Volunteer for English Practice and Career Experience

Have you ever volunteered - at your children's school, in a neighborhood cleanup, with your church or
temple? Volunteering is a great way to practice using English - and it can help you get work experience to add to your resume and job applications. 

How to Find Volunteer Opportunities

• Idealist.org: One great place to look for volunteer opportunities is www.idealist.org/volunteer. You can search for volunteer jobs that are in-person or remote, or focusing on a specific topic. Some volunteer positions require foreign language skills, so you might be able to help in your native language!
• VolunteerMatch.org: This website lets you search by location. Current opportunities include grounds cleanup at a museum, thirft store clerks, and more!
  
• Volunteer Fairfax: Volunteer Fairfax provides one-day, multiple-day, and ongoing volunteer opportunities in our county. Find out more here.
  
• Volunteer in Fairfax County Public Schools: Would you like to volunteer at your child's school? You can contact the school directly to find out what kind of volunteers they need. https://www.fcps.edu/schools-centers
• Volunteer Opportunities at INOVA: Get experience working in a local hospital by volunteering with INOVA. Find out more here.
  
• Go to the website of a charity or nonprofit you want to support. For example, would you like to volunteer with the American Red Cross? Go to https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/volunteer-role-finder.html to search for volunteer opportunities.
  

Online Interview Tips

Businesses and schools are starting to open again. However, many businesses are still holding
interviews online. Here are tips for a virtual interview on Zoom or another online platform.

1. Dress professionally. Even though you're calling in from home, dress up like you would for an in-person interview. Wear solid colors (no stripes or bright patterns) to look better on-screen.

2. Test your technology. Log on early to make sure your computer, headphones, and video calling system are working. 

3.Reduce distractions. Try to be in a quiet location with no other people around. Wear headphones with a microphone if you need to. 

4. Create a good background. Make sure the space behind you that will be on screen looks clean and professional and that there is enough light to see your face well. Try to have the computer at eye level so you aren't looking down into it.

5. Be prepared and stay focused. While the interviewer won't see your notes you printed out or have on the computer, make sure that you're mostly looking at the video camera. Don't search online for words or answers during the interview. 

6. Think about your body language. "Body language" is how you express yourself without words. For example, a smile says you are friendly. Make sure you are showing your excitement and energy onscreen, smiling, and looking interested in the conversation. 

7. Ask questions. It's always good to ask questions about the company and the job. In addition, you should ask questions if you don't hear or understand something. Sound can cut out, so don't be shy and ask them to repeat the question if you need to!

8. Follow up. Even though the interview is online, it's important to follow up with a thank you email after your interview. If you met with many different people on your interview, try to send a thank you to each person.

Using Your Skills

Source: https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/Assessments/skills.aspx

Want to know what careers you can do with the skills you already have?

Your skills describe what you like to do and what you are good at. You develop skills by training and experience that improve your ability to do tasks. Being able to identify and describe your skills allows you to answer questions at job interviews such as What can you do for my organization? and What problems can you solve?

In the workplace, there are two kinds of skills: technical skills, and soft skills. Both types are essential for success.

Technical skills

Your ability to accomplish specific tasks like cooking, computer programming, or teaching, are called technical skills. They relate to a particular occupation. You may have learned technical skills from past work experience, school or training. These skills are often included in job listings to describe the tasks of a position. Examples are:

• build a cabinet
• read an image
• operate equipment
• paint a portrait
• write computer code
• teach a lesson
• investigate a scientific question
• sell products to customers

Soft skills

Employers also want employees who fit in and get along well in the workplace. That requires soft skills. These are so valuable that soft skills are often the reason employers decide whether to keep or promote an employee. Some soft skills can be taught in school. But most you learn in everyday life and can improve at any time.

• communicate well
• think critically
• participate as a team member
• self-motivated
• flexible
• determined and persistent
• quick learner
• on time

Check out these sources to help you identify your skills and find the kinds of work they relate to:

• The Skills Matcher helps you identify your skills. Use the Skills Matcher to create a list of your skills and match them to careers that use those skills.
• Enter your previous occupation in mySkills myFuture to see types of careers your skills and experience will transfer to.
• Look up your strongest skills in O*NET to see which occupations match them best.
  

Let's Talk About Money

It can be very difficult to talk about money during a job interview, or to ask for a raise at your current job!
Being prepared will help you to ask questions and get a higher salary. 

