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  • Writer's pictureNYEN UK

Employability Advice: CV, Cover Letters, Job Interviews & More!


Youth employability is a key focus of NYEN because we know the potential that young people hold, as well as the struggle that young people face when trying to find dignified work. As a result of this, our Regional Ambassadors and Core Committee have created a guide to help you apply for roles.


These documents can also be accessed on Google Docs by clicking here.


Contents:

  1. CV’s

  2. Cover Letters

  3. Answering job application questions

  4. All things LinkedIn



CV’s


When applying for a job, it is a good idea to tailor your CV to meet the needs of a particular position. This can be done by looking at the requirements and making a table of evidence which proves that you have the skills that they are looking for then structuring your CV around that.


CV’s are relatively subjective in the way that people create them; all employers are looking for different things. For instance, if you are applying for a creative role, then it may be most suitable to make a creative CV. Whereas, if your position is more academic, it may be best to structure your CV in a way which highlights your organisational skills. Make sure to tailor your CV appropriately to the role.


When making a CV, ask yourself these questions;

(The answers are usually in their ‘about’ section, on their social media, or you could contact an employee on LinkedIn).

  • What purpose does this job serve? Look at their vision and mission statement.

  • What tasks will you be doing that you need to show experience in?

  • Why have you chosen this particular organisation over its competitors?

  • How does this organisation define success? This will help you understand what is expected of you.



A CV should include;


  • Your name

  • Contact details (email and phone number).

  • URL to your LinkedIn profile

  • Professional Profile - A short introduction to yourself that you can tailor when applying for different jobs.

  • Education (GCSE’s, A-Levels, Apprenticeship / Degree - include what grade you achieved as well as the institution and concisely include an explanation of key modules that are relevant to the job that you are applying for)

  • Work experience in chronological order (with your most recent experience at the top)

  • Volunteer experience

  • Courses/ training completed

  • Qualifications/ notable achievements

  • Hobbies

  • Drivers license (if you have one)

  • Languages (and qualifications in the language)



It is suggested not to include

  • A photograph of yourself (this can make you susceptible to discrimination).

  • Your date of birth.

  • Marital status, religion or bank details.

  • Slang or abbreviations.

  • An unprofessional email address.

  • An email address from the current company that you work for.

  • More than 2 pages.

  • Every GCSE subject - just write how many subjects you did, the range, and your Maths & English grades (e.g. (x) GCSEs A*-C, including (x) in Maths and (x) in English)


Additional recommendations


  • If you are including a degree on your CV, it can be a good idea to list and explain a few of your ‘favourite’ modules that are relevant to the job that you are applying for.

  • If you include a personal profile, make sure to tailor this section when applying for various roles. For example, "A Politics graduate with research skills developed through project work and an internship with the EU, looking for a career in political consultancy." This student has identified that research skills will be vital in a political consultancy role and has emphasised where they have used these skills.

  • Although the personal profile is optional on a CV it is ideal if you are changing your career as it demonstrates skills and qualities gained from your last job that are transferable to the career area you are looking for. It can also provide a summary of why you are changing careers.

  • Try to use “action” words rather than passive language (for examples, google “action words for resume”)

  • Save your CV as [Your name]’s CV.

  • Save your CV as a PDF file unless stated not to.

  • Make sure to check over your spelling and grammar (you can run your CV through a grammar checker such as grammarly.com)

  • If you feel as though it is appropriate for your role to have a creative resume, using a free template can make your CV stand out (this can be found for free on Google or on Canva).

  • Use statistics to quantify your accomplishments - E.g. I tutored [x] amount of students in [x] months and saw an [x] increase in their grades.

  • Make sure to back up your skills with relevant examples.

  • Use bullet points and concise sentences to describe your roles and responsibilities.

  • Use the same wording as the job description’s ‘required skills’ section in the part of your CV where you explain what skills you got from your experience, as well as how you got your skills (e.g. if project management is required, outline a role that you have partaken in which required the project management skill).

  • When writing about group tasks, don’t be afraid to emphasise your role.


Special circumstances: There may be many reasons why you have a gap in your CV e.g. caring responsibilities, unemployment, poor health, failed business start-up etc.

It is worth acknowledging any gaps briefly.


Cover Letters


What is a Cover Letter?

A Cover Letter is a document that is sent to an employer to explain why you want the job. It should explain: what position you are applying for, key details about yourself, what you would bring to the job, why you would like the job, and anything else that you may think is necessary to let the employer know.


You may need to decide when and how to disclose personal information or information about a disability- which may be more appropriate in your covering letter than CV.



Cover Letter Template:

Name of the hiring manager, recruiter etc.

Company Name,

Company Address


2. Paragraph 1

Dear Sir/Madam,

- What are you professionally? E.g. I am a [x] year [x] student at [x] University, with expertise/ interest in [x].

- What role are you applying for? … “I am looking to apply for the role of [x]”

- What makes you a suitable candidate? … “I believe I would be a suitable candidate because of my previous experience in [x]”

3. Paragraph 2

- Reference the sections of your CV that indicate your relevant experiences as well as your achievement section that answers the job requirements.

