Chapter 4 Workplace Skills

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Outcomes Describe types of workplace skills. Explain certification and its importance to employees as well as employers.

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Career-Related Terms skill job-specific skills employability skills basic skills thinking skills people skills personal qualities certification

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace A skill is something an individual does well –Job-specific skills are critical skills necessary to perform the required work-related tasks of a position –Employability skills are applicable skills used to help an individual find a job, perform in the workplace, and gain success in a job or career; also known as foundation skills or transferrable skills

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Basic skills are the fundamental skills necessary to effectively function in society –reading –writing –speaking –listening –mathematics –technology skills

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Basic skills –Reading involves acquiring meaning from written words and symbols –Writing is using written words to express ideas and opinions –Speaking is communicating ideas verbally

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Basic skills –Listening is hearing what others say and evaluating their messages for information –Mathematics is the study of numbers and their relationships –Technology skills include how to use social media, software, and basic computer systems

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Thinking skills are those skills that help people solve problems, examples include –decision making –creative thinking –problem solving –visualization –reasoning

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Thinking skills –Decision making is the process of analyzing a situation and evaluating possible outcomes in order to choose the best solution –Creative thinking involves developing or designing unusual and clever ideas about a given topic or situation

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Thinking skills –Problem solving is implementing a solution in the most efficient manner –Visualization is the ability to form mental images –Reasoning is the ability to combine pieces of information or apply general rules to specific problems

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) People skills are the skills that enable people to develop and maintain working relationships with others, examples include –social perceptiveness –negotiation –leadership –teamwork –cultural competence

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) People skills –Social perceptiveness is being aware of others’ feelings and understanding why they may act a certain way –Negotiation is discussing various positions of an issue and reconciling differences of opinion –Leadership is the ability to influence or inspire other people

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) People skills –Teamwork is working cooperatively with other people –Cultural competence is respecting all people regardless of age, national origin, gender, or ability

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Skills for the Workplace (Continued) Personal qualities are the characteristics that make up an individual’s personality, examples include –Self-esteem is having confidence in yourself and your abilities –Self-management is the ability to work independently without supervision –Responsibility is being trusted to complete duties or tasks

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Certification Certification is a professional status earned by an individual after passing an exam focused on a specific body of knowledge

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Certification (Continued) Some jobs require professional certification; other employers may prefer, but do not require it Some certifications must be renewed regularly; others require continuing education classes Some certifications are not subject-specific, but confirm employability skills

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Certification (Continued) Employer benefits of certification –Takes guesswork out of candidate qualifications –Proves the holder has met required qualifications for the certification –Does not have to rely on candidate’s self-evaluation of skills

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Certification (Continued) Employee benefits of certification –Certification demonstrates ambition and dedication –Provides personal achievement and accomplishment –May give the holder priority when interviewing or being promoted for jobs –May increase salary

Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. May not be posted to a publicly accessible website. Certification (Continued) How to prepare for certification exam –Take formal test-prep classes that cover the important topics or purchase exam-preparation materials from a bookstore or online –Be aware of the testing format so you are not surprised on exam day –Do not take an exam at a location that is not an official test center –Be prepared to show identification when you arrive for the test

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Employers look for individuals with both job- specific skills and employability skills One way to get an edge on the competition is to earn a certification in your area of expertise Review