BUILDING MY SKILLS Student Checkpoints ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/18
CONTENTS PAGE Session 1:
Checkpoint 1:
My Pathway Poster
01
Session 2:
Checkpoint 2:
Online Appearance
03
Session 3:
Checkpoint 3
The World of work
15
Session 4:
Checkpoint 4:
CV and Cover Letter
23
Session 5:
Checkpoint 5:
Preparing for interviews
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CHECKPOINT
01
Checkpoint Number: 1 Checkpoint Title: My Pathway Poster Submission Deadline: Checkpoint Background: Within every business sector, there are numerous job roles available each requiring different skills, attributes, and qualifications. Choosing what you want to do is not always an easy task but you should always choose something that suits you. Everyone is different and therefore your journey into employment will not be the same. Some people presume following school you go to college then to university and after university you secure a job, but you do not have to go to university to get a job. It is important to remember there are alternative routes into employment available depending on your preferred career, qualifications, career aspirations and the skills you acquire, want and need.
Career pathways can begin with any of the following: • • • • • • • • •
Apprenticeships Volunteering University Work Experience Placements Internships Extra qualifications Traineeships Working for family or a friend Full-time education e.g. Sixth-Form or College studying A-Levels, BTEC, HND, Highers etc.
Making future career decisions therefore should not be rushed; you need to understand and consider the different options and routes available.
STUDENT TASK Gather Labour Market Information (LMI) on a business sector you are interested in. Examples include; Medicine, Education, Travel, Hospitality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Law, Insurance, Finance and Retail. You could start by researching a variety of sources such as recruitment agencies, newspapers and potential employers and gather data relating to employment prospects including pay scales, entry routes, qualifications, hours of work etc.
2. Referring to your chosen career pathway, create a A4 sized poster to illustrate your chosen path. Your poster should refer to:
You may find the following websites useful; • careerpilot.org.uk • nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk • plotr.co.uk/careers • prospects.ac.uk • e4s.co.uk • myfuture.com
Optional Task: 3. Produce a 500-word summary of this job role which includes:
Compulsory Task: 1. Select one job role in a business sector you would be interested in choosing as a future career, matching your strengths and interests.
a. b. c. d. e.
Job title Qualifications required Main features of the job Responsibilities Skills needed
a. Entry route e.g. degree, apprenticeship and why you want to pursue this pathway b. Reasons why you have chosen this job role c. Positives and negatives for each selection d. Career profession e. Backup plan
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CHECKPOINT
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Checkpoint Number: 2 Checkpoint Title: Online Appearance Submission Deadline: Checkpoint Background: Social Media is a key player when applying for jobs today. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn allow employers to see who you are outside of your application. 92% of employers use Social Media for hiring offering job seekers the opportunity to learn and connect with companies of interest and hear about job vacancies. Therefore, it is incredibly important to give potential employers the correct impression.
There are many different forms and types of Social Media but you might have only heard of a couple of types. These include:
To be taken seriously in a professional world you should be careful with what you share with the world online. Offensive status’, inappropriate profile pictures, distasteful comments and out of date profiles could affect your chances of employment before you reach an interview. You should consider using your online appearance in a positive way as a self-marketing tool to demonstrate your strengths, shine a positive light on unique hobbies, and communicate your values, skills and experiences to potential employers.
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Social Networking: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ Video Sharing: YouTube, Vimeo Live-Streaming: Periscope, Blab Microblogging: Twitter, Tumblr Blogging: LiveJournal, Wordpress Social News: Digg, Reddit Photo Sharing: Instagram, Flickr Consent Curation: Pinterest
No matter what platform you should be vigilant to not post anything you wouldn’t mind an employer or potential employer seeing. Make sure you check your privacy settings
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Checkpoint Background: What employers want to see on Social Media: • • • • • • • •
Optional Task: LinkedIn is one of the world’s largest professional networking sites which allows you to promote your personal brand online, helping you establish your online presence and connect with professionals.
