Career Preparation Workshop series by L'oreal

The first significant thing I learned attending L'oreal's job preparation session was career suggestions for fresh graduates. Ms. Razi Shariza had advised us to be strategic in our first jobs. We should build a strategy and plan for our long-term professional growth as we progressively move into a position. "What abilities do you want to develop?" "What exposure do you need to flourish and one day receive a promotion?" "What sort of problems will you meet in this specific position?" and "What are our strengths and weaknesses?" are some questions we might ask ourselves. We want to understand not just what we contribute to the table, but also what we provide to the company as a whole. This is essential for developing a strong strategy and learning how to complement existing systems. We should always examine where we want to be successful and where we want to go in our careers in the long run.

Following that, I discovered that we should examine the in-demand skill set. A skill set is a collection of information, personal characteristics, and abilities that we have developed over the course of our lives and careers. In general, two types of talents are combined: soft and hard. Personal or individual abilities are examples of soft talents. They are difficult to measure and refer to a person's attitude and readiness to communicate with others. This in-demand skill set includes effective communication, listening, attention to detail, critical thinking, empathy, and conflict resolution abilities. Hard talents may be measured and learned. They consist of the technological knowledge and abilities required for a profession. Knowing the abilities that are in high demand will enable us to profit.

Ms. Razi Shariza also suggested that we should consider specialization. Job specialization is beneficial because it helps us to focus our preferences into a professional path that provides flexibility and other benefits. It is critical to analyze which abilities suit well in each work demand so that we may determine where to specialize in each job requirement. Finally, skill knowledge would make the job specialization process simpler and more effective. The most significant advantage of work specialization is the skill we may build over time in our chosen task.

The need of practice interviews is the second crucial lesson I gained from the job preparation session. Mock interviews will assist us in reducing interview tension and anxiety. If we don't know how to respond to common interview questions, mock interviews are an excellent way to practice. Mock interviews can also help us gain confidence. We would perform well in a genuine interview since we are confident in our talents. Ms. Razi Shariza also mentioned some of the frequent interview questions, such as 1. introduce yourself, 2. tell me more about yourself, 3. why you applied for this position, and 4. why you choose this organization. Knowing all of these extra data, I feel, will help me prepare better for an actual job interview. Ms. Razi Shariza further stated that before the interview, we should conduct research and learn more about the firm because this information will establish a first impression.

In addition, being an introvert has been very difficult for me as I barely even ask questions in a physical situation. Therefore, attending career workshops has been extremely informative for me. Ms. Razi Shariza also added that it’s okay if we are not active when it comes to curricular activities in college. She added that we can acquire additional certifications and that can be very helpful for those who barely join club activities in college. This definitely resonates with me. Overall, it was absolutely amazing to be able to attend the career preparation workshop by L’oreal virtually. I definitely have acquired and learnt a lot of new and valuable information which I can put for use in the near future.