Postcard from Bishkek

For some reason I am often invited to give a talk to a group of students.

At first, I was in demand as a “native English speaker” and asked to meet with a class of English language students, so that they could practice their skills in a Question and Answer session.  That was always quite good fun as the conversation could range free and easy over a wide variety of topics.  Apparently there weren’t that many people willing to, or with the time to, volunteer for such activities – and several teachers stressed that they wanted “English English” as opposed to “American English”.  This, however, gave me a bit of a problem as my accent is a bit peculiar.  It’s not that I have a strong regional; accent … it’s not Geordie, Glaswegian or Black Country … but it is peculiar.  Sometimes, even, other Brits say that they have difficulty understanding me – and it takes a bit of time to get used to my manner of speech.

Over the years, I have also been to talk to groups about topics related to tourism in Kyrgyzstan, (such as: Working with clients, the job of the guide, jobs in tourism …), and sometimes about business topics, (such as Leadership, Personnel Management, … or, even, just “Doing Business in Kyrgyzstan”).

The other week, I was asked by the Careers Department of one of the major universities in Kyrgyzstan, (although they would probably say: THE major University in Kyrgyzstan), on what employers were looking for in a job applicant.

I was told that they were looking for:

• “A foreign investor,
• … who may give his opinion on selecting the best candidate for a vacancy,
• … explain his view on requirements for potential employee, and
• … provide some recommendations on how to best present for an employer.”

Having agreed to take part in the event, however, I was a bit surprised to see the blurb on the university website which said that it would be “… a public lecture on trends and peculiarities of the contemporary labour market. …”.    Fortunately there was somebody else on the panel that could address these issues, but it wasn’t what I was asked for, or what I had prepared.

I was intrigued why they, particularly, wanted a “foreign investor” … I suppose that it might have been a sign that they were expecting the majority of their graduates to enter multinational companies, or to work for one of the many international donor agencies working in Kyrgyzstan.  Did they think that that a foreign investor would have a different approach to that of a local employer? … probably, yes … but then, as I pointed out, if there are differences between the way that local and foreign employers when it comes to recruiting new staff, then they need to recognize that, in fact, every employer is different … just as every applicant is different and every job is different … and because every situation is different, there are few hard and fast rules that can be given.

Each situation is different and has to be approached by each person in their own way.

I may have fit the bill as to what the organizers wanted in that I am a foreigner, an investor and businessman, but my background is not that of most people that fit this profile.  As I have explained elsewhere, my degree is in Theology and Psychology and I worked as a school teacher for half of my working life, not as a businessman. Also, at the same time I worked as a trade union representative, on the other side of the table from the employer.  I am not a typical investor, or businessman, and I am not a “capitalist”, despite the fact that many people here seem to think of me as one.

Having said that, I am an employer … with some experience in the whole recruitment process.  Our companies employ over 70 full time staff, a number of temporary staff during the tourist season, and although I delegate responsibility for the appointment of most of these staff to managers, I am closely involved in the appointment of those managers, themselves, and do oversee the whole process.  Back in the United Kingdom, as a junior member of the senior management team, I had some experience in the selection of new staff.  On top of that I am sometimes invited to take part in the appointment process of other bodies, (Associations such as the Kyrgyz Association of Tour Operators, the International Business Council, or for some project being funded by an International donor).   One year in particular, I saw over 500 CVs and interviewed over 50 candidates for jobs.

So, I felt that I had something to say that might be worth listening to, but what they thought of about what I had to say and how they decided to act upon it, was something that they would have to judge for themselves.

Each person is different and has to decide how act to in a given situation, for themselves.

So what are employers looking for in a job applicant, what makes the “perfect job applicant”?

The standard answer is: “Knowledge, Skills and Experience”.

• Knowledge can either be specific, related to job which the applicant is applying for, or just General Knowledge, not specifically related to this particular application but which may have been important for some previous employment.  I think that General Knowledge can be just as important as job related Specific Knowledge, because it demonstrates a “roundness of character”, and can contribute to flexibility and how someone can respond to new and unexpected events.
• Skills can be wide and varied.  Computer skills, language skills, communication skills … but it is surprising how many people forget to mention that they have a driving License, have training in First Aid, or even can play a Musical instrument.  In themselves these skills may not be relevant to the particular application, but they do help to show an ability to learn and adapt, and, (once again), help to point to a “roundness of character”.
• Experience can refer to “work experience”, an employment history, but evidence that someone has been on training courses and have sought to keep themselves up-to-date is also welcome.

