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Guidelines for active job searches

On this page you can find useful thoughts and tips on how to plan your career effectively and make the most of the opportunities available to you. Find out how to enhance your skills by writing an interesting, labour market-oriented CV and motivation letter and how to get ready for the selection process! Self Marketing tools: CV and cover letter Selection process Soft Skills Active search

 

Curriculum Vitae

The CV is the calling card with which to present yourself to companies and must meet some important requirements. It should:

  • meet your professional objective and the company’s needs
  • be drafted in an effective and attractive format
  • be concise yet comprehensive
  • be neat and tidy
  • be complete
  • be free of typos

Format

  • Free: for example, you can use templates found on professional websites such as www.canva.com/it_it/or if you have good computer skills you can create your own, using a programme of your choice (word, power point, ...)
  • Europass-cv: it is currently possible to choose from four different templates; this format is mainly suitable in the institutional sphere (public administrations, NGOs, EU-funded programmes, ...) but has the limitation of offering little scope for customisation.

 

To catch the recruiter's attention, you should:

  •  
  • Diversify the font size, but this should be done harmoniously
  • Use universal fonts (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial)
  • Use a neat layout: use spaces well
  • Use bold, underlining, italics and standard vertical lists
  • Make careful use of acronyms
  • Limit the length (for a junior profile) to 1, maximum 2 pages

 

Directions for ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems):

Medium/large companies and job portals (LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster, ...) use ATS auto-selection software to filter CVs on the basis of key words or phrases that correspond to the main skills sought in candidates, so your CV generally needs to meet certain requirements:

  • File format: pdf or doc. It is essential that the CV not be a scanned image and not be saved by a graphics programme, but created by a word processing programme and then converted into a pdf file
  • NO serif fonts (with embellishments such as Bodoni, Garamond, Palatino)
  • NO tables, text boxes and columns
  • NO pictures
  • NO footers
  • NO special fonts
  • NO borders, lines and symbols

 

Contents

  • Personal data
  • Professional profile/goal
  • Training
  • Work/membership in associations/volunteering experiences
  • Languages
  • Digital skills
  • Soft skills
  • Interests
  • Privacy authorisation
  • Date and signature

How to order paragraphs and content

  • The order of the paragraphs is subjective and may be personalised, depending on what you want to emphasise regarding your path (educational, work and personal) and skills, and in line with the goal you wish to achieve.
  • Experiences in individual paragraphs should be described in anti-chronological order, i.e. from the most recent to the most remote.
  • Lists of competences/tasks/outcomes should be ordered by relevance in the light of your goal.

Personal data

  • Photo (not compulsory; generally passport size, smiling and with neutral background)
  • First name/last surname (bold + capitals+16 font size)
  • No address required, just postcode and city (Province)
  • Mobile
  • E-mail:
  • LinkedIn
  • Age (date of birth and place when convenient)
  • Possession of a category B driver’s licence (and of a car), if any

Professional profile/goal

The aim is to make it clear where you are heading and to catch the recruiter's attention by describing your professional goal and highlighting your strengths in terms of skills.  In order to define your career goal, it may be useful to explore different professional roles to gain a good understanding of the activities and skills required to embark on that particular career path.

Example:

I am a young, second-cycle degree near-graduate in Economics and Management wishing to work in the financial consulting field. During my studies, I have focused on the management and control of the economic and financial performance of companies In addition to being intrinsically empathetic, my experiences with extracurricular activities, team sports, associations and tasks in contact with the public have not only taught me to cooperate within a group, but also enabled me to consolidate customer-oriented communication skills.

Resources to explore job profiles and labour market needs:

Websites

Articles:  

 

Training

INSTITUTIONAL TRAINING (Professional Master's Programme, First-Cycle Degree Programme, Second-Cycle Degree Programme, Specialisation Degree) should be included in this paragraph; in order to emphasise any training conducted abroad (Erasmus, Overseas, Theses abroad, Exchange Programmes, ...), it may be useful to create two sub-paragraphs: Italy and abroad. Furthermore, when in line with your goal, it may be effective to highlight the thesis – Experimental thesis on......; title; case study; short abstract of at most 3 or 4 lines – or certain significant courses.

