Open the door to your future.
Career Quest
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Career Quest
Table of Contents
1
Introduction.
2
Looking at your life.
3
From ‘twinkle to wrinkle.’
4
What is most important in your life?
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Choosing a college.
15
Inspect your educational options.
16
Education pays big dividends.
17
Learning never stops — especially on the job.
18
It’s all in your resume.
19
Help for getting hired.
20
The job interview: Two perspectives.
21
Where do you start? At the bottom, of course!
22
Is your knowledge ‘hit or myth’?
23
The ‘unwritten’ rules of the workplace.
24
Resolving workplace conflicts.
25
It’s to your benefit.
26
Tomorrow’s workplace.
27
What is success?
28
Some dreams never leave you.
Turning dreams into goals.
Taking an inventory of your life.
What do employers look for?
Decisions, decisions.
More than 107 million occupations await you.
Different strokes for different folks.
How do you experience it all?
Exploring occupations.
Why are you taking these classes?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Career QUEST/’kwest/n
[search, pursuit, investigation]: an act
or instance of seeking.
(Source: Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary)
Introduction
“I’m so tired of people asking me, ‘So, what do you think you want to be?’ or ‘What do you
think you are good at?’ or ‘What do you think you want to do now?’ I just don’t know how
to begin my search for a career!”
Does this sound like you? Searching for something often involves knowing just what you’re
looking for. But in the quest for a career, there can be a lot of uncertainty involved.
How do you know what your talents are? What should you be doing now to ensure your
future? What if you make the wrong decision?
Most experts now believe the career “search” is more successful if you link it with other
parts of your life. What are your family and leisure activities, and how might these fit into
your career? Is a college education important to you, or are you more of a hands-on learner? Are you more successful as part of a team, or do you work better alone?
These are questions you may ask yourself several times during the lifetime process of
career planning. But there are things you can do now to make that process easier and more
productive.
Career Quest will help launch your career planning journey. You will answer some important questions about yourself, identify areas of ability and interest, establish goals and learn
new skills that will guide you in the workplace.
As you accomplish these things, you also will put together a portfolio that will help you
formulate your career choices.
Along with the people and experiences that are now part of your life, this USA TODAY supplement will be an important guide in your career quest.
Activities you may want to put into
your career portfolio are marked
with this icon.
CONNECTION
Page 1
Activities based on USA TODAY articles are marked with this icon.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Looking at your life
What would a picture of your life look like? Think about
these areas of your life: family, leisure, learning and work.
On a separate piece of paper, describe yourself according
to them. Some questions to consider:
How do you define leisure?
How do you spend your leisure time?
How do you define work?
How do you define family?
What do you do when you are working?
What do you do that involves
family?
Now, write a statement that describes you — including
your family, learning, leisure and work lives.
How do you define education?
When and where do you learn?
How and why do you learn?
Defining the terms
What do we mean when we talk about jobs, work, occupations and careers?
How are they different? Here are some definitions from career experts Ken Hoyt
and Richard Bolles.
Job ~ A job is a specific duty or
responsibility you perform on a
regular basis, which can be paid
or unpaid. It also refers to position status within an organization. He got a job as a reference
librarian at the city library.
For many career
development
experts, the concept of “work” is
the one that
defines who and
what we are.
Work ~ Work is a conscious effort
to produce societally-acceptable
benefits for yourself and others.
Says Hoyt, “It represents the
human need to do, to achieve, Occupation ~ An occupation
to be someone and to know it is the work that makes up
makes a difference that you most of your time and is
exist.” He spent the afternoon typically identified by job
working in the garden.
title. She is a math teacher.
Read USA TODAY
to identify peoCONNECTION ple who combine
family, leisure, learning and
work in their careers. What is
their work? Their job? Their
occupation? How might
their experiences have led to
a lifelong career?
Career ~ A career is the totality
of your life’s work, including
family, learning and leisure. She
has three children, is a competitive swimmer, reads mystery
novels and has worked in politics for 20 years.
Based on the definitions above and the examples you found in USA TODAY, how has your view of work changed?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 2
From ‘twinkle to wrinkle’:
The lifetime journey of career development
What will be your life’s work? If you haven’t decided, you’re not alone. Career
development experts say that far too many people focus on finding jobs — not
the work that will give them satisfaction for the rest of their lives.
The good news: You’ve been in the process of career development since your
pre-school days. If that seems surprising, think about your “work history.”
You’ve had responsibilities as a family member, you’ve been involved in neighborhood or club activities and you’ve gone to school.
It’s a process that Kansas State University professor Ken Hoyt calls “womb to
tomb” or “twinkle to wrinkle.” In other words, something as basic as walking the
dog or competing on the swim team has prepared you for making career choices throughout your life.
“All of these are positive work examples,” says Hoyt, “and we need to remember that school is work. [During your school years], you learn productive work
habits like following directions, staying with it, doing the best you can, working
with other people and finishing assignments on time” — skills you’ll also need
on the job.
By this time, you’ve probably also learned what you enjoy doing — what
“floats your boat.” Once you’re committed to the world of work, says Hoyt,
understanding your interests and abilities will help you determine in which
direction to sail.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t encounter some rough waters. For one thing,
identifying your talents isn’t always easy.
Richard Bolles, author of the popular career manual What Color Is Your
Parachute?, says we can have a “blind spot” when it comes to our own abilities
and often “see other people’s gifts better than our own.” He suggests listing your
“enthusiasms” — from the kinds of people and activities you enjoy, to the books
you read and the types of movies you like to see.
As you make the list, pay attention to whether you’re most interested in people, things or information; whether you like to work in teams or by yourself; and
whether you like to work outside or inside. Knowing what kind of person you
are, says Bolles, can save you “a lot of grief in the world of work.”
Hoyt stresses the importance of experiencing work options. “You can’t fix a
car by reading how to be an auto mechanic,” he says. “You have to learn to do,
but you also have to do to learn.”
He suggests apprenticeships and other hands-on “school to employment” programs as good ways to find out which career paths interest you.
Both Bolles and Hoyt agree that the employment picture has changed dramatically in the past 20 to 30 years. While your grandparents — maybe even your
parents — worked their whole lives at the same job, future workers can’t expect
that to be the case for them.
“Nobody’s job is safe anymore,” Bolles says. “You may find yourself thrown out
of work at any time, and it may have nothing to do with the way you were doing
your job . . . You’re probably going to have to fight harder to get a job, and you’re
probably going to have to fight harder to keep it.” Or, you may decide on a new
direction, and that’s fine. According to Hoyt, “the right to change your career
direction is just as sacred as the right to choose it.” After all, the process of
career planning isn’t one that ends with your first position. It’s a process that
you’ll repeat for the rest of your life.
Page 3
Use the space below to
list your “enthusi asms” — the kind of people,
activities, books, music,
sports, etc. that you enjoy.
ENTHUSIASMS!
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
What is most important
in your life?
Work is more than just a way
to earn money, important as
that may be. It’s also a way to
achieve personal satisfaction
and happiness.
Unfortunately, too many
Americans don’t enjoy the work
they do, which is sad considering how much of our lives is
spent working. Often, people
are unhappy with their jobs
because they didn’t take the
time to understand what is significant in their lives and then
choose work that would have
meaning for them.
Your selection of a career
must reflect what you consider
to be important and worth
doing. If you do not value the
work you do, no other incentive
can compensate for your lost
sense of importance.
Simply put, your chosen
career needs to fit your personality just as your shoes fit your
feet.
But how can you determine
the type of work that will best
suit you? First, take a look at
what you have done in the past
that you cherish and enjoy.
Then, think about what you
might like to do in the future
and what activities would be
important to you.
The following is a list of qualities that are significant in people’s jobs. Go through the list
and check off your top five preferences. Those are the priorities
that you should keep in mind
when you start planning your
career.
How much do you like . . . ?
n Variety ~ Performing different activities.
n Teamwork ~ Working with others.
n Recognition ~ Being known and recognized by others.
n Independence ~ Doing things by myself.
n Creativity ~ Thinking up a new idea; using my imagination.
n Making money ~ Having a high income.
n Autonomy ~ Controlling my own activities.
n Aesthetics ~ Appreciating beauty.
n Leadership ~ Influencing others.
n Productivity ~ Doing useful work or making a useful product.
n Structure ~ Working in a routine with predictable tasks.
n Adventure ~ Experiencing exciting and new things.
n Service ~ Working to help others.
n Security ~ Having a stable position.
n Challenge ~ Taking risks.