Professional experience Show your interests by liking pages and posting photos that reflect your reputable interests Demonstrate your strengths not weaknesses Volunteering/Charity donations Clubs and societies Mutual connections Examples of previous work You in the best light
Research and write 300 words on what LinkedIn is used for and how you might benefit from it when planning your career. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Consider:
What employers don’t want to see on Social Media • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • •
Sharing your political affiliation Debates over controversial topics Making references to illegal drugs and profanity Complaining about your teacher/school/job/boss Using texting language Posting tasteless comments Posting photos with alcohol Unprofessional profile pictures Allowing friends to post unprofessional comments
STUDENT TASK Compulsory Task: 1. Assess and annotate 2 ‘dummy profiles’ attached of Facebook and Twitter. Identify 3 positives and 3 negatives for each and explain the reasons why 2. Have you Googled your name and check what’s online? You need to make sure what you find is appropriate for a potential employer to read. If not, either stop posting unprofessional information or ensure your profiles are private. Doing this ensures your personal information is only viewable to your friends. Identify 3 positives and 2 negatives relating to your online appearance. In addition, identify 3 positive interests or accomplishments that you could post on Social Media individual to you.
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Your meaningful personal headline Your personal summary Who are your connections Education and work experience history Buzzwords Achievements Projects, Volunteer experiences, languages What would people endorse you for? (Your strengths)
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FACEBOOK FACEBOOK
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FACEBOOK FACEBOOK
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TWITTER TWITTER
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CHECKPOINT
03
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It is important that you understand ‘workplace jargon’ so you are better equipped to navigate the workplace. It is vital that you follow correct workplace conduct and display professionalism always.
Checkpoint Number: 3 Checkpoint Title: The World of Work Submission Deadline: Checkpoint Background: When you start working there is a great variety of things you have to learn quickly; people’s names, how the organisation operates, what’s expected of you, but, one of the most important things is vocabulary used in the corporate world. Within any job sector or place of work from waitresses to doctors and from engineers to lawyers, they will all use employment terms. There are many examples of jargon used in the corporate world, some industries have their own terminology but there is a lot that applies generically to employment (refer to ‘workplace jargon’ terms).
Things to be aware of: • • • • •
Do not gossip Make time keeping and punctuality a priority Keep a positive attitude Do not swear of use offensive language Dress appropriately – un-ironed/dirty clothes sets the wrong impression
Alongside conduct there are also rules and legal obligations which are in place to protect employees from discrimination. There is the unjust treatment of an individual based on characteristics such as gender, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, belief or age. PAGE • 15
STUDENT TASK Comulsory Task: 1. In the context of the workplace, please define what is meant by: • •
Equality Diversity
2. Using the ‘15 Characteristics of the Ideal Employee’, prioritise the top 5 which you believe are most important in the job sector you are interested in. Choose 3 characteristics that best describe you. Explain and give an example of how you have demonstrated these characteristics. 3. Please complete the word search and/or the crossword
Optional Task 4. Read the case study below and identify the key issues. What characteristics would you require as a manager to deal with this situation? You can use the characteristics provided or use some of your own examples. CASE STUDY After several years of working well, an employee started to encounter problems with her performance at work. A pattern developed where the employee started to turn up 15 minutes after her agreed start time. Her lateness and attitude have impacted on her ability to meet key deadlines. Her manager had taken her aside to discuss her poor punctuality which was met with an unconcerned response; the employee was told that she was going to be taken through a performance management process.
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15 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IDEAL EMPLOYEE The most intelligent businesses focus heavily on personality when recruiting the most appropriate employees.
8. CONFIDENT Confidence produces results and encourages employees to take on challenges that others shy away from. The best businesses are highly confident in their abilities to provide an effective product or service and encourage a culture of improvement and customer confidence.
