Fire

Advisory service for job seekers

Have you decided for a change?

Although changing jobs is one of the most stressful life situations, you can reduce the level of stress and increase your chances of success if you spend time preparing and getting the maximum amount of information associated with the change.

Start by clarifying your motivation to change. Define exactly what you are looking for. For instance, the type of organization, the field of activity, job position, regional aspects. Summarize what you have to offer. Education, experience, expertise, personal characteristics, language skills, PC skills, etc. Determine what your price is and what motivational factors are most important to you. Find out what the situation on the labour market is. Name your ideas of your professional perspective.

 

Where to find a job?

Internet
Internet is currently the most common way of finding job opportunities due to its speed and easy access. You can upload your CV on the specialized servers usually for free:
www.profesia.sk, http://praca.sme.sk/praca/praca.aspx, www.topjobs.sk, www.mojapraca.sk, www.jobserver.sk, www.monster.sk, www.pracovne-ponuky.sk, www.robota.sk, www.cvonline.sk, www.praca-kariera.sk, www.itkariera.com (IT positions)

 

Press
Special supplements of daily or weekly newspapers:
SME (supplement Career, every Tuesday), PRAVDA (supplement, every Tuesday and Saturday), TREND (weekly magazine, section Business, Management and Career), HOSPODÁRSKE NOVINY (supplement Career, every Thursday)

 

Broadcast

Radio Regina Bratislava – broadcast for the Western Slovakia region, Radio labour market, Monday to Friday, 15:05
Radio Regina Banská Bystrica – broadcast for the Central Slovakia region, Radio labour market, Monday to Friday, 15:05
Radio Regina Košice – broadcast for the Eastern Slovakia region, Radio labour market, Monday to Friday, 15:05

 

Personal agencies

The advantage of personal agencies is particularly their professionalism, independence and orientation on the labour market. They can be the source of a lot of information for you. The advantage is that they will actively contact you in case of a suitable job offer. However, pay attention to the choice of the agency.

 

Direct contact of the employer

The initiative plays a crucial role in finding a job. Contact the potential employer and send them your resume and cover letter. After agreement a personal visit is possible. We recommend a written contact at first, via email, send your resume along with the cover letter to the competent person of the particular department, in which you will explain what you are interested in and give reasons for your request. Enter as many contacts of yourself as possible and express your interest in further contact.

 

Labour offices

The main task of the labour office is the mediation of work for the unemployed, fresh school graduates and those who because of their medical condition or social situation are not able to find a job in a long term. For information about the help of the labour offices visit the address www.upsvar.sk.

Contacts and recommendations

Your acquaintances, former or current co-workers and friends who may know about job vacancies can be helpful. On the labour market there exist a considerable number of predominantly small companies which recruit employees based on the personal links and recommendations. A good reference can come in handy…

How to write a resume and cover letter

Životopis
Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a key document which may highlight your value to the potential employer.

The basic rules of resume writing:
  • the extent of the CV should be maximum two A4 pages
  • the resume should represent you, create a visually appealing document, but clear and simple; do not use the artistic font styles or eccentric graphic layout of the document
  • if you attach a photo, use exclusively the photos used for documents (not pictures from holidays, in a group of people, etc.)
  • if there is a knowledge of a foreign language required, write your resume and cover letter in this language, but always in Slovak language as well
  • make the description of your last job position the most detailed, the future employer is interested in your current experience
  • when entering the data in your CV, we recommend to sort them chronologically backwards, i.e. from the last employer to the first, from the highest education acquired to the lower
  • if you are a school graduate, focus on the part-time job activities or interesting projects during your studies
  • do not leave “blank time data“ i.e. time gaps between jobs or studies
  • it is appropriate to mention your activities and interests, especially if they support your career goal or point to your general knowledge
  • do not enter “sensitive“ information into the resume, such as nationality, personal number, etc.
  • avoid the use of abbreviations, especially if there is a chance that the employer may not know them
  • If your work experience is more than 5 years, do not emphasize your education or academic degrees too much
  • when not required, do not attach any copies of diplomas, certificates and similar documents
  • You can find CV samples here: www.zivotopis.sk, europas, www.zivotopis-online.sk, www.vzory-zmluv-zadarmo.sk/zivotopisy

    Cover letter
    The purpose of the cover letter is to get attention of the potential employer to read your resume. Therefore, it is appropriate to attach it to the CV.

    Basic rules of cover letter
  • cover letter is attached to the resume and contains the explanation of your interest in the job position, i.e. inclusion in the database
  • if you are responding to an advertisement, it is necessary to mention which position you are applying for and also specify the source of the advertisement that you are responding to (e.g. Sme, supplement Career, 7/20/2011)
  • a good cover letter is short, clear, comprehensible, convincing, polite and positive
  • the content should include the basic data about you and emphasis on the key information related to the position you are interested in
  • do not forget to enter your current address and several contact details, the exact date and place of issue, pay attention to the salutation and termination of the letter, thank for the attention devoted to your materials
  • Samples of cover letters can be found here: www.zivotopis.sk

    How to prepare and succeed in the selection process

    The selection procedure is carried out in different ways depending on the job position and the type of company.

