On Saturday, 28th of November 2015, the Cyprus Human Resource Management Association (CyHRMA) participated at the 3-day conference named “Career Academy 2015” organized by the Youth Board of Cyprus, Eurodesk and Erasmus+. The purpose of this event was to help participants by offering them comprehensive information on empowerment and career development, through a series of presentations and workshops by experts in the human resource management field and prominent educators and entrepreneurs.

The training focused on the following topics:

-Self-awareness, Self-esteem and Confidence Development
-Strengthening Emotional Intelligence and Positive Thinking
-Professional Networking Job Search Techniques
-CV Clinic
-Tips for a Successful Job Interview
-How to Use Social Media to Promote Yourself
-Entrepreneurship and Innovation
-Management and Implementation of Projects with examples from Erasmus +
The conference took place at Poseidonia Hotel in Limassol and it was a great success, with around 100 participants from different backgrounds, mainly university students, young graduates, unemployed people, young professionals and people who were looking to change their career field.

The CyHRMA participated in the following three sessions: “CV Preparation and Job Search Techniques”, “CV Clinic” and “Interview Skills and Role Plays”.

The presenter of “CV Preparation and Job Search Techniques” was Mrs Annita Petrou, Human Resources Officer at RCB Bank Ltd, member of our Association (CyHRMA). The lecture was designed to provide participants with the necessary knowledge and skills on CV and Cover Letter writing, aiming at increasing their employability. More specifically, Mrs Petrou illustrated techniques someone can use to present their education, working experience and skills on their CV in an effective manner and ways to write a Cover Letter that is intriguing for employers’ interest and stands out from the crowd.

She recommended that resumes should always be targeted to each job position, and then she mentioned the various job search tools/means: Public Recruitment Offices, Private Recruitment Agencies, Press, Internet, Social Media, building relationships/networking.

Mrs Petrou closed the lecture by making a wide reference on the preparation prior to a job interview (skills identification, preparation on possible questions, knowing the organization’s profile and culture), body language during the job interview, and what to avoid.

The “CV Clinic” session followed, where members of the Association, Mrs Annita Petrou and Mrs Irene Papadopoulou, gave personal feedback and suggestions to participants for the improvement of their CV and answered to various questions relating to the write up of a CV.

The “Interview Skills and Role Plays” course followed, aiming to provide participants with some valuable tips to use when attending an interview, to prepare them for an interview, as well as to practice on attending a real interview.

The participants were split into two different groups and the speakers were Mrs Monica Potsou for one group and Mr Demetris Vassilakkas for the other group, both active members of CyHRMA as well as members of different CyHRMA Committees.

The presentation started with a general introduction and evaluation of the current market status in Cyprus and an analysis of what a job interview is about.

Moreover, during the course, participants had the chance to learn about:

-Characteristics and types of interviews
-How to make the interview an advantage for themselves
-How companies are evaluating candidates and what they are looking for
-What candidates should evaluate during an interview
-How to prepare themselves to attend an interview (before, during, after)
-How to use social media for personal branding and promotion
-Dress code and professional appearance
-Body language
-STAR evaluation system
-Typical interview questions and how to reply to them
-Questions a candidate can ask
Moreover, the participants had the chance to work in groups by analyzing a real job advert and prepare themselves to attend an interview and then, a role play was demonstrated in front of all participants.

In addition, the participants were given an interview check list and a list with some typical questions they should expect and the way they can answer.

Conclusively, the participants had the opportunity to ask questions on various issues of their concern and a general discussion followed.