Chapter 1
How Your Choices Affect Income
What Is the Job Market?
• Job market refers to jobs
available for workers.
• A skill set is the unique
skills and abilities you bring
to the job market.
o Hard skills are technical.
o Soft skills are nontechnical.
1-1 Personal Skills and the Job Market
Slide 2
Job Choices Affect Your Income
Fastest-Growing Occupations, 2008–18
Occupation
Expected Growth
2008–18
Education
Required
Biomedical engineers
72%
Bachelor’s degree
Network, systems, and
communications analysts
53%
Bachelor’s degree
Home health aides
50%
Short-term training and
on-the-job experience
Financial examiners
46%
Bachelor’s degree
Medical scientists
41%
Doctoral degree
Physician assistants
39%
Master’s degree
Skin care specialists
38%
Post-secondary skills
Source: United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
http://stats.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_103.htm#.
1-1 Personal Skills and the Job Market
Slide 3
Learning about Job
Requirements
• Job title is the name of a job.
o Example: Baker
• Job description
describes what a job
would be like.
o Includes: education,
experience, hours,
work site, location
1-1 Personal Skills and the Job Market
Slide 4
How Does Education Affect
Your Income?
1-1 Personal Skills and the Job Market
Slide 5
Building Communications Skills
Listening
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Face and look at the person who is talking.
Focus on what the speaker is saying.
Ignore distractions.
Turn off the phone.
Take notes on the main ideas.
In a conversation, give feedback or nod.
Mentally summarize the main points.
1-1 Personal Skills and the Job Market
Slide 6
What Is the Economy?
• The economy refers to all the activities
related to making and distributing goods
and services.
• A market economy is based on the law
of supply and demand.
o The price for an item is set at a point that
consumers are willing to pay and sellers
are willing to accept.
1-2 The Economy and Your Education
Slide 7
The Business Cycle
1-2 The Economy and Your Education
Slide 8
What are the Costs of Education?
• Tuition is the expense paid by students
for instruction at a school.
• Fees are charged to cover special
expenses.
o Examples: technology, equipment,
supplies
• Living expenses include food, rent,
clothing, transportation, and housing.
1-2 The Economy and Your Education
Slide 9
How Will You Pay for Education
and Training?
• Loans and grants
o Examples: financial aid, Pell Grants,
subsidized student loan
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Private student loans
Scholarships
Work-study programs
Work and save
1-2 The Economy and Your Education
Slide 10
Focus On . . .
Student Organizations
• Explore careers of
interest.
• Attend conferences.
• Apply for scholarships,
grants, financial aid.
• Take part in community service activities.
• Network and form friendships.
1-2 The Economy and Your Education
Slide 11
How Can You Find Job
Openings?
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Social networks
Job shadowing
Cooperative work experience
Counselors, teachers, placement centers
Websites of businesses
Job scout programs
Employment agencies
1-3 Job Application Skills and Tools
Slide 12
General Resume Guidelines
A resume is a summary of your work
experience, education, skills, interests.
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Have a “master resume.”
Tailor each resume to match job opening.
Limit resume to one page.
Keep resume simple and attractive.
List important information on top.
Proofread thoroughly.
1-3 Job Application Skills and Tools
Slide 13
The Cover Letter
A cover letter introduces you to a
prospective employer.
• It is short and direct.
• First paragraph says
why you are writing.
• Second paragraph
points out qualifications.
• Closing paragraph asks
for an interview.
1-3 Job Application Skills and Tools
Slide 14
How Do You Make Yourself
Stand Out?
• A job application is a form that asks you
basic information about your
background.
• A job interview is a face-to-face meeting
with a potential employer to discuss a
job opening.
• Follow-up is contact with a prospective
employer after the interview.
1-3 Job Application Skills and Tools
Slide 15
Success Skills
Using Social Networking Sites
Advantages include:
• Wide-range of sources
for job information
• Rapid response to job
openings
• Up-to-the-minute
knowledge
1-3 Job Application Skills and Tools
Slide 16