    Preliminary telephone interview

    Since usually there are a lot of candidates, HR specialists use the telephone interview as the first selection of the most suitable candidates. During this interview they will ask you several questions, generally related to the basic requirements for the specific job position, so-called factographic questions – e.g.: foreign language skills, concrete work experience and so on. Also, you may expect so-called check questions when the information provided in your resume is verified. For example, if you mentioned the knowledge of a foreign language in your resume, the telephone interview can be carried out in this language. Be ready for personal questions as well – e.g. how do you react to stress, why do you think that you are the best candidate and so on. It is good to be prepared for these questions; be clear about why you are applying for the position and be ready to highlight your positives. A good helping tool is for instance the comparison of your knowledge and experience with the requirements that are listed in the advertisement. Usually it is enough to present those that overlap. In addition to the content side, your voice presentation in a telephone interview is also important. It is convenient to talk more slowly and clearly.

    Online communication

    You may also come across a so-called on-line interview, i.e. an interview via internet. It may include additional questions to some parts of your resume or even a link to the on-line test. It is therefore important to check your email box at least once per day and be prepared to respond to the requests quickly.

    However, the whole interview may be carried out on-line in case a personal meeting is complicated. For this purpose, Skype is used most frequently.

    Personal interview

    Personal interview can be conducted with a personal agency worker or directly at the company that is offering the job position with an HR specialist or a direct superordinate of the position that is being offered. The goal of the personal interview is to verify if your knowledge, abilities, experience and personal characteristics match the needs of the company and if you are the most suitable candidate for the position. At the same time, the goal is to provide more detailed information about the work position and the company to the candidate. The length of the first personal interview may vary. Usually it takes around 30-60 minutes. Verify the expected duration of the interview and set aside enough time.

    Even though the interview process varies depending on the work position and the nature of a company, some of the points are the same:

  • At the beginning, the person who is conducting the interview (personalist) will shortly introduce themselves and the company they represent. This person determines the direction of the interview, not you.
  • The personalist will be interested to know why you are applying for this particular position or company. Therefore, think in advance what to say about your goals and expectations.
  • The interview will include questions related to your education and work experience. Sometimes it can be a quite detailed discussion.
  • Expect a discussion of various topics. The purpose is to further determine your attitude towards work, people and life in general.
  • At the end of an interview you usually get information on how to proceed, especially when and how you will be informed. You will also be given room for your own questions. The type of questions and the way you ask them will be another source of information for an experienced personalist. Hence, prepare them carefully and do not be afraid to ask. Your goal is to find out as much information as possible as well as to make sure that this is the job and the company you really want to work for. Ask, for example, whether it is a newly created job position, what the daily work tasks are, compositions of the team, environment that you will work in, training opportunities and further growth, expectations of the superordinate and so on. However, do not ask too much. Select the questions most important to you.
  • In smaller companies, the situation may be different. If, for example, the interview is conducted by the owner of the company, the interview will probably focus mainly on your previous experience in the field.
  • Sample questions that you may come across most often:

    Questions focused on your expertise, work experience and motivation:

  • What was your job description, your responsibilities and competencies?
  • Describe your typical work day.
  • What made you satisfied and what did not while working for your previous employer?
  • The reasons why you left your last job
  • Why did you choose this field in particular?
  • Why are you applying for this particular position and what do you expect form it?
  • What do you know about our company?
  • How can you be beneficial for our company and why should we pick you exactly?
  • Have you worked on bigger projects? If so, describe them.
  • What is your experience with the management of people?
  • What are the most effective motivational tools based on your experience?
  • Did you ever have to terminate the employment relationship with your subordinate employee based on your suggestion?
  • Describe this situation.
  • Did it ever happen to you, that you had to fulfil several tasks in a limited time which was not sufficient to do so? What caused this situation? How did you deal with it? What was the result?
  • Questions aimed at your personality

  • Say something about yourself.
  • What kind of people do you prefer working with and why?
  • What type of people annoys you the most and why?
  • If you did not have to pay interest to the salary, what kind of job would you like to do most? In what kind of company?
  • What do you consider your greatest life achievement and greatest failure?
  • What qualities or skills should a person have in order to be successful on the job position you are applying for? To what extent do you meet these characteristics?
  • What would it mean to you if we hired you?
  • If we hired you, how would you imagine your first month in the job?
  • If you were offered the same position in a different company under the same conditions, what criteria would use to decide?
  • Where do you see yourself e.g. in 5 years?
  • Questions focused on non-work activities (they seek to get information about your life style, personal values, interests or their potential impact on your professional life)

  • What are your hobbies, when and where do you feel like a fish in the water, how much time do you devote to them?
  • How do you usually spend your holidays, weekends?
  • Personal questions and questions not connected with work are limited by the Labour Code. The prohibition of discrimination is referred to in § 13 and the pre-contractual relations are regulated by § 41. If you encounter questions that are contrary to these articles, you may civilly and politely refuse to answer them.

