Business Communication

Module 14:

Career Development Essentials

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Affirmations

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• I matter.
• Failure is great feedback.
• I am always open to learning in a new or better way.

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Career Skills

• Recognize key career skills useful for any career
• Understand what transferable skills are and why they are valuable
• Understand how to develop skills that match your career goals
• Understand the different stages of career development

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Hard vs. Soft Skills

Hard skills are concrete or objective abilities or skills that you learn and can often be quantified.

Soft skills are personal attributes and interpersonal skills that influence how well a person can work or interact with others.

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Transferable Skills

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1 Dependable and Punctual

2 Enthusiastic

3 Self-motivated

4 Critical thinking

5 Positive Attitude

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6 Willing to Learn

7 Communication Skills

8 Safety-conscious

9 Adaptable and Flexible

10 Ethical and Honest

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Also called soft skills, may be used in multiple professions and multiple roles.

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Acquiring Necessary Skills

• Enroll in a Credit or Non-credit Class: Consider traditional and community college programs for hard and soft skills.
• Find an Apprenticeship: Combine coursework with on-the-job training for skill development and potential full-time employment.
• Apply for an Internship: Gain new skills through short-term work experiences, potentially for academic credit.
• Meet with a Career Counselor: Seek guidance on career paths, decisions, and professional goals.

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Five Stages of Career Development

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1 Growing

2 Exploring

3 Establishing

4 Maintaining

5 Reinventing

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Each stage correlates with attitudes, behaviors, and relationships we all tend to have at that point.

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Career Ready Skills

What is one career goal you hope to achieve in the next five years?

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Discuss Career Ready Skills

1 Choose three career readiness competencies that you think you have acquired through your personal life or through your education. Write down three examples of demonstrating these competencies.

2 What are two competency areas that you think you could improve and work on? What are some ways you can start working on these?

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Networking

• Recognize effective strategies for networking

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�How to Get Started

1. Make a plan.
2. Focus your activities on getting a job.
3. Carry your own business cards.
4. Register your own domain name.
5. Attend networking events.
6. Master LinkedIn.
7. Think of your families’ friends as databases.
8. Create the world you want to occupy in the future.

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Networking Strategies

At College:

• Get to know your professors
• Use your college’s alumni office
• Use your college’s career development office
• Check with classmates

At Work:

• Join professional organizations
• Volunteer
• Attend networking events
• Conduct informational interviews

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Elevator Pitch

A brief introduction that you use when you meet someone while networking.

1. Introduce yourself by name
2. Describe in one or two sentences what you career interest is
3. Describe in one or two sentences why this career interest is a good match for you.

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Crafting Your Résumé and Cover Letter

• Understand what makes a résumé effective and what to include in it
• Understand how to customize a résumé for the specific job you are applying for
• Understand what makes �a cover letter effective

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Format for Your Successful Résumé

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1 Reverse Chronological Résumé

2 Functional Résumé

3 Hybrid Résumé

4 Video, Infographic, and Website Résumé

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What to Include

• Your contact information: name, address, phone number, and email address
• A summary of your skills: you can list hard skills as well as soft skills
• Work experience: include the title of the position, employer’s name, location, employment dates (beginning, ending)
• Volunteer experience: relevant volunteer experience should be listed.
• Education and training: include academic degrees, professional development, certificates, internships, etc.
• References statement (optional): “References available upon request”
• Other sections: a job objective, a brief profile, a branding statement, a summary statement, additional accomplishments, etc.

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Creating a Customized Résumé

While you now have a résumé, any time you use it to apply for a job, you should review the job description carefully and revise your résumé so that it is customized for that job.

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This is especially important if the organization that you are applying to uses an applicant tracking system to help them screen a large volume of applicants.

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Cover Letters

A cover letter is a letter of introduction that you attach to your résumé.

• Get the attention of the prospective employer
• Set you apart from any possible competition
• Identify the position you are interested in
• Specify how you learned about the position or company
• Present highlights of your skills and accomplishments
• Reflect your genuine interest
• Use the format of a formal letter

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Interview Preparation

• Understand how to prepare for a job interview
• Understand the different types of interview settings and techniques for each
• Understand common types of interview questions and how to answer them

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Preparing for a Job Interview

• Review Job Description: Understand required skills and attributes for tailored preparation.
• Research Company: Learn about company culture and values to show genuine interest.
• Practice Common Questions: Rehearse answers for confidence and clarity.
• Plan Dress Appropriately: Choose professional attire.
• Come Prepared: Bring résumé, cover letter, references, and portfolio.
• Be Confident: Project confidence for a strong first impression.

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In the Interview

STAR is an interview technique that quickly helps you present the stories of your career in a way to demonstrate skills to the interviewer. STAR stands for:

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• Situation
• Task
• Activity
• Result

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Interview Types

• Screening Interviews
• Phone or Web Conference Interviews
• One-on-One Interviews
• Panel Interviews
• Serial Interviews
• Lunch Interviews
• Group Interviews

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Interview Questions

• Highlight Your Excellent Experiences: Have a list of about four to six examples of workplace actions that you are proud of.
• Practice: Sit in front of a mirror and answer the questions fully.
• Review Questions: Take time to review common interview questions.

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Elevator Pitch and Networking

Conversation starter goes here

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Discuss Elevator Pitch

1 What challenges did you encounter in this activity either in creating or delivering your pitch?

2 What are strategies you can use to improve your elevator pitch?

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STAR Interview Responses

Conversation starter goes here

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Discuss STAR Interview Responses

1 Were there any parts of the STAR method that you found particularly challenging to articulate? Why?

2 Did you notice any differences in how your peers used the STAR method? What can you learn from their approaches?

3 Were there any surprising elements in the feedback you received?

4 How can you apply the STAR method in other areas of your professional or academic life?

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Closing Slide

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Questions…..

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Next steps…..

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Reminders about student hours, upcoming deadlines, campus activities ….

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Storyset Illustration Library

Find the illustrations at StorySet.com.

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Authored by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution

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