Many young people set out to find a job, armed with their well written resume and a whole stack of optimism, only to find that job searching is a little harder than they first thought. What is needed is something that really makes a resume - and the optimistic job searcher - stand out from the crowd. Enter the elusive 'point of difference'.
What is a point of difference?
In job seeking terms, a point of difference is something which sets one applicant apart from the others. In a saturated jobs market, there are often multiple applicants for a single position. Employers have a range of options to choose from, and they will appoint the best person for the position they have available. Although this seems perfectly reasonable from an employer's perspective, it can be really tough on the young person who is on the receiving end of rejection. It is hard not to take things personally and to separate out the rejection of a resume and application from rejection of the person as a whole.
Encouraging young people to have a point of difference on their resume is one helpful way of reducing the rejection a little, and giving them a positive focus that can direct their energies into something useful.
Employers love it when a young person has shown the initiative required to gain a first aid qualification on their own. It shows they are interested in personal and professional development, that they have the ability to stick to a task and that they are willing to work hard in a way which will benefit others.
First aid in action
While many jobs do not specifically require a first aid qualification, it is an extremely useful thing to have regardless of the position. Picture the scene - a customer walks into a store, trips over their untied shoelace and twists their ankle. A young person walks promptly from behind the counter, offers first aid support to help the customer, and ensures their injury does not get any worse. The customer becomes a guaranteed supporter of the store, the employer is ecstatic because a major problem has been averted, and most importantly an injury has been managed effectively to reduce pain, suffering and physical harm.
Another useful example for young people is to ask them to imagine they are working on a holiday program or youth group with children. A small child falls from the play equipment and hurts themselves. This scenario can be made more or less challenging depending on the height of the equipment in your example and the extent of the potential 'injuries'. A playground is a familiar environment for most young people and they can easily imagine what it would look and sound like if a child fell from the play equipment. This helps them begin to plan what their response might be.
Of course, first aid is also vital in more serious situations, such as when someone has experienced a life threatening emergency or there is an accident at work. In this case, the ability to respond capably, calmly and with skill is vital. A young person can assist other more experienced first aiders to manage an emergency, or may even take charge of the situation themselves. First aid skills can truly make the difference between life and death.
First aid qualifications
A basic level first aid qualification only takes a few days to obtain, and the costs are generally quite low. Some people begin with a CPR qualification and then add more skills and higher level qualifications over time. Others take a basic first aid course or complete some online study to begin with, and then add practical skills.
A quick search online will help locate first aid trainers and organisations in your local area, and if your group size is large enough a trainer will often come to your site. This can help get a whole class or group of young people trained up in first aid in a short period of time.
First aid qualifications do require some practice, so it is great to have a group of people to work together, rather than learning the skills in isolation. A group setting means that scenarios can be talked about, questions and problems discussed and solutions identified for solving first aid challenges. As a group leader or teacher, you can lead a group by posing open ended questions or finding some first aid scenarios online that you can use with young people. Challenge them to discuss the scenario, think about a number of possible solutions and then decide what course of action they would take. This reinforces skills and knowledge and also gives important practice in problem solving and evaluating ideas and options.
Keep the evidence
Young people are often not that great at hanging on to pieces of paper! A first aid qualification is only useful for job seeking if there is actual evidence of it being obtained. So once the training is complete and the all important certificates have been handed out, show each young person how to take a photo on their phone and upload or save it so they can find it again later. Ensure resumes are updated straight away with the training organisation and certificate number and date all recorded accurately. Imagine how disheartening it would be for a young person to be asked for an interview and then not be able to show the evidence of the first aid qualification that might make the difference to their success!
Get started with first aid
If you are in charge of a group or class of young people, spend some time discussing first aid scenarios in the workplace or posing some open ended questions about how they would respond to various situations. For example, you could ask them what they would do if they saw an older person fall over in the street, or if a car accident happened nearby. Organise small discussion groups and then ask each group to choose some options for how they would respond. Encourage them to consider the pros and cons of each option before agreeing on a best choice for their group.
Take a walk around your school or venue or into the community. Look for first aid and related signs or locations, such as a defibrillator on a wall, an emergency exit sign or a first aid or nurse's room. Visit an outdoor setting such as a park, beach or playground. Talk about the first aid scenarios which might occur at each one. Look for the signs and equipment that is located in each setting to help manage an emergency. Discuss these locations and how they might be important for the people who use the area regularly as well as for the people who work or visit there.
Once you have spent some time introducing the concept of first aid, investigate formal first aid training that can help build skills and knowledge that can be included on a resume. It might make all the difference to a young person's ability to land their first job!
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