1. Welcome Job Search Workshop

2. What Employers Look For
First impressions
Dependability and other personality traits
Skills, experience, and training

3. Skills Employers Want Willing to learn
Basic academic skills in reading, writing, computation
Listening and oral communication
Creative thinking and problem solving

4. Skills Employers Want 5. Self-esteem and goal setting
6. Personal and career development
7. Interpersonal skills, negotiation, and teamwork
8. Organizational effectiveness and leadership

5. Job Hunting is a Process
Choose an occupation
Show how you can handle the work
Create your sales brochure
Market yourself
Create a good impression
Sell yourself, ace the interview
Follow-up after the interview
Gives direction to your job search
Job Hunting should be a full time effort.
You can’t just sit back and wait for something to happen and you can’t rely on one company to come through for you so you need to keep searching

6. Choose an Occupation
Start with your “wish” list: What kind of work have you always dreamed of doing?
Do you know someone with a job you would like to have?
Do you have a hobby you can turn into a job?
If not, take some “on-line personality tests.”
Talk to a career counselor at your local ETC or your state’s Job Service office.
Labor Market Information can be accessed via the internet, found at local libraries, at your local one-stop center
Labor Market Information can provide you with educational requirements, salary levels, growth of the job, etc.

7. Activity Create a job “wish list” What kind of job do you want?
What type of hours do you want?
Do you want to travel?
Do you want to stay local or move?
What type of income do you realistically want?
Using a job search engine such as Indeed, find a job opening that meets your wish list.
Write a paragraph describing the requirements (, skills, training, education), hours, pay if provided, location, and how you would go about getting that position

8. Help Wanted Ads Check the newspaper and the web daily
Identify what the employer needs
Write a letter that matches your qualifications to the employer’s needs
Develop a system
Know the stakes
When reading Cover letters and resumes employers look at how you communicate, match your skills against what skills they are looking for and have advertised for.
Ads aren’t always the most effective search method. Companies usually receive hundreds of responses. HR people or hiring managers generally take 45 seconds to read a cover letter and resume. Your resume and cover letter must stand out. In reality only a few people move forward to the next step.

9. Networking
Most employers fill positions with friends and relatives of people who work for them
Ask people you know about the job openings where they work. They may help you get a job interview
Most jobs are obtained through some form of personal contact.
It is a good idea to contact people who can help you in your job search.
Ex: relatives, friends, neighbors, former supervisors, members of your church etc.

10. Employment Agencies Employment agencies are match makers
Most agencies specialize
Some agencies recruit people for full-time, permanent jobs, others recruit people for temporary jobs
Agencies are listed in the yellow pages of your phone book under “employment”
Temporary agencies like Manpower, Office Team, Account Temps. generally can get you short term work without benefits. The good news is that you can try different jobs and companies with no long term commitment. This could also be a way to gain more skills.

11. Direct Mail Build a list of 20 companies that interest you
Get the name of the manager who runs the department where you want to work
Send your resume and a cover letter to each manager explaining why you want to work for them
Be sure to research the company before you contact them. This can save you a lot of time. Know what the company culture is.
Ex: If you like to wear jeans to work but the company culture is to wear business suits; then, the company probably isn’t for you.

12. Use the Yellow Pages for Prospects
Find the index
Select likely targets
Prioritize those targets
Call organizations and ask for interviews
Cold Calling is another option. You can use the yellow pages to develop a list of possible companies to work for.

13. The Phone Call 1. Introduce yourself 2. Say something friendly
3. Get down to business
4. Prepare for the unexpected
5. Ask for the interview
6. Prepare for the “put off”
7. Sell yourself, but don’t push and don’t beg
8. Wrap it up and confirm the date
Here are some tips for when you are cold calling wanting to schedule an interview.

14. Three Questions to Get Referrals
Do you know of any employers who may have an opening for someone with my skills? If no ask
Do you know of someone else who might know of such an opening? If yes, get that persons name and phone number. If no ask
Do you know someone who knows lots of people? If all else fails this will usually get you a name
If you aren’t successful in getting an interview when you call you can ask for referrals.

15. Applications

16. Introduction to Applications
The problem with Applications
Reveal your weaknesses
Designed to screen you out
Not a good tool for getting interviews
Not used in many small businesses
Applications tend to show your weaknesses such as gaps in employment because you are forced to list your employers chronologically.
Applications also force you to answer what wage you want and what job you want. If you don’t answer the questions or say “I’ll take anything” or “open” chances are you will be selected to interview for the non-skilled, low wage jobs or they won’t talk with you at all because they may think you don’t know what you want.

17. Introduction to Applications
Why bother with applications?
Important in larger organizations and government
Force you to organize your experience
Requested by many employers
Even if you have a resume most companies will require you to fill out an application as a condition of employment.
At- will statement. An employer can terminate you for any reason at any time and in turn you as the employee may quit for any reason at any time.
Signing stating that the information you are providing them is correct. If they find something on your application that isn’t a true statement – you won’t get the job and if you are already hired they would “fire you for falsifying information” on your application.
When you get to the experience section of the application, if you are dealing with negative information like being fired you need to use more positive language you can state you were “let go” or “I will explain in an interview”.

