Welcome Explorers

Working as a Volunteer or Employee.Geraldine McKendrick,

FOCUS Careers Consultant,Southbank International School, February 2014

Today’s Agenda* How to write a UK-style CV that highlights the value of work performed outside of the traditional workplace

* Suggestions for non-traditional or 'out-of-the-box' part-time employment or volunteering

* Specific organisations that are interested in volunteers, particularly mature expatriates

* Laws/conventions regarding volunteering in the UK * A discussion of the processes that must be followed here before being eligible for volunteering at an organisation

* Specific suggestions about volunteering opportunities for 16-23 yr olds

Highlighting skills

•Make a list of all the skills you have used in volunteer positions

•Divide them into categories, e.g., soft skills, technical, practical skills

•Colour code those skills you particularly enjoy using

Transferable skills• Leadership being able to motivate and coach others is crucial for anyone

with management ambitions.

• Research skills the ability to gather accurate information and compare and contrast your sources is invaluable in most jobs.

• Foreign languages: increasing globalisation is putting a premium on language skills.

• Presentation skills could relate to verbal or written presentations, or both.

• Commitment – employers want people who are self-motivated and who can get on with the job, it takes time and commitment, for example, to learn an IT package, musical instrument or other skill.

Transferable skills

• Organisational skills–think of the times you have had to balance several activities at once. It could have been at work, home or a mix of the two.

• Problem-solving– employers want people who can think issues through logically, determine what the issues are and come up with possible solutions.

• Numeracy– Managing the local playgroup or sports club accounts could be hugely valuable in the workplace.

CV writing

•Clear and concise •Avoid lengthy paragraphs-use bullet points•Easy to read font – ▫Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, Calibri, Times New

Roman ▫10 – 12 point font (Headers no more than 16 font)▫Spell check – THEN PROOF READ AGAIN• Use UK English spellings

Types of CVs

Chronological

Functional/skills-based

Hybrid/combination

Functional CVMain Components

▫Contact Details▫Summary profile / objective▫Summary of experience via core skills▫Professional history – job title, name of company, dates,

location, brief description of company▫Education / qualifications/ professional development▫Professional development/ Training Courses / Professional

Affiliations▫ Languages / other skills

Hybrid/Combination

• Profile and ‘transferable skills’ sections are expanded• ‘Cherry pick’ elements from previous jobs that are a good

fit for the job you’re applying for• Chronological employment history (abbreviated)• Omit any information that is not relevant to new

role/career• Highlight skills, any high profile company that you’ve

worked for, testimonials etc• This format is also good for career changers

What’s the difference?UK CVs vs. European CVs or North American Resumes

Personal details: omit date of birth,# of children, marital status, age

Factual- content must be evidence -based rather than opinion

No photograph

References not on CV

Interests

Education

UK Spellings/words

“Eligible to work in the UK”

Relevant achievements

Languages

Volunteering & Job hunting tipsBenefits of volunteering:

•You are able to try out a different industry or type of job•You can build your confidence without pressure•You can develop or enhance relevant skills•You can make contacts•Opportunities available for all work areas•Volunteering shows that you have an interest in your

own skills development

Volunteering in the UK: legal stuff

EU citizens are allowed to volunteerEEA citizens are allowed to volunteer- Iceland, Switzerland, Norway and

LiechtensteinNon-EU citizens: you should check your visa or entry clearance

conditions to ensure you are allowed to volunteerNon-EU citizens on student visas-again you must check conditions of

your visa

Useful websites: http://www.volunteering.org.uk/component/gpb/legal

Volunteering in the UK: Legal stuff

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)“The decision to conduct a DBS check should always be made carefully and only where there is a strong and demonstrably compelling case for doing so. The temptation for organisations to check ‘just in case’ should always be resisted”

Free for volunteers Step-by-step summary of the process from the Government UK

website: https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check Detailed information fromhttp://www.volunteering.org.uk/images/stories/Volunteering-England/Documents/Free-Information-Sheets/information_sheet_dbs_checks_2012.pdf

Volunteering• Most volunteering websites have a database searchable by

postcode, area of interest, skills , how many hours you wish to volunteer etc.

• In London volunteers are also in demand for street, sports and music festivals. E.g, for the Chinese New Year celebrations they were looking for Horoscope Zodiac Mascots, Lion Dance Coordinators, and photographers

Useful ResourcesTeam London http://volunteerteam.london.gov.uk/#s HandsOn London http://www.handsonlondon.org.ukVolunteering England www.volunteering.org.ukDo- it www.do-it.org.ukTimebank timebank.org.ukReach (business skills) http://www.reachskills.org.uk/CSV http://www.csv.org.uk/?display=volunteeringNational Trust: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/Landmark Trust http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteering/

http://www.lawworks.org.uk/Natural History Museum:

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/jobs-volunteering-internships/volunteering-interns-information/index.html

Trustee Net http://www.trusteenet.org.uk/

Vinspired (young people) http://vinspired.comPrince’s Trust http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/support_us/volunteer.aspx

                                                                  

Useful ResourcesFlexible and part-time jobs:

Timewise http://www.timewisejobs.co.uk Capability Jane http://candidates.capabilityjane.com/ Sapphire Partners http://www.sapphirepartners.co.uk/ Ten2two http://www.ten2two.org/ Working Mums http://www.workingmums. Mum & Career http://www.mumandcareer.co.uk/• Work Pond http://workpond.co.uk/

Questions?