Preparing the Perfect CV and Smart Guide to the Perfect Job Interview - Resume/CV Example

PORTFOLIO ITEM 2: Self-Efficacy Personal Development Plan Figure Self-Efficacy Personal Development Plan Action Plan Detail of Action After Completion 1. Formulating success strategies First, appropriate strategies need to be developed for academic success. Examples may include planning and preparing in advance, matching goals with situations, and improving learning. Results of each period must be matched with the strategies. If the goal is met then strategies are successful. Biannual and quarterly performance can be evaluated in order to achieve bigger goal. 2. Developing an adequate Support System Improvement in academic area requires improvement in other relevant fields also. Daily routine must be adjusted in order to implement success strategies. Accepting remarks and feedback and taking care of loopholes. Participation in activities such as seminars, presentations, debated must be done in order to enhance confidence. Own evaluation can be done in order to check the impact of the prior mentioned activities on self-confidence. Personality tests also help in measuring improvements. 3. Implementing Discipline Discipline refers to working and learning as a professional that requires skills such as team management, leadership, strong oral and verbal communication, problem solving and decision making skills etc. Employability tests can be taken in order to measure improvements. Discussion Vocational behavior always emphasized upon the significance of self-concept and self-esteem. Self-efficacy refers to one’s belief in his own abilities. Extensive research has been conducted in order to evaluate the impact of predominant belief in academic performance and overall personality of a person. A usually observation indicates that those students who believe that they would not be able to perform better on tests, often times fail in doing so. However, those having potent belief over their skills and abilities usually outperform others. The reason is because self-efficacy is deeply linked with cognitive development of a person (Bandura, 1977). A large number of researches have proven that there is a substantial positive relationship between the academic performance and self-efficacy beliefs of students. Self-efficacy impacts the activities that students perform, as well as their persistence and extent of efforts. Persistence and putting more effort is difficult task or difficult times are what sets the successful students apart (Bryon, 2011). Therefore, the aim of this paper is to improve own self-efficacy skills. In order to do so, certain strategies and activities have been designed. Results must be evaluated after a period of time so as to compare the past and the current performance. According to Bandura, and Adams, (1977) people possessing low self-esteem tend to shun tasks whereas those who have high self-efficacy not just attempt the task but also remain persistence and competent towards that task (Bandura and Adams, 1977). Figure 1 mentioned above is an example of personal development plan that has been prepared in order to develop and furnish own self-efficacy skills. It must be borne in mind that self-efficacy primarily constitutes of three major areas that include self-confidence, academic performance, and employability skills. However, a lot of effort is required in the beginning. For improving in each area, certain activities are needed to be performed. For example, in improving academic performance one needs to construct a success plan such how to manage courses, routine etc, and remain prepared ahead of time. Urgency and rushing at eleventh hour can be harmful in this regard. For improving self-confidence, one needs to involve in activities that nurture confidence such as standing and speaking in large group or audience, giving presentations, participating in debates etc. Employability skills are to be improved so as to make own self competent for job field. Managerial, administrative, and technical, all types of skills are required here. PORTFOLIO ITEM 3: Personal CV Student Name Address Email Tel Mobile Objective To obtain a position in a decent company that allows enhancing my experience and management skills, program development, quality assurance and training experience and enables me to contribute positively for the organization. Education XYZ University Bachelors in Business Administration – BBA 2010-2014 Frontier High School A Levels (Business Studies, Psychology, Accounting) 2008-2010 GCSE (Mathematics, English, Business Studies) 2006-2008 Career Development Microsoft Office Skills (8 months diploma from TED Ltd.) 2009 Diploma in Business English (6 months certificate from Berlitz) 2011 Experience ARD Enterprise – Manager’s Assistant January 2012-November 2012 Assisted managers in preparing and keeping a record of files. Maintaining and devising office systems Screening requests, enquiries and phones and handling wherever appropriate Assisted in preparing presentations for meetings Greeting and meeting visitors of all seniority levels Dealing with faxes, post, and email often on the behalf of manager. Assisted in keeping track record of employees performance Simco Management – Office Assistant February 2013-June 2014 Serve clients by answering questions, backing up receptionist, confirming