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EnjoyingEnglish® Advice~line. Updated: 2010.87.19. i * c.v. tips for graduates * College Entrance Exams begin + related info * New university year begins * Back to College...Starting Out * Per Ardua Ad Astra - through struggles to the stars * Too Many Graduates...Not Enough Jobs * Alternative Education: Earn As You Learn * Wake Up - Tomorrow Has Arrived * Don't worry about finding your first job * Job Seeking...The Approach...Starting Out... * Do Qualifications Count? * Making the Most of Job Fairs * C B Song *
CV tips for graduatesWe asked our experts how graduates lacking in on-the-job experience should present their achievements around campus and during study to potential employers
 Whether you were involved in the beer and wine society or the uni orchestra, employers will be interested in your achievements. Photograph: Graham TurnerSimon Reichwald, director of Bright Futures — a company that helps students make informed career choices, network with employers and develop employability skills Don't waste space on a personal statement: Personal statements at the top of a CV — those three to four lines which use words to describe you such as energetic, enthusiastic and committed — add little or nothing, as everyone uses them. So, instead use the space to write a career summary — three or four lines outlining what you want to do as a career and why. This is both different to the norm and helps you show some focus on what you want to do. Focus is key for employers when recruiting graduates, as too many applicants have no idea what they want to do. Plus focus and direction are still a rarity in graduates, in my view. A typical statement that adds little or no value would read: "I am a confident, enthusiastic and hard-working person. I am responsible with a mature outlook and have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy meeting new people. I take pleasure in working as part of a strong team. I am highly motivated, creative and enjoy learning news skills." This is just a mass on adjectives for any role — so with no real focus A better one would be: "Career objectives: I am focused on building a successful career in sales and marketing for [organisation name]. I have deliberately looked for and found work experience in this area so I know that the fast paced, results-orientated environment will give me the challenge I thrive on. I am a strong relationship builder, resilient and motivated by success." Lucy Cheatham, marketing director of Grad Central — a recruitment specialist in the West Midlands Is your CV keyword-search friendly? Graduates need to be mindful of how CVs are searched and screened by employers and recruitment specialists. With the growing popularity of searchable job board CV databases and sophisticated recruitment databases able to run multiple keyword searches to find the perfect matching CV, it's really important for job seekers to create search-friendly CVs that show case their skills and competencies to the full. Thinking about the key words and phrases that recruiters will be looking for should be part of your planning phase when you're writing your CV. Prospective employers will be looking for terms relating to specific personal qualities, key competencies and technical skills relevant to the role and the industry. Key areas of expertise might include direct marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimisation and campaign management. Key competencies could include teamwork, communication and negotiation. Rowan Manahan founder of career management consultancy Fortify Services and author of The Ultimate CV Give employers a reason to meet you: The most common problem I encounter with CVs at graduate level is that they are overlong and they don't give me a reason to want to meet you right up front. Think about the person who is scan-reading your CV in the midst of a pile of dozens, maybe hundreds, just like it. What are the three things that person needs to know about you that distinguish you as someone who is worth meeting out of that large pile? Give serious thought to your points of difference — in marketing terms, your unique selling point — and put those three things up front in a visually accessible way. Making the recruiter's life easier greatly increases your chances of being shortlisted. So, include examples from your work experience/internships or from your extra curricular activities that demonstrate accomplishment, initiative, leadership potential, communication skills and the ability to work smoothly and effectively with others. Rob Cross, expert in graduate and talent development and author of Grad Expectations: the essential guide for all graduates entering the workforce Focus on value, not tasks: Having read hundreds
of graduate CVs, I find it amazing at how many people are still fixated
on telling us what they've done, rather than what value they've
delivered. In writing their CVs, what these people forget is that as an
employer I have customers, shareholders and employees, and each of
these parties expect something from the investment or effort they put
in. And because of this, it's essential that anyone joining our company
is focused on adding value. With this in mind, as you write your CV
it's essential that you focus on proving that you're the type of person
who can use your initiative to deliver real value. This means writing a
compelling story about value you've delivered, not just the tasks
you've done. For example, a person writing about tasks would state:
"head waitress at local restaurant", whereas a person writing about
value, would state: "increased nightly takings and customer
satisfaction 20% by implementing new training programme as head
waitress". When you read this second example you immediately take
notice; you want to employ them because they make a difference, they
