Employer Expectations APSE Conference June 27, 2012

1. Employer ExpectationsAPSE ConferenceJune 27, 2012 Kristi Lockhart, Transition Services Coordinator Nora Tucker, Transition Counselor Carrie Gilbert, Rehabilitation Counselor

2. Today’s Objectives Be able to answer these questions: • What does an employer want? • What do I need to know? • How do I present myself? • What resources are available to me?

3. Employer Expectations • Be on time. • Follow supervisor’s directions. • Don’t talk on your cell phone when you’re working. • Maintain a positive attitude at all times. • Treat supervisor and co-workers with respect. • Take responsibilities seriously. • Don’t have a “That’s not my job!” mentality.

4. The Right Workforce • Hands-On Capability • Comfortable In Team Environments • Able to Follow and Lead • Continuing Education / Lifelong Learning • Culturally Diverse and Gender-Neutral • Personal Career Awareness

5. Employers’ Wish List • Hygiene and Appearance • Integrity • Comportment and Behavior • Punctuality • Ambition • Leadership • Teamwork • Think Outside the Box • Collaboration and Teamwork • Computer Skills • Telephone Skills • Active Listening and Questioning • Diversity Awareness • Time and Asset Management • Problem-Recognition and Solving • Message-Taking and Transmittal Skills • Personal and Electronic Ethics (internet/phone use) • Customer Service Skills • Soft Skills

6. Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills • Soft Skills • Sometimes known as "people skills," • Personal attributes that enhance an individual's interactions, job performance and career prospects. • Broadly applicable. • Examples: optimism, responsibility, sense humor, integrity, motivation • Hard Skills • Specific, teachable abilities that may be required in a given context, • Tend to be specific to a certain type of task or activity. • Examples: Typing, operating machinery, software development, speaking a foreign language

7. Soft Skills • Soft Skills relate to how you work • Just as important as your education or experience • Paying attention to them will take you a long way • Can determine if you get hired • Can be a main reason for being fired • Relate to how you interact with others • Overall attitude on the job

8. Soft Skills Employers Look For… • Motivation • Dedication • Time-Management Skills • Positive Attitude • Communication Skills • Creative Problem-Solving Skills • Ability to be a Team-Player • Confidence • Flexibility • Working Well Under Pressure • Ability to Take Criticism and Improve • POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!

9. Top 10 Tips To a Positive Attitude 1. Take ownership of your attitude. • We control our attitude. • It is not something that is genetically or environmentally determined. • Each of us can decide what our attitude is going to be. • We can choose to have a positive attitude about life. • A ready smile is a gift to all those around you. 2. Take action to eliminate what bothers you. • You may be putting up with more things than you have realized. • Think about what you are tolerating. • You may be tolerating things that you don’t like. • Just paying attention to what you are tolerating will be the first step towards eliminating it. • Tolerations infect your attitude.

10. Top 10 Tips To a Positive Attitude 3. Live in the present. • Let go of living in the past or in the future and enjoy the present. 4. Let go of things that don’t matter • Don’t’ waste energy on being irritated and annoyed 5. Be non-judgmental • Don’t be critical of others • Try to listen and understand • Accept yourself and others more

11. 10 Tips To a Positive Attitude 6. Listen to yourself and trust what you hear • Take responsibility for what you can and want to do 7. Live your values • Develop an attitude of true acceptance of yourself • Realize that you are fine the way you are • You may choose to make some changes in your life simply because you realize that you have greater potential than you have utilized

12. 10 Tips To a Positive Attitude 8. Have fun and enjoy humor. • Take delight in life and create fun experiences for yourself. • Don’t make life be too heavy. 9. Invest energy in the people you love and care about. • Meaningful relationships are developed and sustained by positive attitudes and commitment. 10. Develop an attitude of love and appreciation. • By developing a loving attitude towards yourself you will in turn interact with others from a basis of love.

13. Role as an Employee You are hired to fill a need the employer has Example: Sometimes you notice that your coworker arrives at the office at 11AM, instead of his usual 9AM start time. You get irritated because you came in at 9AM, and you wonder why he didn’t. What you don’t know is that he worked late last night until 7PM, while you got off at 5PM! Thus, your coworker is working a flex schedule. That means that his job requirements are different than yours, and he adjusts his schedule to the company’s needs.

14. Role as an Employee • It’s important to understand your role in the company • Trust and respect that others play a role • Just as important as yours • Work just as hard as you • Understanding this promotes positivity and leads to a more satisfying workplace for everyone

15. Know the Employer Before You Apply • Visit the employer's web site • Go to these pages in their site to learn important information: • "About us" section Information about products and/or services • Customer policies • Human resources • Search the Internet for: • Articles/Blogs or other comments about the company • FaceBook page

16. Importance of Having a Resume • An advertisement of you! • There are different formats: • Chronological • Functional* • Hybrid

17. Functional résumés Used when you have: • Little or no related work experience • Mostly temporary work in the past • Had a variety of jobs in the past • No work experience at all • Want to emphasize talents and skills not dates or places

18. Parts of a Resume • Contact information (voicemail, email) • Educational background • Coursework relevant to your desired profession • Work history • Skills and experience gained during internships or summer jobs • include unpaid work if it relates to the job • Technical and computer skills

19. Additional Parts of a Resume… • Key words relevant to position being sought • Skills or personal traits • Positive personal characteristics • Honors and awards • Membership in clubs or community organizations • Leadership positions held • Community service

20. Functional Resume

21. Functional Resume

22. Look for typos!

23. Resources on the Internet • Virginia Career VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work) is for all students in grades K-8 in Virginia.  A career exploration and educational planning resource in one place! Provides extensive resources for researching careers, training, and employment. • http://www.vaview.vt.edu/ • Virginia Education Wizard: Let the Wizard help you choose a career, get the information you need to pursue your career, find the college that is right for you, pay for college, transfer from a community college to a university, and get answers to your questions about your future. • https://www.vawizard.org/vccs/Main.action • The Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth is divided into three sections: Personal Qualities and People Skills (soft skills); Professional Knowledge and Skills (academic and knowledge); and Technology Knowledge and Skills. • http://www.jmu.edu/ttac/WorkplaceReadiness.shtml • YouthWorks: Ann Arundel Workforce Development Corporation, Maryland. Provides job postings, career exploration, GED preparation, and job search tips. • http://aawdc.org/youth-works/index.php/Job-Search-Tools/Youth-Job-Search-Tips.html

24. Resources in Your Area • Workforce Centers • Vocational Rehabilitation Agency • Career & Technical Education Centers • Others? They all have websites!

25. Thank You! Contact us at DRS with any questions: Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services {Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Division of Rehabilitative Services as of July 1, 2012} (800) 552-5019 Kristi.Lockhart@drs.virginia.gov