Graduate internship programme 2013 CAREER DEVELOPMENT

1. Graduate internship programme 2013CAREER DEVELOPMENT • By: • Lola Aforo, M.A. • Public Relations Officer - University Of Sierra Leone • Director Of Career Advising And Placement Services (CAPS-USL)

2. Objectives To orient graduates into employment possibilities through: Career Development Education Professional experiences Entrepreneurship Designing CV/Resume Cover letters Interviewing skill

3. What is career development? Career development involves a person’s creation of a career pattern, decision-making style, integration of life roles, values expression, and life-long self concept (Wikipedia)

4. EDUCATION • Good/sound education(writing/reading) • University/college • Vocational training • Technology skills

5. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES • Work experiences • Internships • Volunteerism • These experiences are opportunities to contribute to career • development and they provide valuable contributions to your career • development

6. Entrepreneurship?? • Entrepreneurship is the act and art of being an entrepreneur or one • who undertakes innovations or introducing new things, finance and • business acumen, in an effort to transform innovations into • economic goods. This may result in new organizations or may be • part of revitalizing mature organizations in response to a perceived • opportunity. The most obvious form of entrepreneurship is that of • starting new businesses (referred as startup company); • (WIKIPEDIA)

7. Resume and Curricular Vitae?? • A curriculum vitae (CV) provides an overview of a person's • experience and other qualifications. A CV or resume is • typically the first item that a potential employer encounters • regarding the job seeker and is typically used to • Screen applicants, often followed by an interview (Wikipedia). • Resume is usually one or two pages long • CV is usually very detailed and a couple of pages long

8. Types of Resume/CV Chronological – list the jobs you had Your most recent is listed first. Each job has employment dates and job duties Functional – describes your skills ability and accomplishments that relate to the job your are applying for (chronological resume)

9. Cover/application Letters?? • A cover letter or application letter is a letter that • introduces your resume or you to a prospective employer; • it describes valuable traits and professionalism that you • will bring to an organization • Two types of Application letters: • Solicited • Unsolicited

10. Successful Interviewing tips • Be on time • Dress professionally/and good grooming • Eye contact • Take notes • Ask questions • Smile • Speak clearly with good grammar

11. Successful Interviewing tips cont. • Carefully read the job description so that you thoroughly understand what the job involves. • Thinking of concrete examples from your work experience which illustrate your skills: adaptive, transferable, and job-related. Think particularly of the RESULTS – ie what as a result of your skills/efforts? • Prepare some data that you can add to give extra weight to your answers (numbers, volume, %, etc.) • Reading up about the company and be prepared to drop in some of the things you have learned in to your interview answers.

12. Interview don'ts • • Projecting nonchalance as confidence. • • Not being prepared for common questions. • • Not having follow up questions. • • Dress, eye contact, body language. • • Lacking passion for job

13. Main Points for Career Development • Good education (vocational, technical, technology, good • writing/reading skills) • Professional experiences (internships, work experience, • volunteerism) • Entrepreneurship skills • Good resume/CV • Good application/cover letter • Good interviewing skills

14. Thank You • Good luck in your career development!! • Q & A