Regardless of industry, pay, age or gender, all ideal employees share some common characteristics. These include the following: 1. ACTION-ORIENTED Recruit employees who act and take chances. While chances may lead to failure, they will more often lead to success and will generate new ideas. 2. INTELLIGENT Intelligence is a strong foundation for success. If employees do not possess intelligence, managers are going to be spending a lot of time checking their work and dealing with their increased levels of stress. 3. AMBITIOUS Employees can only help the business if they want to help themselves have a better career. Ambition is what makes a business innovative resulting in creative ideas and openness amongst employees. 4. AUTONOMOUS Any business wants employees who can get the job done, think for themselves and take the initiative. 5. DISPLAY LEADERSHIP This begins with self-confidence and is encouraged by positive reinforcement and repetitive success. 6. PERSONALITY When recruiting, personality can mean the difference between an employee who doesn’t stay long and fails to produce against an employee who is going to significantly increase your competitive advantage. 7. UPBEAT Employees who come into work fresh and energetic everyday are going to out produce workers who think negatively and easily burn-out when they encounter problems or issues.
9. SUCCESSFUL One of the most effective ways to predict future success in an employee is their past success at other businesses. Have they remained with the business for a period of time? Have they helped meet the business aims? 10. HONEST If nothing else, an employer wants honest employees in their business; otherwise their business will turn off customers and ultimately will not survive. 11. THOROUGH Attention to detail is crucial or mistakes will be made within the business. Detail-oriented employees take pride in their work. 12. MODEST The most sought after employees shout their value not through their words, but rather through their work. 13. HARD WORKING Nothing great is accomplished easily. The foundation of an effective business lies in its ability to recruit results oriented, hardworking employees. 14. MARKETABLE When dealing with customer’s employees must represent the business as being professional and organised. 15. PASSIONATE Employees who are passionate about their job never work a day in their life. While money could be a motivator, it is important that employees enjoy what they do.
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WORKPLACE JARGON Job Application – Form/paper which indicates interest in a place of employment and position within a company.
National Living Wage (NLW) – For workers part and full-time aged 25 and above, this is £7.20 an hour.
Job Specification – A statement including a detailed description of the role, including all responsibilities, objectives and requirements.
National Minimum Wage (NMW) – The minimum wage per hour a worker is entitled to in the UK. Workers must be at least school leaving age. From 2015 the hourly adult minimum wage is £6.70.
Person Description – Specifics describing the personal attributes desired in a potential employee.
Payroll – The total amount of money that a company pays to their employees
Contract of Employment - This is an agreement between the employer and employee including details of pay, working hours, holidays, job title and description, place of work, probationary period, pension, notice and grievance. Salary - A fixed payment paid on a monthly basis quoted on an annual basis. Wages - Payment based on the number of hours worked typically paid on a daily or weekly basis. P11D - Gives HMRC information about benefits you’ve received from your employer apart from your salary. National Insurance - This is a tax on income more than £155 per week which builds up to an entitlement to certain state benefits, called national insurance contributions. Tax Codes – The amount of tax you pay depends upon how much income you earn. Different people have different tax codes depending on their circumstances. Payroll Number – A set of numbers assigned to an employee as a reference for their salary, usually three to eight digits long located at the upper right or left hand corner of a payslip. Payslips – Available electronically or paper-based, this records how much you have earned and how much tax and insurance has been deducted. Pensions – A fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee’s employment years and from which payments are drawn to support a person when they retire.
Pay Rise – An increase in the amount of money you earn for doing your job. Maternity/Paternity leave – A period of absence from work granted before and after the birth of their child. Day Release – Allowing employees a day off to go on educational courses. Flexi-time – Working a set number of hours with start and finish times chosen between agreed limits. Zero hour contract – Employer is not obliged to provide any minimum working hours and the employee is not obliged to accept any work offered. Equal pay – The right for both men and a woman to be paid the same for the same or equivalent work and is an aspect of sex discrimination law. Equality and Diversity – Organisations should have practices and policies in place under the Equality Act to ensure all workers are treat equally and given the same opportunities regardless of their race, sex, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, marriage, pregnancy and maternity. Sick Leave – Leave of absence granted because of illness. If you are off for more than 7 days in a row you have to provide your employers with a ‘fit note’ provided from your doctor. Whistle blowing – Raising a concern about wrongdoing in the workplace. This is not the same as a complaint.
