enhance your employabilitychester.ac.uk/sites/files/chester/eyetrainingbooklet2011-2012.pdf · for...

Careers & Employability

European UnionEuropean Social FundInvesting in jobs and skills

Enhance your Employability

Programme 2011/12

Brought to you by the UniJob training team in collaboration with HRMS, Chester, Ellesmere Port and North Wales Chambers of Commerce, HMRC, Geoffrey Prince and BPP Law School.

This document is available in alternative formats upon request.

Please contact UniJob on 01244 513066 or email [email protected] 2

Introduction

The 2011/12 Enhance your Employability Programme is available for all University of Chester students. This is made possible by the invaluable support of a host of professional trainers and external organisations specifically focused on developing sessions that enhance University of Chester students employment prospects.

Every session is designed to either, directly help you get a job, give you skills for your part-time work or give you the edge in the graduate job market. Every Enhance Your Employability session awards a UniJob training certificate.

The training gives you the chance, not only to learn new skills, but also to demonstrate to employers that you have an understanding of why these are vital in the workplace.

If you have ever struggled to get a job, our recruitment focused training provides guidance on how to promote yourself and your abilities to potential employers, complete application forms and perform in interviews in the best possible way.

It’s a great chance to learn things not on your academic programme, to become more employable and to have fun in the process.

We hope you find the time to take part in our sessions this year and look forward to seeing you on the programme.

Estee Tsang, Ewen McKinnon, Ellen Richards

Enhance Your Employability Team

Booking Sessions You can book sessions online by visiting www.chester.ac.uk/eyetraining

Or You can book onto sessions by emailing UniJob [email protected] or calling us 01244 513066.

Enhance Your Employability Programme 2011/12

page 3

Understanding our sessions

EYE TRAINING Sessions with a turquoise header are part of the Enhance Your Employability programme.

This means:

• You will receive a certificate of attendance

• Refreshments will be provided

EYE Training and Entrepreneurship

Sessions with a turquoise and grey header are part of the Enhance Your Employability programme but are also recognised as useful for future entrepreneurs.

This means:

• You will receive a certificate of attendance

• Refreshments will be provided

• The session is relevant for those considering self-employment

Job Seeking WorkshopSessions with a light blue header are provided by the wider Careers and Employability team.

This means:

• Certificates and refreshments are not provided

Please look for the asterisk* to find sessions recommended for Student Academic Representatives. For more information about Student Academic Representatives please visit our Portal pages or email [email protected]



ContentsPAGE OCTOBER5 ■ Part Time Job Seeking Strategies5 ■ Preparing for Careers Fairs6 ■ Unijob Applications6 ■ Applying for a PGCE7 ■ Graduate Training Scheme7 ■ Interview Techniques

NOVEMBER8 ■ Office Administrator Skills8 ■ Customer Services and Telephone Techniques9 ■ Assertiveness Skills

DECEMBER9 ■ Making an Effective Graduate Application10 ■■ Communicating for Success10 ■ Developing Your Team Working Skills

JANUARY11 ■ Minutes, Meetings and Agendas11 ■ The Hidden Job Market12 ■■ Introduction to Microsoft Access 201012 ■ Making an Effective Application13 ■ Commercial Awareness13 ■ Introduction to Excel 201014 ■ The Hidden Job Market

FEBRUARY14 ■■ Introduction to Marketing15 ■ Making an Effective Application15 ■■ Project Management16 ■ Diversity Essentials16 ■■ Soft Skills for Management – Developing a Team17 ■ Interview Techniques17 ■■ Soft Skills for Management - Leadership

MARCH18 ■ Making an Effective Application18 ■ Soft Skills for Management – Conflict Management19 ■■ Communication Skills for Business19 ■ The Hidden Job Market20 ■■ Confidence for Success20 ■ Making an Effective Application21 ■■ Project Management21 ■ The Hidden Job Market

APRIL22 ■■ Presenting Skills22 ■ Speculative Application23 ■ LinkedIn

MAY23 ■■ Self-Employment (Financial Issues)24 ■■ Self-Employment


page 5

Part-Time Job Seeking StrategiesEYE Training

Chester, Careers and Employability Centre

Warrington

Martin WMA 222

Wednesday 5th October 2-4 pm 2-4 pm

This workshop will give you some

top tips on how to look for and find

part time work. All you need is a

chance to sell these skills in a way

that will make an employer want to

meet you.