However, there is another aspect that employers are looking for, and which I often consider to be more important: Personal Qualities, such as: Honesty; reliability; flexibility; ambition; preventability; the ability to work as a member of a team – or as an individual; an ability and willingness to learn; an ability to handle difficult situations and how they handle mistakes.  The list could be endless … but it really boils down to one thing: how will they cope not only with the usual day-to-day routine, but also to a constantly changing environment?

Some of these personal qualities are double edged, and some employers might find them threatening … take “ambition” as an example … employers might not be interested in employing someone who is likely to leave them after just a short time in order to start up their own company, (which might end up being a competitor).

How can an applicant show these to a potential employer?

• Knowledge is perhaps the simplest to show … as the applicant should have their Diploma and certificates.
• Applicants can provide this information in the documentation that they send in their application: on the application form if one is provided, in narrative on the CV or Resume and in a covering letter
• In their answers to questions at interview, and
• in References provided by other people.

I went on to describe the appointment process, from the initial advert to the “job offer”, at each stage pointing out what I, as an employer, might be looking for in a candidate.

As I have already pointed out, several times, every candidate is different – each will bring their own strengths and weaknesses … no two candidates or post holders will have the same qualifications, (Knowledge, skills and experience) or will perform the job in the same way.   Having said that, however, the advert gives the applicant the employer’s idea of what they are looking for, or hoping to find in the ideal candidate … and it is unlikely that anyone will actually “fit the bill” as an ideal candidate.  The “perfect job applicant” will at least, however, have read the advert and know what it says about the job and the sort of person the company are looking for.  There used to be an organization in the UK that operated a “point-scoring” system when appointing new staff.  The advert contained several key words and phrases and applications were scrutinized for these … if the candidate addressed the issue, then they were awarded points … and the ones with the greatest number of points progressed to the next stage of the appointment process.

I suggested that the advert should be used as a starting point … not just as a description of the job being filled, and the sort of person that the employer was searching for, but it should start the candidate off on a programme of research.

The “perfect job applicant”  will, for example, do some research about the company.  One of the standard questions in an interview is “Why do want to work for us?”, (apart from the obvious answer of “you have a vacancy and I want a job”, that is … ).  A good candidate will have some idea of the company, what it does, it size, who owns it, how it fits into the industry and local economy, for example.

They will also have some idea of what the job involves, although maybe not a detailed knowledge of the job description, (unless that was actually included in the advert or other documentation).

It is important to have an idea of, not only what the job involves, but also if you are suitable qualified to fill the post. For example, they ought to be aware of what a Tour Manager or Tour Consultant does … how else will they know if they are suited for the job, have the right qualifications, skills and experience?  To give an example, I was once faced with a candidate who was applying for a job as a tour guide.  When I asked him why, he said “Because I speak German very well.”  OK – taking that for granted, I asked some questions and discovered that he had hardly ever traveled around the country, he could name only two places he had visited, (and one of those was a very general description, Issyk Kul), and he could tell me virtually nohing about the geography, history, wildlife or culture of the country.  He didn’t seem to have any idea what the job of a tour guide might involve and in the end, I concluded, he didn’t want to work as a guide, but rather as an interpreter … because “he could speak German very well.”

It is important to know what sort of job you are looking for, or qualified for.  I get a large number of people who ask me if I can find them a job.  When I ask, “What sort of job?”, I often receive the reply, “Any job.”  That’s not a very promising start.  The conversation usually continues like this: “Do you have a diploma to work with electrical installations?”, “No.” “S you are not looking for a job as an engineer – how about an accountancy qualification, can you work as a bookkeepper?”  “No.” “So you are not looking for a job as an accountant” … so in the end, it boils down to they just need a job – any job … to them it’s not important … but, to me as the employer, it is a very important question.