(Adapted from: Life After High School: A Career
Planning Guide, by Carolyn Males and Robert Feigen.)
Rank the job qualities you chose from
the list at left, leading with your top
choice. Then, give an example of how
you already exhibit that quality at home,
school, play, etc. Or, offer an example of how
you could foster that quality.
First:
Second:
Third:
Fourth:
Fifth:
Read USA TODAY to find examples of people
whose work involves one or more of the top five
CONNECTION job qualities that you chose from the list below.
Do the career examples you found interest you?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 4
What you consider important can change
throughout your career. . .
At some point during a person’s
career, he or she may find a job no
longer meets with personal needs.
This was the case with Joe Gibbs,
who resigned as coach of the
Washington Redskins in 1993 in order
to spend more time with his family.
Gibbs, who coached the football
team to three Super Bowl victories,
left his successful, high-profile career
because he “just wanted to be a regular dad.” In resigning, Gibbs gave up
a great salary and lots of public attention, but he gained something more
significant to him. (In 2004, he
returned to the Redskins.)
For other people, it’s not the work
itself that conflicts with personal
needs, but the environment in which
they work.
This was true for Wendy Goad, who
left a secure, well-paying position as
corporate advertising manager for
Coors Brewing Co. in order to pursue
freelance writing opportunities and
to be her own boss.
“I’m a competitive water skier and I
needed more flexibility in my schedule in order to train,” she says. “The
corporate world was just too rigid. I
actually work more hours now, but
I’m in charge of when I work, not
someone else.
“Leaving a 9-to-5 job was a lifestyle
decision,” she adds. “Being selfemployed is helping me to meet some
important personal goals.”
People who make changes in their
careers are becoming the norm in our
society. In fact, employment experts
state that the average worker will
undergo five major career changes.
This happens not only because of
external changes in the marketplace,
but because our own personal priorities change over time.
. . .but some dreams
never leave you.
Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein’s
first love was always the theater. Growing up as
a young girl in New York City, she attended
Broadway matinées with her parents on
Saturdays. On Sundays, she would “pore
through the New York Times Arts and Leisure
section looking for any information…about the
theater.”
By the time she was in junior-high school, she was
writing comedy; a biting satire of a teacher landed her
in trouble. Her first plays were written while she was a
student at an all-girls high school.
“I realized they’d let me out of gym if I wrote something called “The Mother-Daughter Fashion Show,” she
says. “I don’t know anything about fashion, but I knew
very clearly that I wanted to get out of gym.”
After college, she tried acting in New York City, where
she met a playwright who encouraged her to write. Still,
she hesitated. She applied to Columbia Business School
and the Yale School of Drama and was accepted at both.
Encouraged by her family and friends to pursue writing,
she went to Yale and drew national attention for her first
Page 5
The process of understanding what
is important to you will continue
throughout your lifetime.
Of the priorities that are
most important to you now,
which ones do you think
might change over time? What
might happen to cause those
major play, Uncommon Women and Others.
In 1989, Wasserstein won a Tony Award and the
Pulitzer Prize for another play, The Heidi Chronicles.
And she says winning the awards has given her the
confidence to take risks in her work.
Still, there are moments of insecurity. The life of a
playwright can seem less than completely stable to
anybody with a practical streak.
“I can assure you,” she says, “that my parents
never said to me, ‘Wendy, honey, become an offoff-Broadway playwright. Be sure to have a life
that is as insecure as possible. Have no idea how
you’ll make a living . . . and be sure to work someplace where there will never be health benefits.’”
But for Wasserstein, there is something that hasn’t
changed since she was a little girl.
“To this day,” she says, “nothing makes me as happy as
when I’m in the theater and the lights go down and the
tension of the beginning of the play begins.”*
In small groups, find an interesting
article in today’s paper. Then, write
CONNECTION a one-act play about the event
described in the story. Add details and characters as needed.
*Wendy Wasserstein died of lymphoma in 2006.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Turning dreams into goals
Mary Verdi-Fletcher is the founder of Dancing Wheels, a Cleveland dance company for people with and without disabilities.
“
A lot of people
who never
encounter
obstacles
or achieve a
great hurdle
don’t know
what it’s like
to have to put
so much
determination
behind
something.
”
When I graduated from school, it was the
saddest day of my life. I didn’t drive; I didn’t have
a job. I was offered a scholarship for college but
couldn’t get there. I was told I should get a job
that was oriented toward office work — find
something safe and non-mobile.
I hit rock bottom. I lived a very dependent
lifestyle, and the community was not very helpful. I had gotten a lot of “nos.” It got to a point to
where I stopped
taking “no” for an
answer. A lot of
people who never
encounter obstacles or achieve a
great hurdle don’t
know what it’s like
to have to put so
much determination behind something. So you see
(many)
people
who are not working at their maxi- Sabatino Verlezza and Mary
mum potential.”
Verdi-Fletcher of Dancing
By Walter Seng, handout
“Dancing Wheels developed out of my true
love and desire to dance. Stereotypically, people who use wheelchairs [she has spina bifida]
are not included in activities related to physicality, so I was pretty much isolated from
opportunities.
My mother was a dancer and my father was
a musician. They instilled in me the … appreciation for the art form (which stayed) with me
during my formative years.
I had (become a) special events director for
a non-profit agency. I had a lot of skills, but
dance kept calling me. Then one day, I decided
that the time was right. Since there were no
positions for me to be paid as a dancer, I created one. When I made that commitment and
took on the attitude that there had to be a
place for me, things started to come together.
Dance is an emotion and can be demonstrated in so many ways. We’re proving that — and I
hope we inspire others to look at their own
goals and dreams and ambitions and to look
beyond their own inner barriers to see what
they can accomplish. Dancing has personally
brought me so much joy and so much freedom
beyond any expectation I ever had.
Wheels.
Is there something you’ve always dreamed of doing? What is it? Is this dream part of your ultimate goal? What
is your ultimate goal?
What are some possible obstacles to the achievement of your goal? How might you overcome them?
Taking risks can pay off in life
But keep the following in mind:
t
t
t
t
Start by setting small, achievable goals.
Expect to make mistakes, but don’t let the mistakes defeat you.
It’s OK to be scared. Move forward anyway. Act as if you feel confident.
Seek out people who will encourage and support you. Discount those who
tease or dismiss you.
t
Find stories in
USA TODAY
CONNECTION about people
who are taking risks. What
are those risks? What are
the
possible
consequences of each? If you
were in a similar situation,
would you take the risk?
Why or why not?
Before you take a risk, visualize yourself succeeding at it.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 6
Taking an inventory of your life
What are some of the roles you might have during your lifetime? Make a list of your current
and future roles.
Current
t
How would you describe your personality? Are you a “selfstarter”? Do you panic under pressure?
Future
How might your personality traits impact your career?
What are your priorities in life? List the three things that
are most important to you:
1.
Do you have natural talents or aptitudes? What are they?
2.
3.
What are your favorite pastimes? List the activities
you enjoy:
u
during your leisure time.
u
during time with family members.
u
while learning.
u
while working at a job or volunteering in the
community.
Describe the skills you have developed during your life.
Which are the strongest?
What skills would you like to learn or improve? (Think
about abilities such as speaking or writing, as well as physical abilities such as playing sports.)
Based on the priorities, interests and skills you’ve identified, write a statement that describes what you think is the
ideal career path for you.
Of the interests you listed, which might most influence
your occupational choice?
Page 7
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
What do employers look for in addition to
job skills and experience ?
In seeking to fill a job opening, employers look for someone with the skills and experience needed to perform that
job. Usually, the necessary qualifications are pretty obvious. But employers also look for characteristics in applicants
that go beyond the basic job requirements. What are some of these characteristics?
To find out, we asked Richard Scheibler, supervisor of college relations for the Walt Disney Co. Scheibler oversees
the hiring of 3,000 people every summer for jobs at the Disneyland theme park in Anaheim, Calif. Because he may
receive up to 12,000 applications for these jobs, he makes hiring decisions based on a list of basic qualifications as
well as individual characteristics that often have nothing to do with work experience.
Q: What characteristics
do you look for in job candidates?
A: Because we are in a
service business, we are
looking for people who
are genuinely interested
in making other people
happy. We’re looking for
candidates who have
good
communication
skills, who interact with
others and for people who
are neatly groomed.
Q: How do you determine
if a candidate has these
qualifications?