By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Identify the skills you have picked up from the various

experiences you have

• Look at a job description or person specification and

identify the key things an employer is looking for

• Use the right language to really grab an employer’s

attention

“The session was very useful, also I feel I have the incentive to keep looking for a job”

Delivered by Careers Consultants,

Lisa Rogers (Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)

Preparing for Careers FairsJob Seeking Workshop


Thursday 6th October 1-2 pm

This session will show you how to impress employers

at careers fairs and give yourself an edge.

Delivered by Helen Mitchell, Careers Consultant



UniJob ApplicationsEYE Training


Warrington

Martin WMA 222

Wednesday 12th October 2-4 pm 2-4 pm

You have the skills to get a job. Yes

YOU! All you need is a chance to sell

these skills in a way that will make

an employer want to meet you. That’s

where this session comes in. This

session will be particularly useful for

those wanting to apply for the UniJob

bank and associated vacancies and

would like guidance regarding their

application.


• Identify the skills you have picked up from the

various experiences you have

• Look at a job description or person specification and

identify the key things an employer is looking for

• Use the right language on applications

“We felt that the Training sessions provided us with new skills and impressive extras to our CVs.”

Delivered by Careers Consultants,Lisa Rogers (Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)

Applying for a PGCEJob Seeking Workshop

Chester, Chritchley CCR 017

Warrington

Martin WMA 222

Thursday 13th October 1-2 pm 1-2 pm

Thinking of applying for teaching? This

session will give you information and advice

on how fill in your on-line application form.

Delivered by Careers Consultants,Philippa Hardie (Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)


page 7

Graduate Training SchemesEYE Training

Chester,Molloy CML 102

Warrington Martin WMA 222

Thursday 20th October 1-2 pm 1-2 pm

Have you thought about applying for a

Graduate Training Scheme? If so, this session

will answer some of your questions.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• be confident that you know what a Graduate

Training Scheme is all about

“I have learnt how to portray myself in a positive light on a CV rather than being scared that I’m coming across

as arrogant.”

Delivered by Careers Consultants,Rebecca Nethercott (Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)

Interview TechniquesEYE Training


Wednesday 26th October 2-4 pm

It’s easy to feel nervous about

going for an interview; everybody

does. This session explores how

to deal with difficult questions and

presentation techniques.


• Prepare yourself fully for an interview, doing adequate

research on the organisation

• Find your Unique Selling Point

• Show your interest in working for the company by

asking questions of your own

“I learned how to respond to interview questions using 'C.A.R.' and how to finish the interview successfully,

what skills might be expected from a graduate and how an employer might examine your application”

Delivered by Lisa Rogers, Careers Consultant



Office Administrator SkillsEYE Training

Chester, Careers and Employability Centre, Meeting Room

Wednesday 9th November 12-1:30 pm

Fazed by fax machines? Puzzled by

photocopiers? Scared of scanners? Tired

of problem printers? This short, informal

session will give you all the information you

need to use office equipment and use the

mail merging function in Microsoft Office

effectively.


• Know your way around office technology

• Show potential employers that you have gone

out of your way to prepare yourself for office

work.

Delivered by Nathalie Rees, Careers Research andInformation Manager

Customer Services and Telephone TechniquesEYE Training

Chester, Molloy CML 009

Wednesday 16th November 1-5 pm

One of the main things that employers look

for is good customer service skills. As well as

introducing some clear and straightforward

theory, the workshop will be interactive with

case studies and skills practice.


• Think like a customer and to put yourself in

a customer’s shoes to improve the customer

experience

• Deliver excellent customer service when

face-to-face with a real customer

• Use practical skills for handling customer

complaints

“Useful particularly in showing how I can apply what theory I already had learnt within my degree but the

sessions show how to apply from a more direct and practical way through using case studies and scenarios”

Delivered by Dr Kate JulianChambers of Commerce Session


page 9

Assertiveness Skills*EYE Training

Chester, Binks CBK 106/1

Wednesday 23rd November 1-3 pm

This session provides practical guidance

for anyone who needs to develop their

assertiveness skills. You will gain the tools

and techniques to boost your confidence and

build your self-esteem.


