CAREER PLANNING AND JOB SEEKING Milja Tuomaala University

CAREER PLANNING AND JOB SEEKING Milja Tuomaala University of Oulu VALOA-project

”Every student can have a career in the future, but not every student is aware of the possibility that they can shape their future careers” Mark L. Savickas

CAREER PLANNING – WHAT IS IT ABOUT? Continuous, dynamic process Recognizing your personal skills, potential and know-how Estimating and evaluating yourself and your personality Reviewing your values and interests Searching for possibilities Evaluating your choices Considering your realistic options …It’s about making decisions and taking action!

CAREER PLANNING Starting point Family, relationships, studying, work history, goals Self-knowledge Work life knowledge Professions, branch, Competence requirements Competence, personality, values, interests, resources, health Information Processing Action Plan Setting and specifying your goals Setting smaller steps towards your goals Concrete plan how to achieve your goals - What skills and experience do I need, how and when do I get those. . ? Updating your plan Career Services, University of Oulu

EXERCISE MAP OF WORK LIFE Researching work life… ü Work history ü Competences ü Visions of the future ü Emotions, values, attitudes

WORK PERMITS If you are a Nordic or EU/EEA national, you do not need any special permits for working in Finland during your studies Ø no work permit required Ø registration at the police station Police - http: //www. poliisi. fi/poliisi/home. nsf/pages/CCCAC 60 A 96939016 C 2256 EF 4002 D 9058? opendocument • • • Address: Rata-aukio 2, 90101 OULU (1 st floor) Opening hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 8. 00 - 16. 15 (Tuesdays closed!) Phone: 071 876 5781, - 5789 ja - 5777

WORK PERMITS Non-EU students (Residence permit B) can work within certain limits (part-time work max 25 hours / week, fulltime work during holidays). Ø an identification number required Ø registration in Maistraatti (Local register office) Maistraatti - http: //www. maistraatti. fi/en/ • Address: Isokatu 4, 90101 OULU • Opening hours: Mon - Fri 09. 00 - 16. 00 • Phone: 071 876 0241

TAXES Resident • Ø a person who lives here permanently / stays here for more than 6 months progressive taxation (”the more you earn the more you pay tax”) Non-Resident • a person who stays here for max 6 months Ø taxation at source (flat rate, 35% on salary) Exemptions must be checked from the tax office! Tax card is required for everyone who works in Finland! Pohjois-Pohjanmaan verotoimisto - http: //www. vero. fi/en-US/Individuals Address: Torikatu 34 B, Oulu Opening hours: ma–pe klo 9– 16. 15 Tel. 020 697 050 (taxation issues) / 020 697 052 (tax card service)

JOB SEEKING PROCESS What can you do? What do you want to do? Goal achieved? ? Set your goals! Make your action plan! Selection Seeking information about employers and open positions Interview Contacting employers Applications Phone calls Career Services, University of Oulu

WHERE TO START – KNOWING YOURSELF What kind of work are you interested in? What are your career goals? What skills and experience do you need to achieve them? What kind of competences and skills do you have? Some special skills you could emphasis? What kind of skills and competences do you need to develope / gain more? What kind of work experience do you have? What have you learned from your previous employments? In what kind of assigments have you succeeded best in your previous jobs? Why? What kind of assigments have been most challenging / difficult for you? Why? What is your best achievement so far? Ø Identifying your own skills and know-how Ø Ability to describe it with examples and achievements This information you’ll need in your application

EXERCISE ”TAITO-URA” SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL http: //www. uraohjaus. net/Default. UK. aspx

EXERCISE: A CHALLENGING SITUATION Take a few minutes to come up with a challenging situation from studies / work / hobbies that you managed to overcome. Try to figure out a situation when you really had to work hard to overcome the challenge…. Prepare to describe the situation and how you managed to get through it…

