 Your Next Move Path Ways to College and Career Readiness- Workshop 2

Review  In the last class we discussed “Your Road Map” which encouraged you to have a vision and goals to help you plan for the next steps in your college/career journey.  Did you discuss that class with anyone?  Have you thought about your goals since you wrote them down?  Was it hard to do the homework assignment?

The Objectives for today’s workshop  To give you skills that will help you achieve your college/career goals;  Tips and tricks for writing college application essays and resumes  Start to create your Elevator Speech  Using your network to achieve your goals  To discuss your “next step goals” and to create a plan for implementing the plan

What are they looking for? Who do they Want to see?

First Know the Destination, then Plan Your Route  You have a picture of who you want to be several years from now….  How will you get there?  Technical School/College, College, Job?  What do they want to see from you as you begin the conversation around your future?  What do you say?  What do you show them?  What do you tell them about your experience?

What Will They Want to See From You  Colleges and Technical schools will want to see your High School Transcripts.  They will be interested in your SAT or ACT scores.  Some colleges and career academies will require that you submit an essay with your application.  Schools and employers will want to see letters of recommendation.  Schools, and employers will also want to know about your extracurricular activities.

Make Your Plan  What classes do you need to take to be ready for your college or career choice?  How much will your education at the school/ college of your choice cost?  If you plan on getting a job out of High School, do you have the skills that you need to achieve your goal? How will you get the skills or the job?

Are You Keeping A Calendar As Part of Your Plan?  What Tests/Assessments will you have to take for your chosen college/career path? When are they offered?  Have you started to learn about financial aid?  Are there any scholarships that you can apply for, and if so, when do they need to be submitted?  Can you visit the prospective college, school, or employer to see if it is right for you?

Applications  Make sure you know the application deadlines and put them on your calendar  Go on line and look at the applications that you will be filling out for your college or career choice  What will you need to be prepared with-  Test Scores?  Resume?  Essay?  Letters of recommendation?

Your Network  What is it?  Why is it important?  How do I grow my network?

Elevator Speech  What is it?  Why should you have one  How will you use it?

Exercise - Create a Personal Elevator Speech  First, write down the "deliverables" – what is unique about you.  Then, think in terms of the benefits that your future college, technical school recruiter, or employer could derive from your strengths and skills.  Once you've got that written, create an opening sentence that will grab the listener's attention. The best openers leave the listener wanting more information.  Finally, your elevator speech must roll off your tongue with ease. Practice your speech in front of the mirror and with friends. Record it on your answering machine, and listen to it. Do you sound confident? Sincere? Is it engaging? Tweak accordingly. Then, take it on the road!

 What information might you include in your elevator speech? Consider sharing your name, year in school, major skills and career goals. Include personal information only if it is relevant to your career goals. Have a catch- try to make it memorable and easy for you to remember- because you will need to use it for a while. Here are some examples to help you get started developing your 30 second elevator speech. Examples:  Hi, my name is Samantha Atcheson, and I am a senior at XYZ High School. My career goal is to be a Veterinarian because I have always had an affinity for animals. Over the past few years, I’ve been strengthening my skills through my work with a local animal shelter and I have started my own pet sitting business. I plan to go to University of WI and major in Animal Science/ Pre-Vet next year. Can you tell me how someone with my skills and experience would fit into your organization?  Nice to meet you, I’m Alex Brown. I’m currently a senior, and what most people don’t know about me, yet, is that I am an undiscovered Rap Star. I hope to be a bigger name than Lil Wayne some day. I’ve have been playing the guitar and piano in a band for the last three years and I am also their lead singer. I enjoy composing songs as much as I like singing them. While I am in the process of being discovered, I would like to work in the music industry. Do you know anybody in the music industry who might be able to help me achieve my goals?

Homework  Between now and Workshop #3  Look at the  Finish your “elevator speech” that you started in the workshop. Polish what you say and how you say it. Practice, practice, practice. You will need your elevator speech for job shadowing, job interviews, writing college essays and other opportunities.  Go on line, print the applications for your chosen post secondary education, training or career provider. Bring them to your next class. Add deadlines to your calendar and familiarize yourself with what you will have to do in order to complete the application by the deadline. Will you need references? Does it require an essay? Would a referral be helpful. Add these items to your plan.