A: It’s easy to tell if a person cares about his or her
appearance. But to find
out how well they interact
with others, we conduct
peer interviews in which
three or four applicants
are interviewed together.
This allows us to see how
the candidates communicate with each other and
how comfortable they are
with people who are different from them. This is
important in our business,
because people from
around the world visit
Disneyland.
Q: What makes a candidate
stand out from others with
similar experience?
A: Good candidates are
those who show genuine
interest in the position,
who ask questions and
who are willing to offer
information about themselves without us having
to drag it out of them.
What makes you you?
Your personal qualities.
Q: How can an individual
learn what personal characteristics an employer is
looking for?
A: If you want to find out
how to fit into a company’s culture, go to that
company. Find out how
the
employees
are
dressed and see how they
interact with other people. Also, spend some
time thinking about the
job you are applying for
and what you are likely to
be doing.
Once you know the
characteristics that are
required of employees,
you can begin to practice
how to best convey those
characteristics. I strongly
recommend that people
sit down with a list of typical interview questions
and do mock interviews
with friends or family
members. By practicing
your responses, your attitude and your body language, you’ll be able to
effectively communicate
that you not only have the
right skills for the job, but
that you also have the
right personal qualities.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
What personal qualities or personality traits
can you take with you to a job? What are the
benefits of these qualities?
Read USA TODAY for stories that show
people exhibiting their personal qualiCONNECTION ties while working, e.g., a leader’s
resolve, a politician’s negotiating skills,
an actor’s wit, an athlete’s tenacity, etc. Then, explain
how a situation described in the article could have
turned out differently if the newsmaker hadn’t possessed a particular personal quality.
Page 8
Decisions,
Decisions.
A friend calls and asks: “What would you like to do tonight?” Planning for the evening
or even the next day sounds easy. But what if your friend had asked: “What do you plan
to do with your life?” Planning a career — well, that takes a little more thought. Experts
tell us that planning ahead is the key. But how do you know you have made the right
decision? When do you find out if your decision has paid off? It’s never too early or too
late to establish a career goal. To help get you started, here are some career planning tips and guidelines to use not
only for planning your future, but also for making day-to-day decisions.
Guidelines for decision-making
1. Identify your goal
Think about what you want to achieve in five or ten years and state that as your goal.
2. Gather information
Read USA TODAY and other newspapers, newsletters and trade journals. Talk to a guidance
counselor about part-time jobs in the community that can lead to more experience in the field.
3. List actions that could help you achieve your goal and evaluate each.
Weigh all the possible actions and their consequences. Ask yourself: Will I feel good about this decision? What
risks are involved? What obstacles or difficulties might I encounter? How will I handle those?
4. What is your game plan?
Decide which actions are reasonable. Now, list (in order) the steps you will take to achieve your goal. (Note: Keep
the number of steps to less than 10 — if there are too many steps, you may not feel as if you’re getting anywhere!)
Tips for decision-making
l Write your goals and objectives down on paper. That
way, you can see where you’re headed.
l Volunteer or take on a part-time job in the career area
that you’re considering. This way, there are no surprises or disappointments down the road.
l Break your lifetime career goal into smaller steps.
l Talk your ideas through with a friend or family member — this gives you a built-in reality check. That person also may give you ideas on alternatives and
options to your plan.
Try it yourself
l Create deadlines for the steps you take to reach your
goal. Deadlines help keep you on track.
On your own paper, create the following graphic organizers. Then, record your goals
and plans accordingly.
Identify your goal.
List possible actions and evaluate the consequences of those actions.
w In five years I want to:
Actions
Possible obstacles
Solutions
1.
2.
w In ten years, I want to:
3.
4.
5.
Gather information.
w People I’ve talked to:
Steps I will take to reach my goal.
Deadline
1.
2.
3.
4.
w Articles or books I’ve read:
5.
6.
7.
w Things I still need to find out:
8.
9.
10.
Page 9
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
More
than
107
million...
but
who’s
counting?
If you want to learn
more about a particular career, there’s no
better reference guide
than the Occupational
Outlook Handbook
compiled by the U.S.
Department of Labor.
The handbook describes about 250
occupations in detail, covering about 107
million jobs — or about 87 percent of all
jobs in the nation. You can use the handbook to find out about the duties of a
particular occupation; the education and
training required; the advancement possibilities, earnings and job outlooks; and
similar occupations that you might want
to consider. Visit: www.bls.gov/oco
n Start by focusing on yourself.
List your skills and interests.
Fast, slow: How do you know?
What are job prospects? How do you know which jobs are available? How do
you interpret the estimates about “fast” and “declining” jobs? Comparative
terms — such as high and low, fast and slow — are used rather than numbers
because numbers change from year to year.
The terms below are used in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Grow much faster than average
Grow faster than average
Grow about as fast as average
Grow more slowly than average
Little or no growth
Decline
Increase 36 percent or more
Increase 21 to 35 percent
Increase 10 to 20 percent
Increase 3 to 9 percent
Increase 0 to 2 percent
Decrease 1 percent or more
Beyond the job-market outlooks
Many career development experts encourage job seekers not to make jobmarket outlooks the determining factor when choosing a career. Still, you have
to remember that the market is always in constant flux. Jobs are disappearing
and being created every day. Here's how to look beyond the job forecasts:
n For each of the careers you listed, what education will you need?
n Will these occupations make use of the skills and interests that you
deemed most satisfying?
n Will the job be in demand when you finish your training, certification or
degree? On what information are you basing this prediction?
n Which of the activities on your list
give you the most satisfaction? Rank
them accordingly, from most to least
rewarding.
n Research careers using the
Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Below, list the three fields that appeal
to you most.
n Consider where you want to live. Some jobs are concentrated in specific
geographic areas. Where could you find employment in the fields you chose?
1.
2.
n Do you want to work nine to five, or would you prefer a more flexible
schedule? What kind of work schedule is required of those in the careers you
selected?
3.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 10
Break out of the box!
Have you ever dreamed of being a
professional athlete? What would
you guess are the odds of becoming
a pro in basketball, baseball, football,
tennis or hockey? The answer:
extremely slim.
In tennis, for instance, only about
1,100 men and 400 women in the
world are even ranked at any one
time. And probably no more than a
third of them play full-time. But just
because you aren't on the courts
doesn't mean you can't have a career
in the sport. The Women's Tennis
Association lists these invaluable
Read
several
stories in differCONNECTION ent sections of
today’s paper.
Make a list of all the occupations mentioned in the articles. From your list, choose
five jobs that particularly
interest you. Briefly describe
the skills, education and
prior experience a person
would need in order to
attain each position.
tennis professionals:
u Tour directors
u Umpires
u Coaches
u Massage therapists
u Agents
u Linesmen
u Trainers
u Journalists
For information on jobs within a
sport that interests you, call the professional association for that sport.
Different strokes for different folks
Cliff D’Avignon loves a challenge — and that’s
one thing that attracted him to a job as a junior
lineman for a power company in Tooele, Utah. “I
work out of helicopters. I work in a lot of dangerous situations,” he says. “To me, it’s an art.”
The job also allows him to spend a lot of time
outdoors — “I’ve always got a good view wherever I work,” he says.
“It would kill me to be in an office,” he adds.
“That’s one thing I like — you don’t go to the
same building and sit there, or do the same job
over and over. My work takes me to different
places.”
There is a down side, though: he’s on call 24
hours a day and his job involves finding trouble
spots when power lines go down. “I don’t get to
sit and enjoy a nice electrical storm … I need to
be at work.”
What type of indoor or
outdoor environment do
you prefer? What hours
would you like to work?
Page 11
“It would
kill me
to be
in an
office.”
“I
wear
blue
jeans
every
day.”
Lavonne Adams, on
the other hand, has thought
about switching careers — from
radio disc jockey to public relations.
But, she adds with a laugh, “I don’t have
the wardrobe.”
“I wear blue jeans every day,” she says — one
big advantage to being a disc jockey. She says
the relaxed attire also helps her do a better job.
“It makes me casual and a little more comfortable in my on-air presentations.”
That’s important because it brings Adams
closer to her listeners. Even though she
doesn’t see her audience, “I’ve met some
really neat people,” she says, by phone
and by mail. “It’s interesting the way
you can touch a lot of people’s
lives … you’re part of
their day.”
Describe your ideal working environment. What would the dress
code be? What characteristics
would your supervisor possess?
How many people would work in
your office?
