Christian finance and consumer credit counseling & debt management
Career Guidance
3rd Essential:
Skills and Strengths That Match a Job
First and foremost, employers look for versatility and a good fit between your skills and the skills required for the job. They then take into account other variables such as physical, mental or emotional issues. Therefore, knowing your skills and your strengths is an important part of the job search process.
What's involved in a skills assessment?
A skills assessment will answer the following questions:
1) What are your skills and strengths?
2) What does your chosen career require?
3) What skills do you still need?
Review the Skills Assessment to determine how you fit with your career choice. Is there a gap in what you know and what you need? If so you can:
Re-think your career
Get more training
Get more experience
What are employers really looking for?
Besides the skills required for a specific career, employers need to be convinced that you have the attitude and behaviours to make a valuable contribution to their company.
A recent study in the work force determined what employers are really looking for. From this information they created an Employability Skills Profile which identified several critical skills you'll need when looking for a job.
Employability Skills Profile
Academic Skills
Those skills that provide the basic foundation to get, keep, and progress in a job. You must be able to:
Communicate:
Understand and speak the languages in which business is conducted.
Listen to understand and learn.
Read, comprehend, and use written materials, including graphs, charts, and displays.
Write effectively in the languages in which business is conducted.
Think:
Think critically and act logically to evaluate situations, solve problems and make decisions.
Understand and solve problems involving mathematics and use the results.
Use technology, instruments, tools, and information systems effectively.
Access and apply specialized knowledge from various fields (e.g., skilled trades, technology, physical sciences, arts, and social sciences)
Learn:
Continue to learn for life.
Management Skills
The combination of skills, attitudes, and behaviours required to get, keep and progress in a job. You must demonstrate:
Positive Attitudes and Behaviours:
Self-esteem and confidence.
Honesty, integrity, and personal ethics.
A positive attitude toward learning, growth, and personal health.
Initiative, energy, and persistence to get the job done.
Responsibility:
The ability to set goals and priorities in work and personal life.
The ability to plan and manage time, money, and other resources to achieve goals.
Accountability for actions taken.
Adaptability:
A positive attitude toward change
Recognition of and respect for people's diversity and individual differences.
The ability to identify and suggest new ideas to get the job done - creativity.
Teamwork Skills
Those skills needed to work with others in a job.
You must be able to:
Work with Others:
Understand and contribute to the organization's goal.
Understand and work within the culture of the group.
Plan and make decisions with others and support outcomes.
Respect the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
Exercise "give and take" to achieve group results.
Seek a team approach as appropriate.
Lead when appropriate, mobilizing the group for high performance.
Your Keys to Assessing Individual Skills and Strengths
Employers look for communication, thinking, and learning skills.
Employers require positive attitudes and behaviours.
Employers emphasize the ability to work with others.
Employers look for traits where you might excel or be different.
What Do You Know?
Find out what skills and strengths are required for your chosen career.
Join a club. Search through the categories
above for a club that matches your interests. Click on that club
name, then on the "join" link in the upper-right-hand side of the
page. More help.
Create a club. Find a category that matches your club, then click on "Create a Club" in the upper-right-hand side of the page. More help.
3rd Essential:
