Graduating from university is an exciting but scary time for
most students even in the U.S. It is a
transition time of going from being a student to an adult professional. To prepare for the change it requires a shift
in the student’s paradigm and concrete evidence of how God created them and how
their brain processes information.
Through the years since 2009, I have been helping students and recently
discovered that you can have a good CV/Resume buy still not see yourself as a
resource unless you know your skills and evidence of them.
Mark and I focus on discipleship and knowing our identity in
Christ from a spiritual standpoint in all the teaching we do. In addition we
have discovered the practical skills we have that are transferable to the
workplace can make a difference in how we offer the skills which are used in a
variety of environments be it work, church, home or community. This ministry to the students is fun and very practical along with giving us an opportunity to really get to know the students well.
As students request assistance about learning their
God-Given skills, creating a CV/resume and looking for a job, Isend the email
below introducing them to the process before they come for their 2-3 hour appointment:
Below is the process
of preparing you for your job search. Please be on time because we have much to
cover, please communicate before your appointment time if you have to cancel.
You are beginning a journey as an adult professional. I think you will find the session
interesting. To save time, If possible
write seven short paragraphs before you come to about yourself per the
instructions below.
The Process:
To identify your God
given transferable skills and work on your CV/Resume I need you to write 7
short paragraph stories. The idea is to
make it as easy as possible for someone to hire you without guessing what skills
you have. It is a way of being direct
about the things you want to do as part of the job you desire to get. It allows
me to help you give a complete picture of your skills and abilities. The older
CV/resume formats are usually very incomplete as far as the evidence of a
person's abilities. It makes a difference to the employer to see the numbers of
clients you have worked with or the specific amounts of money you have handled because it shows
proof that you have a skill. It is evidence,
not your opinion.
Please send me scans
or original documents like certificates, O level and A level grades or other
certificates. We will create an online file of all your documents so it will
make it very easy for you to apply for things you are interested in doing in
the future.
Also if you can write
some notes on your 7 stories it will help me also as we discern your God-given
skills that transfer to the workplace. These are the skills you do best and enjoy the most and you have
done them since childhood in one way or another. It helps me know you
better and integrate the skills into the CV.
Below are the things we will cover in the process.
1. 7 different little stories about yourself
from the time you were very little. Each
story can be a short paragraph but from the stories I will be able to see what
the skills are God has given you. Think about when you were very young even as
young at 3 yrs. old and remember the very first
time someone praised you or complimented you on something you did with
excellence. Usually it is something where you
did something you really enjoyed and many people recognized that you had talent in this area and told you so.
2. Write in a journal a short paragraph about
the experience. Be conscience of using
"ing" words which describe the skill you were using. Example: Singing, analyzing, entertaining, coaching,
teaching, negotiating or budgeting.
These are all transferable skills that can be done in a variety of
environments or settings such as school, home, community, church or workplace.
3. After you write the 7 stories you may see
a pattern of things you do well that are valuable resources in the
workplace. It is important for you to
know yourself well so you are able to present yourself as a "resource"
to a company rather than a "beggar" for a job.
4. This is the first step to gaining
confidence before you go for a job interview.
If you know yourself well you know where you can be successful and where
your skills fit. It also helps you know
where to apply for jobs with the highest percentage of success.
5. We will analyze the skills so you present
yourself in a CV in the most positive light so it increases the percentage
chance for getting a job you will enjoy.
6. The next step is writing a CV that is short
but qualitative and quantitative so the interviewer is very clear what skills
you have and that they are documented.
It is like presenting a case in court with the evidence so the person
reading the CV knows the person has the skills and has demonstrated them in
real life. This gives the interviewer
information that the person has practical experience and will prove you are
capable of doing specific tasks without you saying "I'm great at this or
that." It gives specific
information with how many people you lead on a team and how much money you
managed in a budget. It is a short one
page CV but paints a very thorough picture of the person's abilities. It is an honest appraisal of what the person
loves to do and how they may contribute specific skills to an organization.
7. Next we create a personalized job strategy
that provides step by step instructions on how to get a job you will enjoy and
be qualified to do. We will discuss your skills and companies you may want to
consider applying to for a job.
I've attached the
basic job strategy form but it doesn't list your skills or specific companies
or organizations where you should apply for jobs.
Also you can create
personalized thank you note stationery which presents you as a professional and someone who
has a grateful style. The job strategy
document explains this more.
Once we have all your
documents, you CV and a professional friendly picture, we are ready to create a
LinkedIn account. It is important to be very organized before setting up the
account because it is live to the world instantly so it is good to put your
best foot forward when you enter the international marketplace.
The process is
important for your confidence and preparation as to how to step out and be able
to enjoy the process of looking for a job.
Please let me know you received this email and if you have any questions.
God bless you,
Margaret
The students are getting prepared and many are getting jobs and it is so exciting to see them moving into the next phase of life.