Do you want to work with people,
animals, computers, machinery or
tools? Explain your answer.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
How do you experience it all?
Experiencing a professional workplace first-hand reduces the guessing often involved in choosing a career path. Here
are some ways to get that experience:
Job shadowing
“Shadowing” a worker gives you the
chance to watch someone on the job
and get a realistic view of a specific
position and the person in that position. You’ll watch, listen, ask questions
and learn as the person you’re shadowing does his or her job. Shadowing
experiences usually last a day or two.
Need information on job shadowing?
Contact: www.jobshadow.org
Internships
Many organizations and companies
sponsor internship programs in which
a student temporarily has the chance
to work and learn more about a particular organization or industry. How
internships operate varies — some
programs are very structured, others
are loosely organized; some are paid,
others offer credits. The best ones give
students a chance to make contacts
and learn about the range of jobs
within the organization and a particular industry. For more information,
contact: The National Society for
Experiential
Education
at
www.nsee.org
Mentoring
A mentor is a person from any area of
your life (perhaps a teacher, counselor
or a contact in a career you’re interested in) who can give you advice, tips
and encouragement for lifelong planning. These people also can smooth
the often tough transition from school
to the business world. For help in
locating a mentor, contact: The
National Mentoring Partnership at
www.mentoring.org
Cooperative education programs
These structured work-study programs pair academic courses with
employer-paid work experience. Coop programs give you a chance to get
experience in the workplace and earn
income — while still continuing your
education. Learn more about these
programs by contacting: The
Cooperative Education & Internship
Association at www.ceiainc.org
Clubs
Joining a club or community organization that focuses on your career interests can put you in touch with others
who have similar goals. Your school,
church, synagogue or community
center are good places to start. For
students interested in business, visit
www.kidsway.com or the Junior
Achievement site www.ja.org
Community organizations/
Volunteer work
There are various organizations that
provide services, programs, resources
and involvement in the community.
Many of them offer classes, training
and exposure to a variety of jobs.
Volunteering allows you to learn more
about a job while gaining some experience. Hospitals, religious and political groups, community service organizations, charities, schools, park services, and child care and senior centers
often offer opportunities for enthusiastic volunteers willing to give their
time in exchange for work experience.
For more information on how to volunteer within your community, contact: the United Way of America at
www.unitedway.org; Points of Light
Foundation at www.pointsoflight.org;
or SERVEnet at www.servenet.org
Part-time jobs
Often viewed as a way to make extra
spending money, part-time jobs also
enable you to find out more about a
particular job or career. After you’ve
decided what type of career interests
you, contact the appropriate businesses or organizations and inquire
about part-time positions.
On your own paper, answer the following questions:
1. If you wanted to
work with a person to
learn more about his or
her job, what steps
might you take?
2. Jot down the organizations, businesses and
individuals that can provide you with opportunities for work experience.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
3. List community
organizations
for
which you are interested in volunteering.
Explain why each
interests you.
4. Where
could you go to
look for internships that interest you? What
assets do you
bring to a job?
Page 12
Informational
interviews
Mentoring
pays off
Robert Robinson entered the
The purpose of informational interviews
is to find out as much as you can about a Space Academy with an interest in
particular occupation. Here are some computers and engineering, but no
questions to ask a person already hold- career focus.
He discovered, after working sideing a job in which you’re interested:
by-side with many different types of
engineers, that he wanted to
n What are your responsibilities?
n What previous jobs helped prepare you become a civil engineer. Robinson
also found a mentor — a young
for this career?
n What education, skills and personal California Institute of Technology
grad student — who tutored him in
qualities are required?
n Are there any special materials, equip- math and physics, and offered
ment, tools or machinery that you have encouragement.
At 17, Robinson became a paid
to know how to use?
employee
at the Jet Propulsion Lab,
n Do you have a regular daily routine?
producing
computer graphics for JPL
n What are the challenges of your job? The
engineers
and doing so well that
demands? The rewards?
they
invited
him to work part-time
n Have you achieved your career goal? If
during
the
school
year
so, how long did it take you? If not, what
do you hope to accomplish in the future?
If you were to choose somen Are there other people you can recomone as a mentor, who would it
mend to give me more information
be? Why?
about this career?
Identify an occupation that interests you.
What specific questions could you ask
during an informational interview?
Exploring
occupations
As you explore information in books,
newspapers, magazines and online,
you might find out about occupations you’ve never considered.
Record your findings here:
Title(s) of occupation:
Responsibilities:
Location(s) of employment:
Qualifications — including training,
special skills or experience:
Occupation:_________________________
1.
2.
If you find a mentor, be sure to keep Environment on the job:
a separate log of the conversations
you have with her or him. What
advice did your mentor give you?
What experiences did you share
with her or him?
3.
Educational requirements:
4.
5.
Page 13
Read USA TODAY
and make a list of
careers, organizaCONNECTION
tions and businesses that interest you. What might
you experience if you spent a
day with one of the individuals,
organizations or companies you
read about? Write down ten
things you would expect to learn
or witness during a “typical day.”
Future outlook:
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Why are you taking these classes?
Let’s say you love to
draw and hope to make a
career of it. Why take a
math class if you want to
be an artist? Or maybe you
plan to work as an investment banker. Who needs
to study English or science
if you’re going to be dealing with securities?
Even artists need to
know how to balance a
checkbook and manage
their retirement funds.
Financial experts must be
able to communicate
clearly with customers
and hypothesize about the
potential outcomes of
business transactions.
In fact, what you learn in
high school is just the
beginning. You’ll be called
upon to acquire new skills
throughout your life and
will have to adapt to rapid
In what subject areas do you excel? With which, if any,
do you struggle?
____________________________________________
Excel at:
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Struggle with:
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
technological advances on
the job. High school and
college teach you how
to learn.
According to experts,
taking English, math and
science in high school
helps you learn how to
organize your thoughts,
present them coherently
and build your critical
thinking skills. You may
not recognize it, but alge-
bra, geometry and chemistry are teaching you to
think. Successful problem
solving — in the workplace
and in your personal life —
takes flexibility. Some
problems demand a scientific approach; others
require the creativity of a
poet, or the logic of a
mathematician.
Consider your least favorite subject. How might your studies
in that area benefit you in the future? List three ways.
____________________________________________
1.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
2.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
3.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
These skills and competencies are key...
The U.S. Department of Labor’s
SCANS (Secretary’s Commission on
Achieving Necessary Skills) report
says that young people in the USA
should learn certain basic skills and
competencies to “hold a decent job
and earn a decent living.”
The basic skills are:
l Reading, writing, arithmetic, listening and speaking.
The five competencies are:
5. Works with a variety of
technologies.
1. Identifies, organizes, plans and
allocates resources.
2. Participates as a member of a team,
teaches others new skills, serves
clients, exercises leadership, negotiates and works with diversity.
l Creative thinking, decision-making,
problem-solving and reasoning.
3. Acquires and evaluates information,
organizes and maintains information, interprets and communicates
information and uses computers to
process information.
l Responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management and integrity.
4. Understands complex interrelationships.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Find a career
mentioned in
CONNECTION today’s paper
that requires
at least three different
competencies. Then, in a
brief paragraph, explain
why the professional mentioned in the article needs
the competencies to perform his or her duties.
Page 14
Choosing a college? Here’s some criteria:
l Activities. If you’re interested in the
social network of a fraternity or sorority, this may be an important consideration. Some schools don’t have
them. An interest in sports or cultural
activities may also play a role in determining your choice. What type of
activities interest you?
If you’ve decided to go to college,
you’ve already made one of the
biggest decisions of your life. But
choosing a school isn’t so easy. As you
go through this process, take advantage of your school counselor. He or
she can help you better understand
yourself and your academic abilities,
interests and needs.
Some things to think about:
l Type of school. A community college
can provide vocational training to
speed your entry into the work world.
Most of them offer intensive, skillsbased training programs, and some
provide job placement services after
you graduate. You also can attend a
community college for two years of
liberal arts courses that will allow you
to transfer to a four-year school for
your junior and senior years.
A four-year college provides a broad
education, although you will choose a
major depending on your interests
and career goals. A university offers
both undergraduate and graduate
degrees and consists of smaller colleges that focus on specific fields.
If you want to further develop a talent in art or music, you might consider a specialized school. And if you
want your education grounded in a
particular religious or cultural environment, you will want to find out
which schools meet those needs.