The wording of the advert will help “the perfect job applicant” to prepare for the next stage of the process, preparing their answers for the application form, their CV/Resume and a covering letter.

Although the interview is still a long way off, I suggested that they use the information contained in the advert to prepare a list of possible questions that they might be asked … and, of course, some  suitable answers … addressing the key words and phrases that were contained in it.

After all, I pointed out, in  a way it’s a bit like studying for an exam.

If reading the advert and preparing for the interview is like preparing for for an examination, then preparing the application itself is like creating an advert.  It has to grad the attention of the person reading it, interest them, give them reasons for wanting to see you progress to the next of the process, and provide grounds for saying that you are the right person to get the job offer.  It’s like the AIDA principle when trying to conclude a sale:

• A – Attract the client’s attention … make a good impression so as stand out from the crowd as someone of interest for this particular job
• I - having got their, maintain their Interest … provide them with the necessary information to confirm that impression
• E – elicit a Demand … convince those making the appointment that you are the candidate they want to offer the job to
• A – Action the sale … receive a job offer and then accept, or decline, it.

The people who be scrutinizing the applications are likely to be looking through tens, if not hundreds, of applications.  All this takes time and can be a tiring process, so if they are not careful it’s all too easy to miss points and for candidates to merge one into the other as they progress through the slowly diminishing pile of documentation.   It is vital to grab their attention, to provide them with information on which they can base a decision that this is a candidate worth looking at.

The candidate can use several different tools in order to achieve this: the application form, CV or Resume, cover letter and references or testimonials.

The application form, if there is one, is usually designed to gather basic information in a standard format.  It represents what the employer thinks they want to know.

A CV, or Resume, offers the candidate the chance to write things down in a different format.  Often it will repeat the information contained in the application form, so it is important that there are no discrepancies between the two.  It is important to know the difference between these two.  CVs are complete records of experience (Curriculum Vitae means “course of life”) and tend to be used in Europe, whereas the Resume is what it says, a summary, and tends to be used in America, (but they can be used in either situation.)  The important thing, whether it is a CV or Resume, is to keep things brief.  A complete CV may take several pages, but the details in each section can be brief, whereas a Resume can present or highlight only selected experiences that are relevant to this particular application.

Some general points about what to include in a CV or resume might include:

• Length: try to keep it brief – say, one page or, at most, two pages … remember that someone has to read it.
• Look at the layout … it should be easy to read, not in a ridiculously small font so that it all fits onto one page.
• Proof read it before you submit it.  Don’t let simple mistakes creep through, especially if you claim Computer Skills, Language or Communication Skills, or are trying to stress that you are an accurate worker.  By all means use a spell-checker, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to read the document through.
• Don’t over exaggerate you skills … for example, don’t claim to have “perfect English” … even a native English speaker would have trouble claiming this.
• Don’t lie … if you get caught out, you only lose the job, but possibly expose yourself to a worse fate.

The covering letter allows the candidate to write in “free text” rather than a standard format, any information which they want to stress.  At the end, always say that more information, such as copies of diplomas, is available and can be supplied upon request.

If at all possible, provide letters of recommendation, references and/or testimonials.  It is important to know the differences between these two, just as it is the difference between a CV and as Resume.  A testimonial, (sometimes called an “open reference” is provided by the candidate along with the application.  They often tend to be general, (for example, they may be addressed “To whom it may concern:” and include phrases like: “I feel confident in recommending this person for consideration for a post in your organization for which they are suitably qualified”).   A reference, on the other hand, is usually sent independently, the candidate shouldn’t see it.  In theory, it is confidential, although there are legal implications in the West which means that people often don’t like writing them.     It’s also important to know the difference between the different types of references: a “professional reference” related to the candidates work; an “academic reference” relating to their study career and potential; and a “personal reference” or a “character reference”.

Another important thing for the “perfect job applicant” is to re-read the documents before submitting them … double checking the details and make sure that there are no inconsistencies between them … which is another sign of dedication to accuracy.

