Job Searching 101: Skills
Employers Look For
January 12, 2008
Presenter: Donna Brice, Director
What We Will Cover in this Workshop
 Hard Skills
 Soft Skills
 Using Hard and Soft Skills to Your
Benefit
 Top Soft Skills Employers Look For
 Where to Acquire Hard Skills
 Computer Skills
Hard Skills
 Definition: Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities
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that may be required in a given context, such as a job
or university function.
Easy to define.
Skills that are observable, measurable and testable.
Job or task specific skills.
Technical skills and academic skills.
Directly taught in school.
Employers feel it is possible to teach you the
necessary hard skills, but teaching soft skills is a
much harder prospect. For example: How would you
go about teaching someone a great attitude?
Examples of Hard Skills
 Reading, arithmetic, and writing
 License to cut hair
 Typing and shorthand
 Proficiency with software applications
 Operating machinery
 Drive commercial vehicles
 Speaking a foreign language
 Mechanically Inclined
Soft Skills
 Definition: Soft skills are personal attributes that
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enhance an individual's interactions, job performance
and career prospects.
Not directly taught in school
Hard to define and are intangible
Soft skills are broadly applicable to any job
Also referred to as personal attributes and
interpersonal abilities
It's often said that hard skills will get you an interview
but you need soft skills to get (and keep) the job.
Examples of Soft Skills
 Communication
 Bedside manner
 Optimism
 A pleasant voice
 Responsibility
 Leadership
 A sense of humor
 The ability to teach and
 Integrity
learn
 Creativity
 Good manners
 Sociability
 Time-management
 Motivation
 Empathy
Using Hard and Soft Skills to Your
Benefit
 Evaluate which hard & soft skills would be most
beneficial in the job your applying for. Use the job
description for ideas.
 Your resume should include soft skills along with the
hard skills. This has become more important.
 If you feel you’re lacking in some key soft skills take
some time to soul search. How can you change to
better equip yourself for this job? Ex. Change the way
you look at things; attitude or reaction. Do you need
to be more flexible? Are you uncomfortable with
communicating with others? Can you fit in?
Top Soft Skills Employers Look For
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Communicate
effectively
Honesty and integrity
Teamwork skills
Adaptability
Strong work ethic
Commit to the job
Willing to learn new
tasks
Motivation and
initiative
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Excellent Interpersonal
Skills
Make Decisions
Analytical skills
Show Flexibility
Organizational skills
Leadership Potential
Grow in the job
Ability to handle
personal problems
Accept responsibility
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
 High School (GED), 2 & 4 year Colleges,
Technical or Trade Schools and Training
Centers
 Adult Education Classes
 Apprenticeships
 On the Job
 Volunteer Work
 Library/Community Workshops
 County/State/Federal Agencies
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
 High School and 2 or 4 year Colleges:
 Lancaster County Academy- High school diploma
program for students who have dropped out of traditional
high schools. http://www.lca.k12.pa.us/
 HACC - http://www.hacc.edu/
 Peterson’s Guide to Colleges - http://www.petersons.com/
 GED
 Official site - http://www.acenet.edu/
 Lancaster/Lebanon Counties http://www.iu13.k12.pa.us/aded_ged_main.shtml
 Trade Schools and Training Centers
 Trade Schools and Colleges - http://www.tradeschools.net/
 Lancaster Co. Career and Technology Center http://www.lcctc.org/
 Arbor: Education and Training- http://www.arboret.com/
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
Adult Education Classes (non-credit)
 Eastern Lancaster County School District: Adult Education, Fall
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(October – December)
http://www.elanco.org/community/adulted/
Warwick School District: Adult Education, Sept to March,
http://www.warwick.k12.pa.us/orgmodule.php?deptid=0&schooli
d=0007&mid=419
IU13: Adult Education Instruction,
http://www.iu13.org/aded_classes.shtml
PA College of Art and Design: Continuing Education http://www.pcad.edu/youth_adult.htm
Penn State – Non-Credit and Professional Development
http://www.lancastercenter.psu.edu/programofferings/noncredit_
prodev.shtml
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
Apprenticeship
 Registered Apprenticeship Website 
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http://www.doleta.gov/OA/eta_default.cfm
Pennsylvania Apprentice Coordinators Association http://www.apprentice.org/
XPDNC PA Apprentice Development Links http://www.xpdnc.com/links/apuspa.html
Vocational Information Center: Pa Resources http://www.khake.com/page26.html
US Dept. of Labor - http://bat.doleta.gov/bat.cfm
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
On the Job Training
 Ask the employer if they offer on the job training.
examples: (freeze on these trainings)
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PA Management Training Program http://www.pma.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?
