Career Action Plan

1. Career Action Plan Putting the Pieces Together Career Center of Lowell 18 John Street, Lowell, MA 01852 www.cclowell.org

2. Career Action Plan Your Career Action Plan will help you navigate your job search. • Assessing your values • Identifying your strongest skills • Knowing your PARs • Researching the Labor Market • Developing a marketing strategy

3. Job Search Process Career Action Plan Examining Your Values Identifying Skills PAR Researching the Labor Market Your Marketing Campaign Your Personal Commercial The Hidden Job Market My Career Action Plan (CAP) Agenda

4. Ask Yourself Two Questions: What has changed about you since your last job search? What do you need to put in place to strengthen this new job search?

5. The Job Search Process The job search is a full time job. To be successful requires: • Focus and dedication • Organization • Preparation • Setting goals • Developing an action plan

6. Independence Power Leadership Expertness Duty Security Self-fulfillment Wealth Integrity Achievement Nurturing Friendship Family Health Religion Pleasure Cooperation Job Satisfaction Creativity Leisure Examining Your Values What are three of the most important values that you require for a rewarding work environment? List them on your handout.

7. Identifying Skills There are three types of skills that are required for work. Transferable Skills Job-Related Skills Adaptive Skills

8. Presenting Your Skills Every part of your job search is affected by the ways in which you identify and present your skills. • Résumés • Cover letters, approach letters and thank you / follow-up letters • Networking • Telephone calls • Interviews

9. Job-Related Skills • Also referred to as technical or occupational skills • Required for a particular job • Gained through training or experience • Used for “screening” applicants

10. Adaptive (Personal) Skills • Describe your personality • Allow you to adapt to situations • Make you a good worker • “I am … consistent, efficient, resourceful, systematic, trustworthy, a team player.”

11. Transferable (Universal) Skills • Transfer from one job to the next • A foundation for career changers • Show added benefit to a company. Often the “tie-breaker” • “I can…communicate well, use computers, train others, provide great customer service”

12. My Strongest Skills List three of your strongest skills on your hand out. • Job Related • Adaptive • Transferable

13. PAR P = Problem A = Action R = Result

14. Accomplishment Statements(PARs) • Result-oriented action statements • Quantify – #’s, $’s, %’s • Qualify – “Who, what, when, where, why and how”

15. Selected PARs • Saved $4,500 in outside training costs by voluntarily training other staff tax preparers on new computer software. • Made appropriate adjustments to machines, which eliminated defects and poor quality saving the company $4,000 annually.

16. Researching the Labor Market • Research industries and occupations • The Internet • Company websites • Industry councils and trade events • Business associations • Local newspapers, cable • Networking • Find out where the jobs are • Industries doing well • Industries doing poorly

17. Your written communications Résumé Cover letter Approach letter Your verbal communications Networking Interviews Informational interviews Effective telephone techniques Your Marketing Campaign

18. Your Written Communications Résumé • Your first contact with the employer • Describes your strongest skills for that job • Related experience and accomplishments Cover Letter • Should accompany your résumé • Tailored to the company Approach Letters • An effective networking tool • You haven’t seen a job posting • You take the initiative

19. Your Verbal Communications Networking • Develop a contact list and let people know • Network online using LinkedIn • Develop a personal commercial • Go on “Informational Interviews” The Interview • Prepare, prepare, prepare for the interview • Know how to express your related skills and experience • Telephone techniques

20. Your Personal “Commercial” Advantages: • Answers: “Why should I hire you?” Or “Tell me about yourself” • You are selling your skills and experience • Very helpful in cold/new situations • Can be tailored to a specific audience

21. Your Commercial Your commercial may include: • Occupation you are seeking • Most recent work experience • Pertinent strengths (hard skills/soft skills) • Accomplishments • Future goals/avenues currently exploring • What is special about you • energy, enthusiasm, awards, learning ability, productivity compared to others, willingness

22. Uses for Commercial • Job Interview • Telephone • Cover or Approach Letters • Job Fairs • Networking Situations

23. Hidden Job Market • Most of today’s job openings are not advertised • Companies save money because: • Potential candidates will contact companies directly • Many companies have Employee Referral Bonus Programs • Companies are more creative in their recruiting efforts • Most positions are replacement positions

24. Three Stages of a Job Developing Jobseekers 25% Stage 3: Job is advertised. Stage 2: Need for worker. Job now “open” and inside referrals are being accepted. 55% Stage 1: No job opening, but employers always looking for good employees. 20% Employers

25. How to Penetrate the Hidden Job Market • Be pro-active: approach growing companies • Access web sites of companies that are advertising – more possibilities? • Join networking/support groups • Volunteer today

26. Questions • What are work values? • What are the three types of skills? • What is a PAR? • What are two ways to research the labor market? • What’s included in your Marketing Campaign? • What percentage of all jobs are hidden?

27. The Winning Formula Is Your Career Action Plan