What I do when I review applications is to create a grid and in the first column I write a list of the candidates names … and in the other columns I write notes about the important features, such Education, (do they have a degree?, in a related subject? …); employment history (how many jobs they’ve had, if they are related to the job being being applied for, the average length of time they have stayed in a job – in my experience that’s an average of about 10 months, if they’ve been promoted – so their employers have been satisfied with their work …); if they have experience supervising staff, of working in a team; if they have computer skills, or foreign languages, or accounting experience, (this list would depend on the job being applied for and what we were looking for); specific points in the candidates application worth noting, things that attract my attention such as:

• the applicant for an applicant for a post as a  security guard who has trained as a Circus “acrobat clown” (… he’s an acrobat, so is fit, and if he’s trained as a clown he’ll have some understanding of psychology);
• a school leaver who’s “worked” for four years as a babysitter (… they’ve been trusted by parents with the care of young children over a considerable period of time);
• the film director applying for the post of Executive Director of a business association, (they have shove organizational abilities, and able to “direct” the work of team members);
• … and so on.

In some ways, this is the most important column … and it shows that the application, (the application form, the CV/Resume and covering letter and references), has done it’s work

Finally I put a grade from 1-5 … with 1 meaning: “file” and 5 meaning: “a must see for interview”.

For those lucky enough to be invited to an interview, it is once again similar to preparing for an examination, an oral examination.

It helps to know the sort of questions that are likely to be asked … and prepare suitable replies.  Practice the answers … it would help to arrange a dummy interview perhaps with friends acting out the role of the interviewer using these questions, …  perhaps they could try to arrange this as a “self-help” with their study group, or through the Students’ Union.  I suggested that they should talk to each other about any interviews they or their friends have already had, and conduct a “post mortem” … what questions were asked?, what went well?, and what went not so well?    It’s easy to overlook the review process, but it is a very important aspect.

Some of the questions candidates will face may be general, but others may seek to discover what you know about the particular job on offer.  They may ask for supplementary information based on that which  has been provided in the application.  For example, when it comes to dates: try to have ready explanations for any gaps in dates in your history … and be clear where your employment history included experiences in parallel – where you have two part-time jobs at one time – or were consecutive – one after the other).

It helps to know why some questions are asked … I used to get funny looks when I asked candidates for a job as a tour guide if they had done their military service.  You could see them asking themselves the question, “Why is this foreigner asking my about the army? – Is he a spy?”  The reason for the question was actually much more mundane – someone who has served in the armed forces is likely to have undergone a “First Aid” course and know what to do in the event that someone falls and breaks their arm or leg.

The “perfect job applicant” should be prepared for “aggressive” or difficult questions, for example, as they could be in order to see how they cope under stress – as if an interview in itself isn’t a stressful situation.

Perhaps the most difficult question to answer is “What sort of salary are you looking for?”.  The “perfect job applicant” will have some idea of their own value, which will be realistic and in line with the current market conditions.  They will know what they need to receive in order to live and, of course, they will want to get as much as they can, but they won’t price themselves out of the market.  At the same time they will be aware that might be the need for some negotiation, but that should not necessarily be a “breaking point” in itself.

I also pointed out that the “perfect job applicant” should have some questions of their own to ask.

The next stage in the process for the successful candidate is dealing with the job offer … now that they have met the people they will be working for, and with, know more about the job and what it invloves, they have to decide whether or not to accept it.  Simply because they have applied for the job, and gone through the selection process, they are not necessarily committed to accepting the appointment if it is offered to them … There may be very good reasons to turn down a job offer – and it is probably preferable to do so than make a mistake which both sides might later regret … BUT, if they do decide to reject the offer, they should have a good reason.  The whole process has cost a lot in terms of time and money, for both the employer and the applicant.

The group went on to ask a number of very good questions … such as how I felt about a candidate who “cracked a joke” in the interview?  I pointed out that it wouldn’t necessarily worry me … it might not be a “deciding factor”, but it might well be inappropriate and so should be avoided … especially if you are not sure about how it would be received … and they obviously weren’t, and hence the question.

These are all personal thoughts, of course, and different people will have other ideas what should have, or could have said … but, then again, that’s what I was asked for.

Click here to open a pdf file of the Powerpoint presentation, in a new window: AUCA Careers 250210

Tags: Business, Education, Expat