orders, forwarding messages and updating order status. Forwarding information by distributing and receiving communications, mailing and collecting correspondence, and copying information Updating knowledge of job by taking part in educational opportunities. Major Achievements Reorganized the client database at ARD Enterprise to make more functional, received compliments from manager Established good relationships with clients Developed a procedure for troubleshooting with potent attention to detail Integrated modern methods to the system for faster service and delivery Personal Profile Date of Birth Address Marital Status NIC Number Passport Number References Available upon request Discussion While developing a resume, the first thing that needs to be considered is the format that will be used for the resume. The CV mentioned earlier is of full block format since none of the headings are indented. However, the primary information about the applicant has been centrally aligned in order to maintain the focus on the precise profile of the candidate. All the major constituents that comprise a complete and professional resume have been included such as educational background, career history or experience, major achievement etc. These are the sections where employer keeps an eye in order to judge the applicant. In the beginning, a short profile including name, address and contact information has been provided which is followed by academic achievements. A detailed career history or experience has been provided which highlights the major responsibilities and duties of the candidate. After that, major achievements that were acquired during job tenure are provided. Subsequently, a short profile concluding the resume has been provided in order to imprint the detail of candidate in the mind of reader. Nevertheless, certain gaps are present in the CV that will be tailored in the future period of time in accordance with the job description. However, two major sections that need to be included in the resume include a short outline of courses studied as well as major report and publications. Another column that people usually take in is of interests and hobbies and a lot of HR managers suggest including this part. It is important to mention here that the experience that was gained through working in the two fields mentioned above is remarkable. A lot has been learnt which is evident through duties and responsibilities. The more responsibility a person receives, the more he learns. PORTFOLIO ITEM 4: Preparation for Interview Interview is the integral part of any recruitment process. The interest of employer in a specific candidate is shown if the candidate receives a call from that employer. Interviews are considered as an opportunity for both candidate and employers to exchange information. Interview is highly professional conversation. Candidates require doing some preparation for such an important meeting so as to prove him as the most eligible candidate for the position. From the time when a person receives a call for an interview, the candidate must immediately start preparation. The first thing that has to be done is to research about the organization as well as the role for which the candidate has applied. The candidate also needs to gather basic facts as well as the current information of the organization. Preparation for interview should also include own experience, interests, and skills if that fits to the organization and job. Prevailing trends in the industry, job, and organization must also be studied. The applicant needs to keep in mind what the employer is looking for in the candidate. Another mode of preparing for interview includes predicting or doing research about the potential questions that may be asked by the interviewer using STAR method and the answers should be planned accordingly. If the interviewee practices for the form of interview such as single, panel, or group etc. then it will be easier to give interview. There are several things that an interviewee must keep in mind. Some of them include the following. Strong communication skills are required therefore the applicant needs to practice beforehand in order to demonstrate potent communication skills. Dress code has to be very formal as it depicts the personality. Loose tie, messy hairstyle, uncontrolled facial hair all contribute towards bad remarks of interviewer. It is advisable not try a new haircut or style right before an interview. The applicant must ensure to reach before time because if there is lateness then it will not only leave a bad impression but will also create anxiety and trouble for the applicant. All the relevant documents must be taken by interviewee such as certificates, degrees, a copy of resume, work sample, application letter etc. Applicant needs to focus on verbal communication as well as non-verbal communication. Postures, gestures, and facial expression should reflect professionalism and adequacy. Answers given by the applicant must be aligned tone, gestures and postures for instance an applicant describes own self as happy-go-lucky and assertive but sits in a reserve and uncomfortable posture then the statement will be disregarded and main focus of interviewer will be on postures and gestures. It is advised to speak slowly while communicating especially when difficult questions