The London Graduate Fair.

This was last weeks big event. Enjoyed doing an interview workshop with John Childs and an Application form session. Also liked doing a lengthy stint of CV feedback. Keeps me in touch with undergrads.

The Any Questions session I suggested seemed to go well enough though you do have to warm the audience up. They only started asking questions towards the end – and the questioners were older graduates.

 

I followed up with a session on the Guardian website on Friday afternoon. My first experience of doing this online advise giving. Had to reain in my initial grouchy response to some of the questions. Did not write ‘Get real’ at any point. Mind you I cannot bear to look at what I wrote. On reflection I think this ability to give speedy responses – even of not totally well-judged, is an important one – the problem is that your first thoughts are there for everyone to see and judge – and you are bod to get it wrong on occasion. Rather like blogging really.

Interviewing for Careers Advisers

A day of interviewing for Careers Advisers. Its really useful to do this. You get so many insights into the interview process. Its also rather humbling. You know you have a limited number of opportunitis and a plethora of worthy candidates. And here they are, in their suits, working hard at giving a good presentation of themselves – because they need the work.

You also know that some of the candidates will be dumbstruck when they do not get through. Some have qualifications and experience well in excess of the minimum requirement. What more do they need to do to get a job?

When reviewing the interviews the one thing that they could have done to make a difference was:  give an account of why you want the job – make it credible and go below the surface. Say something beyond the obvious – show evidence you have done some research. Cover the job and the organisation – thats two separate areas.