2018 Job Searcher s Journal #1: My Language Needs

Transcription

1 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #1: My Language Needs (A) How important to you are the following areas? (Now or in the future) VERY IMPORTANT FAIRLY IMPORTANT SOME IMPORTANCE NO IMPORTANCE 1.Understanding international business English at meetings/conferences 2.Active participation in meetings/conferences (sharing my ideas/information) 3.Planning and performing effective business presentations in English 4.Translating business information quickly and clearly 5.Negotiating in English (agreeing on plans, prices, contracts, etc.) 6.Conducting business in English over the telephone 7.English conversation skills for occasional informal and/or social situations 8.English conversation skills for daily informal and/or social situations 9.Understanding complicated writings (technical articles, contracts, etc.) 10.Understanding everyday business writings (letters, s, faxes, etc.) 11.Understanding social/personal writings (letters, s, text messages) 12.Writing business documents (resumes, letters, s, etc.) 13.Writing for personal/social purposes (letters, s, text messages) 14.Using English for general travel needs (hotels, transportation, etc.) (B) Rate your abilities in the following areas (Be honest!) Maybe in the Probably as good Not as good as top 10% of as most people in most people this class this class in this class It s really hard It s impossible 5 1.Listening comprehension in long and/or complicated English situations 5 2.Listening comprehension in short and/or simple English situations 5 3.English conversation dealing with complicated and/or important information 5 4.English conversation for simple social and/or personal reasons 5 5.Understanding complicated and/or lengthy writings in English 5 6.Understanding simple and/or short writings in English 5 7.Producing complicated and/or lengthy writings in your native language 5 8.Producing simple and/or short writings in your native language 5 9.Producing complicated and/or lengthy writings in English 5 10.Producing simple and/or short writings in English 5 11.Planning and performing effective presentations in your native language 5 12.Planning and performing effective presentations in English

2 5 13.Translating English for other speakers of your native language 5 14.Translating your native language for English speakers 5 (C) Evaluate your attitude about work. (Check the best answer in your opinion) 1. MOTIVATION I have so much energy, I actually inspire other people to do their work! I can work better if I understand why the assignment needs to be done. I m a self-starter; having a task to do is all the motivation I need. I m close to average in this area. I m not a cheerleader, but I m not deadwood, either. Do we have to do it? If I have to do it, I ll do it, but we shouldn t waste our time. I usually have proper motivation, but some tasks are definitely more fun than others. 2. GROUP DYNAMICS I m close to average in group situations. Group work, solo work, it doesn t matter. I m a team player; I ll do my part, but I prefer not to be the leader. Give me the ball! Leader or not, I m the star of the team! Group work is often wasteful. I work better when I m working alone. I m not afraid to be in charge, even if it means responsibility and taking charge. I m not afraid to be in charge, but I m probably more effective as assistant manager. 3. EFFICIENCY I m the tortoise; slow and steady. I make schedules and I meet all my deadlines. I m so busy right now, so I must choose between doing it right or doing it on time. I work well under pressure and usually get the job done just before the time is up. When I can focus on one thing, I m much more relaxed and efficient. I multi-task; I always have several projects going on and usually manage them. I m close to average in efficiency. Everyone does better with more time and less work. 4. ADAPTABILITY/STABILITY Why do things always have to change? It s better to follow the traditional path. The old way is boring! We should always try to stay just ahead of the cutting edge! I m close to average about change. Some things should change; some shouldn t. Too much change is dangerous. Tradition provides a safe and solid foundation. Avoiding change is dangerous. Tradition is comfortable, but that can make us lazy. I respect tradition, but am often excited by change. Fusion of the two is the best! (D) Evaluate your attitude about education and classrooms. 1.THE CLASSROOM The professor provides goals, methods and evaluation. We listen and learn. We know what we need to learn and how to learn it. The professor helps us do that. The professor and the students need to be equally involved in the learning process. Structure and schedule are most important in the learning process. Synergy and innovation are most important in the learning process. Correction and evaluation are most important in the learning process. 2.YOUR CLASSMATES Most students are lazy and don t care about learning, they just want an easy grade. Most students work hard and sincerely want to improve their abilities. Most students do their work but only for a grade, not for self-improvement. Most students follow the example set by the instructor of the class. Most students follow the example set by the strongest student in the class. Most students follow their own goals regardless of the instructor or other students. 3.THIS CLASS I m taking this class because I like the professor. I m taking this class because it will help my business career after graduation. I m taking this class because I want to improve my English skills. I m taking this class because my friend is taking this class. I m taking this class because I need points for graduation. I m taking this class because it fit into my time schedule. 4.LEARNING ENGLISH I need English skills only to get a good TOEIC score and a good job. I need English skills because my future career will require them. I am sick of English and I really dislike having to study it. I love studying English and enjoy bilingual communication. I expect to live in an English-speaking country in the future. I don t really expect to be able to use English comfortably.

