06 семестр / Разное / Все топики / Getting a Job

Getting a Job

Choosing your future work begins long before you start looking for a job. Your career actually begins with choosing a field of study. It is known that priorities in education change with time. According to some employers and company managers, specialists in math and engineering science are in great demand at the moment. They say that science is very good at training people to think in a certain way which is called a system approach in analysis. Graduates with a blend of scientific and business knowledge (which is offered by EBM faculty of BMSTU) are highly valued in economical and management fields. The skills that are most needed are: language, organizational and computer ones, the latter being very useful nowadays. Having those particular and other skills, you can consider switching careers after university in case you don't like your specialty.

Finally, after you have matched what you can with what you want, you may start looking for job vacancies. The best way to do it is to talk to people that you know are working for the company you've chosen or to ask recommendations from an appropriate person. One more way is looking through the "Situations Vacant" column in a newspaper or buying a special edition where different jobs are offered. Still the other way to find a job is to use help from special services such as the Ca­reers Advisory Service in Britain. It's officers give practical advice on interview techniques, application forms, letters, pay and so on.

After you've chosen a specific position, you have to apply for it. The first thing you need is a resume or a CV (curriculum vital). It's a document which lists person's qualifications, background and accom­panies job applications and their requests for admittance or acceptance. There are five categories of data included in a resume: first - personal information, second - education and training, third - work history, fourth - memberships, interests and hobbies, and fifth - references. A cover letter should precede the resume when it is used for an applica­tion and is sent by mail. It addresses an employer and should persuade him or her to appoint you an interview. Once you've got it you'd better get prepared for it. It's a good idea to find out what you can about the firm, to make a list of questions you want to ask interviewer and to think of questions you might be asked.

Dress to look clean and tidy. Come in time to the appointed place for an interview. Don't forget to take all the necessary documents for your better presentation. Don't be nervous and tense with the inter­viewer, be polite and listen attentively to all the questions you are asked. Try to give full and clear answers to the questions. Don't forget to mention your computer skills and language fluency if it's required by the company. Try to persuade the interviewer that you're the best can­didate for the chosen position and an asset for the company. At the end of the interview thank the interviewer for his or her attention. Don't demand the immediate answer about his or her decision.

If the decision on your acceptance has been positive, you might think you've got a job. It may be true and may be not. As interviews are very poor predictors of competence on the job the probationary period may be used to verify your skills. When you have successfully finished that, you can calm down a little and get ready for the serious work.

© Rudakoff, 2007