Essential Skills for New Economy

Essential Skills  provide people with a foundation for learning other skills, and enhance their ability to adapt to change. They are generic skills that are used in virtually all occupations and throughout daily life. They are transferable from school to work, job to job and sector to sector and they also provide the foundation for learning other skills, such as technical skills and job/workplace skills.

How to Stand-out at a Job Fairs

Follow a PET (Prepare, Engage, Track) strategy to stand out and get most out of your job-fair experience. 

Prepare
The most common mistake students make at job fairs is the lack of preparation. Therefore the first rule of success at job fairs is to research selected organizations. It's a good idea to have a mix of well-known, popular companies as well as some smaller, not so known ones.

Engage
Next important step is to engage the recruiter or HR manager. Ask them what they do within the company and what they like about working there. What challenges they are facing and what they are looking for. You could also use a pocket resume for less distraction and more conversation.

Track
Lastly do a follow up with the recruiter/manager, which is a rare practice among students.
A simple post-fair email really get you a long way in employers book!

Five reason why you fail to find a job

1. You don’t know how to find a job.
Better learn job search strategies that works for you. If you knew them you`re not looking for a job now!

2. You don`t know where to find a job.
Finding employment by looking at a newspaper, internet job boards, or sending unsolicited resumes will not work for you - most of the time. Majority of the employment opportunities are never advertised and job seeker must learn how to approach employers in a strategically effective ways.

3. You are using the wrong tools.
Most job seekers are often stuck with one tool - resume, and often it does`t work. Therefore you must learn how to create and use variety of tools for marketing yourself to the employers.

4. You are harder to sell.
If you are targeting employers for full time job. By showing your willingness to accept part-time, contract or temporary work you make yourself more marketable and flexible to the employers.

5. You are unaware of Social Media.
You are your Google result. The personal branding guru, Dan Schawbell says “Your first impression isn’t a handshake anymore. It’s your online presence that will decide the fate of your career.” Managing your online presence is a key to career success in today`s interconnected world.

Career Advice for the Parents and Students

Often parents assume that as long as their sons and daughters work hard and pay attention to their studies, they’ll be rewarded with a good job at graduation. The path from college/university to a good career is not automatic; it takes considerable work on the student’s part, starting early in their time at college. Follow the suggestions below and so they could gain maximum advantage and enjoyment from their education.

Self Assessment - Why it is important for students

Self assessment is a key element of a career decision making process. It begin with an evaluation of your personality, interests and values. In many cases students bypass, overlook or does not give enough consideration to self assessment and end up in a career which keeps them unhappy or unsuccessful. In either case students passion does not matches with the profession.

Many times student have an interest in arts but ends up in accounting because of parents, uncles or other family member suggests so.

Therefore knowing your personality, interests and values will eventually gives you a better start then many others who does not goes through this step of self evaluation or assessment.

Drop-out - Opt-in Theory of Career Development

Drop-out theory of career development
In a career development process if a student does not get admission in a program of his interest because of low marks, or lack of financial resources, then s(he) drop-out of competition and rely on the remaining educational options on a career ladder. Occupations on these career ladders are defined by actual or perceived demand of particular occupation.

Education and Learning - Who's responsibility!

The focus of education and learning should not be on getting a piece of paper but it should be on improving knowledge and skills, which they could use to create value for themselves, at their work and in the community.

Most parents think that it is the responsibility of schools and colleges to educate students but it is an equal responsibility. If students does not perform good at school it does not mean the school system is not good rather it could be the parents who are responsible for this situation. 

It takes two hands to clap....