A master class "Dialogue with Professionals: Employment Know-Hows" was held in Astana on February 23, 2018, for the winners of the "Student Energy Challenge" intellectual contest and for all interested undergraduate and graduate students of Astana. About 150 future specialists took part in the event.
The event was organized by KAZENERGY Association and Shell Kazakhstan.
The Vice-President of Nazarbayev University for Student Affairs and International Cooperation, K.N.Dairova, greeted the master class participants, noting the particular relevance of graduates employment issues and the importance of employers’ views of what they want to see in students and what they take into account when hiring them.
The invited speakers included representatives of Airswift recruiting company L.Katunina, Airswift’s Managing Director for CIS countries (Moscow), and M.Barysheva, Airswift’s Administrative Manager. The session was moderated by A.Kazbayeva, Manager for Human Resources of Shell Kazakhstan.
During the event, the attendees received practical employment advice and tips from recruitment professionals, for example, how to prepare for a job interview, and studied a detailed CV structure and interview self-presentation style. In addition, a role-play "Job interview with a candidate" was held to demonstrate examples and real-life situations.
The speakers noted a commitment to lean manufacturing, critical thinking, multidisciplinarity and other equally important qualities that are in demand in the current job market as the important competencies in employment. Special attention during the master class was paid to preparation of a CV, which the speakers called a business card of the applicant for a certain position. According to the experts, 6 seconds is the time during which recruiters review the CV and make a decision on the applicant. In this regard, students were advised to ensure a clear structure of their CV and pay special attention to competence. In addition to the work experience and education section, the CV should contain information about personal achievements in the sphere the applicant applies for.
During the event, the audience asked a lot of questions, the most frequently asked one being the question about wages. When answering to it, the experts noted one needs to be ready to specify a reasonable salary. That is why the participants were recommended to study the market for the position the applicants apply for.
Another notable question was about the average score of the education certificate, which is important in those cases when the applicant has no work experience.
E.Kim, Director of the Career and Advising Center of Nazarbayev University, noted the format of this event, as it reflected the trends and competencies that are in demand on the labor market. At the same time, the questions asked by the participants showed young men and women’s interest in good preparation for a job interview.
In general, the "Dialogue with Professionals: Employment Know-Hows" master class was held in the form of an active dialogue. The participants noted the effectiveness of the "Student Energy Challenge" contest in the search for solutions to global energy problems.
At the end of the event, all participants received certificates for active participation in the master class.