Example:

Second-Cycle Degree Programme in Economics and Management - 110/110 with distinction

University of Bologna, Forlì Campus [18 July 2023]

 

  • Thesis on Performance Measurement Systems

      Title “The Italian publishing sector in the digital era: description of the sector's problems and analysis of certain players”

       Keywords: web, community, copyright, cross-media

Work experience

The most significant work experiences (they may also be internships) should be described, highlighting: period, role, employer, location, sector, activities carried out, projects or results achieved, responsibilities, etc. These should be entered as a vertical list.

Part-time jobs held while at university can also be included, perhaps collected together in one time frame and emphasising the key competences developed (e.g. customer-oriented interpersonal skills, if seasonal or temporary work in roles in contact with people).

Please note that activities such as competitive sports, refereeing, volunteering/association work, etc. can also be considered professional experiences: i.e. experiences through which you learnt to develop strategic professional skills and soft skills, such as the ability to work on projects, teamwork, taking responsibility and interacting with different stakeholders, writing press releases, finding sponsors and organising fundraisers, etc.

Example 

Internship - Cost Management Office

Xxxxx, Imola (BO) - packaging sector [MAR-JUN 2022]

-Project on new overhead percentages for indirect cost allocation

 

[From 2018 to date]: temporary collaborations in roles in contact with people (shop assistant, bartender, babysitter)

Language skills

The easiest and most immediate way to highlight them is to enter them in a standard vertical list. The important issue is to specify the level, which, in addition to using the European classification (A1/A2, B1/B2, C1/C2), can be more simply stated as basic, good, very good, native speaker (perhaps with the European level in brackets) as the European classification is not always understood.

It may be useful to add some certifications, specifying the date and certifying body, and also possibly the ways in which you maintain fluency in a language: reading and watching films, study abroad, language courses.

Example

  • English: excellent (C1 IELTS)
  • Spanish: very good (B2, DELE)
  • French: very good (Erasmus)
  • Portuguese: basic (A2 Unibo)

Digital skills

In addition to the Office package, you can highlight the most interesting programs you use, such as Excel (useful, for example, for economists), Power Point, graphics programmes, social networks.

1 Example

  • Microsoft Office package: advanced, in particular Excel and Power Point
  • G Suite: advanced
  • Google analytics: advanced

2 Example

  • Rhinoceros ׀ Autodesk 3dsMax ׀ SketchUP ׀ CorelDraw: advanced
  • Adobe package - Photoshop ׀ InDesign: advanced
  • AutoCAD
  • Microsoft Office

Privacy authorisation

I authorise the processing of my personal data in accordance with Italian Legislative Decree 196/2003 and Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

Date and signature

If you do not have a digital signature, a handwritten signature is also acceptable.

Other paragraphs

  • Soft skills
  • Interests/About you.
    Enter your greatest passions, through which you have consolidated skills that speak of you, also in harmony with our professional goal. 
  • Volunteer work.

It may be useful to highlight volunteer work and membership in associations in a specific paragraph, especially for those wishing to work in the non-profit or institutional sector.

HOW TO TELL YOUR STORY EFFECTIVELY IN YOUR CV

  • Describe your professional goal
  • Highlight your experiences (work, internships, volunteering) with the use of bullet points [3 to 6], focusing on results rather than on tasks, using action verbs such as coordinated, managed, improved, achieved, created, etc.
  • Highlight your strengths in terms of skills:
  • Languages
  • Digital
  • Hard skills
  • Soft skills

 

Mistakes to avoid:

  • Incorrect or incomplete personal data
  • Grammatical or typing errors
  • False or inflated competences
  • CV too long
  • Useless information
  • Out-of-date experiences
  • Unclear organisation of the CV
  • CV template not readable
  • Unsuitable photo
  • Forgetting to add the privacy authorisation
  • Having only one CV

 

 Motivational letter

Your motivational letter is the soul of your application. It is generally organised in three paragraphs and has several purposes.

To summarise:

  1. It expresses who you are, your interest in the position you are applying for, why you want to work at that particular company.
  2. It highlights your strengths, motivations and reasons for applying.
  3. It tries to convey confidence, enthusiasm and professionalism.

It is important to check carefully for grammatical errors.

When should you use it? Always, except in cases where you are exclusively asked to fill in a form to apply.

