Notes

Program Overview

There are three factors that make this program so successful:

FIRST - is that it is comprehensive; it covers everything from helping job seekers choose the right career path to follow, through to winning the job and succeeding in it. The program includes developing résumés and applications that win jobs, preparing for successful interviews, networking and finding jobs before they are advertised, evaluating job offers, negotiating the right conditions and strategies for moving successfully into the new job. Most importantly, it explains in detail practical strategies to help job seekers build and maintain the positive self-image so vital to success in the job search.

SECOND - is that every aspect has been tried and tested and proven to be highly effective, giving success to job seekers from across the spectrum.

THIRD - is that the program has been designed to be flexible and as easy for instructors to present as it is for job seekers to understand.

PROGRAM OUTLINE
UNIT SLIDES ETR*
Unit 1: The Right Approach
Yes 1-2 hrs
Unit 2: Planning Your Career Path No 3-5 hrs
Unit 3: Winning Résumés Yes 4-6 hrs
Unit 4: Achievement Statements Yes 1 hr
Unit 5: Networking & Research Yes 4-6 hrs
Unit 6: Positive Self Image Yes 1 hr
Unit 7: Winning at the Job Interview Yes 3-5 hrs
Unit 7a: Assessment Centres No 1 hr
Unit 8: A Successful Transition No 1 hr

* ETR is estimated time required. This includes some work that could be done independently by participants. It does not include the time required for implementing suggested strategies.

The program consists of:

9 training units, each with a comprehensive manual, reproducible for each participant. These are designed to both be a reference manual providing detailed instructions on how to set about each task in the career transition and, in places, to be a workbook promoting the active participation of job seekers. This means that, if contact time is limited and if job seekers are capable of doing so, some of the work can be completed away from the centre.

Slide presentations for the 5 of the 9 units where they enhance the learning experience through illustrating, clarifying and emphasising important points. There are many times when the screen is better blank so that the focus of attention is the trainer/coach or the training manuals. For this purpose, a number of black slides have been inserted with the only wording a reference to the relevant page in the manual.

Additional resources include 20 specimen résumés, 7 cover letters and 3 statements addressing selection criteria in both Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) and Microsoft® Word formats. These are for several uses:

a) to demonstrate specific techniques and to provide examples of effective ways in which various parts of the application can be treated (PDF)

b) to illustrate different styles, different formats, to give job seekers ideas on how best to lay out their applications (scroll-through first-pages in PDF)

c) to enable the job seeker to select and download one for use as a template (Microsoft® Word)
Note: some of the fonts used in these specimen applications may not be available on all computers. This can mean that when the Microsoft® Word application is downloaded for use as a template, it will be in a substituted font. This font may change the layout of a résumé and alter the way pages divide. If this is an issue, compare the resultant Microsoft® Word version with the PDF version and make any necessary changes to the formatting of the Microsoft® Word version, preferably prior to participants using it as a template.

Other resources include:

The Resources Booklet which contains reproducible consumables such as Daily Action Planners, Communication Planners, Interview Evaluation forms etc.