C & C Career & Competence

– Career Coaching for International Degree Students –

E x e r c i s e p a c k a g e f o r t e a c h e r s / s t u d y a d v i s o r s

Milja Tuomaala V A L O A - p r o j e c t

University of Oulu, Career Services

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C & C Career & Competence

– Career Coaching Group for International Degree Students –

VALOA-project aims to increase employment opportunities for international students in Finland by

increasing employers’ awareness of the international talents studying in Finnish universities and

universities of applied sciences. The goal is to help the employers find and recruit foreign

graduates from the universities, and to help the universities build bridges with employers and

enhance the services and training they provide for foreign students.

Career coaching is one way to help international students to increase their employment

opportunities in Finland. For this purpose VALOA–project and Career Services at the University of

Oulu designed and piloted a career coaching group for international degree students in spring

2011.

The group aimed at getting to know what Finnish work life is like and how to apply for a job in

Finland. Also, during the group the students started/boosted their personal career planning and

gained new insights on how to promote their personal skills and know-how. During the group the

students got help in following issues;

What do I want to do after graduation?

What kind of career am I aiming at?

What are my skills and competences and how can I make them visible for employers?

How can I find a job in Finland and how is the Finnish work life like?

Working methods in C&C group were info-lectures, conversations, self-assessment exercises and

group exercises. The exercises used in the group are introduced in this exercise package.

PowerPoint-slides for career coaching group can be found on VALOA SlideShare-page;

http://www.slideshare.net/VALOA.

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Exercises in C&C group

Exercise 1.1 Remembering my future ............................................................................................................... 4

Exercise 1.2 The map of work life ...................................................................................................................... 5

Exercise 2.1 Challenging situation ..................................................................................................................... 6

Exercise 2.2 Accomplishments Worksheet ........................................................................................................ 8

Exercise 2.3 TAITO-URA Self-Assessment Tool .................................................................................................. 9

Exercise 3.1 Personal networks in job seeking ................................................................................................ 10

Exercise 3.2 Elevator speech ........................................................................................................................... 13

Exercise 4.1 Value game .................................................................................................................................. 14

Exercise 5.1 Work culture star ......................................................................................................................... 16

Exercise 5.2 Cultural circle ............................................................................................................................... 17

Exercise 6.1 Letter to my grandmother ........................................................................................................... 19

Exercise 7.1 Interview simulation .................................................................................................................... 20

Exercise 7.2 My personal project .................................................................................................................... 21

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Exercise 1.1 Remembering my future

Remembering My Future

Let’s think that it’s been one year from your graduation and your life is good now

and you are happy with your current job. Write down…

- How are things with you…?

- How do you feel now…?

- What did you do to make this kind of situation possible…? How did you achieve

this positive development…?

- Who are the people who supported you in this process…?

- Couple of years ago, when you were studying, you were a little bit worried about

your future, what made you overcome your worries…?

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Exercise 1.2 The map of work life

The MAP of WORK LIFE

Work history: What kind of work I have had? (now and previously)

Competences: My skills, interests, strengths, special know-how?

Visions of the future: Imaginable professions, work situations, goals, learning, education, achievements?

Emotions, values, Attitudes: Which are the most important inward things in relation to work?

Questions to think about: - Where should I start? - What is worrying me most regarding my future? - What kind of support do I need to progress?

Assignment adapted from R. Vance Peavy’s “kartta työn maailmasta” assignment.

Source: Peavy, R.V. 2001. Elämäni työkirja

I as an researcher

of my thoughts related to work

life

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Exercise 2.1 Challenging situation

Challenging situation

In the last session you got an assignment to come up with a challenging situation from studies /

work / hobbies that you somehow managed to overcome. The situation should be the kind that

you really had to work hard to overcome the challenge. Now prepare to share it.

1. Make groups of 3 people

2. Divide roles (each student will be in each role once);

a. Describer – the one sharing his/her challenging situation…

b. Interviewer – asking questions in order to enable a broader understanding about

the situation and what skills were required to manage the situation…

c. Observer – Listening, making notes, identifying skills, strengths and personal

qualities… (you can use Personal qualities, skills & strengths –list when recognizing

the skills / qualities required)

3. Use 15 min / case;

a. 10 min for discussing about the situation (describer and interviewer)

b. 5 minutes about observers findings – what kind of skills / qualities were required to

overcome the challenge.

