All 2 entries tagged P9 Portfolio

Follow–up on Career planning

Workshop Tutor: Fiona Kent

Heres a summary of how I've been getting on with my action points

Dear Fiona,

Unfortunately, the interview was postponed from April 11 to April 17. Therefore, I couldn't have updated you about how the telephone interview went.

As far as my second action point regarding the preparation for the interview is concerned, I decided not to leave anything to chance. I watched the videos with interviews that Charlie Cunningham recommended me. I found them really interesting, especially the interviewers' comments on applicant’s performance. I learnt quite a lot about the nature of such interviews.

I also googled information regarding the possible questions I might be asked at the interview. I found it helpful because I tried to reply to each of them on my own. With such preparation, I felt during the conversation more relaxed and confident. When you prepare the possible answers, it is easier not to slip into a trap.

For example, one question I was asked was which subject at Warwick I have enjoyed most so far and why. I responded, that business planning - an integrative project based on teamwork was a challenging experience. He asked me which role I played in the team and what I think my strength was. I described him my responsibilities and told him that I like to challenge - improve things - to question new ideas so as to make the most of them. He found an opportunity to ask me a tricky question - don't you think that such approach to brainstorming can be sometimes frustrating?

Well, to be honest, I was surprised by such question. Luckily, one of the question I googled was similar to this one, so I knew that I have to turn it into something positive. I said that when a person knows his or her strengths, it is necessary to know when it is appropriate to use them. So I agreed that it might be frustrating, but I also pointed out that I am driven by achievements and that I like getting things done. When being short of time, I consider - is it worth to challenge the idea? Do we have time for it? Are those 3% of improvement more valuable compared to the progress of the overall project?

I think, such answer was quite diplomatic and it does not show my strength as a weakness. Am I right?

To conclude, the whole interview lasted more than 30 minutes and I had a good feeling about the way the interview went. I was told that I was articulate and my responses were well structured and meaningful. So now I just have to expect the worst and hope for the best.

Thank you Fiona for reading the blog, I tried to meet all the action points I set during the workshop. So now I guess I am going to start writing the final entry for the whole Warwick Skills Portfolio.

Thank you again for following my posts and all the best!

Natalia

: 18 Apr 2012 02:22 |  Tags: Actions Follow-Up P9 Portfolio Wspa |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Follow–up on Career planning

Workshop Tutor: Chris Manley Fiona Kent

Heres a summary of how I've been getting on with my action points

Dear Fiona and Chris,

Here is the follow-up on my progress with the action points I set in the last blog.

Since your workshop, I have been working so much on improving my CV. As promised, I got my CV checked in the C&S Centre. I thought that attending the workshop on how to write your CV provides you with enough information but the opposite is true. The 20 min session, which I had with one of the advisors in the Centre, got far beyond my expectations. I thought that my CV was strong enough, but I found out that there is a lot that can be improved so as to make the CV flawless.

Ioanna Iordanou, the advisor in the C&S Centre, she pointed out during the session that my CV was well-structured and easy to read. However, she also suggested that due to having a number of important experiences, I should change the structure of the CV. The original CV was based on a timeline which was good, but it does not let the CV show the competencies and qualities of the applicant. So Ioanna showed me how to base the CV on competencies. I switched the timeline to the right-side and added the description of the most important skills and competencies that I gained from each work-experience. Now, the CV looks better, the layout is clearer and it presents my work-experiences, educational background and strengths in a more professional way.

As far as the second action point is concerned, I have decided to change it slightly. Due to having one application successful, I was offered a telephone interview. Therefore, I have decided to focus on the preparation for that conversation. I went to C&S Centre again to gain some advice on what to do and what don’t during the interview. On March 16, I spoke to Charlie Cunningham. He gave me several valuable pieces of advice which I am definitely going to implement in the preparation for the interview. The interview takes place on April 11, so I’m planning to go through company websites, skim their annual reports, google some information about the company and Charlie provided me with some resources regarding the types of questions I might be asked during the conversation and some videos which I think will be useful for the prep.

That’s it for now, thank you for reading and I will get back to the blog with updates after the interview.

Wish me luck and have a nice day!

Natalia

: 01 Apr 2012 14:16 |  Tags: Actions Follow-Up P9 Portfolio Wspa |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem