Dear counselor, after taking remarkable steps in developing and enlightening students on crucial issues regarding their professional future, you and your students are now on the verge of the final stage of the guidance process. This stage focuses on preparing students for the job market before graduation and includes activities and sessions to achieve the following:
- Interacting with the job market.
- Resume preparation.
- Interview preparation.
- Job searching.
- Interacting with the job market
The activities related to interacting with the job market, whether through transitioning to the job market, training locations, or volunteering, represent the ultimate goal of the guidance process received during previous periods. The counselor should prepare for this stage, providing all the necessary activities that ensure a smooth and planned transition. The focus should be on activities that guarantee the success of the process. Some of the crucial activities include:
- Short visits to workplaces.
- Lectures with the external training coordinator.
- Meetings with employers.
- Preparing a simple report on workplaces suitable for student training.
Resume Writing
Dear counselor, please carry out all the recruitment activities listed on the website, ensuring that students have completed all the required skills. The counseling department should assist students in completing all the required skills, including resume writing.
Resume Writing Session
The resume writing section includes activities aimed at developing students' resume writing skills through the website. Emphasis should be placed on the importance of having a resume that showcases all the student's achievements attractively to potential employers. The first session's goals include:
- Writing a resume using the (Professional Online) website and ensuring its effectiveness.
- Broadly connecting the program's stages.
- Completing the resume with all its contents.
- Reviewing and ensuring the effectiveness of the resume.
Activity: The career counselor presents resume samples and instructs participants to visit the (Professional Online) website for resume preparation. The counselor fills out a resume in front of the participants based on an available job opportunity, explaining that resumes are not one-size-fits-all and should be tailored to each specific job opportunity. Finally, the counselor reviews all resumes and ensures their effectiveness.
- Job Interviews
This section involves skill development activities for direct job interviews, job searching, or phone interviews. The website includes materials on interviews and instructional videos, emphasizing the importance of student readiness for the interview. This step is fundamental in securing employment opportunities.
Job Interview Session:
Session Goals:
- Understanding the types of interviews through the (Professional Online) website and ensuring their effectiveness.
- Preparing for various types of interviews.
Session Outline:
- Connecting all program stages.
- Completing the resume with all its contents.
- Reviewing readiness for the interview.
Conducting Interviews: The career counselor reviews interview procedures on the website with participants, discussing the existing interview procedures and their effectiveness. The counselor provides guidance on how to present achievements attractively to employers during the interview. The session concludes with role-playing exercises to experience different interview styles.
- Job Searching
Job Search Methods: The career counselor instructs students about job searching as they are about to graduate. After two weeks, participants are asked about the methods they use for job searching. The counselor records and discusses the effectiveness of these methods, whether they were able to secure employment and if the lack of a job indicates the ineffectiveness of a particular method.
The counselor emphasizes that successful job hunting requires utilizing all available job search methods, including:
- Classified ads in newspapers.
- Ads posted on workplace premises.
- Local employment offices.
- Local community organizations working in the field.
- Through personal connections.
- By visiting workplace locations.
- Through online job portals, Facebook, and various social media.
The career counselor introduces participants to using job search websites and making the most of their services. The counselor highlights the importance of gathering information about the workplace, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the hiring process. Occasionally, during the information-gathering process, students may learn about the complete hiring procedures directly from the ad poster.
The counselor may bring in various job advertisements, and students analyze and discuss them in group activities.