Career Advice Session 4 Nov 2014

Transcription

1 Career Advice Session 4 Nov 2014 Aalto University School of Business Corporate Relations and Career Services: Jonna Söderholm

2 Today Career Services available for students at Aalto Where to find info on jobs available for students How to write a good CV and cover letters Information on the ARENA Career Fair

3 The Career Services available for the students CareerWeb CareerWeb portal Job, internship & part-time job ads Summer job ads (usually starting from January) Thesis assignment ads CV database CareerWeb materials and information Job Hunting Guide Planning Your Career Events Career related News Going Global -service Laitoksen nimi

4 The Career Services available for the students Job Hunting Guide CareerWeb Job Hunting Guide Job hunting in Finland - key points Searching for a vacancy (e.g. links to different portals, hidden job markets, social media in job hunting, statistics how BIZ students have found work) CV (incl. CV examples) Cover letter (incl. CL examples) Interview Aptitude assessment and cases Salary and negotiating your salary Employment contract and terms of employment Information about entrepreneurship Training presentations and materials

5 CareerWeb - Job portal - CV database

6 Going Global - Jobs/Internships - Country Guides & USA/Canada City Guides - H1B Info - Employer Directory Access via CareerWeb Laitoksen nimi

7 ARENA Career Fair 2014 The annual ARENA Career Fair will take place for the 23rd time on Wednesday November 12th 2014 in Helsinki campus Over 60 organizations on the stands, a bunch of company presentations, CV- Clinic, speed interviews, Social media in job hunting info, Opportunities for foreign BIZ students info, CV photo shooting ARENA-On-Line on Facebook Laitoksen nimi

8 ARENA Career Fair 2014 ARENA-On-Line on Facebook ARENA pages for students How to best benefit from ARENA fair? - prepare, get to know the fair program & take advantage of the additional services (e.g. speed interviews), how to approach the company reps at the stand, tips on questions you can ask Laitoksen nimi

9 The Career Services available for the students Internships Internship grants for internships carried out abroad Travel grant & Internship grant Tuettu korkeakouluharjoittelu (university internship program) School of Business grants financial support for students to take part in internships offered in state organizations in Finland and abroad. Most, if not all of the internships offered are in Finnish. Foreign Degree Student s Internship Support Programme for Internships in Finland Provides funding for foreign degree students of Aalto University School of Business for their internships in small companies, state organizations and non-profit institutions in Finland.

10 Personal guidance Mikkeli Career Day Career Advice Sessions Personal guidance on CVs and cover letters In Helsinki campus Career Services walk-in hours during the academic year: Mon - Thu and by appointment Personal career planning counselling: Career Psychologist Seija Leppänen, seija.leppanen@aalto.fi. Read more from CareerWeb g+your+career

11 How to write a good CV and cover letters Agenda for Today What factors contribute to the employability Cultural differences Before writing your application CVs Cover letters Conclusions

12 What factors contribute to M.Sc. students employability 1. Personal attributes 2. Own activity 3. Academic degree, a major, minors 4. Professional competences 5. Work experience from your own field of studies & other work experience 6. Social networks 7. IT skills 8. Coincidence 9. Language skills 10.A familiar work place 11.Other studies 12.Study success 13.Project skills 14.Hobbies 15.International work experience or studies abroad 16.Thesis subject 17.Skills in research methods 18.Extracurricular activities in student unions and other student activities 19.Thesis grade The degree is not enough Visa Tuominen, Maistereiden työllistyvyys 2013 (in English: Visa Tuominen: M.Sc. employability 2013)

13 Professional reputation The stronger your professional reputation, the less important the CV Building a good personal reputation and maintaining it is a huge competitive advantage on the labour market LinkedIn profile As a graduate, it s important not only to have an up-to-date CV but also to have an optimised LinkedIn profile to maximise your chances of finding your dream job Remember also the other visibility in social media Your professional reputation is mostly a question of professional and people skills, passion for work determined target-setting and continuous development leadership and ability to inspire, reliability entrepreneurial mindset, approach to problem-solving, readiness to face challenges, self-management skills How to ace your LinkedIn profile? 13

14 Cultural differences Some tips on writing your CV and cover letter in different countries Going Global country guides from 41 different countries including specific job hunting advice, e.g. CV & cover letter samples, interviewing advice and cultural advice access via CareerWeb frontpage y_profiles.htm

15 Before writing your application Read the ad carefully Acquaint yourself with the company (web pages, friends, acquaintances) Think about what the position entails tasks, required skills, attitude, travel requirements, career development possibilities Brainstorm, make a list of reasons why you re the ideal candidate Match the skills to needs: use their words from the ad, make a connection between your experiences and their employee wish-list Ask for clarification, if needed (if a contact is provided)

16 A good CV 1. Keep it short and to the point Concise, max 2 pages 2. Make it easy to read The layout and the use of space Many recruiters start with the CV, so it has to be easily readable and the relevant information must be found quickly 3. Highlights and tailoring Highlight the relevant skills and experiences Tailor your CV to answer to the needs of an employer. Build a CV for the job you want, not the job you had 4. Create a good impression Match the topics into contents 5. Check your CV No spelling mistakes!