What types of schools are you
considering?
l Academic program. If you’re not
sure what to pursue academically,
choose an environment that will open
more doors for you — such as a liberal arts college. If you do know what
your career goals are, look for occupational or pre-professional programs in
the field that interests you. What are
you interested in studying?
Page 15
l Academic environment. Some
schools pride themselves on a competitive academic atmosphere, while
others have more lenient standards.
What kind of atmosphere best suits
your needs?
l School size. Large colleges may offer
more diversity; a small school can
mean smaller classes and more individual attention. What size school do
you want to attend?
l Location. Are you looking for a college near your home, or do you want
to experience another part of the
country? Also consider whether you
want to live in a city, small town or
rural area. What locations appeal
to you?
l Students. Are you interested in a
single-sex school or do you prefer a
co-ed environment? A diverse population or one in which students share
the same values or cultural history?
Describe the student population at
your ideal school.
l Facilities. Some campuses boast
sprawling lawns and historic buildings. Others are new and functional.
How important the quality of the
facilities is to you might depend on
how much time you plan to spend on
campus. Will you be living on campus
or off? Will you have your own transportation? Are their features, e.g., a
pool, a law library, etc., that are especially important to you?
l Cost. How much can you afford? If
the school you’re interested in would
mean a large sacrifice for your family,
find out if scholarships and financial
aid are available. Think about whether
a part-time job would fit into your
schedule without hurting your
grades. How will you pay for your
education? What is your budget?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
e
A timeline for th
college-bound
but are
attend college,
Do you plan to
tting
the process of ge
overwhelmed by
of
n
ional Asso ciat io
th ere? Th e Nat
ovides
ns Counseling pr
College Admissio
g from
eline for gettin
a detaile d tim
ses.
m
to college ca pu
high-school halls
” at
ar
for College Calend
See their “Prep
/p&s.html
www.nacac.com
Inspect
your
options
Create a list of educational options available to you, including universities, community colleges, military programs, trade
or specialty schools, etc. Based on your
own interests, what are the advantages
and disadvantages of each of these
options? What are the requirements and
costs of each program?
Name of institution
Requirements
Learn while s
eeing the
world
If you are inte
lligent, athleti
c, motivated
to lear n, and
and eager
you have a h
ankering to se
consider join
e the world,
ing the milita
ry.
Service acad
emies for th
e Navy, Air Fo
Marines and
rce, Army,
Coast Guard
of
fer four year
that lead to a
s of college
bachelor of sc
ience degree.
graduating of
In turn, the
ficer is obliged
to serve in th
for a designat
e military
ed amount of
time, usually
Those in the
se
ve
ral years.
military can
also receive o
specialty trai
ccupational
ning in such di
verse areas as
mechanics an
electronics,
d engineering,
and in suppor
like radio and
t functions
television pro
duction and p
service band
la
ying in the
.
And, you can
continue to le
ar n even afte
the service. U
r you’ve left
nder the Mon
tgomer y GI B
ice memb er
ill, any servcan receive
up to $1034
three years of
a month for
approved edu
cation. Durin
months of th
g
the first 12
eir enlistmen
t, memb ers
$100 of thei
contr ibute
r pay per mon
th to enter th
They can th
e program.
en use the
funds after se
months or m
rv
ing for 24
ore, and have
10 years afte
the service to
r
they leave
use the b enef
its.
When the civi
lian job marke
t is in flux, m
school gradu
any high
ates look to th
e military for
working opp
le
ar
n
or tunities.
ing and
Cost
Advantages
Disadvantages
Which of these options best meets your life and career goals?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 16
Education pays big dividends
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, 28% of adults now have a
bachelor’s degree or higher. You
are probably already aware that
extending your education introduces you to new ideas and people, and helps you acquire skills.
But did you also know that the
more education you receive, the
higher your earnings are likely to
be? The 2004 Current Population
Survey confirms education’s
impact on earning potential:
$
Average yearly gross* earnings for fulltime workers by educational level:
Professional
Doctorate
Master’s
Bachelor’s
Associate
Some college
High school grad
No high school
diploma
$115,212
$88,471
$62,514
$51,206
$35,958
$29,533
$27,915
$18,734
*Before taxes and other deductions.
Looking at living expenses
Take a look at the average yearly earnings
above. When you are working full time,
approximately 20-25% of your salary will
automatically be deducted for taxes and
Social Security. Also, count on deductions for health care and any other benefit programs — retirement plans, life
insurance, etc. — in which you choose to
enroll. But for the purpose of this exercise, let’s say that a minimum of 20% will
be deducted from every paycheck.
Based on this figure, what is the
average monthly net income (i.e.,
income after taxes and Social
Security) for a person with no high
school diploma?
$___________
For someone with a bachelor’s degree?
$___________
For a lawyer (professional)?
Gas or transportation costs
Electricity, AC
& heat
Phone
Water/Sewer
Food
Other
__________
__________
$__________
$__________
MONTHLY
TOTAL
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
Now that you have made your guesses,
it’s time for a reality check to find out
how much each expense is actually going
to cost. This will require a bit of research.
For rental rates and new and used car
prices, check the listings in your local
newspaper or search the Internet. To
help you determine what potential car
loan payments might be, use the car calculator at:
www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/calculators/calculator.htm
$___________
Now, let’s look at the monthly expenses
you will incur when you are living on
your own. Next to each item listed below,
write down how much you think that
expense will be. If you don’t think an
expense will apply to your situation, simply cross it out. If there are other payments you know you will be making,
such as for a student loan, note those
under “Other.”
Rent
Car payment
Car insurance
Page 17
$__________
$__________
$__________
You can calculate your gas or transportation expenses by checking local prices
and fares and guessing how far your
commute may be. For the remaining
expenses, ask your parents or other
adults for assistance. Put the results of
your reality check below.
Rent
Car payment
Car insurance
Gas or transportation costs
Electricity, AC,
& heat
Phone
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
Skim several articles in
today’s paper. Write
down every job and
CONNECTION
career that is referenced
in any way. Of the jobs on your list,
which do you think provides the
highest salary? The lowest? Rank
the jobs accordingly. Then, decide
what educational level a person in
each of the jobs or careers must
attain. With the exception of sports
stars and celebrities, do those with
the highest salaries attend school
the longest? If not, what circumstances or characteristics might help
an individual increase their earning
potential, even if their educational
background is not extensive?
Water
Food
Other
__________
__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
MONTHLY
TOTAL
$__________
How different is this estimate from your
first guess? Did the cost of any particular
item surprise you? In general, did you
over- or under-estimate the costs of various products and services? (Write your
answer on the back.)
List additional expenses that you might
have on a monthly basis — for clothing,
entertainment, pet care, furniture, a cell
phone, cable, etc.
Cell phone
Cable
Internet
__________
__________
__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
$__________
MONTHLY
TOTAL
$__________
Calculate the final total for all the monthly expenses you will have. In order to live
comfortably, what should your net
income be each month?
$__________
Are your educational goals adequate to
meet your needs? If not, what adjustments can you make to the expenses listed above or to your plans for the future?
(Write your answer on the back.)
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Learning never stops ~ especially on the job
While people often continue their
education to fulfill personal goals, companies also want their employees to
keep learning. A key reason: global
competition.
“Technology is changing so rapidly
that in order to keep up with the
changes, we have to do constant education,” says Ken Patch, former director
of Motorola Inc.’s Career Management
Center in Tempe, Ariz.
During Patch’s tenure with the company, it invested millions of dollars in a
program to train every employee. After
the company taught employees how to
operate new robotic equipment that
made its redesigned pager, the compa-
ny went from zero sales in Japan to
becoming a leading supplier there.
Business people aren’t the only ones
who need to keep abreast of changes to
remain competitive. School districts
across the country require their teachers to keep up with technological
advances and educational trends. In
Virginia, for example, teachers must
enroll in courses or perform research in
order to retain their teaching certificates. Classes address current needs
and issues, like “Teaching Teens to
Combat Intolerance” and website
development.
Every profession undergoes changes,
so it is imperative that employees have
the necessary skills to carry out new
responsibilities. Workers can improve
their skills by enrolling in classes at
community colleges and continuing
education centers. To make learning
more convenient for the harried professional, most educational institutes
now offer classes online. Plus, more and
more companies have tuition-reimbursement plans to encourage their
employees to acquire new job skills.
In short, when you graduate from
high-school or college, your education
doesn’t stop. In fact, your real world
education is just beginning.
