Coursera Week 5 (FINAL)

1. Unit 5: Interviewing For a Job

This unit is about the question-and-answer process of job interviews, and will help prepare learners to present themselves well in interviews. Job seekers need to present themselves well by describing their skills effectively. Another important skill is asking and answering questions in a job interview.

• Overview of the Job Interview

A job interview is a formal meeting between an employer and a job seeker to decide if the person should get the job. The employer is called the interviewer and is the person asking the questions. The job seeker is called the interviewee and is the person answering the questions. Job interviews are usually in person or face-to face and are quite formal. Sometimes, interviews can be done by phone or video conference. To be more successful, job seekers can prepare for an interview by practising answers with specific examples of their skills and qualifications from their past experience.

Interviews are a great chance to explain your qualifications and transferable skills with examples or short stories. For example, many employers look for people who can show leadership skills or creativity in solving problems. You can prepare answers that show you have these skills by using examples from your past work experiences or education. Remember, you're not memorizing answers but just preparing some short specific examples that you can use to answer common interview questions. For example, if an interviewer said tell me about the time that you solved a problem.

Before an interview, job seekers should prepare a list of questions that they want to ask the interviewer about the company or about the job itself. During the interview, keep eye contact with the interviewer. Give clear and honest answers, and bring extra copies of important documents like resumes or certifications. In summary, job-seekers should be prepared for job interviews with examples of theirs skills and qualifications to answer the questions. Job seekers should also ask a couple of questions about the organization or the job duties. And finally, job seekers should make a positive impression by presenting themselves professionally.

• Answering Typical Interview Questions

In a typical interview, the interviewer, or interviewers as sometimes there may be more than one person, is there to find out if you are the right person for the job. If you are in an interview or preparing for one, then congratulations. You have got this far because the employer is seriously considering you as a possible employee. However, you now need to show them that you really are the person for the job.

During an interview some questions will be direct, and some will be indirect. An example of a direct question is why are you a good fit for this job, or why do you want to work for this company. These questions should be pretty clear to understand and answer. Since both questions use why, you should give reasons in your answers. So you might say in your response, I believe I'm a good fit for this company because I have the necessary skills and experience to fit right in and help the company grow.

However, indirect questions are more difficult to recognize. An example of an indirect question is, so tell me a little bit about yourself. It's called an indirect question, because the question doesn't begin with a wh word, like what, where, when, why, who, and how, which direct questions often use. However, it is still a question, and you need to listen carefully during the interview for these types of indirect questions.

• Language Focus– Asking for Clarification in an Interview

Clarification is when you don't understand something the interviewer. So you ask him or her to make it clear. Repetition is when you ask the interviewer to repeat or say again something that they said. In a job interview, there may be times when you won't understand every question an interviewer asks you. This may be especially true if you're doing an interview in a language that is not your first, such as English. It is perfectly normal that sometimes you won't understand everything the interviewer asks you. You shouldn't panic. Good interviewees have the same difficulty, but they usually have some strategies or ways of working around a difficulty that allows them to better understand what the interviewer is asking.

2. Learning Experience in Fifth Week

I learned about how to interview properly in finding a job. Must answer the questions with good words, must not be offensive or negative. Must be confident too.

3. Progress and Score

Coursera Week 4

• Unit 4 – Networking

This unit will teach job-seekers language for meeting new people, making small talk, and describing.

1.) What is Networking?

A network is a connection between many things or people. In career development, networking means connecting with other people to talk about your job search and career goals. You can talk to other people formally at a professional conference or informally at lunch with friends. When you are networking you are meeting new people and learning more about different jobs and companies. Networking is about building professional relationships, which take time to grow. When you meet new people you learn about common interests, or things you both know about. For example, two co-workers meet while working for a large financial company in New York. They quickly learn that they both went to the same university. This common background is the beginning of their professional relationship. And may help them learn about some other things that they have in common. Such as, major or subject areas, work experiences, or other people they both know. These are called mutual friends, or acquaintances.

2.) Making Small Talk

Small Talk is when you make polite conversation with someone. Often the conversation is with someone you don't know very well, so you may have to speak with this person for the very first time. A conversation may begin as small talk and then continue into speaking about something more important.

But usually, Small Talk is the first stage before you can get to that more important place. For example, let's say you are in a business meeting with your co-workers. You might begin the conversation with one of your colleague by asking her about her family. You might say, hey, Maria, how are you? How's your family doing? Did your youngest start school yet? In this situation, the speaker asks a question about his co-worker's family.

Usually, small talk sticks to topics that we consider safe. In the United States, chatting about someone's family is generally a safe topic. Chatting about the weather is a safe topic. Chatting about food, or travel, or movies, are safe topics. Safe topics are ones where you can be pretty sure where you can be pretty sure that you will not upset, or offend the person, by talking about these topics. In the US, we usually stay clear of certain topics, topics that we consider taboo or controversial, topics that could upset someone. Some examples of taboos in the US are religion, politics and salary. It's best to avoid discussing these topics in a conversation, especially with someone you're trying to make a good impression with.

