1. careers

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How job
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Contents
03
Looking for work
Deciding what you want
Looking at your local labour market
04 Where to look
08Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
Advanced apprenticeships
Higher apprenticeships
Traineeships
10Volunteering
11
Why volunteer?
Applying for jobs
CVs
12 Covering letters
Speculative applications
13 Application forms
14 Phoning for a job
15Interviews
16
Before the day
On the day
At the interview
What interviewers might ask
Personal safety
17
Sample advert, CVs,
covering letters, speculative letters
25 Personal branding
LinkedIn and social media
26 How to build a LinkedIn profile
Example of a profile
27 Work related issues
National minimum wage
Working hours
Equal opportunities/disabilities
29 Useful information
work
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at you want
eed to know
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3
Where to look
Jobcentre Plus Offices
• A
wide range of full/part time, permanent and temporary jobs are
available
• V
acancies tend to require experience so might not always be
suitable for younger workers.
Search for vacancies by calling into your nearest
Job Centre Plus office or going online:
www.gov.uk/jobsearch.
You can also search for jobs by calling Job Centre Plus
Telephone: 0845 606 0234
Telephone (Welsh): 0845 606 7890
Text phone: 0845 605 5255
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
The National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service
Apprenticeships provide employment with training for qualifications.
They are available in many occupational areas, such as engineering,
hospitality, retail and construction.
You can register and search online:
www.apprenticeships.org.uk or download the app.
Internet
• J ob advert sites may be run by recruitment agencies with offices,
such as Reed www.reed.co.uk while some are only web-based,
e.g. Gumtree www.gumtree.co.uk .Some newspapers also have
internet job sites
• Always be sure that the site is genuine • Vacancies can be out of date, so check for closing dates
• R
emember that the internet can be very impersonal and it is
likely that you may not hear back from employers. You may just
have to login and see if you have an interview.
Twitter and Facebook
You will find vacancies are now posted here so use this as part of
your job search.
4
Local and national newspapers
Some newspapers have a wide range of vacancies although they
can attract many applicants.
Libraries stock both local and national newspapers for reference
only, but check closing dates, as the newspapers may be old. Many
newspapers are now online.
Recruitment agencies
Recruitment agencies are private organisations, which are paid by
companies to find suitable employees. As well as their offices, they
nearly all have vacancy websites.
Some recruitment agencies specialise in certain types of work
for example construction or catering, or they may specialise in
recruiting to temporary positions. It is a good idea to know what
you are looking for before you go into a recruitment agency. They
are not trained careers advisers and they are working for the
employer rather than you as a client.
If you plan to visit an employment/recruitment agency, wear smart
clothes and take an up-to-date CV. You might be asked to take
tests in spelling or keyboard skills.
Other places to look
Shops and restaurants often advertise for staff with a card in their
window but you will need to be quick.
Apply ‘on spec’ to any organisation or companies that you’d like to
work for. This is particularly useful for ‘very hard to find’ vacancies
such as plumbing. Research the companies on www.yell.com
Hidden vacancies
Many vacancies are not advertised but filled by ‘word of mouth’ or
via social media sites. Remember to ask around and ask friends,
relatives and neighbours. Let people know on Twitter, Facebook
and LinkedIn.
5
e
pos
h pur
ch wit
1. Sear
2. First in line
again
nd try
a
y
r
T
3.
6
Three steps to success
1
S
earch with a purpose – know
what you want and target the right
employers.
2 Make sure you are the first in
line – start your daily search early,
employers prefer to deal with queries /
callers before they get really busy, so
earlier is best and definitely no later
than midday.
3
Try and try again – it is very rare
to get the first job that you apply for.
Most jobseekers apply for at least 4/5
jobs per day to guarantee success.