Moreover, it should not be a repetition of the contents of your CV, but rather a means of underscoring our skills/experiences/motivations.

 

Regarding the structure of the motivational letter:

 

  • The first paragraph should state the role for which you are applying (internship, job, thesis, ...).
  • The second paragraph is the heart of the letter and should highlight the reasons for your application and why the company should call you in for an interview.
  • To conclude, the third paragraph should contain a word of thanks, the request for an interview and your goodbyes.

 

THE MIDDLE PARAGRAPH: 10/15 lines max

You should make it clear that:

1. You know the company: the particular project, its values, its commercial policy, its products, ...
2. You know the role: tasks, necessary skills, you can imagine work situations, ...
3. Your motivation is so high that in describing yourself you can pinpoint strengths that are interesting for the company and in harmony with the role.
4. You can write correctly and fluently.

 

Guidelines for an effective application 


1. Always accompany your CV with a covering letter.
2. Address the letter to a specific person.
3. Enter what your contribution to the company could be.
4. Show a proactive approach.
5. Avoid predictable and impersonal formulas.
6. Reread the letter carefully to avoid spelling or grammatical errors.
7. Avoid repeating/listing information contained in you CV.
8. Customise your letter to the job offer.
9. Try not to be long-winded or go over your entire career

The key concepts: Honesty, but without belittling yourself ׀ Spelling ׀ Originality, No Copy - Paste

 

Selection process

STAGES:

  • I Job Analysis - Job Description: describes Role, Skills and Responsibilities
  • II Recruitment: recruiters use both internal and external channels (CV database, AlmaLaurea, Agencies, social networks, referrals, ...)
  • III Selection and evaluation: several tools can be used:
  • CV Screening (ATS System, HR Consultation)
  • Individual and group interviews, assessment centre, tests, psycho-aptitude questionnaires and practical tests
  • IV Induction

 

A good job offer

 

The main aim of the job offer is to skim profiles, to which end it must possess the following characteristics. It should:

  • be short, incisive and clear;
  • highlight the required position;
  • briefly describe the company and its culture, without going into too much detail;
  • describe the requirements of the ideal candidate (qualifications, previous experience, soft skills and language skills);
    contain a description of the job and benefits.

 

 

 Selection techniques:

 

An Assessment Centre seeks to assess a person's skills and potential through psychological, individual and group tests; it may last one or more days and use a variety of selection and assessment tools. It aims to detect information concerning:

- hard skills;
- communication and interpersonal skills;
- stress management;
- group dynamics;
- management of unforeseen events;
- leadership;
- decision making;
- analytical and problem-solving skills;
- potential for learning and developing skills.

The people involved are the candidates and the observers (selectors or assessors); the latter are in charge of drawing up the selection tests and observing the candidates' behaviour during the tests.

In particular, the Assessment Centre has the following advantages:

- Objective, standardised assessments to avoid selection errors;


- Tailor-made approach and tests according to the company context and needs;


- Company reputation (employer branding), because a methodical, structured selection makes the employer appear professional and capable of attracting talent.

 

 There are different types of tests and instruments:

- Individual tests: psycho-aptitude tests, personality tests, structured interviews, in-basket tests, role playing, situation judgement tests, presentations, individual technical tests;
- Group tests: leaderless group discussions, business games, negotiation cases and group objectives, group technical tests.

 

In particular:

- Structured interviews: these involve predetermined questions, identical for all candidates.

 

- In-basket tests: the candidate is asked to make decisions, set priorities and solve problems. These problems are communicated through e-mails, memos or telephone messages. In-basket tests are used to investigate analysis skills, problem solving, organisation and time management.

 

- Role Playing is a simulation of an activity or work situation (e.g. simulating a call to sell software).

 

• Presentations: The candidate prepares a presentation on a specific topic following the instructions given and presents it before the observers (e.g. a presentation of oneself and one's professional goals). This is a useful tool for investigating communication skills, stress management and persuasion.

 

- Leaderless Group Discussions: in these group tests candidates have to solve a problem, make decisions, but without being guided by a predetermined leader (e.g. the group of candidates is told: "imagine you are at a meeting, you have to decide what Christmas present to give to your customers"). Through this group discussion, observers detect leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, and persuasiveness.

