Career Exploration

STEPS IN CAREER PLANNING

1. Self-Analysis Determine wants & needs Determine your values Assess aptitudes & interests Analyze personal qualities

2. Research Books / magazines / web sites / etc. Compare your traits from above to fit classifications (pg. 30) Talk to people in the field selected Observations / Internships / part-time work in the field or related field

3. Develop a plan of action Job search techniques -- Get organized Have a plan Follow through Don’t give up

4. Re-evaluate Every 5 years to be sure you are in a career that suits you and

challenges you and is satisfying

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF

Career Planning – begin with self evaluation (look inward):

Know your values & goalsAssess your personal interestsAssess your aptitudes (what are you

good at?)Interests – what do you like to do?Personality analysis

Life and Work Values

Income and Wealth Job Security Independence Physical Risk Recognition Creativity Personal Growth Family Community Location

INTERESTS

You will work for more than 40 years – 40 hours per week – 50 weeks per year – over 90,000 hours

Find something you enjoy - have an interest in and supplies enough income to support you & your family

Find your “calling”

APTITUDES

Things you are good at – natural gifts, talents & skills Verbal aptitude Numerical aptitude Spatial aptitude Manual dexterity Physical coordination

Career success will often depend on developing aptitudes into transferable skills

PERSONALITY

Career choice should match personality type & will often match your career goals

Types:Realistic InvestigativeCreativeSocialEnterprising

SELF-ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENT

1. Go to www.humanmetrics.com2. Left click on the Jung Typology Test – Free 3. Left click on the box entitled DO IT4. Answer all 72 questions & left click SCORE IT5. Left click type description by D.Keirsey 6. Left click type description by J. Butt7. Read both of the type descriptions 8. Answer the following questions based on the descriptions

you read from #5 & #6 What are the initials that describe your personality? What do these initials stand for? Write a paragraph describing your personality based on the

descriptions. Do these descriptions accurately describe your personality?

Why or why not?

SOURCES OF JOB OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION1. CONTACTS – Any person you know who can help you get a job interview

Family members (siblings – aunts – uncles – cousins – etc.) Friends – parents of friends Former employers

2. SCHOOL COUNSELING & PLACEMENT SERVICES Cooperative Work Training Programs (High Schools) School Counselors & Teachers Colleges / Universities – Placement Centers

3. PERIODICALS / BOOKS / ETC. Public or school libraries Various magazines Occupational Outlook Handbook

4. PUBLIC & PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES Help locate people for employers and jobs for unemployed individuals Private agencies charge fees Public agencies are usually free

5. NEWSPAPER / YELLOW PAGES / PRIVATE JOB LISTINGS Help wanted ads in the classified section of newspapers Phone book – yellow pages Companies will post openings within their company

6. ON-LINE JOB INFORMATION Various web-sites – MonsterJob.com / CareerBuilder.com / etc.

Internet Career & Job Search Assignments

BLS.gov – research any 3 careers

Monster Job / Hot job / Career Builder

GETTING THE JOB

The first step in obtaining a job is to prepare everything necessary to secure an interview

None of this will get you a job -- but will help you secure an interview

A GOOD INTERVIEW WILL GET YOU HIRED but you have to get the interview first

THE COVER LETTER (a/k/a – Letter of Application)

SALES LETTERIntroduces you to the potential

employer and gives you a chance to sell your qualifications

First impression you will have on a potential employer (8 seconds)

Preparing a Cover Letter

Use high quality white paper & envelope (standard 8½ x 11-inch)

Personal letterhead stationary is acceptable Common font & size – professional

appearance Resume will be enclosed / transcripts also

possible Refer to all enclosures in the body of the letter

(enclosures at bottom)

Parts of a Cover Letter

1. Return Address writers address & date at top – e-mail address also

2. Letter Address (a/k/a Inside address) Find out name & title – simplified version if no name available

(Human Resource Manager)3. Salutation

Greeting – “Dear _____” Do not use a comma – use a colon or nothing If no name – no salutation – use a subject line

4. Body 3-4 paragraphs long – this is the message of the letter

i. Attention – attract the reader’s attention in the openingii. Interest – reader wants to learn more about youiii. Desire – reader wants to read your resumeiv. Action – request the reader takes action to interview

5. Complimentary Close – Sincerely & Enclosure notation

Cover Letter Contents

1st paragraph should be specific – what job your are seeking & how you learned about it

2nd paragraph should be interesting – reasons why you are a good candidate for the job (key qualifications / experiences / etc.)

3rd paragraph is direct – friendly yet assertive (ask for the interview)

E-Mailing Cover Letters

Often employers will ask you to send correspondence like cover letters, transcripts, and resumes via email

Attach the letter as (ATTACHMENTS) Omit inside address – move return

address to bottom

ASSIGNMENT

Use the sample cover letters to prepare your own cover letter for a job you found on MonsterJob.com

Assume that you have the necessary qualifications to obtain the job that you want (appropriate degrees / experience / job training / etc.)

