thales - making successful applications & interview skills

22
/ / Gemma Minish- Campus Marketing Manager Making successful applications & interview tips

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Making Successful Applications & Interview Skills workshop delivered by Thales - Thursday 11 April 2013

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Page 1: Thales - Making Successful Applications & Interview Skills

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Gemma Minish- Campus Marketing ManagerMaking successful applications & interview tips

Page 2: Thales - Making Successful Applications & Interview Skills

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Overview

Why do employers use applications?

Why is it important to make a good application

Examples

Interview / application hints and tips

Questions

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Why do employers use applications?

First stage sort & ‘killer questions’

Demonstrate your skills or ‘competencies’

Compare you to the competencies required

Ensure consistency in the process e.g. all

candidates are asked the same question.

Myth! Most employers do not use a computer to screen applications.

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Why is it important to make a good application?

Your first chance to sell yourself

Demonstrates your written communication

Shows your interest in the company you are applying to

Rubbish application = NO JOB!

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Application questions

What has attracted you to this opportunity?

Please explain why you are suitable for this role?

Strengths/weaknesses

Competency questions

Rarely will you be asked technical questions on an application form.

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Example: What has attracted you to this opportunity?

What has attracted you to this opportunity at Thales?

‘Thales is a huge international company which has lots of different project using different technologies. I would love to work for such an innovative and forward thinking company that touches people’s lives everyday. I have researched the company and there are lots of interesting projects that I would like to be involved in. I am very keen to develop my skills and I believe that Thales would support me in doing this. I have been interested in Engineering since a very young age and so I was instantly attracted to this role. I have been studying computer science and I would like the opportunity to put my coding skills into practice. I believe that their would be plenty of opportunities for growth for graduates in such a customer focussed company.’

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Application questions- rating scale used at Thales

1= Fails to meet the requirements

2= Fails to meet the requirements, needs some improvement

3= meets the requirement, some areas for improvement

4= meets the requirements

5= Exceeds the requirements

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Practical Exercise

What rating would you give the example?

Think about what is good about the example

Think about what is bad about the example E.g. anything missing? Spelling & Grammar.

Is there anything that could be improved?

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Practical Exercise

How would we rate this example?

2This example would not pass!

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Example: Positives/Negatives and Improvements

Negatives/Improvements

The answer is generic and doesn’t mention anything that is specific to Thales. The Example could have been written about any large engineering firm

If the candidate has researched the company then they should be able to name and specify the projects of interest.

What has led the candidate to believe that Thales is interested in developing them? They could mention our GDP or our values.

Spelling and grammatical mistakes

Positives/Improvements

The candidate has mentioned their interests and refers to the role they are applying to, however this could be elaborated on.

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Corporate Communications December 2010

What should I include?

Ensure your answer is specific to the company you are applying to. Give specific examples

What interests you about the company in particular?

What interests you about the role you are applying to?

If you are applying to a Graduate Development Programme then mention this.

If you are applying for an internship talk about the benefits of doing this.

Mention how your skills/experience relate to the role.

Check your spelling and grammar.

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12 /12 / Interviews

It works BOTH ways

Chance to meet you in person and get a complete picture of you.

For you to find out more about the organisation

Invitation to interview means they already think you are good enough for the job/placement

Why interview?

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13 /13 / Interview format

Could be from 20 mins to a whole day

Can be over the telephone or face to face

1 to 1, sequential or panel

Sometimes 2 rounds (different days)

Introduction, Discussion, Tour

Practical task e.g. presentation

Part of an assessment centre

Types of interview:

• Autobiographical

• Competency

• Strengths based

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14 /14 / Interviews

Research the companies values and the competencies they are looking for.

Research the company, competitors, customers etc..

Decide on what to wear, be smart!

Travel arrangements

Look at example questions and prepare examples in advance

Look at the job description and think about how you match this.

- Academic knowledge

- Work experience

- Internships/placement

- Volunteering

- Societies

Before the interview:

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15 /15 / Competency Interviews

Interviews are often competency basedEmployers will be measuring you against

preselected criteria or competencies:Communication

Analytical

Leadership

Taking responsibility

Planning and organising

Interpersonal skills

Resilience

Problem Solving

What are competency questions?

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16 /16 / Star Approach

Use the STAR approach

Situation Task (the objective) Action (what I did, what others did) Result

To describe clearly and concisely what YOU did (even in team situation)

Use real examples to analyse how you behaved in a certain situation in the past.

‘Give an example of a time when…’

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Example

During my first year at university I was involved in a group project with 4 other students. (S) Our task was to evaluate a prototype MP1 Parallel Computer. (T) We met together regularly to allocate tasks and share progress. I wrote the driver and application software using the Transputer Development Programme. Other members of the team did the testing. (A) The result was that we achieved 70% for our project. (R)

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Practical Exercise

Prepare a brief example of team working

Use STAR approach

What would you have done differently?

What were your challenges?

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Other questions

About youWhy do you want this placement?Why should the organisation select you?What are your ambitions?What are your strengths and weaknesses?What have you gained from your degree?What skills have you gained from work experience/extra curricular activities?

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Other questions

About the organisation/sectorWhat do you know about this firm/business function/sector/industry?

What attracts you to it?What kind of training/additional skills do you hope to gain?

Who are our main competitors/customers?What do you think about the latest news on…?

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Corporate Communications December 2010

Takeaways

Research the company

Prepare for the interview- practice!

Research competency questions

Think about your skills/experience

Dress smart

Travel arrangements- be on time!

Be confident!

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22 /22 / Further information

http://ukgrads.thalesgroup.com/search-jobs-and-apply/hints-and-

tips.aspx

Questions…