Topic 2 - Preparing For Employment Flashcards
(51 cards)
1
Q
What is a skill ?
A
A skill is the ability to do something that can be learned
2
Q
What are qualities ?
A
They are characteristics which can also be learned an improved upon
3
Q
What are some examples of skills ?
A
- Communication skills
- ICT skills
- Numeracy skills
- Teamwork skills
4
Q
What are some examples of qualities valued by employers ?
A
- Punctuality - being on time for all aspects of a job
- Responsibility - dealing with and taking control of situations even when they are difficult
- Initiaive - being able to perform tasks in different ways and come up with new ideas and approaches
- Self-managment - being able to plan and manage tasks, reflect on performance and set aims for improvement
5
Q
What are attitudes ?
A
Attitudes are the way people think and feel about things, these can be changed and developed
6
Q
What are some attitudes which are valued by employers ?
A
- commitment - ability to stick with a situation or person even when things are difficult]
- Loyalty - ability to believe in and stick up for something or someone when its being questioned
- Positivity - being eager and ready to try to do your best at all times and approach things with positivity
- Resilience - being able to recover quickly from difficult times
7
Q
Why do employers value loyalty ?
A
Because this means the employee will always act in the best interests of the business for example they will promote the business to family and friends and are less likely to criticise the company or steal from the business
8
Q
Why do employers value ICT skills ?
A
This means that employees can perform basic tasks such as emails and lots of other tasks that are nowadays completed using a computer
9
Q
Why do employers value teamwor and the ability to work with others ?
A
This skill avoids potential conflict between employees, allows employees with differing skills and strengths to work together which allows for the best outcome for the business
10
Q
Why do employers value self management as a quality ?
A
Because this means that the worker is dependable and can be relied upon to continually monitor and improve performance
11
Q
Why do employers want employees who can deal with customers in a professional manner ?
A
This leads to the customers being satisfied with how they are treated and makes them want to return to the business or company again, leading to increased profit and loyal, regular returning customers
12
Q
What is meant by the term lifelong learning ?
A
Lifelong learning is the process of continuing to develop skills, knowledge and expertise throughout life
13
Q
What is meant by the term induction ?
A
An induction is the process of introducing a new employee to the workings of a business and usually includes information about health and safety and an understanding of the history and goals of the business
14
Q
What si meant by on the job training ?
A
Training that is conducted within the workplace while owing the actual job
15
Q
What is meant by off the job training ?
A
Training that is conducted outside the workplace
16
Q
What is meant by lifelong learning ?
A
Lifelong learning is the idea that our education and our learning of new skills do not end once we leave education or university and therefore we should continue to learn throughout our career during staff training and development
17
Q
Why might a person pursue lifelong learning ?
A
- Gaining new skills and qualities can boost self-esteem and motivation
- More qualifications can lead to promotions and consequently a better salary
- The world of work changes lot so it is important to develop skills and learn new skills
- There are now more qualifications needed in jobs to meet the demands of a changing society such as with the use of technology
18
Q
What are the advantages of lifelong learning ?
A
- You are constantly evolving and learning new skills therefore making you more employable
- You can improve your chance at getting a promotion
- Lifelong learning allows people to meet the needs of a constantly changing world of work
- It helps to build and self-esteem and loyalty to the job
19
Q
What are the disadvantages of lifelong learning ?
A
- It can be expensive
- It can be time-consuming, you may spend more time learning new skills than on your actual work
- It can leave you feeling tired and stressed
- You may miss out on family time and social engagements if you have to train off the job
20
Q
What is meant by training ?
A
Training is the learning of a new skill or piece of knowledge usually in order to perform a job or improve current working practices.
21
Q
Why might an employee be given training ?
A
- As a part of their induction
- Because of a change in procedures, such as new machinery or software
- To make the business more competitive because the more highly skilled the employees are the more they are able to provide efficient and better quality services
22
Q
What are the benefits of training for the employer/business ?
A
- It helps the business cope with the changes in technology as training allows the workers to be able to operate and use new technology
- Employers can gain new skills meaning that their work can become more effective and they can do more tasks making the business work more efficiently and smoothly
- There are fewer accidents as the employees know how to operate machnery safetly which reduces staff absences
- Allows employees to produce a better quality of products or services therefore building a better repuation for the business and encouraging customers to return
23
Q
What are the benefits of training for the employees ?
