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Career planning

and job seeking workbook


Acknowledgements and thanks

Thanks to Jennifer Nisbet who wrote the publications, Career and Life Planning Workbook and Job
Search Guide, on which this workbook is based.

Our thanks go also to Christine Adams, Anna Alston, Mary Guthrie, Anne Milne, Clare Riding,
Ian Tawse and Jo Ward for their additional material and work on the book, and to other colleagues
for comments, editorial suggestions and other production help.

Produced by the Student Services Communications Team

Copyright © 2006 The Open University

While every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this book is up to date at the time
of going to press, the material in it may be altered or amended.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Printed in the United Kingdom by Thanet Press Ltd, Margate

ISBN 978-0-7492-1258-2
Contents
This book consists of six sections that take you in a
progressive series of steps through the process of career
review and choice, and applying for jobs:

01 Knowing yourself 7 04 Getting the job 57


1.1 What am I like? 8 4.1 What do employers look for in graduates? 57
1.2 What work would suit me? 13 4.2 Matching vacancies 59
Information and activities which help you 4.3 Application forms 62
build up a file of your skills and experience, 4.4 The curriculum vitae (CV) 65
interests and achievements, weaknesses and 4.5 The covering letter 78
strengths. This will help you to discover career
opportunities that are likely to match your 4.6 The interview 81
strengths and circumstances. 4.7 Other selection techniques 87
This will guide you through some important
areas. It discusses what employers look for and
02 Exploring possibilities 35 how to tell exactly what skills vacancy adverts
are seeking. This section also shows you how to
2.1 Planning your strategy 35
produce high-quality application forms, CVs and
2.2 Graduate-level jobs 36 covering letters, and discusses how to perform
2.3 Creative job search 38 to your best ability in interviews and other
selection procedures.
2.4 Finding vacancies 38
2.5 Building a network of contacts 43
This section suggests how and where you might 05 Equality and diversity issues 93
find information to help in the process.
5.1 Age 94
5.2 Criminal record 95
03 Making decisions and taking action 47 5.3 Disability or additional requirements 96
5.4 Gender/sex 98
3.1 Making decisions about your life 47
5.5 Race 100
3.2 Goals, restrictions and resources 48
5.6 Sexuality and sexual orientation 101
3.3 Plan of action 52
5.7 Religion or belief 102
How to move forward – this section gives
you an opportunity to look at your ‘framework Explores a range of issues related to equality of
of choice’, to consider the restrictions and opportunity.
resources in your life, and to create a ‘plan of
action’ for managing change and making things
happen. 06 The next steps 105
6.1 Open University Careers
Advisory Service 105
6.2 Open University study materials 106
6.3 Other sources of help 107
Further sources of help – useful organisations,
websites and resources.
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

How to use this book


Use this workbook to help you to: find some of them particularly time Time
consuming, and you might well
• Take stock It’s difficult to foresee exactly how
need to return to them as your
• Review your career and life ideas develop. much time you’ll need. Career
• Evaluate your aptitudes, skills, planning has to be a recurring
Working through the activities process – you can’t do it once and
interests, values and personal
should be challenging but for all, then settle back secure
needs
rewarding. The more open in the knowledge that you won’t
• Decide what you want to minded, positive and constructive have to do it again. As we make
achieve, and you are, and the more time and changes and as circumstances
• Begin to plan how you might effort you put into them, the more change around us, the basis of
achieve it. productive they’ll be. our original plans inevitably shifts.
The workbook outlines the Keep your activities as you work To begin with, you might prefer
practical steps needed for looking through them. They’re likely to to tackle the process in stages,
for a job, planning a strategy, be helpful when you reach the perhaps when you’re not in the
completing application forms, stage of completing application midst of your studies.
designing a curriculum vitae forms, putting your CV together or
(CV) and presenting yourself at preparing for an interview. If you have particular
interviews. concerns
This is a reference source that Ways of working If you recognise concerns of your
can stand on its own, but it also Give some thought now to own – you may find more than
complements information on our how you might work with these one – in this list, make a note of
careers website. materials before you begin. the recommended sections:
The website for the Careers Working through the activities • I don’t know where to begin
Advisory Service is at: at your own pace gives you Look particularly at Section 1.
scope for quiet reflection, but
www.open.ac.uk/careers you could become distracted by • Will my age be a problem
the mechanics of the process. in changing career? Look at
We recommend working through Sections 2, 4 and 5.
the workbook sections in order, You might find it useful to link up
but you might want to dip into with another person or a small • How should I update my CV?
different areas at different stages group. Working with others can Look at Section 4.
of your career planning and job give you ideas, support and • I know what I want to do but
seeking. encouragement; they can act as don’t know how to achieve it
a sounding board and suggest Look at Sections 2, 3, 4 and 6.
The best place to start is with different ways of looking at
yourself. It is you who will be • How should I use the internet
things. You could take a relatively in looking for jobs? Look at
in the work situation, so the informal approach, working with a
clearer you are about your own Section 2.
partner or friend, or set up a more
characteristics, the more precisely formal relationship, with a careers • I need to find a job in a
you can specify what you want adviser or perhaps through your particular geographical area
and communicate it to employers. appraiser at work or your line Look at Section 2.
This book invites you to recognise manager. This book focuses on you
your own qualities and abilities, because although organisations,
and to define what you’re really Whatever approach you decide
on, make sure it’s one you’re agencies, people and materials
looking for. are all useful resources, they can’t
comfortable with.
make things happen for you
Activities You’ll certainly find it helpful to
get comments and opinions from Remember, the most important
We encourage you to take time influence on your career and life
people who know you well.
over the activities suggested in planning is you.
this book, so that you can build a
sound foundation for later steps
in reviewing your career. You may

To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers 


01
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Knowing yourself
In this section
1.1 What am I like? 8
1.2 What work would suit me? 13

Remember that you This section will help you to • What have I learnt in my spare
develop your self-awareness, take time?
may have potential that a clear view of your career and • How big a part of my life is
has yet to be developed. life, and consider the questions work?
‘What am I like?’ and ‘What can
Try to keep an open I do?’ It will help you to review
• What work experience have I
mind when considering had?
your life and work experience and
• What roles do I play at work?
future possibilities, and the skills and qualities that have
grown out of them. This is the first • What sort of person am I to
reject them only if, after step in the career-review process. work with?
exploring them, there’s The section starts by asking • What am I good at, as far as
good reason to. you to look back. Your past work is concerned?
has shaped you through • What do I really want from
You may find that your family background, your work?
education, training, work and • How well does my present (or
some seemingly leisure activities. You’ve gained last) job meet my needs?
unchangeable things knowledge and skills from your
• What kind of work would I like
experiences, and learnt how you
can be changed. You cope with things and respond to
to do?
might be able to reduce different tasks and challenges. You may like to try out some of
your mortgage by This kind of self-knowledge is these activities in writing using
the soundest basis for making this section. Note, however, that
moving to a smaller decisions about your future. some of the activities (and others)
house or a cheaper The activities in this section ask
are also available online on the
Careers Advisory Service website
area, for example, so you to think about a series of
at:
questions as a beginning to your
that you can learn new career review. They offer different www.open.ac.uk/careers
skills or take up more ways of considering what you’re
Here you will find links to lots of
enjoyable, less well-paid like and what you can do. At
different activities and resources
intervals you’ll be asked to ‘pause
work. for thought’ and note down your
to assist in career planning and
job seeking. Some of these
responses. The questions are:
resources and links are provided
• Who am I? What were my early by The Open University and some
influences and decisions? by external agencies such as
• What are my main Graduate Prospects
achievements? www.prospects.ac.uk
• What roles do I play in life?

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.1 What am I like?


1.1.1 Who am I? What were my early influences and decisions?
The two activities in this section will help you to develop an overview of your career
so far, and to consider how your early history contributed to it.

Activity 1.1

In this activity you’re going HIGH POINT


Became management
to draw a ‘lifeline’, to help Qualified Marriage trainee (part time
(production
you think about the pattern Secondary engineer) Son
study, Diploma)
of your life. You’ll be asked School
to refer back to your lifeline
Changes in company
later on. Bought flat
Daughter policy (new job, project
(Improvement engineering)
This activity can help you Grant)
to gather insights that Bought house –
can influence your future garden-mortgage!

choices, and to discover


NOW
aspects of yourself that you
might want to develop or
Hospital
change. Promotion (appendix
(problems due removed)
Note down key events, such Left School to lack of
(apprenticeship) experience
as education, marriage, Moved
children, retirement and so House
on. Put them in the form
of a diagram like the one Moved sideways (into
Father died sales and marketing) Company
here, showing high and low hit hard time
points at different times of (redundancy)
your life. LOW POINT

The lifeline exercise can result in a lot of


emotions coming to the surface as you review
your experiences. You may find it useful to talk • Are there any lessons to be learnt? For
through any difficult emotions with someone you instance, this activity revealed to one person
trust. that all her high points were associated
with praise from others and her low points
Example with geographical moves. Another noted
that all his positive job changes followed
When you’ve drawn a lifeline that reflects your
experiences, consider it as a whole. Think about disappointments in his private life, and he
the feelings aroused by each experience and saw that each disappointment motivated him
answer these questions, noting any thoughts or towards a change and offered opportunities.
ideas that occur to you: A third recognised someone else as
consistently and unobtrusively acting as a
• What does the lifeline say about you and how mentor.
you’ve lived your life?
• Are there recognisable themes that have run
through your life? Pause for thought
• Is the pattern generally up or down? Is it
Would someone who knows
steady or changeable? What sorts of incident
you well have drawn your
were associated with the highs and lows? Are lifeline differently? What would
the highs generally associated with your own that person have said?
choices and the lows with the unexpected?
Are there some experiences you cope with
easily and others that really throw you?

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Activity 1.2

This activity brings out some of the early 3 Schooling


themes from your lifeline, concentrating on your List the schools you went to, with dates, the
childhood and school life. Make notes under the subjects you were good at and enjoyed, how
headings below. The activity may take some
you got on with other children, how your
time, and you might want to return to it later to
teachers saw you, how you saw your teachers,
change or add points. Some of this information
school sports or activities you took part in.
will be useful when you put your CV together
(see Section 4). 4 Teenage years
What activities were you good at or did you
1 Family influences
enjoy? How did your friends see you? What
If applicable, say something about any were you like as a teenager? What did you want
occupational influences on you. For instance, to be?
was one of your parents a mechanic or another
a teacher? 5 Any further education or training
What did you do? How did you choose it? How
2 What do you remember about your
did you get on? What prompted you to begin
early childhood?
studying with the OU?
For example, the area and house you lived
in, family lifestyle, activities you participated
in, experiences you had, what your parents
expected of you, your role in the family.

Pause for thought


Now spend some time
considering what your notes
say about you – what you’re
like, why and how you arrived at
where you are today. You may
see themes appearing, such as
strong aspects of your personality
or talents. Maybe you had various abilities but
developed one rather than another – sporting
ability rather than artistic talent, perhaps. Looking
back, could you have made different choices?
Make a note of any insights you’ve gained through
remembering and reflecting.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.1.2 What are my main achievements?


The activity in this section can help you to recognise skills and qualities that you
might not always be conscious of. It can be a particularly useful approach if you
haven’t had much formal experience like paid work – it’s easy to assume that skills
gained outside work somehow don’t count.

Activity 1.3

Looking back at your lifeline, note the achievements you’re most proud of and
what they say about you. Set them out in the table below. They could be work-
related or to do with relationships, things you do in your spare time, recent or a
long time ago. For example, passing all your exams first time may say that you’re
an excellent student; passing your driving test on the fifth attempt may say a lot
about your staying power and determination.

My achievements
1

What they say about me


1

Pause for thought


Which of the skills or qualities you’ve listed could be used in
a work situation? What kind of work? The chances are that
you’ve highlighted ‘transferable skills’ and qualities that would be
welcome in many kinds of work.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.1.3 What roles do I play in life?


Another way of looking at your skills is to consider the roles you’ve played in your
life. Each role demands different skills. As a student, you need skills of learning, time
management, communication and keeping to schedules. If you enjoy DIY, you’ve
developed not only practical skills but planning and organising skills as well. If you
are a parent, you have needed to develop skills of budgeting, time management,
delegating, cooking, and so on. By chairing meetings of a club, you develop skills of
briefing and dealing with people as well as those of managing meetings.

Activity 1.4

Now complete the table below. You may be a parent (cook, gardener and
household manager). You may take part in voluntary work (counsellor, listener
or organiser). You may be an employee (team leader, working group member,
project manager). Again, this is a particularly useful exercise if you have little
work experience to draw on, as many skills are learnt outside paid work.

My main roles
1

Pause for thought


Looking at all your roles, are you surprised at the number of
things you do and take for granted every day? Look at the skills
you’ve listed. Circle the ones that are particular strengths. How
do you feel about them? Which do you most enjoy using? How
could you use them in work?

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.1.4 What have I learnt in my spare time?


What hobbies do you have or have you had in the past? You may not turn your hobby
into a career, but your spare-time activities could help you to demonstrate skills
and qualities. It’s easy to forget that leisure activities can give us as many skills and
abilities as work.
What are the possibilities in your interests? Swimming? DIY? Photography? Have
you held positions of responsibility in any of them? What have you contributed to your
household for instance? Can you see any interests or hobbies that might be helpful to
future work plans? For example, although you may not have financial responsibilities
at work you might be treasurer to your local darts team or do the audit for the youth
club funds.

Activity 1.5

My main activities outside work are (or have been)


1

Review
Think about what you’ve done so far in this section. What have you learnt
about yourself? Bringing some of your answers together, what would you now
say are your main strengths and weaknesses? They can be skills, abilities,
personal characteristics or interests. Remember that strengths can be built on
for the future and weaknesses can be reduced by your efforts; they need not be
barriers to the future.

My main strengths My main weaknesses


1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

6 6

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2 What work would suit me?


Now that you’ve spent some time considering the skills and qualities you’ve
developed through experience, it’s time to think about work.

1.2.1 How big a part of my life is work?


Before considering what you want to do, you need to be clear about how important
work is to you. This is something that varies from person to person. You might be
highly ambitious, even workaholic, or you might avoid positions that regularly eat
into your leisure time. You may have found yourself in a post that takes over and
leaves little time for family life, or you may prefer something that can give you a
better balance between work and home life. The next activity can help you to think
about this. If you don’t have much experience of paid work, think about your
approach to activities or projects.

Activity 1.6

Rate each of the following Add up your scores


statements
From the odd-numbered questions
Use this scale – try to avoid
choosing 3 if you can: From the even-numbered questions
5 Always true
Take the ‘even’ score away
4 Usually true
3 Neither true nor untrue from the ‘odd’ score
2 Usually untrue (even if it produces a minus score)
1 Always untrue
What did you score?
1 I always aim high in my work If you have a plus (+) score The higher your
score, the stronger your ambition. If you scored
2 My ambition isn’t necessarily
+20, for example, you would always put work
to get to the top
first and aim high in your achievements. You
3 I set myself difficult goals to might even be seen as ‘workaholic’!
achieve If you have a minus (–) score You don’t see
work as the most important aspect of your life.
4 I don’t like to let work disturb
At the lower end of the scale, for example if you
my social life
scored –20, you would put your social life before
5 I want to do well at whatever work, have little concern about getting on in
I’m doing your career, and might be seen as ‘laid back’.

6 Being a success in life isn’t If you have a more central score You keep a
too important to me balance between work and leisure. You have
some concern about doing well and making
7 I like being seen as progress, but you don’t let work rule your life.
dedicated to my job
Pause for thought
8 I don’t like to aim too high
Think about the way you
9 Work always comes before scored in this activity.
pleasure How does this feel? Is it
right for you or would you
10 People wouldn’t describe me like to change this aspect of
as very ambitious your life?

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.2 What work experience have I had?


Most people would agree that work experience is very important when considering
future directions, but it’s easy to take yourself for granted and not recognise the wide
range and high level of skills and abilities you have. Many will be ‘transferable skills’
that you can use in other situations.
You will have learnt a huge amount through work (whether paid, unpaid or voluntary)
by noticing how you feel about different tasks and respond to work situations, or how
well you perform particular activities in comparison with other people. You may also
have learnt from others, either through formal appraisal or from informal comments
and reactions.
The next activity helps you to explore your experience, and will be useful when
preparing for interviews (see Section 4). The activity may take some time, and you
might want to come back to it later.

Activity 1.7

1 List the jobs you’ve had, with dates. 4 Did you have to deal with any difficulties?
If you have limited or no experience of 5 Which tasks or activities did you find
paid employment, make a similar list most appealing, enjoyable or rewarding?
of unpaid or voluntary experience for Why?
example, helping readers at school,
delivering ‘Meals on Wheels’, fundraising 6 What were your particular achievements?
for a charity or involvement in a
conservation project. 7 How did you get on with the other
people?
2 For each job, note how it came about.
Did you volunteer or were you directed 8 What was your style of working?
into it? If you had some choice, what
factors seemed important in deciding to 9 Were you known for particular things?
take it up?
10 What were you most proud of?
3 For each job, note the range of tasks or
activities you had to do. 11 What were the things you disliked or
found frustrating?

Pause for thought


Look back at what you’ve written.
Do you see any patterns? Can
you see particular strengths or
areas of difficulty? Do you enjoy
some things more than others?
Do others turn to you for help
with particular things?

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.3 What roles do I play at work or elsewhere?


This activity should help you to become aware of the skills and experience you’ve
developed through the typical roles you play at work. If work hasn’t been a major part
of your life, apply this to whatever activity has taken up a lot of your time.

Activity 1.8

Some work roles and areas of competence are listed below. Work through each
role in the list. Does it sound like you? If it comes to you easily, put a tick beside
it; if it isn’t a usual role for you, cross it out. If you’re not sure or if it’s only partly
true, leave it blank.

INITIATE SEEK COMMUNICATE

IMPLEMENT ORGANISE HARMONISE

MONITOR SOLVE CHECK

MAINTAIN DECIDE CAMPAIGN

IMPROVE LIAISE PERSUADE

CONTROL COORDINATE MEASURE

ALLOCATE EXPLORE SUPERVISE

SELECT INVESTIGATE CHOOSE

DEVELOP LINK GUIDE

CREATE SELL MAKE

ENHANCE PLAN TRAIN

DELEGATE TEACH EVALUATE

Pause for thought


Look at the roles you’ve ticked. Circle any that describe you
particularly. Can you think of any specific activities or actions at
work or in non-work activities that show that they describe you?
What evidence can you give to prove them? How do you feel
about them? Which do you most relish carrying out? You’ll find
this list useful when you come to preparing a CV, completing an
application form or attending an interview (which you will cover in more detail in
Section 4). All the words describe positive qualities.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.4 What sort of person am I to work with?


Your personality affects your style of operating in the workplace and the way you
respond to situations. Again, think more generally about your life if your workplace
experiences are limited.

Activity 1.9

Work through the following descriptions, deciding how you compare with other
people. Try to use the full range of ratings from 5 (much more so than most)
to 1 (much less so than most), circling your position on the scale.

More Average Less


Plan ahead and keep to it (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Stickler for detail or accuracy (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Easy mixer, socially confident (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Pessimistic (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Energetic (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Solitary (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Like lots of change and variety (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Very much affected by events or people (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Go my own way, act independently (s) 5 4 3 2 1

More practical than theoretical (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Determined (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Sympathetic, caring for others (s) 5 4 3 2 1


Always like to win, come in top (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Like persuading, negotiating (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Tend to worry, get anxious (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Like deadlines and timetables (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Usually take a leading role (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Good with complex ideas or data (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Demonstrative, show feelings (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Happy to be in charge of others (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Prefer traditional ways of action (t) 5 4 3 2 1

Equable, not easily upset (f) 5 4 3 2 1

Tend to influence people (s) 5 4 3 2 1

Ambitious to get on at all costs (f) 5 4 3 2 1

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.9 continued

Now look over your ratings. You can group them While one is reserved, another is very chatty
into those to do with relating to people and and communicative; one is a stickler for detail
social situations (s), to do with your approach while another is not too concerned about fine
to work tasks (t), and to do with your drives and accuracy.
emotions (f). Where did you score the most
There’s no right or wrong personality, but you
highly? Or did you score evenly across the three
do need to take your own traits into account.
categories?
A work situation that suits a very sociable
For instance, some people are at ease giving person won’t suit someone who prefers to work
a presentation while others find it very nerve- alone. The better you know yourself, the more
racking. If you think about your colleagues opportunities you create for finding a situation
you’ll be aware how they differ from each other. that will suit you.

Pause for thought


What have you learnt about your
typical way of operating? What
kind of work situation would be
likely to suit you?

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.5 What am I good at as far as connection between what we can do well and what
work is concerned? we enjoy doing, but it’s not a necessary connection.
You can be good at something without particularly
This section should help you to think about your enjoying it. You should also remember that you’ll go
aptitudes – what you can do and how well you can on developing as you cope with different demands,
do it. Some people have a creative imagination, as you learn through your own study, by going on
others a photographic memory, others are skilful with training courses, by trial and error, by observing
statistics. Some people have been taught or have others, by reading and so on.
learnt particular skills for themselves – competence
in a computer language, for example. Others have You can learn about your aptitudes from other
specialist knowledge, such as accounting standards people’s comments, through taking psychometric
or employment law. tests (which are discussed in more detail in Section
4) or from your own perceptions of how well you
This question is of particular interest to employers. cope with different tasks. The next activities are
It’s also important for you to know what you’re good based on your own knowledge, but do use any other
at, as it affects the work or the parts of a particular job information you can get.
that you can perform best. There’s generally some

Activity 1.10

Look back at your list of achievements and the knowledge and abilities you needed to apply
what they say about you. Now list some of in order to achieve the result. Perhaps you had
your work/voluntary/domestic achievements, to learn a new technique, or perhaps you used or
projects you’ve tackled successfully, initiatives developed a skill you already had.
you’ve put into practice, etc. Then think about
What I achieved Knowledge/abilities used
1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4

5 5

Pause for thought Review


As you may be discovering, it’s helpful to reflect
Examine and reflect on what
on your past as you approach a decision that
you’ve put under the headings.
will significantly affect your life. Consider your
You might discover that your
answers so far. You may have begun to gain more
strengths are grouped in some
insights or realisations about your own nature.
areas rather than others. It’s
Your discoveries might be to do with your skills
useful to know this, as it enables
and abilities or your attitudes, ambitions, needs
you to recognise the talents you have and also
and values. You may have learnt more about your
to see whether there are gaps you want to work
personality, temperament or way of dealing with
on. It’s also useful as evidence when you’re
the world. What have you learnt?
completing a CV or attending an interview.
It can help, rather than simply thinking through
these questions, to have someone else with whom
to talk through your answers – perhaps a friend,
relation or a careers adviser.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.11

This activity will help you to assess your skills in more detail. The activity is grouped into skills which are
of particular importance to employers, often referred to as ‘employability’ or ‘transferable skills’. Consider
how well you can carry out each one in comparison with other people. Be as honest as you can both in
admitting lack of skill and in acknowledging your competence. Try to use the full range of ratings.