Good Luck
7
Apprenticeships
l
tica
rac work
p
Get ugh
o
thr
tionally
s a na ion
d
r
a
w
o
t
Work t d qualifica
ise
n
g
o
c
e
r
Develop your skills
Get a grea
t career
8
ce
ien
er
exp
Different levels of apprenticeships
There are different levels of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
There are no upper age limits for apprenticeships although some
may have special funding just for 16-24 year olds.
No set requirements but some ask for GCSEs at D and above. You
will be employed, earn a wage/allowance and work towards a Level
2 qualification.
Advanced apprenticeships
Usually requires four GCSEs A*-C. You will be employed, earn a
wage and work towards a Level 3 qualification.
Higher apprenticeships
Higher apprenticeships are designed for those people who wish to take
their training one step further. As well as working towards a Level 4
NVQ or similar vocational qualification, you are also likely to study for a
more advanced, knowledge-based certificate like a Foundation degree.
Higher apprenticeships are most commonly offered by employers
that require high levels of technical proficiency in specialist
areas. There are higher apprenticeships in many areas including
law, business, finance, IT and engineering and they can offer an
alternative to full-time university study.
Apprenticeships usually involve being employed full time and being
paid an allowance.
Traineeships
These involve initial training at a college or training provider, before
moving on to a job. Traineeships can last from six weeks up to six
months and will include:
• Work preparation training provided by the training organisation
• E
nglish and maths support if required, provided by the training
organisation
• A work experience placement with an employer.
You can search for apprenticeships on
www.apprenticeships.org.uk and apply online
and you can now download the app.
9
Volunteering
Why volunteer?
• V
olunteering can improve your chances of getting into paid work,
especially in competitive jobs such as the media – it gives you
that something extra on your CV
• It is useful for making contacts, which could be helpful for future
job hunting
• Volunteering can teach you new skills as well as helping others
• Voluntary work can give you extra confidence.
Every area has a volunteer centre, with local opportunities.
Opportunities could include anything from football coaching to
raising money for charity to visiting residents in a home for the
elderly.
Don’t forget that voluntary work can lead to a paid job!
www.do-it.org.uk You can search for vacancies in your area
www.vinspired.com Volunteering opportunities for 16-25 year olds
www.csv.org.uk Community Service Volunteers
10
Applying for Jobs
CVs (Curriculum Vitae)
Many employers ask for a CV. The aim of the CV is to provide
employers with a quick, easy-to-read summary of your education,
work experience and skills.
There are many ways you can set out a CV.
However, employers have many CVs to look at so:
• Keep it short - no more than 2 typed A4 sheets
• Keep it simple - well laid out and easy to read
• Check and check again for spelling and grammatical mistakes
• Get someone else to check it as well.
Essential information includes your name and contact details,
qualifications and experience, including any work experience.
Then add any other skills, abilities or positions of responsibility
that could be relevant to the job.
You don’t have to provide full references on your CV, you can just
put ‘References available on request’.
Keep a record of all of the CVs and applications that you send, e.g.
dates, name of company, job details.
You may need to send a covering letter with your CV or a covering
email if sending your CV electronically.
11
Covering letters
The purpose of a covering letter is to show how the experience
on your CV relates to a vacancy and to highlight why they should
employ you. You must send out a new covering letter for each
company that you apply to. This is so you can show that you have
researched that company and say why you want to work for them.
Some useful tips: • P
lan carefully what you are going to write and do a rough draft
first
• R
emember to highlight your skills and qualities and how they will
help you in the job you are applying for
• B
e positive - ask someone to read the letter to make sure that
you come across as polite, enthusiastic and eager to learn, do the
job and work for that particular company
• K
eep the letter short and to the point, on one side of A4 if
possible (employers are busy people)
• U
se ‘Yours sincerely’ if you are writing to someone by name. If
not use Dear Sir or Madam and ‘Yours faithfully’
• C
heck spelling, grammar and presentation (you are selling
yourself!) Get someone else to check as well.