4. Change roles

Pictures from www.chumpysclipart.com

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Personal qualities, skills & strengths

Personal Qualities

Able to concentrate Curious Meticulous Responsible

Able to manage stress Diplomatic Modest Risk-taking

Accurate Discreet Motivated Self-confident

Adaptable Easy-going Open-minded Self-controlled

Adventurous Efficient Optimistic Sensible

Aggressive Emotional Organized Sensitive

Ambitious Empathetic Outgoing Sincere

Analytical Enthusiastic Patient Sociable

Assertive Friendly Persevering Stable

Attention to details Good-natured Persuasive Supportive

Business-like Helpful Poised Tactful

Calm Honest Practical Teachable

Careful Humorous Precise Tenacious

Cautious Imaginative Progressive Thorough

Cheerful Independent Punctual Thoughtful

Clear-thinking Intelligent Quick Tough

Competent Inventive Quiet Trusting

Competitive Kind Rational Trustworthy

Confident Likeable Realistic Understanding

Conscientious Logical Reflective Versatile

Conservative Loyal Reliable Witty

Consistent Mature Reserved

Creative Methodical Resourceful

Skills & Strengths

* Communication skills * Creative skills * Problem solving skills * Maintenance skills

Explaining Inventing Investigating Compiling

Listening Decorating Researching Handling detail work

Persuading Designing Observing Record keeping

Selling Entertaining Locating Setting up

Speaking Dramatizing Obtaining information Updating

Teaching Innovating Trouble shooting

Writing Displaying Asking

* Organization skills * Leadership skills * Interpersonal skills

Anticipating Administration Advising

Setting priorities Coordinating Cooperating

Planning Deciding Confronting

Predicting Delegating Greeting

Preparing Initiating Group facilitating

Managing time Managing Interviewing

Budgeting resources Supervising Negotiating

Analyzing Motivating Participating

Evaluating

Harold D. Steinbright, Career Development Center

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Exercise 2.2 Accomplishments Worksheet

Accomplishments Worksheet

Think about your work experience, studies, project works, hobbies and community activities,

organizational activities, volunteer experience, and write 5 accomplishments of which you are

really proud or that you enjoyed doing.

Try to identify the skills, strengths and personal qualities you developed/utilized to achieve each

accomplishment.

Accomplishments Skills, Strengths & Personal Qualities

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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Exercise 2.3 TAITO-URA Self-Assessment Tool

TAITO-URA

TAITO-URA, a web-based self-assessment tool allows you to explore your personality traits, knowledge and

skills. The TAITO-URA tool provides you with a report of the self-assessment results. You can save the

report and print it out for later use, such as job seeking.

http://www.uraohjaus.net/DefaultUK.aspx

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Exercise 3.1 Personal networks in job seeking

Personal networks in job seeking

a) Who are the important resources for you in your life?

If I need a good listener, I turn to ………………………………….

If I need constructive feedback from my performance or achievement, I turn to ………………………………….

If I feel myself lonely and need some support, I turn to ………………………………….

If I need someone to challenge me to work better, I turn to ………………………….

If I need reinforcement for the fact that what I’m doing is valuable, I turn to ………………………………….

If I wish to identify and enhance my skills and competences, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to share my emotions and affection, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to express my creativity or wish someone to admire it, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to have a discussion about my studies, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to have a discussion about my work, I turn to ………………………………….

If I need to talk about my moral choices or ethics, I turn to ………………………………….

If I’m worried about a made mistake or mistake I might make, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to celebrate the good things in my life, I turn to ………………………………….

If I want to be with someone who belongs to the group I most identify with, I turn to ………………………….

Is there some situations missing…?

What do you give for these people in return…?

Would you like to have more people in your personal network…? or maybe less…?

How could you put more effort on those relationships, which are meaningful to you and give you the

most…?

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b) Who could help me finding a job?

Now start pondering your network and thinking who could help you in job hunting…

Family / relatives

Friends

Mentor

Teachers

Study pals

Hobbies

Student union / fraternity

Voluntary work

Internship

Project work

c) How could I broaden my network?

Then start thinking how you could broaden your personal network… How could you get more

people to your “inner circle”?