• Define assertiveness and identify the main

characteristics

• Distinguish assertive behaviour from

aggressive and submissive behaviour

• Develop guidelines for dealing assertively

with aggressive behaviour

• Understand the important and value of

assertive and responsive behaviour

Delivered by

Steven Oare, Human Resources Professional

Making an Effective Graduate ApplicationEYE Training

Chester, Molloy CML 102

Thursday 1st December 12 - 2 pm

Making the right impression in your CV

and application form can be the first step to

securing an interview and then getting that

job: make sure you make the right impression.

Produce a CV and application form that will

make you stand out from the crowd. This

session will be particularly beneficial for those

who are wishing to apply for graduate schemes.

• By the end of the session, you will be able to:

• Identify the skills you have picked up from

the various experiences you have

• Look at a job description or person

specification and identify the key things an

employer is looking for

• Use the right language to really grab an

employer’s attention

“The session was very useful: I still look over the handouts now”

Delivered by

Lisa Rogers, Careers Consultant



Communicating for SuccessEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 7th December 1-5 pm

This half-day workshop will provide a variety

of techniques and strategies to help ensure

students make a successful transition to

the world of work. The session will cover a

range of contexts and focus on equipping

participants with a range of skills to help

build rapport, improve their ability to

influence and communicate effectively with

interviewers, managers, senior colleagues,

team members and peers.


• Understand the need for rapport, and use a

range of techniques to build rapport quickly.

• Demonstrate a variety of techniques to

increase your ability to communicate

effectively at interview.

• Improve your ability to communicate

successfully via the telephone and email.

• Use language that enhances your ability to

influence in a variety of contexts.

“In a survey of 872 businesses across the UK, 83% said that they rejected applications because of “multiple

spelling errors” - studentgems.com 2010

Delivered by Helen SmithChambers of Commerce Session

Developing Your Team Working Skills*EYE Training


Wednesday 14th December 1-3 pm

Have you got a clear understanding of

the roles and responsibilities of individual

team members? This session aims to raise

awareness of the benefits of effective

team working and to develop team

working approaches.


• Understand how your particular skills can

uniquely contribute to your team

• Understand how others with very different skills

contribute to the team

• Diffuse differences and conflict, which may arise

in a team environment

• Utilise the various skills of team members to

achieve the team goals

“I have learnt much about the aspects of team work, which has drawn my attention to the essential elements of

working within a team that I haven’t previously thought of as being so important, such as understanding others.”

Delivered by Gemma Dutton, Human Resources Professional


page 11

Minutes, Meetings and Agendas*EYE Training


Wednesday 11th January 1-3 pm

Many of the skills learned

during this session can be

directly applied to your studies,

in particular, taking succinct,

relevant notes in lectures.

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Structure agendas in an effective way

• Take relevant and concise notes at meetings

• Write up concise and accurate minutes after the meeting

• Understand what needs to be done before and after the

meeting to ensure the most effective use of time.

“I like the relaxed atmosphere of the sessions and the topics covered are appropriate.”

Delivered by Anthony Parker, Deputy Bursar of the University of Chester

The Hidden Job MarketJob Seeking Workshop


Warrington,

Martin WMA 216

Thursday 12th January 1-2 pm 1-2 pm

In a tough economic climate, more and

more employers are recruiting through their

network of contacts rather than advertising

vacancies. This workshop will help you to

enhance your visibility within the hidden job

market. Find out how to set up your own

network and use speculative approaches to

make contact with employers.


