The Applications Module

The Applications Module

Business simulation – group work

Work in groups of three.

You are Fanny David, the personnel officer ofan organisationcalled Make Poverty History. This organisation aims at improving the conditions of poor people in Africa. The organisation has employed a small team of liaison officers to visit schools and colleges in order to explain the work and aims of the organisation. Recently one of the senior officers handed in her notice because she found another job with better hours.

It is now your job to arrange an interview to select a replacement for this member of staff.

On the following page you will find a job specification and two CVs. Look through these pages carefully.
Then read the CVs and references on the three candidates.
Decide which candidate will be invited for an interview.
When you have made a selection, read the Practically Speaking pages.
Distribute the roles and act out the interview.

Student 1: / Fanny David / read the job and employee specification again and prepare questions
Student 2: / Sheila Craig (education officer) / read the job and employee specification again and prepare questions
Student 3: / Peter Williams
(southern region) / read the job and employee specification again and prepare questions
Student 3: / Selected candidate / Read your CV and references carefully and prepare answers

JOB SPECIFICATION

Position / Schools Liaison Officer (South of England)
Employer / Department of Education, local council
Location / Based at headquarters in Tonbridge, Kent. A lot of travelling will be required to schools throughout the South.
Responsible to / Sheila Craig, education officer
Aims /

Improve the awareness and understanding of secondary school students and teachers
Encourage active participation
Fund raising
Putting schools in contact with local organisers

Responsibilities /

Send out literature to all secondary schools in the South of England
Plan lecture tours of schools both in the area
Follow up queries on the work of MPH by personal visits, e--mail contacts or mail. Keep a detailed record of schools visited and contacts
Develop and update local website
Encourage support for local projects by putting interested schools in touch with local organisers
Research ways of stimulating interest in the work of MPH in schools
Keep up-to-date his/her knowledge of MPH projects and the law

Contacts / The schools Liaison Officer is a member of a team of 5 SLO's who cover all the secondary schools in Britain. Regular meetings are held between SLO’s. Reports are written for the Education Officer and weekly meetings are arranged between the SLO and the Education Officer. SLO’s are occasionally required to attend other meetings relevant to their work.
Conditions / H.Q. at Tonbridge keeps office hours. The SLO shares an office there and has secretarial back-up. Most of his/her work will be done to suit the school timetable. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary, for which the SLO arranges to take time off in lieu. Holidays should be taken during school holiday periods.
Payment / Annual salary of £19,000. Possibility of paying slightly more for excellent applicant. Car and petrol allowance. Pension scheme.
Promotion prospects / Promotion within the education department is strictly limited but promotion into other departments of MPH is possible.

EMPLOYEE SPECIFICATION

Position: Schools Liaison Officer (South of England)

Qualities wanted
Physical / Good health record, smart, if possible aged around 30
Attainments / Education: academic degree or teacher training certificate or equivalent
Experience: evidence of success in secondary or tertiary level teaching or in PR department of private company or charity.

If possible evidence of ability to organise own time.
If possible evidence of some experience of office work and IT-skills in data filing and Word.

Abilities / Good speaker. Car driver.
Disposition / Confidence. Friendly and persuasive personality. Interest in and awareness of the work of MPH and other organisations working for the poor. Willing to work in a team.

If possible evidence of leadership e.g. at school or college or sports club.
If possible evidence of commitment to aims of MPH and similar charities e.g. voluntary work experience.

Circumstances / Willingness to be away from home overnight from time to time and work irregular hours. Home in South or willing to move to the area. Home computer.
Stable family life.
Memo
To Sheila Craig
From Fanny David
Date 7th August
Dear Sheila
From the dates you offered me I would prefer the interviews for the selection of the South of England Schools Liaison Officer to be held on September 30th.
I agree to your suggested interview panel: myself, you and Peter Williams from our southern region local organisers' committee.
As far as “any other points" are concerned I think we should definitely be careful about choosing someone who looks good at the interview but who has not got the right family circumstances to cope with the unsocial hours. However, how one finds out about such things I just do not know!