 

- Business Game: a test similar to the Leaderless Group Discussion, but the topic of discussion is predominantly managerial, commercial and entrepreneurial (e.g. drawing up a marketing plan for Company X).

 

-Negotiation cases: group discussions in which each candidate plays a specific role and in the course of the test must negotiate with the other candidates in order to achieve their goal.

 

- Situational Judgment Tests: these consist of reading a text or watching a film related to a hypothetical work issue and answering the question: "What would you do?” Situations may involve difficulties with customers, conflicts with colleagues and superiors, ethical dilemmas. For each problem presented, there are usually also response options to choose from.

 

 There are also different types of interviews and tests:

 

• Individual interview (informational and motivational)

 

• Situational interview: an interview in which the candidate is asked to describe how they would behave in certain situations or circumstances and perform a certain task.

 

• Practical and personality test: the recruiter administers practical tests to the candidate relating to the tasks they will have to perform or their knowledge. Personality tests are also very important, as they are useful to understand what might be expected of the candidate in the work environment, in terms of relationships and character.

 

• Group interview: this technique allows recruiters to understand how candidates liaise with others and manage interpersonal relationships.

 

 

When does the selection process start for the candidate?

 

With the summons call!

 

General guidelines:

  • Let the caller know that you remember having sent the application
  • Note down the address, date, time and person in your diary
  • Make sure you have no other important commitments on the proposed day
  • The phone call is the first opportunity to make a good impression
  • Be attentive and listen carefully, bearing in mind tone, volume and pauses.

 

One-to-one interview:

 

  • Who runs it?

▪ HR recruiter - Motivational interview

▪ Area Manager - Technical interview

▪ Owner/close collaborator

 

  • How long does it last? Normally 20 to 45 minutes

 

  • Purposes:

 

       - For the recruiter

▪ The interview allows the recruiter to make a 'global' assessment of the candidate: personality, motivation, intelligence and skills

▪ It permits communication between the interviewer and interviewee

▪It spreads the organisation's image externally

 

- For the candidate, this is an indispensable moment of knowledge and evaluation of:

▪ Possible future work tasks

▪ The corporate climate and culture

▪ The way the company operates

 

Structure of the interview

 

- OPENING: First impressions

-DURING THE INTERVIEW: Assessment of the candidate's CV (training, work experience, soft skills, motivation for the role) + Company presentation and job offer                                           

- CLOSING: Candidate questions + Selection steps

 

Guidelines for the interview:

Before the interview

  • Reread the announcement
  • Study the company (size, sector, business, projects, ...)
  • Collect location information
  • Reread the CV and motivation letter you submitted
  • Prepare a short self-presentation
  • Reflect on the most frequently asked questions and possible links with your CV
  • Punctuality: Get there 10 minutes early!
  • Bring a copy of your CV or other documents you consider useful

 

During the interview:

 

  • Adopt a serene, positive, professional attitude: Have clear ideas + be flexible
  • Respond to tricky questions consistently
  • Show flexibility and openness
  • Listen to the recruiter and respond clearly and with examples
  • Show curiosity and prepare questions (it is preferable not to ask questions about pay at this pay stage)

 

Pay attention to your body language:

  • Do not avoid the recruiter’s eyes
  • Pay attention to your handshake, posture, smile
  • Avoid crossing your arms (this denotes closure), fiddling with objects, over gesticulating and touching your hair or face.

 

Interview 'etiquette'

Besides bad posture (crossed arms, fiddling with objects, wearing sunglasses or a hat, frequently touching your hair and face, over gesticulating, yawning), a few other tips include:

  • Do not eat sweets or chewing gum
  • Do not complain
  • Do not interrupt the recruiter
  • Do not make negative judgements about previous employers and colleagues
  • Do not show prejudice
  • Do not forget important details
  • Do not come across as if you are 'selling yourself'
  • Switch off your mobile phone
  • Do not lie
  • Be yourself, be spontaneous

 

 After the interview:

- Reflect on the recruiter's questions and the effectiveness of your answers in order to build on them for future interviews.

- Send a follow-up email at the end of the meeting to say thank you for offering you the opportunity to meet and possibly to highlight some information of interest that did not come up during the interview.