    Do not ignore the little things
    It is good to remember that your job is to make the best impression on a person who sees you for the first time, in a relatively short time. A professional HR specialist will try to use this short time to obtain the maximum amount of information about you. Hence, he will watch closely not only your responses to the questions, but also all of your non-verbal actions, your clothes, your readiness for the interview, punctuality, the way you communicate etc. Therefore, remember:

  • Find out as much information about the company you want to work for as possible. Use all the available resources.
  • Prepare the necessary documents, i.e. multiple copies of the resume and in multiple languages if their knowledge is required; the originals and copies of diplomas, trainings, internships and such; references from previous employers if available. Mention the documents, but submit them only when asked.
  • Be polite; speak concisely, clearly and to the point. Remember that the HR specialist has only a relatively short time for you
  • Be neat, dress politely, avoid provocative clothing, go for decency and neutrality
  • Come on time. Allow for the occurrence of unforeseen obstacles so have a sufficient time reserve. Do not come too early, however.
  • Take advantage of waiting to gather information about the company, observe the atmosphere, communication between the company employees. Try to stay calm even if you need to wait e.g. because of the longer duration of the previous interview. Perhaps, bring some “work“ with you e.g. newspapers, academic journals, etc.
  • Pay attention to nonverbal communication – a handshake, a smile, an eye contact, attentive listening, and gestures. Try to act naturally and adequately confident.
  • If you feel nervous, try deep breathing or walking while waiting. If the nervousness does not pass during the interview, feel free to admit it. You will not have to spend energy to cover it up (nevertheless, it is usually unsuccessful) and you can concentrate more on the interview itself. In the end, nervousness is a sign of your high motivation to get the job, which is a positive signal.
  • Show that you have prepared yourself.
  • It is always better to answer the questions truthfully rather than trying to guess what they want to hear from you.
  • If you get a question that you cannot provide the answer to because of confidentiality, for example, politely explain why you cannot respond.
  • Avoid criticism of your former employer.
  • During the interview, you can make short notes.
  • Be prepared for not very comfortable questions e.g. regarding the reasons for the termination of your previous employment, your job failures, your negative qualities and the like.
  • A little sense of humour never hurts.
  • Have a clear idea of how to address the question of salary. Talk about gross salary; do not be limited by one number, try to offer a range, for instance minimal and optimal amount. Give your opinion on the question of salary once you have a fairly clear idea of the position, responsibilities and competencies.
  • If, at the end, you do not get clear or complete information on the following steps, do not be afraid to ask.
  • Further rounds of the selection process

    If you have successfully completed the first interview, it is usually followed by a second round in the form of another personal interview with the presence of your potential superordinate. Its main focus is to explore your potential benefit for the company and your expertise. Again all the rules of the first interview apply. For the second interview you may prepare further questions that have come up after the completion of the first meeting. At the end of an interview, technical questions are usually discussed in greater detail, e.g. the date of your entry into employment, pay conditions, further benefits and such.

    Sometimes, the selection process includes a requirement to undergo psychological tests or to take part in the
    Assessment Centre.

    What to do after an interview

    It is natural that after the end of an interview the majority of people think and try to guess the outcome of the interview.
    They reassess their answers and blame themselves thinking about what could have been said differently, etc. Although you feel like you cannot affect anything anymore, it is not true. You can do a very simple thing – thank for the interview.

    If you decide to send a thank-you email or a letter, follow our recommendations
  • write it as soon as possible after the interview
  • choose a suitable title of the HR specialist, consultant or superordinate – the one who conducted the interview with you; pay attention to indicate the name, titles and functions accurately
  • thank for the invitation to the interview, for the opportunity and time the person devoted to you; make sure to include the date of the interview and position you were applying for
  • provide your contact details, where is it possible to reach you if they still have some more questions
  • state that you look forward to the results of the selection process or future meetings
  • write concisely and clearly, half of the A4 page maximum
  • the sole purpose of the letter is to thank for the interview and to direct attention to you
  • Do you want to impress in an interview?

    We will help you prepare your CV so that it impresses your potential employer. We will give you feedback after a model interview. We will advice you how to prepare for the interview and to be more convincing. We will provide support in steering your career, because only the one who is on fire can ignite …

    Arrange a meeting with our consultant, send us an e-mail to persea@persea.sk.
    The price for this service (approx. 2 hours consultation) is 70 € (including VAT) .

    Other services:
    Testing of personality and performance (approx. 5 hours). The outcome is a personal profile, including individual feedback (approx. 45 min consultation). The price is 230 € (including VAT).


    Paticka

    Persea, s.r.o.  |  Grösslingova 4  |  811 09 Bratislava  |  tel. +421 2 5273 11 33  |  mob. +421 915 93 44 55  |  persea@persea.sk
    Translated by DIAMONDIUM, s.r.o.
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