Rate each of the following statements


Use this scale – try to avoid choosing 3 if you can:
6 Very high, outstanding performance
5 High level, reliably perform better than average
4 Good level, generally able to do it quite well
3 Reasonable level, just acceptable skills
2 Very basic level, not usually adequate
1 No significant level of skills

Communication

Rating
1 Listening, taking in what others say and checking your understanding
of the information

2 Clear verbal expression, ability to convey information without confusion

3 Fluent speech, words flowing easily

4 Drawing people out, to encourage them to speak

5 Commanding an audience, giving a presentation

6 Using the telephone effectively: few misunderstandings

7 Reading efficiently: readily taking in written information

8 Writing effectively, matching style to purpose

9 Structuring reports and other written communications logically

10 Using a wide vocabulary accurately and appropriately

11 Speaking (accent and pronunciation) in a way that’s acceptable in a


wide range of social situations

12 Spelling and grammar


Total score

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Dealing with people Rating

1 Showing sensitivity to the feelings and needs of others; taking account


of this in dealing with them

2 Getting on with a variety of people and building up working relationships

3 Instructing, teaching or coaching others

4 Delegating and managing others

5 Leading a work group, chairing a meeting

6 Encouraging, motivating, getting the best out of others

7 Counselling: helping with personal problems

8 Negotiating: mediating, dealing with conflict

9 Interviewing, assessing or appraising

10 Persuading, encouraging, changing others’ views

11 Consulting and building agreements

12 Acting assertively (not aggressively)

Total score

Financial activities Rating

1 Understanding book-keeping

2 Preparing a budget

3 Using a spreadsheet

4 Understanding VAT and taxation

5 Producing a cash-flow forecast

6 Producing annual accounts

7 Carrying out a cost–benefit analysis

8 Interpreting management accounts

9 Working knowledge of volume and expenditure-related variances

10 Operating PAYE

11 Understanding types, uses and sources of loan finance

12 Operating costing system

Total score

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Thinking and analysis Rating

1 Using critical path analysis

2 Using statistics

3 Logical thinking, working out implications

4 Applying critical ability in recognising potential weakness or problems

5 Making logical use of facts or information

6 Using mental arithmetic, estimating orders or probability

7 Flow-charting

8 Rational decision-making

9 Carrying out analysis and evaluation

10 Researching and gathering information

11 Carrying out mathematical operations

12 Carrying out stock or inventory control

Total score

Technical/practical Rating

1 Competence in using tools and technical equipment

2 Understanding data-processing equipment

3 Applying craft or technical ability

4 Aptitude for diagnosing mechanical or electrical faults

5 Constructing or assembling materials or equipment

6 Understanding current technical developments

7 Using laboratory equipment

8 Dealing with tangible, practical problems

9 Using manual dexterity, hand-eye coordination

10 Understanding physical sciences

11 Understanding engineering

12 Maintaining or repairing complex equipment


Total score

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Creative/innovative Rating

1 Generating alternative solutions to problems

2 Creating original ideas

3 Improvising or adapting for other purposes

4 Designing new things, systems, layouts, events or courses

5 Being insightful, intuitive or imaginative

6 Developing others’ products or ideas

7 Writing with imagination or creativity

8 Seeing new possibilities or openings

9 Appreciating new or unconventional aspects

10 Visualising: imagining how something will look

11 Working creatively with shapes, colours, sounds and patterns


Total score
12 Innovating and improving procedures in your own field

Administrative/organisational Rating

1 Managing your time

2 Planning systematically

3 Operating procedures precisely

4 Making things run like clockwork

5 Handling in-trays efficiently

6 Meeting deadlines

7 Producing clear operational structures

8 Developing resources to achieve objectives

9 Organising working time

10 Monitoring procedures and progress

11 Making detailed plans of action

12 Having a well-organised work space, filing system or recording procedures

Total score

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Summary

Now add up all your total scores. Look at the skills you scored most highly in
and those you most enjoy. Write them in this space:

Communication Technical/practical

Dealing with people Creative/innovative

Financial activities Administrative/organisational

Thinking and analysis


Total score

Circle the skills that you’d most like to use in the future.
Now look through the original ratings to see whether there are skills you’re not
yet very competent in, but would like to develop. List those here:

Pause for thought


What does this activity tell you?
Are there any surprises or does it
confirm your expectations? Either
way, you can use the information
when you come to consider
alternatives. Remember that
skills can always be developed simply by using
them more, and that the wider the range of skills
you have, the greater the variety of job options
open to you. Recognising the skills you have to
offer is key in being able to market yourself to an
employer (see also Section 4).

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.6 What do I really want from work?


Now that you’ve thought about who and where you are and the skills you have, the next
step is to recognise what you’re satisfied with and what you’re dissatisfied with. This
doesn’t mean that you can achieve everything you wish, as restrictions of one kind or
another will limit everyone’s range of choice. It is important, though, not to limit yourself
by concentrating so much on restrictions that you achieve less than you might.

Activity 1.12

Rate the values below for importance. Try to use the full range of scores.
4 Very important 3 Important 2 Less important 1 Not important

Description Value Rating

Making decisions, independent action AUTONOMY

Change or variety in tasks, people, places VARIETY

Scope to learn, study, think, analyse INTELLECTUAL

Making friendly contacts with others SOCIAL

Large income, expensive possessions ECONOMIC

Expressing ethical code or religious beliefs SPIRITUAL

Using talents, developing skills USING ABILITIES

Being part of an important organisation COMMITMENT

Having lots of stimulus, excitement, thrills EXCITEMENT

Having influence or power over others AUTHORITY

Enjoying or making beautiful designs or things AESTHETIC

Getting promotion, career progression ADVANCEMENT

Helping or caring for others ALTRUISM

Concern for surroundings or location COMFORT

Being original, developing new ideas CREATIVITY

Activity, keeping moving, handling things PHYSICAL

Taking risks; business and trading COMMERCIAL

Pause for thought


Does this make clear your reasons for wanting to work?
Does it suggest the kind of work you like to do or the type of
organisation you feel most at home working for?
Clearly, some kinds of work have more to do with ALTRUISM
and others with ECONOMIC or CREATIVE values. In the same
way, a manufacturing company, a charity, a newspaper office, a
local authority, a financial institution and so on will each have a different ‘feel’ as
a place to work. Try to think through which would suit you best.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.7 How well does my present (or last) job meet my needs?

Activity 1.13

To complete your examination of job satisfaction Variety Individuals differ in the amount of variety
or dissatisfaction, consider the following. Circle they prefer, but it’s stimulating to have some
the level that applies to your present or most change and variation in the work environment.
recent job. Too little About right Too much
Money Clearly, inadequate income causes Clear boundaries A work situation where
many problems and dissatisfactions. boundaries aren’t clear can cause uncertainty
Too little Adequate Well paid and conflict. Equally, being in a tightly defined
job can feel restricting.
Opportunity for control Simple, repetitive,
Too little About right Too much
closely controlled work is generally far from
satisfying, but on the other hand having a Social contact Everyone’s need for contact
high level of responsibility (being a managing is different, but most of us get satisfaction
director, for example) can be stressful. from being with others, chatting over coffee or
Too little About right Too much working in a team.
Too little About right Too much
Opportunity to use skills Most of us
enjoy using and developing our skills and Respect Most of us like to be thought well of
competence. But having very high-level, and respected by others. For work satisfaction
complicated demands repeatedly made on us it’s important to feel that there’s some match
can be stressful. between your contribution and the position you
Too little About right Too much hold.
Too little About right Too much
Goals People function best when there are
demands to be met, targets to be achieved,
challenges to rise to. We all have our own
preferred level of demand.
Too little About right Too much

Pause for thought


Which of these are the most
important to you? Answering that
may clarify sources of satisfaction
and dissatisfaction in your current
or most recent job. It may begin
to suggest either the kind of work
you’d like to do or the kind of organisation you’d
like to work for. Note any ideas that occur to you.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.14

Review
You’ve now considered the reasons why you work (other than financial necessity) and which things you
most enjoy doing. If your occupation is to ‘feel right’, it’s important that it should be fulfilling, agree with
your beliefs in general and allow you to express your personality. Any significant mismatch is likely to leave
you feeling dissatisfied or stressed or becoming cynical about your job. Take time to reflect on the results
of the activities in this section, perhaps discuss them with a confidant and if necessary modify them. Note
your thoughts here.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

1.2.8 What kind of work would I like to do?


To help you decide on the kind of work you’d like to do, you also need to consider
your interests. Interests are to do with the things you find most appealing or
enjoyable.

Activity 1.15

Look through these kinds of work and consider whether you would like to carry
each one out. You will have had experience of some of them. Try to imagine
whether you’d like doing the others or not. It’s not a question of your ability or
qualifications, but only of your own preferences. Assume that you could do the
activity if you wanted to.
Tick Yes, Not sure or No according to how you feel about each activity.

Yes Not sure No

1 Supervise staff dealing with correspondence

2 Design a staff appraisal scheme

3 Monitor quality control activities

4 Keep up to date with computing developments

5 Put budgeting procedures into practice

6 Develop a marketing plan for a new service

7 Keep abreast of scientific developments

8 Write information booklets

9 Supervise process control staff

10 Organise renewal of insurance cover

11 Plan staff training schemes

12 Forecast drawing office work schedules

13 Find new areas for computer applications

14 Keep abreast of money market changes

15 Negotiate prices with suppliers

16 Plan research and development (R and D)

17 Handle public relations issues (PR)

18 Revise road delivery schedules

19 Plan introduction of new clerical procedures

20 Interview job applicants

21 Organise installation of an internal telephone system

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.15 continued

Yes Not sure No

22 Instruct computer users on procedures

23 Coordinate work of audit staff

24 Brief sales staff

25 Design new technical equipment

26 Collect and collate information

27 Supervise warehouse staff

28 Report on legal matters affecting the organisation

29 Set up a staff-grievance procedure

30 Plan equipment-maintenance schedules

31 Review data-processing installations

32 Monitor productivity of operations

33 Analyse effectiveness of advertising

34 Organise scientific research

35 Design publicity leaflets

36 Monitor productivity of operations

37 Implement new administrative procedures

38 Investigate staff turnover problems

39 Monitor laboratory testing services

40 Write computer documentation

41 Brief colleagues on effects of taxation changes

42 Report on sales performance

43 Produce design specifications

44 Manage external relations

45 Supervise a building-maintenance programme

46 Take minutes of meetings

47 Prepare a staff handbook

48 Carry out an energy usage audit

49 Deal with computing problems

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.15 continued

Yes Not sure No

50 Prepare financial reports

51 Review a product range and pricing

52 Develop and improve mechanical or electronic equipment

53 Edit a newsletter or magazine

54 Improve plant layout to increase productivity

Scoring
Give 4 points for each ‘Yes’ response
Give 2 points for each ‘Not sure’ response
Give 0 points for each ‘No’ response

Now add up the scores for the groups of questions shown here:

Total

Group A Questions 1, 10, 19, 28, 37, 46

Group B Questions 2, 11, 20, 29, 38, 47

Group C Questions 3, 12, 21, 30, 39, 48

Group D Questions 4, 13, 22, 31, 40, 49

Group E Questions 5, 14, 23, 32, 41, 50

Group F Questions 6, 15, 24, 33, 42, 51

Group G Questions 7, 16, 25, 34, 43, 52

Group H Questions 8, 17, 26, 35, 44, 53

Group I Questions 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 1.15 continued

What your scores mean


Your scores relate to different kinds of work activity:

Score
A Administrative/legal/secretarial e.g. charity officer, health service manager

B Personnel/training/education e.g. primary teacher, recruitment manager

C Technical support e.g. quality assurance manager, laboratory technician

D Data processing e.g. IT consultant, database administrator

E Accounting/finance e.g. management accountant, tax inspector

F Marketing/sales/purchasing e.g. retail buyer, sales manager

G Scientific/engineering/research and design e.g. electronics engineer, architect

H Information/communication e.g. librarian, interpreter

I Operational/production/distribution e.g. transport planner, production manager

Write in your total score for each group.

The result may be no surprise. It might be that you work or have worked in your highest-scoring area and
enjoyed it. If so, this is a reassuring confirmation and suggests that you should consider continuing in that
or related work, even if in a different kind of organisation. Alternatively, the pattern may suggest a move to
a different area of work.
The list of interests we’ve considered in this activity reflects common graduate and managerial areas of
work. It doesn’t include artistic, creative, craft and natural environment areas, nor those that depend on
performance skills such as acting, dancing, playing a musical instrument. If you have interests outside this
‘managerial scheme’, do take account of them in considering your future. Before carrying on, you might
find it helpful to look again at the section on the roles you play in your life and any possibilities you noted
there.

Activity 1.16

You may also find it useful to work through Prospects Planner. This is an online career-planning tool
that will help you explore your skills, interests, and motivations. It will then match your profile with an
occupational database to produce a list of job suggestions for you to consider. Prospects Planner, like
similar programs, doesn’t tell you what you should do, but it will give you a starting point to explore
areas of work that may interest you.
Access Prospects Planner via the Prospects website by logging on to:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner
First, you’ll need to register. Simply click on Login/Register in the My Prospects account box on the
home page and go from there.
Use Section 2 of this workbook to help you research the results you have got in the above activities.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Review At this stage you might like to discuss things either


informally with a trusted friend or formally with a
Read through the results of your work and reflect on careers adviser.
the notes you’ve made. You should by now have a
much clearer picture about: Now complete the summary chart below. When
you’ve done that, you may want to look at Section 6
• Your aptitudes ‘The next steps’, or you might prefer to move on to
• Your skills and interests the possibilities that this knowledge could open up for
• Your achievements and experience you in Section 2.
• Your values

Summary chart

What am I good at?


Write down the aptitudes that you’d most like to use

What are my main work values?


Write down the values you’d like to fulfil

What would I like to do?


Write down the occupations or job areas you’d like to work in

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Summary chart continued

How would I like to work with people?


What kind of environment?
Write down the kind of contact you’d like to have with people, and the kind of environment you’d like

What other aspects are important to me?


Write down any other factors that are important to you, such as location, travel,
organisational structure, etc.

What changes would I like to make?


Write down some changes you would like to make to help in your job searching

32 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

You may wish to talk over some of your initial


thoughts with a careers adviser before you go on
to the next section. The content of Section 1 can
provide a really useful starting point to an individual
consultation with a careers adviser. You may find it
useful to complete this section before you book an
interview, which OU students can do by contacting
your regional centre.
You may prefer, however, to explore further by
continuing to read the remaining sections in this
book or by looking at information and activities on the
Careers Advisory Service website at:
www.open.ac.uk/careers
Whichever route you choose, good luck with the next
step!

Further resources
Try these resources for developing self-awareness.
You could take a look at the Windmills website. This
is a virtual career coach which teaches individual
career-management skills. It will help if you’re feeling
uncertain about where your career is heading and
is very useful if you have some work experience but
feel as if you are currently under-employed. Windmills
consists of seven stages or ‘tactics’. The tactics you
will find most relevant at this stage are:
• Tactic 1: Focusing your skills – self-reliance,
people, general and specialist skills analyses
• Tactic 2: Finding your ideal job – includes a
motivation assessment
You can access the website at:
www.windmillsprogramme.com
Learndirect Futures is another career interest-
assessment website that generates job suggestions.
It covers job roles at all levels of responsibility rather
than those just at graduate level as covered by
Prospects Planner. You need to register (free) to use
it at:
www.learndirect-futures.co.uk

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02
2
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Exploring possibilities
In this section
2.1 Planning your strategy 35
2.2 Graduate-level jobs 36
2.3 Creative job search 38
2.4 Finding vacancies 38
2.5 Building a network of contacts 43

2.1 Planning Another key fact you need to


understand is that different
2.1.1 A typical strategy
A strategic approach pays
your strategy sectors and employers have
their own traditional methods dividends, so be organised and
for recruiting. The local sawmill systematic. A typical strategy
Many job-seekers is likely to approach the task means that you will:
actually have very differently from a multinational • Consider all the opportunities
little knowledge of advertising agency. (In fact, the open to you: public, private and
only thing they might have in voluntary sectors.
how the job market common is that they probably use • Look into and follow up all
works and how people an interview during the selection sources of information.
procedure.) Otherwise, the
are in fact recruited. recruitment process will be quite • Build up a file of background
What information they different. This means that you information about companies,
jobs and developments in
do have can often be must be flexible enough to adapt
sectors you’re interested in.
your approach to the diversity
based on personal of methods used by potential • Get a general view before you
experience or rumour. employers. start to draw up a shortlist.
As a result, people’s It’s also important that you don’t • Do some research: find
spend valuable time applying out how, when, where and
job-seeking methods for jobs where you have little how often vacancies are
can be disorganised and chance of success, or for jobs advertised. Are graduates
usually recruited? Are there
inefficient, rather than that don’t fit your needs or meet
formal channels? What are the
your expectations. By planning
carefully organised and your job-search strategy, you essential qualities sought in
systematic. So, a key will be able to focus much more candidates? How do you match
accurately on what you need to up?
fact you need to grasp do to achieve your goal. • Apply for jobs and attend
immediately is that it is interviews. Always keep copies
We are assuming at this stage
vital that you plan your that you know what you want to
of your applications, and be
prepared to ask for comments
strategy for job hunting do. If you haven’t yet got a clear on how you’ve done.
picture of the kind of work or job
in order to get the job you want to pursue, work through • Don’t forget that you need
you want. Section 1 ‘Knowing yourself’ to review and evaluate your
before going any further. progress from time to time.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

2.1.2 Information 2.2 Graduate-level jobs


Information is an essential tool in job hunting. You
Another important aspect of any job-search strategy
need to find out as much as you can about the
is to consider your options realistically in the context
job(s) and the companies you’re applying to, so that
of the current and future employment market. As
you can present yourself effectively. The fuller your
you research the main occupational areas that
awareness of the opportunities open to you, and the
interest you, look into trends in the area. They’ll all
more you know about each possibility, the better the
have a bearing on employment, both on the number
choices you make will be.
of people employed and on the work that they do.
• Get to know the main sources of information about You can do this by exploring jobs in sectors on the
careers and jobs. Prospects website at
• Use local career libraries, relevant journals, www.prospects.ac.uk/links/SectorBs
professional bodies, regional representatives,
websites, specialist and general trade directories.
2.2.1 What is a ‘graduate’ job?
• Set up a file of job information, sample
advertisements, job descriptions and person One of the main reasons employers recruit graduates
specifications, useful company and sector is that they expect them to be more flexible, more
contacts, details of salary bands, useful articles, adaptable to change, and capable of learning new
press releases etc. skills. However, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to
define exactly what’s meant by a ‘graduate job’. The
• Follow up this information by talking to professional
dramatic reductions in graduate recruitment during
careers advisers and people in the job areas that
the recession of the late 1980s and early 1990s
interest you.
and the rise in the numbers of people studying for a
• If you are a student, look at the OU Career Links degree have meant that, for all graduate job-seekers
scheme where you can talk to a ‘career helper’ and job-changers, employment seeking strategies
from the OU community at have had to be flexible and responsive to the
www.open.ac.uk/careers/links employment market. This is still so, and graduates
are now entering a much wider range of jobs.
• Personal contacts can be invaluable: tutors, fellow
students, alumni, representatives from professional As large numbers of graduates enter an increasingly
bodies, and don’t forget to follow up useful diverse range of jobs, the graduate labour market
contacts from job advertisements. boundaries are blurring. It’s becoming apparent
• Keep notes of your conversations. that it isn’t always the classification of the job that’s
important, but the nature of the graduate’s experience
• Acknowledge those who have helped you – quick
and aspirations.
telephone calls or thank-you notes may pay
dividends. Research conducted by Elias and Purcell in 2004
(Seven Years On: Graduate Careers in a Changing
2.1.3 Review your progress Labour Market, www.prospects.ac.uk/links/
CSDSevenYears) grouped graduate jobs into five
Keep records of all contacts and applications you
distinct categories:
make. File copies of letters and applications and
record the progress on each one. To review your 1 Traditional graduate occupations Established
progress: professions for which a degree has historically
been required, for example, solicitors or research
• Consider what appears to work and what doesn’t,
scientists. The graduate has to be an expert in a
and ask yourself why.
very specific area.
• Constantly reassess your assumptions about
2 Modern graduate occupations Since the
questions such as your mobility and your job
expansion of higher education in the 1960s, there
preferences.
has been a development of new professional
• Be realistic about the skills and experience you areas requiring graduate-level qualifications, for
have and those you need to acquire. instance, journalism or social work. A high level
• Use a range of job-search methods. of interactive and communication skills is usually
• Be prepared to persist. required for these areas in addition to having
received training in the specific area.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

3 New graduate occupations These reflect 2.2.2 New and expanding opportunities
changes in technology and organisational for graduates
structures and priorities. Some are relatively new
occupations whereas the nature of others has Structured graduate programmes still exist with large
changed so that an increasingly common route ‘blue chip’ companies but competition is fierce and
into them is via a graduate level qualification (for fewer graduates now enter through these schemes.
instance, marketing, engineering, environmental According to the Graduate Experience 2002 Report
health). The ability to access and use specialist (DTI, Barclays) only 14 per cent of respondents had a
information is an additional skill for these areas. place on a graduate training scheme with a blue chip
4 Niche graduate occupations This is an employer. In fact, a growing proportion of graduates
expanding area. Most jobs in this category don’t find their first jobs in small and medium-sized
usually ask for a degree but have some areas enterprises (SMEs). At the beginning of 2002, there
that are deemed as ‘specialist’ and increasingly were 3.8 million SMEs in the UK and it is predicted
ask for a degree at entry – for example, retail that they will create a further 2 million jobs by 2010.
management, nursing, graphic design. For more information on SMEs go to:
5 Non-graduate occupations Increasing www.prospects.ac.uk/links/SectorBs
numbers of graduates don’t immediately enter
the ‘graduate labour market’. Many are in non- Destination of Leavers in Higher Education in
graduate jobs but using the skills that they the UK
have developed as a result of their studies.
There are many instances of graduates in these Each year universities in the UK are required to ask
occupations demonstrating their potential and their graduates about what they are doing and how
developing their initial role to fit their skills. studying has changed or developed their careers.
This data is published annually and can be seen
at www.prospects.ac.uk/links/wdgd and on the
Teaching Quality website at www.tqi.ac.uk
In 2004 unemployment among all students was
6.1 per cent six months after leaving. Although we
know that OU students start from a different point as
many are working while they study, the data shows
the unemployment figure for OU students from the
2003/4 survey to be 2.5 per cent.

What sort of organisation are you suited to?


You need to consider what type of opportunity might be right for you and think about the
pros and cons of working for an SME or a large blue chip company. Here are some ideas
on the difference between working for SMEs versus blue-chip organisations:

SMEs Blue chip

• Fastest growing sector of UK economy • Easily identifiable opportunities

• Local • National

• Early responsibility • Small cog in big wheel

• No formal induction • Structured training programme

• Less red tape and bureaucracy • Formal structures embedded

• Lower starting salary • Perks and higher starting salary

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

2.3 Creative job search • Investigate the possibility of employment through


a ‘Knowledge Transfer Partnership’, a partnership
The career-review process isn’t something you between employers and higher education
do once and for all and then never do again. Most institutions – look at www.ktponline.org.uk
of us need to review our careers now and again
• Don’t forget the increasingly important non-
to take account of changes in ourselves and the
opportunities open to us. None of us can predict what traditional graduate recruiters (small and medium-
kind of jobs might be available in the next few years. sized enterprises – SMEs, which were discussed
above in Section 2.2.2).
Today’s labour market is increasingly diverse. To
succeed, you need to play by a set of new rules. The • Use the internet to research into companies and
best advice is to start as early as possible and be job vacancies.
creative in your job search. [Adapted from the AGCAS booklet Job Seeking
So, how can you do a creative job search? Here are Strategies]
a few essential steps to get you started:
• You need to ‘market’ yourself. Consider temporary Pause for thought
or part-time work to enhance your marketability,
Ask yourself what you can take
skill development and knowledge of the industry or forward from these ideas. What
job area, and to foster contacts. will your job search strategy look
• Think about doing voluntary work. Be clear about like?
what you’re offering to do, how long for, and what
benefits you hope to gain from the experience. See
Section 2.5.6 for details.
• Find out about getting appropriate training or
study with work experience. This may give you an
2.4 Finding vacancies
identifiable edge in the job market. When it comes to job vacancies, they are classified
as either ‘open’ or ‘hidden’. In fact, it’s estimated that
• Cultivate well-placed, knowledgeable people,
7 out of 10 jobs are ‘hidden’, in that they are never
including those in organisations you’ve already even advertised! Often, in times of recession, this
worked for (if any). hidden job market increases as some employers
• Find contacts in the sorts of organisation and job shy away from the administrative burden of dealing
you’d really like. Consider what you can do for with the overwhelming number of responses
them. their recruitment advertisements produce. SMEs,
in particular, may not advertise so as not to be
• Don’t limit your marketing to letters of application. inundated with applications.
You may want to ask to meet people, or talk to
them in person. Learn how to use the telephone
2.4.1 Applying for hidden jobs
effectively – there’s some advice about this in
Section 2.5.2. Try to contact the person who Hidden jobs are produced:
makes the decisions and might be interested in • by organisational changes that make old jobs
your talents. obsolete and create new ones, or redefine old
• Develop an excellent CV and application letter, ones
and customise them with a particular opportunity or • because an organisation doesn’t recruit enough
employer in mind (see Section 4 ‘Getting the job’). graduates to warrant much expenditure of effort or
money on advertising
• Use the contacts you’ve made to get opportunities
to work-shadow or to carry out job study interviews • because of the volume of unsolicited applications
that will give you useful knowledge. • when an organisation doesn’t particularly demand
a degree, but prefers specific skills, qualities and
• Use employment agencies, but don’t let them
experience.
use you. Make sure they keep you in mind for
suitable vacancies, and be sure to get constructive
comments on your applications and overall
approach (you will find out more about recruitment
and executive search agencies in Sections 2.4.9
and 2.4.10).