CANDIDATE 1

Name: Mat Sayers / Age: 34
Address: Woodcock Lane, Wimminge, East Sussex; (after Oct. 1) Teheran Postal Box 95 (I’m staying in Iran 3 months)
Home telephone: 0557-5680621 / Work telephone 0557-2385346
Email address:
Do you suffer from any recurring illness or disability? If so, give details. No
Education and professional training
Dates / Institutions attended / Qualifications obtained
2000 / Ashford grammar school / A-levels in maths, sciences
2002 / LondonUniversity / chemical engineering
2003 / Realchem ltd / Sales training course
History of employment
dates / name and address employer / Main responsibilities / salary
2003-04 / Weeland Chemicals / engineering, starting up new plants / 15,000
2004 / Weeland Chemicals / Sales manager, visiting clients / 16,500
2005 / Realchem ltd / Sales manager, training staff in Iran / 18,500 perks
Do you have a current driving licence? yes
Give details of your spare-time activities, include details of any clubs you have belonged to, any positions of responsibility held, and any voluntary work undertaken since school.
I participated in church activities, worked in a parish youth club. Computers are a hobby.
Why are you applying for this post?
Church became important to me. I have an excellent position at the moment, but feel I need to improve people’s lives.
Give the names, addresses and occupations of two people who have agreed to give you a reference for this application.
Rev. Peter Walker, St. Hugh’s, Mickleborough / Mr Stephen Gaskell, Realchem ltd, Calcott, Charles street, London SW 2 (manager overseas operations)
Signature: Mat Sayers / Date: September 10
Rev Peter Walker
The Vicarage
St. Hugh’s, Mickleborough
East Sussex KF45 TY4
To Make Poverty History
C/O BOND
Regent's Wharf
8 All Saint's Street
London
N1 9RL
Dear Ms Craig
Mr Sayers has been coming to our church for more than a year now. He is an honest and trustworthy man who has done much work for St. Hugh’s. I would be pleased to hear that he could take up a job nearer home, because he has been travelling a lot and would like to be with his family and do church work more. I am sure he would be a great asset to your organisation, just as he has proved to be for our church.
Yours sincerely
P. Walker

CANDIDATE 2

Name: Patsy Green / Age 29
Address: 34 King Charles Rd, Liminge
Home telephone: Liminge 563268
The school head said that M. was abroad until September 27 / Work telephone: intercom
Email address:
Do you suffer from any recurring illness or disability? If so, give details. No
Education and professional training
dates / Institutions attended / Qualifications obtained
up to 1998 / International schools abroad / 5 GCE O-levels 2 A-levels
1998-99 / Sorbonne (Paris) / French studies
1999 / B&Noble / desktop publishing
History of employment
dates / name and address employer / Main responsibilities / salary
99-00 / B&Noble / Following training course on publishing, worked as a trainee / £11,000
00-01 / King’s school, Dover / Teaching 11-15 French / £12,000
01-02 / Watson Publishers / Sold advertising space / £13,500
02-05 / AstonBoysSchool / Teaching Physical Education / £16,000
05 - / Make Poverty History / Running fund-raising activities for MPH in this area / £17,000
Do you have a current driving licence? Yes
Give details of your spare-time activities, include details of any clubs you have belonged to, any positions of responsibility held, and any voluntary work undertaken since leaving school.
Rugby, sailing, sailing, amateur drama. Have belonged to sports clubs and occasionally held responsible positions in them. Ran the school play at King’s School.
Why are you applying for this post?I like working for MPH but feel I prefer to work in schools talking about MPH and I feel confident that I could get pupils organised to support our work.
Give the names, addresses and occupations of two people who have agreed to give you a reference for this application.
Jeremy Doorhouse, deputy director
MPH, Amersham / R. Shawshank
Aston Boys, Cranballs, Surrey
(head of house, head of P.E.)
Signature Patsy Green / Date: September 7
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
Internal memo
Subject: confidential report on P. Green
Written by: J. Doorhouse
For the attention of: Sheila Craig
Date: Sept15 Department:
Patsy J Green has worked for MPH since August last year. During that time she had the position of local organiser for the Amersham area. She has worked hard and well, making many new contacts and developing several fund-raising projects. She seems honest and reliable and would probably do the job of Schools Liaison Officer very well indeed, as she has a persuasive, informal friendly manner and seems to get on well with everyone. However, my only reservation is that she has only been with us a year and is just beginning to really build up her area. I would like to see her stay in her present post for another couple of years and if she is successful, then perhaps we should offer her some promotion. But that decision is not in my hands and I would not like to stand in the way of this woman’s advancement.