Networking events

New hobbies

Parties

Social media

Make a concrete action plan how you will broaden your network. For example; “I will find two new

contacts / week”.

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My personal resource map for job hunting

Make a mind map of your own resources. Draw yourself in the middle of the paper and then

others around you. Remember that the resources can be much more than just the closest friends

and family. What about your friends’ friends and your friends’ families? Consider the whole

network we have been discussing about…

Assignment adapted from R. Vance Peavy’s “Suhdeverkostot merkityksen luomisessa” assignment.

Source: Peavy, R.V. 2001. Elämäni työkirja

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Exercise 3.2 Elevator speech

ELEVATOR SPEECH

What would you say, if you met a person who could lead you to your dream job and had only 30 seconds to

state your case?

Prepare to describe briefly:

Who you are?

What are you looking for? (What kind of industry and organization you interested in? What kind of

work would inspire you the most?)

What do you offer? (What are the main contributions you can make? What kind of competence,

experience and achievements you have that makes you stand out from all the other candidates?)

Everyone presents his / her own elevator talk to others

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Exercise 4.1 Value game

VALUE GAME

Values are the things that are the most important, most valuable in our lives. In career planning

process we should also give emphasis for the things we value in work.

Preparation: Print and cut value cards for each student (every student should have all listed values

plus some empty cards)

Step 1) Give students 10 minutes to leaf through the cards and to choose max 20 values which are the

most important for them. If some values are missing, they can write down their own values to empty cards.

Step 2) When students have chosen 20 value cards, divide the group into pairs.

Step 3) Ask one of the pair to pile up the chosen value cards and put them on table. The other person takes

two value cards from the table and asks a question “I have two jobs for you. The one job has more X, but

less Y. The other job has more Y, but less X. Which job will you choose?” Put the chosen cards to “important

values” pile and the abandoned cards to “abandoned values” pile. Continue until the person has 10 value

cards on “important values”.

Step 4) Are there some important values, which are placed on “abandoned values”? Student can still take

them to “important values”, but they need to abandon as many values as they transfer to “important

values”. Student will end up having 10 most important values.

Step 5) “Important values” are piled and now those need to be put in right order from most important to

least important. The other person takes two of them and asks “I have two jobs for you. The one job has

more X, but less Y. The other job has more Y, but less X. Which job will you choose?” Most valuable card is

put uppermost on the table and least valuable at the bottom. Then there are 8 cards left. The other person

continues to take one card at a time and asks the pair to compare cards on the table (starting from most

valuable) by asking question “I have two jobs for you. The one job has more X, but less Y. The other job has

more Y, but less X. Which job will you choose?”. This question is asked until the right place is found i.e. until

the card in hand is more valuable than the next one in line. Continue until you have Top 10 value cards in

the right order.

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VALUE GAME can be played also individually.

Step 1) Student chooses max 20 values, which are the most important for him/her.

Step 2) Chosen value cards are piled and student starts to cut one card at a time pondering the order of

values after every card. The most valuable card is put uppermost on the table and least valuable at the

bottom.

Step 3) After going through all chosen cards the student has his/her own Top 10.

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Exercise 5.1 Work culture star

Work culture star

Compare work cultures between your home country and Finland. Use different colours to describe each

culture.

Communication

Time management

Relationships Decision making

Management style

WORK

CULTURE

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Exercise 5.2 Cultural circle

Cultural circle

“Cultural literacy” requires understanding of culture specific meanings and mechanism. You need to be able

to understand your own culture and interpret cultural meanings to host culture’s representative as well as

learn about host cultures. This exercise is to compare the cultural meaning of your own country and your

host country.

First think about your own culture and fill in the cultural circle (home country). Then find a Finnish person

and discuss about Finnish culture with him/her taking into consideration these different cultural

components. Fill in the cultural circle (host country). What are the biggest differences?