3.) Networking Elevator speech- What to Say When Networking

This short description is known as an elevator speech. Because the average amount of time in an elevator is about 45 seconds. Even though the elevator speech is short, each should give enough information to make the listener know who you are, and what you can do.

Let's start with the basic information that you should include in your elevator speech.

1. Tell them your full name and current job title, department, or employer.
2. Tell the other person what you are looking for. Information or a kind of job in an industry, field, or location.
3. Tell them something about a past job or experience that could be important to them. Fourth, tell them about a job skill that you have and are very good at. After you've described a little bit about yourself, then you can ask the other person a general question. A general question is one that is easy to answer. For example, do you know if the company is hiring anyone right now?

Asking questions helps to keep the conversation going, and allows you to find out more about them. In summary, job seekers should have a short, prepared description or an elevator speech that they can use to introduce themselves when networking. A good elevator speech includes your name and current job, what you are looking for, something from a past experience, and a short description of your best job skill. Even though it is short, it can give other people a lot of information about you.

• Learning Experience in Fourth Week

Can meet new people and can find work through friends.

• Progress and Score

Coursera Week 3

• Unit 3 – Cover Letter

This unit focuses on another important document for job-seekers: the cover letter. You will learn how to write a clear cover letter that tells employers why you are the right person for the job. Some of the material we discussed is as follows :

1.) What Is Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a one page formal letter and there are some parts that looked the same in each cover letter. The content or information in the cover letter should be a little different from each job you are applying for. The cover letter helps an employer to understand more about the applicant and helps to direct attention to certain parts of the resume.

There are several reasons for finding a job :

1. The first reason for writing a cover letter is that it shows the applicants personal style or personality. Job seekers choose very specific words to introduce themselves to an employer. This is how they show their personal style. Example : Tom and Beth are both applying for the same job as an international student advisor. In his cover letter, Tom writes, I am interested in working with international students. Beth writes, I am very excited to meet and work with international students. The word choices in these examples show us their personal styles. We see that Tom is interested in working with international student, but Beth is very excited to meet and work with international students. Beth's personality is much clearer with her word choices, excited to meet and work with.
2. The second reason for writing a cover letter is to explain the applicant's qualifications for the job. Using our same candidates Tom and Beth, let's see how they would write a short description of their qualifications. Example : Tom writes, I have two years of experience working as an activities director of a language school. Beth says, as a Resident Advisor, I advise students on counseling on personal, cultural and immigration issues, as well as organize professional, social and cultural programs. From the short descriptions in their cover letters most employers would want to read Beth's resume to find out more about her experience.
3. The third reason, for writing a cover later is to formerly ask for an interview.

2.) Professional Writing: Letter Format

The parts of a professional letter and format of a letter or how it should look. In the United States, professional writing follows a standard format or order and includes four parts. The first part is the heading which includes the writer's address and contact information, the date and the reader's name and address The second part is the salutation. The third part is the three body paragraphs, opening paragraph, middle paragraph and closing paragraph. And the fourth is the closing which includes a complimentary close, a signature and a typed name.

3.) Cover Letter Paragraph 1- Introducing Yourself

The first paragraph of a cover letter must include a statement of application applying for job, the specific title of the job opening, and your source of information. This is the part of the letter in which applicants show their interest in the position. Remember that the opening paragraph also needs to get the employer's attention. Some job seekers choose to briefly write about their education, skills, or experience at the end as a connection to the next paragraph.

4.) Cover Letter Paragraph 2- Highlighting Your Skills in the Cover letter

In paragraph two in the body of the cover letter, you will summarize two or three examples from your education, experience, and interests to show a future employer how you are qualified for the job. This paragraph is your chance to really stand out from all of the other applicants. Remember that employers are looking for people who can help their business or organization be successful. Focus on how your skills and qualifications will help them.  When you are applying for a specific position, it is a good idea to use the job description or advertisement as a guide. The job description is very useful because it has key words about the skills and experience needed to do the job.

5.) Cover Letter Paragraph 3- Closing

In this paragraph, job seekers make a request to interview for the job, tell how they will follow up with the application and leave the reader with a positive impression. The goal of this paragraph is to summarize your interest in the job, and show the employer that you are ready for the next step, a job interview. Although job seekers do not make the decision about the interview or schedule, they should plan to call or email the employer soon after sending the application. This shows that the applicant is serious about the job and may lead to an interview.

• Learning Experience in Third Week

In this part I understand how to make a cover letter properly and correctly. In detail the layout for making cover letters. Very helpful in finding work.

• Progress and Score

      2.