Email the letter as an attachment to: nlatorre@hinsdale86.org (optional)

THE RESUME`

A concise summary of personal information – biographical summary

Professional profile (vita) – reflecting communication & organizational skills

Purpose is to secure an interview No clear cut resume rules for preparation –

choose a style that best represents your strengths to an employer

Always have an up-to-date resume for potential employers

Functional vs. Chronological Resumes

Functional Resume focuses on a

person’s skills / education / work ethic

Chronological Resume highlights a

candidate’s work / job experience in related jobs

Resume Writing Guidelines

1. Keep you resume to 1 page in length2. Include pertinent information for the job

you are applying for – use key words specific to that job

3. Place most relevant information in the top 1/3 of the page

4. Proofread carefully – typo’s & misspellings are unacceptable

5. Use a quality printer with conservative fonts & colors

Parts of the Resume`

Resume sections can be arranged in any order you select Most favorable sections should always appear first in the resume

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION – Usually appears first – name, address, telephone #, e-mail, cell phone

#, etc.2. CAREER OBJECTIVE –

Short statement indicating your career goal Should be forward-looking, interesting and specific May be dropped as your resume becomes more detailed

3. WORK EXPERIENCE List all jobs from most recent and working backwards In paragraph or outline form Name & address of employer / job title / duties / employment dates /

specific achievements Anything directly related to the job you are applying for

Parts of the Resume` (con’t)

4. EDUCATION All high school & post-high school institutions attended from most

recent working backwards Major area of studies / degrees / diplomas earned / honors earned /

extracurricular activities / pertinent classes or facts to impress

5. ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Any special related skills – typing / software you can operate /

knowledge of related equipment / language fluency / etc. Any honors you have received – contests that are relevant

6. REFERENCES People who are over the age of 18 & are not related to you who can

speak on your behalf – skills / character / etc. Ask these people for permission to use their name “Reference Available on Request” is acceptable

Scannable Resumes

Special software use by employers to pick out resumes with key words or phrases in them to match skills they are looking for

Use key words from your field to help your resume make the “cut”

Be careful to prepare your resume using proper format to be scanner friendly: Use simple fonts & type size of 11 or 12 point –

headings no larger than 14 point bold or caps Avoid multiple columns / fancy fonts / strange

lines, boxes, or graphs

ASSIGNMENT

Use the sample resumes to prepare your own resume

Assume that you have the necessary qualifications to obtain the job that you want (appropriate degrees / experience / job training / etc.)

Email the resume as an attachment to: nlatorre@hinsdale86.org

Completing a Job Application

Do it at home if possible – complete it fully – use a good pen

Most companies encourage you to submit it electronically – Print & review before sending

Print neatly (black or blue pen) – Handwriting should be easy to read – first impression

Stay within the spaces provided Fill in all the blanks – use (N/A) if not applicable Give complete and honest answers – don’t

abbreviate Have all pertinent information (ph. #’s / addresses /

DL # / etc.) Proofread it carefully

THE JOB INTERVIEW(Essential Questions)

Discuss strategies for preparing for an employment interview.

Discuss strategies for making a good first impression at an employment interview.

Discuss the importance of an employment interview for the employer and the applicant.

THE JOB INTERVIEW

A formal meeting in which you and the employer discuss the job & your qualifications – face to face meeting

The most important part of the job search process is the interview

Job Interview – Phase I (Pre-Interview)

Preparation (what to do before the interview) Research the job – the career Research the organization Practice good communication skills

Positive attitude – smile / good sense of humor Firm handshake – web-to-web Eye contact – not “weird” however Speak clearly & effectively Listening skills – improve – practice Sensitive to body language

Dress Appropriately / Cleanliness / Neatness Conservative attire is preferred Job dependent Avoid strong smells Avoid too much or flashy jewelry Do not over-do make-up

Be punctual (15 minutes early is appropriate)

Job Interview – Phase II (First Impressions)

Firm handshake / eye contact / smile Building Rapport – commonality “Mimic” body language and voice tone (volume)

“A hiring manager can often tell if you're the right fit for his or her organization just minutes after the two of you shake hands. In a recent Robert Half survey, executives polled said it typically takes them only 10 minutes to form an opinion of a candidate during an employment interview, despite meeting with staff-level applicants for nearly an hour, on average.”

Job Interview – Phase III (Sharing General Information)

Asking / Answering questions

Personal information – background / family / interests / etc.

Education / Experience Good time to ask questions about the position

What type of person are you looking for to fill the position?

Why is the position vacant? What are the skills you are looking for? You obviously have been successful - How did you get to

your position?

Job Interview – Phase III (Sharing General Information con’t)

Narrowing the focus – specific questions designed to see how you fit the position in questionsBe honest & give complete responsesSpeak clearly & think firstConfidence – good eye contactBe prepared – common questionsUse humor if appropriateAsk questions – clarify – repeat

Common Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself? Why should we hire you? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your future plans? What are your salary expectations? Why do you want to work for our company? What are your outside interests/activities? Do you prefer to work with people or individually? What do you know about our company? Would you be willing to relocate?

Job Interview – Phase IV (Close the Interview)

Find out what the next step of the hiring process is

Timetables – (When will the decision be made? / position filled?)

Follow-up expectations (Should I contact you next week?)

Ask for the job! (When do I start?) Last second issues (Is there anything else

about my background or qualifications that you have questions about?)

Thank the interviewer

Interviewing Assignment

Go to MSN.COM Click on CAREERS & JOBS Click on ARTICLES & ADVICE Click on INTERVIEWING – you will find several

articles YOUR TASK:

Read any 3 articles related to interviewing issues, ideas, suggestions, techniques, etc.

Copy and paste the three articles to a word document Summarize each article in 1 paragraph Discuss what you learned from reading each article

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS

A statement in letter form attesting to your character abilities and experience written by an adult who is not a relative & can attest to your abilities and character

Give people enough time to prepare these for you

Get the letter on letterhead Keep the original for possible later job

leads

THE THANK YOU LETTER

Positive contact with the employer after the interview is crucial

Remind the interviewer of your qualifications and desire to get the job

Use the same format as the letter of application

You may enclose an additional letter of recommendation

Letter should be short & to the point

Thank You Letter - Content

1st paragraph should reference the interview (refer to a part of your conversation – be specific if it applies)

2nd paragraph – remind the employer of key qualifications that are relevant to the position you have interviewed for

Final paragraph – courteously express eagerness to hear back from the interviewer when a hiring decision has been made