Tips for brushing up your skills
“People are investing time and money (in education)
because they know it will pay off in the future — and it will,”
says Carol Kleiman, author of The 100 Best Jobs for the
1990s and Beyond.
Some ways to brush up your skills:
n Take advantage of courses and seminars offered by professional societies in your field or by your employer.
Computer Scientist
Design and improve
computers.
n If your company or organization is looking to expand
internationally, learn an appropriate foreign language.
n Technology is advancing in every field. If your company
doesn’t offer technology training courses, take them on
your own.
n Companies appreciate employees that are aware of the
bottom line. If it’s appropriate for your job, consider classes in business practices or finance.
The 21st Century Workforce Commission’s
Hot Tech Jobs for the 21st Century
Database Administrator
Devise ways of organizing and
storing information.
Computer Programmer
Write programs and software.
Computer Support Specialist
Provide technical expertise to
Systems Analyst
computer users.
Design computer solutions for business,
engineering and scientific problems.
If you needed to learn or hone skills in one of the “hot” tech areas listed above, how would you do it? Find
three different educational resources in your area (or on the Internet) that could help you improve your knowledge of computers, and thus increase your marketability.
Company or School Name
Class Offered
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Skills You Would Learn
Cost
Page 18
It’s all in your resume
Your resume is the most important tool in
your search for a job. Here’s what it should
include:
Below, list the items you would include
on your resume:
Education:
Who you are: Include your full name and
address. Don’t forget your phone number.
Education: List the schools you have
attended, the names and dates of degrees
received and your major areas of study.
Honors/Achievements:
Honors & Achievements: If you’re just
starting out, you may want to include any
school honors or special achievements.
Experience:
Work Experience: List any work experience you feel would help you perform the
job for which you’re applying. If you have
limited job experience, don’t worry. List
whatever experience you’ve had, whether
or not it comes from a paid position. If
you’ve volunteered or worked on a political campaign, for instance, that experience
will be seen as a plus.
Don’t feel you have to list every detail of
your experience. The main purpose of a
resume is to communicate skills and competencies — not to provide a detailed
chronology of your background.
You may be asked for the names, addresses and phone numbers of at
least three references. References can include previous employers,
teachers or mentors. List three people who will speak well of your work
habits and skills:
Name
Occupation
Phone #
1.
2.
3.
Covering your assets
Your resume is one of the most important things you’ll present to a potential
employer. So don’t risk the chance that
he or she won’t read it by attaching an
inappropriate cover letter. A good
cover letter draws attention to you and
can separate you from the competition. What makes a good cover letter?
Here are some tips:
n If at all possible, address the letter
to a specific person and double-check
the spelling of his or her name. If you
can’t get a name, don’t make the mis-
Page 19
take of assuming the employer is male
by addressing it to “Dear Sir.” “Dear Sir
or Madam” is acceptable if no name
is available.
n Avoid qualifiers like “I think” and “I
feel.” Use matter-of-fact language.
n Avoid cliches, such as the fact that
you want a position with “opportunity
for advancement.” It’s obvious to the
employer that you’ll want to advance.
might overstate your abilities. Dick
Irish, author of Go Hire Yourself an
Employer, says a lot of people claim to
be “creative.” Of the 10,000 people he’s
interviewed, only four were actually
creative.
n Don’t repeat information found in
the resume. Use the cover letter to
elaborate when it’s appropriate.
n Be brief. Remember, your goal is to
get an interview.
n Be careful about using words that
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Help for getting hired
people. Some strategies according to Dr. Ronald L. Krannich,
author of Careering and Re-Careering for the 1990s:
We all know a person who got a terrific job because they
“knew somebody.” Whether you’re looking for a job or
ahead to your next position, it’s the people you know who
will make a difference.
“Networking” is an important part of career growth. A
network is made up of the people you regularly come into
contact with — relatives, friends, fellow workers, industry
colleagues, acquaintances and professional people like your
doctor or minister.
The key to the network is developing and maintaining
these relationships and expanding them to include other
n Make a list of everybody you know. Identify those who
can offer you job advice, referrals or — more importantly —
names of other people.
n Link your network to the networks of others. Doing so
will provide you with more contacts and expand your
chances of finding the right job. Carry business cards with
you everywhere you go.
Got that interview? Here’s how to prepare
Some tips from Harvey Mackay — president of Mackay
Envelope, job counselor and bestselling author — on
preparing for an interview:
n Be letter perfect. There’s one sure way to miss the first
cut on any job application: misspellings or poor grammar
on your resume or cover letter.
n Learn to communicate better. Focus on the most
important job skill you can have. The ability to communicate effectively is the key to success. Employers are looking for people who know how to speak, read, write and
think clearly.
n Be yourself. Interviewers are experts at seeing through
disguises.
n Practice. The pros make it look easy — not because it is,
but because they practice. Before you go to an interview,
practice. Be like Michael Jordan. He was always the last
guy to leave the playground.
n Do your homework. You have to distinguish yourself
from the pack. Parachuting in for your interview in a
tuxedo is memorable, but not marketable. Instead, try
having superior information. It wins almost every contest, whether it’s a card game, a ball game or a job search.
Talk to the company’s customers and employees. Find out
all you can about the company, its history, its corporate
style, its products and competitive position. Go the extra
mile and talk to the company’s competitors. You want to
be as familiar and comfortable with the company culture
as the people who will be evaluating your application. If
you make the effort to learn about a prospective employer, you’ll be one of only two percent of job candidates
who bother.
n Never quit. At this very moment, someone, somewhere is landing a job. Someone else is being promoted.
Whoever these people are, they are no smarter and no
better than you are. If they can do it, you can do it. Hang
in there, and one day that someone will be you!
In preparing for an interview with a company that interests you, what would your strategy be? List the information you would gather and any actions you might take before
your interview. Continue on the back, if you need to.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Read an article in today’s Money
section that describes a business
CONNECTION for which you might like to work.
Write down any qualifications you have that
would benefit the company. Next, find a partner and trade articles. Based on the information in your partner’s article, develop five
interview questions. Take turns conducting
mock interviews for positions at the companies you and your partner selected.
Page 20
The job interview: Two perspectives
Wanted: Budget Rent-a-Car has an immediate opening for
a reservation sales agent. The primary responsibilities are
to promote and sell Budget Rent-a-Car products and keep
customers satisfied. Effective sales skills and persuasiveness are needed. The ability to work flexible hours,
including weekends, is required. Budget offers a competi-
tive wage plus incentives, in addition to an exceptional
benefits package.
The situation: High school senior David Musgrave has
applied for the Budget Rent-a-Car position. Following his
interview with reservation-sales manager Deborah Crabb,
USA TODAY asked both parties how the interview went:
Applicant: David Musgrave, 18 years old,
high school senior.
How did you prepare for the job interview with Budget?
I practiced interviewing through the
career education center at my high
school. This way, I knew what kinds of
questions to expect. I also talked with a
friend of mine who worked at Budget to
learn more about job qualifications and
what it was really like to work there.
How did you dress?
I wore a suit to the interview, even though the position
involves phone work and suits aren’t required. It was
important to me to look nice.
What was the interview like?
I was slightly nervous, but I was able to answer all the
questions. I had experience working on the phone and
with computers — skills that are important for a reservations agent — so I made sure the interviewer knew about
them. I also asked a lot of questions.
What did you do that might have made you stand out from
other candidates?
I was sure to send a thank-you note after the interview. I
thanked Debbie, the interviewer, for her time. I told her I
was definitely interested in the job, and I said I would be
calling her in the near future. I also wrote something positive about the company and its reputation.
Interviewer: Deborah Crabb, reservation sales manager, Budget Rent-a-Car.
Was David prepared when he came to
the interview?
Yes. He was dressed professionally and
he brought with him a resume and a list
of references.
What kind of characteristics were you
looking for, in addition to the basic job
requirements? Because the job involves
phone work, I was looking for someone
who had good speaking skills, who
sounded warm and who was enthusiastic. Sales ability is important for this job, and enthusiasm
can often convey an individual’s talent for selling.
How could you tell whether David had these skills?
I had several conversations with David over the phone
after the initial interview. This way, I could tell if he had a
good voice and was comfortable dealing with people on
the telephone. He also seemed genuinely interested in the
position.
What kinds of questions did he ask?
David is very involved with his church, so he wanted to
know if the hours were flexible and if the company would
be willing to accommodate his changing schedule. Because
he was up-front about his other activities, instead of surprising us after he got the job, I was willing to make accommodations.
