Employability Skills Discovering Interests Skills Abilities and Aptitudes

Employability Skills

Discovering Interests, Skills, Abilities, and Aptitudes is the 1 st step in job searching • Interests- activities • Abilities - a skill you one likes to do. have already developed. • Skills - talent to do a • Aptitude- the potential a task - training or person has for learning a experience. skill.

Interests Can Lead to a Career Choice Most Interests fall into 3 categories: • People- Activities involving people. • Information- Includes using ideas, facts, figures, and words. • Technology- Involves working with tools, machines, and other equipment.

Self Assessment �Interest Inventory- Determines a person’s likes and dislikes for activities or occupations. �Ability Assessment- Tests for certain skills or if one can obtain those skills through training (Ex: Problem Solving, Organizational skills, etc. ) ▫ Determines if you can master certain skills. �Aptitude tests – Predicts an individual's ability to learn certain skills - aptitudes can be developed into skills.

Skills Employers Are Looking? • Basic Skills - Reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens, and speaks. • Thinking skills - Thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn, and analyzes. • Social Skills - Interacting with others. These skills are one of the top qualities employers look for in a job candidate.

Personal Qualities (Employability Skills) • • Displays responsibility Self-esteem and self confidence Self-management Integrity and Honesty Cooperation Follows directions Initiative and self-motivation

Resources for Choosing a Career and Seeking Employment • Research ▫ Classifieds ▫ Internet ▫ Employment Agencies • Networking ▫ ▫ Job leads Referral Career fair Contact list

Career Resources con’t. Work-based Learning • Apprenticeship - Hands-on (on-the-job) learning while working with another skilled worker in a registered program. § Ex: Construction, Cosmetology • Job Shadowing - Following a person on the job for a few days to learn a particular career. § Ex: Following a doctor making rounds in the hospital ▫ Observing a teaching conducting class

Resources for Choosing a Career and Seeking Employment Work-based Learning • Internship-A temporary paid or unpaid position that involves direct work experience in a career field. • Ex: Sales, Software engineering, Finance • Cooperative education (Co-op) - Combines school studies with paid work experience. • Ex: Computer Engineering, Human Resources

Job - Paid position Career- Occupation for a significant period a work history of one or more jobs in the same or related fields of interest. Trade - a skilled profession requiring special training.

Factors Involved in Choosing a Career • • Salary and Earnings • Benefits • Job Outlook • Advancement • Opportunities Qualifications, training, education, and experience • Work permit