Youth - Looking for a Job, Section 1

Will the Real "You" Please Step Forward?

Did you ever notice how some people can bounce right back, even if they've been turned down for a job they wanted? They have a positive attitude, and that means they're more likely to succeed the next time.

Being yourself is the best way to get jobs you really like. But who are you? Do you have a good opinion of your own abilities? Your attitude has as much to do with finding and keeping a job as your skills and knowledge.

Attitude Quiz

A positive attitude comes from feeling good about who you are.

Answer the questions to help you understand how you feel about yourself.

This isn't a test - it's a discovery mission into who you are. Be honest with yourself and you'll get the best results. Write the number that best applies to you in the fourth column. And remember, there are no right or wrong answers.

Attitude Quiz

	Mostly	Some-times	Almost Never	Your Answer
I give myself credit.	1	2	3
I look for the positive side in situations.	1	2	3
I know my strengths.	1	2	3
I identify my weak areas and see them as challenges to work on.	1	2	3
I learn from my mistakes.	1	2	3
I know what I want from life.	1	2	3
I can put my wishes into words.	1	2	3
I can set limits or boundaries so that others respect them.	1	2	3
I speak up when I disagree with someone, or when I believe something is wrong.	1	2	3
I listen to, and try to understand, other people's points of view.	1	2	3
I deal with anger constructively.	1	2	3
I control my temper.	1	2	3
If I criticise myself, I can stop.	1	2	3
I usually see myself as the person I want to be.	1	2	3
I say no to drugs or alcohol, even when I am feeling stressed out.	1	2	3
I can resolve conflicts both within myself and with others.	1	2	3
I compare my behaviour today with what I did in the past, instead of with other people's behaviour.	1	2	3
Total for "Your Answer" column:

How did you do?

To figure out your attitude, add up your answers in the fourth column and write your total at the bottom of the table. If you score:

17-24 You have a healthy attitude.
25-42 Your attitude is okay, but you need to focus more on the positive.
43-51 Your attitude needs some attention.

Positive Attitude Tips

Attitude is your choice - think positive! Here are some tips to a positive attitude:

• Think about life as an adventure filled with exciting unknowns.
• Look for the best in every situation. Where is the plus? Is there opportunity here?
• Decide what you want in life and stay true to your values and beliefs.
• Avoid using 'quick fixes' as solutions to problems.
• Know your strengths and remind yourself of them every day.
• Identify your weaknesses - see them as limitations rather than flaws.
• Build on your strengths and find ways to reduce your limitations.
• Learn from your mistakes. Plan a different way to handle it next time.
• Speak up for yourself and put your pride into words? Say what you feel.
• Always try to speak the truth.
  • Be proud of who you are.

How "Personable" Are You?

Did you know that your personality plays a big role in how you find and keep work? It shows every time you write or talk about yourself, and it can be key to your success.

Do you have the kind of traits, attitudes, temperament and personality that will make you a responsible and competent worker?

Read the statements below. Check off under "Absolutely" or "I Could Do Better", depending on which best describes you.

Answer as accurately as you can to make sure you get a true picture of your real personality.

How Personable Are You?

Personality Characteristic	Absolutely	I Could Do Better
I'm honest.
I'm reliable and dependable - people can count on me.
I'm prompt - I don't miss appointments.
I'm sincere.
I take pride in my appearance and dress appropriately.
I'm friendly.
I can handle criticism well.
I'm polite and respectful.
I'm creative — I like to come up with new ideas.
I'm confident about what I can do.
I enjoy challenges that really make me think.
I'm sociable — I enjoy being around people.
I'm motivated and enthusiastic about what I do.
I'm flexible.
I'm a self-starter — I don't need to be told about the work that needs doing.
I'm proud when I've done something well.
I'm loyal and can make commitments.
I'm curious.
I'm resourceful — I like to think of ways to solve problems without relying on others.

If you checked off most of these statements under "Absolutely", you have personable skills that are well suited for today's workplace.

Your Interests = Your Career

The things you like to do can often give you an idea of the kind of job that you would be good at. What are you interested in? Do you know the field of work you would enjoy most?

Interests Quiz

Here's an exercise that can help you sort out your interests.

Respond "Yes" or "No" to the statements in the next quiz.