add value. This is what will make me want to give you a job. Richard Freeborn, national graduate recruitment manager at the bank, Santander Spend time on your applications: My top tip would be to spend a good amount of time on your applications. Every day I see applications that have been rushed, with some candidates just putting one word answers in boxes with a word limit of 100. It's important to develop your answers logically, stating the context, what you did and what the end result was. By following this loose structure, you should be able to outline your answer in an ordered, cohesive way. Linda Buckham, director, Careers and Employability Centre, University of Sussex Be relevant: Tailoring your CV to make it relevant for the job you are applying for is something students sometimes overlook. Most employers don't have long to read your CV, so don't include irrelevant information — the title of your dissertation, for example — unless it is relevant. Instead, describe some achievements and skills which you used when writing it. For example: "For my dissertation, I analysed and interpreted information from various sources including the internet and library." Also, be clever about presenting your experience. If your most relevant experience isn't the most recent, you can split your experience under two headings: relevant employment and additional experience. Jonathan Black, director, Careers Service, University of Oxford Employers hire graduates who take responsibility and achieve things: It can be a useful exercise to write the body of your CV using these phrases "I was responsible for ..." and "my achievements included ...". Even if you don't use those exact words, it will help you avoid process descriptions — "I attended numerous meetings to plan the student ball" — and instead demonstrate what you were responsible for and what you achieved, however little. For example: "As music officer, I was responsible for arranging the four professional bands who played at the student ball". Don't worry about the activity you're describing; employers don't mind much whether it was the wine and beer society, the rugby club, the church or the orchestra, as long as you can demonstrate that you achieved something. And don't worry about the quantity involved; not everyone raises hundreds of pounds for orphanages in Africa, raising £50 from your friends for the local hospice is great too. Ruth Wilcock, careers consultant, Centre for Careers & Skills Development, City University Londo Tailor applications for every role: It is so important that when applying for a job that you tailor your whole application. Employers want you to apply for the job they have advertised not just any job. Before you start editing your CV or writing a cover letter or person specification, research the position and employer you are applying to. What skills and experience stand out that directly related to your own experience? It's important that you highlight this in your application. Don't be afraid to shuffle things around on your CV with each job you apply for (if fact I would recommend it), have a relevant employment/experience section on the first page of your CV so the employer can see that you have really thought about the position you are applying for and how it directly relates to your previous experience. With the experience you've had that is not directly relevant to the role highlight the relevant skills and activities you've used and been involved in so you are still tailoring it in that sense. Your education/training section can also be tailored to the employer, it doesn't just have to be as dry as listing the course/degree you studied and institution you attended. Think about your course work, major assignments, team projects or major research project like your dissertation. If it is directly relevant and you've performed well, list this concisely under the education section of your CV. Not only does it demonstrate you have studied something relevant but you have been successful at using transferable skills that are important to the employer. College Entrance Exams Begin
Interview: How important is the examTo talk further about the important examinations, we are joined in studio by our current affairs commentator Xie Tao. College entrance exams underwayIt´s midday on Monday here in China - the big day for nearly ten million high school graduates who are taking university entrance exams. They´re also the first exams after curriculum reform was carried out in high schools. Students in disaster areas take examsCollege entrance exams in HK, Macao & TaiwanNow let´s take a look at how students in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions as well as Taiwan enter college. Studying overseas an alternative optionMore and more Chinese students have realized that taking the college entrance exam isn´t the only way to further their education. Studying overseas has become a very popular option for some third year high school students. Preparation to ensure smooth college entrance examsPreparations have been underway across the country to make sure the exams go as smoothly as possible. Precautions have also been taken to guard against cheating as Tom Fearon has been finding out. Security tightened for entrance examsIn light of the recent school attacks, China has tightened security for the college entrance examinations. All relevant departments and local governments are fully prepared to respond to emergencies during the tests. 64 arrested for selling gadgets to cheat in national college entrance examPolice have arrested at least 64 people suspected of selling hi-tech devices to help students cheat in China´s annual make-or-break national college entrance exam to be held June 7-8, authorities said Sunday. Chinese college entrance exams to beginChina´s annual college entrance examinations, also known gaokao, will begin in less than an hour. Nearly 10 million students have registered for the all-important exams at about 8,000 schools nationwide.  New university year begins.
