“Misunderstood” Activity- Cultural impact in Job Search techniques
I teach a Career Management Course to international students. The expectation is that at the end of the course, the students understand how to manage their careers and talk confidently about their skills and strengths. The students usually fall into the following categories:
- No employment experience- Culturally, the students were expected to focus on their studies and look for suitable employment only once they graduate
- No employment experience in Canada- Students have an employment history but not in Canada and do not know how to market themselves in the Canadian job market
- Employment experience in Canada- Students have experience working in ‘survival’ jobs to help pay their bills
The challenge is to teach the students about job search in a Canadian context. As most students want to find jobs in Canada for settlement purposes, this course helps them build their skills to meet the demand of the local labour market.
Some students who have had employment in Canada may not be aware of the concepts they may have to unlearn and relearn in a new cultural context. For example, some students confidently answer interview questions while discussing interview skills in class. By focusing on the cultural differences and similarities using Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, I can help the students gain greater clarity on why discussing the best practices when preparing for an interview may be necessary. The concepts of individualism vs. collectivism are explained using the typical family structure as an analogy. This helps the students structure their responses to interview questions that meet the employer’s expectations. e.g., how to explain their skills and strength during the interview but also why they need to focus on their individual accomplishments even during a team project.
TweetExample for "“Misunderstood” Activity- Cultural impact in Job Search techniques":
https://bank.ecampusontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Misunderstood.pdf