Last week, we at MTL, hosted another masterclass session on ‘Getting Hired’. We were joined by Conor Boden, a Senior Board-Level Talent Advisor, who explored how to make the most of your job search and what tools to implement. Conor started the masterclass by recalling some of the setbacks he had faced: in which he failed his A levels, struggled to get his first job and missed out on a number of promotions; he said, “most of us have setbacks, we all just need a little luck and perseverance to see us through”.
Conor remarked on having quite the intriguing career journey as he started in Law, working with firms such as Linklaters, and eventually turning to Private Equity through Venture Capital Company, 3i.
As the masterclass continued, it became more interactive where attendees shared their own job search experiences and what had worked for them in the past. At one point, Conor asked, “what do employers look for?”, and some of our attendees responded with “enthusiasm”, “willingness to learn”, “interpersonal skills”, etc. Conor agreed and advised, “Persistence pays [some lessons I’ve learnt are to] work hard, play to your strengths, remember that likeability matters, and [most importantly,] have fun.” Later in an anonymous poll, a young person wrote, “The type of things that employers look for, helped me understand what type of things I need to improve on [e.g.] having multiple CVs tailored for different job roles.”
Conor went on to share some of the secrets to getting hired, he’s discovered:
- Create a suitable online presence.
- Tailor all applications based on your qualifications, experience, and presentation.
- Invest in robust preparation for interviews (check out tips to virtual interviews here).
- Develop great interpersonal skills.
- Provide evidence of your skills/qualifications/experience using Situation > Action > Effect formula.
- Provide evidence that you want the job > using your cover letter to delve into this.
- Be yourself, especially the ‘you’ that is on top form.
Our Fellows & Associates on the masterclass session!
The final portion of the masterclass, primarily the Q&A, delved into more areas of job searching. Our attendees asked questions on topics such as speculative letters, the right tone of voice, appropriate questions to ask an interviewer, and following up on interviews. Overall, it was an insightful session that broached an extremely relevant topic to help inspire those we exist to serve. The young people in attendance shared sentiments of building confidence and improving themselves in their key takeaways. One young person commented, “Being more self-aware and making sure your strengths shine throughout the whole application process [is what I took away from the session].”
We want to say a special thank-you to Conor Boden for his incredible masterclass and for his tips that will help to change many young lives.
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