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Secondment – Temporary transfer of a worker to another position.
Unfair Dismissal – The ending of employment without good reason.
Networking – Interact with others to exchange information to develop professional and social contacts.
Redundancy – Dismiss an employee because the job no longer exists.
Code of conduct – Set of rules outlining responsibilities and proper practices for an individual and organisation. Dress code policy – To ensure workers are safe and dressed appropriately by setting out a reasonable standard of dress.
Resignation – Telling your employer you are leaving your job. Paid in Lieu – Payment to an employee for a notice period that they do not have to work. Garden Leave – Practice of asking an employee to remain at home on full pay and do not attend the workplace if they have resigned or been dismissed during their notice period.
Promotion – The next step up in your career ladder. Corporate Governance – System of rules and processes by which a organisation is controlled. Salary Sacrifice Scheme – Give up part of your salary in tern for a non-cash benefit such as company cars, childcare vouchers. Professionalism – Refers to your conduct and qualities to mark a professional person such as competency, honesty, integrity, image, time management, being personable, appropriate dress, no swearing, remaining positive, be helpful, honesty.
P45 – A certificate provided to an employee at the end of employment providing details of their tax code, gross pay and annual tax paid. This must be passed to their next employer. P60 – Also known as the end of year certificate, this is a statement issued to employees at the end of the tax year showing how much tax they have paid.
Negligence – Conduct that breaches a duty to take care of employees. Gross Misconduct – Bad behaviour demonstrated by an employee which destroys the employee/employer relationship. Disciplinary – Action took against an employee if an employer has concerns about their work, conduct or absence. Insubordination – Explicitly refusing to carry out a direct order from someone superior. Tribunal – An independent group of people who work to settle employment disputes.
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WORKPLACE JARGON CROSSWORD
Name:
Workplace Jargon
WORKPLACE JARGON CROSSWORD
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2. Shows you the amount of money earned 2. Shows you the amount of money 7. Increase in money for doing the earned same job 9. Interacting with others in exchange of 7. Increase in money for doing the same job information 10. When you leave a current job you will _______ 9. Interacting with others in exchange of information 11. when a job no longer exists you are made ______________ 10. When you leave a current job you will ___________ 12. Not being at work due to illness 11. a When a job no exists you made ________ 13. When Mother is longer pregnant andare leaves work she goes on _______ 12. Not at work illness 15. Raising a being concern in due thetoworkplace 16. Fixed monthly payment 13. When a Mother is pregnant and leaves work she goes on _______
1. Group of people who settle employment 1.disputes Group of people who settle employment disputes 2. You receive a _____ when you move up the 2.career You receive a _____ when you move up the career ladder ladder 3. Payment based on number of hours worked . Contract no set hoursworked of work 3.4Payment basedwith on number of hours 5. required if off work sick for more than 7 days 'Honesty' and 'TimeofManagement' are examples 4.6. Contract with no set hours work of what? 5.8. required if off work sick __________ for more than 7 days The adult hourly is £6.70 per hour 14 . When Men and Women are paid the same 6. ‘Honesty’ and ‘Time Management’ are examples of what? 8. The adult hourly __________ is £6.70 per hour
15. Raising a concern in the workplace 14. When Men and Women are paid the same 16. Fixed monthly payment PAGE • 20
WORKPLACE JARGON WORD SEARCH
WORKPLACE JARGON WORD SEARCH
WORDS
Competency
Tribunal
Rules
Day Release
Integrity
Salary Sacrifice
Disciplinary
Job Application
Secondment
Dress Code
Maternity Leave
Tax
Equal Pay
Negligence
Wages
Equality
Payroll
Whistleblowing
Flexitime
Pension
Garden Leave
Positive
Gross Misconduct
Professionalism
Honesty
Promotion
Insubordination
Resignation
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CHECKPOINT
04
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Checkpoint Number: 4 Checkpoint Title: CV and Cover Letters Submission Deadline: Checkpoint Background: The term ‘Curriculum Vitae’ commonly abbreviated to CV may be translated as ‘course of life’. It is an outline of your educational history and relevant experiences. It is the most common document prepared for job applications.