Speculative applications
If there is a company that you would like to work for but no job
adverts ever appear, you can still send a letter and CV. Many
employers keep CVs on file and then look at them if they have
a vacancy. Make sure you say how your skills would benefit the
company and why you want to work for them. You might be invited
for an interview.
12
Application forms
Employers use application forms as a way to screen out unsuitable
candidates and to decide whom to invite to the next stage. You may
be asked to send a CV along with an application form or instead of
an application form.
What to do immediately
• C
heck that you have received everything. Along with an
application form you may receive a job description, a person
specification (which explains what qualifications, qualities and
skills are important to the employer) and company literature
• Make sure that you know the deadline to return the form
• D
ecide when you will complete the form - some can be lengthy
and time consuming to fill out.
Preparation
• T
ake a photocopy to practise on or print off a practice form if
online
• C
ollect everything that you will need to complete the form, such
as a dictionary, black pen, exam certificates
• R
ead through the form and make sure that you understand
everything.
Completing your form
• T
ry to give brief, clear answers, and make sure that you give
examples where possible
• A
nswer all of the questions. Even if the answer is ‘no’ or ‘n/a’
(not applicable) write this in or the employer may think that you
have forgotten to answer it
• L ook at the person specification, if there is one, to see what the
employer wants. Try to give an example of how you satisfy each
point on the person specification
• Write neatly and clearly and follow the instructions
• Check and check again for spelling and grammatical mistakes
• Get someone else to check as well
• Remember to keep a copy of the form.
13
Online applications
• Treat online applications as seriously as paper ones
• Don’t rely on spell checkers to notice any mistakes
• M
ake sure you have an ‘appropriate’ email address for employers
to reply to i.e. not rude or embarrassing for an employer!
• M
ake sure that you check your email inbox or login regularly for
any contact from employers.
Phoning for a job
• Make sure you are somewhere quiet
• If you are using your mobile make sure that it is fully charged and
there is enough credit
• R
ehearse how you are going to introduce yourself and what you
are going to say before you phone
• H
ave the job details and all of your exam grades/subjects and
information on any past employers etc. close by
• If the employer invites you to an interview make sure that you
write down the time, date and location
• Thank the person
• If there is an answering machine, leave a clear message with your
name, telephone number, reason for calling and job reference if
required
• M
ake sure that any message on your own mobile is appropriate
should an employer get back to you.
14
Interviews
Before the day
• F
ind out where the interview is being held and how you will get
there – a practice run is useful
• Find out about the organisation – the internet can help
• R
ead the information you have about the job, including your
application
• E
nsure that you are ready to answer questions on the information
that you have provided
• D
ress smartly even if the job you are applying for does not
require it. It shows that you have made an effort.
On the day
• Get ready in plenty of time
• C
heck that you have everything that you need - the letter inviting
you for interview, directions and any paperwork that they may
have asked you to take
• Give yourself plenty of time to get there
• O
n arrival, introduce yourself at reception and ask for the person
that you are going to see.
At the interview
• G
reet your interviewer in a friendly but professional manner smile say good morning/afternoon and shake hands
• Be polite at all times
• Body language is important - sit up straight and make eye contact
• Give full answers to the questions - don’t just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’
• Tell the truth
• A
sk relevant questions about the job and the training (avoid asking
immediately about pay as it could look like that is all you are
interested in)
• R
emember it is an interview so switch off your phone and
don’t chew gum.
15
What interviewers might ask?
• Why did you apply?
• What makes you the best person for this job?
• W
hat would you do if……? (Employer will give you an imaginary
situation, such as dealing with a difficult customer)
• What are your good points and bad points?
• Is there anything that you have done that you are proud of?
• D
o you have any other questions? Try to think of some questions
before the interview. This is a real opportunity to sell yourself and
show you are really interested in the job.
Personal safety
• Know where you are going, plan your route carefully
• G
ive someone details so they know where you are and when you
plan to return
• N
ever agree to be interviewed in a private house but suggest
somewhere neutral like a coffee shop
• D
on’t accept a lift from the interviewer/s or go out socially with
them on your own after the interview.