 

 

Digital recruiting

 

Online interview

 

  • Technical side: ensure your video resolution and audio is good ꟾ have a neutral background.
  • Ensure you have silence in the home
  • Connect to the meeting a few minutes before it starts
  • Keep your concentration high [e.g. do not look away or move while the recruiter is asking questions]
  • The interview is only over when the webcam is switched off [greetings replace a handshake]
  • Send a follow-up email at the end of the meeting to say thank you for offering you the opportunity to meet.

-           

Delayed video interview

 

  • Characteristics: Asynchrony - Recorded І Pre-selection - Decision for next steps

 

Advantages

 

For the recruiter

- Find out more about those profiles whose CVs had not been fully convincing, extending the possibility of finding the right candidate even among those who would probably have been discarded.

- Devote more time and attention to the candidates who reach the following stage because, having passed this further skimming phase, they will truly be in line for the position.

- Decide when and where to view the recordings without disrupting their schedule.

- Conduct an initial test of the candidate's technological capabilities.

 

For the candidate  

- This is a second chance: through video recording, you can show yourself in a more dynamic and personal way.

- Prepare carefully: from the moment you are sent the link to the recording platform, you have a few days to search for more information about the company and think about how to answer hypothetical questions.

- Decide on your own when and where to record your video interview, reconciling your work and personal commitments.

- This is also a first opportunity to concretely demonstrate your technological skills with a successful recording.

 

A recurring question: Tell me about yourself

-           

From the recruiter's point of view

  • Breaking the ice
  • Gathering a summary of your life history
  • Checking coherence between the contents of our CV and what you say.

 

From the candidate's point of view:

  • Giving a good impression of yourself! What you can do for the company, your main qualities, your approach to dealing with situations, .. 

 

How to reply:

  •             Assume a correct mental attitude:

            ▪ Focus on the goal - the position you are applying for

            ▪ Be concrete - refer to experiences and skills developed

            ▪ Provide a chronological account of your relevant professionally history: 

              Training, Experience and Skills

 

Example:

I graduated in Business Administration with honours in 2021. During my time at university, I did an internship at an accountant's office, which helped me understand what I do not want to do. Indeed, my final thesis concerned something else entirely. I studied the launch of an Italian start-up company devoted to a passive technology (battery-free) bracelet that allows users to carry their medical information with them. The start-up is continuing to pursue the project and is expanding in other European countries. I then joined the sales area of a major telecommunications company. Here I had the opportunity to manage complex business relationships, in direct contact with business customers, both Italian and foreign. I enjoyed this job right from the start, and I think this experience confirmed that one of my main strengths is my ability to build and develop good business relationships. Having worked in a structured environment has taught me to manage and observe well-defined goals, and I find working under this kind of pressure stimulating. I have always achieved my assigned targets, which I am particularly proud of because I believe it is the clearest demonstration of the commitment I am capable of. When I read your job offer I decided to apply because - and I hope I don't sound presumptuous - I thought I had what it takes to be a good candidate for this position. I am also interested in your sector because it has many points of contact with the sector I currently work in.

  

Types of questions

  1. PERSONAL

- Examples:       Describe yourself with three adjectives ꟾ Do you like yourself? ꟾ Are you collaborative? ꟾ What is your greatest asset and your worst flaw? ꟾ Describe your greatest success and your worst failure ....

 

  1. TRAINING AND WORK:

- Examples:       Why did you choose your degree programme? ꟾ Would you choose the same degree programme today? ꟾ How did you find your first job? ꟾ Tell me what you liked best and least about the jobs you have held ꟾ Who was your best employer? …

    3.   THE PROPOSED JOB

- Examples:    What do you think you have over and above the other candidates? ꟾ Why did you send us your CV? ꟾ Do you feel you have the necessary experience for this job? ꟾ Are you familiar with our company? 

The final question: Is there any question you want to ask me?

Questions for the recruiter

  A. About the position to be filled

What opportunities for development and growth are there for those in this position? ꟾ How will my work and performance be assessed? ꟾ What should I monitor to make sure I succeed in the assignment?

  B. About the Company

 What growth does the company expect in the coming years and how can I contribute to its achievement? ꟾ How many people have you employed in the last 5 years and how many in the last year? ꟾ Are there incentives and tools to motivate employees?