The new students of Tsinghua University queue for registering on August 26, 2009. They will start their new life here. Tshinghua University has totally enrolled 3337 new students this year.(Xinhua Photo) As students find themselves confronted with making choices at aged 19, or upon graduation, we have condensed, updated and presented new information to help you make those important decisions. Our dedicated team of advisers will treat enquiries as a matter of priority until the end of Octover, 2009. E-mail: eeenquiries@ymail.com through the above link, and write 'Careers' in the subject box.
Although this article was originally intended to offer information to students arriving at college or university for the first time, much of it applies equally to those who are embarking on their first job, embarking on the initial steps towards your future career.
There are 8 areas to consider.
1. Getting there. Arriving at a strange and unfamiliar city is often a daunting and bewildering experience. Trains, buses and roads are crowded. It is often wise to travel with a minimum of luggage, keeping to the essentials. Carry with you a minimum of cash, it is safer in a bank. Take care of bank cards, and check before you leave home that they operate in other regions and in ATM machines.
Parents often want to accompany their children to a new location, to be sure that they settle in, and that all is well. I'm not so sure that's a good idea. You will have to fend for yourself, perhaps for the first time. My feeling is, that it is best to say your 'Good-byes' at home, and plunge in at the deep end. After all, when you think about it, most other new-comers are in the same situation, and have the same anxieties.
2. Accommodation. Most accommodation for students is shared in one way or another, often in a dormitory with several other people of more or less the same age. That in itself causes its own problems; creating your own space with little privacy, getting along with your new room-mates, and being mindful and considerate of their situation. A common concern is that you may never have undressed in front of someone else before, or feel embarrassed in communal showers. You needn't worry. In a short time it will be as much of your routine as brushing your teeth.
In a city starting work, living on your own in a rented room or small apartment, can be very lonely. You have no one to share experiences with, or to talk to. Just you, and the television. Try to find a colleague in a similar situation. Even if you're not completely compatible, at least there is someone else around on a daily basis.
3. Orientation - getting to know the campus and city.
It's well worth the time and effort to find out as much as possible about your environment in advance. Search the Internet for information e.g. Google Earth. a local map and bus time-table is often helpful. Spend some time during your first week exploring the city to find facilities and local markets. In my experience, markets are great! Apart from the fact that they are cheaper, often they are a good place to meet with local people, who will usually be pleased to welcome you into their community, and show you the best places to go.
4. Eating. I don't think that there is anything more tedious than preparing food for yourself and eating it on your own. It is usually not practical to eat out every meal, although in China, there is a magnificent range of food available on the streets and in markets, from early morning to late at night.
Canteen food on campus is often bland, unappetizing and generally poor. Planning, shopping and eating together with friends is a pleasure. Indirectly,it has a beneficial effect on study and work. People who eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, perform better, look better and feel better. Developing basic cooking skills is, in my opinion, essential. Lunch or dinner provides an excellent opportunity for communication or companionship, providing a focal point for social or business interaction.
5. Your Schedule. Getting a practical, workable schedule is a priority. Make certain that you are on the correct courses for your chosen area of study and that you are at the level that suits you. If they are wrong, then change, or talk to someone who can help.
English courses in the First Grade are often mandatory, which means that you have to attend classes whether you want to or not. It doesn't follow that your skill level in a subject, necessary equates to your level of academic ability, for a number of reasons. Most commonly is that many students have not had an environment with suitably experienced teachers. There are many resources listed in World Wide Webs and on the Ed Webs pages that can help. In short... don't skip or miss lessons. If there is a problem, talk to your teacher or tutor.
