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MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION IN

THE WORKPLACE

Employability: Session 6

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  • Good luck and have fun!

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OVERALL OUTCOME

LESSON OBJECTIVES

Gain soft skills that employers are increasingly prioritizing by building on networking skills and building up to effective communication and interviewing skills.

  • Become aware of how verbal and non-verbal communication can influence how others perceive you and you gain self-awareness about your habits and tendencies.
  • Discover that by modifying your speech and body language you can exert a positive influence on how others perceive you.
  • Gain an understanding of how to create an advantage for yourself by using this in future interviewing or workplace situations.

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INFORMATION FOR FACILITATOR

There are many exercises in this session and you may need to select exercises which are most professional-oriented and relevant.

Before the session, you will need to place each individual Being Assertive running dictation card (from the appendix) around the room in advance of the lesson.

Make sure to check the facilitator tips in the trainers’ manual for more information!

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GENDER LENS

Girls have different challenges from boys when entering the job market. The most common challenges for young women are: lower levels of education and skills, Childbearing and domestic/care responsibilities, lower self confidence, limited access to key assets (money, land…), gendered labour market segregation, limited mobility

Common barriers for young men are: Higher pressure to be breadwinner, perceptions of young men as idle or criminal, negative peer influences, armed recruitment and demobilization, insecurity and violence

During the sessions, it is important to adopt a gender lens. This means that you try to include gender topics where you see fit.

In discussions: you can add a question on the difference between men and women, boys and girls.

Participation: Make sure women also participate in activities and feel safe to voice their opinions during sessions.

Motivational speakers: make sure to invite female mentors and/or speakers so that girls in the course can relate to them

In sum, wherever you can, address issues that women face in particularly, such as harrasment, discrimination on the job market or in specific male-dominated sectors based on gender, ..

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DIGITAL LENS

During the sessions, some activities aim at strengthening the participants’ digital skills, more specifically:

  • Improving their online search for information
  • Improving their online search for jobs
  • Improving their knowledge on how to use basic online tools such as Google Slides, planning tools (Google Calendar), Google Docs...

Adapted online activities for remote teaching: Some activities have been adapted so they can be facilitated online, using Skype, Zoom, Teams and Google Slides or Google Docs, or include embedded videos and online tools.

Digital peer support: Some activities can be done digitally whereby digitally more skilled or advanced students can be paired with Ya student who needs support when doing a digital activity.

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TODAY’S ACTIVITIES

Assignment

Review and

Energizer

How to

conduct

ourselves in the workplace

Code-of-

conduct

anagrams

Listening Skills

Body

language

Bringing it all together

Assertiveness running

dictation

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Workbook recap: Network assignment

Assignment Review and Energizer

How did it feel to interview people?

Did anyone receive really useful information, such as

a connection to another person or an alert about a job opening?

Which question was most useful?

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Energizer:

Energizer

Instructions

Stand up and form a wide

circle facing outwards.

I will stand inside the circle and shout a word

Immediately, turn around and make a physical image of the word

Stay in position but look at the other students

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How to conduct ourselves in the workplace

How to conduct ourselves in the workplace

Group 1

Dress

Group 2

Talk

Group 3

Behave

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How to conduct ourselves in the workplace

How to conduct ourselves in the workplace

Let’s present!

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How to conduct ourselves in the workplace: discussion

How to conduct ourselves in the workplace

  1. How might your job prospects be affected by how you talk, dress and behave?
  2. How will professional behaviour help you?
  3. How might inappropriate behaviour harm your career?
  4. Are there different expectations placed upon men and women?
  5. Do you disagree with any of the answers from any of the groups? Which ones? Why?

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Code of conduct anagrams: workbook activity

Code of conduct anagrams

expected is out what find

properly times all dress at

around attention pay on going what’s to you

why understand accept exist rules these the and

the be team of part

best your do

other the respect employees

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Code of conduct anagrams: Your turn!

Code of conduct anagrams

Come up with 3 other pieces of advice on how to behave yourself in the workplace, as if you would give them to a friend.

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Code of conduct: Top 5!

Code of conduct anagrams

Let’s review all the pieces of advice and come up with a top 5!