4. Paragraph 3

- List 3 facts about the company that appeals to you.

- Explain how you will add value to the organisation.

- Show that you understand how the organisation will add value to you.

5. Paragraph 4

- Thank the reader for their time.

- Mention that you are attaching your CV.

- Sign off: Yours sincerely, (named person) / Yours faithfully, (job title)

- Name

- Phone Number and Email

- Linked In URL (optional)

- Digital Signature (optional)


Interview Skills


How to use your experiences to answer interview questions;

The STAR (situation, task, action, result) acronym will help employers to understand what previous experience you have had as well as enabling them to understand how you think.


  1. Situation - This is where you set the scene, it may look like this, “I worked abroad in [x] for [x] months working on a project to do with [x]…” which will help the employer to understand the background and limitations of the experience you are about to share.

  2. Task - This is where you can explain what was required of you in the situation and what happened. For example, “One of my tasks was to [x], which was a great opportunity because of [x]... However...”.

  3. Actions - Explain what actions you took. This is especially useful when trying to answer a question such as “What’s the most difficult decision you’ve made, and how did you come to that decision”. But it can also be advantageous when explaining what you did well in previous experiences.

  4. Results - What was the final outcome? What went well, and what went not so well? Explain how your actions contributed to the success of a question or what you would do differently in a similar situation.


Before you go to an interview, think of answers to questions that may be asked such as;

  • What are your strengths

  • What are your weakness

  • What is it about this role that really excites you?

  • Where have you identified leadership qualities?

  • Can you give a good/ bad example when you have worked in a team.

  • How did you overcome previous issues that you have had when working in a team.

  • Has there been a time when you have adapted the way you communicate with people?

  • What is your proudest achievement, and why?


Make sure to have questions prepared to ask at the end - this shows initiative and passion.

  • What was the impact of COVID-19?

  • What is the structure of the team like?

  • What training/ progression opportunities does the organisation offer?

  • What attracted the interviewer to the company?

  • What challenges might you face during your role?

  • If the interviewer could change anything about the company, what would it be?

  • What opportunities are there for personal development?


Tip - Try finding the position you are applying for on glassdoor.com. Here you can learn of previous applicants interview experiences specific to your job (including what questions were asked).

Tip - For questions about your weaknesses, make sure to give genuine weakness and explain how you plan to overcome it. Everyone (including your employer), has shortcomings, by being honest, you can use this as an opportunity to show resilience!


How to use an ICS Placement in interviews


Many (but not all) of our NYEN-UK members are returned ICS volunteers. We would like to highlight how you can present all of the valuable experience that you gained from your placements as transferable skills to your potential employer.


> ICS placements can be challenging, make sure to use the ‘STAR’ technique highlighted above in the ‘Interview Skills’ section to let your employer know how you have previously dealt with difficult situations, as well as what you would do differently.


> What skills have you gained from your ICS placement?


  • Event Management.

  • Public Speaking.

  • Handling a budget.

  • Leadership skills.

  • Ability to work well in a team.

  • Adaptability to a new environment.

  • Time management.

  • Self-management.

  • Listening skills.

  • Problem-solving

  • Resilience

  • Cultural sensitivity

  • and more!


Your ICS placement will be a unique and personal experience to you. When talking about your placement to employers, it is important to make sure that you reflect on what happened and what you learnt from it. Above, we have provided a short list of potential skills that you have gained from your placement, make sure to include additional and personal skills that you gained too!


During your placement, you will have used lots of abbreviations such as ‘ICS’, referring to your counterpart as your ‘CP’ or an in-country volunteer (ICV). It is important to make sure that you fully explain what everything means so that the person reading your application or interviewing you will be able to properly understand why your placement has made you a suitable and developed candidate.


Answering job application questions


1. Use their wording to ensure that you have met the criteria.

2. State what skills you have.

3. Give examples as to how you got your skills.

4. What can you do for the company?

5. What can the company do for you?

6. Explain how you share their values and will work to achieve their aim.


EXAMPLE -

Here is an example using NYEN-UK to highlight how your research of the company you are applying for should shape your application:

“NYEN-UK is an inclusive movement, driven by the aim of empowering youth to bring about meaningful change within their communities.


We believe that young people are not just members of our society but are engaged change-makers who are distinguished active-citizens. Therefore, we strive to highlight their abilities by providing support and a platform to make a difference.


NYEN-UK is a diligent and dynamic national network, and we work hard to bring about change that will improve the lives of our communities.”


>In your application, you will need to state how you are an “active-citizen” and a “change-maker” which can be proved by the time that you did [x]. You will need to state how you are an “engaged” and “diligent” individual and have previously worked on creating change in your community when you did [x]. NYEN-UK’s mission to “improve the lives of your community” through “empowering youth” makes you a well suited candidate because of [x]. You will be able to benefit the network because you have [x skills] from when you [x]. Additionally, they would also further benefit your professional development through [x].

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