On average an employer will receive 140 CV’s for every one position advertised. Therefore, it is very important you stand out from the crowd. Don’t produce a CV from a standard template, it should be personalised, creative, and eye-catching.
When employers have a vacancy, they put together a person specification (a list of skills and experiences they want the ideal candidate to have) and they will ask you to send in your CV. You need to “sell” your skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to employers on your CV.
If your CV and covering letter are hard to read e.g. unclear, badly laid out and contains irreverent information, it is likely to go in the bin. Tips: •
A CV should be accompanied by a covering letter, a short snappy summary relevant to the employer you are sending your CV to. Many companies use online applications in their recruitment process. These are often submitted alongside your CV and covering letter. Online applications include: personal details, your skills, abilities, knowledge and experience.
• • • • •
Should be no longer than 2 sides of A4 printed double sided Don’t include your age Use appropriate email addresses Tailored to the job Proof-read for spelling errors Don’t tell fibs
STUDENT TASK Compulsory Task: 1. Use the Internet to find examples of high impact CV’s. Produce your own CV that includes: • • • • •
Optional Task: 2. Produce a covering letter based on your application explaining your suitability for a job role of your choice. Refer to the sector you looked at in checkpoint 1.
A personal statement Personal details Skills and qualities (you may wish to refer to checkpoint (3) Work experience and education history References
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CHECKPOINT
05
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Checkpoint Number: 5 Checkpoint Title: Preparing for interviews Submission Deadline: Checkpoint Background: Well done you’ve made it to the final stage of the application process. You have been invited to an interview as you have potential and the employer believes you could be a great fit for the workplace. There are lots of types of interviews including online tests, phone, face to face, video, panel and group. Preparation is key! Fail to plan and you are planning to fail. Interview tips that will help you be prepared so you are in the right frame of mind to do well and land the position you want: How to prepare? •
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Search the company online, check out their annual report and put their name into Google News to see if they have any interesting stories Gather background knowledge of the industry so you can impress Be sure you know the time, date and location of the interview and the name of the interviewer Prepare what you are going to wear the night before. If you look good, you tend to feel good.
STUDENT TASK:
2. Prepare 2 possible answers to:
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Two good reasons why you should be chosen for the opportunity Your strongest skill/attribute Identify a weakness and your plans to overcome this
3. Prepare two questions that you could ask the interviewer
Decide how you are going to get there and what time you need to leave
Most common interview questions: • What can you tell me about yourself? • What are your strengths and weaknesses? • Why are you suitable for this role? • Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time? • Why do you want to work here? • What motivates you? • Is there anything you would like to ask me? During the interview: • Keep a relaxed posture • Maintain eye contact • Acknowledge them by nodding • Smiling and appear friendly • Show your personality • Do not interrupt • Ask a question After the interview: • Evaluate your performance • Be proactive and send a follow-up email with a sincere thank you • Don’t stop looking for other opportunities
Optional Task: 4. Interview role play: In pairs, assign roles of ‘interviewer’ (student A) and ‘interviewee’ (student B) to practice speaking at an interview.
Compulsory task: 1. Describe 3 ways to prepare for an interview which will improve your chances of being successful
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Think of 2 job roles and prepare suitable questions. The STAR model is useful when it comes to answering questions as it provides all the information employers are looking for. Situation: What happened and where Task: Explain what you were doing Actions: Describe what actions you took and the skills you used Result: Describe the outcome and what you achieved Work with your partner and take it in turns to answer questions depending on job role using the STAR model.
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NOTES
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NOTES
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