• Use your network of contacts to find out

about work opportunities

• Look beyond the obvious sources of

information to expand the range of

opportunities available to you

Delivered by Careers Consultants, Philippa Hardie (Chester) andJulie Bhagat (Warrington)



Introduction to Microsoft Access 2010EYE Training and Entrepreneurship

Chester, Seaborne Library, Learning Space

Wednesday 18th January 1-3 pm

This session is based around the ECDL and will

provide you with the basic skills and knowledge

in order to use Microsoft Access 2010 confidently

and effectively. Microsoft Access 2010 is a full-

featured database application which you can use

to manage, track and share information from

multiple sources. Even if you have no experience

with databases, Access 2010 lets you easily create

a user-friendly database for storing business or

personal records, such as addresses, product

data and business transactions.

By the end of this session, you will be able

to:

• Set up tables and relationships

• Create and run queries to generate lists

• Create and modify forms for data

inputting

• Create and modify reports to print off

data

• Export information from Access into

Excel or Word

“You knew well in advance what the session was about”

Delivered by Stewart McElmeel, IT Training and Development

Making an Effective ApplicationJob Seeking Workshop


Warrington,

Martin WMA 222

Thursday 19th January 1-2 pm 1-2 pm

You have the skills to get a job. Yes YOU! All

you need is a chance to sell these skills in a

way that will make an employer want to meet

you. That’s where this session comes in.









““I found the session extremely useful and will definitely attend more in the future.”

Delivered by Careers Consultants, Rebecca Nethercott(Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)


page 13

Commercial AwarenessEYE Training


Wednesday 25th January 1-3pm

Having “commercial awareness” does

not mean you know the best advert on TV.

“Commercial awareness” is a term that

refers to a candidate’s general knowledge of

business, their business experiences (or work

experience) and the commercial pressures

faced by any organisation. It is a common

complaint by graduate employers that recent

graduates lack commercial awareness.


• Understand the commercial issues

organisations face

• Understand how to find out the role and

purpose of your employer

• Understand more about organisational

culture

Delivered by BPP Law School, specialists in professional business and legal training.

Introduction to Excel 2010EYE Training

Chester, Seaborne Library, Learning Space

Thursday 26th January 12-2 pm

This session is based around the ECDL and

will provide you with the basic skills and

knowledge in order to use Microsoft Excel

2010 confidently and effectively


• Work with new and existing worksheets

• Enter formulas and functions

• Create and edit charts

• Prepare worksheets for print

Delivered by

Stewart McElmeel, IT Training and Development





Thursday 26th January 1-2 pm








make contact with employers

• By the end of the session, you will be able to:







Introduction to MarketingEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 1st February 1-5 pm

This session will introduce you to basic

marketing principles and includes all the

activities undertaken by an organisation to

understand who their potential customers are,

what they need and, more importantly, how to

satisfy those needs.

It aims to clarify what marketing is, what it

should do and how to go about building a

successful, profitable and effective marketing

programme.

By the end of this session, you will understand:

• A broad introduction to marketing concepts

• The role of marketing in business

• The tools to understand customers’ needs

• The factors that influence marketing

decision making

“The Introduction to Marketing session provided a huge amount of information and gave a great insight

into this particular industry.” “The Session informed us of information which could only be gathered from

experience of working in a Marketing role. This was something our session leader definitely had.”

Delivered by Keith WhittleChambers of Commerce Session


page 15



Thursday 2nd February 1-2 pm








• Look at a job/person description and identify

the key things an employer is looking for




Delivered by Helen Mitchell, Careers Consultant

Project ManagementEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 8th February 1-5 pm

Projects may go very well, or very badly.

The difference has much to do with how

the project is managed. Effective project

management seeks to tackle and overcome

the challenges we face by applying tried and

tested principles and techniques.


• Develop a plan which meets the expectations

of stakeholders

• Identify risks and issues, and control their

management

• Identify and organise the people needed to

form the project’s management team

“Very useful, I really enjoyed the sessions and have built up confidence from attending”

Delivered by Paul RobertsChambers of Commerce Session



Diversity Essentials*EYE Training



In a diverse and open society, it’s easy to

worry about saying the wrong thing. This

session will help you differentiate between

the myths around diversity matters and

genuine areas that you should be aware of. It

will enable you to begin your career feeling

confident that you are aware of all the key

issues and are able to treat everyone with

respect.