Did David get the job?
Yes, I hired him. His experience in sales, along with his
enthusiasm, his willingness to learn and his maturity level,
made him the ideal person for the position.
Make a list of topics you would like to discuss during a job interview. What do you want to know
about a prospective employer? How might you “sell” yourself in a professional, subtle manner?
1.
Topics I want to address during an interview (i.e., my
selling points).
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Questions I might ask a prospective employer:
Page 21
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Where do you start? At the bottom, of course!
USA TODAY asked Harvey Mackay to
write an adaptation of his thoughts
on getting and keeping a job.
“Today’s job hunters are smart
when it comes to getting the job
they want.
Take Cathy Paper.
Many long months and hundreds
of resumes after graduating from
Williams College, Cathy still hadn’t
struck oil. Now, she has.
She didn’t land the job she wanted,
but she did land where she wanted to
be — at a major advertising agency.
With her foot on the bottom rung of
the ladder, she now has a chance to
prove herself and move ahead.
Her strategy? Contacts. Someone
who knew someone came through
for her and set up an interview at a
local ad agency. Here’s a mind-boggling statistic: According to a survey
of 1,500 successful job seekers, 63
percent got jobs through personal
contacts, 11 percent through ads and
only 2 percent by sending in unsolicited resumes.
Aside from digging up a fabulous
“someone who knew someone,” she
decided to use a strategy that would
give her an edge — something that
would differentiate her from others
seeking the job.
At her interview, she offered to
work free for six months. That was
enough to entice the powers-that-be
to give her a second look. While her
offer was refused, two interviews
later she was offered a sub-entry
level job at $6 an hour. Cathy’s theory: You can’t get dealt a straight flush
unless you’re in the game.
Cathy’s story has a happy ending,
or at least a happy start. She got the
job and a chance to prove herself.”
What does it mean to “start at the
bottom and work your way up?” For
the occupation you’re interested in,
what might some of the entry-level
positions be?
Moving along the career highway
You’ve won a job by perfecting your job-seeking skills. But that doesn’t mean your work is done. Now it's time to
focus on job-keeping tactics. Here are some of the most effective:
Learn what others
are doing
Expand your horizons and
find out how to do what
others do. The more skills
you have, the more valuable you are.
Document your
achievements
Record the skills you’ve
acquired, jobs or projects
completed and any other
results or contributions you
make that show a benefit to
the company.
Always
be thinking about
your next job
Ask for more training, take
a night class or enroll in a
course. It will pay off in
the long run.
Inform your supervisors of your
achievements
Without boasting, promote
yourself. Let your supervisors
know what you are doing and
what you’ve accomplished.
What other job-keeping skills can you identify? List them here:
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 22
Is your knowledge “hit or myth”?
Often our knowledge about the job market and the
workplace is built on what we hear from others or
assume for ourselves. Here are some common myths —
and a dose of reality:
Myth #1: The bigger the company, the greater job secu rity you’ll have.
Reality: Massive employee layoffs at larger companies
show that no company is immune from economic problems. In fact, the larger the company, the bigger a layoff
is likely to be.
Myth #2: If you do your job well and exceed the expectations of your supervisors, your work will be noticed
and appreciated.
Reality: This may be true in some cases, but often you
have to work just as hard at getting noticed as you do at
your job. Ways to gain recognition include volunteering
for special committees, writing articles for the company
newsletter and taking a leadership position in professional associations.
Myth #3: If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded with reg ular promotions.
Reality: Today’s companies are getting rid of excess layers of management. This means there are fewer promotions available and more employees competing for them.
Rewards are more likely to come in the form of money or
recognition instead of a promotion.
Myth #4: If you learn one skill and learn it really well,
you’ll always have a place in the working world.
Reality: This may have been true a generation ago, but
today’s workers have to be generalists. You’ll be much
more valuable to your employer — and have greater job
security — if you can offer a variety of talents. Think
about it: When it comes time for layoffs, would you keep
the person with one skill or four?
What workplace “myths” have you heard? How do you know they are myths? How might you prepare for the
realities of the workplace?
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
E
E
An employer
must be willing to grant
you unpaid
leave to care
for a newborn child or
R★ IG H TS★
★ ★
a sick family
member. If
you are employed by the hour, you
must be paid overtime wages if you
clock more than 40 hours a week.
And if you work in public transportation, you must be willing to submit to
random drug tests.
These are just three examples of
the many labor laws that affect the
LO YE
MP
workplace. Most of the laws exist to
protect you from being exploited by
your employer.
Workplace regulations cover
everything from what can and can’t
be asked during an interview to
employees’ rights to form labor
unions or go on strike. But the regulations differ depending on the type
and size of the organization and
whether or not it is a government
agency.
As an employee, you have the right
to know the laws that govern your
workplace. To find out about regulations that may affect your job, contact the human resources depart-
ment in your company or call your
state’s Department of Labor and
Employment.
Address for my state’s Department of
Labor and Employment:
Phone Number:
What workplace regulations govern the industry that interests you?
Page 23
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
The ‘unwritten’ rules of the
workplace
All companies have rules that govern employee behavior on the job. These rules
include such things as working hours, safety guidelines and whether or not smoking is allowed. Usually, employees know these rules within their first few days on
the job.
But every workplace also has unwritten rules that employees should be aware of.
Unwritten rules may involve such things as keeping your desk neat, not using office
supplies for personal use and not addressing senior managers by their first names.
Unwritten rules differ greatly from company to company and often have a lot to
do with the culture of the organization, the type of work that is being done and the
personalities of the employees.
Sokha Men, a secretary at Seattle Central Community College in Seattle, Wash., for
two years, says there were many unwritten rules at her workplace.
“I had a problem with a co-worker and went to the department manager for assistance,” Men explains. “I learned I should have first talked to the co-worker, then
gone to my direct supervisor if the problem was not resolved. If the problem was
still not fixed by that point, then — and only then — should I have gone to the ‘big
boss.’ But this was never explained to me, and I was very embarrassed to have gone
about it backward.”
Unfortunately, learning the hard way is often the only way people pick up on
these unwritten rules and expectations, explains Marlene Palazzo, a business and
communications instructor at Seattle Central.
“I knew of a person in an office administration position who didn’t know he was
expected to help others when his work was done,” she says. “So, when he finished
his tasks for the day, he would read books that he thought would help him become
a better employee. But when the time came for promotion, he was passed over
because he had shown no initiative.”
Palazzo suggests that when you’re new to an organization and want to learn the
unwritten rules of behavior, you should ask the person who hired you about the
work styles of the department and the expectations of department managers.
“Often the manager sets the tone for how a department operates,” she says.
“You also can ask employees who have been with the company for a while to give
you advice. But other than being told what the unwritten rules are, the only way to
learn about them is to spend time studying the work environment,” Palazzo says.
“Follow your own instinct about what is and isn’t appropriate behavior.”
What “unwritten” rules would you be willing to live by?
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
What “unwritten” rules would you find
unacceptable?
Page 24
Resolving workplace conflicts
When two people are together for any
length of time, there’s an opportunity for
conflict. This is just as true in the workplace
as it is anywhere else. In fact, problems on
the job are to be expected. Organizations
are made up of many different people —
each with different motivations, agendas,
lifestyles and ways of communicating. Some
common problems you might experience
when working with others:
n Incompatible work styles or personalities
n Hostility or bullying
n Extreme competitiveness
n Feeling unappreciated or undermined by
supervisors
Conflicts have been a part of
life since the dawn of time.
CONNECTION Why is this? Are conflicts
always bad or can they be
valuable learning experiences? Find an
article in USA TODAY about a conflict
taking place in the business or political
world, between two countries, etc. Jot
down the reasons for the conflict, the
goals of each side, and possible solutions
to the problem. As a class, decide on one
word that aptly describes the root of all
the conflicts you read about in today’s
paper.
List five actions that might help prevent workplace conflicts.
Sara Minkoff, a management consultant in
Philadelphia, offers several suggestions for
resolving workplace conflicts.
Resolving conflicts with coworkers:
To resolve a conflict with a coworker, it’s
important that you speak directly with that
person about the problem. “Our basic philosophy is that if you don’t communicate, nothing will be resolved,”
Minkoff says. “Don’t talk to other people about the conflict
because this kind of gossip can sabotage a relationship and magnify a simple problem.”
