1. FINDING A JOB AND A PLACEMENT
Career planning support material is made to help young people, who have finished professional educational institution and got professional qualification. This material is made to help group teachers and professional school teachers, to help learners became competitive in job market. This material is possible to use individually or in groups. After finishing all tasks in this material learner have get experience and have made practically usable materials to find placement or job.
Usually written application is first step to apply for job. Nice and clear application is one of main prerequisite for applying a job position.
Main aim for application is that applicant is noticed and evaluated as a suitable candidate for the post. Important part of written application is application letter. It has concrete structure:
In first paragraph applicant shows its interest about current position and describes how he/she have find this job offer.
In second paragraph need to be described competences and qualification that employer requires for this position. Its need to be showed that applicant really fits for this position with its education and qualification.
In third and last paragraph it’s important to mention why exactly you would be the perfect match for this position and what priorities you can offer to company. In the end you need to mention possibilities of job interview.
Write your own application letter based on some real job advertisement.
In process of writing application letter it’s important to:
• Show your interest about company and position which you want to apply;
• Mention your best qualities and skills and describe why there are the best for current position;
• Describe your possible contribution to company. Accentuate your personality;

2. SYSQA
Kabelstraat 5
1322 AD Almere
The Netherlands
16.05.2014.
APPLICATION LETTER
Dear Sir/Madam,
I have just graduated Bachelor’s Degree programme in Economics at the Latvia University of Agriculture Faculty of Economics and also currently studying in one year Bachelor’s Degree programme in CAH Vilentum Dronten in EU Fund management. In 2010 I graduated Riga Technical Universities Vocational School, where I studied in program „Bank Deals, Insurance and Finances”.
This summer I’m graduating CAH university of applied sciences and I’m really interested to get my job experience in Netherlands. Your job advertisement I found trough eurojobs.com and I would like to apply for it. My previous experience is linked with work with people, face to face sales, accountanting, paper work, and project management. I have studied project management, supply chain management, quality management and business and market analysis. I’m passionate about learning new things and taking new challenges in my life. I fluently speak English and Latvian, intermediate level German and Russian. I have good computer skills with Microsoft and Linux Os. I‘m free to work with different office software. Have more than basic knowledge’s about construction of computer’s and what they consists of. I’m social, open to new ideas, accurate, hardworking and wiling to learn. I’m also able to organize my own and other person work as project manager, as well I’m good team player too. I’m willing to take challenges and I’m also ready to give my best contribution to the company. After graduation I’m able to move to any place in Netherlands, I’m independent not tied to anything.
I am open for all the opportunities that life can offer, therefore, I am glad for the opportunity to apply for this vacancy.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to your positive response for interview.
Yours faithfully,
M M

3. Send your resume (CV) by e-mail without application letter and add only short text that you are interested in some position;
Application letter starts with informal “Hey”;
Send e-mail to potential employer with question whether it would be worth it to apply for jobs in the company and whether it would be possible to have personal interview;
Applicant wrote in his application that this is perfect job for him/her, but forgets to describe why he/she is perfect worker for this company;
Forget to do research about company, what king services or products they offer;
Applicant send 100 “standard blank” applications and are surprised that don’t get response;
In interview applicant asks too big salary, because she/he don’t know average salary in this position;
When HR specialist asks what is your weak point’s applicant says that it don’t have week points, it has only strengths. ( every person have they
weaknesses and even if you don’t want
to reveal you need to be ready to talk
about this question;
After interview applicant asks employer
to cover travel expenses, however it was
not agreed before.

4. Reason for rejection
What to do?
Formal mistakes
Something is wrong with applicant’s submitted documents.
Ask for help to somebody. In your own papers often you don’t see some basic mistakes, but other person can see it clearly and maybe you like something that others may not prefer (formatting and style).
Lack of education and skills
This job requires education and skills that you don’t have (yet).
Pay attention what are requests in advertisement. If you are not compatible with requires, describe how you can compensate with your competences and skills.
Not enough job experience
You have breaks in your job experience and you don’t explain what you have done in this time.
Try to explain what have you done in this time.
Lack of professional experience
You are not grown enough for this position or you have worked in different sphere before.
Mention practices, volunteering job if you have it or temporary works, this will show that you are collecting experience in different ways.
Bad grades
Your grades in school haven’t been so good, especially in subjects that are important for this position.
Prove that you are educated enough, competent and ready to learn and improve your skills.
Mention more things what can you do.
Only part of vacancies is available in public. All others are filled using personal contact network. In this way company saves time and money. This is one of reasons why it’s important to stay in touch with your contact network and get new contacts.
Make list of 30 people that can help you somehow with finding job or help find new contacts. Make to do list of activities and set deadlines.

