Job Searching 101: Skills Employers Look For

1. Job Searching 101: Skills Employers Look For January 12, 2008 Presenter: Donna Brice, Director

2. 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

3. Hard Skills • Definition: Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities 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?

4. 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

5. Soft Skills • Definition: Soft skills are personal attributes that 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.

6. Communication Optimism Responsibility A sense of humor Integrity Time-management Motivation Empathy Bedside manner A pleasant voice Leadership The ability to teach and learn Creativity Good manners Sociability Examples of Soft Skills

7. 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?

8. Communicate effectively Honesty and integrity Teamwork skills Adaptability Strong work ethic Commit to the job Willing to learn new tasks Motivation and initiative Excellent Interpersonal Skills Make Decisions Analytical skills Show Flexibility Organizational skills Leadership Potential Grow in the job Ability to handle personal problems Accept responsibility Top Soft Skills Employers Look For

9. 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

10. 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.trade-schools.net/ • Lancaster Co. Career and Technology Center - http://www.lcctc.org/ • Arbor: Education and Training- http://www.arboret.com/

11. Where to Acquire Hard Skills Adult Education Classes (non-credit) • Eastern Lancaster County School District: Adult Education, Fall (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&schoolid=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

12. Where to Acquire Hard Skills Apprenticeship • Registered Apprenticeship Website - 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

13. Where to Acquire Hard Skills On the Job Training • Ask the employer if they offer on the job training. examples: (freeze on these trainings) • 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=512&objID=2031&mode=2 • United States Armed Forces – Army, Air Force, Marines and Navy, http://www.defenselink.mil/

14. 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.

15. 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 17602717-393-1735

16. 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 CenterProviding adult basic education and GED preparation, resume development and computer training, plus tutoring and computer instruction by appointment. Crispus Attucks Community Center407 Howard Ave., Lancaster PA 17602717-394-6604

17. 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

18. Where to Acquire Hard Skills Federal Agencies • US Dept of Labor: Employment and Training Adm. - http://www.doleta.gov/ • 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/

19. 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."

20. 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

21. Strategies for Building Computer Skills • Take a computer class at your local high school, 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?

22. Online Computer Workshops • CareerBuilder Institute – fee http://www.careerbuilderinstitute.com/?utm_source=cb&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/comptutorials.php

23. Computer Skills Jeopardy • http://www.catawba.k12.nc.us/pages/sites/edwebsites/computerskills/jeopardy/opening.htm

24. Other Resources • Commonwealth Workforce – skill building 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/DTGiantCampusMain070305/ • “America’s Forgotten Middle-Skill Jobs” article - http://www.lancastercountywib.com/images/stories/documents/articles/goldcollar/Americas-Middle-Skill-Jobs.pdf