If talking directly with the coworker doesn’t resolve the problem, Minkoff suggests speaking to your immediate supervisor.
“This isn’t gossiping,” she says, “because the supervisor is there
to make sure you’re able to work effectively. If you’re involved in
a conflict, you’re probably not going to be as productive.”
How the supervisor handles the situation will differ depending
on your company’s organizational structure. The supervisor may
choose to talk directly with the other person or speak to both of
you at the same time. Regardless, a good supervisor will want to
help you resolve the conflict.
Resolving conflicts with your supervisor:
If you experience a conflict with your supervisor and have
respect for that person, Minkoff again says the best solution is to
speak directly to him or her. “It is usually easier to talk to a supervisor about a problem than it is to talk to a coworker because
(ideally) supervisors have your best interest in mind.”
Sometimes the conflict will continue even after you talk about
it. In this case, contact the company’s human resources department. Most organizations have procedures in place for resolving
this kind of dispute.
Resolving conflicts with corporate policy:
Some conflicts workers experience on the job have nothing to
do with other people; instead, they involve company policies. A
person may disagree with a policy about working hours, for
example, or feel a policy regarding sick leave is unfair.
If you have an understanding supervisor who values your
work, he or she may be willing to bend the rules to keep you satisfied. But if the problem is with a policy your supervisor has no
control over, the best way to begin is to discuss your grievance
with a human resources representative.
“No matter what the conflict is about or who is involved,”
Minkoff says, “you must talk about the problem. Holding it in
creates stress, which can lead to a loss of happiness and job satisfaction. Besides, conflicts won’t go away on their own; they
must be dealt with.”
What techniques would you use to resolve an on-the-job
conflict?
Page 25
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
It’s to your benefit
How much you’ll be paid is an important factor
in deciding what company or organization
you’d like to work for, but salary is only part
of your total compensation. The vast
majority of companies also offer full-time
employee benefits such as paid vacation
and health insurance.
Many inexperienced job seekers focus
on salary alone — completely ignoring the
value of employee benefits. But to make
good decisions about whether to accept a job,
you must know about all the benefits a company
offers.
For instance, if you are young, healthy and have no
children, a generous health insurance plan may not be as
important to you as it would be if you had a family. And
if you have children, a high salary may sound more
attractive than a lower one — but in the long run you
may have less disposable income if the company has
poor medical coverage and you’re paying for every trip
to the doctor or dentist.
variety of funds. You don’t pay tax on the contributions until you use them.
n A stock purchase plan that allows you to
invest in your company.
n Life insurance, for yourself or for your
family.
n A retirement plan, which would provide you with a monthly retirement
income dependent on length of service
and your earnings with the company.
n Family support services, which can include
maternity and paternity leave, child-care referral
services, company-sponsored child-care facilities and
adoption assistance.
In addition to financial benefits, another way to evaluate a potential employer is to look at the company’s
investment in training. Organizations with a strong commitment to training may be in a better position to grow
in the future.
Finally, many companies offer extensive perks: on-site
health spas, catered meetings, memberships to shopping clubs, yearly cruises, lavish parties, etc. While
accepting a position solely because of its perks is probably unwise, the type of amenities offered at a company
says a lot about its culture.
Other benefits companies may offer:
n Participation in a 401k savings plan, which allows you
to deduct income from your paycheck and invest it in a
Make a list of the company benefits and perks
that you desire. Then, rank them in order of
importance.
BENEFIT
RANK
The benefits of change
Even the most successful employees can become bored
with their jobs or feel burned out. Rather than leaving the
company, there are ways to breathe life back into your job if
you’re willing to break out of your work pattern.
Here are some possible options:
n Ask about rotating jobs with a co-worker.
n Expand your responsibilities to include some that put
some spark back into your job.
n Do you want to cut back on your hours? Have your company consider making you a part-time employee. If your
job duties make that impossible, ask about sharing your
job with another worker.
n Ask to be retrained for a different job that interests you.
n If all else fails, see if your company offers sabbaticals or
leaves of absence. Sometimes stepping back from the situation for awhile will help you see some solutions.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 26
Tomorrow’s workplace: Fewer
managers, but more leaders
It used to be that organizations
had
clearly
defined hierarchies. There
was the department
manager who managed
five or six people, the division supervisor who
supervised five or six
managers, the divisional
vice president who oversaw the supervisors and
the chief executive officer
who was responsible for
the whole company.
Between these levels
were a number of assistant managers, assistant
supervisors, junior-level
staff members, senior
specialists and lots of
other positions meant to
convey some form of
authority — or lack of it.
But all this is changing,
as corporate America
abolishes its rigid hierarchies in an effort to give
employees more of a
voice in how work is
done.
What does this new
workplace
structure
mean? There will be
fewer middle-management jobs available and
fewer rungs to climb on
the corporate ladder. As a
result, individual employees will have more
authority and decisionmaking ability than ever
before because there will
be fewer managers to
direct them.
Reducing hierarchies
also means employees
will more often work
together in teams. After
all, if someone isn’t there
to tell you how to do a job,
you’re more likely to work
Page 27
with others to devise the best strategies. In a nutshell, teamwork is part of today’s workplace; individualism is out.
People who require a lot of supervision and direction may not do well in this new work environment.
But those who value creativity and individual initiative will flourish. In the near future, an employee’s
title will mean much less than his or her actual
accomplishments.
Using today’s paper,
find five statements
CONNECTION or articles that attest
to the focus on teamwork in the
business world. Then, find five
examples of people who are
working alone. Do you agree or
disagree that teamwork is in and
individualism is out? Explain
your answer.
Do you think that working in a team-oriented setting will suit your personality,
priorities and interests? What might the benefits and drawbacks of such an environment be?
Looking ahead to the future
Career experts agree that the watchword for
the future is change. The outlook for the
future and its impact on you:
Outlook: Changing jobs is acceptable if it
demonstrates career advancement and not a
lack of dedication to or satisfaction with
work in general.
Impact: People entering today’s job market
will undergo many career and job changes. A
one-career life plan may not be a reality. In
addition, small businesses offer limited
advancement opportunities. The bottom
line: People will advance in their careers by
changing jobs — and job-hopping will
increase.
Outlook: Prepare for change. Change is part
of today’s society — jobs and organizations
are constantly being created and eliminated.
Impact: People will continually need to revitalize their careers. One way is by finding further training, taking additional courses or
volunteering for other tasks. Another is by
rotating jobs or taking on other duties. These
may lead to promotion possibilities.
Outlook: Relocating will be part of the career
picture.
Impact: More and more people will look at
attractive job and career opportunities in
other locations and decide to pull up stakes
and move. Growth and decline in various
areas will continue. People will be faced with
new lifestyle changes.
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
What is success ?
An employer’s point of view...
Find an adult — parent, friend, principal, business person, etc. — who
has experience supervising and hiring others. Conduct an interview
using the following questions. Record the responses of the interviewee, and share them with classmates.
What is success on the job?
What makes you promote someone?
What creates employee satisfaction?
How do you reward successful employees?
Choices
Poll 25 - 50 students in your school
and calculate the percentage that fall
into each of the categories below:
Which of the following is the highest
educational goal you expect to attain?
__%
__%
__%
__%
Other questions I would like to ask:
Graduate or professional
degree
College degree (4-year)
Community or junior college
degree (2-year)
Technical/vocational school
diploma
Into which of the following categories
do you think your career will fall?
What is your definition of success? What types of rewards
motivate you?
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
__%
Science
Technology
Health
Creative/communications
Legal/social services
Teaching/education
Sales/marketing
Financial
Government
Sports
Which of the following is most important to you?
__%
__%
__%
If at first you don’t succeed . . .
As you work toward your career goals, you will probably encounter obstacles
and rejection. Plenty of people, however, have faced and overcome setbacks.
For example:
Job satisfaction
Salary
Contributing to society
What are some strategies
for overcoming rejection?
Write an inspirational message that will become your motto
for dealing with tough situations.
n Henry Ford, who pioneered the assembly-line techniques that led to massproduced automobiles, went broke five times before he succeeded.
n Legendary movie producer and actor Woody Allen flunked motion-picture
production courses at two colleges.
n The novel M*A*S*H, by Richard Hooker, was rejected by 21 publishers
before it was printed. A successful movie and television series came from
the book.
n Baseball legend Babe Ruth, famous for setting a home-run record (851),
also holds the record for strike-outs (1,030).
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co., Inc.
Page 28