6. Social Life is as important as study. Mutual support and friendships are earned or created through relationships, co-operation and attitude. They are made with your room-mates, class-mates and others that you 'hang-out' with on a day to day basis, through sports, activities and clubs. It is important to achieve a balance between study/work and play, for you to be able to develop into a 'rounded person'. Employers are usually looking for interests which you do on your own and in groups both in and out of doors. As the expression says, ' All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy!'
7. Finances. For most moving away from home, or starting work, handling personal finances is a first-time experience. Look after your money and keep it safe. Budget (plan) for the amount you have available, divided by the number of weeks it has to last.
In the beginning, it is worth keeping a notebook of everything you spend. It's very easy, especially when you have a lot of money for the first time, to lose track of what you have spent, and where you spent it.
First,make allowances for essentials such as; travel, rent, food, and books, making sure that you keep enough money in reserve to get home at the end of the semester / term. If you need to, or want to, find a part-time job that doesn't interfere with your study time or disrupt too much, the time you have for social activities.
Beware of wonderful...spend now...pay later offers of credit from banks, and don't borrow long-term from other students. They probably are facing similar problems to you. Above all else, remember... that loans have to be repaid.
8. And finally... moving to a new study or working environment is in the top 3 most stress factors, along with divorce/marriage break-up and a visit to the dentist.
Most students worry about 3 things. They are, in order of importance; money, their grades and their family at home. Many students keep worries to themselves, without realising that more than 90% of the people they are with, are experiencing exactly the same thing.
To draw these points together, one thing is certain. It is that whether you are continuing studies away from home, or looking forward to launching your career or moving jobs - your life, and that of your f amily and friends, will never be the same again. You will survive, because you have to. You will be successful, because it drives you. However old you are, life, like language, is constantly changing.
Get organised...get going! Smile...and be happy! 'Per Ardua Ad Astra...' ~ 'through struggles to the stars.' is the motto of The Royal Air Force (RAF), the air-fighting section of British Military of De fence, with its origins in 1912. I joined as an RAF cadet at age 13, and remained a member until I went to college at 19. That was because after the second world war, as late as 1969, young people over the age of 16 could be 'called-up' into military service i the event of an outbreak of a third world war.
If boys were cadets in one of the armed forces, that would be where they had to go to fight. Rather heroically, I chose the RAF because I figured that it was a better option to be blown out of the sky, than be drowned in the icy Atlantic Ocean, eaten by sharks in the Pacific in the Navy, or shot to pieces in muddy wastelands or jungles as a soldier in the Army.
As kids from the countryside, we did loads of unimaginably exciting things like; survival courses, summer camps at RAF bases - where we learnt gliding and flying. I learnt to shoot, and won my 'wings' by firing 5 single high-calibre rifle shots in succession, through a 1.2cm disc target at 50 metres. It was character forming, and developed life-skills which I may otherwise have missed. I'm still a pretty mean shot at rifle ranges at funfairs!
The point is, that the RAF motto translates as... 'through struggles to the stars'. It's a thought that has always brought me back into focus when life has thrown obstacles and disappointments into my path.
I can understand student's frustration at not achieving the right exam results or an interview. It is one of the problems with systems which is so heavily based on exam results. It is not able to reflect a person's wider capabilities, talents, character or work ethics.
For me, as a student, examinations were absolute hell, as I panicked. From 1972 - 1997, I worked with the South-west Examinations Board and University of Oxford, first as a marker, and later as a full Examiner and Moderator (a Moderator is a member of a group of examiners who standardise the marking of different groups of markers, to establish fair standards at the same level). Students were continuously assessed on all areas of their work from ages 13 - 16.
It was the fore-runner of what is now 'Records of Achievement'. It enables students to keep a full record of all their achievements, interests and activities throughout their education. It is presented to employers and shows a good picture of the full person - their qualifications, achievements, aims and objectives.
If you feel a little let-down or deflated, or some kind of failure, sit back and think about what you have achieved over the past few years, and how your abilities and outlook have developed. Many young people in China, have achieved remarkable and significant progress, upon which to build their future.