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

To find the kind of company that can use your skills 2.4.3 To make an effective speculative
and satisfy your needs: contact
• Look at the resources suggested in this section. • Pick out likely targets Be discriminating and
• Look at company websites and find out more about choose worthwhile prospects. You’re not sending
them. out a mail drop or a circular letter. Each approach
• Consult the main directories in your local reference must be tailor made and will take time to prepare.
library. Which organisations have the sort of position
that attracts you? Who is recruiting, reorganising,
To get started try: relocating? Use all your information sources and
• General trade directories e.g. Yellow Pages, network contacts (which we will discuss in more
Thompson Directory, KOMPASS (www.kompass. detail below) to select a portfolio of companies,
com) and concentrate on those.
• Specialist trade directories for different • Contact a named individual Approach only the
occupational areas, for example, The Writers’ and person who can take the decision to employ or
Artists’ Year Book. Does the profession you’re help you (you might be asking for information
interested in produce one? Use www.prospects. rather than a job). Check with the organisation to
ac.uk/links/occupations to see if there are any. make sure that names, job titles and addresses
are correct. Your letter, telephone call or email
Remember, even open jobs are hidden during the must reach the right person.
early stages, while decisions are being made about
internal versus external recruitment campaigns, • Get a meeting No one ever got a job merely by
selection dates, advertising space and so on. writing a letter. You want a meeting: say so clearly
when you write. Be prepared to fit in with the
employer’s availability. Prepare for the meeting as
2.4.2 Making speculative approaches you would for a job interview.
• Give a specific reason for contact Have a peg
Please note that making speculative to hang your letter on. You’re not asking for a job
or hoping there might be a vacancy. You’re making
approaches to companies is not a business proposition, showing how your abilities
permitted in Northern Ireland. can contribute to the success of the enterprise.
You must prepare a thoroughly argued case to
It isn’t enough just to wait for jobs to be advertised prove that the cost of employing you is more
in the media. The effective job-seeker must tap the than outweighed by the benefits. Research the
hidden market by making speculative approaches organisation. Familiarise yourself with its problems
to prospective employers. Turnover, promotion and and needs, show where you can fit in, and how
retirement continually create new job opportunities. you would improve, develop or help it become
Economic, technological and organisational change more effective. And be sure you can deliver the
always affect employment patterns. Marketing goods!
yourself means keeping ahead of the competition. • When you meet Be businesslike and professional
This approach gives you the initiative. You decide in making your proposals. Ask questions about
which organisations, sectors, jobs and areas most the employer’s needs. Treat the employer as a
appeal to you. Speculative approaches can even client, explaining what you offer and what you can
create new jobs. Convince employers that you have do. Be flexible. Be prepared to negotiate. If a full-
exactly the skills they need to solve their business time appointment isn’t practical, there may be a
problems. Prove that they need your abilities and possibility of employing you for a particular short-
would benefit from your expertise. Demonstrate that term project. Get any agreements – proposals or
they can’t afford not to employ you. contracts – in writing as soon as you can.
This approach isn’t comfortable for some people for • Always follow up If you hear nothing within two
example, a very nervous jobhunter, nor appropriate weeks of writing, follow up by telephone, perhaps
in some areas of employment, for instance, teaching. to arrange a meeting through a secretary. Offer
Consider what’s right for you and your ‘target’ area. dates and times.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

• Take a long-term view It takes time to build up a • The internet


mailing list, and responses may be slow and few. If • Newspaper, trade and professional journals
you’re going to make speculative approaches, start
• Professional associations
planning early in your job search.
• Recruitment agencies
• Persevere Occasionally persistence will pay off
and, after an initial refusal, you may be offered a • Executive search firms
meeting. Make the most of it. In all these cases, look for sources through
Making speculative contacts can pay off in several www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations
ways. Even if you have no luck with a particular
employer, you may be referred or recommended to
another. Use these meetings to get more information
2.4.6 Replying to advertised jobs
about the job market. Each employer you see is a If you reply to an advertisement, always follow the
new contact. Each rejection may be one step nearer instructions given. If it says write, telephone or email
to the job you want. Remember every ‘no’ brings you for an application form, there’s no point in sending a
closer to a ‘yes’! CV. Many employers send very poor information, or
none at all, about the job advertised or the selection
2.4.4 Networking methods they use. Show initiative by telephoning or
emailing if you need to know more. You may have to
In the 2003/4 Destination of Leavers Survey, 21 per do some detective work if the advertisement doesn’t
cent of OU students reported that they had got their give a telephone number.
job as a result of personal contacts and networking.
We will deal with networking in more detail in
Section 2.5 below. For now, just keep in mind that
2.4.7 Newspapers and journals
research into how managers change to jobs with You will find many job vacancies advertised in
other organisations has shown that over half get an newspapers and specialist or trade journals. Because
introduction through networking. ‘Networking’ is the advertising in national newspapers is costly, smaller
systematic use of personal contacts to: employers often rely on local advertisements in the
regional press because it’s less expensive and brings
• gather information about an industry or company
in a more manageable number of replies.
• discover hidden jobs, especially in particular
companies The best place to consult newspapers and journals
is your local library or online if you have access to
• get an introduction to a key decision-maker in a
the internet. At the start, you may need to look at
company, whom you can convince of your qualities
them every day, as recruiters seldom place their
as a candidate.
advertisements more than once. Make a note of
• develop further contacts to expand your network. the advertising patterns: you will find that most of
At first, it may seem a little strange to seek out hidden the quality daily papers (The Times, Independent,
jobs, or to concentrate on particular companies Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times) advertise
just because they appeal to you. But experience certain kinds of work on particular days of the week.
supports the practical wisdom of doing so. Elias Local and regional papers sometimes concentrate
and Purcell (2005) in Class of 99 (Study of the early their job advertisements on Thursdays, the day
Labour Market Experiences of Recent Graduates) on which most papers are sold. Make a note
highlight the value of networks for getting into new of advertising patterns in your local press, and
employment. familiarise yourself with the kinds of advertisement
placed in each paper.
2.4.5 Applying for advertised jobs The big Sunday papers advertise a variety of jobs,
Many jobs are of course advertised and here we look but their relatively high advertising rates tend to
at where. Advertised jobs can be found through: restrict the salary range to the higher end. During
holiday periods, August to mid-September and
• The OU Careers Advisory Service We are
December, advertising is reduced.
currently developing services for students that
advertise vacancies notified to us by employers. You will find links to national and regional papers from
If you are an OU student, go to www.open.ac.uk/
www.thepaperboy.com
careers and to the section entitled ‘Moving on’ and
look at the ‘Advertised Jobs’ and ‘Virtual Employer
Fair’ pages. Here you will find links to jobs notified
to the OU Careers Service and access to other UK
wide and local vacancies.

40 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

2.4.8 Professional associations 2.4.9 Recruitment agencies


Many professional associations and institutions, for Recruitment agencies tend to deal with lower-
example, the British Psychological Society and the level salaried positions. They often act for small to
Training and Development Agency for Schools, have medium-sized employers that have no personnel
a regional education or training officer and sometimes or recruitment departments of their own. Many
specialist careers adviser whom you can contact. specialise in particular kinds of work or industry, and
Some produce yearbooks and lists of members. in some areas of employment (such as medical sales)
Addresses and other details are in the Directory of they are almost the standard source of recruits.
British Associations at www.cbdresearch.com and
Services are free to you – the employing company
in most major libraries.
is charged a fee, usually a percentage of your first
year’s salary. Be clear, though, about what the
agency is offering you. Remember that it’s there to fill
its clients’ posts, not to help you sort out your career
plans.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

To find out about recruitment agencies: Consultants often don’t share information with one
another, so if you apply to a large firm operating in
• Making the Most of Your Recruitment
many locations you need to send your CV to all of
Consultancy A guide obtainable from Badenoch
them.
and Clark recruitment consultancy at:
www.badenochandclark.com You can find addresses of search firms in The Daily
Telegraph’s Recruitment Handbook, edited by Patricia
• The Recruitment and Employment Confederation Leighton, published annually by Kogan Page.
is the national association for the recruitment and
staffing industry. You can search for agencies by
geographical location and by type of work from 2.4.11 The internet
their website at: Most jobs are now advertised on the internet through
www.rec.uk.com national websites directly associated with particular
careers. There are also opportunities to ‘post’ your
2.4.10 Executive search firms CV on the web, entering it into the database of an
organisation (usually recruitment organisations) that
There are more than 200 executive search firms in will either try to find a suitable match for you or allow
the UK. While they are important in the market place, an employer to search the information and perhaps
their role is limited by the high fees they charge to select you for interview.
employers (typically 30–35 per cent of annual salary).
They tend to be used for jobs that are at a high Bear in mind that not all sites offer confidentiality,
level or require scarce specialist skills for example, and your personal details may become public
specialist IT skills, or when commercial confidentiality property. You could find yourself treated like a trading
is essential. They are of two main kinds: commodity, if the website’s main interest is simply
to capture personal details and sell on a CV. Try to
• Fee/assignment firms are given sole charge make sure you use vetted or recommended websites
of a particular search. They get most of their fee only to post your CV.
whether the employer hires their candidates or not.
Most graduate recruiters now recruit online as well as
• Contingency firms are paid only when the
using other methods.
company hires someone they have presented.
Some employers let more than one contingency Remember that:
firm work on a particular job. Sometimes
• Websites may not always deliver what they
contingency firms will distribute your CV widely in
promise. Many sites change rapidly and there
the hope of generating new business. They may
are no guarantees about the accuracy of the
interview you and construct a pen picture to go
information displayed. Always try to cross-check
with your CV.
information.
As noted above, search firms may deal with a limited
• Websites sometimes go online while still under
type of vacancy. As a result, they prefer to receive a
development.
CV to judge whether you fit what they have on their
books at that moment, or are marketable enough to • It’s sometimes difficult to see the wood for the
fit something that might turn up in the future. They trees – not everyone has a brilliant web designer.
receive enormous numbers of CVs and often don’t
bother to acknowledge them. Further resources
The average search firm has only three or four Look at the following website developed by
consultants. Most consultants limit interviews and Strathclyde University Careers Service which directs
initially are likely to carry out a telephone screening job seekers to vetted job websites. You can find this
with you. They seldom divulge information about their at:
clients. If they send you to an interview they’ll want to www.careers.strath.ac.uk/graduatejobsearch/
know how things went; similarly, they can be a useful index.html
source of information about how you were received
by the client. You can also register free on My Prospects, the
online news and CV-matching service that brings
Although some firms deal only with positions above tailored information about jobs and career events to
£50,000, they’re worth considering if you have skills your email address and lets employers search your
that are in short supply – accountancy is a particular electronic CV. You can also receive the Prospects
example. If you decide to use a search firm, send a Graduate Digital magazine. You can access this at:
CV and covering letter, and always include details of
your former salary and the range you’re looking for. www.prospects.ac.uk/links/MyProspects

42 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


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2.5 Building a network of own business contacts. These secondary contacts


can act as a bridge between you and the decision
contacts makers in the companies you’re interested in, or they
may lead to other secondary sources.
Personal contacts can be a fantastic source of help in
your job search. Your network of contacts can include 2.5.1 Approaching your contacts
friends, relatives, fellow students, tutors or people
you’ve met through leisure interests, voluntary work You need to decide how you will approach your
or casual part-time jobs. Even if these people can’t contacts. A number of methods are possible but
help you themselves, they may be able to put you in you need to decide what is right for you, what is
touch with someone who can. Through building up a appropriate for the area of work and what might be
network of contacts, you may be able to discover: effective.

• a company’s competitive position By telephone


• whether it’s in a state of growth, stability or decline Your first approach is likely to be by telephone. Be
• its working climate and culture very succinct.
• its business strategy Establish:
• the background of key managers, especially those • What you’re seeking
in the function that interests you.
• How your contact can help you
So, how do you build your network? Your primary • How much time you’re asking for (15–20 minutes)
contacts are people who know you directly. They may
not have the job openings you want, but they can • Time and place for a meeting.
become your publicity agents and your information
sources. Some will be able to give you names of their

Activity 2.1 Building up a network

Draw up a list of everyone who might be able Make a note in your career file of your list of
to help you – friends, family, former colleagues, contacts. As you work towards developing and
tutors, any business contacts you have, all extending your network, keep a record of each
potential sources of information or advice. Think letter, telephone call, conversation and so on,
what they can do for you: so that you don’t get confused over important
details.
• keep you informed
• comment on your strategy and approach, the
impression you make
• get you noticed.

Pause for thought 2.5.2 Using the telephone effectively


You may be making a speculative call, or telephoning
Perhaps you feel uncomfortable
to follow up a contact you’ve been given or to make
about networking in this fashion.
an appointment for an interview. It’s often difficult
Unease usually arises from
getting through to someone during the day. Be
the misconception that using
persistent. Busy managers are usually in early and
contacts means asking people for
late, so try outside normal office hours if you can.
jobs. In fact, what you’re doing
is making the most of them as sources of advice, Some people are natural and relaxed on the
information and ideas. Put contacts at ease about telephone. Others, even after years of practice, are
this to avoid embarrassment. Most people will be stilted and anxious. You don’t get the usual clues
only too glad to help, or to refer you to someone from nods, smiles and so on, so it’s difficult to judge
else who can. Getting the approach right is what impression you’re making. To take some of
important. the stress out of the situation, plan the format and
content of your call:

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

• If they have a secretary, get their full name if you 2.5.4 Career Links
can.
As an OU student, you can register with Career Links.
• Introduce yourself succinctly. This could be a vital step in your networking – it
• Use the name of the referral source discreetly. allows you to link up with others in the OU community
• State the objectives of your call. who have work experience in the area you are aiming
• Get to the point quickly – treat it like a mini- for. Whilst this person won’t necessarily be familiar
commercial for yourself. with a specific company, they are likely to have
general knowledge about making contacts. You can
• Get the contact interested straight away – make access career links at:
notes beforehand of what you want to say.
• Try to avoid being interviewed over the phone www.open.ac.uk/careers/links
unless this is pre-arranged.
• Suggest times and dates for an appointment.
Pause for thought
• Clarify the exact place of the appointment. Building a network of contacts
• Offer your telephone number or email in case of a plays a key part in creative job
change in arrangements. search. Before reading on, you
might find it helpful to look again
2.5.3 Making an approach in person at the advice in Section 2-3
‘Creative job search’, considering
Making an approach in person can be an opportunity what further preparation you need at this point,
to test your interview skills and make a good and and to read the following example. It was produced
lasting impression. For a productive meeting, you by one of the students who tried out this pack
need a carefully planned agenda. It might cover: before publication and was preparing to approach
• Why you’re thinking of leaving your present job (or a particular company.
why you left your last one)
• Your job goals and some alternatives
• Your strategy for getting there Example
• A discussion about the industries you’re interested One of my network contacts led to an
in and the companies you’ve picked out introduction to the head of a department in a
• Questions about names and referrals to key company I was targeting.
people, preferably decision-makers for your kind I set up an appointment with her, and
of job who you can ask about opportunities in the decided on further preparation, as follows:
industry.
> Carry out more research on the company
• Advice and comment on your job-search strategy (e.g. journal and newspaper stories), to get
a ‘feel’ for the culture, trading problems/
Pause for thought opportunities (for me); exposure to risk,
political battles, etc.
Meetings need to be well planned
and purposeful. Other people > Talk again to contacts. (A discussion with an
have their own agendas, and ex-employee could be particularly revealing.)
there’s a lot to cover in twenty
– Put myself in the shoes of my prospective
minutes. Make sure that you’ve
boss. (Think about what sort of help the
done your research thoroughly,
company may need.)
using published sources, before you talk to your
contacts. They will respect you more and be more > How do my strengths match the needs?
prepared to help if they have evidence of your
> Plan which of my strengths/
professional approach.
accomplishments I am going to mention,
and how I am going to present myself.
> List which issues I want to investigate
(e.g. possible openings, prospects for
development/training/promotion).
> Re-read the advice in Section 4 about job
applications and interviews.

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Note in your career file what preparation you want to On the Prospects site you can register free and have
make at this point. information about jobs emailed to you. Go to
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/MyProspects
2.5.5 Drawing up your letter Here’s a selection of other sites that you might like to
When it comes to drawing up a letter, keep in mind look at:
that there are three main reasons why someone Vacancies in higher education and related
might want to employ you: organisations www.jobs.ac.uk
1 To increase sales (or the employer’s equivalent Search facility with links to regional, national and
– service volume, membership, etc.) international newspapers
2 To decrease expenses www.thepaperboy.com/uk/
3 To obtain specialist expertise that leads to an Local Government Jobs at www.lgjobs.com allows
increase of sales or a decrease in expenses you to search by occupation and location.
Your letter must list accomplishments that correspond Includes non graduate jobs on this site
to these reasons. A speculative letter will need many www.connexions-direct.com
drafts in order to polish it.
Job Centre vacancies are online at
• You should include www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk along with links to
Key achievements and relevant experience information about New Deal initiatives.
Only the last five to ten years
A maximum of two uncrowded pages 2.5.6 Voluntary work
• Exclude Voluntary work can be a fantastic way of getting
experience and building networks as well as showing
Personal data (marital status, hobbies, etc.)
commitment to an area you are interested in. Local
Dates centres seek to place people into suitable voluntary
Salary work – meals on wheels, etc.
Copies of references In addition, you may find the following websites
• The first paragraph is crucial. Use it to mention an helpful for exploring opportunities to work with
achievement related to the job you’re seeking and charities and voluntary organisations:
strike a chord of need in the reader. For example, Charity Job www.charityjob.co.uk
describe a relevant problem, outline how you
tackled it and state what results you got. Charity People www.charitypeople.co.uk
• Get someone else to check your spelling, grammar CR Search and Selection www.crsearch.co.uk
and layout. Be critical over matters of style, and
Citizens Advice www.citizensadvice.org.uk
prune ruthlessly.
Community Service Volunteers www.csv.org.uk
Section 4 ‘Getting the job’ offers advice to help
you with the practical side of drawing up a letter to Do-it-: search this database for a wide range of
accompany a CV. volunteering opportunities in the UK. From here you
can link to the various volunteer bureaus for your
Further resources areas of the UK www.do-it.org.uk

For further information and resources go to the OU Employee Volunteering


Careers Advisory Service website at www.open. www.employeevolunteering.org.uk
ac.uk/careers. If you are a student, go to Section 2 Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) www.vso.org.uk
to research jobs or the section ‘Moving on’ if you want
to find out more about looking for jobs and if you want The European Volunteer Centre
access to vacancies both locally and UK wide. You www.cev.be/members.htm lists member
will also find links to professional bodies and related organisations for EU countries including the
sites from the ‘Broad Career Areas’ within the above UK and Ireland.
site.

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03
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Making decisions
and taking action
In this section
3.1 Making decisions about your life 47
3.2 Goals, restrictions and resources 48
3.3 Plan of action 52

If you’ve developed 3.1 Making If you’ve tried unsuccessfully


to do this, you’re left with the
self-awareness and
explored opportunities decisions about other three options.
• Change yourself Examine
and now need to make your life your own attitudes, behaviour,
ambitions, skills, lifestyle and
decisions and plan how It’s not our claim that everyone so on, and consider how, if you
to put them into action, can achieve everything they want. changed any of those, your
Obviously you have to be realistic, situation might improve.
this section is for you. It as life imposes restrictions on • Live with it This means much
will help you to consider us all. But many people don’t more than ‘putting up with
the advantages and achieve all that they’re capable of, it’. You need a strategy to
because they’re not clear about minimise the aspects of the
disadvantages of what they want to do and how situation you don’t like and
different decisions, find to make decisions. It’s important maximise those you do. For
to aim for what you want while
sources of help and being aware of what’s achievable.
example, you might put more
energy into activities outside
plan for action. One way to consider the range your job if you’re dissatisfied at
of options is to look at your work, change the way you work
You’ve probably put a goals alongside your personal so that it reduces your contact
restrictions and resources. with troublesome elements,
lot of time into analysing
or spend more time doing the
your life and career. You 3.1.1 Managing your things you enjoy and cutting
should have considered situation down those you don’t.
your strengths, skills Whenever you’re in a situation • Leave Find a constructive way
to move on out of the situation,
and experience, you’re not happy with, you have
job, relationship or problem.
four basic options. You might think
and researched the about them both in the short term
occupational areas that and in the long term. For example, Pause for thought
you may be clear that long term
interest you. Before you want to change jobs, but Consider the
going on to make in the short term you might be four options.
decisions, it’s helpful to able to ‘change yourself’ to make Which could
things easier. apply to
look at the framework your present
• Work for change Try to
within which you may be change the situation to make
situation? How?
making choices about it more as you want it to be.
the future.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

3.2 Goals, restrictions


and resources
Whatever your decision about the four options, you
need a goal and a plan to get there. In the next
section we are going to look at your goals and then
examine the restrictions and resources that may
affect how you reach them.

3.2.1 Goals
What is a goal?
• Goals are what you want to get out of life.
• You may use other words to describe your goals
– results, outcomes, aims and ambitions.
• Unlike dreams, hopes, fantasies and wishes, goals
are specific and expect the outcome to arrive.
• While short or long term, goals should be realistic
but challenging.
• Remember: your goals may change over time.

Activity 3.1

What are your goals?


Write them down here. You may not yet have fully identified your goals but
put what you can here and add to it later.

48 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


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3.2.2 Restrictions and resources


We’re all affected by our own restrictions and resources. Sometimes the same thing
is both a restriction and a resource. If you’re buying a house on a mortgage, it’s both
a liability and an asset; a friend or relative might need support but might also be a
source of support to you.

Activity 3.2

What are your restrictions and resources?


Think about your resources – the things, people and attitudes that could help
you. Then think about your restrictions – the things you need to take into
account or that may be problems. Write them down on the chart.

Resources Restrictions
Money
Financial resources Responsibilities

Equipment, tools, premises


I have I haven’t got

People, family, contacts


Who can help me? Who needs my help or support?

Health
Good points Bad points

Beliefs, outlooks
Positives Negatives

Pause for thought


Consider your answers. How will they affect the kind of
opportunities open to you? Are there other things you need to
consider? For example, do you need to work near your home?
Could you move to a new area? Might your age be important?

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3.2.3 Balance helpful resources against restrictions


Now look back to the restrictions and resources you listed. You’ve probably noted
some factors that will help you in the direction you want to take and others that you
need to find a way round. You now need to consider each of your goals in terms of
all the resources that could be helpful or cause restrictions. The next activity will help
with this.

Activity 3.3

Look first at the example below. It was produced by someone who wanted to
apply for promotion. Each restriction is set against a helping resource, giving a
balanced picture of the situation.

Example
Goal – Promotion
Resources Restrictions
Line manager’s support Colleagues’ reactions
Personal ambition/determined Limited mobility
Prepared to take responsibility Little experience of managing people
Project management experience No experience of managing budgets

Now balance resources and restrictions for your own goal(s)


Which of the goals you’ve listed in Activity 3.1 are the most important?
Underline them.

Make the most of resources


Look at the resources you underlined. What actions would help you to make the
most of them?

Minimise restrictions
Now look at the restrictions you underlined. What actions would help you to
reduce their effects?

You’ve now listed actions you can take towards your goals, but there’s more to do.

50 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


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Activity 3.3 continued

Bring actions and resources together


List the resources that can help you to carry out each step. Look at the
example. ‘No experience of managing budgets’ was listed as a problem.

Actions Resources
Attend course on finance for non-managers Internal training courses
Attend outside course in the evenings Local college has course
Find out about the budget process Line manager’s support
Family support

Now do this for each of the actions you listed.

Actions Resources

Actions Resources

Actions Resources

Pause for thought


You should now have a clear
picture of what you really want and
what ideas you want to develop.
You should also be clear about the
main helping forces and problems
you need to deal with.

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3.3 Plan of action Pause for thought


The next stage is to bring everything together into You might want to complete
a detailed plan of action. This means taking a few action plans for several goals.
different steps: Once you’ve done this, you’re
ready to start taking action.
• Setting out your goals (long, medium and short
term)
• Deciding which actions you need to take
• Identifying your restrictions and resources
• Working out a realistic timescale to achieve each
step.
If you monitor your progress by checking your plan
from time to time you can identify what you have To achieve what you want, it might
achieved, and then revise your targets if necessary.
And of course if you change your mind about your
be necessary to go through several
end goal then you can go back to your original plan to stages. You might need to gain
make necessary adjustments. experience or qualifications, gather
You should consider five factors when drawing up information or get access to a
your action plan:
particular resource.
1 What you need to do
2 How you are going to take action You may have to cope with setbacks
3 Resources that could help you (e.g. finance,
information, friends)
and frustrations, but you’re setting
4 When you will achieve your targets out on a potentially exciting journey,
5 How you will know when you have achieved your taking the first steps towards a new
goal or resumed working life, with all
Action plans need to be SMART (specific, its potential for improvement and
measurable, achievable, realistic, time based).
advancement. Set aside time to
review your goals and see how you
are progressing. Put a note in your
3.3.1 Back-up plan diary or ask someone to remind you.
You should always try to have a back-up plan. So,
keep an eye on progress and adapt your plan if Further resources
necessary. If you don’t manage to meet your goals
it may be that your first plan wasn’t good enough. Look at the careers website at:
You may need to improve it or change it completely. www.open.ac.uk/careers and find ‘Action Planning
If, after doing that, you still find that you’re unable to and Decision Making’ using the ‘A-Z’.
reach your goal, you might have to reconsider it. Ask If you want to plan your career effectively, you are
yourself, ‘Is it realistic?’ If it isn’t, you’ll have to revise going to amass a lot of information from which you
it. will need to identify realistic options and create
suitable goals. This process will involve making
a number of decisions. To discover what kind of
Review
decision maker you are, try the learndirect activity at:
At this stage it might be useful to read through the
www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpandadvice/dmr/
work you’ve done in this section, and perhaps discuss
your plans either informally with a trusted friend or You could also look at Tactic 5 (Master the art of
formally with a careers adviser. You could also look at action thinking – how to attain your goals and action
Section 6 ‘The next steps’. plan) on the Windmills Virtual Career Coach at:
www.windmillsprogramme.com

52 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


Activity 3.4 Showing a worked example of an action plan

Look at the worked example below, then fill in your own plan on the following page.

My long-term goal Short and medium Actions required Constraints Resources- who or Target date
term goals to what can help me? for actions
achieving long-term
goal

To become a Postgraduate course Find out about Difficulty of funding Explore educational Next week
journalist in journalism courses or career
development loans

Apply early Investigate letting flat By the end of the


for year of the course month

Gain relevant Write to local Afraid of rejection Friend will provide Within two months
voluntary/paid newspapers support and
experience encouragement

Write freelance
articles and submit

Take an evening class Find out where Cost? Motivation to Check if special Tomorrow
in shorthand or classes are complete? arrangements are
word-processing offered locally possible for payment
e.g. weekly

Find someone else


keen to do it

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53
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook
54
Activity 3.4 Your action plan

My long-term goal Short and medium Actions required Constraints Resources- who or Target date
term goals to what can help me? for actions
achieving long-term
goal


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers



Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

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04
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Getting the job


In this section
4.1 What do employers look for in graduates? 57
4.2 Matching vacancies 59
4.3 Application forms 62
4.4 The curriculum vitae (CV) 65
4.5 The covering letter 78
4.6 The interview 81
4.7 Other selection techniques 87

4.1 What do employers look


for in graduates?
‘‘A degree alone is not ‘‘Twenty-first century graduates Analysis of years of national
need to demonstrate to employers employer surveys suggests the
enough. Employers that they can ‘hit the ground desired skills of graduates fall into
are looking for more running’. In addition to working four broad areas:
than just technical skills hard to gain a good degree, 1 Self-reliance skills
students should engage in extra 2 People skills
and knowledge of a curricular activities and obtain
3 General employment skills
degree discipline. They work experience in order to
4 Specialist skills.
particularly value skills develop skills that will make them
better prepared for the world Together they make up what is
such as communication, of work. It is also important for referred to as ‘employability skills’.
teamworking and students to become self aware
Table 4.1 overleaf is taken and
problem solving. Job and develop the confidence to
adapted from the 2006 version
market themselves effectively
applicants who can when the time comes to apply for of What do Graduates do? It
demonstrate that they jobs.’’ shows very clearly what types
of skill employers want. Equally
have developed these Carl Gilleard, Chief Executive, importantly perhaps, it shows you
skills will have a real Association of Graduate Recruiters
how these specific skills can be
‘What do Graduates 2006 do?‘
advantage.’’ (HECSU/AGCAS/AGR/UCAS)
developed:

Digby Jones, Director-General,


Confederation of British Industry,
Forward to Prospects Directory
2004/5
‘What do Graduates 2006 do?‘
(HECSU/AGCAS/AGR/UCAS)

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Table 4.1. Skills that employers want and how they can be developed
Type of skill “Buzz” words Examples of how the skills can be
developed through interests, work
and education
Self-reliance skills Self-awareness – purposeful, focused, OU study,
self-belief, realistic
Roles within your working situation,
Involvement in community groups,
Roles within the home – planning,
coordinating others
Proactivity – resourceful, drive, self-reliant
Willingness to learn – inquisitive, motivated,
enthusiastic
Self-promotion – positive, persistent,
ambitious
Networking – initiator, relationship-builder,
resourceful
Planning action – decision-maker, planner,
able to prioritise

People skills Team working – supportive, organised, Caring responsibilities, work


coordinator, deliverer responsibilities in a team, fundraising
for charity; voluntary work; member of
orchestra; sport; guide/scout leader;
travel,
Interpersonal skills – listener, adviser,
co-operative, assertive
Oral communication – communicator,
presenter, influencer
Leadership – motivator, energetic, visionary

Customer orientation – friendly, caring,


diplomatic
Foreign language – specific language skills

General employment Problem-solving – practical, logical, results Roles within the home – budgeting,
skills orientated roles within work e.g. use of IT, work
experience
Flexibility – versatile, willing, multi-skilled
Business acumen – entrepreneurial,
competitive, risk taker
IT/computer literacy – office skills, keyboard
skills, software packages
Numeracy – accurate, quick-thinker,
methodical
Commitment – dedicated, trustworthy,
conscientious

Specialist skills Specific occupational skills – specialist OU study, European Computer Driving
relevant knowledge, e.g. languages, IT Licence (ECDL); language skills;
web design skills; first aid at work
qualification; NVQ qualification.
Technical skills – e.g. journalism,
engineering, accounting, sales

Source: HECSU, AGCAS, UCAS and AGR

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The requirements an employer sets out in a job • Experience Is it preferred or essential – will you
advertisement are likely to be much more specific, but be ruled out? What experience can you offer from
it’s worth bearing in mind that candidates who apply any aspect of your life that demonstrates close or
for ‘graduate’ jobs are also expected to demonstrate transferable skills?
at least some if not all of these skills. • Qualities Note the language used to describe the
Many OU graduates have lots of evidence with which ideal applicant. Analyse each noun and adjective
they can demonstrate these skills: for its implications. For example, ‘committed self
starter’ could imply that there’ll be little supervision,
• experience of the world of work and working but may also mean that no training is provided.
environments both paid and unpaid You may have to motivate yourself with little
• commitment to their own personal development support or encouragement, or even in the face of
demonstrated by undertaking OU study resistance. Find out what this will mean in practice,
• time management and organisational skills and be honest about whether your personality and
required to successfully combine OU study and needs match what the employer wants.
other responsibilities. • Location and geographical mobility How far
would you travel each day? Would you consider
Remember to use this evidence when you apply for
moving house? If you need to travel around, how
jobs! If you don’t shout about it, nobody will do it for
much of a problem would this be for you?
you!
• Age Are there any obvious age implications? It’s
important not to lose sight of the positive aspects

4.2 Matching vacancies of age and experience.


• Prospects What opportunities are there for
You’ve seen a vacancy advertised that you’d like advancement in this job? The employer may be
to apply for. Now you want to make sure you have looking for evidence of your willingness and ability
a ‘match’. So, before finding out more about the to progress. If the opportunities seem limited, it’s
position, you need to analyse the information important to see how you can use it to develop
you already have. As we show here, even a brief your skills and experience.
newspaper advertisement can reveal a great deal of • Salary Usually a good guide to the level of
useful information. qualifications and experience required, but
First of all you need to read between the lines. Look you have to be aware of the going rate for that
at your advertisement and analyse it under these occupation. What are you looking for, especially if
headings: there isn’t a specified salary?
• Named contact Is a name given to contact for
• Style and language What’s the general style of
further information? It’s a good idea to follow up
the advertisement – formal, low key, flamboyant,
such offers, but be prepared when you do, as the
attention seeking? What does this tell you about
contact will form an impression of you from the
the organisation?
very beginning. Rehearse your introduction and
What is the vocabulary used to describe the be prepared for the question, ‘What would you
organisation – ‘dynamic’, ‘multinational’ …? How like to know about us?’ Be ready to highlight your
does the organisation see itself and what image suitability for the post.
does it want to project? Do you feel comfortable
with its choice of words? Will your personality fit 4.2.1 Matching the requirements
the organisation? Are your values similar?
Once you’ve analysed your advertisement, you need
• Brief job description Does the work genuinely
to try and match yourself to the requirements of the
interest you? Does it match your needs? What
job to judge whether or not you want to apply for it.
are the key tasks? What skills are needed?
Can you produce evidence of your ability to They’re usually set out under headings such as
deal successfully with each task? How will you experience, qualifications and personal qualities. The
demonstrate your potential for coping with tasks advert should specify what the employer is looking
you haven’t handled before? Is there anything that for, so you need to consider how you can show that
seems unclear? you meet the requirements. (It might help to refer to
• Qualifications Are they preferred or essential? For Section 1.)
example, do you need a driving licence, or other
specified qualification?

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Look at the following example. Here the key


experience requirements are listed, and the second
column shows how a candidate would provide
evidence of having the necessary experience. This
is a useful way of approaching any job advert, as it
helps you to focus on the important aspects as you
complete your application form or prepare a CV.

Example
Vacancy: Fundraiser for Scottish Wildlife Preservation Society

Analysis of
key requirements My evidence

Experience
Numeracy e.g. Treasurer of Residents’ Association:
> Draw up budget bids or plans within agreed guidelines and procedures for
submission to internal and external bodies.
> Responsible for assessing potential expenditure in terms of value for
money and taking appropriate action to ensure this is achieved.
Keyboard skills ������������������������������������������������������������������������
> ����������������������������������������������������������������������
Self-taught packages in order to produce a dissertation for my degree.
> Worked in Windows based environment for numerous holiday jobs
– secretarial role.
Marketing knowledge > Temporary job (with full induction and training) over two summer holidays
as a market research interviewer.
> Marketing module completed as part of my degree studies (12 months)
– identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.
Ability to work on own e.g. From recent employment, current part-time study.
> As a part-time student I have worked within a thirty-two week study
calendar and managed a weekly workload of reading, assignments,
tutorials and revision alongside a part-time job and voluntary work.
> I have worked unsupervised as a treasurer for a local Residents
Association for two years and have always met deadlines for reports.
Interest in wildlife e.g. Active member of RSPB
> I have organised several meetings between the RSPB and the local branch
of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England to look at the decline
of the bluetit in Cheshire and preventive measures.
> I am a regional fundraiser for BTCV and the PDSA.
> I work alternate Sundays at the local animal hospital as a volunteer.
> I am an avid reader and subscriber of the Warbler and make regular
contributions to this national magazine.
Presentation skills > I have used Power Point to present information on the decline of local bird
populations to a community group and to councillors.
> I have also organised and facilitated presentations to local schools and
governors using a variety of media.

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Activity 4.1

Begin by looking at an advert or job description for a position that interests you.
If you don’t have a specific one in mind you might look in a careers publication
or website such as www.jobs.ac.uk. Alternatively, look at the occupational
information on the Prospects website:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations

Whichever way you choose, ask yourself:


• Does the work genuinely interest me?
• Does it match my personality, values, interests, needs?
• What are the key job requirements?
• What skills are required to perform them?
• Can I produce evidence of these skills?
In the box below, note down in the left-hand column the key characteristics and
requirements of your selected vacancy. In the right-hand column, try to produce
evidence of your suitability against each point.

Vacancy/job description:
Analysis of key requirements My evidence

If you are an OU student, you can also try the ‘Job


Analysis Activity’ on the OU Careers Advisory Service
website at www.open.ac.uk/careers. Go to the
section ‘Personal and Career Development’ from the
site map.
These kinds of activities are really helpful in preparing
for the completion of application forms or for
producing your CV. You should also take a look at
Section 4.4.10 below.

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4.3 Application forms If you haven’t looked at employers’ application forms


for some time, you may be surprised at the probing
Application forms come in all shapes and sizes. nature of some of the questions they ask, and not
Some are designed for recruiting people for a only for senior jobs. You’ll come to some sample
particular function or training scheme (e.g. graduate questions below in Section 4.3.2 .
engineer). Most are intended for a wide variety of Bear in mind that employers often receive a lot of
posts in the organisation (e.g. an NHS Trust). In forms. This means that on an initial read through they
fact, most large organisations now make their forms may spend as little as two minutes looking at your
available online (which can save you time and form, so it is crucial that you sell yourself effectively.
postage). Whatever format they come in though, the
principles for completing application forms are very
similar. 4.3.1 Before you start your
application form
If you’re asked to submit an • Find out as much as you can about the vacancy
application form, don’t send a CV and the organisation. Ask the organisation for more
instead. Often – but not always – details and, if possible, visit a career service or
large library to look for other information. You can
you’re told that you may also enclose also research online, as most organisations will
a CV. If you do, it shouldn’t just repeat have comprehensive information on their websites.
what’s on your form. Use it effectively • Read through the whole form before you fill in any
of the sections.
to include or to emphasise information
• Make a photocopy of the blank form (or print it
that you think is relevant and isn’t from the screen) and use it for your rough draft.
allowed for on the form. • Comply with instructions such as using black ink
or block capitals. You must keep to the prescribed
Keep the following points in mind when it comes to format, because many large employers now
completing an application form: optically scan applications to enter them into their
recruitment databases.
• The purpose of a completed application form, like
a CV or a speculative letter, is to get an interview. • Usually, the space allowed for each question
indicates its relative importance.
• Your aim is to convince the employer that you’re
worth interviewing – you appear to be a suitable
candidate for the job and, also, the kind of person
4.3.2 Filling in your form
the organisation wants to employ. • Complete all sections of the form. If a question
• The only information the selectors will have about doesn’t apply to you, write ‘N/A’ or ‘Not applicable’
you is what you’ve given them in your written to show that you haven’t overlooked it.
application – emphasise the positive and leave it to • If there isn’t enough space for factual information
them to spot the negative. Convince them that they (e.g. ‘Give names, addresses and dates of all
need to see you. previous employers’), attach a separate sheet,
• Remember that presentation can be as important unless you’re told that you must not attach any
as content. other papers.
• If there isn’t enough space for general interest
• Many larger employers ask you to complete
information (e.g. ‘What have been the significant
an online application. You may find the Select
factors in your life to date?’) prioritise and keep it
Simulator useful for practising completing online
within the space allowed.
forms. OU students can access this on the
Careers Advisory Service website. Look for ‘online • Be sure to answer all the elements of each
applications’ in the ‘A–Z’. When completing online question (e.g. ‘What are your spare time activities,
forms you may find that some of your experiences what do you contribute and what do you get out of
do not fit neatly into the categories provided. We them?’).
suggest you contact the employer for advice on • Don’t cram sections too full, as that makes them
how to approach this. difficult to read. Layout can help – consider using
bullet points, underlined topic headings, etc. to
clarify your points. Being able to write succinctly is
evidence of your written communication skills.
• When answering extended (multi-part) or difficult
questions, think of:

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What you’re going to say (understanding the and Course Guides for the courses that you have
purpose of the question) studied and pick out the kinds of skills that the
Who you’re saying it to (someone who doesn’t course aimed to develop. These may have been
know you but will make decisions about your expressed as learning outcomes. Learning outcomes
future) will give you some help in mapping out the skills and
achievements that you gained during OU study. They
How you’re going to say it (presenting an accurate
can help you identify the subject-specific knowledge
picture of yourself)
and transferable skills you have acquired during each
Why you’re saying it (showing that you have course.
the qualities, interests and skills the employer is
looking for) Some jobs may require subject-specific knowledge
(e.g. to be a teacher) while some put emphasis on
• Make your points relevant, interesting and
transferable skills (which you dealt with in Section
personal (say ‘I’, not ‘we’). Give evidence and
1.2.5 above) and some look for a mixture of both.
avoid bland generalities (e.g. ‘I worked as a
You will find that by studying with the OU – whatever
volunteer classroom assistant for three years’
the subject area – you will have developed a range
rather than ‘I love children’). The skills you’ve
of both subject knowledge and transferable skills
developed in one context may well be transferable
that many employers will value. It is up to you to pick
to another and employers will look for evidence
these out from your own experience so that you can
that you recognise them: e.g. dealing with
present this on an application form. If you want to do
members of the public, working under pressure,
this in a more structured way, there are a number of
handling money, working odd hours.
resources in the Careers Advisory Service website at
• Use positive language. www.open.ac.uk/careers. If you are a student, go to
• Leave no unexplained gaps in your employment the sections on ‘Personal and Career development’
record. If you’ve been unemployed, say so; but and ‘Moving on’.
mention any part-time or voluntary work you did
during that period. Look at Section 6 if you are or 4.3.4 When you’ve completed the form
have been an offender.
• Check it thoroughly for spelling and grammatical
• Tailor your responses to the post you’re applying
errors; ideally get someone else to check rather
for. If you’re applying for a job related to your
than relying on a spell checker. Make sure you’ve
degree subject, give fuller details of your course
been consistent in style (e.g. in your use of
than you would if it’s not particularly relevant.
personal pronouns).
• Use the ‘any other information’ section to draw
• Look over the presentation. If possible, ask
attention to activities and qualities not covered
someone else to look over your application before
elsewhere on the form.
you send it.
• Be convincing. Be positive and honest. Inaccuracy
• Make a note of the job you’ve applied for, the
in one section can raise doubts about other areas
name and address of the person you sent the form
of the form. Generalised waffle convinces no one.
to, and the date you sent it.
• Get your referees’ agreement before giving their
• Use an envelope of suitable size so that the form
names, and keep them well briefed so that they
isn’t folded, or not more than once. Always send it
can write supportive references. Usually, one
by first class post.
should be an academic referee; another someone
you’ve worked for who can write about you as • Make a copy of your completed form so that you
an employee. If appropriate, give their full titles can re-read it before the interview. It’ll also take
and status. Your regional centre can provide you some of the tedium out of tackling other forms.
with a confidential reference – name the Regional You can often use the same material, with a little
Director as the referee. editing, for several applications.
You’ll rarely find the perfect application form that
4.3.3 Skills you have attained as an exactly suits your background and experience. You’ll
OU student need to adapt your answers to the questions you find.
Practise answering the typical questions in the next
As an Open University student, you can stress the
activity.
personal qualities and skills that OU study demands.
Every employer values determination, self-discipline,
flexibility and time management skills. Make the most
of these skills as well as your academic success. You
may be able to look back at the course descriptions

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Activity 4.2

Read the sample questions below. All are Question 2


genuine questions from graduate application Outline any activities you have planned and
forms used by large companies. Look back organised. Tell us what you did and how you
at the answers you gave to Activity 1.1 and achieved results.
consider answers based on the evidence you’ve
already gathered. There is 80mm space available on the form.
Remember to cover ‘planned,’ ‘organised,’ ‘what
Question 1 you did’ and ‘results’.
On the first page of this application you stated
a preference for a particular job or function.
Question 3
Explain why we should select you ahead of Write a short autobiography. Include
other candidates. such details as your achievements and
responsibilities; the people, events or
There is 30mm space available on the form to experiences that have influenced you; your
show that you understand what the job involves ambitions and aspirations.
and what you have to offer. Go for key points
and give evidence from your record. There is 180mm space available on the form
to influence the selectors. This section will tell
them more about you as an individual than any
other part of the form. Every word should justify
its inclusion. You’ll need a lot of time, drafts and
fine tuning.
Don’t forget that you can ask a careers adviser
for advice on what to include in your application.