A
- Training updates the employees skills and helps them to keep up with the changes in technology
- Employees who have up to date skills have a higher chance for promotion
- Training motivates employees as it helps them to be good at their jobs and may help them to earn more
24
Q
What are the advantages of on the job training ?
A
- Cheaper to carry out than off the job training
- The employees can continue to earn money while they learn new skills
- Employees who are new to a job role become productive more quickly and are able to carry out more tasks
- The training is very relevant and practical and deals with day-to-day requirements of the job
25
What are the disadvantages of on the job training ?
- The trainer may find it difficult to deliver effective training to colleagues
- There could be distractions in the workplace which might lessen the effectivness of the training
- The training might no be certified and might not be counted as a qualification if there is no evidence on paper
- Employees may pick up bad habits from the person who is training them as they are not a professional trainer
26
What are the benefits of off the job training ?
- Employees learn from specialists in that area of work meaning they can provide the employee with a deeper understanding
- Employees my be able to focus more and respond better when taken away from the pressure of the working environment
- Employees may be able to gain qualifications or certificates
- The trainers can deal better with smaller groups of employees at a time and be able to the focus on the trading on the needs and levels of expertise of the employees
27
What are the disadvantages of off the job training ?
- Can be expensive
- Time spent away from the workplace may mean work is not getting done and this coul cost the business in profit
- The trainers might not be fully aware of the conditions under which the employees work so may train
- It can be time consuming and employees are not getting hands on experience in the workplace
28
What are organisations which can help with retraining and the development of new skills ?
- Learndirect offers a range of business and ICT courses that you can complete online and work at your own pace
- Job centres - Can give you guidance and advice as well as organise training courses if you need to retrain
- The Careers Service of Northern Ireland - Provides a range of support for people who are in school, unemployed or wanting to change careers and it provides information on the labour market, training and qualifications available
29
What is meant by the term recruitment ?
The process an employer uses to fill a vacancy
30
What is meant by the term job vacancy ?
An unfilled position with a company
31
What is meant by the term selection ?
He process of choosing an employee from all the candidates who apply
32
What is meant by the term Job description ?
A statement setting out the duties of a particular job
33
What is meant by the term Job specification ?
A statement setting out the skills and qualities required of a potential employee
34
What is meant by a contract of employment ?
A contract of employment sets out the agreement made between the employee and the employer
35
What methods can be used to research a job or career ?
- Internet and careers programmes such as JED (Job Explorer Database), Pathfinder
- Searching for information on the internet
- Discussion with careers teacher, LLW teacher or subject teacher to gain advice and information on a job or career
- Through work experience in your chosen career you can find out first hand what the job entails
36
How can careers teachers help with the career decision making process ?
- By giving advice and providing information about your chosen career path or possible courses or career paths available to you based on subjects you are good at,
- They can do mock interviews to help practise interviews and familiarise you with the possible questions that will be asked and how to answer them
- Help you make a Curriculum Vitae (CV), can help you and advise you on how to fill it in and what to include
- Careers conventions - they can organise trips to outside careers conventions or host one in the school which provide further guidance and advice on all the different career possibilities available after school
37
What is a CV ?
A CV or a curriculum vitae is a document setting out a candidates skills, qualifications, experience and qualities in a clear and appealing manner
38
What is a covering letter ?
This is a letter written by the candidate explaining why they want the job and why the believe they are suitable for the job
39
Why do employers use application forms ?
Employers use application forms in order to get an insight into all your skills and qualities from the information you write in your application form. The form requests all the information that the business needs to know and all applicants provide the same information in the same order on the form to make it easier for the employer to compare applicants and see who is more suitable for the job
40
Why may an employer use a CV and a covering letter ?
These types of applications allows the employers to access how professionally the candidate has prepared their information and what types of skills, qualities, qualifications and experience they have. They also allow the applicant to emphasise why they are suitable and what they think is important
41
What are the three categories in which employers place applicants when choosing who to interview ? o
- Those to reject - these applicants did not meet the requirements set out in the job specification
- Those to be put on a short-list - three to ten of the best applicants who are asked to be interviewed
- Those to be put on a long list - these applicants may not be rejected immediately but are kept on a long list in case one of the applicants on the short list drops out
42
How does an employer choose who to interview ?
Once they have received all the application forms they will lace them into 3 categories in order to choose which applicants to interview.
Those to reject who didn't meet the requirements set out in the job specification
Those to be shortlisted, these are three to ten of the best applicants who are asked to be interviewed
Those to be long listed, these weren't rejected immediately but put on a long list in case one of the short listers drop out
43
Why are interviews used to fill job vacancies ?
- Suitbabilty, the employer gets to meet the applicant face to face and see if they are suitable for the job and can assess for example their conversational ability
- Opportunity: It is an opportunity for the applicant to show that they are the best person for the job by showing their enthusiasm and interest in the job for example
- Questions : It gives the employer the opportunity to ask questions and to test the applicants knowledge and skills to see whether they are the right person for the job and whether the information they put on their application form is true. Applicants are all asked the same questions which allows the employer to compare candidates more easily
- Appearance - The employer can check the applicants physical appearance so it is important that applicants dress respectably in neat and tidy clothes in order to create a good impression and show they are worthy of getting the job. Appearance in some jobs is particularly important where the applicant will be representing the business and so will be expected to dress appropriately to convey a good image and reputation
44
How can a person prepare for an interview or presentation ?
- Find out about the business and the employer- Research what th business does? Is it big or small, old or new? Try to get an understanding for the business
- Think about yourself - What are you good at? What qualities make you special and employable? What about you would impress an employer
-Find out where the interview is taking place - Plan your journey, how long will it take, try to arrive at least ten minutes early to compose yourself and show your punctuality
- Think about what you will wear - Wear clothing that is neat and tidy, respectable and gives of the right impression, that you care
- Organise your record of achievement, CV etc - make sure it is all in order and up to date and presented in a way that is clean and organised not scruffy
- Have a mock interview - What sort of questions will the interviewer ask? How will you answer them? What questions could you ask them and what do you want to find out? Are you confident in yourself ?
45
How should a person performm at an interview o presentation ?
- Try not to be too nervous - be pleasant to the interviewer(s) and anyone else you meet in the business as you want to givee the right impression
- Behave in a way that is appealing - sit up straight don't slouch, be polite, be positive, smile, listen attentively, speak in a clear manner and make eye contact when speaking
- Answer the questions as best as you can - use personal experience to explain a point for example show that you have leadership skills from leading the school dance team, show interest and be keen and confident
- Keep your presentation to the time limit - have a good closing statement that sums up everything nicely without dragging on
46
What are 3 methods used by an employer during the application process ?
- An email or letter correspondence
- Telephone conversation
- Mini assesment such as a presentation
47
Why might an employer use an email or letter correspondence during the application process ?
An employer may use an email or letter correspondence to judge the candidates literacy and possibly ICT skills. Can also be in the form of a covering letter to go with a CV and it should encourage an employer to want to know more about the person applying
48
Why might an employer use a telephone conversation during the application process ?
- To make a judgement on the applicants motivation, social and flexibility skills
- Can be used to have an informal chat, carry out an interview, set up an interview or offer a person a job
49
Why might an employer carry out a mini assesment during the application process ?
- Could carry out an interview to see if the applicant is suitable for the job and HS suitable skills and qualities like for example dealing with a customer or using ICT skills to make a powerpoint
50
What is the purpose of self evaluation and reflection on an interview ?
It is the process that allows people to learn and improve upon interview performance for future interviews. Self evaluation is used regularly in the workplace and in education to evaluate performance and set targets for improvements
51
What questions could a person consider when reflecting and self evaluating on an interview ?
- What went well - identify 3 positive things about the interview
- Identify 3 things that you would or could change
- What questions were difficult to answer and how would you deal with them if they were asked again ?
- What skills and qualities was the employer looking for? Do you need to prepare better by planning how to evidence your skills and qualities
- Could you improve body language, voice or attitude by practising before the next interview ?