I firmly believe in 'fate' and people being Masters of their Own Destiny - using their ability, talents, character. If 'Fate' has a hand, which I believe, set-backs and disappointments are for a reason - and the probability is that the situation will work out alright and for the best in the end. We sometimes need to reflect on circumstances and readjust our perspective as to what may be the best way forward over the coming months or years. Seizing opportunities to benefit our own objectives and for the benefit of others.
I still maintain a 100% commitment to my ideals; Enjoying English and The Red Dragon Initiatives - the people I would like to work with and students to whom I have a long-standing commitmentnt and obligation. It is often the case that we have to re-align our targets or time-line to safeguard our future. But I don't give in easily!
Some things are set in stone: circumstances often restrict our ambitions. This page has been inspired by questions from students, and should be read in conjunction with features on other Student pages, Viewpoint, Letters and Red Dragon.
We can never offer definitive answers which suit everyone, because everyone is different and their circumstances are not the same. Although the thoughts are of a general nature, they are based on considerable and varied experience.
When you have a problem, think it over, and try to come to a rational decision. If you have some ideas, send them to us at eehelpline@yahoo.com Every little helps!
Best wishes.
Alan.
August, 2009.  Too Many Graduates...Not Enough Jobs. University and job places will be highly contested this Autumn as students prepare to start their first term.
As the economic position throughout the world deepens, more students are taking the option of deciding to improve their opportunities by entering or continuing their education.
However, an increasing number are graduating at 19, or at the end of their college / university education, and are finding there is increasing pressure in the job market.
 A-level results are collected by pupils at Parrs Wood High School in Didsbury. Photograph: Christopher ThomondAlthough student's situations are different; some are completing Higher Education at middle or comprehensive school level, whilst others have graduated college or university, the problems they face are similar. What is the next way forward, and what are the various options? Students in both the east and west face a similar dilemma, facing an uncertain future, with various choices and having to make decisions. Gap Year - a year off your normal routine either before or after entering college or university. This is becoming increasingly a choice for students in western countries, but less so in China and the east, for financial reasons. So, what's the truth about a Gap Year, and how beneficial is it? Is it likely to be a beach-hopping romp around the world, or planning a 6 - 12 month project to bulk up your c.v / resume to give you a career advantage over the next guy in the queue? Richard Blooms, Administrations Officer for the City University, London, says that a Gap Year for some students can be a positive advantage. They tend to return to university more mature and well rounded having had a broader experience outside the comforts of an educational environment. The important thing is, that whatever a student chooses, they should be able to explain why they want or wanted, to defer university entry. They need to be able to explain co-coherently what benefits they have or would, gain from their experience. Simon Owen, a partner at the global professional advisory firm Deloitte, says that a Gap Year should be carefully considered. He wants to know that there was a process of serious planning involved. He looks for a series of well thought out projects of reasonable duration, with specific aims and objectives. That, he says, would make him sit up and take notice of a student's application for a job.  Six students are battling for every university place across the UK … students at Birmingham University. Photograph: Martin Argles Charity / social or voluntary work, aiming to improve the quality of life for others, or to improve facilities in the community, is another option which is likely to get you ahead of the pack. An Internship or work experience in your chosen career field is also helpful. Learning an additional foreign language is also time well spent. Sir Martin Sorrell, Chief Executive of Communications giant WPP, which employs 139,000 people in 106 countries worldwide, believes that the sooner you get on with it, the better. He emhasises that if you do something which shows initiative, it is of value to you and your future employer. Another option, often favoured by students who are unsure of which way to turn, is to return to further extended education. In some ways, I think, this is prolonging the moment they have to face reality. There is a danger that some may become 'professional students', and there is the added danger that they may chose courses that are of little advantage to their future career. E.g. Philosophy or subjects which are already over-subscibed such as some IT subjects and Media Studies. To sum up, the more experience you can gain, the better. One thing is certain, you won't experience anything useful to your career playing computer games on the Internet! AC. August, 2009. Various sources including Agencies.
see also: other features on Student Life, Advice~line and Comment on this website. Contact us if you have specific enquiries.
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