Plan ahead to get ahead

NICVA recently hosted a CVs and Interviews training workshop as part of an ongoing campaign which aims to identify very specific smart solutions for tough times.   

Career Coaches Rosemary Donnelly and Sharon McCollum delivered the training, which they described as ‘vital in the current economic climate’.

Participants were encouraged to consider their personal career objectives before reflecting on experience, skills and abilities.

Sample job advertisements, cover letters and CVs were used to enable participants to see things from an employer’s perspective.

Once it was clear what worked and what didn’t, participants designed their own CV templates and updated the content.

 Techniques for dealing with pre-interview nerves were shared and, after a brief relaxation session, mock interviews were held. This gave everyone experience of being part of an interview panel and also of being the dreaded interviewee.   

Participants fed back to one another on strengths and weaknesses, leaving each person with a clear idea of how they would move forward after the course.

The training ended with all involved feeling charged up and ready to confront any employment related tough times ahead.

If you are interested in CVs and Interviews training, please contact Roisin by email, or telephone her for more information on 028 9087 7777.

The current training calendar is available online; the March 2011 - August 2011 training calendar should be available from mid January.

For vacant posts and volunteering opportunities in the voluntary and community sector, please see the careers section on CommunityNI.