Building Your Career ProStart 1 |Chapter 12

The Career Ladder 1. Communication and Team Work 2. Positive Attitude 3. Willingness to Learn 4. Technology 5. Math Skills 6. Analyzing and Problem Solving 7. Knife and Equipment Skills 8. Food Safety and Knowledge 9. Product Knowledge

Developing Your Skills  Make a commitment & put forth your best efforts  Work part-time in the industry  Take on challenges at school and work to learn new skills  Be active in clubs and activities  Volunteer  Read and learn on your own  Basic computer skills  Take advantage of every opportunity

Mentors Purpose: To serve as an Advisor How can they help? Offer advice, coaching, offer insight, be a sounding board, and provide feedback

What’s in a Resume?  A written summary of experience, skills, & achievements that relate to the job  Objective  Qualifications  Experience  Education  Skills, training, and certificates  References

References  Unrelated people who know the applicant well  Professional  Personal  Name, Place of Employment  Title  Phone Number  Address

What’s in a portfolio?  Samples of work  Examples demonstrating leadership  Examples demonstrating teamwork  Letters of Thanks or Recommendation  Newsletters or Reports

You have 30 seconds…GO! Cover Letter: A brief introduction to the employer Attention Grab the readers attention in the first paragraph to keep them interested and reading Interest Hold interest by mentioning his/her name as a contact or informing where you learned of the job opening Desire Tell the reader what you want to do for their company List qualifications Action End letter by mentioning an interview

Job Applications  Write/ print clearly  Always use blue or black ink  Correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation  Organize thoughts before writing  N/A: Not Applicable  Write in if something does not apply to you

Money Questions  When answering questions about money on the application, write “Open”  Learn about the job before making any decisions about the salary  You might be asked to state how much money you earned on previous jobs. Be honest. Don’t exaggerate.

Questions to Consider  Page 754 in book

Scholarships  Scholarship  A grant or financial aid awarded to a student for the purpose of attending college. These do NOT need to be repaid  Financial Aid  A blanket term used to describe federal or private grants, loans, work-study programs, or other financial aid awards to a student for the purpose of attending college. Loans must be repaid with interest, although grants and work-study monies need not  Work-study Program  A program that pays needy students to perform work on school grounds and on school affairs

Making a Great 1 st Impression PunctualityArrive on time or early. Shows that you will arrive on time for your job and your commitment level. AppearanceLook clean and neat. Wear appropriate clothing for the position. Personal Hygiene Look clean and neat. Positive Attitude Smile and be enthusiastic; this suggests that they will do their work in the same way. Good Manners Basis of business etiquette.

Learn first? Really? Shows interest in working for the company | Potential employers may ask candidates what he/she knows about the company

What to Take? 1. Portfolio, including resume 2. Names, addresses, phone numbers of 3 people as references (personal and professional) 3. Drivers license, social security card; valid proof you can work

Tell me a little about yourself. Take some time and list some of your personal characteristics.

?? Questions ?? Open-Ended  Encourage job applicants to talk about themselves  Makes them feel more comfortable  Gives interviewer insight about the applicant  Gives interviewer important information “ Name a time you were put in a difficult situation.” Close-Ended  Can be answered with “yes” or “no”  Brief, factual statement “Do you belong to any professional groups?”

Ask the Interviewer List a few questions you could ask the interviewer.

After the fact… Write a brief thank you note to the interviewer as soon as possible. Follow up with a phone call to the interviewer

Take Care of Yourself  Eat Right  Get Exercise  Don’t Smoke  Find Something Else to Love  Don’t do drugs, drink responsibly (when of LEGAL drinking age)  Take Advantage of the Resources Offered  Have a Plan for Saving Money  Find a Job that Makes you Happy!!

Stressed Out?  Plan and evaluate daily activities to minimize any unanticipated situation  Delegate work to others or ask for help  Evaluate progress along the way and make adjustments if needed  Get regular sleep  Eat healthy  Avoid smoking  Exercise  Identify and use resources that can help manage stress

Time Management  Planning  Document what needs to happen during a certain period of time (daily, monthly, yearly…)  Goal Setting  Always set a timeline for completing a task  Setting Priorities  Identify important tasks, then choose their order of completion  Delegating  Assign tasks to someone else and ensure its completion

I Quit. Before quitting a job or resigning from a position, you need to give your employer at least 2 weeks notice. This is proper business etiquette

I Don’t Need to Do Anything Else…  Continuous Improvement  Professional Development: earning awards, certifications can improve yourself professionally  Demonstrate a high level of skill  Professional Organizations  Weekly and/or monthly newsletters, workshops, and conferences are some of the benefits of belonging to professional organizations  Other Resources  Reading industry publications and reading up on the Internet/web-based resources  Networking  Purpose of networking is to connect with several people to build relationships that may result in career advancement, industry updates and knowledge or career enhancements