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4.4 The curriculum 4.4.3 Preparing your CV


How you organise and present information about
vitae (CV) yourself and your activities will convey significant
messages about your suitability as a potential
Like an application form, a CV is primarily intended
employee. Be prepared then to spend a considerable
to make the recruiter think it worthwhile interviewing
amount of time on creating and reworking an effective
you. The advantage of a CV is that you get to decide
document. You want to make sure that you present
what information to include and highlight, and what
yourself positively and accurately.
to leave out or minimise. In addition, your CV doesn’t
need to conform to a set format, so you have more So, when it comes to preparing your CV, you need to
control over the impression it will create. You can ask yourself a few key questions:
tailor the style, content and design to show off your
• What’s the area of work I’m after?
strengths and present you in the most positive light.
• Which employers or organisations am I
approaching?
4.4.1 The importance of tailoring
• What messages do I want to send about myself,
your CV
my strengths and qualities?
However, it’s most important that you keep in mind • What experiences shall I emphasise?
that one ‘all-purpose’ CV will not be much use to you.
• How can the style of my CV match the culture of
This is only likely to work if you always apply for the
the organisation(s) I’m sending it to, as well as
same function in several very similar organisations.
the work I want?
Instead, it is more often the case much more effective
if you adapt your CV to suit the particular organisation There’s no right or wrong way to write a CV. The right
or job you’re applying for (easy enough to do if it’s one is the one that works for you in your situation and
word-processed). succeeds in getting you interviews. Here we will just
provide some guidelines on good practice and offer
Employers expect you to show that you’re responding
examples of four possible formats:
to their own advertisements, not sending out a batch
of identical CVs to a list of companies you found 1 A chronological CV
in the Yellow Pages. (So you may in fact be doing 2 A functional CV
just that, but it must look as though you’re targeting
3 A targeted CV and
the individual company.) And you can reinforce this
impression by tailoring the covering letter. 4 An academic CV.
Most people tend to prefer one style over the others
4.4.2 What style of CV? (though as you will see, an academic CV is used
mainly for applying for academic posts). Whichever
The general style of the CV should depend on the
format you choose, it should be flexible enough to
sector or organisation it’s addressed to. For example,
allow modification to match the job you’re seeking.
applications to marketing organisations or to the
publishing industry can be successful if the style For most jobs, you need to make a decision about the
and layout suggest a flair for lively prose or graphic kind of CV to use as most employers will not specify.
design. To use the same approach for, say, a financial However, some job areas have expectations that a
institution or a local authority might have an adverse particular kind of CV is submitted. When researching
effect. Bear this in mind when you design your own jobs, look at what the expectations might be. It is
CV. important that you find out if there is a preferred
format for the type of job that you are applying for by
For more information on CVs, go to the OU Careers
doing further research into the job and if necessary
Advisory Service website and choose the ‘Moving on’
seeking advice from a careers adviser (or the
section if you are a student at:
professional body if there is one). For instance,
www.open.ac.uk/careers some professions, such as the legal profession,
prefer CVs in a chronological format. When you have
Alternatively, for tips and example CVs, look at:
work experience that is directly relevant, it is useful
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/CVwriting to highlight this in a separate section as it draws
attention to it.
We also show you sample CVs in Sections 4.4.4
– 4.4.7 below.

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4.4.4 The chronological CV However, the disadvantages to a chronological CV


are that any gaps in your employment stand out.
You are probably most familiar with a chronological As a result, if you’ve changed jobs frequently, it
CV. This lists jobs by date, beginning with the most can suggest instability and will require explanation
recent, showing the name of each employer, where – particularly if you’ve changed profession or career
you worked, the period you were employed, your job direction. In addition, with a chronological CV, it isn’t
title(s), responsibilities and key achievements. always easy to spot key achievements or skills which
The advantages of a chronological CV are: might get ‘buried’ under different job titles.
• It can be very easy to produce.
• It has for many years been recognised as a
standard approach to CVs.
• It allows prospective employers to see very quickly
how an individual has progressed and increased
responsibility.

The chronological CV

Malcolm Lewis
16 London Road
Portsmouth
PO9 6AL
Tel./fax 01903 562366
email mcrlewis@wizard.com

Profile
An experienced, highly motivated CIMA professional with in-depth knowledge of the financial services and
strong team-working skills, looking for an opportunity to take on wider responsibilities within the industry.

Employment
Current position:
1996 – Deputy Finance Manager
Ace Holdings Plc Portsmouth
Main responsibilities: • Preparing financial reports
• Supervising office of 25 staff
Key achievements: • Planned and co-ordinated computerisation of management accounts
system
• Trained staff in use of new system
• Strengthened and simplified reporting of financial information
• Reduced staff costs by 11% in 1999/2000
• Researched a detailed marketing study leading to refocused annual
marketing plan
• Negotiated £2m loan for major construction project
• Handled credit analyses and made credit recommendations

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Previous experience:
1988–96 Management Accountant
Southern Finance Plc Portsmouth Organised and prepared accounts
for District Manager
Planned and managed the introduction of new financial information
system
Supervised office of nine staff
1986–8 Accounts clerk
Southern Finance Plc Assisted with ledger accounts and budget preparation, interviewed
Southampton clients, handled cash

Education
2001–2005
The Open University Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
1995–2000
The Open University Professional Diploma in Management, by part-time study
Courses:
B784 The effective manager
B785 Accounting for managers
B786 Managing customer and client relations
B751 Managing development and change
B752 Managing resources for the market
1981–1986
Hampshire High School O-levels: Maths, English, Physics, Chemistry, History, French

Training
1990–95 Passed all stages of Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants examinations
Various short professional courses
In-house interviewing, staff appraisal course

Additional skills
IT skills: competent in the use of Microsoft Office and SAGE financial
management software.
Languages: conversational Spanish and French

Interests
Keen member of local amateur dramatics society and have
been stage manager for the last four years
Currently treasurer of my children’s primary school PTA
Regular swimming to keep fit

References available on request

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4.4.5 The functional CV functional CV allows you to place more emphasis


on relevant strengths and experience from earlier
A functional CV focuses attention on your skills periods.
and achievements, presented according to the
function or responsibilities you’ve undertaken rather • You can group different achievements together to
than according to individual jobs. This kind of CV match the job that you are applying for.
shows that you’re conscious of the demands of the The disadvantages are that it takes more thought
prospective employer and of what you have to offer. to prepare a functional CV and you have to ensure
Its advantages are: that it is clear and relevant to the chosen job without
• It can highlight your skills rather than job changes. looking as though you might be hiding something!
• If your current or most recent experience isn’t
related to the position you’re applying for, a

The Functional CV

Sandra Simpson
5 Malvern Road
Cherry Hinton
Cambridge CB1 4LX
Tel. 01788 529445
email: Sandra@hotmail.com

Skill profile
A graduate biologist with strong food industry experience in quality assurance, research and development
and creation of new products. Career orientated, analytic, highly organised and energetic. Capable of
achieving personal objectives, as demonstrated by successful completion of my degree by part-time study
while employed full time. Goal orientated, with a clear and concise vision of future objectives. Keen to find
a challenging position that offers long-term potential in quality assurance and/or new product development.

Achievements
• Analysed the quality assurance system at Continental Kitchens Ltd, making recommendations for new
procedures which led to an entirely new quality control system. This facilitated a faster, more accurate
means of inspection, saving £200K annually.
• Developed and instituted a statistical quality control programme to cover all critical control points in
the manufacturing process. The system alerts operators when to change the process parameters
without disturbing production flow.
• Created computer applications for environmental microbiological trends for control of plant cleanliness,
resulting in significant improvement in overall sanitation.
• Formulated new and improved existing food products. Contributed to the development of a new line of
Polish foods for wholesale distribution.

Experience
CONTINENTAL KITCHENS LTD,
Cambridge 1999 to present
Quality Assurance Coordinator (2000)
Quality Assurance Auditor (1999)
Responsible for – all quality control, sanitation and pest-control programmes
– creation of statistical programmes to help with the transition of
quality assurance responsibility to individual operators

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– setting up a new product recall procedure to facilitate any possible


product retrieval due to failures reported in post-manufacturing
integrity testing
– supervision of the sanitation crew of eight during needed
microbiological clean-ups
BOW WOW PET FOODS LTD,
Leicester 1993–1995
Research Technician
Responsible for – formulating new and improving existing product lines
– performing shelf-life studies on a range of products
– supervising in-plant testing of laboratory formulations
– analysing waste water to ensure it met all government standards

Education
The Open University 1994–2000 Courses studied:
S101 Science: A Foundation Course
BSc (Hons), Upper Second Class S203 Biology: form and function
U205 Health and disease
U206 Environment
S324 Animal physiology
S327 Living processes
S328 Ecology
S365 Evolution
Grove Comprehensive School
Leicester 1986–1992 2 ‘A’ levels: Biology (C), Mathematics (D) 8 GCSEs

Additional information
After ‘A’ levels, I took a ‘year out’ to travel the world and consider my future. On return to Britain, I gained
employment as a research technician and applied to study part time with The Open University. I served
as a Regional representative on the OU Students Association for three years and contributed to student
feedback on two courses in their first year of presentation. I have been interested in watersports since
school, particularly scuba diving. My other interests include cycling and mountaineering.
From 1995–99, I took time out of work to raise a family.
Full driving licence

Referees
Mrs Joan Whitaker
Director of Quality Assurance
Continental Kitchens Ltd
12–16 London Road
Cambridge, CB10 3QY
Tel. 01223 599886
Regional Director
The Open University in the East of England
12 Hills Road
Cambridge, CB2 1PF
Tel. 01233 364721

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4.4.6 The targeted CV • It focuses straight away on your strengths.


A targeted CV is even more closely matched to the • It is more likely to catch the reader’s interest.
needs of a particular employer, with the skills required • You can adapt it to suit the job you’re after without
and the evidence of them clearly laid out at the sacrificing quality.
beginning, followed by the details, dates and so on. It • You can lead the reader in the direction you want
combines elements from both the chronological and to go – your skills and achievements.
the functional CV. Most candidates for managerial
posts use this format. The advantages are: The disadvantages are that, like the functional CV,
this one isn’t easy to prepare. It has to change to
match each job, with all the time, effort and skill that
implies.

The Targeted CV

Vigla Kozlowski
ADDRESS: 45 Longhurst Avenue, London, N10 8EP
TELEPHONE: 020 8887 5131 EMAIL: Vkozlowski@wizard.net

Career aim
Building on my previous experience of working in a large organisation at a time of change to train and work
as a professional personnel manager.

Skill profile
A Coordinator: As a project manager currently working simultaneously on a range of
demanding projects, I have been responsible for cultivating a spirit of teamwork
and cooperation. I have to be able to prioritise work within both strict financial and
time constraints and ensure that others do too. Sound judgement, combined with
organisational sensitivity and a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, have
been essential to the success of my section.
A Participant: I am a member of a small steering group set up within the bank as a result of
the recent major changes in working practices. The work involves planning,
implementation and evaluation of new systems and their effect on staff at all
levels. This experience has shown me the importance of good interpersonal and
communication skills. I have become used to seeking and learning from criticism,
and to resolving potentially disruptive differences of opinion. No less important has
been my ability to express myself clearly and effectively both face-to-face and on
paper, in projects and reports.
An Individual: Both my work as a nurse and in banking has demanded a high level of personal
responsibility, autonomy and judgement, whilst working in a team.
An Enthusiast: I am hardworking and have always put considerable energy and enthusiasm into
all of my activities, believing that this is the key to achieving worthwhile results. I
thrive on the challenge of change, making sure that I always fulfil my function and
deliver to deadlines.

Education
1987–1994 The Open University. BSc. Hons, 2.1
Courses chosen to obtain recognition by the British Psychological Society.
Distinctions obtained in Social and Cognitive Psychology, in Biology: Brain
and Behaviour, and in Principles of Social and Educational Research. My main
research topic involved interviewing a wide cross-section of both adults and
children in small groups and on an individual basis, devising questionnaires and
analysing data.

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1979–1983 Parsifal Comprehensive, Finchley Road, London


Three ‘A’ levels: English (C), Biology (D), Chemistry (D)

Training
1992 IPM Certificate in Personnel Practice
1987 Lloyds Bank short in-house course in Personnel Management.

Work experience
1992 to date. Lloyds Bank, Business Loans Section
Responsible for assessing loan applications and making loan decisions. This
involves initial discussions with individuals and, frequently for larger loans,
working with the personnel of companies and other institutions with a financial
interest in the company’s future. Section leader with responsibility for the work of
six staff who report directly to me.
Banking attracted me because it offered a structured training and a wide range of
opportunities within each department. I would now like to broaden my experience
into personnel in a large retail organisation.
1989–1992 Lloyds Bank. Recruitment Officer – Recruitment interviewing, in charge of four
staff.
1987–1989 Lloyds Bank. Personnel Assistant – Personnel administration, pay and pensions,
record keeping, three staff.
1986–1987 Lloyds Bank. Counter Clerk – Responsible for serving customers, handling cash.
1983–1986 North London Hospital, Student Nurse
Although I could have gone to university when I left school I had always wanted to
be a nurse, so I decided to train at the local hospital. However, during my training I
realised that this career was not for me. As I had enjoyed the studying and wanted
to further my academic studies in a related subject, I decided to apply for a job
and combine this with part-time study with The Open University.

Additional skills
• Sound working knowledge of Excel and Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets, Dbase IV and Q&A databases and
word-processing using Word 2000 and Word NT
• Interviewing
• Psychological test administration and interpretation
• Car owner. Full, clean driving licence.

Activities and interests


• I am teaching myself to play the saxophone and enjoy getting together with my friends for musical
improvisation.
• I spend one evening a week as a volunteer tutor with a literacy project, working with adults on a one-to-
one basis and in small groups.
• I keep fit by swimming and running regularly each week.

Referees
Names available on request.

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4.4.7 The academic CV Because of this, academic CVs are often longer than
other types of CV. You should also include three
For academic jobs in universities, it is expected referees rather than two.
that candidates (for academic jobs such as lecturer
and postdoctoral research posts) will produce an • Remember to include examples of the skills that
academic CV. These CVs place more emphasis on you have developed through your research.
the subject matter of the degree and/or research and • If you are a postgraduate or research student
on the knowledge and achievements gained. They who is applying for a job outside academia, you
are likely to include information on some or all of the should consider a chronological, skills or targeted
following: CV, depending on what you are applying for. In
• The title of your PhD and the names of your presenting your research, you should do this
supervisors without using any subject-specific jargon so that it
is understandable to the employer. Ask someone
• Teaching/administrative experience who knows nothing about your research subject
• Professional memberships (if relevant) to read through what you’ve written and check
• Fellowships and awards it makes sense to the lay reader. Remember to
• Conferences attended/presentations given emphasise the transferable skills that you have
developed in undertaking higher level study,
• a detailed abstract of research should be such as communication, analysis and working to
appended to the end of the CV deadlines.
• full details of publications.

The Academic CV

Hilary Michelle McArthur


18 Poole Avenue, Milton Keynes, MK6 3DY
Tel. 07900 543 21
E-mail: h.mcarthur@yahoo.co.uk

EDUCATION
The Open University - PhD in Medicine 2002–2005
Thesis Title: The regulation of leukocyte migration away from the subendothelial compartment.
Supervisors: Professor R. Jordan and Dr. D. James
Project synopsis: Adapted, validated and implemented a “novel” assay to investigate leukocyte migration
and survival.
Systematically investigated the role of soluble mediators and adhesive interactions in the survival of
neutrophils following transendothelial migration.
Identified phenotypic alterations in T-cell subpopulations following migration through an endothelial-
fibroblast bilayer.
University of Manchester - MSc in Immunology (distinction) 2001– 2002
Dissertation project: ‘Neutrophil spontaneous apoptosis is mediated through the acid sphingomyelinase
dependent generation of ceramide.’
Modules studied included: tolerance and autoimmunity; transplantation biology and cell adhesion;
haemopoietic cell differentiation and malignancies.
University of Salford - BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry (first class) 1998– 2001
Dissertation project: ‘Autoimmunity: A genetic perspective.’
Modules studied included: cell biology; genetics; immunology; microbiology; oncology; and physiology.
This was a broad-based degree in biochemistry with the second year spent studying at Oregon State
University, USA.

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RESEARCH EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS


• Development of static adhesion and migration assay.
• Adaptation of a novel co-culture system: culture stromal cells on the apical and basal surface of
Transwell inserts.
• Image-based analysis of leukocyte behaviour in static and flow adhesion and migration assays.
• Microscopy: phase contrast and fluorescence.
• Isolation of leukocytes subsets and endothelial cells.
• Flow cytometry.
• Subcellular fractionation.

COMPUTER SKILLS
Extensive experience of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Prism, and a working knowledge of
WinMDI and Image Pro.

RESEARCH AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE


Tutor on an Open University Summer School, July 2005
• Trained undergraduates in basic laboratory skills
• Allocated tasks and ensured their completion.
• Marked undergraduate work and provided individual guidance to undergraduate students.
Student Mentor for the Open University’s Outreach Programme 2002 - 2004
• Responsible for communicating and demonstrating technical skills to A level science students at a local
college, as well as showing visiting work experience students laboratory protocols.
Laboratory Assistant, Scientific Laboratories, Salford, Summer 1998
• Worked independently on an assigned project.
• Developed technical writing skills for industry purposes, along with presentation and communication
skills.

PUBLICATIONS
Bennett, A., Jones, J. and McArthur, H.M., Transmigration prolongs neutrophil survival through a beta-2-
integrin-dependent adhesion signal. (Paper submitted to the UK Medical Biology Journal)
Bennett, A., Layerton, S. and McArthur, H.M., Identification of a phenotypically and functionally distinct
population of neutrophils in a model of reverse endothelial migration. American Journal of Medicine,
January 2006

ABSTRACTS, POSTERS AND PRESENTATIONS


Bennett, A., Jones. J. and McArthur, H.M., Transmigration prolongs neutrophil survival through a beta-2-
integrin-dependent adhesion signal. British Society of Immunology, July 2005.
Bennett A., Layerton S. and McArthur, H.M., Rapidly recruited TNF-stimulated endothelial cells – is this
a novel route for neutrophil clearance from inflamed tissue? International Society for Thrombosis and
Haemostasis, March 2005
Bennett, A., Jones, J. and McArthur, H.M., Ceramide rich lipid rafts and acid sphingomyelinase activity are
required for spontaneous neutrophil apoptosis. International Conference, Manchester, 2004.

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ACHIEVEMENTS
Received awards for best overall academic achievement and best dissertation project
at the end of my MSc (2002).
Received award for best overall academic achievement at the end of my BSc (2001).

REFEREES
Professor Rebecca Jordan
r.g.jordan2@open.ac.uk
Dr David James
d.d.james1@open.ac.uk
Dr Steven Mayes
s.r.f.mayes@open.ac.uk
All referees can be contacted via
The Open University
Davis Medical Building
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Or by phone on 01908 456 789

The above example of an academic cv has been published with the permission of the
Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS).

4.4.8 What to include (and not to Address Be sure to give a full address with postcode,
since invitations to interview are often sent at short
include) in your CV notice and speedy delivery is in your interest. Include
Your CV is uniquely yours in style, content and layout, an email address if you have one.
but you may find the following ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’
Telephone It’s important to give a telephone number
helpful.
where you can be reached or where a message can
CVs usually contain: be left. Include your mobile number if you have one.
If you’re employed and prospective employers can
• personal data
contact you during office hours, give your number and
• employment, experience say that it’s a work number, so that the caller will be
• education discreet. Always give the full area code, number and
• training extension, so that you can be reached as easily as
possible. At home, consider investing in an answering
• interests, activities
service or machine.
• additional skills
Other personal details There’s no need to include
• career aims, personal profile (optional)
such details as date of birth, nationality, gender,
• references. marital status, number of children. These are
irrelevant on a CV, where your aim is to get yourself
Personal data
invited for interview. You can discuss them at the
Name Give the name you want to be known by if interview if appropriate, when you have more
you’re called for interview or appointed. However, you opportunity to negotiate any difficulties.
don’t need to give initials or middle names; they’re
unnecessary at this stage and may confuse matters. Employment experience
It’s acceptable practice these days to put your name
Your aim here is to stress your achievements at work.
in the centre in larger bold font instead of giving the
Include the nature and place of your employer’s
document the title Curriculum vitae. It should be quite
business if it isn’t obvious from the name, but don’t
obvious what it is.
give the address or the name of your manager at
this stage. For more recent jobs, say during the
last ten years, give more detail about particular

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responsibilities, projects, assignments and results qualifications you could list secondary school
achieved, preferably in quantitative terms. A one- educational history in chronological order
sentence description of the scope of your job, – that can be easier to digest than in reverse
with figures such as staff, budget etc., should be chronological order – but use the same order you
followed by a statement of achievements. Avoid used in ‘Experience’. If you’ve worked your way
specialised language unless you’re sure the reader up from the bottom and lack formal qualifications
will understand it. altogether, you could expand your work
achievements and contract the education section.
There are different opinions about whether you
set your experience out in forward or reverse • If you’re offering professional qualifications it might
chronological order. So much depends on the nature be worth specifying not only the qualification (with
and relevance of your previous employment to the the S/NVQ level, if appropriate) and the awarding
job you’re applying for. But everyone agrees that the institution, but also how you obtained it, e.g. full-
most relevant job should appear at the top of the list, time course, day-release. For a technical post or
so that the reader is encouraged to read on. Some one that requires special knowledge, consider
possible sequences are: giving additional information to show that you
have the relevant work experience, knowledge or
• Put your present or most recent job at the head training.
of the list, with appropriate detail; then the rest of
• Be specific about what you studied in your Open
the employment history in backward or forward
University courses, and highlight in a covering
chronological order.
letter or skill section the personal qualities and
• Start with the most relevant work experience, even skills that this kind of study requires. You might find
if it’s not the most recent, then work backwards or the course descriptions and Course Guides for the
forwards chronologically. courses that you have studied very useful: pick out
• Divide your experience under the headings the kinds of skills that the course aimed to develop,
Related and Other. This allows you to highlight which are often listed as learning outcomes.
the experience the employer is likely to be most Learning outcomes can assist you in mapping out
interested in, and play down other, less important the skills and achievements that you gained during
jobs. OU study. They can also help you identify the
• If you had a series of short-lived jobs and you want subject-specific knowledge and transferable skills
to abbreviate the list, you could say something like you have acquired during each course. Of course,
‘In the five years 1995-2000 I worked in various some jobs do require subject-specific knowledge
temporary positions in the catering industry’. (e.g. to be a teacher) while others place more
emphasis on transferable skills (see Section 1.2.5
Whichever system you use, make sure it’s clear and of this workbook). Some look for a mixture of both.
that the way you present starting and leaving dates By studying with the OU – whatever the subjects
is consistent. Don’t leave any unexplained gaps. are – you will find that you will have developed a
For example, if you’ve had time out of paid work to range of both subject knowledge and transferable
bring up a family, state this. If you have served time skills that many employers will value. It is up to you
in prison, please refer to Section 6 below for tips on to identify them from your own experience so that
dealing with this. you can present this on a CV.
• If your qualifications were awarded overseas,
Education
mention the British equivalent so that the employer
How far back should you go? School or young knows what level you’ve reached.
college-leavers should be quite explicit about their
education since age 11, but it’s more appropriate for Training
senior managers to include a brief résumé of schools Don’t give an exhaustive list of all the training
attended and exams passed. There’s no need to courses and seminars you’ve attended. Include
include the full address of each school or college – useful information about training and development
condense the information to dates, names and towns. – courses of a week or more, or training in relevant
Present your qualifications in the way that makes the specialist skills.
most of them:
Interests, activities
• If the job requires a degree or diploma it’s best
This section has various uses. It can show that
to start with that, enabling the employer to see at
you have a well-rounded life and don’t live for work
once that you meet the requirement.
alone; that you’re a sociable person who gets on
• If you have no higher-level educational with others; that you keep yourself fit. Your hobbies

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may have given you opportunities to tackle roles • Don’t cram the page, and don’t clutter it up with
and develop skills that you haven’t had scope for unnecessary punctuation. Space makes text easier
at work – perhaps you’ve been a school governor, to read and more attractive.
run a computer club, done voluntary work that • Put the most important information on the first
demonstrates organisational and management skills. page and as near the top as possible. The
An unusual hobby such as sky-diving or genealogical employer may not bother to read on if there’s
research can be worth mentioning, even though it has nothing of interest to begin with.
no obvious relevance to the job. It gives your CV an
• The space you give to each section should reflect
interesting feature and makes it memorable.
its importance. Concentrate on the aspects that
are most important for the employer to know.
Additional skills
• Avoid long, complicated sentences. Don’t use
The diversity of individual careers sometimes
clichés, jargon and abbreviations the reader may
makes extra sections desirable: you can make up
be unfamiliar with. Write the words out in full the
your own subheadings. Include details you think a
first time you use them and put the abbreviation in
prospective employer really ought to know – driving
brackets; after that you can use it on its own.
licence; additional skills such as foreign languages
(if possible, give an indication of your level of • Seek other people’s views on your draft, and
competence), first aid training, and so on. It is also proofread the final version carefully.
important to outline your level of IT and keyboard • Your CV should be produced to a high standard,
skills, including software you are familiar with e.g. word-processed and printed or copied on good-
Word and Excel. quality white or cream paper. Make sure the copies
are sharp and clear. If you need to demonstrate an
Career aims, personal profile interest in design (e.g. for some media jobs) more
Including career aims and a skill profile can be elaborate graphics and perhaps coloured paper
particularly effective if you’re seeking a career might be appropriate.
change, you’re a mature graduate, you have an • Make sure that your CV arrives looking like a
unconventional record, or you’re applying for a job for quality document. Don’t fold it. Use an A4 envelope
which the competition is particularly keen. with cardboard reinforcement.
• If you send your CV by email, follow it up by
References sending a hard copy straight away.
You’ll usually need two referees, one your present Keep a copy of your CV (and disk) in a safe place.
or last employer. Give their names, addresses and You’ll need it again, to adapt for other employers.
telephone numbers, and their status or relationship
to you (e.g. line manager, course tutor). If you don’t
want your employer approached at this stage, say so
4.4.10 Analysing a job description
in your CV or covering letter. You might prefer to omit In order to construct a CV that’s effectively related
referees on the CV and put ‘Available on request’. to the job you’re seeking, particularly if you want to
offer a targeted CV, you’ll need to analyse the job
4.4.9 Presentation of your CV itself. One way to do this is from the job description.
To illustrate this, we’ve chosen a description for
To produce an effective CV , pay attention to its human resource management. It might be helpful to
appearance as well as its content. read it alongside CV Example 3, which is designed
• Make it easy to read and follow. Yours will be one for this area of work. Some of the key words in the
of many that the employer has to read. Use an description have been emphasised, and the notes
‘easy-to-read’ font, such as Arial 11 point. that follow it suggest some inferences that can be
drawn from them about the nature of the work of
• Be consistent in how you present the information,
personnel management, and in particular the skills it
(e.g. chronological order) and in your layout. Have
calls for.
headings in the same style (capital letters, bold,
underlining). Use bullet points to make reading
quicker.
• Two sides of A4 is usually the right length (unless
it is a CV for an academic position which is usually
longer as it includes listings of published work and/
or research). Consider using an appendix for very
detailed information such as a list of publications.

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Example

Human Resource Management


Advising on, developing and administering policies in relation to staff recruitment and training, career
development, industrial relations, general conditions of employment and other personnel matters. Some
typical tasks may include.
– Analysing staffing requirements in consultation with department and other managers,
(undertaking job analysis and evaluations as appropriate).
– Arranging for dissemination of vacancy details by internal and external means,
interviewing applicants and advising on the selection of those most suitable.
– Helping to undertake staff appraisals and, as appropriate, discussing career development,
personal welfare and other matters with individual members of staff.
– Advising management on standards of remuneration, working conditions, management/
staff communications, staff promotion schemes and other matters.
– Assisting in negotiations in the field of industrial relations and ensuring observance of
regulations and agreements relative to personnel matters.
– Maintaining staff records, records of labour turnover and other necessary information and
assisting with human resource planning procedures and programmes.
• Words such as analysing, evaluations, appraisals, human resource planning and
forecasting imply the need for skills in evaluating information and reaching appropriate
conclusions.
• Words such as arranging and records imply the need for administrative skills.
• Words such as consultations, interviewing, discussing, advising and negotiations imply the need
for skills in dealing with people, especially the ability to communicate effectively with them.

The examples of the CVs above illustrated some of the points you should consider
when designing your own CV. The examples (all fictitious by the way) illustrated
each of the four main CV formats in turn – chronological, functional, targeted and
academic. None was perfect. (Indeed, the academic CV showed that the applicant
studied medicine which you can’t do with the OU, but the style is standard for
academic CVs in general.) You may well decide that a quite different layout and
format are more appropriate for your individual circumstances. And bear in mind that
covering letters, the subject of the next section, would accompany these CVs.

Activity 4.3

Take some time to reflect again on the CV • Think about the general style of your CV in
guidelines and examples. relation to the person who’s going to read it.
• If you already have a CV, ask yourself • Make sure that you’ve:
whether it presents the information you want analysed the requirements of the job
to give in the way you want it to be seen. listed your skills
• If you think that your CV looks feeble, composed your examples of key
uninteresting, wordy, messy …, it probably is. achievements
It’s time to redesign it.
Then go ahead and construct or redesign your
• Look again at the example CVs to see own CV.
whether any of the three formats would be
particularly appropriate to convey what you
want.

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4.5 The covering letter 4.5.3 Drafting your letter


• If possible, type or word-process your letter
Your covering letter is your opportunity to market
(though very occasionally an employer will ask for
yourself. It introduces your application and draws
a handwritten letter).
attention to the main factors that make you suitable
for the job. It will usually be read first, so make sure • Use plain A4 paper of good quality.
that the reader will want to find out more about you. • Keep it brief – usually not more than one side of
It should enhance your application, not repeat what’s A4.
on the application form or CV. Always include a • Put your name, address, telephone number and
covering letter unless the employer specifically tells date at the top right-hand corner and, on the left-
you not to. hand side, the name, job title and organisation of
Application forms often allow you reasonable the person you’re writing to.
scope to sell yourself and may need only a brief • Address your letter to an individual person by
covering letter. A CV will usually require more of an name and job title. Switchboard staff can be
introduction. very helpful in supplying this information if it isn’t
otherwise available.
4.5.1 Applying for a job in a vacancy • When writing to a named individual, end ‘Yours
list or answering an advertisement sincerely’. If you do have to resort to ‘Dear Sir or
Madam’, end ‘Yours faithfully’.
Mention the job title (including any reference
• Although you should be business-like, steer clear
number), and say where and when you saw the
of stilted expressions like ‘re your advertisement of
vacancy. Highlight your strongest selling points,
29th July.’ and ‘I beg to remain’.
such as a relevant degree, appropriate qualification,
related experience. Stress how you think the • Make sure your spelling and grammar are correct,
organisation can benefit from employing you. Add and that you’ve expressed yourself clearly. Ask
some other detail to reinforce your suitability, without someone else to read it – don’t rely on your
duplicating what’s on the application form. computer’s spelling check, especially as it may be
based on US spelling.
4.5.2 Applying speculatively • Print your name clearly below your signature.
• You can use your covering letter to give additional
Remember, a speculative approach is information such as reasons for an unusual
not allowed in Northern Ireland. change in career, or highlight aspects of your CV
which you feel are particularly important.
If you’ve worked through Section 2 in this book, • If there are any special circumstances not covered
you’ll know that to make a speculative approach in the application form or CV, such as a disability
you have to present your case in a letter, usually and how you overcome potential difficulties,
accompanied by your CV. Convey clearly what kind mention them in the letter.
of work you’re seeking, your qualifications and what
Keep a copy of your letter. If you haven’t received an
you have to offer. You’re trying to find out whether
acknowledgement within two or three weeks, send a
there are any vacancies, or whether vacancies
brief follow-up letter or telephone to make sure that
will arise in the near future. At the same time you
it’s been received.
must leave the impression that you’re someone it’s
useful for the employer to know about. If there’s a Two examples of covering letters are set out overleaf.
vacancy this will, if done well, translate into being The first is a speculative approach asking for an
someone the employer ought to see. So make clear advice interview from an executive the writer doesn’t
who you are, where you are, what you’re studying, know. The second letter accompanies a CV in
then highlight the relevant points in the CV such as response to a newspaper advertisement.
work experience, interests and activities. Say why
you want to work for that particular organisation, and
when you would be able to start.

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Example 1

Speculative letter
Joginder Singh
123 Warwick Road
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 1EJ
01926 850973
Mr George Black
Export Sales Director
Blank Distribution Company
5 Blank Street
Royal Leamington Spa
Warwickshire
CV35 8EE

10 February 2006

Dear Mr Black,
I noted in yesterday’s Financial Times that your company received an export award from the
Department of Trade and Industry, and I wish to congratulate you. Your success in selling
computer components to Asian countries has been something few companies have achieved in
the last few years. With your knowledge of exporting, I should appreciate your advice concerning
the development of my career.
Having had over ten years’ experience in export sales, including experience of exporting
electronic, and computer based control equipment, I am now seeking a career change that will
build on this experience.
Some of my key achievements have been:
• Locating new lines of products and developing international sales for them.
• Selecting and working with local distributors throughout the world.
• Increasing sales by 26 per cent in one year when the pound was at its
highest exchange rate.
Although I would like to work for your company, your advice and suggestions would also
be helpful and influential in helping me research my options to develop my career. I should
appreciate a personal meeting with you and will contact you in the next week to discuss this.

Yours sincerely

Joginder Singh

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Example 2

Response to an advertisement
Margaret Minty
8 Milton Avenue
Edinburgh
EH10 3PQ
0131 668 1394
Mrs Shirley Barrett
Personnel Manager
Fairplay Industries Ltd
123 Evergreen Way
Milton Keynes
Buckinghamshire
MK10 8VS

6 March 2006

Dear Mrs Barrett,

Assistant Finance Director, Fairplay Industries Ltd.


I am enclosing my CV in response to your advertisement for the above post which
appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 1 March.
I am a qualified accountant with substantial professional experience. I have
particular interest in computer-based accounting procedures and extensive staff
management experience. Working in a team alongside other senior management
colleagues, I have brought about a sustained improvement in my office’s financial
performance over the past five years.
I have recently taken voluntary redundancy as a consequence of a nationwide
organisational restructuring programme. My decision was based on a desire
to change employers in order to broaden my professional experience as I am
keen to develop my career in a managerially demanding environment. Having
read the detailed description of the post, and discussed specific aspects with the
Finance Director over the telephone yesterday, I am confident that I could make a
significant contribution to Fairplay Industries Ltd.
Although I currently live in Edinburgh, I am free to relocate to another area and
see this as a positive addition to my professional and personal development.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Margaret Minty

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4.6 The interview • Always try to be positive in what you say and never
be critical of a previous employer.
Interviews remain the most common method of filling • Guard against being too open.
vacancies. • When asked whether you have any questions,
Here are some initial tips for interviews: it can be useful to ask about future business
plans. If the interview has already covered that,
• Interviewers want you to do yourself justice. use the opportunity to add relevant information
They’re hoping that you’ll be an excellent about yourself that you haven’t had an adequate
candidate and that the interviewing time and effort opportunity to express.
will be well spent.
• Interviewers too may be inexperienced or nervous. From the vast amount of research into interviews
It’s up to you to help them out and make them feel as a selection method, some important insights for
comfortable. candidates emerge:
• When faced with a panel of interviewers you • Some interviewers make up their minds about
should address the majority of your response to candidates within the first four minutes of an
the interviewer who has asked you a question interview, and aren’t easily swayed by factual
whilst ensuring that you still have some eye information thereafter. First impressions count;
contact with the rest of the panel. initial answers are critical.
• Show acceptance of the interviewer as a person. • Interviewers are more likely to be swayed by
Remember that interviewers want to be liked and negative information or behaviour on the part of
hope to be supported in their day-to-day work and the candidate than positive. Interviews tend to
career by your appointment. They’ll be asking exclude rather than to include.
themselves ‘Could we get on?’ ‘Would this person • Interviewers may be poor at assessing the
be supportive?’ personality characteristics of individual candidates
• Balance the initiative-taking. The ideal interview with any validity, but they make very consistent
should flow like a conversation, reaching greater judgements and assessments between
depths as the rapport develops between the two candidates. This suggests that a good interview
parties. Neither should psychologically dominate performance is likely to impress.
the discussion, although as the candidate • A candidate’s body language (for example, not
you should do most of the talking – in effect maintaining eye contact) in an interview can be
determining the content, while the interviewer sets more important in determining its outcome than
the format. experience or qualifications.
• A few seconds silence in an interview can seem • Interviewers’ judgements about a candidate are
an eternity. Don’t be panicked into responding too always made in relation to judgements about
quickly, perhaps in an illogical way. Fill a thinking earlier candidates, so the sequence of interviews
gap with comments such as ‘That’s an interesting assumes an importance of its own. If you’re given
question, I need a moment or two to think about it.’ a choice, go first. You can set a standard against
which the others will be judged.

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4.6.1 Interviewers • Read about the process. Consult some of the


books listed at the end of this booklet.
There are as many kinds of interviewer as there
are people. Below we list the four main types of • Think about the interview and plan for it. Try to
interviewers you may come across. Don’t let your own foresee questions or situations and work out
stereotyping of the interviewer affect your interview possible answers.
technique. Remember that when managers interview • Practise by role-play with a partner, or use audio
they’re playing a role to a set of social rules, and may or video recordings. How you sound will be crucial.
not be entirely their usual selves. Their perspectives Practise speaking on the phone to a friend and
may differ according to their job function: ask what impression you’re making. Practise some
answers into a tape recorder and listen critically to
You could read all the books ever written on how to yourself.
do well at interview and still not be good at it. Practice
is essential. Even experience as an interviewer • Ask for comments from a partner, network
doesn’t make for a flawless performance, for insight contacts, or interviewers who have rejected you.
often leads to heightened anxiety. How you project • Learn from observing others – take the role of
yourself through your social and communication skills interviewer with a partner.
will determine your success whenever you speak • Reflect on your experience. Evaluate your
with potential employers. Find out all you can about performance and incorporate the learning into your
interviewing techniques and be ready to cope with next interview.
them:

Human resource/recruitment managers Line manager or decision-maker


Well-trained and experienced, often astute and Trying to assess your style of working
very sensitive Concerned about your motivation, achievements
Acting as internal screener, judgement valued and personal ambition
by others �
Considering how you’ll fit with the rest of the
Likely to concentrate on personality and team
organisational ‘fit’
May have to ‘sell’ you to more senior colleagues
May have a fund of knowledge about company
Serious but relaxed, may try to ‘sell’ the job
culture�
Managing director or company founder
Head of a group or department
May digress into lengthy company history
A technical expert with wider managerial
experience Concerned about cultural fit; may look for
shared vision
Will talk shop, problems, solutions, within a
broader organisational framework May be looking for someone who’ll question or
act as an agent of change
May have standard questions, pick bits from CV
Will seek views from all those who’ve come into
Concerned about your professional competence
contact with you
and the rapport between you

4.6.2 Before your interview • Prepare by marshalling your material in advance.


Collect as many concrete examples of things
• Research the job and employer thoroughly you’ve done as you can. Read the section on
beforehand. If you can, find out something about ‘Tough questions’ in Section 4.6.9 below and
the people interviewing you. practise some answers out loud.
• Review your CV. Why have you been invited for • What are your weak spots and what do you feel
interview? What are your unique selling points? uncomfortable talking about?
Questions are likely to focus on:
• Why would you not employ yourself? Produce
Your achievements convincing counter-arguments.
Your motives for applying • Practise your answers in the weak areas. Do it out
Your likely contribution loud, into a tape recorder.

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• Plan travel and arrival times, and if possible do a 4.6.4 How you sound
dummy run.
• Sound as if you have confidence in yourself.
• Decide what to wear. Show that you know the
interview ‘rules’ by wearing smart clothes, polishing • Speak clearly. Don’t drop your voice towards the
your shoes and so on. Conservative dress is more end of sentences.
likely to pay off than flamboyance. Try the whole • Use plain language that doesn’t confuse or divert.
outfit some days before, so that if it doesn’t feel A lucid style is a transparent window on the
right you’ve got time to change your plans. Dress content. Avoid jargon, clichés.
appropriately for the culture. If you’re very unsure • Speak concisely, and judge when you’ve said
about this, look at company literature to get an enough. Watch the interviewer’s behaviour, which
idea of how people dress. If there’s no suitable will give you clues to whether you are answering
literature you could telephone and ask the person the questions and timing your replies appropriately.
on the switchboard or the secretary of the person If in doubt ask ‘Would you like me to go on?’
interviewing you. • Show through your answers that you’ve done your
• Prepare some questions that you would like to ask. research into the company.
• Convey the right amount of enthusiasm, warmth,
4.6.3 On the day . . . friendliness and sincerity. Smile!
• Don’t smoke anywhere on the premises. • Avoid negative statements.
• Don’t be overburdened with bags, papers,
umbrellas. 4.6.5 Body language
• Arrive in good time, allow yourself time to relax. • Walk and sit with good posture.
• If delayed, telephone. • Shake hands firmly and briefly. Some people need
• Remember the need for a poised, confident first to practise this.
impression. • Use your natural gestures – there’s no need to
• Listen attentively to the questions; ask for look frozen!
repetition or clarification. • Avoid fidgeting, and keep your hands away from
• Remember to take a copy of your application your mouth.
with you. • Don’t fold your arms.
• Don’t forget to turn off your mobile phone. • Maintain good eye-contact with the person you’re
speaking to.

4.6.6 Answering questions


Whatever the nature of the job, the interviewer will be working to a mental model consisting of three
related profiles, or groups of characteristics – your personal, professional, and achievment profile. It’s your
task to provide evidence in your answers that demonstrates these characteristics.

Personal profile Professional profile Achievement profile


Intellectual ability Knowledge Effectiveness
Communication skills�����������������������
����������������������
Reliability Efficiency
Listening skills������������������
�����������������
Integrity Economy
Confidence������������
�����������
Commitment
Job motivation �
Energy and drive �
Endurance �
Development �
Financial motivation

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You need to also be prepared to adapt your designed to establish whether or not you have the
responses to the different kinds of question: required skills for the job.
• Specific questions invite factual replies, often • Screening: you’re questioned on various aspects
with a technical content, e.g. ‘What problems did of your CV to decide whether you’ll be invited to a
you encounter in the early planning stage of the personal interview.
building extension?’ • A sales exercise: you’re given an opportunity to
• Open questions used by skilled interviewers sell a product over the phone. This technique is
encourage expansive replies incorporating both used for recruiting sales, marketing or telesales
facts and attitudes or feelings, e.g. ‘Tell me about staff.
the three years you spent studying with The Open The advice that follows about personal interviews
University.’ below applies just as much to telephone interviews,
• Hypothetical questions test speed and quality but some things are especially important:
of thought, e.g. ‘What if the policy changed
• Do you speak loudly enough?
to carrying more freight by rail?’ In reply be
methodical, state assumptions you’re making, • Is your voice clear or do you have a tendency to
and say where you’d need more information, mumble?
e.g. ‘Would this just be in the UK or the whole of • Do you sound confident and interested, or
Europe?’ monotonous or tentative?
• Don’t forget to smile when you’re talking on the
Pause for thought telephone, as you would when talking to someone
face to face. The smile won’t be seen but it can be
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
heard.
• Standing up while talking can make you sound
more confident.
• Some candidates dress in the clothes they would
wear to an interview to put themselves in the right
frame of mind.
4.6.7 After the interview There’s some general advice about using the
telephone effectively in Section 2.
• Think about the questions and your answers. Did
you do yourself justice? Did you allow negative
information or negative expressions of feelings to 4.6.9 Tough questions
creep in? Everyone has a different perception of what
• Send the employer an informal thank-you note constitutes a tough question. Here are some tips to
soon afterwards. This reinforces recollections of help you through them followed by some examples
you. Even if you’re unsuccessful this time, there and how to approach them.
may be other positions coming up. In general:
• If you’re rejected, write a letter asking for some
constructive comment by telephone, at the • If you feel yourself under pressure, you’ll tend
employer’s convenience. not to listen so acutely. Ask for the question to be
repeated, take time and keep to the point. When
4.6.8 Interviews by telephone you’ve answered, stop and leave it at that.
• Try to show that you understand why the
Increasing numbers of companies are using the interviewers have asked you the question. If you
telephone in the first stage of the interviewing can show that you know what they’re getting at,
process. They do this in several ways: you’re half way to giving an appropriate answer.
• Fully automated: you receive a letter giving a • In response to embarrassing – rather than simply
freephone telephone number to ring. You hear tough – questions, keep your answer simple and
a list of statements and press a number on the short.
telephone keypad to indicate your response. A wide range of questions is covered in Great
• Structured: a mutually convenient time is fixed in Answers to Tough Interview Questions by Martin Yate
advance for the interview. You’re taken through a (see the end of this section for further details). Look
series of questions that are recorded and analysed through the next examples – you’re bound to come
by trained interviewers. The questions are up against some of them in one form or another.

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Examples of tough questions and


how to answer them
Q What are your strengths? an outsider, and the ‘political’ gains of
instigating change through appointing an
A You’ll have become aware of these
outsider. You could also provide evidence
through your self-analysis. Draw on
of being a quick learner.
examples from the three profiles
– personal, professional and achievement Q How much are you worth?
– we discussed in ‘Answering questions’
A Try to delay answering this until you know
above to produce a rounded picture.
the responsibilities and scope of the job,
Include any particular characteristics that
and the typical salary ranges. Mention
you feel relate to the job.
your previous salary and any financial
Q Tell me about yourself. commitments that lead you to raise or
lower your expectations. Negotiations like
A Cover relevant aspects of your life, for
this might seem strange to you if your only
example:
experience is of fixed salary scales.
Early years (if appropriate)
Q Having worked for one company for so
Education long, what difficulties do you expect in
Work experience adapting to our culture?
Significant events A Make it clear that you understand the
Keep your answer short (three to four importance of the concept of culture
minutes). This question needs practice. by mentioning the internal diversity of
Remember that this question isn’t simply companies and organisations you’ve
about your factual history so don’t give had contact with. Describe how you’ve
too much detail. It is your chance to adapted to different subcultures you’ve
provide an overview and at the same encountered by doing different jobs in
time to throw in leads that you hope the your career.
interviewer will take up. Q Isn’t it a bit late in your working life to
Q What are your weaknesses? change career?

A Don’t claim to be faultless! Most A It is perhaps unlikely that you would be


strengths taken to the extreme become asked this, particularly in view of age
weaknesses. Either choose one that leglislation in 2006 but you never know…!
isn’t particularly significant, or pair one The interviewer could be suggesting
with something that can be turned either that you’re too old to adapt or that
from a weakness into a strength (e.g. you haven’t got a realistic appreciation of
conscientiousness) to end on a positive the demands of the new job.
note. Or explain how you had a weakness Concentrate on the many positive
(e.g. time management) but have taken features of your greater maturity:
action to overcome it. Use phrases like experience of life and work, credibility
‘learning a valuable lesson’ rather than with clients, emotional stability, coaching
admitting to making a mistake. and mentoring skills, domestic stability,
Q Why should you be appointed rather freedom from childcare. Then express
than an internal candidate? your motivation and drive, to counter
any thoughts that you might simply be
A This is an invitation to list your main looking for a refuge. Add a balanced, well-
strengths. Try to restrict yourself to four reasoned argument for your choice of this
or five as too long a list will confuse new kind of work.
the interviewer; Draw attention to the
possibilities of bringing in skills or
experience that the company would
benefit from, the fresh perspective of

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Q How have you tried to stay up to date? A A strong company needs highly
competent people with appropriate
(Age is commonly associated with
experience to deal with current problems.
obsolescence of skills or knowledge and
Uncertainties in the business environment
ineffectiveness. There’s no research
will probably lead to growth opportunities
evidence to support this assumption.)
for the company and you. Emphasise
A Quote samples of your own recent that you are adaptable and respond
learning, either at work or at leisure. positively to circumstances and would not
If possible, relate this to the job you necessarily expect to use all of your skills
are applying for. It is also important to in the first instance.
emphasise IT skills and keeping up with
Q What were the circumstances of your
professional journals/research in the area.
leaving your last employer?
Q How would you describe your
A Keep your reply short and don’t touch
management style?
on any conflict or bitterness. Create a
A Have a well thought-out answer ready. favourable impression based on the
You might start by briefly describing how things you’ve done to help yourself.
your style has developed as you’ve grown Emphasise your desire to develop your
in experience and social expectations skills by moving to a more demanding job.
have changed. Concentrate on flexibility,
Q Why has it taken you so long to find a
your variations in style according to
new job?
different people and different tasks.
Relate your answer in the final stages to A Finding any sort of job is easy; finding an
the job you’re applying for. appropriate job takes time. Mention steps
you’ve taken to keep up to date, mentally
Q Why do you want to work for us?
sharp and so on.
A Your research will pay off here. Be honest.
Q If you had complete freedom of choice
A trite or bland answer will seriously
of jobs and employers, what would you
undermine your application. Include a
choose?
reference to how important work is to you,
and your hope that some of these needs A Talk about the kind of work you’re being
will be met. interviewed for and why this company
interests you.
Q What are your ambitions?
Q What interests you least about this
A Concentrate on your desire to do the
job?
job well and to develop your skills
and confidence. Statements about A Choose a routine activity (filing, filling in
far-reaching ambitions should sound expense claim forms), but be careful that
realistic. Make clear statements about it isn’t a core function of the job. Plead
your willingness to shoulder responsibility ignorance about other potentially boring
and say that you would consider career duties.
progression within the company at an
Q What sort of relationship did you have
appropriate time.
with your last manager?
Q Do you not feel that you might be over-
A Concentrate on understanding your
qualified (or too experienced) for the
manager’s expectations and objectives.
position we are filling?
Include examples of support and how you
kept your manager informed.

