Real Skills – Real Jobs

Real

Careers!Choctawcareers.com

Real Careers – Job Search Workshop

What do employers want?How do I make my resume stand out?Job Search Networking – why & how.Why can’t I get an interview?

Our Goal: To help you acquire the skills needed to land your first JOB, and advance into a fulfilling & self-sustaining CAREER.

Employers Want Soft skills (work ethic)

Come to work every day on timeFollow directionsApply good listening skillsConcentrate on workRecognize problems & find solutionsManage time effectivelyMaintain a safe work environmentBe honest and dependableDress properly & practice good groomingBe cooperativeHave a positive attitudeBe a courteous & considerate team memberBe a continuous learner

OK Employment Security Commission & Workforce OK

Employer’s Wish List

Communication TeamworkProblem solving/Decision makingPlan/Organize/ PrioritizeCritical thinking (#5-6)

Technical skillsComputer literacyWritingLeadership

Nov. 2014 Forbes article & NACE Survey

(**Write these down!)

Google Search: “Employer Wish List”

US News & World Report Article, Sept. 2013

Empathy. Employers not only want you to do the job, but to care about it and the people with whom you will interact.• Tell me about a time when you went out of your way to help someone at work.

Mentoring inclination and ability. Interviewers want to predict your interest in reaching out to mentor others, and how you will go about elevating their knowledge and skills.• Tell me about an experience you had with a mentor or coach who helped you. What did he or

she do that you found to be most helpful, and how did you respond?Interpersonal skills. Employers want to hire people who can play well with others in the

"corporate sandbox." Interviewers will be interested to learn how you deal with personality conflicts and your own role in them.• Tell about a time when you have worked with people who have had difficulty getting along

with each other. How did you handle the situation?

“Wish List” Continued

Self-direction and initiative. Employers seek people who will take upon themselves more than what is actually expected or required. To find out if you have that kind of drive they might ask:• Tell about a time when you proposed a new and better way of doing things to your manager.

What prompted you to think about the problem to begin with?

Flexibility and adaptability. In many companies, change is often the only constant. Policies, priorities and procedures need to anticipate and respond to internal and external conditions. Employers seek people who can adjust quickly. To find out your ability to adapt, you might be asked:• Tell me about a time when you were required to change the way you have been doing

something for several years, when you know that what you've been doing "works" for you. How did you respond? What were the results?

Take the time to understand the human qualities employers seek and which are intrinsic to your character. Then you will be able to draw stories from the well of your experience that demonstrate these qualities in your interview, and advance your chances of being hired.

Most needed:Soft Skills -- Work Ethic -- Employer Expectations

Texting Poll

• Join the polling session – Text CHOCTAWCD2015 to 37607

• All texting charges do apply per your text messaging plan.

• You may text only ONE answer to each question.

The Trick!

No matter what you have studied in school, you will have had to an opportunity to learn these valued skills sets. The trick is to demonstrate that you have those skills through your cover letter, résumé and interview. -- Think about class projects where you have been a team member or leader and jobs where you have had to plan and prioritize. Describe those skills specifically in your résumé and cover letter and in your job interview.

The survey makes clear that employers want universal skills you can learn across academic disciplines and in any job where you are working with others. The trick is to communicate clearly that you have those skills.

The Stats

On average 144 people apply for each entry-level position posted.

It costs a company $3479 to hire a new employee.

An ATS is able to screen-out approximately 75% of applicants, making the hiring process more efficient for employers.

• The Resume is a marketing document that appropriately positions a person for the job he/she is seeking.

The resume highlights and summarizes the skills, achievements, education, training, experiences, etc. that qualify a person for a particular job.

The resume contains key words that are directly related to the requirements of the desired job.

The resume is a continually-changing document that must be edited to show a candidate’s best qualifications for each particular job.

The Resumé

• Relevance• Skills, qualifications, and accomplishments that match target job• Key words (terminology) that tie individual to target job or profession• Accomplishment-based; performance & achievements from past jobs or

projects• Education, certifications, & training• Professional experience

• Professional format• Organized and focused on target job• Neat and easy to read/skim (standard fonts)• Correct grammar, punctuation, & capitalization (no abbreviations)• Robot friendly (Applicant Tracking System)

Resume Essentials

• Contact Information• Professional email addresses (john.smith@yahoo.com)

• Cell phone service with fully paid account

• Professional voice mail greeting(Hello this is John Smith. I am sorry that I can’t take your call at this time. Please leave your name and number and a brief message and I will return your call as soon as possible.)

Effective Resume Development

• Job description or list of requirements for career field• Knowledge of company/organization listing job opening• Listing of education, training, & certifications/licenses earned with dates & locations• Listing of work experience (not more than 10 years) with titles, dates,

accomplishments/responsibilities, & locations• May be paid or volunteer experience

Effective Resume Development

Resume Content

Contact Information EducationSkills Summary Work or Professional ExperienceAchievements Certifications / LicensuresLeadership Experiences Memberships / ActivitiesOther Relevant Info

• A resume MAY include the following if it is relevant to the target job and adds value to the resume.

