May 2009 Connection Newsletter
Define Your Job Skills
Many people have a hard time identifying their skills. You may have skills from jobs, volunteer work, hobbies, recreation, or daily life. The average person has between 500 and 800 skills. There are many ways to identify what your skills are. Don’t limit yourself to only a few skills. List as many as you can, the more the better. Also, include skills that you may be learning.
There are three main types of skills:
1. Job skills are those specific to a job or occupation. For example, a salesperson's skills would include customer service, record keeping, order processing, inventory management, billing, and product displays. Job skills are the specific skills employers look for in a candidate. However, these skills do not always have to come from employment. Common activities like shopping, managing finances, balancing a bank account and raising a child all contain potential job skills.
2. Self-Management skills are the skills that you use every day to get along with others. They are the skills that make all of us unique and different from one another. Sincerity, reliability, tactfulness, patience, flexibility, timeliness, and tolerance are all examples of self-management skills. Your everyday attitude like persistence, drive, and cooperation are also some examples of self-management skills. Employers look for these skills to determine how a candidate will fit into the organization, which is an important consideration for all employees.
3. Transferable skills are skills that apply to many different situations. However, a number of job-specific skills are also transferable. If you can operate a drill press, you have the skills to operate other types of machinery. If you coordinate events, lead meetings, participate on teams for community activities or personal interests, you have skills that transfer to employment. It is critical for you to evaluate how your skills transfer into other opportunities because the likelihood you will find another position identical to your last one is slim. If you decide to pursue these opportunities, your next challenge is to find effective ways to present these skills to a potential employer.
Why Use the Internet for Job Search?
The internet should be a part of your job search for a few reasons:
1) The information you can get on a particular field or company can be useful for impressing an employer.
2) It provides access to tools you would otherwise not use (directories, job boards, automation that notifies you when a job matches your interests).
3) It proves to an employer that you are keeping up with the latest technology, illustrating that you are interested in learning new things. Researching prospective employers, wage trends, geographic information, reviewing job postings, and monitoring employment trends are just a few of the options available.
4) Sample resumes and cover letters can be found online.
CHECK OUT: mnworkforcecenter.org, minnesotaworks.net, AND online.onetcenter.org
Are You Ready to Look for Work?
Do you think it’s time to start looking for employment, but you just don’t know where to start?
Here are a couple of tips that will help you get back in the working field:
· You want to be able to select a realistic job objective, one that fits into your schedule and budget.
· Make a commitment to find employment. Make social contacts and be willing to ask questions when appropriate.
· Learn how to organize and manage your time.
· Be able to analyze the potential skills you have and what value they bring to an employer.
· Know all the facts about your interview and make sure you are prepared for every aspect of it. Take risks and be creative when it comes to giving your answers.
GO TO: www.iseek.org
ISEEK is a trusted resource for up-to-date career, education, and job information. You can also watch videos, test your knowledge with quizzes, share contact with friends and family, voice your opinion on polls and blogs, and much more!
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