3 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #2: Setting My Goals From The Job Searcher s Handbook (4 th edition) by Carolyn R. Robbins (Pearson Education, Boston, USA, 2010): In a study at Yale University, 20 questions were asked of graduating seniors. Three had to do with goals: Have you set goals? Have you written them down? Do you have a plan to accomplish them? Only 3 percent answered yes to those three questions. Twenty years later, surviving members of that class participated in another study. The 3 percent who had said yes to goals were more happily married, more successful, had a better family life, and enjoyed better health than their non- goal- oriented classmates. University students should have short- term goals (which can be accomplished in a few weeks or a few months) as well as long- term goals (which may require one or several years to reach). Do you remember the benefit statements assignment from earlier in the semester? You should also be creating some goal statements for your personal development, and being as specific as possible in answering three questions: What exactly is the goal? When do you expect to reach this goal? Most importantly, How are you going to reach this goal? The Job Searcher s Handbook gives seven basic steps for goal statements: 1. State your goal specifically and completely so you know exactly what it is that you desire. 2. Set dates for your short- term and long- term goals. 3. Goals should be realistic and reachable, but don t be afraid to strive for something that seems a bit out of reach. 4. Goals must be measurable (in other words, you should be able to recognize and measure your progress). 5. Make certain your goals are your very own goals, not things everyone wants, or things someone else wants for you. (I put this in bold type because this is Korea, and most of the time, when students tell me their goals yeah, their goals are exactly like all other university students, or they tell me what their parents want them to do.) 6. Have fun! (That doesn t mean your life is a game, or that this isn t a serious way to approach your future. I ve always told students that the times in my life when I was most successful were times when I was also having some fun which helped me enjoy the success.) 7. It s critical that you identify your internal roadblocks, self- imposed barriers that could cause you to self- sabotage no matter how good your plans are. (In other words, if you think you are not good enough, or not smart enough, to accomplish the goals that s a roadblock. If you think I can do that, but not in Korea, that s a roadblock.) Here s our form for the second journal: 1. I believe setting goals is important because: 2. My immediate goal is:

4 3. The main benefits and rewards (internal and external) I will receive from reaching this goal are: 4. The roadblocks (internal: wrong thinking, assumptions, etc., and external: lack of skills, lack of training, etc.) that I need to remove to reach my goal are: 5. Actions I am going to take to get rid of these roadblocks are: 6. The skills and knowledge I need to reach my goal (skills and knowledge I have now or those I need to acquire) are: 7. Individuals, clubs, organizations and groups that can help me attain my goal: 8. My action plan (the specific steps that I must take to reach the goal) is: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. I promise myself, and my professor that I will follow the steps I ve just outlined. I see myself already reaching my goal in the future, and I will do everything in my power to reach this goal. Today s date: Date for the completion of my goal: My signature:

5 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #3: My Personal Values Too many university students start their job search experience without knowing what they are really looking for. When asked, what kind of job do you want? most students will reply simply, I want a good job, or I want to work for a big company. Students have too much pressure from family, school, and society, and as a result, often do not even think about self- analysis. The purpose of this assignment is to help you think about what is important to you, especially in terms of what type of job you want, why you want it, and why you will be good at performing that job. This may actually help you express yourself better in your cover letter and/or your job interview. Part One: Rank the following 1-10 in order of importance (1 is least important, 10 is most important). recognition independence respect challenge/variety money/compensation honesty health family personal pride/satisfaction education Part Two: If there are other values not listed that you feel are important to you, list them here: Part Three: Find the two values you ranked as 10 (most important) and 1 (least important) above. Briefly explain why. Values can be divided into three categories: things and processes, personal values, and social values. Here are a few examples of each kind of value: THINGS AND PROCESSES Prefer to work in a clean, orderly environment. Can tolerate an untidy workplace. Prefer many regulations and strict guidelines. Prefer few regulations and loose guidelines. Money is important. Promotion/advancement is important. Prefer wearing casual clothing at work. Prefer wearing business clothing at work. Prefer a slow-paced work environment. Prefer a fast-paced work environment. Want a variety of assignments. Want to do the same assignments every day. Will work more hours for more pay. Prefer time off, even if the pay is lower. Would like a flexible work schedule. Want a regular work schedule. Like to travel. Do not want to travel. PERSONAL VALUES Honesty from boss and co-workers. Respect from boss and co-workers. Like to work with details. Like to work with the big picture. Like to take work home. Want to leave work at work. Need to feel a sense of achievement. Would like a position of power/status. Need to feel personal pride and satisfaction. Want recognition for my efforts. Prefer autonomy (no supervisor looking over my shoulder). Health. Opportunity for further education/training. SOCIAL VALUES Prefer to work in a team. Prefer to work alone. Like to work directly with customers. Like to work indirectly to support customers. Like to communicate face to face with others. Prefer to communicate with messages and e- mail. Like to supervise others. Don t want responsibility of supervision. Family responsibility.