• Educational courses• GPA (if 3.6 or above)• Equipment operated• Memberships in professional or community organizations• Military service• Extra-curricular school/community activities (leadership, event organization)• Personal – foreign languages, special talents• Be truthful!

Effective Resume Development

• Come from a Job Description and/or Job Requirements• Words/phrases that occur multiple times• Words/phrases that are similar or relay a common theme

• Dedicated, professional, motivated, team player, relationship builder, organized, etc.• Other words that describe a particular skill set that is essential within a particular job

(i.e. sales, relationship builder, strong presentation skills, meet or exceed monthly sales quotas)

• Industry jargon may also be included in the skills section• May be copied directly from job description if they are exact fit for

applicant’s skill sets

• May be found by searching job titles & descriptions at O*NET -- http://www.onetonline.org/

Key Words & Phrases

• Include a Qualifications Summary section• Objectives – not recommended• Dates – use the year only in the employment history and education

sections• Length – generally 1 page, more pages may be used if you have

extensive relevant experience• Font – use fonts that commonly available on most computers and

that have high readability (Arial, Lucida, Verdana, Times New Roman, Tahoma, Garamond)

• References – separate reference page; 3-5 professional references, accurate contact information

• Always get a person’s approval before using as a reference

Effective Resume Formatting

Resume Resources

Resume builders: www.okjobmatch.com | www.okcis.intocareers.org | www.careerready101.com

Choctaw Career Development website: http://choctawcareers.com/resume/ -- (resume check-list, sample resumes, uploading resumes, resume development webinars)

Other helpful sites: www.job-hunt.org | http://www.resume-help.org/free_resume_examples.htm | www.quintcareers.com

WRITE This Down: www.careerealism.com – www.job-hunt.org

TIP-- Don’t pay for online job search resources – There are Tons of FREE resources!Free Job Search webinar Feb. 18 – 11:30-12:30

Everyone is

welcome!

• Employers:• AEP / PSO• Duit Construction• PGT Trucking• McAlester Army Ammunition Plant• SE OK State University• Trinity Industries• Tyson Foods• Dept. of Corrections• International Paper• CLEET• Choctaw Nation HR• Hiring Partners• Muscogee Creek Nation HR• And Many More!

Job Search Plan

1. Commitment (time, emotions, resources)2. Determine what you want (type of job/company)3. Explore options & research companies4. Develop a self-enhancement action plan (education, additional experience, new skills, new

contacts, etc)5. Prepare a written job search strategy & stick to it (include written documentation of each step

completed)6. Never stop job hunting & following-up (do all the little things)7. Adjust the plan as needed

• Like many things in life, the more time, effort, and energy you put into planning and executing your job-search, the faster and better your results should be. By developing a comprehensive job-search plan, you should have a strong foundation for a successful job-search.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” –Benjamin Franklin

Networking• Communicating who you are, what you can do, and

what you want to do with as many people as possible.• Networking Requires:

• Planning• Organizing• Research skills• Courage

• NOT – Asking people for a job!

Networking to Enhance your Career

• In-Person Networking• Formal – Community/school organizations, job fairs, volunteer jobs,

internships• Informal – Social or sports events, through friends or acquaintances

• Online Networking / Social MediaEmployers want to interview candidates where there is some previous connection; through another employee of the company, or now more than ever, via social media and your online identity.• Linked In – Twitter – Facebook – etc.• Job Boards• Blogs

Side Doors & the Hidden Job Market

• Side Door – A short cut to the people with the power to hire.Side doors are more like a “recipe” for success than a “prescription”. – Elisabeth Sanders-Park

• Spontaneous Contact: paper, online, phone, in-person, credible reference• Introduction by Acquaintance: social setting, workplace• Show Then Tell: volunteer, internship, or temp work• Samples of Your Work• Customer Contact

Side Doors – 80%+ of good employment opportunities are never advertised

Front Door

Side Door 80% of job

opportunities never get advertised

Attitude for Success

• Don’t Say:• I’m unemployed | I’m looking for work | I could start immediately | Can I send

my resume or fill out an application

• Say: • I’m looking for a company where I can invest skills, I am exploring a career in…,

I’d like to discuss how my skills can make you money.• Think like the employer and use phrases with compelling reasons to request your resume

or talk with you further:

• Attitude: Resource Person vs. Job Beggar• Job Beggar attitudes imply the want of a pay check more than the want to

contribute to a company.• Be sure to show this attitude in both your personal and online job searches.

Networking

S – SmileE – Eye ContactN – NameT – Touch

Elevator Speech/Pitch

I am _______________________________

I want to _________________________ _____________________ Ican ______________________________________________________

IDEA – you may print this info on your networking/business card

Online Networking

• Of 100 employers surveyed, 77% use search engines to learn more about candidates, 35% have screened-out based on online information.• News reports predict that a growing number of employers prefer

using Social Media over Resumes in their hiring process.• Social Media• Linked In: The “professional” social media site

• Learn to use Linked In for your Job Search -- http://learn.linkedin.com/jobseeker/ • Twitter: Connect with many people based on common interests• FaceBook: Primarily for social networking with friends or family, but can be

used effectively in job searching

Why Can’t I Get An Interview?• What does the Employer want or need?