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Activity 4.4

Here are some more examples of interviewers’ • How do you react to criticism?
questions to think through yourself. • How do you feel about the progress you
• Why did you decide to study with The Open made in your present/last position?
University? • In your present/last job, what do/did you
• The classic three-part question: spend most time on, and why?
What kind of people do you like to work with? • Do/did you have any frustrations in your
present/last job?
What kind of people do you find it difficult to
work with? • What did you learn from (e.g. your last job)?
How have you worked successfully with this • What is the most difficult decision you have
difficult type of person? faced?
• What are your short, medium and long-term • What kind of decisions are most difficult for
goals? you?
• Why have you decided to change careers? • What area of your skills or professional
development would you like to improve?
• What are the main challenges facing (e.g. the
Health Service, education, this company…) • Describe your ideal job.
today? • Why should we appoint you?
Do you feel well equipped to meet those • Have you any questions?
challenges?
For academic jobs:
• None of your experience is at managerial
level. How would you cope with the • What publication are you most proud of and
transition? why?
• How long would you expect to stay here? • What do you see as the main benefits of your
research?
• How would you describe yourself?
• Tell me about your PhD research assuming
• In your present/last job, what do/did you like
that I have no background knowledge.
most/least? Why?
• What would you find easy about teaching
What was your greatest success?
undergraduates and what would be
What has been your biggest failure? challenging?
• What do you see as the most difficult aspect
of (e.g. this job, being a manager…)? Don’t forget that you can ask
a careers adviser for help in
preparing for interviews.

4.7 Other selection 4.7.1 Assessment centres


This approach has been defined as ‘the use of any
techniques selection device, in any combination, beyond the
interview’. It can include situational activities, group
Larger employers, aware that interviews have many
discussions, in-tray exercises and the like, as well as
shortcomings, are increasing their use of additional
interviews and psychometric tests.
tools. One such tool is the use of assessment centres
– these are not places, but a technique (a mixture If you are asked to attend an assessment centre,
of tests, exercises and interviews) for recruiting new here are some general guidelines:
employees, particularly at graduate level. You would
• Don’t be intimidated. All the other candidates will
normally find out about the way an organisation uses
be nervous too. Because assessment centres are
these by researching their recruitment literature or
more thorough, they are fairer to you.
website.

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• Decisions are made by drawing on all the 4.7.2 Psychometric tests


evidence; failure in one or two elements won’t
automatically mean rejection. Psychometric tests are structured pencil-and-paper
or computer exercises, often in the form of multiple-
• Try to focus on your own performance rather than choice questions. They’re designed to assess your
that of others and don’t assume that she or he reasoning abilities, or how you respond to different
who shouts loudest will win. The ability to listen situations. The tests should have been carefully
and support others is also highly valued. researched and tried out to ensure that they’re fair to
everyone who takes them. Your results are usually
• Assessment centres sometimes have the
compared with how others have done on the tests
advantage that they give you longer to judge the
in the past. The tests are used in a variety of ways,
organisation and the people within it.
depending on the organisation and more usually by
Get yourself ready, both mentally and physically: large blue chip companies:
• Your invitation may include a programme of • as a selection exercise before an interview
events. Study it carefully, paying attention to
• to accompany an interview selection
any special instructions. You might be asked to
prepare something in advance, or bring your own • as part of a number of selection exercises at an
calculator, for example. assessment centre.
• If you have a disability and need special There are two main kinds of psychometric test:
arrangements (e.g. induction loop, special seating)
Aptitude, cognitive, ability or intelligence tests
discuss it with the selector in advance. If you wear
These aim to assess your capabilities in tests of
glasses for reading, make sure you take them with
reasoning: that is, the level and nature of your
you.
thinking skills (typically, verbal, numerical and
• Take the pens and pencils you like to write with. A perceptual skills).
highlighter pen could be useful.
Personality questionnaires These gather
• In summer, choose something that’s cool as well information about how and why you do things
as smart to wear. You may face hours of hot sticky in your own particular way. They look at how
work in examination conditions. you react or behave in different situations, and
• Try to get a good night’s sleep beforehand. your preferences and attitudes. Unlike aptitude
tests, they have no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers.
When the time comes:
The selectors aren’t looking for a rigidly ‘typical’
• Arrive in good time. personality, although certain characteristics will be
• Make sure that you know exactly what you’re more or less appropriate for the job (e.g. for sales
required to do. Don’t be afraid to ask personnel, independence, social confidence and
questions. persuasiveness would be considered important
characteristics).
• Go to the loo before major exercises; they can last
several hours. Decisions about senior appointments are never
• Take care at social events: rich food and drink dull based on test results alone. In fact, a good test can
the brain! offset weaknesses in interview performance – it never
seems to work the other way round.
• Try to ensure that you talk to as many of the
company representatives and other candidates Tests are designed so that you have a few items to
as possible – don’t just limit yourself to one or two practise on first, but if you’re anxious about them,
who seem the most friendly. getting in some practice will probably make you feel
• Assume that you’ll be closely observed the whole better. You will find practice tests at:
time. www.shldirect.com

Further resources When it comes to completing the tests:

For further information and resources on assessment • Read the instructions carefully and follow them
centres go to: precisely
• Some ability tests have tight time limits and too
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/AssessmentCntrs
many questions to do in the time allowed
www.open.ac.uk/careers and look for ‘Assessment • Others, such as personality and interest
Centres’ in the ‘A- Z’. questionnaires, have no time limits
• Ask during the practice session if you don’t
understand.

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Personality tests are easy to fake, but there are 4.7.4 Presentations
dangers in trying to do this. For one thing, most tests
contain ‘lie scales’, for another you’ll have to guess These are often used as part of an assessment
what sort of personality the company is looking for. exercise. They’re easy to set up and provide a useful
Some selection procedures include a discussion sample of logical thinking, communication skills and
about the test results with a psychologist, and faking persuasiveness. Sometimes you’re told the topic
then becomes very difficult to sustain. Honesty is the before the day, sometimes during the assessment
best policy. centre, but you’re always given time to prepare,
and you may have access to audio-visual materials.
If you have a disability that you believe may affect You may need to make your presentation just to the
your ability to do these tests, it is advisable to talk selectors, or sometimes to the other candidates as
to the employer about this beforehand to discuss well. There could be questions afterwards.
whether there are any alternative arrangements that
would be appropriate for your situation. Keep the presentation simple. Remember the rubric:

4.7.3 Written exercises Tell ’em what you’re going


Typically, you’ll be given a lot of written data and
to tell ’em
asked to write a report, outline a proposal or draft a
letter. A suitable structure for your answer is likely to Tell ’em
be:
Tell ’em what you’ve told ’em
• A redefinition of the problem (by drawing out the
key issues) Keep in mind some general advice about
• Setting out the main options, with their pros and presentations:
cons. Don’t ignore the possibility of recombining
• Whatever the instructions, see it as a task in which
parts of different options.
you have to convince or persuade the selectors.
• Recommendation of an option, with your reasons Talk directly to them. Make it a lively delivery.
(is it practicable, and how?) Never read from a prepared script. How you say it
If you’re faced with a written exercise: is as important as what you say.
• Follow the instructions. Like examination • Don’t be tempted to produce complex visuals.
candidates, applicants who fail selection tests You’ll probably have only five minutes of
often do so because they don’t answer the presentation time, not enough to do them justice.
questions. • Keep a careful eye on the time; don’t over-run,
but make good use of your allowance. If you’ve
• What’s usually wanted is a business report, not an
been asked to prepare in advance, practise so
essay. Make liberal use of subheadings and bullet
that you’ve got the timing right. Candidates often
points to make your answer easy to read.
fail through producing two to three times too much
• Don’t spend so much time thinking and planning material.
that you haven’t got time to write the report.
• Don’t rework chunks of the brief. The marker will 4.7.5 Group discussions
be looking for original thought. Three to eight candidates sit in a group and discuss
• Make assumptions explicit, and if more information one or more topics, with the selectors acting as
might be needed say what it is. If asked to do so, observers. Very often you’ll be set a task as a group
come to a conclusion or recommendation, with or given a case study to look at. The observers will
reasoning to support your choice. be making notes about the quality of your contribution
• You won’t get any marks if the marker can’t read (logic, verbal expression, relationship with other
your writing. If you have trouble with it, don’t use participants).
a ballpoint pen – it tends to make things worse. • Be clear about the aims of the exercise: keep the
Concentrate your thinking and be succinct in your group focused on the task.
expression so that you have less to write. • Make an early contribution, but not necessarily the
• Remember to put your name on all the sheets of first.
paper you use. • Be supportive and pleasant to the other
candidates. Be cooperative; remember that getting
the best out of others is a skill in itself. You’re not
going to be judged on your ability to dominate.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

• Mentally ‘stand back’ occasionally and evaluate 4.7.7 Graphology


what’s happening. Intervene if there’s loss of
direction, or conflict between the other participants. Graphology - analysis of handwriting – is used a
lot for managerial selection in continental Europe,
• Keep a careful eye on the time. If you have to particularly in France, but is a controversial technique
reach a decision within thirty minutes, remind the in the UK. Evidence offers little support for its use
group if necessary. as a predictor of performance. Studies indicate that
Make a point of discussing your strategy and graphologists can produce generalised personality
interpretation of the group discussion with the descriptions, but they’re not as detailed or as
interviewer later, even if you’re not asked to do so. accurate as information gathered from psychometric
tests and exercises.
4.7.6 In-tray exercises You’re likely not to know that graphology is being
These simulations of the administrative aspects of a used. However, some employers ask candidates to
job can be very taxing. You may be asked to respond submit a handwritten piece on a management topic,
quickly (in timed conditions) to a number of typical and that can be a clue. So, if you’re asked to submit a
questions or issues that may crop up in a job and demonstration piece, take care over presentation as
say what you would do and how you would prioritise well as content.
tasks. They’re usually set in an unrealistic scenario
that prevents you from talking to other people in 4.7.8 Biodata analysis
the organisation (e.g. colleagues are ill, abroad, it’s ‘Biodata’, a contraction of ‘biographical data’,
Saturday afternoon). The qualities most likely to means that details of an individual’s history are
be assessed are analysis, organisation, decision- correlated with the biographical details of others
making, judgement, and ability to communicate in who have succeeded in the same occupation. The
clear English. How to go about it: biographical data need not have any recognised link
• It may be possible to take the in-tray apart and sort with performance, other than statistical correlation.
it into heaps. If you like to work like that, make sure Information may be collected from the standard
that it’s permitted. You may be allowed to use the application form, but often a special form is needed.
floor if the desk isn’t big enough.
• Read the instructions carefully and plan your time 4.7.9 Proficiency tests
accordingly. These tests are used to find out whether candidates
• If the first part of the exercise asks you to set have the skills they claim – 120 words per minute
priorities, follow this up by tackling the items shorthand, for example, or 90 words per minute word-
according to those you set. Don’t just put your processing. Related tests of ‘potential for proficiency’
head down and plough through the lot. A well (trainability) assess characteristics such as hand–eye
constructed test in-tray will contain distracting coordination.
trivia, just like a real one.
• Look for links within an in-tray, and between in- 4.7.10 Medical tests
trays if there’s more than one. Signal in your
comments that you’ve spotted these links. The job advertisement or person specification should
state clearly whether a certain level of physical fitness
• Remain balanced in your judgement. A cleverly is required. As well as general fitness, medical tests
constructed in-tray will generate emotional cover sight, colour perception and hearing.
responses that can cloud decision-making. Staffing
issues are most likely to spring this trap.
• Give reasons for your decisions; make reporting
and follow-up clear; set timescales; use your diary
and your secretary well. Treat the whole exercise Pause for thought
like real life, with appropriate levels of formality and
informality in your responses. Getting the job you want is
always a challenge, and may
• You can be judged only on what you’ve written
take time. By taking the trouble
down, not on what went through your head. Best
to reflect and to prepare, you’ll
marks are obtained by candidates who produce
be maximising your chance of
the largest volume of appropriate written output.
success.
• Don’t be discouraged. Most candidates find these
tests tough.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Further resources
For giving presentations, ask for the OU Toolkit on
Presentations from your regional centre or look under
Study Strategies for the link to Student Toolkits at:
www.open.ac.uk/learning
M. Parkinson (2004) How to master Psychometric
Tests, Kogan Page.
M. Byron (2003) How to pass the Civil Service
Qualifying Tests, Kogan Page.
M. Yate (2005) Great Answers to Tough Interview
Questions, Kogan Page.
The OU careers website at:
www.open.ac.uk/careers
If you are an OU student look at the ‘Moving on’
section on the Prospects website at:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/AppsInterviews

To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers 91


05
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Equality and Diversity Issues


In this section
5.1 Age 94
5.2 Criminal record 95
5.3 Disability or additional requirements 96
5.4 Gender/sex 98
5.5 Race 100
5.6 Sexuality and sexual orientation 101
5.7 Religion or belief 102

Regardless of their However, there is evidence that Each section includes a


certain groups of people are at a discussion of some of the issues
background, the disadvantage and may experience you may encounter, the legal
same principles of difficulty in achieving their career position, strategies to help you
aims. This section will explore a in your job search and further
career planning and range of issues related to equality resources that you may find
job seeking apply to of opportunity in relation to helpful.
everyone. In this section • age For more information and links
we highlight some of the • criminal record on job-seeking strategies when
facing discrimination, go to
additional challenges • disability or additional
requirements www.prospects.ac.uk/links/
that may be faced by discrimination
• gender/sex
students and graduates.
• race
• sexuality and sexual
Many employers have orientation.
well-developed equal
opportunities policies Pause for thought
to help them to recruit
Keep in mind that disclosure of personal information
a diverse workforce. In during the recruitment process can be a concern for
fact, some organisations some people. The issues of whether, when or how
aim specifically to recruit you should do so; on your application form; on a
covering letter; before or during an interview will be
a workforce that reflects considered later in Section 5.
the community they
serve, and you will often
see this highlighted in
job advertisements.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Activity 5.1

Note here any issues that could affect you at work, which you might like to
discuss with a careers adviser.

If you have additional requirements that may lead Having a degree is not enough to secure a job.
to difficulties accessing any of our services, we will Employers are looking for more than a qualification.
be happy to take reasonable steps to accommodate They are saying, ‘Yes, you have a degree and...’. This
your needs. For example, if you need any information is where you are able, as a mature graduate, to offer
in an alternative format such as an audio recording, a range of transferable skills and experience to an
Braille or large print, please contact your regional employer. So, you need to present your experience
centre who will arrange this. You may need to allow and skills positively and highlight your ‘added value’.
some time for appropriate arrangements to be made.
5.1.2 How to help yourself in the job
market
5.1 Age Take a look at Section 4 on applying for jobs. Then
Are you concerned that, having completed your contact the Careers Advisory Service in your region
degree, your age will count against you in the job to get help with your marketing plan. Remember,
market? hone your CV to highlight that ‘extra’ you can offer
to enhance your application. This should also help
5.1.1 Your rights you to feel confident about what you can offer to the
workplace.
By October 2006, there will be legislation in force in
the UK that will ensure that anti-age-discrimination If you haven’t had any recent work experience (paid
will become as much an offence as discrimination or voluntary), then you could consider exploring
against race, gender, disability, sexual orientation and your local options. For instance, look at the Careers
religion. Advisory Service website for contacts for volunteering
opportunities, or contact your local OU Careers
The Employers Forum on Age states that ‘being an Advisory Service. It’s not enough to think that
employer of choice in an environment with an ageing because you have completed a part-time degree,
population means ensuring that employment policies juggling study and home responsibilities, and paid
and practices are attractive to all age groups’. work, that you are automatically going to be offered
Employers vary a great deal in their attitudes towards a job. This may feel unfair, especially when you have
age and recruitment and with the increasing numbers of used all your spare time to get the degree in the first
mature and overseas applicants offering a wide range place. So, plan ahead and make use of the study
of qualifications and experience, selection procedures breaks and any contacts you have to find out all you
in large organisations are being reviewed. can about the area of work you are interested in.

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Many OU graduates have changed careers in mid- • Highlight your time management, organisational
life; some have started new careers in their 50s. You and self-motivational skills; you have just spent a
do need to be clear about what you want and what number of years improving these through part-time
you can offer. And you must be determined and study.
active in your approach. Don’t be put off by negative • Demonstrate your flexibility and experience of
reactions if at first you don’t succeed! One graduate studying and working in mixed-age environments.
wrote:
• Convey your reliability, loyalty and confidence to
manage change.
My method worked because of
planning, research, investment Further resources
of time and 143 stamps and For the latest information on age legislation 2006, go
envelopes, good targeting and to Employers Forum on Age at:

carefully written documentation. www.efa.org.uk


(A level playing field, AGCAS) The Third Age Employment Network (TAEN) works
for better opportunities for mature people to continue
Tell employers about your skills and to learn, work and earn for as long as they want, or
need, to do so. You can access the network at:
what you have had to do to get an OU
qualification. Most employers will be www.taen.org.uk

impressed by your commitment and Mature students – the way forward (AGCAS
publication) is available at:
motivation! www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Mature
Indeed, some areas of work look for maturity, AdvantAGE – A magazine published by ‘realworld’ to
and view life experience as an advantage e.g. help ‘mature’ students to take control of their future.
counselling, psychotherapy, social work, occupational Available for reference in your regional centre or at:
therapy, teaching, and archive work. Nonetheless, it’s www.realworldmagazine.com/mat_home.asp
vital – whatever your aims – to research your chosen
area thoroughly and market yourself effectively. Age diversity at work – A practical guide for business.
Published by Age Positive at:
Here are some tips from the Association of Graduate
www.agepositive.gov.uk
Recruiters (AGR) and the Association of Graduate
Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) to help you A level playing field – A job-hunting guide for
maximise your potential for job seeking: students and graduates on how to challenge unfair
discrimination, including a section for mature
• Produce a concise CV and match your experience
students. Published by AGCAS and available online
to the job requirements. Be prepared to produce
at:
more than one CV.
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination
• Fully research each employer, starting by using the
company website (if there is one available).
• Be confident if you are offered an interview as this
means your CV/application form has obviously 5.2 Criminal record
been successful. If you have a criminal record, you may be confused
• Use positive language in applications and about its implications for working in the future. Some
interviews and never apologise for your age. of your concerns may include:
• Create your own network using contacts from • Whether you must declare any convictions.
previous jobs/friends/family.
• What impact a criminal record will have on your
• Identify the skills you developed in previous work, gaining and keeping employment.
studies and general life experience e.g. teamwork,
• How, when and if to disclose a conviction to a
communication, adaptability.
prospective employer.
• Stress your ability to hit the ground running – you
know all about working for a living. 5.2.1 Your rights
• Demonstrate your experience when making
Do note that there are legal requirements regarding
effective business decisions and give examples.
disclosure of certain convictions. For some areas

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

of work, such as ‘regularly caring for, training,


supervising or being in sole charge of persons aged 5.3 Disability or
under eighteen’, employers are required to seek
disclosure of criminal records from the relevant additional requirements
criminal records office. Many students and graduates with disabilities have
the same skills and abilities to offer as anyone else,
5.2.2 How to help yourself in the job without the need for specific adjustments or support.
market For some students, additional support can help to
enable access to work. The key starting point is
If you have unspent convictions, it can seem a to explore career areas that are relevant to your
challenging task to seek employment. Here is a range interests and skills, and then to consider the next
of strategies to help you: steps as outlined below.
• Discuss your situation with a careers adviser at
your regional centre. 5.3.1 Your rights
• Market yourself as positively as possible (see The Disability Discrimination Acts (DDA) of 1995 and
Section 4). 2005 make it unlawful for an employer to discriminate
• Be realistic about the employment area you wish against you whether you are applying for a job or
to enter. Keep in mind that there are certain jobs are in employment. They define rights for disabled
for which convictions never become spent. Before people, particularly in relation to employment and
you start studying for a specific career area, or access to goods, services and facilities. You count as
applying for jobs, do check the legal situation disabled according to the Act if you have ‘a physical
carefully. or mental impairment which has a substantial and
• Make use of other agencies that can help and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out
advise you. normal day-to-day activities’. This covers people
who have had a disability, as defined by the Act, in
Further resources the past; those who have recurring or progressive
conditions; and people with severe disfigurements.
Criminal Records Bureau (England and Wales) at:
Part II of the DDA is intended to prevent
www.crb.gov.uk discrimination against disabled people at work
Scottish Criminal Record Office (Scotland) at: and in recruitment. It does not apply to employers
who employ workers on board ships or aircraft.
www.disclosurescotland.co.uk All employers are covered except for the armed
The Apex Trust – support, information and advice for forces. Discrimination is outlawed in all aspects
ex-offenders seeking work at: of employment, including recruitment, promotion,
training and selection for redundancy or dismissal.
www.apextrust.com
Employers are also required to make reasonable
The National Association for the Care and adjustments both to the workplace and to the job
Resettlement of Offenders (NACRO) publishes a description. These may include adjusting premises,
number of advice leaflets. You can access them at: altering hours or buying equipment. The effectiveness
www.nacro.org.uk of the adjustment in reducing the disadvantage must
be taken into account, and so must the finances
A level playing field – A job-hunting guide for of the employer. Large companies will probably
students and graduates on how to challenge unfair be expected to adapt the workplace, but smaller
discrimination, including a section for offenders. companies with lesser funds may not have to do so.
Published by AGCAS and available online at: Employers must show that they have looked into the
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination costs of adaptations, and what funding is available
from other sources.
You can find out more from the Disability Rights
Commission:
Disability Rights Commission
www.drc-gb.org

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5.3.2 How to help yourself in the job Here are some reasons why it might be a good a idea
market to not disclose your disability