Study the vocabulary you'll need to talk about pay, benefits, and more:  

• https://www.myenglishpages.com/english/vocabulary-lesson-business-pay.php 
• https://www.fluentu.com/blog/business-english/business-english-negotiation-phrases/ (starts halfway down the page)
  

This exercise includes an example conversation of talking about salary (income) at a job interview. As you'll see, it's best if the interviewer tells you the salary first, instead of you saying what you make or want first. (It's in British English, so some words might look a little different!)

This video talks about how to accept a job offer.

This exercise helps you talk about job benefits, such as time off, healthcare, and retirement. 

This video shows an employee asking for a raise at work. 

Good luck!

Illegal Interview Questions

Source: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/job-interview-questions-that-are-illegal-1918488#citation-12)  

Did you know that an employer cannot ask you if you're married? Or about your religion? According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, employers cannot ask you the following types of questions when you are being interviewed for a job:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• Gender identity or sexual orientation
• If you're pregnant
• National origin
• Age
• Disability or genetic information.

Here are some examples of how an interviewer might ask you about these topics during an interview. Remember, it is illegal for them to ask you any of these questions!

• What arrangements are you able to make for child care while you work?
• How old are your children?
• When did you graduate from high school?
• Are you a U.S. citizen? (*they can legally ask if you are authorized to work in the U.S., but NOT if you are a citizen)
  
• What does your wife do for a living?
• Where did you live while you were growing up?
• Will you need personal time off for particular religious holidays?
• Are you comfortable working for a female boss?
• There is a large disparity between your age and that of the position’s coworkers. Is this a problem for you?
• How long do you plan to work until you retire?
• Have you experienced any serious illnesses in the past year?

So, what should you do if any employer asks you a question like this? You could politely say something like, "I am confident that I meet the requirements for this position" or "This question does not affect my ability to do the job well." If they asked about your family, you could say, "I am able to work the schedule stated in the job description."  

You can read more about these rules at https://www.eeoc.gov/prohibited-employment-policiespractices#application_and_hiring. 

Writing a Resume

A resume is a summary of your:

• education
• work experience
• skills  

The goal of your resume is to make employers want to invite you in for an interview!

Here are the key parts of a resume: 

Objective

• A statement about who you are, your skills, and the job you are looking for.
• Uses the passive voice.
• Example: Motivated, educated bilingual green-card holder seeks full-time position as an administrative assistant.

Experience

• List most recent jobs first. Include:

• Job Title
• Start and end dates (month/year)
• Employer
• Location
• Relevant Responsibilities, Skills, Training

Education

• List most recent education first. Include:

• Degree/diploma/certificate type
• School name
• Start and end dates (month/year) or graduation month/year

• Include your English classes!

Qualifications or Skills

• List strengths or special skills that make you qualified for the job
• List skills you could use at any job
• Example: Foreign languages, computer skills, Microsoft Word, web design

Additional Resume Tips:

• We don’t usually include photos on resumes in the U.S.
• Keep the resume simple with only 1-2 colors and fonts
• Resumes should be 1-2 pages
• You can change your resume each time you apply for a job.

Additional Resources:

• This article has more information on how to create a resume.  
• Here is a resume template you can use. Just choose File>Make a Copy and then fill in your own information!
  

Remember to Say, "Thank You"

Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/sample-thank-you-letter-after-interview 

Writing a thank you letter or email after an interview is another way to help you get the job. - It's best to send an email within 24 hours. If you need to mail a letter, that is okay too, but try to send it as soon as possible!

There are many reasons why it's a good idea to write a thank you letter or email:

• It helps the interviewer remember you. They probably had many interviews and the note will remind them who you are!
• It shows respect for their time. 
• It shows that you really want the job.
  
• You can use your note to remind them about your conversation, provide additional information, or ask questions. 

What to include in your letter/email:

• Subject line (for email). 
• Example: Thank you for your time
• A greeting with the name of the person you interviewed with. 
• Example: Dear Susan, or Hello John, 
• Say thank you. 
• Example: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.
• Review your qualifications. 
• Example: As we talked about, my healthcare experience would be a great fit for this position.
• Let them know you would like to talk again. 
• Example: I hope to talk to you again soon.

Here is an example of a full thank you email:

Subject: Thank you for your time

Dear Susan,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today about the home health aide position. As we discussed, my healthcare experience and training in nursing would be a great fit for this position. I hope to talk to you in the next round of interviews.

Sincerely,

Helena