EXERCISE: A CHALLENGING SITUATION Make groups of 3 people Roles; Ø Describer – the one sharing his/her challenging situation… Ø Interviewer – asking questions in order to enable a broader understanding about the situation and what skills was required to manage the situation… Ø Observer – Listeting, making notes, identifying skills, strengths and personal qualities… 10 min / case Each one is going through all roles

EXERCISE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WORKSHEET

JOBS TO APPLY FOR… Announced positions – public recruitment process Everyone can see, everyone can apply Free competition A lot of applications Open positions – hidden recruitment process Information is in ”inner circle” Requires networking Limited competition No open position, open application Applicant’s unprompted contact & shown interest Limited or no competition

MOST COMMON RECRUITING CHANNELS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Internal recruitments Personal contacts Applicant unprompted, direct contact Company’s web page TE-office (employment office) Directly from schools / universities Advertising in newspapers / magazines Recruiting agancies / consults Commercial web-pages Staffing services Social media EK 2011 – Nostetta liiketoimintaan ihmisillä

WHERE TO FIND JOBS… 1. Finnish employment office (Employment and Economic Development Office) Ø 2. Job. Step – career & recruitment service of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Ø 3. 4. 5. 6. www. jobstep. net Company webpages (Yritys -> Avoimet työpaikat) Sunday’s newspapers (Kaleva, Helsingin Sanomat) Recruitment / staffing companies: Eilakaisla, Monster, VMP, Adecco, Barona, Manpower, Mercuri Urval, Staff. Point, Academic Work, Opteam, Elan. IT, Student. Work The announced traineeships, Oulu University of Applied Sciences Ø 7. http: //www. mol. fi/paikat/ -> paikkavahti Oamk intranet Personal networks (hidden positions)

…MORE JOB HUNTING / NETWORKING CHANNELS Social Media Ø Business. Oulu – database of companies Ø http: //www. investinoulu. com/company_database City of Oulu Ø Ø Ø o Linked. In Villa Victor http: //www. ouka. fi/villavictor/ Info for expatriates moving to Oulu http: //www. ouluexpatcity. fi/index. htm Friendship house http: //www. oulunsetlementti. fi/ystavyystalo/en/index. html The House for Girls in Oulu http: //www. likka. fi/index. asp? pid=94 Homelike Oulu http: //www. ouka. fi/homelikeoulu/ Associations / organizations of citizens in Oulu area http: //www. oulu. ouka. fi/linkit/yhdistyksia_jarjestoja. htm General information about Finland & how to look for work Ø Ø http: //www. infopankki. fi/ http: //www. expat-finland. com/index. html

PUBLISHED POSITIONS VS. HIDDEN POSITIONS How to find the hidden jobs…?

HOW TO FIND THE HIDDEN JOBS? Personal Family, friends, previous employers, teachers, professors, study pals, acquaintances from hobbies, voluntary activities etc Active monitoring of working life Keep your eyes open! Open networking applications Application and personal contact Sell your competence! Prepare your ”elevator speech”!

EXERCISE ELEVATOR SPEECH What would you say, if you met a person who could lead you to your dream job and had only 30 seconds to state your case? • Prepare to describe briefly: Ø Who are you? Ø What are you looking for? (What kind of industry and organization are you interested in? What kind of work would inspire you the most? ) Ø What do you offer? (What are the main contributions you can make? What kind of competence, experience and achievements do you have that make you stand out from all the other candidates? ) • Present your elevator speech to the person sitting next to you. •

MAIN PRINCIPLES FOR JOB SEEKING Be active and creative in your job search Let people know that you are looking for work Show interest in the job you are seeking Job seeking can be full-time job, it requires time and energy Application periods can be very short, so you need to react quickly Fill up several applications

HOMEWORK FOR NEXT MEETING (THURSDAY OCTOBER 6 TH 14. 00) * Find some old CV that you have previously used for job seeking and print it out and take with you to next session. * You do not need to refine it – it can be just like it is! * If you do not want yourself to be recognized from the CV, please change the name and other identifiable details.