• Soft Skills – dependability, attitude, personality, customer service, appearance, etc.

• Technical Skills

• How & where do they find it?• Advertising• Word-of-mouth (80%)

• How can you help?• Investigate – learn all you can about the company

Meet the Need or reduce the Concern!

#1 Goal of the Job Seeker

• Reduce the Employer’s concern and meet their needs.“Reduce the Concern & Meet the Need”

• Think like the Employer – Look at the situation from the Employer’s perspective• Why should an employer hire you? • What do you bring to the company that can benefit the company and increase their

profits?

---It takes about 9 months for an employer to make up the money spent for hiring an employee.

• Know a person who works at the company• Company website• Be a customer• Chamber of Commerce• Better Business Bureau• Analyze job description (s)• Personal visit

Get to know the Employer

• Am I effectively communicating the skills and abilities that I offer the employer?• Am I treating my job search like a job?• Am I demonstrating my skills, abilities, and strengths within my

job search?• Am I considering the employer’s needs and concerns?• Do my goals and values align with the company’s? Is this

company right for me?

Am I doing it right?

Six Reasons People Do & Don’t Get the Job

PADMAN

• Presentation & Image• Does the way you look, sound, & act

positively represent the company?• Attitude & Personality

• Do I want to work with you and do you fit into my company culture?

• Dependability & Trust• Can I depend on you to work in my

company’s best interest?• Motivation & Loyalty

• Do your actions and goals promote my company and its goals?

• Ability & Aptitude• Can you do the job, or learn it quickly?

• Network & Contacts• Do the people you know and attract

benefit my company?Credit: Elisabeth Sanders-Park – www.worknetsolutions.com

A crash-course in Thinking Like an Employer!

Employers hire for ABILITY – They fire for FIT!

• Avoid being screened-out• Get into the Employers head:

“Think Like the Employer”• Evaluate your skills, abilities, and challenges• Compare your assets to the needs of the employer• Learn to communicate how you meet the employer’s needs

– why you are the right candidate• Show that you FIT the company’s culture and personality; • Demonstrate how your values align with the company’s values and

goals

Do I Fit in?

Demonstrate Your Soft Skills

• Many of your soft-skills can be demonstrated within your job search!• Use your customer service skills while networking• Show your attention to detail on your job application and your resume• Display your initiative by sharing a helpful article on Linked-In• Show your caring/positive attitude by working at a community event• Use your technical skills to help with a church or community project

TIP -- Companies report that fewer than 10% of interviewees send thank-you notes.• This presents a great opportunity for candidates to position themselves positively versus the

competition.

Get Ready!

Veterans

Resource Center

Continuing Education Opportunities:• OSU-IT• Southeastern OK State

Univ.• Eastern OK State

College• Murray State College• Grayson College• 4C Welding School• Central Tech Truck

Driving• And many more…

Employment Resource Center

Motivational

Speaker

LIFE Career

Exploration

MFG Careers Exhibit

Professional Appearance • Clean, neat, well-fitting

• (correct size, no holes, not wrinkled, conservative)

• Attention to details • (hair, nails, shoes, etc.)

• Appropriate for your career field• (no flip-flops, ball caps, t-shirts, holey

jeans)

• Organized, resumes & documents prepared• Positive attitude

Pre-Register Today!

Simple and quickSave time – don’t stand in line at the Expo!

Additional Information

Need help with your Resume, your Job Search, or Networking?Find webinars and tons of helpful job search information at: www.choctawcareers.com/jobs

Workshop hand-outs and Job Search Webinars are available at:www.choctawcareers.com Click on Employment Services then Find A Job

• Elisabeth Sanders-Park, WorkNet Solutions – www.worknetsolutions.com

• Reviving Work Ethic – www.revivingworkethic.com

• CareerOneStop.org – US Dept. of Labor, Employment & Training -- http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/pyramid_download.aspx • Also, see Personal Effectiveness Competency (What Employers Want) at:

http://choctawcareers.com/job-search-resource/

• Forbes / NACE: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/11/12/the-10-skills-employers-most-want-in-2015-graduates/

• CareerOneStop.org – Competency Model: see the document at: http://choctawcareers.com/job-search-resource

Workshop Sources:

Thank you / Questions

We hope these strategies will help you reach your career goals!

Bryan Martin– Leflore, Latimer, & Haskell countiesJane Buffington -Atoka, Coal, Pittsburg, Hughes counties **

Deidre Inselman – Bryan county and Texas **Stacy Hallmark – Choctaw, Pushmataha, & McCurtain counties

Rhonda Mize – Oklahoma, Logan, Payne, Pawnee, Creek, Tulsa, Rogers, & Lincoln counties **

** These specialists also work with clients in OK counties outside of Choctaw Nation boundaries.

Choctaw Nation Career Development580-920-2260 | 866-933-2260

www.choctawcareers.com