Interview Day Booklet 2019

Ullswater Community College

Interview Day

Wednesday 27 March 2019

Name:

Form Group:

1

Ullswater Community College

‘Ready for Work’ Interview Day – 27 March 2019 On Wednesday 27 March, we will be holding a ‘Ready for Work’ Interview Day at the College.

This will be attended by many local employers and governors who will carry out interviews with all our Year 10 students and they will give feedback and advice to you. The interview and feedback will give you a great opportunity to develop skills which will be useful to you in the future.

In preparation for this, you need to produce a CV and a letter of application, as if you were applying for a work experience placement that you’re interested in.

We strongly recommend that your letter and CV are word processed as they will look more presentable and appealing.

You may hand-write them if you prefer, but if you do, you MUST ensure that both the WRITING and the PAPER are neat and presentable.

There are examples in this booklet of a CV and a letter of application along with other useful information.

Please ensure that you complete your letter and CV by the end of Prize Day and that these documents are saved in the shared area.

Interview Day, Wednesday 27 March 2019

3

Letter of Application Your letter of application should be a formal letter. It should contain at least 3 paragraphs and should not begin “My name is ….”. The first paragraph should be about the job that you are applying for. You should then, in the second paragraph, give some details about yourself, including skills and interests. You should end the letter with a suitable summing up paragraph. Each line begins at the left margin and there is NO punctuation other than in the paragraphs.

Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane Penrith Cumbria CA11 8NG

Please use this address

17 October 2018 Mrs Ewin, CEIAG Administrator Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane Penrith Cumbria CA11 8NG

You need to use this address

Dear Mrs Ewin I would like to apply for a work experience placement as .........................................................

I am ……………. years of age and I attend Ullswater Community College.

You could then state what you are studying, what your favourite subjects are, your skills, interests etc. Remember to sell yourself, and match your skills and abilities to what you believe this particular employer might be looking for.

I am enclosing a copy of my CV and I look forward to hearing from you. I will be pleased to attend an interview at any convenient time.

Yours sincerely

(Your signature) Your name in capitals below your signature Enc - (this shows you are enclosing your CV)

4

Ullswater Community College

Curriculum Vitae A curriculum vitae (CV) is a personal history. It is important to put as much relevant information as possible into your CV as the person reading it will probably never have met you. Make sure you save your CV so you will be able to update it and use it when applying for real jobs or college courses in the future.

Curriculum Vitae Name Address Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane PENRITH Cumbria CA11 8NG Education Give details of secondary schools attended and dates 2015 – Present: Ullswater Community College Subjects Studied Subject Level English GCSE Mathematics GCSE List all your subjects and levels Work Experience List any part time jobs you have had including baby-sitting, Saturday jobs, paper rounds, voluntary work etc. also give brief details of what you did.

Interests List as much as you can here that you think is relevant Personal Qualities The examples on the following page may help you Key Skills The examples on the following page may help you Other Details This section can include things you haven’t listed elsewhere, e.g., any special events you have been involved in, any pledges you have received e.g. fundraising for charity.

References List the names and addresses of two people who are able to provide a reference for you, for example, your form tutor, Head of Year, employer etc. Do NOT use another student.

Interview Day, Wednesday 27 March 2019

5

Useful Words and Phrases to use in your CV or Letter of Application Personal Qualities Tidy

Smart

Charming

Outgoing

Quick-witted

Active

Capable

Patient

Considerate

Cheerful

Intelligent

Polite

Obliging

Responsible

Honest

Supportive

Open-minded

Flexible

Assertive

Humorous

Reliable

Diligent

Hardworking

Trustworthy

Versatile

Careful

Mature

Team worker

Observant

Lively

Resourceful

Adventurous

Courageous

Adaptable

Caring

Motivated

Willing to learn

Determined

Positive

Happy

Helpful

Kind

Imaginative

Creative

Co-operative

Methodical

Enthusiastic

Adaptable

Precise

Popular

Steady

Conscientious

Tactful

Calm

Organised

Artistic

I am a hardworking and reliable individual who maintains high professional standards, excellent customer care skills and likes working in a team environment, but am equally capable of working on my own initiative.

I am a reliable and honest person who is willing to learn new skills.

I am a reliable, determined, hard working person who is accustomed to working accurately under pressure.