  C. About the Working Team

What is the main work objective of the current team? ꟾ What were the main achievements of this working group? ꟾ How is the team’s work assessed?

  D. About the selection process

What other selection steps are envisaged? ꟾ What are the next steps after today's interview for those who will go on? ꟾ Who can I keep in touch with in the meantime? ꟾ Are there any particular topics I should look into for a possible second meeting? ꟾ When will I be informed about the outcome of this interview?

Always say thank you, good bye, and then, if you have not heard back within 15 days at most, you can phone or e-mail the company for information.

Soft skills

In the world of work, what makes the difference between one candidate and another, given the same technical and professional requirements, are soft skills, therefore it is important to know the difference between soft skills and hard skills.

Hard skills are the technical skills specific to a particular job sector or role that may not always be transferable to another context.

For example, accounting, mechanical engineering, fund raising, marketing, social media management, interpreting, ...

Soft skills, on the other hand, are those skills that prove useful in any work context and are therefore transferable. According to the World Economic Forum, "soft skills are the skills that will enable us to remain competitive in the face of continuous technological change”.

Soft skills have to do with character, personality and also experience, not understood as the 'accumulation' of years spent in one role rather than another but as the possibility of improving certain innate skills or training them with a view to strengthening them.

We could conclude by saying that:

hard skills are the technical skills required for a particular role: knowing foreign languages, knowing how to use certain software, knowing how to design and how to write a text from a SEO perspective, knowing how to prepare a presentation and so on are all skills that count and that have to do with our study path, ongoing training and, of course, professional experience; on the other hand,

soft skills add value and ensure that other qualities, such as listening and a positive attitude, are brought to a technical job.

Soft skills can be divided into three macro-categories:

- Communication skills

Communication and interpersonal skills come into play when you are asked to present information to an audience; it means being able to liaise with people, knowing when to speak and when not to, what to say and how, having respect and empathy for the other person. These skills enable you to work effectively in teams, even in multicultural contexts. A summary:

  • Public speaking: being able to speak fluently in public, using both verbal and non-verbal language appropriately; speaking 'off the cuff' as well as with the support of a presentation (concrete cases: conferences, seminars, events, etc.)
  • Writing: knowing how to write texts of various types (minutes of meetings, reports, structured e-mails, etc.) clearly, quickly and with the use of appropriate grammar and lexicon; knowing how to structure and customise texts according to the target audience. 
  • Non-verbal language: consciously knowing how to use tone of voice, gestures, posture and other body movements to facilitate listening. 
  • Mastering vocabulary: possessing a broad general and/or technical vocabulary relating to a specific professional field and using the most appropriate grammatical forms and terms.  
  • Propensity to use positive, assertive language: naturalness in using words and phrases that have a positive intonation and tend to express non-judgmental assessments.  
  • Storytelling: knowing how to structure your dialogue with others in the form of stories and real-life examples with which you can capture your interlocutor's attention.
  • Listening skills: being able to focus on what others are saying by perceiving both the content and the emotional tenor. 
  • Emotional intelligence: knowing how to recognise and manage your own emotions and those of you interlocutors, being able to use this knowledge to foster communication that is clear, sincere and respectful of the emotions present at that given moment. 
  • Aptitude to share information: having an aptitude to share useful information with others and willingness to provide it spontaneously even when not expressly asked.
  • Ability to summarise: being able to decode or translate information and communications received by summarising essential concepts and reporting them in written or oral form.

 

- Organisational and management skills 

Organisational and management skills include activities connected with task identification, resource management and goal orientation. You possess these skills if you know how to organise your tasks, manage your time, prioritise activities and achieve better results with less effort. A summary:

  • Adaptability: being able to amend your behaviour according to external contexts or situations.
  • Flexibility: the characteristic of not sticking to established positions, habits and patterns; it allows you to vary schedules or tasks effortlessly, providing more opportunities for personal growth and evolution.
  • Time Management: being able to organise and manage time in the best possible way by performing each task in the shortest possible time and obtaining the best result.
  • Goal setting: knowing how to set real, attainable goals in relation to your capabilities.
  • Planning: being able to draw up a detailed plan of the activities to be carried out on a day-to-day basis and coordinate it with that of colleagues, while respecting deadlines and targets.
  • Focus: being able to concentrate on precise tasks without being distracted or procrastinating.
  • Decision making: being able to make decisions by carefully analysing the context and the various possible solutions.
  • Organisation: managing your space and time as well as possible, taking note of commitments and appointments and fitting them together in order to get them all done.

