the one who holds back fearing failure, nor the one who never fails, but rather the one who moves on in spite of failure.” One final word- research study after study has shown that employers are only asking themselves three questions when they meet you: Can you do the job - are you capable? Your CV should have established that to get the interview Will you do the job? Do you have the right attitude to turn up on time, every day, be willing and looking to progress? And finally, the killer question that has been shown to matter more than either of the others, will they LIKE you while you are doing the job? Employers value likeability so highly because after all, they have to work with you day in day out, maybe for years. Are you keen? Will you be a good team player? Fun to be around? Upbeat and positive? Motivating others? Then prove it! Good luck! Tip 1- Impress with your introduction
Tip 2- Go for your goals
Tip 3- Stress your strengths
Tip 4- Make instant impact
Tip 5- Create captivating communication
Tip 6- Be confidently clothed
Tip 7- Maintain your Manners
Tip 8- Prepare quality questions and awesome answers!
Tip 9- Perfect through practise
Tip 10- Give up giving up
Ten top tips for parents to help their children looking for work…