Human Resource Management Trainee Program –
(Commonwealth of PA)
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=51
2&objID=2031&mode=2
 United States Armed Forces – Army, Air Force,
Marines and Navy, http://www.defenselink.mil/
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
Volunteer
 Volunteering helps in practical and intangible ways. It
allows you to learn about different organizations,
build skills, and enhance your resume.
 Businesses and organizations look on volunteering
as a positive attribute; it shows that you willing to gain
the necessary experience even without pay.
 Seek a volunteer job that is in the profession you will
eventually like to work in, or at least related in some
way.
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
Library or Community Workshops (free)
 Libraries in Lancaster County -
http://www.lancasterlibraries.org/lslc/cwp/view.asp?a
=3&q=466889
 “Learning Express Library” Database: Test
preparation materials http://online.lancasterlibraries.org/
 New Choices/New Options:10-day career guidance
program. 110 N. Lime St., Lancaster, PA 17602
717-393-1735
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
County Agencies
 Lancaster Co. Workforce Investment Board -
http://www.lancastercountywib.com/
 Citizens Scholarship Foundation of Lancaster Co.
http://www.csflancaster.org
 Basic Skills Center
Providing adult basic education and GED preparation,
resume development and computer training, plus
tutoring and computer instruction by appointment.
Crispus Attucks Community Center
407 Howard Ave., Lancaster PA 17602
717-394-6604
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
State Agencies:
 PA Workforce - http://www.paworkforce.state.pa.us
 Commonwealth of Workforce Development System -
https://www.cwds.state.pa.us/
 PA CareerLink of Lancaster County http://www.jobs4lancaster.com/
 PA Labor and Industry - http://www.dli.state.pa.us/
 PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation http://www.nepacil.org/OVR.htm
 PA Career Guide 2007-2008 http://www.paworkstats.state.pa.us/gsipub/index.asp?docid=405
 ABLE: Lifelong Learning http://paadulted.org/able/site/default.asp
Where to Acquire Hard Skills
Federal Agencies
 US Dept of Labor: Employment and Training Adm. -
http://www.doleta.gov/
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ETA Programs & Initiatives http://www.doleta.gov/reports/program/
Apprenticeship - http://bat.doleta.gov/bat.cfm
Education and training http://www.doleta.gov/business/TrainingEducation.cfm
Project GATE: Growing America Through
Entrepreneurship - http://www.doleta.gov/projectgate/
 United States Armed Forces – Army, Air Force,
Marines and Navy, http://www.defenselink.mil/
Computer Skills
 Everyone needs basic computer skills to function in
today's job market.
 With technology changing so rapidly, the ability to
quickly learn new information is critical to your
success.
 "It is very critical to be computer literate, especially in
the 21st century, just as it was 40 years ago for
people to be able to read the written word," said
Cherry Daniel, state director for adult education for
S.C. Department of Education in Columbia. "Most
jobs now require some degree of computer skills."
Common Computer Skills
Some Basic Requirements for Most Jobs:
 Word-processors (WORD)
 Spreadsheets (Excel)
 Database programs (Access)
 Presentation software (Power Point)
 Basic understanding of how a computer works
 Use of the peripherals (Printer, scanner…)
 Email (Outlook, Internet based; Yahoo or Gmail)
 Internet and World Wide Web
Strategies for Building Computer Skills
 Take a computer class at your local high school,
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college or library.
Find someone (library) with a computer and practice
on it.
Try out the many free online computer tutorials on the
Internet.
Read all the books and magazines you can on how
computers work, software programs, searching the
internet, using email….
Find out if the company you’re applying to offers
continuing education and computer classes in
particular. Will they help pay for some or all of the
tuition? Any on the job training?
Online Computer Workshops
 CareerBuilder Institute – fee
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http://www.careerbuilderinstitute.com/?utm_source=c
b&utm_medium=hplink&utm_content=adviceresTab&
utm_campaign=training
GCF LearnFree.org – free
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/
Akron-Summit County Public Library: Computer
Training – free
http://www.akronlibrary.org/training/handouts.html
Internet4classrooms – Software tutorials, free
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line.htm
New York Cares - Micro Soft Office tutorials, free
http://www.nycares.org/volunteer/calendar_projects/c
omptutorials.php
Computer Skills Jeopardy
 http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/sites/ed
websites/computerskills/jeopardy/opening.ht
m
Other Resources
 Commonwealth Workforce – skill building
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https://www.cwds.state.pa.us
PA Dept. of Labor & Industry - http://www.dli.state.pa.us/
Learn Source - http://www.learn-source.com/career.html
- Answers to your questions.
Free Computer Classes for Veterans http://www.airforcetimes.com/careers/college/DTGiantCa
mpusMain070305/
“America’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs” article http://www.lancastercountywib.com/images/stories/docu
ments/articles/goldcollar/Americas-Middle-Skill-Jobs.pdf