Buzz on the intercom. I press the button, "hello can I help?" No answer from the caller. I look out the window, and it looks like delivery driver so I buzz him in. I go down stairs to meet a young chap, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. "I saw your sign, what do you do here?" he immediately says without any greeting at all. "We are a financial adviser, can I help you?" I replied (The clue is in the company title, which is clear on the sign) "I'm looking for some work experience have you got any", waving a bit of paper which is obviously a CV. "Er, no thanks, we're are a company of four people so will not be able to assist, but good luck" Chap turns round and leaves not saying any more and leaving the door wide open. 10/10 points for getting of his bottom and looking but minus several million points for quality of execution. Something tells me that's one of his "2 things you must do a week" to get a job and justify continued JSA.
These days people aren't taught to do these sorts of things. Were they ever? When some of the older posters on here were in school were you told how to find work or what manners you ought to display during an interview for example?
We were sort of, but it was one of those non-gcses that nobody really cared about. It was more about health and safety and basic tax and how to claim benefits, than interview technique etc.
I wasn't, but then most people are born with something called common sense which covers most of it. Look smart, be polite and be interested. I didn't receive any lessons on tax, benefits or health and safety either. Did I go to some sort of parallel universe school?
Manors, how to use an intercom, and how to close a door are not things that schools should need to teach. I was however taught interview skills and how to approach obtaining a job during a few workshop lessons in sixth form. It was almost as if he expected us to give him a job.
in the mid 1970's when i was leaving school -we had a careers advisor from local authority visit the school and discuss matters such as getting a job etc - was advised to go for one interview ( knowing you are not going for the actual job) so you can learn and be prepared for the one you will want - but these days so many unemployables are looking for work - why would a geezer want to interview the losers. yuk, nearly as bad as sitting in da rookery with the 3,786 boo boys. boooooooooooooooooo
I studied this, but after 4 months on Burghley House, Gidea Hall and Langdon Court, I questioned how much use it would be in a job interview and dropped out.
Expect another visit and all yet laptops to get nicked. He was casing the joint for likely pickings....checking out your response and CCTV etc...
I was in the Brewdog pub in Edinburgh last week when a young lad walked up to the bar and asked about work. After handing his CV over the barman asked if he drank beer to which he replied "not really". The barman then helpfully pointed out that it was a beer parlour and staff were expected to be very knowledgeable on the subject, before handing him back his CV.
I left school 7 years ago at the age of 16, and never got taught interview tactics etc at school. But as PG said, it's common sense. If I was genuinely interested in a career (I'll take Hornmeisters scenario as an example) I'd accept his response, thank him for his time, and then ask if he had a couple of minutes to possibly provide any advice on the career path - E.g how he got into the career in the first place, as an experienced professional - what could he advise me to get on the job ladder etc etc etc. You cannot discount first impressions, and certainly not the people you meet. I got my first job in the City after making a very good impression to an Investment banker - I didn't get the role his company was offering, however I kept in touch and he passed my CV onto his connections. Just so happens a week later I got at another company he was on the board off. First impressions count. For a start - Jeans and t-shirt? Not what I'd have done, but each to there own. I, at the least, would have had a decent shirt on, a decent pair of shoes and trousers - Even at a recruitment agency.
Out of interest Meister, if it was a presentable guy who was curtious, pleasant and convincing, would you consider giving him work experience? Or was the small company size a geniune reason? Training people and giving people work experience can be quite time consuming from what I've seen
No we wouldn't have been able to offer anything. Even with a highly qualified temp who's worked for the company off an on for 3 years, it's often easier to let staff work build up if they are away for a couple of days, than manage the hand over's work load etc. For such a small company it's just not logistically possible without having a staff excess to assist with hand holding and training.
Should the school provide lessons such as how to talk to people in a polite manner? No, its how you pick it up in your childhood and experience from your parents. At school we were given work experience for 1 week in Yr10, some took the opportunity to do some proper work (i went to an AD company) others went to 'work' with their dad, which involved sleeping, tv, and very little else. A number of years on, i'm currently freelancing at the ad agency for a couple of months in between uni to get some more experience and earn a bit of money. I don't have any relevant qualifications, I lost interest in the industry during my sixth form, but my experience and the fact I can do what an art director wants on a computer, got me the job. I think, like a lot of things, this generation has been let down by lazy parenting. More discipline and guidance needed.
Not necessarily just lazy parenting but the need for both parents to go out and work longer hours than say 20 years ago meaning less time to be able to bring up kids properly.
Is this a serious question?! I am probably no more than 4 years older than you, I was never taught how to find work or do interviews yet I have been offered a job after every interview I have had. It confuses me why so many people these days expect everything to be done for them, and assume they missed out on vital lessons that everyone else had in some kind of mass conspiracy. Its not hard - look smart, be polite to EVERYONE you see, discuss something non work-related on a friendly level, be interested (even ask questions you know the answer to) and above all... Research the company! Simples.
I had a phone interview once, I got a call on the bus so asked for them to ring back in 10 mins when I'm home. I then realised I knew nothing about the company so ran back and researched them while I was on the phone. It was a rubbish job anyway. I don't know why I ever applied to a job in Yorkshire. My manager was interviewing students for next years placement year (in engineering) and one of them was talking about his interest in the finance industry. Some people are just stupid. In addition to above you will also be asked about teamwork, communication and all the other standard stuff 99% of jobs ask for, you need to have examples to talk about each of them, and just talk up yourself and emphasise how good you are. Pretend you're a really obnoxious american.
That would've been a nice commute! But yes, I have been known to use examples of other people doing good things and claiming it was me. That's for the 'Give an example of a time when you have used your initiative to overcome a problem' type questions, not on my CV!
New OFSTED criteria actually expect that to happen. If schools want to pass OFSTED they have to show that the students are all polite and well mannered. Despite the fact that parents can walk into to the school and tell teachers and staff to **** off and all that, the schools are expected to teach pupils manners and then expect them to observe them. All the schools I work with/have worked with, teach this in the curriculum now and the trying to put this in a polite manner, the less academic pupils study subjects like ASDAN and Workskills where they learn these things as they perhaps lack the common sense to know how to apply for jobs and approach interviews. When I was working in my last school, I developed a partnership with BT where executives would come in and interview students in the evening as though they were actually going for a job. Every year 11 student had to do this, compile a CV, turn up in suit etc and go through the process. At the end of the interview, they then got feedback on their CV and interview technique. It worked an absolute treat. When I was younger, my parents sat me down and enforced this sort of stuff, my old man even made me go for a practice interview with one of his mates before I applied to Uni, so I got used to the process.
Next time, tell them the job of CEO is available and can he start immeadiatly. Get him to sign a bit of paper, give him a key and then run out the building laughing.
Yes schools provide mock interviews, however with 300 students on average (years 10+11) and only a couple of weeks to get through them the process becomes saturated and kids don't get the best out of it. For me, parents should show their kids at an appropriate age, what a CV is, how to compose one and how to make an impression. General guidance. Certainly good to see Ofsted are pushing this sort of thing though timbers.
Except that you , say, have 450 well behaved, well mannered kids plus, outstanding teaching and learning, outstanding results, you only need a couple of chavs to be denied outstanding status, and they interview the kids, parents, et al and put their point of view above the teachers, staff etc...