16
Here is an example of a job vacancy, a letter of application and a couple
of different styled CVs to apply for the job.
Example of a vacancy
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR HR DEPARTMENT
BUSINESS:
Insurance Company HR Department
LOCATION:
Ealing
REQUIRED:
Good GCSEs or similar qualifications. English and maths A*
– C preferred. Able to use Word, Excel and Outlook. Accurate
keyboard skills.
You will undertake all routine office duties, including typing,
photocopying, emailing and dealing with calls. This includes
DESCRIPTION: maintaining records of staff appointments and progress, sickness
and leave. The job is extremely varied and any previously
acquired skills will help you achieve in this field of work.
HOURS:
9.00 a.m. – 5.15 p.m. Monday to Thursday
9.00 a.m. – 4.45 p.m. Friday
PAY:
£150 per week to start. There are regular pay reviews.
TRAINING:
You will work towards an apprenticeship in business
administration, gaining experience at work and attending training
towards a nationally recognised qualification.
FURTHER
INFO:
To apply please send CV and covering letter to Gill Forsythe. You
will be part of a team working with all departments in the business.
It is important to be able to get on with people, to work to deadlines
and be prepared to undertake additional tasks at busy periods.
17
Example CV
(predicted grad
e C and above in
Curricul
um V
four subjects)
itae
James C
arter
22 Osbo
rne Ave
nue
Pinner
HA5 3TA
Tel: 020
8123 456
7 Mobile
Email: ja
: 0906 1
meslcar
23456
ter@em
Profile
ailworld
.com
I am a c
onfident
and hard
in all asp
working
ects of w
individu
ork. I ha
youth gr
al and e
ve been
oup whe
njoy usin
in
v
r
o
e
g my init
lv
working
ed in pr
ICT is on
iative
ojects th
in a team
e of my
rough a
best sub
was imp
lo
I enjoy w
jects an
cal
ortant to
d I can u
orking w
ensure s
se a var
ith peop
u
in a com
c
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ess.
iety of IT
le and I
pany wh
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king for
effective
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a reward
e my ab
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ilities to
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pportun
Educatio
commun
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support
The Hig
h Schoo
l, Horne
t Drive,
Qualific
Harrow
ations
HA5 1BU
GCSE su
bjects to
be taken
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in June
re, Math
2014: En
e
m
atics, Sc
Technolo
glish Lan
ience, F
gy, Desig
guage a
rench, G
n and Te
nd
eograph
chnolog
y, Inform
y.
ation
18
tory
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orward
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comple
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uring
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ular, I e
d leisur
n
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son. In
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Refere
19
Example Covering letter
Ms G Forsythe
Friendly Insurance Company
Harvard House
Main Street
Ealing, W5 6QA
26th May 2014
Dear Ms Forsythe
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR HR DEPARTMENT
I am writing about the above vacancy as advertised in the Daily News
on 22nd May 2014.
I am leaving school this summer and hope to get good GCSE grades.
My school predicts that I should get four subjects at grade C and above.
In my work experience, I dealt with a range of people as well as organising
events and maintaining records of what had been done and what needed to be
done. This involved working to deadlines.
I helped design and create a stand to promote my youth group at events in
Pinner. Raising money and organising a day trip for senior citizens has given
me excellent organisational skills. Through working on these events I have
gained good written and verbal communication skills.
My interest in football and playing for the school has helped me to develop
strong teamwork skills.
I have a keen interest in ICT and have a good knowledge of Word, Outlook,
Excel and PowerPoint.
I would like to be considered for the Office Administrator position as I feel that
this job would give me the opportunity to develop my skills and career.