CANDIDATE 3

Name: Frank Morel / Age: 28
Address: 23 Suffolk Drive, Beaconsfield (Amersham), Bucks.
Home telephone (04768) 536809 / Work telephone -
Email address
Do you suffer from any recurring illness or disability? If so, give details. I am registered as disabled. I can get about very well in my wheelchair and have a special disabled person’s car.
Education and professional training
dates / Institutions attended / Qualifications obtained
until 1999 / KilmarnockGrammar School / 8 O-levels, 3 A-levels,
99-02 / EdinburghUniversity / BSc Honours in chemistry
02-04 / LeicesterUniversity / Certificate in education
History of employment
dates / name and address employer / Main responsibilities / salary
04 - now / BeaconsfieldMiddle school / Teacher of general science subjects, head of department since 05 / £17,000
Do you have a current driving licence? Yes
Give details of your spare-time activities, include details of any clubs you have belonged to, any positions of responsibility held, and any voluntary work undertaken since leaving school.
I run a club for disabled teenagers in this area. I also take them camping each summer for a couple of weeks. In my spare-time I write children’s books based on scientific discoveries or play the baroque flute.
Why are you applying for this post?I would like to put my understanding of young people, education and the disadvantaged together to find an interesting job outside the classroom.
Give the names, addresses and occupations of two people who have agreed to give you a reference for this application.
Mr C Grace
Headmaster
BeaconsfieldMiddle School
Amersham Rd
Beaconsfield, Bucks / Prof. G. MacDonald
Chemistry dep.
Univ. of Edinburgh
(prof. of chemistry)
Signature F
Frank Morel / Date: 6 September
Reference for Mr Frank Morel
As Professor MacDonald had not replied to our letter asking for a written reference for the above applicant we telephoned him at home and received this information:
Mr Morel studied under Prof. MacDonald between 1999 and 2002. He was a capable and extrovert student. He was injured in an accident in his final year and lost the use of both legs. He took his final examinations in hospital and did well to get a class degree. He continued to be very outgoing and good-humoured although he had to give up his captaincy of the university team. Professor MacDonald felt he would do the job of Schools Liaison Officer very well if he could overcome the obvious mobility problems. He added that he felt sure the applicant was honest and reliable.
BEACONSFIELDMIDDLE SCHOOL
Amersham Rd, Beaconsfield, Bucks KLT6 45T
Telephone: (07678) 787854
Headmaster: Charles Grace MA (Oxon)
Make Poverty History
C/O BOND
Regent's Wharf
8 All Saint's Street
London
N1 9RL
14 September
Dear Ms Craig
In answer to your request for a report on one of our teachers, Mr Frank Morel, I can say that Mr Morel joined my staff as a Scale 1 teacher. He became head of the Science department in 2005. He now has responsibility for five members of staff. I have no reservation in telling you that he is a fine teacher and has done a great deal for the department and, indeed, the school in general. He is hard-working, punctual, enthusiastic and gets on with both staff and pupils. He is intelligent and a good organizer. As far as his health record is concerned, his disability has caused the school practically no inconvenience, although he has to have medical check-ups for his spine, which cause him to be absent twice a year for a week or so.
Yours sincerely
Charles Grace
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
Wish to appoint
SCHOOLS LIAISON OFFICER
We are looking for an excellent communicator who wants to help fight the problem of poverty. He or she must be able to organize his or her own timetable, travel extensively in the South of England, create interest in the aims of MPH in secondary schools by visits and lectures, and liaise with other Schools Liaison Officers and the Education Department to draw up educational policies. We can offer
-A worthwhile career
-A salary of £17,000 p.a.
-A car and petrol allowance
-A 6 weeks holiday per year
If you are between 25 and 40 and think you have experience to take on this challenging post, write for details and application form to: Make Poverty History C/O BOND Regent’s Wharf 6, All saint’s Street, London N1 9RL.

Sunday Times Aug. 30th

CONFIDENTIAL. FOR THE INTERVIEWERS ONLY!

On: the job interview
Dear Fanny,
You asked about the job interview of next Thursday and what you need to pay attention to. These are the topics I wish to go into:
-the candidate’s motivation
-it’s evident that the candidate knows what MPH is and what it does. We should definitely test his knowledge of the actions and objectives of our organisation and check whether he/she has prepared for this interview.
-how much the candidate wants to earn and if that is important for his/her motivation
-the candidate’s willingness to co-operate with the others
-the reason why he/she quits his/her former job
-I also want to watch the way he/she reacts when he/she hears that he/she will have to work in the evenings and sometimes even during the weekends
-Also have an eye for the way the candidate behaves when we ask him/her about his/her studies, whether the money is important to her/him…
-During the interview, offer her/him a cigarette and then we’ll watch whether he/she will accept it.
-Also watch the way the candidate walks in, greets us: very important!
-Let’s also find out whether she/he can listen well, has some sense of humour (always a plus), smiles….
Let’s hope we get some cute guy and not someone with a bad breath!
Sheila

(adapted from Joni Farthing, Out of the In-Tray)

For the candidate:

Describe a challenging work issue you had to face, and how you dealt with it?
How do you handle conflict?
If you were on a merry-go-round, what song would be playing? If you were going to be an animal on the merry-go-round, what would you be?"
In what way do you think you can contribute to our company?
Tell me a story.
Tell me about a time when you tried and failed.
Tell us about your analytical skills.
What are some of the things you find difficult to do?
What are your short and long term goals?
What can you add that should make us want to hire you?
What does "customer service" mean to you?
What do you wish to gain from our company?
What do you know about our company?
What do you think the employee's responsibilities are to the company?
What is your biggest weakness?
What motivates you?
What things make a good team member?
Why do you feel we should hire you for this position?
Why do you want to change jobs?
Why do you want to leave this job after only four months?