17 CV Topic by topic Contact information Photo Profile/Summary - Customize according to job Education Mention major & minor subjects under the degree Show grades, if they re good/great (e.g. GPA 4/5) Remember exchange studies Give an estimate of graduation Work Experience Mention 3-5 relevant experiences and describe your tasks, also list summer jobs etc. What skills did you use or learn in that job Language Skills Excellent/proficient/fluent/basics no need to divide into oral and written unless specifically asked to IT and other skills Extracurricular Activities / Positions of Trust Awards & achievements Hobbies / Interests References Upon request vs. contact info

18 Cover Letter Employer Perspective Usually, after looking through your CV, the cover letter is looked at more closely. So, what is the recruiter looking for in a cover letter? The employer wants to read about how you can benefit them if you get the position, not about how you would benefit from the position and from working for the company in question. So avoid too much Me I my - remember to think from the recruiter s perspective what can you give to the company? The focus should be on the needs of the company and how you can help the company meet those needs. Instead of saying what YOU would like to get out of the job, let the potential employer know what you can BRING to the job.

19 A good Cover Letter Is always customized and - fits on a single A4-sized page (max. 3-4 paragraphs ) - does not repeat the content of the CV - is concise and succinct - doesn t just state your expertise, it includes well-chosen specific examples - reflects your letter to the job advert but not too obviously and not through a list - doesn t over use I - shows how committed you are to the job in hand (motivation and interest) - connects your career interests with the position

20 Use action verbs & language Communication/people skills e.g. corresponded, collaborated, recruited, negotiated Achievement e.g. executed, achieved, generated, accomplished Creative skills e.g. developed, founded, created, established Data/financial skills e.g. analyzed, audited, reduced, estimated Management/leadership skills e.g. managed, chaired, handled, motivated Organizational/planning skills e.g. organized, arranged, consolidated, compiled Technical skills e.g. solved, specified, applied, constructed Don t use weak verbs (e.g. tried, hoped, attempted) Some links

21 Cover Letter 1 st paragraph Grab the recruiter s attention and create a hook to read on. Avoid I am a 25-year-old how can you better raise interest and be original? A hook can be e.g. some personal detail about you and your career goals followed by the benefits you offer or something specific about the company Some examples I recently met with XX from your firm, and he strongly recommended that I send you my CV. Knowing the requirements of your open position for a financial analyst, he concludes that I am the ideal candidate. It was a real pleasure meeting you at the ARENA Career Fair in November. Our conversation regarding the challenges and opportunities that the brand management division faces has made me even more enthusiastic about pursuing a summer internship with X. I think your company can use my exceptional sales skills and 10 years of experience in your industry.

22 Cover Letter 2 nd and 3 rd paragraph 1/2 In these paragraphs you should refer specifically to the qualifications listed in the job posting and illustrate how your particular abilities and experiences relate to the position for which you are applying. - Motivation, skills and experiences - Highlight your accomplishments and qualifications for the position or company and discuss how they will positively affect the company - Your personality - Use examples to justify your claims, don t just make statements Through visiting local suppliers' factories, handling online sourcing tasks and negotiating with Chinese suppliers, I developed my sourcing, analytical, coordination and intercultural communication skills. As a person, I m energetic and trustworthy. My colleagues describe me as an achiever and diligent employee. My interest towards HR has developed especially during employment at Company. My work tasks at Company taught me to find solutions to diverse problems, adapt to new situations in quickly changing environment, understand organizational complexity and organize projects.

23 Cover Letter 4 th paragraph Smart closing Indicate that you would be happy to tell more about yourself in an interview. (When you can start working.) State that you would be happy to provide more information. Add your salary requirement here if it was requested. Yours sincerely, / Yours faithfully,

24 Application 1 I m a 25-year old fifth year student from Aalto University School of Business, I am majoring in finance and my minors are accounting and logistics. Now after four and a half years of studies I am finishing my master s thesis and my master s degree. I m now applying for a Junior Associate position in your company. My work experience has developed a number of skills, particularly analyzing skills. I have great potential to impact other people with my passion, a hard-working personality and ability to manage efficiently and logically. Your consulting team will have great fun with me for my humor. During summer of 2010 I worked for S-ryhmä in their accounting department. This was a very nice work environment and I learned a lot during that time. I am analytical and very interested in problem solving in all of its forms. For this reason your company would be an ideal employer. Last spring (part-time) and summer (full-time) I worked as a clerk at a Nordea Bank office which was useful since it was related to my studies. I believe this experience will be of great contribution to you company. I am a highly numerate and IT literate student with strong-emphasis on team-working. I am also highly motivated and a quick learner. I have excellent presentation and leadership skills. Moreover, I m fluent in English and have a good knowledge of Swedish and conversational skills in French. I believe I would be a great asset to your company, looking forward to your reply. Student X WARNING: These cover letters are intended as examples only. Please do not copy them. Copying these letters could have a negative impact if your classmates use the same letter to the same organization. (Trust us, this has happened.).

