Finding a job

Here's some great tips for your who are looking for work:

1. Don’t limit yourself! Most of us have an idea of our ideal job, and that’s awesome, strive to reach that goal! But we all have to start somewhere, so whilst checking out places such as the fish n chip shop down the road, fast food outlets and your local grocery store may not be what you want, they are great places to start looking at and to gain experience from.
2. Use your Contacts! Everyone you meet in life is a contact. That saying ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’ comes into place here. Friends, parents, teachers, teammates, the mailman, the guy you buy your pie off on Sunday morning - these are the people to approach. Ask if there are any positions at their work, coming up or if they have heard of anything. Always keep lines of communication open.
3. Call around! Take half an hour once a week, grab the phone book and use the time to call all the stores in your local mall, shopping strip or some community businesses. Ask if there are any positions going and follow up what they say, dress appropriately, write up a cover letter and take it with your CV into the Manager.
4. Check out job listings! Browse through the weekend paper at the library, scroll through websites such as www.seek.co.nz or www.trademe.co.nz, stop and look at community notice boards at the chemist, supermarket, church, library, information centres and keep an eye out in shop windows around town for any ‘positions available’ signs.

Don’t give up! Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the first job you apply for, there are plenty more out there. Keep trying, stay positive and take every opportunity thrown at you 

Youth Services in Palmerston North

Palmy is fortunate to have such vibrant and accessible services that are youth friendly!. Listed below is a list of some places that can help you out with health issues, social and support services, and career advice/options.  Feel free to give them a call.  Also keep an eye out for Youth events happening in May……

Health
YOSS Health Service 06 3555906
Best Care Whakaapai Hauora – 06 3536385
Child, Adolescent & Family – 06 3508373
PN Women’s Refuge -   06 3565585
Public Health Primary Care Team – 06 3550743
Rape/Sexual Abuse Centre – 06 3565868
Sexual Health Clinic – 06 3508602
Te Whakahuia – 06 3573400
Te Whanau Manaaki - 06 3540043
Women’s Health Collective - 06 3570314
Social and Support Services
Community Law Centre – 06 3567974
Highbury Whanau Centre – 06 3580504
Manawatu Lesbian & Gay Rights Association (MALGRA) – 06 3585378
Manline – 06 3581211
Parentline – 0800 432 6459
PN Food Bank – 06 3573277
Salvation Army Food Bank – 06 3587455
Samaritians – 06 3582442
START – 06 3555143
Team Extreme – 06 3542929
Victim Support – 06 3513873
Youthline – 0800 376 633
Youth One Stop Shop – 06 3555906
Career Advice/ Options
Career Service – 0800 222 733
UCOL –  0800 46 8265
Massey – 06 3569099
Horizons Education  – 06 3570138
Land Based Training – 06 3258773
Trade and Commerce – Xtreme – 06 3500942
Trade and Commerce – Business and Administration - 06 3500941
YMCA – 06 3564865
YMCA Education – 06 3579812
Te Kokiri – 06 3542611
G and H Training – 063568922
Courtesy Ford - Mara Ltd – 06 357386
Palmerston North School of Design – 06 3580188

Career’s Month

Next month is ‘Career Insight, May 2010’, the Manawatu’s first ever Career’s Month!! For a whole month events will run with a focus on the training and careers on offer in the region. If you want to look into further study or a specific career and find out how to make it happen, this is the month for you!

The events include road shows, expos, workshops and seminars and ‘day in the life of a…..’ events. Employers are also opening their doors to offer you the chance to get an insider’s view on what it takes to work in certain industries and just what it takes! The last week of May is national Youth Week so there’ll also be events then specifically for young people, including an opportunity to hear inspirational speakers with a passion for youth and to meet with local celebrities and find out about their career paths!

All the details of these awesome events can be found on the website www.careerinsight.co.nz . You’ll need to register for some events so get online and check it out!!

Cover Letters - How to write one!

A cover letter is an important l part of any job application and should always accompany your CV. They are necessary for all types of job applications - cold calling, advertisement responses and referrals.

Yours should introduce your CV to the employer. It highlights your skills, abilities and relevant experience and provides the link between your CV and the employer’s requirements.