Yours sincerely,
James Carter
20
Sample CV for a Year 11 school leaver
who is NOT taking any GCSEs
Dionne Martin
188 Latchmere Road, Battersea SW11 1DR
Tel: 0203 567 8906 E-mail: [email protected]
Career goal
An office administrative assistant position.
Summary of skills
Organisational
• A good attendance record shown by handing in
my assignments on time and managing regular
babysitting responsibilities
• School library volunteer where I am responsible for
checking out of date books and removing them from
the shelves.
Administration
• Can use all Microsoft office packages
• Accurate typing
• Check all my written work to make sure it is free
from spelling and grammatical errors.
Communication
• Alongside my form tutor I spoke at a class
presentation on the benefits of volunteering.
Education
Completion
expected June 2014
Foundation diploma in IT,
Functional Skills - English, Maths, ICT
(use of the packages), Workskills course
Related course work
Technology in organisations, the impact of
technology, work with people, network systems,
database systems and multimedia
Awards
Outstanding School Volunteer, Holy Trinity (2012)
Interests
I enjoy babysitting for a neighbour regularly. I play
the recorder and sing in a gospel group at my local
community centre.
References
Available on request
21
Example CV for a Year 11 school leaver
(predicted GCSE grade B+)
Danielle Hudson
36 Silverstone Way
Pinner HB3 9LQ
Tel: 01895 942565
Mobile: 07832 961555
Email: [email protected]
Personal profile:
I am an enthusiastic and creative individual who enjoys working under pressure
and to deadlines. I have enjoyed both the theoretical and practical elements of
my schoolwork and I am progressing well in my GCSEs. This year I have also
taken part in Young Enterprise at school where I led my team to a place in the
final. This was a very worthwhile experience, which improved my confidence
and team building skills. I have good communication skills and can work
effectively independently or as part of a team.
Key skills and achievements:
• Leadership skills -Young Enterprise
• Team Player - Pinner Hockey Team
• IT literate - ECDL, CAD, Excel
• Excellent attendance
• Library school monitor
• Piano exams up to grade 3
• Good command of spoken and written French.
Education and qualifications:
Town School, Town Street, Northwood, HB3 9QG
September 2008-present.
I am currently studying for my GCSEs in:
Predicted grades
English (A)
Maths (B)
PE (A)
DT (B)
Geography (A)
French (B)
22
Business Science (B)
(C)
Example CV for a Year 11 school leaver
(predicted GCSE grade B+) Continued
Work Experience:
Sales Assistant, Boots Plc.
The Chimes, Uxbridge for two weeks in May 2011.
My duties included:
• Stocking shelves
• Helping with customer queries
• Being polite and friendly to both the staff and members of the public
• Helping out with till work under supervision.
I really enjoyed my experience at Boots as it gave me a good understanding
of how a national retail chain operates on a daily basis and how pressurised
the work can be. I impressed the head cashier with my enthusiasm and hard
work and they said that they would consider employing me after I finished my
GCSEs.
Interests:
I am a very sporty person and I have been a member of the Pinner Hockey
Team for three years now. We regularly play in borough competitions and got
through to the final last year. I also keep fit by going to a local fitness centre
and enjoy drawing cartoons in my spare time.
References can be provided.
23
A sample CV for someone with
some employment experience
Janet Smith
41 Far Drive, Mytown MX SZX
Mobile: 073356 254 Email: jansmith@farout
Profile
After 2 years in a Human Resources department, I am looking to progress and
gain more qualifications. My present job has given me experience in dealing
with staff grievances and union consultations. I am a team player and able to
use my own initiative to achieve company targets.
Key Skills
Successfully deal with confidential and sensitive information
Knowledge of staff grievance procedure
Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise own workload
Proficient organisational skills and IT: Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Employment
Newtown Business Associates, 2010 to present.
Personnel Assistant
Main duties:
• Maintenance of confidential files
• Act as first point for queries from staff and the trade unions
• Produce monthly and annual reports on all queries and their resolution.