Key Skills Reliable and well organised Fast learner, able to master new skills quickly

Smart appearance Good time keeping and attendance records

Ability to work as a team member

Computer literate

Confident in working on own initiative

Ability to communicate well at all levels

Excellent customer care skills

Enthusiastic, energetic and self-motivated

6

Ullswater Community College

‘Ready for Work’ Interview Day - Preparation Before your interview, you will be given the following information •

The time of your interview

•

The room in which your interview will take place which is usually the LRC

•

The name of the person interviewing you

The person interviewing you will already have been sent your CV and letter of application so will already know a little bit about you. We try, wherever possible, to match your work interests to the employers’ areas of expertise.

On the day, it is very important that:

You arrive in good time for your interview (5 minutes early is recommended)

Your appearance is SMART and NEAT There is a small possibility that the employer due to interview you may be unavoidably absent on the day. In this case, we may need to re-allocate you to a different interviewer. We reserve a sufficient number of interview time slots for this purpose.

It will help you if you give some thought to your interview beforehand. This includes thinking about your possible answers (using ideas from the following page), and also thinking about questions you could ask the interviewer.

Think of at least 2 questions that you could ask an employer at an interview and write them in the space below – 1)

..........................................................................................................................................................................

2)

..........................................................................................................................................................................

The ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ on the next page may be useful to you.

We’ve also listed a few possible interview questions. You may or may not get asked these, but if you are and you have your answer ready, you will create a good impression.

Good luck!

Interview Day, Wednesday 27 March 2019

7

‘Ready for Work’

Do’s and Don’ts DO DO arrive on time DO wear your uniform and make sure it is smart, clean and tidy DO appear confident, speak clearly and smile DO use eye contact DO be positive about yourself DO be honest DO have some questions prepared DO use positive body language – nodding, smiling, sitting upright, looking attentive DO stay calm – remember that the interviewer will expect you to be nervous DO thank the interviewer for their time and also for any feedback they may give

DON’TS These are mainly the opposite of the Do’s, but with a few more as well!

DON’T be negative, or critical of previous employers, school etc.

DON’T use slang or swear words DON’T mumble, slouch or cross your arms

8

Ullswater Community College

‘Ready for Work’ Interview Day - Possible Questions

Tell me about yourself Give details of your age, where you go to school, any qualifications you have, what your favourite subjects are, your interests and hobbies.

What do you consider are your strong points?

Give 2 or 3 examples of skills you have and why these may be useful in the workplace.

What are your weak points?

Be honest, but acknowledge what your weak point may be and say how you would try to overcome it in the workplace.

Why should I give you a job?

Another opportunity to state your key strengths and positive points of your personality that would make someone want to employ you.

What aspect of the job would you enjoy the most and why?

Discuss the areas of the job that match your strengths. Be enthusiastic.

What aspect of the job would you least enjoy and why?

Everyone has areas in which they need more training or experience. Confirm what this area is for you and that you would welcome training to help you develop your skills.

Your interviewer may ask other questions as well, maybe to do with things you’ve listed on your CV. Try to answer as fully and honestly as possible. Remember – they want you to do well. They are not trying to catch you out!

Interview Day, Wednesday 27 March 2019

9

‘Ready for Work’ Interview Day - After the Interview

At the end of your interview, providing there is time, the employer will give you feedback. This is to help you in the future, so please be positive about this, and thank the employer for the feedback.

The employer is asked to complete a feedback form for each student they have interviewed. This gives you marks out of five for your: •

appearance

•

body language

•

quality of answers

•

quality of letter and CV

•

enthusiasm

•

punctuality

This gives a total score out of 30. These are handed in to us at the end of the day and the students with the highest scores may be eligible for an award.

Finally, the last page of this handbook has room for your final comments and thoughts on the Work Related Learning that you have experienced this year. We would also like your parents/guardians to give their thoughts too. These comments can be about your work experience, your interview, your lessons, or any other opportunities that you have experienced throughout this part of your curriculum.

Your completed handbook can then be kept as a permanent record of your achievements this year.

10

Ullswater Community College

Work Related Learning Your Thoughts and Comments Students Comments:

Parent/Guardian Comments:

Form Tutor Comments:

Interview Day, Wednesday 27 March 2019

11

Ullswater Community College Wetheriggs Lane, Penrith, CA11 8NG Phone: 01768 210206 Email: admin@ullswatercc.co.uk Web: www.ullswatercc.co.uk