are asked as it will allow some time to think and prepare answers. A simple smile and attentive listening are plus points. Above all, be truthful in answering questions. Answers must be given completely and clearly with enough information. Be tactful, polite, courteous, knowledgeable, and sincere. The interview must be concluded by thanking the interviewer for the time spent. An interview is often a challenging meeting for majority of the applicants. By taking care of the above mentioned points as well as good preparation and strong communication skills, one can end up with a successful interview. PORTFOLIO ITEM 5: Psychometric Testing Psychometric tests provide results regarding the abilities and style of a person. Students need to take this test in order to determine proficiency of own skills. Psychometric test measures employability skills and thus I took two tests to measure own skills. The first test was personality test and a complete report was presented about the results of the context for role one has applied. However, this was a generic report that is, not focusing on specific roles. As mentioned earlier in this paper that self-efficacy skills require self-confidence as well. Therefore, this personality test was taken as it measures confidence. Figure 2 explains the extent to which one is confident in his ability to achieve and accomplish challenging task. This trait helps employers to learn about candidate’s self-confidence in order to outperform in the role as well as ability to manage the respective role. Self-confidence is one of the highly valued employability skills and employers regard it as the most crucial factor while making selection decision. As shown in figure 2, the results of my test imply that I generally believe in my ability to accomplish and manage tasks and projects. Therefore, it provides an idea of my self-efficacy skills as well. However, this belief is not infinite. In some instances, lack of confidence may also appear. Figure 2. Results of Personality Test Figure 3 shows to what extent one strives to achieve their goals. The score of achievement driven test is 7 which is fairly good. The test further reveals that I have an ambition and inner drive to achieve the best outcomes. However, it has also been stated that I believe more in completing tasks that are assigned to me rather than trying for excellence in those tasks. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that the priority is to do well instead of achieving the best results as much as I can. Figure 3. Results of Personality Test Conclusion The overall paper presents a detailed analysis of own current position. The purpose is to keep this situation as starting point and improve performance in the future. Self-efficacy table mentions the areas that need to be improved and how they will be improved. Gaining more experience and getting better academic certificates are required in order to improve resume. Furthermore, sufficient tips have been given in order to practice for interviews whenever required. Psychometric test measures the elements mentioned in the self-efficacy development plan. By using the methods mentioned in self-efficacy plan, similar psychometric tests will be taken after 6 months in order to track performance. All these elements constitute towards achieving the bigger goal. Works Cited Bandura, A. 1977. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), pp.191-215. Bandura, A. and Adams, N. 1977. Analysis of self-efficacy theory of behavioral change. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 1(4), pp.287-310. Bryon, M. 2011. Verbal reasoning test workbook. London: Kogan Page. Carter, P. 2011. IQ and psychometric tests. London: Kogan Page. Corfield, R. 2009. Successful interview skills. London: Kogan Page. Corfield, R. 2010. Preparing the perfect CV. London: Kogan Page. Ebert, E. and Simmons, K. 1943. Psychometric tests. Washington: Society for Research in Child Development. Ellis, R. 2002. Communication skills. Bristol, UK: Intellect. Fry, R. 2001. Your first resume. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press. Healy, L. 2008. Psychometric tests for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Holmes, D. 2011. The smart guide to the perfect job interview. Norman, OK: Smart Guide Publications. Joo, Y., Bong, M. and Choi, H. 2000. Self-efficacy for self-regulated learning, academic self-efficacy, and internet self-efficacy in web-based instruction. ETR&D, 48(2), pp.5-17. Kernis, M. 1995. Efficacy, agency, and self-esteem. New York: Plenum Press. Margolis, H. and McCabe, P. 2004. Self-Efficacy: A Key to Improving the Motivation of Struggling Learners. The Clearing House, 77(6), pp.241-249. MIYAKE, M. 2002. EFFECTS OF GENERALIZED SELF-EFFICACY AND NEGATIVE SOCIAL COMPARISON FEEDBACK ON SPECIFIC SELF-EFFICACY AND PERFORMANCE. PR, 90(1), p.301. Morton, M. and Montgomery, P. 2012. Youth Empowerment Programs for Improving Adolescents Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem: A Systematic Review. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(1), pp.22-33. Parkinson, M. 2008. How to master psychometric tests. London: Kogan Page. Toropov, B. 1996. Last minute interview tips. Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press. Troutman, K. 2003. Creating your high school resume. Indianapolis: JIST Works. Read More