You can consider for example following issues, when thinking about meanings of different areas of life:

1. Work: habits, attitudes, work related means in families, knowledge of work possibilities, career

development, job market, economical issues, work permits, working language, salaries, working hours,

gender issues…

2. Learning, studying: educational methods, learning methods, rules, principles, social status, learning

environments, funding, gender issues, language, career management…

3. Health, corporality: eating and food, medication, social security and health care, shibboleth related to

healthiness and sickness, sleeping, personal hygiene, clothing, gender related behavioral norms…

4. Human relationships: family structures, childcare, role of children / parents / grandparent, relationships

with officials/ police/ teachers / employers / people from different cultures, friendships, socializing, sexual

relations, dating…

5. Creativity, recreation: arts, theatre, musical activities, instruments, handicrafts, sports and physical

exercise, activities within family, hobbies, games, cooking, gardening, watching TV, travelling, reading,

pets…

6. Spirituality, ideology: religious activities, ceremonies, praying, meditation, inspirational people,

philosophical conversations, reflective writing, personal development and stocktaking, religious and

spiritual movements, religious symbols, religious music…

Assignment adapted from R. Vance Peavy’s “elämänkenttä” and “sosiodynaaminen menetelmä

kulttuuristen siltojen rakentamiseksi kulttuurisesti erilaisten minuuksien välille” assignments.

Source: Peavy, R.V. 2001. Elämäni työkirja

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Cultural Circle (home country)

Work Learning, studying Health, corporality

Human relations Creativity, recreation Spirituality, ideology

Cultural Circle (Finland)

Work Learning, studying Health, corporality

Human relations Creativity, recreation Spirituality, ideology

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Exercise 6.1 Letter to my grandmother

Letter to my grandmother

This exercise is to practice how to describe your skills and knowhow, and how to convey it

in an understandable way.

Write a letter to your grandmother telling her;

What do you study?

What have you learned in your studies?

What is the topic of your graduate thesis?

How would your dream job be like?

Remember to put it in an understandable way! Tell things in a way that ”even your

grandmother would understand it”!

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Exercise 7.1 Interview simulation

Interview simulations

On the last session of the C&C group students are having interview simulations. It is important to appoint the interview pairs and give careful instructions to students in previous session. Each student will practice both the role of an interviewer and the role of interviewee. It might be a good idea to make interview schedule in a way, that students will change pairs after first round. Make sure that everyone knows who they are interviewing and who is interviewing them (i.e. who they need to send the applications to).

Instructions for job seeker:

E-mail your revised application & CV to your interviewer by xx.xx.xxxx

Remember also to send the job announcement for the position you are applying (if it’s not an open position, describe the imaginary position; company, title, responsibilities etc.)

Bring all needed documents with you (certificates, testimonials, letters of reference)

Instructions for interviewer:

Read the job announcement / description carefully – what skills / competences / personal qualities is needed and how can you find out if the applicant is good for the position or not?

Prepare interview questions for your pair (see previous materials and use your imagination)

Bring job seekers application documents with you to the interview

Instructions for both interviewer & job seeker:

Be on time!

Dress properly!

Behave like it’s a real interview!

Interview schedule

Hand out the interview schedule to students in advance

Make sure they change e-mail addresses

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Exercise 7.2 My personal project

My personal project

– career goals and action plan for job seeking

Set your career goals;

• Where are you aiming at with your career? • Long-term goals & short-term goals • Express your goals in a positive way

Prepare your action plan, to help you to direct your action towards your goals; • Make it YOUR plan – that of benefits YOU most • Make your action plan concrete and realistic • What are your next steps? • Describe your intentions with ’functional words’ (I will explore, I will write, I will

call…) • Concentrate on present – what will you really do next?

Think also about following aspects of your personal project;

• What skills / information does my project require? • Do I have all the required skills / information? • Have I discussed my project with a person whose ideas and suggestions I value and

whom I trust? • Am I ready to adjust my project or build an alternative project if this doesn’t work? • Do I feel that this is MY project and it has a personal meaning to me? • Have I visualized my project somehow? You can consider making a drawing, visual

map, mid map or illustrate it some other way.

Assignment adapted from R.Vance Peavy’s “henkilökohtaisen projektin rakentaminen tavoitteen

oteuttamiseksi” & Norman E. Amundson’s ”toimintasuunnitelman laatiminen” assignments.

Sources: Peavy, R.V. 2001. Elämäni työkirja & Amundson, N.E. 2005 Aktiivinen ohjaus

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University of Oulu Career Services

V A L O A - p r o j e c t

Milja Tuomaala Project coordinator

milja.tuomaala@oulu.fi (08) 553 4163