Back in 2011, we had our first ever Visume & Grooming Workshop for PMEs at Waave Restaurant & Bar.
It was organised by CalibreLink, an arm of the Workforce Development of Authority [WDA]. CaliberLink is an integrated training centre and gateway for jobseekers [both employed & unemployed] to access relevant training that will help them stay employable + progress in their careers, while also acting as an employment exchange for employers to meet their manpower needs.
Prevview was the proud facilitator for this special workshop, and will continue to be for the many more rounds to come.
On January 11th, Round 2 of the Workshop was conducted, with a new group of talented individuals ready to plough through the fiercely competitive job market, in hopes of landing their ideal jobs. [Read about the first workshop and watch our blooper video here! ]
This new group was rather privileged, as their Grooming session was conducted by the founder, Jill Lowe herself, of Jill Lowe International - our Grooming Specialists and official Make-Up sponsor. Jill Lowe swayed the crowd with her insightful talk + presentation on colour dynamics, and personal appearance in a way they had never been before.
Having attended plenty of grooming workshops during my school days, I figured I’d be bored out of my mind having to sit through another. Besides, I was sure I already had personal style/image in the bag & knew everything there was to know about looking good for an interview & dressing up for work. But, boy was I surprised by the things I didn’t know! From the way you style your hair, to the colour you choose to wear, the impression that it creates could end up being the reason why you don’t get the job you interviewed for. What do I mean? Take the colour Blue for example, it projects authority, inspires confidence and is appropriate for rather conservative industries.
Imagine wearing Blue to an interview for a job in the Creative Industry. Chances are, you would have created a first impression that pegs you as slightly boring & afraid to be bold. This could potentially cost you a job! A more appropriate colour would have been Yellow. It shows that you don’t mind being the centre of attention + have creative energy pulsating through your veins. Much like this little revelation, our participants were treated to a whole other world of grooming secrets.
Following Jill Lowe, Jack Wong, Prevview’s recruitment expert covered Visume Tips while giving participants time to craft their scripts.
Here’s a quick quiz Jack posed at the Workshop:
Which backgrounds/camera angles do you think is most appropriate for a Visume?
Hint: Keep it neat and clean, with nothing to distract the Employer. You want him/her to focus on you and not the ceiling or end up counting your nose hairs.
Post scriptwriting, our first group of participants raced against time to complete their Visumes, while Jack conducted Interview 101 with the rest of the participants, throwing in a little mock interview session.
Why don’t you try your hand at the top three most difficult questions Jack asked?
Tip: Non-verbal cues are a huge indicator whether you are convicted in your answers. If you end up fluttering your eye lids too many times, licking your lips frequently or fidgeting constantly, the interviewer is not going to be sold on your answers. Practice answers in front of a mirror and master the art of appearing as cool as a cucumber!
| Hint: Speak confidently about your love to work and need to continue working for the long haul. State strengths & abilities + always back it up with examples of your past achievements [either in school or at internships] that are relevant to the position you are being interviewed for. What the Employer really wants is to get to know you better and make sure that you are not just settling for the job simply because you need one. They want to see your enthusiasm and the drive to contribute to the Organisation. |
| Hint: Be brief, to the point, and as honest as you can be without hurting yourself i.e. if you had a problem with management or your colleagues, DO NOT mention it. But, If you were laid off in an across-the-board cutback, say so; otherwise, indicate that the move was your decision and state why without going into details. Try to relate how your “time off” has helped improve you through relevant training courses and at the same time, enabled you to understand your career goals better. Convince them that you believe that your performance will open up opportunities within the Company + always align your goals with the Company’s goals. |
| Hint: You’ve got to portray yourself as ambitious, yet realistic about your prospects. Work to persuade the interviewer that you’ve got a talent for making the most of any professional opportunity, and that you’re confident that after five years, you will have scored substantial achievements with the company. |
Following Jack’s fruitful session, CalibreLink launched into a role play activity, where participants acted out 3 different interview scenarios. Making use of Jack’s unorthodox & nifty tips, they managed to successfully craft near perfect answers and were raring to give it a shot at a real interview.
The Workshop rounded off with an open dialogue session headed by the director of Caliberlink, Mr Latiff, where the participants gave great feedback & talked about their job search challenges, giving us more ammo on on how to improve the Workshop further.
The Prevview Team was well exhausted by the end of it, but felt that it was an even better success than Round 1. In fact, we are excited for the many more Workshops to come and eagerly looking forward to meeting new participants!
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What is Your Career Forecast for 2012?
