Career Development Strategies

Unit 2 Seminar

Finding Jobs that “Fit” You

Seminar Agenda

• Review of Unit 1- Any questions?• Discussion on Self – Assessments and Career

Assessments • Discussion on Global Environment• Discussion on Researching Companies• Review of Unit 2 assignments• Questions/Answers

Unit One – Reviewed

• Syllabus review– Grading Rubrics/Expectation– Course Policy

• Discussion on O*net and SiteMap to Quintessential Careers-- A-Z

• Job-seeker’s Glossary of Key Job Hunting• Accomplishment Action Verbs Cover Letter Elevator Speech Employment

Gaps Hidden Job Market Networking Resume Salary

• Self-Assessments

Self-Assessments

• What is the purpose of taking self-assessments?• What information do you learn from taking self-

assessments and how can it help you with career development?

• Do you need to take a series of self-assessments to know what you are good at and what you like?

• Do you think someone can skew the results of their tests?

Self Assessments

• The goal of taking self assessments is to become conscious of the skills you have and those skills can be the catalyst for change and success in your career. – Do you think employers can give assessments before/after

an interview?– What do you think about personality tests as a tool in

interviewing?

Unit 1Assignments

• This past week you had the opportunity to take two assessments…– The first assessment will help you look at yourself and

identify your current KSAOs and helps you to identify what you enjoy doing.

– The second assessment helps you to evaluate your values and what is important to you in a job

Why do we need to take these assessments?

• The reading cites Dr. Emory Mulling’s report of the following:– Almost 2/3rd of our job dissatisfaction comes from our

boss.– Almost 1/3rd of our job dissatisfaction come from our work

environment.– Less than 5% of our job SATISFACTION comes from the

actual work we do…

Choosing jobs that fit your needs!

• When was the last time you had time to sit and ponder what you really do know about yourself?

• What do you enjoy doing?

• What do you value in your job? Has this changed since you started working.

(Has family, other circumstances changed)

How today’s trends are shaping tomorrow’ jobs?

The workplace is constantly evolving. Over thelast 50 years we have seen radical changes in where we work, how we work, and when we work. These changes are most readily evident in the job titles that have dramatically evolved over the years.

Challenger, J. (2005) THE FUTURIST November-December .www.wfs.org

Facts

• “The World Bank last month painted a grim outlook for the global economy in 2009, with growth weakening to a crawl and trade volume falling for the first time in 26 years. In its Global Economic Prospects report, the multilateral institution forecast the global economy would expand a mere 0.9 percent next year and world trade volume would fall 2.1 percent."

Does this fact impact YOUR career?

http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2009/01/industry-business-outlook-2009-and-beyond-economy-manufacturing-production-jobs.html

• What events can affect our jobs or job search?

• How can the economy affect jobs?

• What can WE do to improve the situation?

The Global/Job Environment

How Do We Improve the Situation?

• Learn about workplace traits and qualities.• Understand the difference between transferable

skills, adaptive skills and job skills. • Apply those skills in your resume, cover letter, and

during your interview!• Let’s go over this list of skills on the next few slides!

Transferable Skills

• Simply - they are skills you have acquired during any activity in your life; skills that can be used in many different job settings; the ability to speak before a group, to organize and schedule, to research, and to solve problems 

What are some of your transferable skills?

Adaptive Skills

• These are basic skills such as reading, writing, and getting to work on time; these skills are often referred to as school-to-work transition skills

What are some of your adaptive skills?

Job Skills

• These are the skills necessary to do a particular job such as the ability to use copy machines or to use power tools or to do federal tax returns. 

What are some of your job skills?

The New Psychological Contract

• I will work for you as long as you need me and as long as I am getting what I want. You could downsize me tomorrow; I could quit tomorrow. But, as long as you keep me challenged, marketable, and appropriately rewarded, I’ll stay.

What does this mean to the employer? The three key words are "challenged, marketable, and appropriately rewarded."  Some employers seem to be getting the message. They know their employees want challenging projects or jobs, training, more education, and anything that will look good on their resume.

Researching Companies

• Why should we research companies?• What should we look for when we research?• Where can we go to do our research?

• “Employers value job-seekers who know key information about the company because that knowledge demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm for the company and the job”.

Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Companies

When do I start researching?- When you are looking to identify key companies in

your search- When you are applying to a specific employer- When you’re invited for the interview

Determine the Information You Need

- Company Information- Financial Information- Organization Mission and goals

- Specific Employment Issues- Benefits- HR Information- Hiring Trends

Where to Find Company Information

BestJobsUSA

http://www.bestjobsusa.com/index.php?pa

FindYourSpot.com

http://www.findyourspot.com/

Most Ethical Companies

http://ethisphere.com/WME2008/

Most Respected Companies

http://www.ft.com/reports/wmrc2005/

Where To Find Company Information (cont’d)

Business Week Online

http://bwnt.businessweek.com/company/search.asp

Hoovers Online

http://www.hoovers.com/free/

Non-Profit Options

http://www.quintcareers.com/nonprofit_employment.html

Don’t Forget to Understand Trends in Your Industry

It’s good to know about the company, but it’s equally as important to have a handle on the entire industry for comparison (this is good to know during the interview when asked how much you know about the company)

Link to Industry Portals

http://www.virtualpet.com/industry/mfg/mfg.htm

Warning Signs in Your Search

1. Lack of clear/good communication skills- Poor phone skills

- Spelling errors on site or in mail correspondence

2. Overselling the job- “This is the best opportunity you’re likely to find in this

economy

Additional Warning Signs

3. Difficult to contact

- Voice mail when you call

4. It’s too good to be true!

- Be cautious about young companies that don’t have track record

5. Conflicting information from interviewers

Linking the two…

• Why is one’s self-awareness important when considering the global environment?

AND

AND

Can you use your transferable, adaptive, and job skills to compete in the global job market?

Find companies that fit your needs with good research strategies

Questions/Answers

• Thank you for taking the time to meet tonight! Please direct any questions you have that were not covered in tonight’s seminar to me via email or aim.