1. What Do Employers Expect?

2. Traits Employers Look For
“Soft” or “Interpersonal Skills”
Should be common sense/appear trivial
Non-technical characteristics

3. Skills for Success in Workplace
Communicates clearly with supervisor and others
Acts professionally
Learns effectively
Manages self responsibility
Plans for change
Flexibility
Adaptability

4. Skills for Success in Workplace
Plans for personal growth
Works productively
Recognizes safe and unsafe work habits
Demonstrates proper safety procedures
Maintains a safe and healthy work environment
Punctuality
Taken From the Wisconsin Governor’s Work-Based Learning Board

5. Network and Communicate
People need to be able to talk to each other no matter what the setting
Competitive positions are bolstered if a personal relationship is established for business

6. Thinking Creatively Even illogically
Conceive every idea, even if they seem impossible
The 4th grader vs. the Seasoned Engineer

7. Positive Attitude Love for the job
Professional presence that allows others to work alongside one another
Avoid emotional ruts

8. Take Educated Risks Make some sense
Not long shots
One person should not bear the brunt of all decisions and risks
Being Critical

9. Life-long Learning
As standards, practices, wants, and needs of a culture evolve, so does engineering and companies
“Traditional” view

10. Working With Others Members of teams may disagree
Everyone has different backgrounds, values, training, and other variables that give the team an advantage over similar viewed assembled teams
Many employers rate this trait as one of the highest in the hiring process

11. Cooperation Among Members
Do not necessarily have to be friends
Make sure you love your job
Helps create a positive environment
Increase in productivity

12. Taking Criticism Do not have to like what you hear BUT
Be receptive to other people’s comments
Evaluate those comments
Decide what to do next
Possess ability to sense tendencies
Posture says a lot nonverbally

13. Why penguins make bad listeners.
Being Attentive
Lean forward when person is speaking
Look at the speaker in (or around) the eyes
Smile
At the correct moment
All are signs of interest in a topic, almost done instinctively
Why penguins make bad listeners.

14. Sarcasm
“A keen, reproachable expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt.”
Avoid using in a business or professional setting

15. Mental Flexibility
Each culture has different ideas on business and how things should run
Adapt when necessary and respect these views
Shutting off unfamiliar ideas my be shutting off important opportunities

16. Analytical Thinking
Ability to comprehend a situation by breaking it into its component parts and identifying the underlying or complex issues

17. Written and Oral Communication
Critical skill to possess
Project documentation and reports needed to transfer information
When presenting avoid comfort phrases
“You know”
“Uh”
“Like”

18. Networking
Ability to find opportunities, develop new contacts, and work with people from many different backgrounds
Provide advice, lend support, and help get things done

19. Self-Discipline Take organizational styles to higher level Must learn
Time Management
Punctuality
Preparation
Organization
Specifics
Protocols
Procedures

20. Experience
“How do you get experience without a job, and how do you get a job without experience?”
Experiential learning has become an important supplement in engineering education
Combine academic studies with career-related employment opportunities
Summer jobs, internships, volunteering, research assistantships, on- and off-campus jobs

21. Myers Briggs Personality Test
Test developed and copyrighted by Team Technology, headed by Steve Myers
The results of any of these can be wrong
Finding what type you are will be valuable information to you in dealing with team development, personal growth, and stress

22. Myers Briggs Four Questions
Where, primarily, do you direct your energy?
How do you prefer to process information?
How do you prefer to make decisions
How do you prefer to organize your life?

23. Where do you direct your energy?
To the outer world of activity, and spoken words
Extroversion [E]
To the inner world of thoughts and emotions
Introversion [I]

24. Extroversion vs. Introversion
Extroversion (without)
Social
Expressive
Many
Broad
Interaction
Outward
Action Before Thought
Introversion (within)
Private
Quiet
Few
Deep
Concentration
Inward
Thought Before Action

25. How do you process information?
In the form of known facts and familiar terms
Sensing [S]
In the form of possibilities or new potential
iNtuition [N]

26. Sensing vs. iNtuition Sensing Facts Experience Practicality Present
Enjoyment
Realism
Using
iNtuition
Possibilities
Novelty
Future
Aspiration
Development
Idealism
Changing

27. How do you make decisions?
On the basis of logic and objective considerations
Thinking [T]
On the basis of personal values
Feeling [F]

28. Thinking vs. Feeling Thinking Analyzing Objective Logical Criticism
Onlooker
Decides on principle
Long term view
Feeling
Sympathizing
Subjective
Personal
Appreciation
Participant
Decides using values
Immediate view

29. How do you organize your life?
In a structured way, making decisions and knowing where you stand
Judgment [J]
In a flexible way, discovering life as you go along
Perception [P]

30. Judgment vs. Perception
Close
Decide
Structure
Organize
Firmness
Control
Perception
Open
Explore
Meander
Inquire
Flexibility
Spontaneity

31. Working Out Your Preference
List the letters in a four letter form (ESTJ)
Insert a question mark for any you are uncertain of
Two question marks is okay too
Compare what you written down with the different types starting on Page 215
These are only suggestions, you must conclude yourself which you feel comfortable