Your cover letter needs to stand out from others. A well written one will help the reader into wanting to know more about you. It will make the right impression and encourage the employer to not only look at your CV but to read it with interest.

All good cover letters need to include

• Why you are interested in the job?
  
  
  
• Why you are interested in the organization?
  
  
  
• Why the employer should be interested in you?
  

Layout/ Style

Type/word-process your letter on good quality paper and only send a handwritten letter if the employer indicates that this is required.

Make sure the letter is neat and tidy with no creases, smudges or errors.

Attach your letter to the front cover of your CV. Send the documents flat in an A4 envelope.

Key tips

• Customise the letter to the job
  
  
  
• Limit the length to one page
  
  
  
• Presentation should be attractive, professional and easy to read
  
  
  
• Focus on what you can do for the employer, not the other way around
  
  
  
• Be clear and to the point, using simple, business-like language
  
  
  
• Vary the sentence structure and avoid overusing ‘I’
  
  
  
• Don’t repeat the same information in sections of your CV. Highlight the main points and draw attention to the key information in your CV that matches you to the vacancy/company
  
  
  
• Show your interest in, and enthusiasm for, the position, the organisation and the industry
  
  
  
• Use the cover letter to clarify anything in your CV that may need explaining, such as career changes or gaps in your working history
  
  
  
• \Proof read, proof read, proof read!! Then get someone else to check it before making the final copy
  
  
  
• Sign the letter
  

  
  

Application forms

Employers get people to fill these out to make the selection process easier for them.

How you ask?

• Everyone’s forms have the same questions, in the same order
  
• Makes it easier for them to compare with other applications
  
• It could form a topic for an interview
  

To give yourself a better chance you need to:

• To know what they are wanting
  
• Plenty of time to go over things
  
• Actually want to do it
  
• Presentation is everything- make it clean and tidy
  

If you are applying for a job that everyone else is going for, your application has to stand out. If it is untidy and not fully completed, your form can be cut with out them even reading it.

Employers know who their looking for. They want to know who you are not just what you have or have not done.

Some application forms are easier to fill out then others. You should take your time reading through it and making sure you understand it. If you don’t, then ask someone else to help you. Also give your self plenty of time to fill it out. You want to give your self the best chance, so you also need to think about your answers carefully- make sure you have examples or evidence to back your answer up with.

HELPFUL TIPS ON FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION FORM:

• Read the job description
  
• Do you want to apply?
  
• Is an application form needed?
  
• You know what kind of person they want
  
• You are that person or can become that person
  
• Where to send it
  
• You apply before the closing date
  

Again read through it all, every single note that is there. If it’s a hard out form then make a draft copy before you write on the actual form. Remember if it’s a mess it could get cut.

Once you finished your draft read through it and check it.

When you have done that ask yourself:

• Have I filled it ALL out
  
• Does it sound like me?
  
• Does it make a good 1^st impression?
  
• Have I made it about the job I’m applying for?
  
• Check spelling and grammar
  

Now get someone else to read through it and check your spelling and grammar. You can even get them to ask questions about some of your answers- this will help you.

When you make the final copy- use a BLUE or BLACK pen, write tidily and use Twink instead of crossing it out. Make sure you send it a couple of days before the closing date and that you are sending it to the correct address.

How to maximize your success…

Here's some great tips for youth to maximise your success:

1. Be confident in who are you! You’re a unique individual who is meant to be different from everyone else. Don’t follow the crowd and get influenced by your peers or what others say. You are who are for a purpose. You have the potential to strive after your goals, therefore you must accept your individuality and believe that you have the ability to achieve your dreams. 
2. Set high standards for yourself!  Be hopeful for your future! Aim high and expect the best! Don’t limit your dreams based on your circumstances! You must believe that you have a destiny waiting for you to be pursued, so go after it with your ‘everything’. 
3. Be teachable! Be open-minded towards opportunities available and changes. There’s always room for improvements. Explore your options, seek advice and grab hold of the opportunities available. As your do, it will bring growth, maturity and stability. 
4. Must have a persistent attitude! Despite your circumstances and the challenges of getting a job or finding the right course, stay in the game and never grow weary of looking.  Your persistent attitude and diligence will be rewarded at the end, hence finds the right career path. The key is to utilize the resources given to you and never give up.