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Body language: discussion

Body language

‘What are some of the non-verbal ways in which we communicate with one another in a conversation?’

Why should we be aware of our body language in our future dealings with a boss and colleagues?

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Body language: activity

Body language

Instructions

  • 4 teams
  • Read the word on the paper you took
  • Model what is on the paper (don’t talk)
  • Others guess what sort of body language is being modelled

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Body language: interview activity

Body language

Instructions

Imagine that this is a job interview.

Can you come up and show different ways of sitting on the chair that would make a good impression?

How would you sit to make a bad impression?

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Body language: online interview activity

Body language

Instructions for Zoom, Skype, Teams session:

Imagine that this is a job interview. Camera’s on!

I will say the name of one of you. At that point, you try to give me a positive impression by using your body language.

After 3 people, I will say the names of 3 others: you will have to try and give me a bad impression.

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Listening skills: activity

Listening skills

What is easier, talking or listening?

Time to pair up!

Person A = talker, person B = listener.

For 30 seconds: B is a good listener�When i clap my hands, B becomes a bad listener…

Then we switch roles!

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Listening skills: group activity

Listening skills

Discuss in groups of 4 (10 minutes)

• How can you tell if someone is a good listener?

• How does it feel to talk to a good listener?

• How can you tell if someone is a bad listener?

• How does it feel to talk to a bad listener?

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Assertiveness training: discussion

Assertiveness training

• What does it means to be assertive?

• How does this differ from being aggressive?

• Tell your partner about a time you acted assertively.

• Why do you think it might be a good idea to be assertive in the workplace?

Why is it good for women to be assertive?

In pairs!

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Assertiveness training: running dictation activity

Assertiveness training

ASSERTIVENESS MEANS…

Respecting people’s rights – and your own

Expressing yourself honestly

Achieving a win/win outcome

Controlling your feelings and actions

Having self-worth

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Assertiveness training: running dictation

Assertiveness training

Groups of 3

1 = runner

2 = runner

3 = writer

Fill in the answer template in the workbook with How to’s and examples that the runners memorize from the cards on the wall

Fastest team with all answers correct is the winner!

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Bringing it all together: closing activity

Bringing it all together

Group 2: high confidence

  • Hold eye contact when greeting others in the room
  • Louder voice
  • Firm handshake
  • Take up space

Group 1: Low confidence

  • Lower eyes when greeting people
  • Weak handshake
  • Quiet voice
  • Make themselves small

How might this lesson apply to your colleagues and bosses in the work space?

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Bringing it all together: closing activity 2

Bringing it all together

ROLE-PLAY SCENARIO

In each pair, person A is to play an office worker

in her first week at work. Person B is to play a

bossy colleague who has been in the job for

years. A and B sit beside each other in the office.

A is annoyed with aspects of B’s behaviour. B

has been leaving her belongings on A’s desk and

making long, loud personal phone conversations

which make it hard for A to concentrate. A wants

to resolve this issue without causing a fight or

making an enemy out of B.

Spectators: look at the Feedback Chart in your workbooks and use this to rate each of the A actors.

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Recap of Today

Activity!

Stand in a circle

Throw the ball to someone.

That person shares one thing that surprised them about communicating in the workplace

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Preparations for next week

Workbook assignment

Reflect on today’s information by completing the reflection questions.

• Why do you think it might be a good idea to be assertive in the workplace?�• Describe an occasion when you acted assertively.�• What kind of opportunities do you think projecting confidence can bring you in your future job?�• Write down two to three ways that you can use what was learned today to be successful either in an interview and/or on your first days at a new job.

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Key message of today

How you talk, dress and behave at work can affect your career and your boss and colleagues view you. Make sure it reflects your personality but also your level of professionalism.

There are many ways to show assertiveness and confidence- make sure you are aware of your body language and style of communication.

Being a good listener is a skill that you have to practice. Listening is equally as important as being good at speaking.

By modifying these things you can have a positive effect on how others perceive you.

Assertive and aggressive are not the same thing.

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Questions?

Tip!

Let’s use whatsapp group(s) to ask or answer questions and share knowledge and resources!

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For Trainers:

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