Looking Forward to the World of Work Text: Chapter 1

A Working Attitude By David Agnew and Jim Wendell Arkansas State University

Objectives: w Define “New Career Terms” w Give reasons why people work w Explain differences between a “Job” and a “Career” w State reasons why a positive attitude is important w Describe how school courses and school work can affect a person’s career and life

New Career Terms: w Job - being employed by a person or company to perform certain tasks and being paid for the work. w Occupation - the type of work in which a person is employed. w Career - work done over a period of years. You will probably have many different jobs in your career.

New Career Terms (Cont.) w Goal - an objective or target to be reached by directing your thoughts and energy. w Attitude - a person’s outlook on life - either positive or negative. w Self Concept - a personal viewpoint of one’s self-worth and abilities. w Work Ethics - a set of values based on hard work.

Then There That Four Letter Word, Known as: Work

What is Work…??? w Hard to define - over 30 lines one dictionary. w Most definitions state useful, productive activity and the labor by which a person earns a living. w On average, one will spend 30 or 40 years working full time during their adult years. w By developing a positive attitude towards work, you can be someone who has a happy and fulfilling life.

Work is: Productive activity resulting in something useful.

Why do People Work - besides to make money w People like to be with people. w People want to be fulfilled. w People need direction and purpose. Source: Text

Working to Meet a Need w Economic $$$ w Social w Psychological

Survey Answers to Main Reasons to Work w To have money for necessities w To have money for luxuries w To be with other people and make friends w To feel good about myself because I am accomplishing something worthwhile w To feel good about myself because I expand my skills and knowledge through my work w To feel good about myself because work gives me a sense of identity

Job or Career? w Not the same thing w Compare to friendships you have w Job - similar to a casual acquaintance that you didn’t care to know very well and won’t spend much time with w Career - like a best friend; a big part of your life and you want to keep knowing and learning about all your life

Job - a group of work tasks you agree to perform for an employer. Usually an agreement to be responsible for work that the employer agrees to pay you for. Occupation - group of jobs involving similar tasks

Difference Between Job and Occupation using an example of a grocery store clerk in two separate stores w Both have the same occupation - grocery store clerk w However, these are different jobs because of the different job duties in each position. In one the clerk might be responsible for gathering grocery carts and sweeping the floors and in the other, the clerk might have responsibilities of checking customers out.

A Career is: Work you do over a period of years. Total of all the jobs you will ever have. Example - An Education Career can consist of many jobs such as aide, teacher, principal, superintendent

Planning a Career Ralph Waldo Emerson: The reward for a thing well done is to have done it. w Set a personal goal - something you want to obtain and will work to achieve. w Has a definite direction w Has a thought-out plan w Contains many steps w Requires hard work w Takes time

Planning a Career (Cont.) Comparing Career Planning to Mountain Climbing w Both require planning to advance in the most productive manner w Decisions need to be made for successful completion of both w Aimless wandering in either may result in much activity with little or no gain toward the desired goal

Possible Career Goals You might dream of; w Owning a fishing cabin in the mountains w Workshop with tools w Solving mysteries, understanding scientific problems, or acquiring knowledge about a specific topic w Inventing new products w Writing a novel w Owning your own business w Going into politics

Advantages of Career Planning w You have more control over your life when you plan ahead w Your income may increase faster because each job will be higher on your career ladder w You will more likely be working in your area of interest w Each job may give you new skills and experiences for preparation to the next advancement step w You may be able to focus on reaching your most important goals that you have established for yourself with the least amount of distraction

Attitude - Your Basic Outlook on Your Life’s Work w Perhaps the most important factor in your job success w Usually influenced by parents and other adults w Helps to develop a good work ethic - a set of values based on hard work using the belief that work is good, productive, and contains certain joys and benefits. w Could help to avoid a bad work ethic - a set of values based on the beliefs that work is always negative and a “necessary evil” where one must do only the minimum amount of labor to survive. w Self-concept - one’s self image concerning your feelings about your own worth and value

Attitude Attributes w POSITIVE ATTITUDE: w Smiles constantly w Seldom complains w Listens to other’s opinions w Willing to change for the better w Will admits mistakes w Seldom makes excuses w Seldom criticizes others w Considerate of others w Likes working with people w NEGATIVE ATTITUDE: w Seldom smiles w Complains often w They are always right w Stubborn - refuses to change w Blames others w Always makes excuses w Criticizes others w Thinks only of self w Anti-social behaviors

Your Work Ethic: Where did it come from? w The protestant reform movements in Great Britain w Came to America with Pilgrims and others. w Part of the religious movements of the late 1700s in the U.S. w Society—TV, Movies, magazines, etc.. w Parents, teachers, church, community organizations. w NEED

Attitudes toward work has evolved over time Industrial revolution first great drain on the traditional rural and agrarian society and it was a different kind of work. Electricity of the 1880s led to lighted factories. Sabbath Schools for children to learn to read in the early 1800s who were being over worked by factories National Labor Reform Party formed 1878 Socialist Labor Party founded Child labor laws begin to emerge mid to late 1800s

Attitudes toward work has evolved over time, Continued…. Agricultural advancements (Mechanical, Chemical) released workers from the farms. The Great Depression 1930s 1938 Congress passes the Fair Labor Standards Act, which establishes the forty-hour work week, the minimum wage, and bans child labor in interstate commerce Study done in the 60 and repeated in the 80s Generation X

Work has mixed perception in society today w People seem to want to “Get out of work” w work smarter not harder w Let others work for you w Man’s work is from sun to sun but a woman’s work is never done w Eat sleep go fish w Work in song…. Take this job and ______, Working 9 to 5, w Make hay while sun shines w Work your fingers to the bone

What is a Good Work Ethic? w Being one time w Doing your best w Using your resources wisely w Listening and following directions w Thinking through what you are doing

In Summary: w What is work? What is a job? and what is a career? w What are the reasons people work? w Why is it important to plan a career? w Why is it important for one to have a positive attitude towards life and work? w What are the attributes of a positive attitude?

The End