Your Interests = Your Career

	Yes	No
1. I'd rather make something than read a book.
2. I enjoy problem-solving games and working at puzzles.
3. I like helping other people when they need it.
4. I enjoy reading and learning about new topics.
5. I like working with my hands.
6. I like being the leader in a group of people.
7. I prefer to know all the facts before I tackle a problem.
8. I like to take care of other people.
9. I enjoy designing, inventing or creating things.
10. I enjoy expressing myself through art, music, or writing.
11. I would like a job where I can deal with people all day.
12. I like working with materials and equipment.
13. I enjoy learning new facts and ideas.
14. I find co-operating with other people comes naturally to me.
15. I like finding out how things work by taking them apart.
16. I would rather work with machines and things than with people.
17. I can usually persuade people to do things my way.
18. I enjoy building and repairing things.
19. I enjoy the research part of my projects.
20. I like being with people.
21. I enjoy thinking up different ideas and ways to do things.
22. I like hearing other people's opinions.
23. I enjoy learning how to use different tools.
24. I find it easy to follow written instructions.

To find areas of work that may interest you, compare your answers to the numbers in the following groups.

Numbers 1, 5, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18, 23.

• If you have responded "Yes" to most of these numbers, you are probably a "hands-on" type of person. You like to work with tools and machines, make things with your hands, fix and maintain equipment, or find out how things work. Jobs you might like are found in engineering, product manufacturing, construction, repair and servicing, transportation, trades and technology.

Numbers 2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 19, 21, 24.

• If you have responded "Yes" to most of these numbers, you are probably an "information" person. You like to express yourself through writing, music or art, perform experiments or research, solve puzzles and problems, or study and read. Jobs dealing with information are found in arts and entertainment, business and finance, scientific research, sales and services, tourism, law and government.

Numbers 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 22.

• If you have responded "Yes" to most of these numbers, you are probably a "people" person. You like to care for and help others, encourage people, work as part of a team, and lead and supervise others. Jobs dealing with people are found in health care, education and training, social work and counselling, and religion.

What's Important To You?

The things that are most important to you are called values. As you progress along your personal journey in life, you set values for things such as being happy in your home or job, being independent, being healthy, having friends, and making money.

You're the only one who truly knows what your values are. Your responses to the following statements will help you figure out what your values are, and could help you get a basic understanding of what type of job you would like to do.

What's Important to You

Values - It's important to me to:	Yes	Sometimes	No
Have good health.
Learn new things.
Grow personally.
Have time and energy for my "off the job" life.
Meet new people.
Have a lot of friends.
Have a steady job.
Have a boss who is fair.
Work in a comfortable place.
Work in a safe place.
Work with people I like.
Know exactly what to do.
Make the world a better place.
Do something I feel is important.
Make a lot of money.
See the results of my work.
Have an important job title.
Have good family relationships.
Be responsible for other workers.
Protect the environment.
Grow spiritually.
Do physical work.
Have a chance for promotion (more pay or a more important position.)
Make the world more beautiful.
Finish a difficult task.
Do a job well.
Make decisions together with other people.
Be my own boss.
Be creative, come up with new things or ideas.
Set my own hours of work.
Use my head.
Have a few close friends.
Have a challenging job.
Work on just one thing at a time.
Work on a lot of different things at the same time.
Have an interesting job.
Have an exciting job.
Have an easy job.

List some other things that are important to you:

1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________
6. _____________________________________________
7. _____________________________________________
8. _____________________________________________
9. _____________________________________________
10. _____________________________________________

What's Important to You Quiz

Identify Your Skills

Build on what you have to offer

Everything you learn and every skill you have acquired becomes part of your personal toolkit. You carry these "tools" with you as you move through school and into the job market. When you develop a skill or gain experience in one place, and put what you've learned to use someplace else, you are using transferable skills.

These skills can come from a lot of places - paid work, volunteering in your community, school, and even through your hobbies.

The next step on your journey is to identify your transferable skills. Look through the following lists and check off every skill that you think you have.