 

Other organisational and management skills are:

  • Autonomy
  • Keeping to deadlines
  • Accuracy
  • Being driven by results
  • Patience

 

- Personal skills

Personal skills relate directly to the person.

They can be attitudes, behaviours, ways of being or coping with life and situations.

A summary:

  • Creativity: imagining, creating objects and solving problems in unconventional ways.
  • Dynamism: being active in the working environment (taking the initiative, proposing innovations and being adaptable in the achievement of objectives). A dynamic person exudes positivity and strength and is the ideal colleague to work with in a team.
  • Resilience: enduring negative situations and reacting positively. A resilient person manages to find opportunities and solutions even in the most difficult and complex situations that seem to have reached a dead end.
  • Calm: a state of mind that helps to keep the body and mind active and responsive and thus allows situations to be handled rationally.
  • Openness to experimentation: being open to trying out new situations, methods and work processes without being afraid of making mistakes and, indeed, learning from them.
  • Punctuality: the personal trait that allows you to perform and complete tasks on time, arrive at work on time, close a presentation on time, complete a project by the deadline.
  • Stress resistance: tackling tasks, even complex ones, with mental clarity and rationality.
  • Attention to detail: paying attention to details allows you to focus on and analyse aspects that not everyone considers important or fundamental. A detail-oriented person also has great observational and analytical skills.
  • Multitasking: being able to perform several tasks at the same time while obtaining excellent results from each of them.
  • Self-confidence: in a work context, having self-confidence means being aware of your value and abilities but also of your limitations.
  • Optimism: the state of mind whereby you tend to see the positive side in every situation, even the most challenging.

 

Other personal skills:

  • Mental openness
  • Memory
  • Ambition
  • Acuity
  • Professionalism
  • Enthusiasm
  • Resourcefulness
  • Discretion
  •  

 

Research strategy

Before entering the labour market, it is essential to know and understand its needs and dynamics, to identify the best way to access it, to define a strategy. Identify your target company І Gain information about the companies to which you can apply І Prepare CVs and motivation letters adapted to the target І Learn to understand yourself and train yourself to face job interviews, etc.

These are some of the key moments of a search designed to match your professional skills, personality and expectations with the profiles required by the labour market.

It is important that your search for a job be actively based on a strategy characterised by quality and diversification: to reach your professional goals, it may not be enough to submit applications for online job offers found on job search websites; it is also advisable to use other tools such as

- Networking: develop a network of contacts in order to learn about job opportunities that are not in the public domain;

- Targeting companies: focus on a small number of select companies that meet your profile and expectations.

 

Steps to follow to define an effective strategy:

 

  • Self-analysis: in order to identify your professional goal [Company roles/areas, Sector, Skills, Geographical Area, Motivation, Timeframe, Availability (post-graduate internships, secondments, etc.), etc.], you must look within yourself and ask yourself questions that shed light on your expectations and needs:

What do I want to do in my professional future? І What is the right job position for me? What is my area of interest? І What are my preferences, my priorities, my motivations? І What activities, tasks, responsibilities or goals would I like to achieve? І Where do I see myself and what commitments am I willing to accept to reach my goal? І What are the technical and professional skills required to fulfil the role I have identified, and do I possess them? What personal characteristics are required, and do I possess them? What are my strengths and weaknesses with regard to this role? What technical-professional and soft skills am I lacking? …

 

  • Contact mapping: reflect on the people you have met in different contexts (personal, study, work, voluntary work, ...) and who can help you better understand the labour market and achieve your goals.
  • Focus on companies: explore companies in the sectors you are interested in, study them and understand which channels to use in order to reach them. A free online resource: EUROPAGES
  • Focus on channels: identify a set of effective tools to reach the target company and find job offers.