• Define the key concepts relating to diversity

• Identify your responsibilities in relation to

each of the protected characteristics

“I would definitely recommend these to other students, there are many skills to be gained from attending a

session!”

Delivered by Kathryn Leighton, Human Resources Professional

Soft Skills for Management – Developing a Team*EYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 22nd February 12-2 pm

This session will enable you to identify

the important ingredients for a successful

team. It will look at different team-working

styles and examine the need to balance the

requirements of the task, the team and the

individual.


• Identify the qualities of an effective team

• Understand the stages of team development

and how this can help you anticipate issues

• Motivate, monitor progress and give

feedback more effectively to team members

• Pinpoint preferred team roles and appreciate

differences between team members

“I learned what makes teamwork effective, the different personalities in a team,

how marketing effects a business and the different methods they use.”

Delivered byKathryn Leighton, Human Resources Professional


page 17

Interview TechniquesEYE Training


Thursday 23rd February 12-2 pm

It’s easy to feel nervous about going for an

interview; everybody does. This session

explores how to deal with difficult questions

and presentation techniques.


• Prepare yourself fully for an interview, doing

adequate research on the company you are

being interviewed by

• Find your Unique Selling Point

• Show your interest in working for the

company by asking questions of your own

“I learned a lot in the interview techniques session. I think everything said in that session was useful.”


Soft Skills for Management - Leadership*EYE Training and Entrepreneurship



Managing your own academic workload is

one thing, but proving that you can lead a

team to work on a project is something that

will really make employers sit up and take

notice.


• Explore different styles of leadership and

their practical application

• Reflect upon your potential leadership style

• Develop a transferable personal action plan

“How to think from a managerial aspect and

what traits to look for in staff and yourself as a

role model.”

Delivered by Steven Oare, Human Resources Professional





Thursday 1st March 1-2 pm














Delivered by Philippa Hardie, Careers Consultant

Soft Skills for Management – Conflict Management*EYE Training

Chester, Westminster CWE 126/1

Thursday 1st March 1-3 pm

Conflict and disagreement can be a

huge barrier to getting things done, and

sometimes make for an uncomfortable work

environment. This session covers the best

practice ways to resolve conflict.


• Understand the underlying causes of conflict

and how it manifests itself

• Understand the key approaches that can be

used to manage conflict

• Identify appropriate behaviours in a conflict

situation

• Identify conflict resolution styles

“I have found the staff very helpful and approachable. The sessions have been geared to my needs and I have

felt free to raise any queries and ask questions”

Delivered by Kathryn Leighton, Human Resources Professional


page 19

Communication Skills for Business*EYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 7th March 1-3 pm

Communication is key in business. Poor

communication will ultimately lead to poor

performance. That’s why, when recruiting,

many employers will ask how you can

demonstrate good communication skills.


• Identify what you do well

• Improve your existing communication skills

• Demonstrate to employers that you have

an understanding of how your skills can be

applied in the workplace

Delivered by Dr Judith Done, Visiting Fellow, author of the “Brilliant Graduate Career Handbook”



Warrington,

Martin WMA 216

Thursday 8th March 1-2 pm 1-2 pm








make contact with employers







Delivered by Careers Consultants, Lisa Rogers (Chester) andJulie Bhagat (Warrington)



Confidence for SuccessEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 14th March 1-5 pm

Do you ever look at supremely confident,

assertive people and wish that you could be

like them? Well, the good news is that you can

become more confident and assertive: you

already have the resources within you that

you need to make it happen! In this workshop

you will build your own personal toolbox of

confidence-building tips and techniques, and

apply them to your own specific circumstances.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Use types of personal power for interviews

and at work

• Communicate in a positive manner

• Identify areas of your work life where you

need more self-belief

• Explore limiting beliefs and destroy inner critics

• Overcome negative thinking

Delivered by Helen SmithChambers of Commerce Session



Warrington,

Martin WMA 216

Thursday 15th March 1-2 pm 1-2 pm













““I found the session extremely useful and will

definitely attend more in the future.”

Delivered by Careers Consultants, Lisa Rogers (Chester) andJulie Bhagat (Warrington)


page 21

Project ManagementEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 21st March 1-5 pm

Projects may go very well, or very badly.