Skills Inventory

Key Skills - I can:	Hands-on Skills - I can:
Meet deadlines Supervise others Solve problems Teach others and give clear instructions Manage people Organize and manage projects Speak in public Accept responsibility Plan daily work or special events	Assemble kits Build or repair things Work well with my hands Operate tools or machinery Use complex equipment Drive or operate vehicles Inspect and maintain equipment or vehicles
Data/Information Skills - I can:	Leadership Skills - I can:
Make a budget, manage money Record facts, classify information by date Analyze data, audit and maintain records Check information for accuracy Pay attention to details Investigate and clarify results Locate answers, gather information Calculate or compute Evaluate Take inventory Keep financial records Research and write reports	Arrange meetings or social functions Be competitive when necessary Make decisions Direct the work of others Help set goals for my team Explain things to others Solve problems Motivate people Settle disagreements Plan activities and put them into action Take risks when necessary Organize and chair a meeting Show self-confidence
People Skills - I can:	Creative/Artistic Skills - I can:
Help and care for others Manage conflicts, resolve issues Counsel people Be tactful and diplomatic Interview people Be kind and understanding Be a good listener Negotiate Be outgoing Show patience Be pleasant and sociable Supervise, teach Be tough when necessary Trust people, my instincts	Be artistic Write short stories or articles Draw or create other art Express myself through music, poetry or art Design posters, draw cartoons and illustrations Perform and act Present artistic ideas Dance, create body movement Use computers to create presentations Design and lay out web pages Achieve high scores in video games
Verbal Skills/Communication skills - I can:
Clearly express myself Talk easily with others Create and talk about new ideas Design presentations Be inventive Conduct research in a library or on the Internet Set up my own network of experts, or helpers Be logical Speak in public Write clear and concise reports Work well with others

Find Your Hidden Skills

As you might have guessed, hidden skills are the ones you don't know you have. Here's how to find them.

Suppose you work in a coffee shop. Not much to learn here, you say. Think again. You've really learned a lot more than you think. For example, you've learned how to:

• follow recipes, mix ingredients, set temperatures, bake muffins, and mix a variety of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks;
• work with complex equipment;
• operate a cash register, make change, and balance the day's receipts; and
• work with others under sometimes busy or stressful situations.

Here are some transferable skills that you developed that you can use in another job:

• manual skills
• computer skills
• financial and numbers skills
• teamwork
• patience

And you learned other things too, such as:

• how to manage time responsibly;
• how to organize your work;
• how to serve customers in a professional manner;
• how the business operates; health regulations related to selling food to the public;
• how employees are promoted, and why;
• how to take responsibility for someone else's property;
• how to manage store inventory; and
• how to display products so people will buy them.

More skills are hidden here:

• marketing skills
• communications skills
• promotional skills
• creative skills
• planning skills

Do you know what other transferable skills can be found in this job? It is all in how you talk, or write about what you do. In every job you develop a certain level of responsibility, skills and experience that will make you a good candidate for another job down the road.

So let's look at the things you have done, or learned. Make a list of things you've learned through your hobbies, work, or volunteering.

Example:

• I have developed "marketing and creative skills" while developing window displays to attract customers.
• I have developed "communications skills" while serving customers and working with my co-workers.
• I have developed "promotional skills" while helping customers decide what to order.
• I have developed "planning skills" while organizing my daily tasks and responsibilities.
• I have developed "financial skills" while making change, ordering inventory and balancing the day's receipts.

Now you can fill in some of the things that you have learned:

1. ________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________

Identify Your Job-related Skills

Job-related skills are those that you need for a particular job. An office worker needs computer and keyboarding skills, a mechanic has to understand repairs and how to use tools, and a cashier must be able to make change and use a cash register.

You can build these skills in a number of ways, through:

• courses or training you've taken;
• other jobs and volunteer work; and
• hobbies, family activities, and social experiences.

Using the chart below, write down the job you're interested in and then list some of the job-related skills that could apply.

You can repeat the exercise for every job you want to apply for. (Hint: Look back at some of the exercises you've just completed. You will find that you already have a good list of your skills and abilities.)

Job I'm interested in: _________________________________

Job-related skills I have gained from my school courses or other training:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

Job-related skills I've used in other work or volunteer experiences:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

Job-related skills I've gained from hobbies, family activities or other experiences outside work or school:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

Hidden skills I have found which apply to this job:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

Transferable skills I have developed which apply to this job:

• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________
• _____________________________________

The first step in your journey to that new job is complete.

If you've done all the exercises, you should now be able to see just who you are, what you have done, and what you are capable of. And better yet, you have a clearer idea on where you may want to go. You've also gained something too. You have a list of your skills, abilities and experience -all the things you've learned from all sorts of places - and that list is something you can build a résumé with.

The next step in your job search is to find out what employers are looking for and what skills, knowledge and abilities you'll need to get the job you want. Once you have these elements, you can learn how to put them together into a resume that will work for you.