 

A brief summary:

  • Job centres
  • Employment agencies and recruitment companies
  • Social networks such as LinkedIn
  • Corporate websites
  • Job search websites
  • Career Day and Recruiting Day
  • Networking
  • Word of mouth

 

Plan your actions: every day, take time to explore job offers, study companies, write company-specific CVs and motivation letters, take care of your professional image on your social networks, create a file to monitor applications, write a short summary of the questions you answered after each interview (problem areas and aspects requiring improvement)

 

Job search websites

If you are interested in a particular company, it is important to adopt this strategy:

  • Keep the company website monitored and apply for any job positions directly from the portal;
  • Contact the HR department or the company's own recruiters on LinkedIn so that your profile is more likely to be noticed through direct contact.

 

To assess the effectiveness of job search websites, it is important to follow these guidelines:

  • Pay attention to the calibre of the companies using that particular website (e.g. if it is used by the most famous brands);
  • The greater the number of recent offers, the greater the reliability;
  • Pay attention to the date of publication of job offers.

 

Some links:

[Ministerial website for job offers]

[Job placement board, a service dedicated to Unibo graduates to promote their employability and to support their entry into the labour world; it is possible to explore the offers using filters and to find opportunities in line with your study path, geographical area, sector and company role]

[Unibo internships application where you can view curricular and postgraduate internship offers and the database of approved companies]

[Inter-University Consortium, “a bridge between universities and the world of work”. The job vacancies section of the website is full of job offers: those who have just completed their studies can easily find entry-level positions, ordered by sector, region, qualification]

[Social network for developing professional contacts and publishing content specific to the labour market. After opening an account, it is essential to complete your profile, highlighting your skills and professional goals; you can also browse job offers in the job section and activate alerts whenever a new ad is published in your field of interest]

[Search engine for consulting job offers published by companies on various websites, indexed by sector and location]

[For targeted job searches using filters, including sector, location, distance in km, type of contract, salary, experience required, publication date, ...]

[Create an account and search for job offers by setting different filters; publish your CV (deciding whether or not to make it visible to companies) and apply for job offers]

[Platform aggregating job offers from different sources: over 3905 websites dedicated to the labour market in Italy]

[Job board of the Corriere della Sera newspaper; you can register for free to search for job offers, send your CV, search for internships and training courses, and research targeted companies and sectors of interest]

[In addition to searching for job offers, by making specific queries it is possible to access many services, such as payroll calculations, a guide to contract types and pension calculations, and to view articles providing insights and news on the world of work.

Two services for recent graduates are worth mentioning:

- Graduates channel, with news, internship offers, training and useful tips for those looking to make their way after graduation;

- Thesis publication, a service dedicated to those who want to catch the attention of a potential employer by publishing their thesis online and demonstrating their technical knowledge]

[Multinational portal that receives and collects job offers from over 250 websites and employers; you can create your own profile/CV and receive updates on the latest job offers in line with your characteristics and preferences]

[Spanish job search meta-engine, currently operating in 6 countries including Italy]

[In addition to job offers, the portal collects and makes available valuable practical advice on how to find a job and present yourself, as well as offering several sections dedicated to resources useful not only for job hunting, but also for starting your own business and for vocational training]

[Glassdoor became famous mainly as a website that hosts anonymous reviews of companies; job offers are accompanied by a huge amount of data. It is possible to visualise in-depth evaluations of companies with respect to salary, company culture, career progression and work-life balance, with data based on people's real experiences. It gives the possibility to see the size and age of a company, read individual reviews and find out whether the companies surveyed appear on annual lists of best employers]

[Innovative app that simplifies the job search for university students and junior profiles. It uses an artificial intelligence model that autonomously reads the job offers on the platform and ranks them in order of compatibility with the preferences the user has indicated (professional fields, values and advantages). In addition, the ad is revolutionised: AI summarises the original text, instantly highlighting the key information, indicating how much that job offer reflects the stated preferences and how closely the user's profile matches what the company is looking for]

[Platform offering job opportunities in Europe, split by country and sector, also useful for finding information on living and working abroad]

[This website proposes a different approach to companies from the usual one (e.g. sending out CVs): candidates submit ideas for solving company problems, instantly demonstrating their professional skills; each idea is protected by copyright and you can decide whether to send it to a company of interest as a spontaneous application or to reply to published job offers]