Summer Job
Office Junior, Newtown Business Associates July – September 2009
Duties: Updating confidential files, filing, photocopying, answering telephone
enquiries.
Education
Any College, Newtown 2008-2010: BTEC National Diploma
Business Administration (Distinction overall).
Newtown High School 2004-2008
GCSEs:
English
Maths
IT
grade C
grade C
grade C
Business
Science
Art & Design
grade C
grade CC
grade D
History grade D
PE
grade D
Interests
Keeping fit at a local gym, swimming once a week and going to the cinema.
References available.
24
Personal branding
What makes you “you”? What makes you stand out from the
crowd? What skills, experience and interests do you have to offer?
This is your personal brand and it pays to build and develop your
brand. The founder of Amazon summed it up by saying personal
brand is “what people say about you when you are not in the
room”.
Have a good think about these questions? You could get together
with a friend and ask them how they would answer these questions
about you… what do they see or say when they think of you?
• What am I passionate about?
• What skills do I have?
• What skills do I want to learn and develop?
• What good qualities do I have?
• W
hat interesting activities have I done? Examples: voluntary
work, a hobby, extra things in school or college?
• Finally, where am I going? What do I want from my career?
LinkedIn and social media
You may have heard that employers and universities sometimes
check people’s social media profiles such as Facebook and Twitter
so part of your personal brand is going to be the image that comes
across on these sites.
Another good way of building up your personal brand and your
profile is to join LinkedIn. Think of it as a ‘professional‘ version
of Facebook. Although you can now join LinkedIn from aged 13
upwards, it has proved very useful for higher education applicants
and job seekers. Many universities now have their own LinkedIn
pages and you can see what past students have done and contact
them for advice. You may find your school or college also has a
LinkedIn page.
Similarly with employers, you can follow an employer and find
out about what they do, possible careers and the latest news and
vacancies that could help you in your job hunt.
25
How to build a LinkedIn profile
You need to register and then it takes you through step by step
what you need to add. You don’t have to include everything at once
but just start small and slowly build it up. You can post a photo
if you wish and add any job history or voluntary work. The whole
profile will build once you have more things to add but it must be
considered carefully . Make sure there are no typos or inaccurate
information and make the tone ‘professional’.
Example of a profile
26
Work related issues
National Minimum Wage
The national minimum wage is a minimum amount per hour. With a
few exceptions it applies to all workers over the compulsory school
leaving age.
Remember it is the minimum that you can be paid and is not a
standard rate or the rate for all apprenticeships.
To check the current wage rates go to:
www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates
Working hours
If you are under 18 you shouldn’t be expected to work more than 8
hours a day and you must be given at least 2 days off a week.
Check the regulations on:
www.gov.uk/browse/employing-people/contracts
Equal opportunities
The law protects you from discrimination regarding, race, gender,
sexuality and disability. If you have any problems at work it is a good
idea to try and sort them out as soon as possible. You can get advice
from the Citizens Advice Bureau: www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
People with disabilities
In employment and training it is against the law to treat a disabled
person less favourably than a non-disabled person. Adjustments can
be made to the workplace to help a disabled person do the job.
To check out the legislation go to:
www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person
27
28
mation
Useful infor
advice or
with careers
to research
careers
elp
If you need h
o to:
g
n
informatio
ervice)
nal Careers S
io
at
v.uk
(N
d
n
la
Eng
ice.direct.go
rv
se
rs
e
re
ca
nal
https://natio
0 100 900
80
0
e
reers
or phon
ect.gov.uk/ca
ir
id
.n
w
w
w
:
land
Northern Ire
rk.co.uk
yworldofwo
.m
w
w
w
:
d
Scotlan
s.com
.careerswale
Wales www
and Guidance
CfBT Advice
cfbt.com
londoninfo@
29
Notes
30
Notes
31
ISBN 978-1-909437-38-8
Copyright CfBT Education Trust
www.cfbt.com