You may need to decide whether or not to tell an • You may believe that your disability has no effect
employer that you have a disability. If you do decide on your ability to do the job.
to disclose your disability, you will need to consider • You might feel that you will be discriminated
the method and timing. Do you tell them on your against and rejected straight away.
application form? In a covering letter? Before or after • You may think that an employer will automatically
an interview? There are no clear-cut answers to these see you as a potential expense.
questions. You must make your own judgement, • Perhaps you prefer not to discuss your disability
though you may find it helpful to talk it over with a with a stranger.
careers adviser at your regional centre.
When you apply for jobs and you are considering 5.3.3 Resources for employment and
whether to disclose your disability: training
• Always focus on what you can do, not what you
can’t. Jobcentre Plus
• Don’t assume that an employer will view your Jobcentre Plus is a network of jobcentres provided
disability in a negative way. There are now over by the government to offer information to all adults
400 member companies in the Employers’ Forum on jobs, training and self-employment. To find your
on Disability www.employers-forum.co.uk nearest Jobcentre Plus office, look at the website:
Each is committed to creating and developing www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
opportunities for people with disabilities.
or look up Jobcentre Plus in the Yellow Pages.
• Don’t restrict your applications only to employers
who are keen to recruit disabled people. The majority of disabled jobseekers who find work
Here are some reasons why it might be a good idea through Jobcentre Plus are assisted by a disability
to disclose your disability employment adviser (DEA). Specialist DEAs can
discuss your current employment situation with you
• Some employers are keen to employ to plan the best way into work. If you’re concerned
people with disabilities and use the about losing the job you’re already in for a reason
disability symbol – this shows they associated with disability, the DEA can provide advice
are positive about employing disabled to you and your employer and explore practical ways
staff. However, many employers do not use the to help you keep your job.
symbol but there may be practical evidence that
they are positive about disability – such as offering Services the DEAs can offer include:
information in alternative formats and alternative • An employment assessment to identify what work
ways of contacting them. So, look for employers or training suits you best.
who make these kinds of positive statements even • Referral where appropriate to a work preparation
if they don’t use the disability symbol. programme.
• You will be able to describe things in a positive • Referral if needed to an occupational psychologist.
light – your strengths, your coping strategies.
• A job matching and referral service.
• Many employers have equal opportunities policies.
• Information on employers in your area who are
• Access to Work – a Jobcentre Plus programme Disability Symbol users.
(see below) can provide support for you in a job.
For instance, it may fund specialist equipment or • Referral where appropriate to specialist Jobcentre
transport costs. You should always point this out to Plus programmes for disabled people including:
employers. Job Introduction Scheme (JIS) – To help you and
• Many application forms ask about disability an employer with employment costs for the first
and health. If you give false information and an few weeks if you or your employer is not sure
employer finds out the truth later, you risk losing whether a job may be suitable.
your job. Access to Work – Can help you make the most of
• If you declare your disability and believe that your opportunities in work by helping you to tackle
you have been discriminated against during the some of the practical obstacles you may meet at
application process, the Disability Discrimination work if you have a disability.
Act 1995 entitles you to take your case to a
tribunal.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

WORKSTEP – Individual programme of support


through a variety of different job opportunities 5.4 Gender/sex
– leading to unsupported employment. Does it make a difference if you are a man or a
• Details about work-based learning for adults. woman when applying for a job? Unfortunately,
yes: despite the work of the Equal Opportunities
• Information on local and national disability Commission (EOC), we still find gender discrimination
organisations of and for disabled people. in the workplace. There is a lot of discussion
Disabled students’ allowances (DSAs) about the ‘glass ceiling’ that prevents women from
achieving ‘top jobs’, and in fact, there is still a 15 per
Disabled students’ allowances (DSAs) are grants cent pay gap between male and female graduates
available to disabled students in higher education by the age of 24 – even when they have the same
to help with the extra costs of services and facilities qualifications in the same subject.
they need for their studies because of a disability
or specific learning difficulty. The OU provides It’s important that you are aware of the issues
information about DSAs on the website at: concerning sex and gender discrimination – at both
recruitment stage, and in employment. If you check
www.open.ac.uk/disability on the legal situation, this can help you in presenting
yourself in your application for work, and in ongoing
Further resources communication with your employer. (You might also
Association of Disabled Professionals at: want to check whether a prospective employer has
an equal opportunities policy.)
www.adp.org.uk
Other equality issues that you might encounter
Diversity Works at: include harassment at work, needing time off work
www.diversityworks.scope.org.uk for parenting duties, and looking for flexible working
arrangements. Times are changing: for instance,
SKILL – The National Bureau for Students with the necessity for a work/life balance is highlighted
Disabilities – has a large range of relevant information by the legal right for mothers and fathers of children
sources: under 6, and disabled children under 18, to request
www.skill.org.uk flexible working, which came into force in the UK on 6
April 2003. If you live outside the UK you will need to
A level playing field – A job-hunting guide for check the legal position for your country of residence.
students and graduates on how to challenge unfair
discrimination, including a section on disability,
published by AGCAS and available online at: 5.4.1 Your rights
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination (The following information is from the EOC website,
June 2003.)
The Hobson’s guide for Disabled Students – This is a
free annual publication for disabled students; includes The Equal Pay Act 1970 (EPA) gives an individual a
employers’ case studies, and graduate case studies, right to the same contractual pay and benefits as a
available for reference in each regional centre. person of the opposite sex in the same employment,
where the man and the woman are doing
There is also an interactive web-based service
providing dedicated information, advice and • like work; or
resources for students with disabilities, academics • work rated as equivalent under an analytical job
involved in work placements and prospective evaluation study; or
employers: • work that is proved to be of equal value.
www.disabilitytoolkits.ac.uk
Employers are not required to provide the same pay
Disabled Entrepreneurs Network: and benefits if they can prove that the difference in
pay or benefits is genuinely due to a reason other
www.disabled-entrepreneurs.net
than one related to sex. The EPA applies to England,
The Open University Careers Advisory Service web Wales and Scotland.
pages have some useful links. Look in the ‘A-Z’ under
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) prohibits
‘Disability’ for further resources.
sex discrimination against individuals in the areas
www.open.ac.uk/careers of employment, education, and the provision of
goods, facilities and services and in the disposal
or management of premises. It also prohibits
discrimination in employment against married people.

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Victimisation because someone has tried to exercise 5.4.5 How to help yourself in the job
their rights under the SDA or Equal Pay Act is also market
prohibited.
So, how can you help prevent discrimination against
The SDA applies to women and men of any age, yourself – whether you are female or male – in the
including children and prohibits direct and indirect job market? Here are a few suggestions:
sex discrimination. There are special provisions
about discrimination on the grounds of gender • Plan your application effectively in order to
reassignment. Part I of the SDA describes the forms minimise the possibility of unfair discrimination.
of discrimination to which the SDA applies. This is especially important if you are looking to
enter a field of employment that is traditionally
The EPA has been interpreted to cover indirect sex dominated by the opposite sex.
discrimination as well as direct discrimination. Indirect
discrimination is where the pay difference is due to a • Provide clear evidence of your ability to do the
condition or practice that applies to men and women job, and this will help to counter any negative
but which adversely affects a considerably larger stereotypes that may exist.
proportion of one sex than the other and it is not • Concentrate on your strengths.
justifiable, irrespective of sex, to apply that condition • Discuss your application with a careers adviser in
or practice. your regional centre.

5.4.2 Direct sex discrimination 5.4.6 Resources for employment


Direct sex discrimination is where a woman (or and training
man) is treated less favourably than a person of the
opposite sex in comparable circumstances because Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
of her (or his) sex. For instance, one type of direct The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
sex discrimination is sexual harassment; another is is the leading agency working to eliminate sex
treating a woman adversely because she is pregnant. discrimination in the UK. The EOC campaigns to:
• Close the pay gap between women and men.
5.4.3 Indirect sex discrimination • Make it easier for parents to balance work with
Indirect sex discrimination is where a condition or family responsibilities.
practice is applied to both sexes but it adversely • Increase the number of women in public life.
affects a considerably larger proportion of one • Break free of male and female stereotypes.
sex than the other. Therefore, it is not justifiable,
irrespective of sex, to apply a condition or practice. • End sexual harassment at work.
For instance, an unnecessary requirement to be • Make public services relevant to the differing
under 5’ 10” would discriminate against men; a needs of men and women.
requirement to work full-time might be unlawful • Secure comprehensive equality legislation in
discrimination against women. Europe, England, Scotland and Wales.

5.4.4 Discrimination on grounds of Further resources


gender reassignment Equal Opportunities Commission at:
With certain exceptions, there are special provisions www.eoc.org.uk
prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of gender
reassignment in employment. There are no express No. 10 – Top Careers for Women – careers
provisions prohibiting discrimination on grounds of publication focusing on issues relating to graduate
gender reassignment in the other fields covered by women in the labour market. You can access this at:
the SDA. However, there is a good argument that the www.numberten.co.uk
general definition of sex discrimination prohibits this, Work life balance centre – available at:
although there is not yet any legal authority on this
point. www.worklifebalancecentre.org

Employment-related claims are brought in an A level playing field – A job-hunting guide for
employment tribunal. Strict time limits apply. students and graduates on how to challenge unfair
Three months (less one day) from the act of the discrimination, including a section on gender.
discrimination for employment tribunal cases. Published by AGCAS and available online at:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

5.5 Race The Race Relations Act identifies three main types of
racial discrimination:
According to research by the Higher Education • direct racial discrimination
Statistics Agency, in 2004, ‘white graduates were
more likely than those from minority ethnic groups • indirect racial discrimination
to be in full-time paid work and less likely to be • victimisation.
unemployed six months following graduation’. So,
despite legislation, discrimination continues to exist 5.5.2 Direct racial discrimination
for students from minority ethnic groups who do meet Direct racial discrimination occurs when a person
barriers to getting work, or work at an appropriate is treated less favourably on racial grounds than
level to their qualifications. This is recognised by the others in similar circumstances. If you think this has
UK government: happened to you, and you want to prove it, it will
help if you can give an example of someone from a
Some ethnic minority groups have different racial group who, in similar circumstances,
done well in the education system has been treated more favourably than you. Racist
abuse and harassment are also forms of direct
and in the labour market. But too discrimination.
many members of ethnic minority
communities are being left behind. 5.5.3 Indirect racial discrimination
And even those individuals who Indirect racial discrimination occurs when a person
achieve academic success do not from a particular racial group is less likely to be able
to comply with a requirement or condition that applies
necessarily reap the rewards in the to everyone but which cannot be justified.
workplace that their qualifications
merit. 5.5.4 Victimisation
Tony Blair, March 2003 Victimisation has a special legal meaning in the Race
Relations Act. This happens when a person is treated
In March 2003, the UK government launched a less favourably because they have complained about
new strategy to remove the barriers to employment racial discrimination or supported someone else who
success for job-seekers from minority ethnic has.
backgrounds.
If you think you have been discriminated against at
The report proposes a fresh approach to address the work, or when applying for work, you have the right
many barriers that can get in the way of success in under the amended Act to take your complaint before
jobs and careers. Government initiatives take time to an employment tribunal. If you are thinking of bringing
implement however, and you need to plan your own a case of racial discrimination, you can apply to the
job-seeking strategies to maximise your opportunities. Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), or to one of a
number of other organisations such as trade unions,
5.5.1 Your rights racial equality councils, law centres, citizens advice
bureaux and other advice agencies, for help.
The Race Relations Act 1976 (which was amended
in 2000) makes it illegal to treat a person less
favourably than others on racial grounds. These 5.5.5 Time limits
cover grounds of race, colour, nationality (including Keep in mind that there are strict time limits for filing
citizenship), and national or ethnic origin. In practice, your case at an employment tribunal or court, so
most racial discrimination in Britain is against don’t delay. In general, you have three months to file
people from minority ethnic groups, but people of an employment case and six months to file a case in
every background, race, colour and nationality are the county court or sheriff court.
protected by the law.
If you think you have been discriminated against on 5.5.6 How to help yourself in the job
racial grounds, the amended Act gives you the right market
to take your complaint before an employment tribunal
or a county court (or sheriff court in Scotland). So what can and should you do to market yourself,
to target employers, and to challenge unfair
discrimination? Here are some suggestions:

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

• Make use of Section 4 ‘Getting the job’ to prepare Further resources


your marketing tools, your CV, application forms
and covering letters. KAL – Careers publication for students from minority
ethnic groups (formerly Kaleidoscopic), available for
• Discuss your plans and approach with a careers reference in your regional centre or at
adviser in your regional centre.
www.kalmagazine.com
• Many employers have sub-groups for minority
ethnic groups. Target employers with a reputation Black and Asian Graduates –The UK’s official
for good equal opportunity policy and practice. For website for black and Asian graduates, students
advice on finding positive employers take a look at: and recruiters. Includes job-hunting techniques,
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination vacancies, plus details of work experience and
career-enhancement programmes
• Understand the relevant legal situation. www.blackandasiangrad.ac.uk
• Develop contacts and make the most of your
networking skills.
• Check if the organisation is a member of Business
in the Community (BITC) www.bitc.org.uk. Race
5.6 Sexuality and sexual
for Opportunity is a programme, run by BITC, that
is dedicated to ethnic minority issues.
orientation
Are you worried about possible discrimination in the
5.5.7 Resources for employment and workplace because of your sexuality? Whether to,
training when to, and how much to disclose to a potential
employer and to work colleagues is of course a
Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) matter of personal choice. You will need to consider
how comfortable you will be in an area of work where
The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) is the you are not open about your sexuality, and this will
national organisation for monitoring racial equality. depend on your own experience and lifestyle.
Contact them for information on legal issues,
campaigns and services as well as vacancies in the
commission 5.6.1 Your rights
Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)
Regulations 2003 ban discrimination on the grounds
www.cre.gov.uk of sexual orientation in employment. This relates to
England, Scotland and Wales.
National Mentoring Consortium Unit
The National Mentoring Consortium Unit works 5.6.2 Transsexuals
with employers, universities and schools to support
learners from minority ethnic groups. It holds an In May 1999, the Sex Discrimination (Gender
annual careers day for black and Asian students and Reassignment) Regulations 1999 came into force in
graduates. Find out more about the unit at: the UK. The amendments, which apply to the Sex
Discrimination Act (1997), formally made illegal a
www.nmc-online.com whole catalogue of discrimination against transsexual
people in employment. You can find more information
TeacherWorld UK at the Press for Change website (see Section 5.6.4).
TeacherWorld UK provides information and support
for teachers (and those intending to teach) from 5.6.3 How to help yourself in the job
minority ethnic backgrounds. You can log onto their market
website at:
There are a number of measures that you can take to
www.teacherworld.org.uk help yourself in the job market:
Windsor Fellowship • Many employers now have Equal Opportunities
The Windsor Fellowship is a charitable organisation Policies that include lesbians and gay men,
that offers skills development programmes to especially public sector and large private
undergraduates and graduates from minority ethnic employers. You can ask for a copy of the
groups. Their website is: policy before applying for a job. If the EOP is
incorporated into your contract you might be able
www.windsor-fellowship.org to directly rely upon it.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

• Consider joining a trade union where you will Press for Change
receive support and legal advice. If you encounter Press for Change is a political lobbying and
discrimination, the support of a trade union can educational organisation, which campaigns to
protect you where the legislation doesn’t. A number achieve equal civil rights and liberties for all
of motions passed at TUC conferences have made transgender people in the UK, through legislation and
it clear that all affiliated unions should adhere to social change
equal opportunities for lesbians and gay men.
www.pfc.org.uk
• If your employer recognises more than one union,
contact their headquarters to check which is the
most progressive on lesbian and gay issues: some Further resources
produce specific material and some have lesbian Equal Opportunities Commission
and gay groups.
www.eoc.org.uk
• Find out about employers who belong to the
Diversity Champions group set up by Stonewall in Gay Business Association
2001.
www.gba.org.uk
5.6.4 Resources for employment and Regard – the national organisation of disabled
training lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender
people.
Stonewall www.regard.dircon.co.uk
Stonewall works to achieve legal equality and social
A level playing field – A job-hunting guide for
justice for lesbians, gay men and bisexual people
students and graduates on how to challenge unfair
and launched Diversity Champions in 2001. This is
discrimination, including a section on sexuality
a forum in which employers work with Stonewall to
and sexual orientation. Published by AGCAS and
encourage diversity in the workplace. Usually, these
available online at
employers are at the cutting edge of innovation
in business and public service, and Diversity www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Discrimination
Champions allows employers to focus on the new
challenges and opportunities for addressing issues
of diversity in the workplace. Larry Hirst, General
Manager, IBM (UK and Ireland) says:
5.7 Religion or belief
In December 2003, The Employment Equality
I greatly value IBM’s participation in Regulations 2003 (Religion or Belief) were
introduced to protect against discrimination in
the Diversity Champions Scheme. employment and vocational training in England,
At IBM we employ the best people Scotland and Wales and similar regulations were also
irrespective of religion, gender, introduced in Northern Ireland.
sexual orientation, race, age or Under the new regulations it is unlawful, on the
grounds of religion or belief, to discriminate directly
disability. Working with Stonewall or indirectly against anyone, unless the employer can
enables us to share and learn best show that there is a legitimate business need. It is
practice from others and to ensure also unlawful to harass or bully someone because of
their religion or belief.
IBM is an inclusive and positive
company in our dealings with The most usual ways in which employers may
discriminate might be around the way in which they
employees and customers alike. recruit new staff, where they advertise, days when
they choose to interview, staff development or training
www.stonewall.org.uk/stonewall days clashing with days of worship or festivals and
promotion.
You should be aware that many organisations now
do take proactive measures to promote flexible
and integrated working through surveys and staff
development and training to promote inclusion and
raise awareness.

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

If this is an area that is of concern to you, it is


important (as is the case with all job applications and
career decisions) to research jobs and organisations
to ensure that they are right for you.
But how do you know this?
• Look out for race equality schemes/equality and
diversity policies.
• Read the information in the recruitment pack.
Does it include information about equality and
diversity? If not, it doesn’t necessarily mean that
the employer doesn’t care about this.
• Speak to the equality and diversity officer, if the
organisation has one. Alternatively, someone from
human resources may be able to help.
• Look out for employee profiles on employer
websites.

5.7.1 Disclosure
The Employment Equality Regulations 2003
(Religion or Belief) do not impose a duty on
individuals to tell an employer or prospective
employer about their religion or belief. Disclosure is a
personal decision that will be influenced by a number
of factors (you may want some reassurance before
you apply or before you accept a job) and you may
want to discuss in more detail with a careers adviser
before you decide what to do. It is unlikely that you
will find questions relating to religion or belief on an
application form (other than for equal opportunity
monitoring) or that you would come across it in
an interview, unless it is a genuine occupational
requirement (GOR).
In the meantime, if this is a concern for you, keep up
to date on the law and your rights. As it is recent
legislation, there is very little case law at present
– greater understanding of how the legislation is
interpreted and practised will come with time.

Further resources
The Employment Equality Regulations 2003
www.lowpay.gov.uk/er/equality/eeregs
Managing the New Legislation on Religion and Belief
www.bitc.org.uk/docs/RFO_Religion.pdf

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06
Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

The next steps


In this section
6.1 Open University Careers Advisory Service 105
6.2 Open University study materials 106
6.3 Other sources of help 107

When you’ve worked 6.1 OU Careers 6.1.1 Open University


Careers Advisory Service
through this book
there’s a lot to gain not Advisory website
only by reflecting and Service Have a look at our website at:
www.open.ac.uk/careers
reconsidering things, The Open University Careers
but also by discussing Advisory Service provides access You can either work your way
to appropriate careers information, through the site or go straight to
them either informally advice and guidance for the sections that are of particular
with a trusted friend or prospective and current students interest to you. (There are also
links to other useful websites.)
formally with a careers and recent graduates. Ask your
The site takes you through the
regional centre for a copy of the
adviser. You might want OU Careers Advisory Service various stages of planning your
to arrange this through Statement of Service, which career, from analysing your
outlines the range of services potential to applying for jobs.
your regional centre. available, or you can view it on The section ‘OU Study and your
our website from the ‘About the Career’ contains information
As you clarify your objectives, on occupational areas linked
OU Careers Advisory Service’
you’ll be able to develop a plan to relevant OU courses and
page.
of action. In order to achieve qualifications.
what you want, you may need You may want to request an
to go through several smaller individual consultation with one
steps such as gaining particular of the OU’s careers advisers.
6.1.2 Career Advisory
experience or qualifications, This is usually conducted by First Class Conference
gathering information or getting telephone, and you can arrange All OU students have access
access to a particular resource. this by contacting your regional to our online ‘Career Advisory
centre. Some careers advisers Conference’ in FirstClass. We use
Look through the information and
may also be available at large this to post notices about events
resources that we recommend.
regional events such as course and any other careers information
Remember that many of the
choice meetings. Most one-week that is relevant to OU students.
resources listed are concerned
residential schools provide an We also periodically run topic- or
primarily with the UK job market.
opportunity to talk to a careers subject-based conferences where
Readers outside the UK should
adviser. students can post questions and
look at
receive replies from a careers
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/ adviser – see:
countries
www.open.ac.uk/careers/
conferences

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

6.1.3 Career Links Applications and interviews:


This is an OU networking scheme run by the Careers www.prospects.ac.uk/links/AppsInterviews
Advisory Service where OU students who want ‘Beyond nine to five’ (flexible working):
to enter a specific career can register as Career www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Flexiblework
Seekers. They are then matched with a suitable
Career Helper who is already working in that career Prospects website also includes the free online
and who can share their personal experiences. For career planning tool ‘Prospects Planner’. This
more information and to register for Career Links visit asks users to answer questions on a range of
www.open.ac.uk/careers/links. factors related to their career choice and a list of
potential occupations is generated according to their
6.1.4 Publications and information responses. OU students may find it helpful to discuss
their results with a careers adviser. You can access
There are also a number of useful publications this at:
and sources of careers information available to all
students of The Open University. www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Pplanner.

OU study and your career – Looking at the career Your regional centre may also be able to provide or
benefits of OU study and how your choice of course suggest other sources of information.
may affect your career plans. You can ask your
regional centre for a copy or download it from the
careers website. 6.2 Open University
Recognition leaflets – Information about external
recognition of some OU qualifications, transferring study materials
credit, membership of UK professional bodies,
funding and sources of support. See: 6.2.1 Y154 Open to change
www.open.ac.uk/recognition The Openings programme of short introductory
courses has been specially designed to give you a
You can also look at and/or download careers chance to ‘test the water’ before committing yourself
information written by members of the Association of to full undergraduate study. Y154 Open to change
Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) on the can help you to assess your skills and explore
Prospects website at: possibilities for further learning. The course is for
www.prospects.ac.uk people who are thinking about returning to education
or training as well as those who are unemployed or
This includes information such as: hoping to get back into employment. The cost of the
Opportunities linked to your degree: course is £85 (£99 from September 2006). Some
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/options financial assistance is available for students receiving
state benefits.
Information about specific jobs:
You will find more information about Open University
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/occupations courses on our website at
An overview of job sectors (for example, education, www.open.ac.uk/courses
information technology, legal and social care):
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/SectorBs
You will also find information on special interest
topics, for example:
Mature students:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/Mature

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

6.3 Other sources


of help
6.3.1 External guidance providers
Other university careers services may be happy for
OU students to use their information rooms. You are
advised to ring first.
Look at the following website to find details of the
nearest service to you:
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/careersservices
For details of adult advice and guidance services in
the following countries, look at these websites:
England www.guidancecouncil.com
Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
www.egsa.org.uk
www.gradireland.com
Scotland www.careers-scotland.org.uk
Wales www.careerswales.com
Keep in mind that the extent of advice and guidance
provided for adults varies and there may be charges
for some of the services.

Further resources
A list of further resources is given at the end of each
section of this book. Look in larger libraries for other
publications mentioned in this book. Some may be
available for reference at your regional centre.
To find out about services offered by the Open
University library at Walton Hall, go to:
www.open.ac.uk/library

Finally
You may have to cope with setbacks and frustrations,
but remember that you’re setting out on an exciting
journey, taking the first steps towards a new or
resumed working life, with all its potential for
improvement and advancement.

Good luck and best wishes for your future!

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Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

108 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers 109


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

110 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers 111


Career Planning and Job Seeking Workbook

Notes

112 To find out more, visit our website at www.open.ac.uk/careers

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