25 Application 2 Position: Vaisala Giant Leap Internship Program 2010 Dear Madam/Sir, I am a Creator personality. This core competence makes me a perfect fit for Vaisala Giant Leap Internship. Being a Creator means that I am a self-oriented learner who sees the big picture but provokes innovative, alternative ideas. My result-orientation ensures I achieve set objectives, while my flexibility in teamwork aims at creating open discussion. I possess great adaptability powers that have been enhanced by my vast international experience: I push myself to continuously build personal and professional knowledge. Vaisala s holistic approach for satisfying customer needs and finding sustainable business solutions is exceptionally important, and I highly respect the environmental and social responsibility like participating in UN Global Compact program Vaisala displays in its operations. Working for a global market leader that possesses superior industry know-how would be an invigorating learning experience. Moreover, I am excited to learn more about environmental technologies, and your way of improving global life. As Vaisala is finding important momentum in growth, it would be extremely interesting to take part in the Strategy & Business Intelligence team. In addition, as client satisfaction is one of the main factors for maintaining growth, combining my high customer responsiveness as an intern in the Service Business or Marketing teams would bring out the best in me. As a Giant Leap Intern at Vaisala I bring forth perseverance, ability to learn fast and a desire to learn more: I have a great ambition for excellence. Moreover, highly challenging projects, an international working environment and continuous personal improvement are what I expect from a professional career now and in the future. I am available for an interview anytime: I look forward to meeting you in person. Sincerely, WARNING: These cover letters are intended as examples only. Please do not copy them. Copying these letters could have a negative impact if your classmates use the same letter to the same organization. (Trust us, this has happened.)

26 Conclusions 1/2 Self-knowledge shows is your papers what you are suited for, what you want and what you can do. How can you stand out from the crowd? Via a well-tailored application that highlights your personality and skills

27 Conclusions 2/2 What does the recruiter want to find out? Motivation, attitude Knowledge, skills, capabilities Education Work experience (Preferred salary & how realistic it is) Take the recruiter s perspective why would you hire yourself? When there are a large number of applicants with similar backgrounds, the ones who seem most motivated for the job and company at hand will be asked for interviews. Consider which are the 3-5 most important things that you wish the recruiter to remember from your cover letter & CV

28 Avoid These Seven Killer Cover Letter Mistakes Many college students and recent grads destroy their CVs by accompanying them with halfhearted or downright terrible cover letters. While some employers don't bother reading cover letters, most do. And they will quickly eliminate you if you make these cover letter mistakes : 1. Using the Wrong Cover Letter Format The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. 2. Making It All About You It may seem counterintuitive, but your cover letter, like your resume, should be about the employer as much as it's about you. Yes, you need to tell the employer about yourself, but do so in the context of the employer's needs and the specified job requirements. 3. Not Proofing for Typos and Grammatical Errors Employers tend to view typos and grammatical errors as evidence of your carelessness and inability to write. 4. Making Unsupported Claims Too many cover letters from college students and recent grads say the applicant has "strong written and verbal communication skills." Without evidence, it's an empty boast. Give some examples for each claim you make. Employers need proof. 5. Writing a Novel A good cover letter should be no longer than one page. Employers are deluged with resumes and cover letters, and their time is scarce. 6. Using the Same Cover Letter for Every Job and Company Employers see so many cover letters that it's easy for them to tell when you're using a one-size-fits-all approach. If you haven't addressed their company's specific concerns, they'll conclude you don't care about this particular job. 7. Not Sending a Real Cover Letter Some job seekers - college students, recent grads and even those with years of work experience - don't bother sending a cover letter with their resume. Monster

29 Aalto BIZ Career Services Career Services office: Aalto BIZ main building (Runeberginkatu 14-16, Helsinki), C-wing, 2 nd floor career-biz@aalto.fi, tel Walk-in Hours during the academic year: Mon - Thu and by appointment CareerWeb fi into.aalto.fi/careerweb eng into.aalto.fi/en/careerweb CareerWeb job portal and materials e.g. job hunting guide, event enrollment, news, internship grants, Going Global and much more! Join us! Aalto University Career Services & Arena Career Fair