The difference has much to do with how

the project is managed. Effective project

management seeks to tackle and overcome

the challenges we face by applying tried and

tested principles and techniques.


• Develop a plan which meets the expectations

of stakeholders

• Identify risks and issues, and control their

management

• Identify and organise the people needed to

form the project’s management team


Delivered by Paul RobertsChambers of Commerce Session



Thursday 22nd March 1-2 pm








make contact with employers.







Delivered by Philippa Hardie, Careers Consultant



Presenting SkillsEYE Training and Entrepreneurship

Chester, Molloy 009

Tuesday 17th April 12-2 pm

Wherever you are, whatever you do, you will

probably have to do a presentation of some

kind. This session will cover how to prepare

for a presentation, the structure, dealing with

nerves, body language and the all-important

audience management.

By the end of this session, you will be able

to, plan, prepare and deliver an effective

presentation.

Delivered by Sam Fenn, Human Resources Professional

Speculative ApplicationsEYE Training


Warrington

Martin WMA 216

Wednesday 18th April 2-4 pm 2-4 pm

Did you know that most vacancies are not

advertised? Make sure you don’t miss out!

This session aims to train you on how to

contact employers who are not advertising

vacancies.


• Identify the skills you have picked up from the

various experiences you have

• Approach an employer who is not formally

advertising vacancies






Delivered by Careers Consultants,Lisa Rogers (Chester) and Julie Bhagat (Warrington)


page 23

LinkedInEYE Training


Thursday 26th April 12-1 pm

This session will show you how to use the

professional networking tool, LinkedIn. The

session will cover how to set up a profile

and what information to include on your

profile. This is a useful website that can help

you power your career or gain advice from

professionals in your industry.

By the end of the session you will be able to:

• Create an account and profile

• Add contacts to your profile

• Communicate effectively with other

professionals


Delivered by Nathalie Rees, Careers Research andInformation Manager

Self-Employment (Financial Issues)EYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 2nd May 10-12 noon

This session is an opportunity to enhance

your awareness of self-employment issues.

It will be particularly valuable for those

considering self-employment in the future.

By the end of the session you will know:

• How to register to pay Tax and National

Insurance

• What records you need to keep

• How business expenses affect your profits.

• Where to get help and advice with self

employment tax issues

“UniJob training explores subjects from my degree such as team working and human resource management

in a more practical approach which is beneficial to me as a self-employed business owner.”

Delivered by Declan Slattery of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs



Self-EmploymentEYE Training and Entrepreneurship


Wednesday 9th May 1-3 pm

“Stop looking back at what you were and

start looking forward to what you can be.

Life does have its devious turns but with

a positive attitude, you will succeed in

business.” Geoffrey Prince 2010

Geoffrey has spent many years supporting

large and small business and knows

everything you need to know about starting

up your own business. He will help advise

you on making your business visible and

how to market and present yourself to a

wider audience by doing more networking.


• Understand the key things every successful

self-employed individual needs to know

• Understand the challenges, pitfalls and

pleasures of self-employment

Delivered by Geoffrey Prince, Business Mentor; an inspirational results based leader,motivational speaker, mentor and successful corporate sales trainer.


page 25


page 27

“I would definitely recommend the UniJob Training

Sessions to other students - and have done. I have

found them really well organised and helpful. They

have provided me with important skills that I may

otherwise not have gained.”

“Organisation of each session is very good and has

been done very professionally.”

“I’ve learnt the importance of demonstrating my

skills through examples, rather than simply telling

someone I can do something. I have discovered

my USP and feel more confident in face-to-face

communication.”

“I have found the session extremely useful and will

definitely attend more in the future.”

This document is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Unijob on 01244 513066 or email [email protected]

Careers & Employability

European UnionEuropean Social FundInvesting in jobs and skills

Brought to you by the UniJob training team in collaboration with HRMS, Chester, Ellesmere Port and North Wales Chambers of Commerce, HMRC, Geoffrey Prince and BPP Law School.

enhance your employabilitychester.ac.uk/sites/files/chester/eyetrainingbooklet2011-2012.pdf · for...

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