18. Job Applications Stumbling Blocks
Friends and relatives
Criminal record
Education
Layoff
Fired
Job hopping
Unemployment gaps
No work history
References
Poor reference
Money

19. Tips for Completing Applications
Follow directions
Be neat and complete
Provide only positive information
Turn negative information into positive statements but do not lie

20. Interviewing

21. Interviewing Dress and Grooming Checklist
Spend some money for a good outfit if necessary
Consider an interview “uniform”
Dress up not down
Ask for advice
No jeans, tanks tops, shorts, or very casual clothes
Be conservative
Details count
Don’t overdo cologne, aftershave, makeup, jewelry
Careful grooming is a must
No 2nd chances in making a good impression.
First impressions often influences the decision makers.
Be sure to know where you are going, know who is conducting the interview.
Arrive 10 minutes early.
Refer and handout the booklet titled “Look Sharp”

22. The Interview-Be Prepared
Know what questions to expect
Have an automatic answer
Know what questions to ask
Practice with a friend before going on a real interview
Don’t be caught off guard by a “stress interview”
Remember attitude, appearance, and manners make a difference
It is a good idea to practice your answers to some of the standard questions
EX: Why should I hire you? What are your weaknesses?
Practicing ahead of time will help you relax during the actual interview.

23. The Interview- Sell Yourself
Talk about your accomplishments, skills and abilities
Show enthusiasm
Explain what you can do for the company
Demonstrate that you are a team player
Turn negative questions into positive answers
Summarize your strengths
Ask for the job
Handout and refer to the booklet titled “The Interview” for more tips on pages 7-8

24. Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
Why don’t you tell me about yourself?
Why should I hire you?
What are your major strengths?
What are your major weaknesses?
What pay do you expect?

25. Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions
How does your experience relate to the job?
What are your future plans?
What will your past bosses say about you?
Why this job and why here?
What is your personal situation?
Practicing answers to these types of questions allows to be confident in an interview, reducing your stress
Refer to booklet titled “The Interview” on pages 9-12 for more frequently asked questions

26. Three Steps to Answering Problem Questions
Understand what is really being asked
Can I depend on you?
Are you a good worker?
Do you have the experience and training to do the job if hired?
Dealing with negative information is difficult so it is helpful to know what is really being asked so you can answer in a more positive way.

27. Three Steps to Answering Problem Questions
2. Answer the question briefly
Acknowledge the facts, but ….
Present them as a advantage not a disadvantage

28. Three Steps to Answering Problem Questions
3. Answer the real concern by presenting your related skills
Base your answer on your key skills
Give examples to support your skills statements
The best way to provide examples to support your skills is being able to describe a situation and the positive actions you took in response to the situation.
Handout and refer to booklet titled “Talking to Employers”

30. Salary Negotiation

31. Salary Negotiation Rules
Never discuss salary until your offered the job
Know the probable salary range in advance
Bracket your salary range
Never say NO to an offer before it is made or within 24 hours
You can find out probable salary ranges for positions in labor market studies.

32. Examples of Salary Brackets
If the job pays: You say:
$ 9.00/hour…….. $8 to $11 per hour
$ 15,000………… Mid to upper teens
$ 18,000………… Upper teens to low twenties
$ 22,000………… Low to mid twenties
$ 90,000………… High five figure to low six figure

33. Activity Research the salary for your desired future job
Decide what salary bracket you would use to describe it.
Work with a partner to negotiate your salary in a mock interview.

34. Interview Follow-Up

35. Follow-up- After the interview
Send a thank you note after the interview
Fewer than half your competitors will send a thank you note or call after an interview
Following-up is a crucial part of your effort to “market” yourself
Sending a thank you note can influence the decision maker (just like not making a good first impression)
Standout from your competition
Refer to booklet titled “The Follow-up Letter” pages for examples

36. Activity
You will be writing a follow-up thank you note for an interview.
Follow the provided hand out
We will go over this together

37. Mistakes that get you Fired

38. Why People Get Fired Unable to get along with others Dishonest
Poor dress and grooming
Unreliable
Used work time for personal business
Unable or willing to do the work

39. Why People Get Fired Too slow, too many mistakes, too many accidents
Would not follow orders
Abused alcohol or drugs
Misrepresented their backgrounds

40. 12 Extra Steps to Get Ahead
Correct weaknesses in basic skills
Dress and groom for promotion
Arrive early and stay late
Positive and enthusiastic
Set goals
Ask for more responsibility

41. 12 Extra Steps to Get Ahead
7. Ask for advice in getting an increase or promotion
8. Ask for training
9. Learn more on your own
10. Volunteer for difficult projects
11. Get measurable results
12. Keep planning

42. Some Final Advice
If you want a good job, you have to work at getting that job
Go on a few “practice” interviews before interviewing your favorite company
Be prepared  appearance, manners, attitude, and the right answers
Sell yourself & explain why the manager should hire you
Follow-up after the interview

43. Activity Create a list of positive attributes on one side of the paper
On the other side write your negative attributes.
Which ones can you work on and how?
Write a paragraph detailing what you can do to improve yourself to be more marketable.