5. Usually your resume is first information that employer gets about applicant. This is reason why your resume is made to get attention and easy to understand all important information about applicant. Some of HR specialists suggest using international Europass CV bank.
Make structured resume (use Europass blank) .
It’s important to know all job seeking resources, were information is available about job offers. In nowadays there is lot of job seeking possibilities. Important is to know in witch companies and what positions applicant is interested in.
In mutual communication members of group exchange with information about available vacancies in companies that they are interested. Which companies requires specialist with qualification that they are studying. Also group members exchange information about resources they use to find job. After this discussion each group member (student) make they own list of information resources and potential employers.
In application process it is important to get information about potential employer. By getting familiar with company it’s possible to conclude what will be requirements for applicant. Your knowledge’s about company can make good impression to interviewer and help applicant understand is she/he really want to work in such company.

6. By using real job advertisements and available information collecting resources make analyze about each company by using example below.
ABOUT COMPANY
Name of company……………………………………………………………………
Work sector……………………………………………………………………………
Products…………………………………………………………………………………
Public image ……………………………………………………………………………
Size, market share……………………………………………………………………
Local/national/ international……………………………………………………………
Future plans……………………………………………………………………………
Location, ways how to get there………………………………………………………
TASKS
Work description…………………………………………………………………….
Career growth options…………………………………………………………………
Work environment……………………………………………………………………
EDUCATION
Required education……………………………………………………………………
Special skills required (language etc.) …………………………………………………
Skills (for example social) ……………………………………………………………
Foreign experience……………………………………………………………………
Age……………………………………………………………………………………
Drivers license…………………………………………………………………………
Bonuses and benefits for workers………………………………………………………
Probationary period ……………………………………………………………………
Introduction training……………………………………………………………………
Social guarantees………………………………………………………………………
Further education possibilities…………………………………………………………
APPLICATION
Way of application, necessary documents……………………………………………
Communication by phone………………………………………………………………
Advertisement (date) ……………………………………………………………….
Resource………………………………………………………………………………
Glue here advertisement

7. Many HR specialists are complaining about applicant documents, which do not succeed requirements of advertisements. It’s important to understand requirements mentioned in advertisements and compare them with own competences and skills.
By using real job advertisements group members’ analysis own compliance with each position, by filling table below.
Important skills required for task
Applicants experience, education and values, that are compatible with this job
Applicants expectations and motivation do this job

8. Many applicants are afraid of job interviews, because situation is unfamiliar, or they have bad experience. Significantly is to understand interviewer’s interests. There can be given questions like these in job interview:
 Why did you applied for job exactly in our company?
 What attracted you in job advertisement?
 What interests you most in this work position?
 Have you already some ideas about your tasks in company?
 What do you know about our company?
 How did you know about our company?
 Do you know who our competitors are?
 Tell about yourself.
 What kind tasks you prefer in work, why?
 How did you choose your profession, education?
 Why did you change your choice?
 Was there favorite study subject in school for you?
 Can you use your knowledge’s that you get in school in work now?
 Why did you left your previous job? / Why you want to change your current job?
 What did you like in previous job the most and the least?
 How did you see yourself after 5 years?
 How would you like to see your employer?
 There are 200 applicants for this position, what will be our beneficiaries to choose you?
 What are your strengths/ weaknesses?
 Do you have plans for further education, what sector?
 Do you know good enough English (or some other language) to continue this interview in it?
 How would you act if client would criticize quality of your product?
 What do you understand with good ……. (Any job position)? What competences are necessary for this person?
 How your current colleagues would describe you?
 Which your characteristic you don’t like?
 Do you like to work in team, which position is perfect fit for you?
 How can you manage stress situations in work?
 How big salary you would like to have?
 When can you start to work?
 What are your hobbies, how are spending your free time?
 Do you want to ask smth?
Prepare answers on questions; make role play- pretend to be interviewer and applicant.