1. Social Media & Communications Lauren Taylor – Dardanelle High School
Skills To Pay The Bills
Social Media & Communications
Lauren Taylor – Dardanelle High School

2. How many times have you asked a teacher, “Why do I need to
learn this material?” or “Why
is this important to my future?”

3. Developing Skills
It doesn’t matter which career you go into, you will need some of the same skills for all careers to be an effective employee.
Being a high school student gives you a wide range of skills which can transfer over to college, the work force, and eventually your career.
Think about the skills you have learned in your high school career, not the material, but skills.

4. Soft Skills Workforce Readiness Skills Interpersonal and Professional
Definition: Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people

5. 6 Key Skills Areas
Communication
Enthusiasm & Attitude
Teamwork
Networking
Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
Professionalism

6. Communication Involves give and take
Can be learned and strengthened over time
How we give and receive information and convey ideas with those around us
Essential to employers
Rated at the top of the list for potential employees

7. Forms of Communication
Verbal (sounds, language, and tone of voice)
Aural (listening and hearing)
Non-Verbal (facial expressions, body language, and posture)
Written (journals, s, blogs, and text messages)
Visual (signs, symbols, and pictures)

8. Enthusiasm & Attitude
Can be the difference between getting a job or not
Will help an employee succeed and advance in their career
Critical component of workplace success

9. Examples of Enthusiasm & Attitude
In a job interview – SMILE, sit straight up, make eye contact, discuss work history in an upbeat manner
Show up to work on time, show interest in your job, be willing to listen, try new things
Approach customers proactively and offer assistance, find work that needs to be done in your down time

10. Teamwork Essential part of workplace success
Compare to basketball team – the player who shoots gets credit, but everyone helped score
When everyone works together, everyone achieves more
Team members plan ahead, work together to assign tasks, assess progress, and deliver on time
Have professional discussions with teammates

11. Skills and Habits of TEAMWORK
Working cooperatively
Contributing to groups with ideas, suggestions, and effort
Communication (giving and receiving)
Sense of responsibility
Healthy respect for different opinions, customs, and individual preference
Ability to participate in group decision-making

12. Networking “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
Networking is a strategy for career development and exploration.
A personal network is the group of people you interact with every day.
Family, friends, parents of friends, neighbors, teachers, bosses, coaches
Networking occurs every time you participate in a school or social event.
Most people learn about job openings through friends, family members, or acquaintances
Networking is an important skill and should be taught, but rarely is.

13. Effective Networking Networking is a two-way street
Evaluate Your Contacts
Meet and Mingle
Always Get a Second Date
Spend Time Social Networking
Nurture & Maintain Strategic Relationships

14. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking
The workplace presents ongoing challenges on a daily basis
Having skills to identify solutions to problems is one skill employers look for
Problem solving and critical thinking refer to the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems
This does not mean you need an immediate answer, but you should be able to think on your feet and come up with a solution

15. Professionalism
All jobs have one thing in common – in order to move ahead you need to have professionalism.
Professionalism means conducting yourself with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence.
Communicating effectively and appropriately and always finding a way to be productive are also part of professionalism.
This is not one skill, rather a combination of qualities.
Professionalism is easy to spot on any job by any employer.

16. Soft Skills Activities
Over the next few days we will participate in a series of activities to help build your soft skills.
Most of the activities require you to participate in a group. You will receive a “Performance Evaluation” by your class at the end of the activities.
Pay attention to these skills and how you are using them in your group work.

17. Sources and Presentation Follow-Up
Follow up this information with activities from: