Assessing Your Skills - Where am I now?

Review Past Experiences

List the different roles that you have had in life. Choose three roles that you have most enjoyed and give reasons why. List events that have played a significant part in your life and describe how you responded to a major change in the past.

Understand How Changes Can Be Made

List positive aspects that you like about yourself. Choose two things that you would change about yourself and why. Outline a change in another person and describe how it was achieved.

Identify Future Goals and Aims

Identify some goals that you would like to accomplish in the next year, including a training and career goal. List these in order of importance to yourself. Outline how you could achieve these goals with help and support and what could hinder you from achieving these goals. Produce a plan of action that gives target dates, to enable you to achieve your goals.

Review Your Goals

Review your goals as you progress and give reasons why any changes have been made.

Have An Understanding Of Own Skills and Preferences In Relation To Career Choices

Identify the skills, experiences you have gained in life. List some personal skills you enjoy using and those to be avoided. Choose one personal area for improvement and identify how it could be improved.

Improve Your Understanding Of How To Make Decisions

Identify 3 difficult decisions that you have made. List the problems you had in making these decisions. Identify the problems that can occur when more than one person has to make a decision.

Identify the Steps Required To Gain Access To A Career Area

Identify a career area in which you are interested. Collect specific information about this area of work such as levels of pay, entry routes etc. Identify the skills, experience and personal qualities needed in this career and own level of expertise in these areas. List the steps you would need to take in order to gain access to this career. Produce a plan of action that gives target dates to enable you to progress

Your CV is a Sales leaflet and your opportunity to sell yourself.

Make an impact at the start so that it makes people want to read more.
Your CV needs to be easy to read so that key strengths are immediately obvious.
Be concise – two pages maximum:

Keep personal details to a minimum. Your name should be the first thing to attract the reader.
Create an attractive design and layout. Experiment with; type face, font size, appropriate use of colour, layout, use of Bold, even simple stylish graphics. Make this work for your situation.
Check Spelling and use a Thesaurus to help you choose the best words.

Identify and sell your transferable skills, these are the skills that you can use in several jobs.

Prioritise skills and achievements so that the most positive and strongest are clearly accentuated.

If you have carried out any voluntary work during a career break remember to include and ‘sell’ this experience and the skills that you learnt..
Remember – the three most important words are:
Presentation,   Presentation,  Presentation

Interview Techniques

1. First impressions count, go in with positive and confident body language.
2. Answer questions clearly and concisely, try not to waffle, use your aide memoir.
3. Use positive language; if necessary practise doing this at home. Use "I can" and "I will" not "I think" or "I might".
4. Answer the question asked, if in doubt seek clarification and don’t be afraid to take time to consider your response.
5. Keep eye contact, observe reactions and adapt your presentation accordingly.
6. Close positively, thanking the interview panel for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them.

1. Do a rough draft first
   This will help avoid mistakes and repetitions. When you finally write up the application form write in black or blue ink, so that it can be photocopied
2. Employment History - Present/most recent first. This is where you show your jobs and describe your duties and responsibilities. Do not go into to much detail but make sure you explain the main feature of the job.
   Check the dates are in the right order.
   Include any community or voluntary work you have done.
   If you have any gaps explain what you were doing e.g. career break to have a family, travelling
3. Supporting Statement - the dreaded 'blank page'!
   This is where you make your case for the job - why they should choose you.
4. Analyse the job description : Why are you interested in the job? Would it be a good career move: sideways to broaden your experience, are you ready for more responsibility?
5. The Person Specification : this lists the skills, experience, knowledge required for the job. Some may be essential, some may be desirable. Make sure you can support this with evidence e.g. examples in previous jobs
6. Look at your experience: give examples which show you have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience. This may include experience outside of paid work - community/voluntary/leisure activities or managing the family or home.
7. Be Concise: Make sure you write in a concise, well-organised and positive way, get someone to check it for you.

References

You are usually required to provide 2 references, one should be from your present or most recent employer (even if you have been out of work for some time). If you have not been employed, you may wish to give the name of someone who knows you well enough to comment on your suitability for the job.
If you do not wish the company to approach your current employer before the interview, indicate this on the application form and it will probably be discussed at the interview

Final point

1. Send your completed form in in plenty of time
2. Keep a copy for reference
3. Don't forget to include a contact telephone number sop you can be contacted for an interview

08457 566 566

Kettering Business Venture Trust

01536 513840