More Valuable Than Gold

If you ever fantasized about getting rich, your thoughts may have been of jewels, stocks, real estate, or even collecting art. If you really want to do well, you’ll need to know about the most valuable commodity in the world, information. That’s right, information can be more valuable than any other treasure, including gold. I tell you this because job seekers can benefit greatly from a recent windfall. I’m going to show you how information can improve your job skills and resume, i.e., improve your chances of getting hired. First, I’ll have you read some information recently published then I’ll tell you how job seekers should use that information.

Americans are not ready to work

In a recent study by The Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resource Management, reveals that employers believe the US is NOT preparing students for 21st century business needs. Students still need basic skills in reading, writing, math, and science. In addition to those areas the most important skills cited by employers are:

Professionalism/Work Ethic
Oral and Written Communications
Teamwork/Collaboration and
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving.

You can learn more about the Partnership for 21st Century Skills at their web site: http://21stcenturyskills.org

If you don’t mind a lifetime of repeating. “Do you want fries with that?” then read no further. However, if you’re looking for a job that pays a livable wage – one that will afford you the opportunity to buy a house as well as afford all the other expenses that accompany an independent life, then you’ll want to look at this survey more closely and understand how it pertains to every job applicant, not including those already well versed with the “fries” question.

According to the survey, High School Graduates are:

“Deficient” in the basic knowledge and skills of Writing in English, Mathematics, and Reading Comprehension,
“Deficient” in Written Communications and Critical Thinking/Problem Solving, both of which may be dependent on basic knowledge and skills,
“Deficient” in Professionalism/Work Ethic, and
“Only Adequate” in three “very important” applied skills: Information Technology Application, Diversity, and Teamwork/Collaboration.

Two-Year and Four-College Graduates are better prepared than high school graduates for the entry-level jobs but,

“Deficient” in Writing in English and Written Communications, and
“Deficient” in Leadership.

Give Them What They Want

In case the obvious ramifications haven’t hit you in the head yet let me tell you what all this means. The perspicacious student will recognize this information as manna from heaven. This information tells you exactly what to put on your resume to get that all important interview, and subsequently, a job. You, the job applicant, must show you have the above mentioned skills. There are two ways to do that, assuming you HAVE the above mentioned skills. First, on your resume, highlight these skills, or secondly you can highlight those skills via their definitions. In other words, on your resume you can say you are well grounded in Critical Thinking/Problem Solving— or you can say you Exercise sound reasoning and analytical thinking to use knowledge, facts, and data to solve workplace problems; also you apply math and science concepts to problem solving.

Use the definitions below to incorporate in your resume.
Oral Communications—Articulate thoughts, ideas clearly and effectively; have public speaking skills.

Written Communications—Write memos, letters and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.

Teamwork/Collaboration—Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers; be able to work with diverse teams, negotiate and manage conflicts.

Diversity—Learn from and work collaboratively with individuals representing diverse cultures, races, ages, gender, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints.

Information Technology Application—Select and use appropriate technology to accomplish a given task, apply computing skills to problem-solving.

Leadership—Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals; use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others.

Creativity/Innovation—Demonstrate originality and inventiveness in work; communicate new ideas to others; integrate knowledge across different disciplines.

Lifelong Learning/Self Direction—Be able to continuously acquire new knowledge and skills; monitor one’s own learning needs; be able to learn from one’s mistakes.

Professionalism/Work Ethic—Demonstrate personal accountability, effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time and workload management.

Ethics/Social Responsibility—Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior; act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind.

In addition to highlighting those skills in your resume and cover letter, you will also want to reiterate those skills in your interview. If asked for a references, make sure your former employer or other references mention those skills if you legitimately have them.

Give Them More of What They Want

Your cover letter and resume is some indication of your written communication skills so double check your spelling and grammar. Your future employer will sum up your verbal communication skills during the interview. If you don’t have those skills, get them. Whether you are seeking your first job or tenth job, those skills will hold you in good stead and can be readily acquired by the more ambitious souls out there. You can take courses in college to teach you the prerequisite skills. If, for whatever reason, school is not an endearing option then for written communication you may want to join a writer’s club. Other, more experienced writers in the club can give you feedback on your work. For verbal skills, try joining Toast Masters or the like. You won’t acquire the skills you need overnight but even mentioning membership in these clubs on your resume will win favor. If you aren’t looking for work, these organizations will still help you improve your written and oral skills. These skills can help you advance in your company.

Leadership is another quality prized by employers. You may try joining the Jaycees, a young men and women leadership training organization (http://www.usjaycees.org/ ). I was a member of the Santa Fe Jaycees. Joining the Jaycees was one of the best things I’ve ever done. In addition to gaining leadership skills you will have the opportunity to network for another job. The Jaycees can also teach you oral and written skills, ethics and social responsibility, and well, all the other skills listed above. It may take you a year or more to learn these skills but believe me, it’s worth it. If you don’t use all those skills on your next job you will soon thereafter.

Volunteering in community organizations is another bright move. I’ve mentioned this more than once. First, it’s good for the community. Secondly, it will help you acquire skills in diversity, ethics, social responsibility, teamwork, collaboration, and leadership. Contact the United Way in your community for a list of non-profit organizations that use volunteers.

You’ll notice that until this point I haven’t mentioned disability at all. It’s a big world out there (I know, I’ve explored much of it) and if you want a job or even a better job you have to think global. Some folks only want to work with organizations that serve people with disabilities. Here’s a news flash: every organization serves people with disabilities. From Apple to Wal-Mart, they all serve folks with disabilities.

If you’re not a technophile, become one. I only mentioned technology earlier by way of information technology application. This is a vital skill in today’s work force. The hard reality is: if you don’t have technology skills, employers will hire folks who do have those skills.

Now rewrite your resume the way I told you and join a civic organization, preferably the Jaycees. When you get that high paying job because of my instruction then you can buy me lunch. If you don’t follow my advice then “Yes, I do want fries with that.”