6 Giving some thought to what is really important in your life will help you to make choices about your career. List the things you value in your personal life and professional life. You can use the values listed on the other page, but you can also include other values that are not on the list. Place the most important thing in the 1 position, the second- most important in 2, etc What type of value is generally more important to you between things and processes, personal values, and social values? Can you briefly explain why?

7 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #4: How s My Attitude? Please answer the 15 questions as honestly as possible, using the following scoring system: Strongly Agree Agree Unsure Disagree Strongly Disagree I take time to admire flowers or something pretty at school and at home. 2. I think my fortune will increase and life will be better for me next year. 3. I hate to work closely with people. I prefer to work alone and be responsible for my own work. 4. I think the social values and wok ethic of this nation are getting worse quickly. 5. Employers look for people not only for their skills but also for their ability to deal effectively with others, and contribute to the company s growth. 6. I think it s right to resent people who have done something bad to me. 7. I believe it is a waste of time to set goals because things change so fast, it doesn t do any good to have goals. 8. When my life changes, at home, school, or work, I welcome the changes and try to find ways to take advantage of the new system. 9. It really isn t important whether I get along with others because I m really good at what I do. 10. When someone informs me that I have made an error or done something wrong, I know they are just trying to put me down and build themselves up. 11. I often give compliments to others and recognize their good work. 12. A wise person admits their mistakes. 13. When I look at my life, I see more mistakes and failures than I see successes. 14. The way I think about my classes or my job makes me more productive. 15. I have problems with other people because they just don t understand me. Discussion: Which of the above statements to you feel the strongest about (either really agree or really disagree)? Why is that?

8 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #5: My Interests, Wants and Needs For each list, rank the items according to how important they are to you, using a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 the least important and 10 the most important. What do I want for myself? (Your own personal wants and needs) popularity wealth a nice body good friends recognition good health privacy true love a family reputation as a good person, an intellectual, and/or a hard worker What do I want from my job/career? social status, position money satisfaction good coworkers a good boss a challenge benefits chance to advance variety good working environment What do I want for my future? (5, 10, or 15 years from now) more education new interests nice home emotional growth technology nice car chance to travel good health free time recognition as one of the best in my field What do I like to do in my free time? watch TV at home play sports write computer games art or crafts read new things/new friends go to movies sleep whatever my friends want to do; hang out; drink alcohol Of all the items you ranked as 10, which one is the most important to you? Why?

9 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #6: Who Am I? Answer the following questions to discover the things you honestly enjoy and those that you are especially good at. Try to be as honest as possible you re not trying to impress me; you re trying to discover the real you. 1. In all the areas of my life, what things do I do really well? 2. What is the highest position I believe I can achieve in my future career? 3. What things am I doing now (or have done in the past) that were the most enjoyable or rewarding to me? 4. If I had three specific wishes, (1) who would I be; (2) what would I be doing; and (3) who would I be doing it with? 5. What are the things I get compliments about from other people? 6. What has been my greatest accomplishment so far? What skills did I use to help me accomplish this? 7. On the back of this paper, please describe your imaginary ideal day in complete and vivid detail: describe colors, places, feelings, sounds, etc. Let your imagination run free!

10 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #7: My Priorities You will need your responses from Journal #5 Interests, Wants and Needs to complete this assignment. I m asking you to select your top five personal desires and your top five professional desires. They can be from any of the four areas. Give each the same points as you did on Journal #5. Your scores should give you a good idea of where your top priorities lie, and give you a direction as to what kinds of companies and positions you should look for that would offer you the kind of personal and professional success you really want. What do your total points tell you? PERSONAL PRIORITIES TOTAL POINTS POINTS PROFESSIONAL PRIORITIES TOTAL POINTS POINTS

11 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #8: My Strength Inventory Mark an X beside those strengths that describe you as you are now. Then circle the 10 that are most like you. When you finish, you will have a list of specific items for selling yourself in your cover letter and during the job interview. You will also use these 10 skills in Journal #10. (This is also a good English vocabulary exercise!) Academic Dignified Logical Retiring Accurate Discreet Loyal Robust Active Dominant Mature Self-confident Adaptable Eager Methodical Sensible Adventurous Easygoing Meticulous Sensitive Affectionate Efficient Mild Serious Aggressive Emotional Moderate Sharp-witted Alert Energetic Modest Sincere Ambitious Enterprising Natural Sociable Artistic Enthusiastic Obliging Spontaneous Assertive Fair-minded Open-minded Spunky Attractive Farsighted Opportunistic Stable Bold Firm Optimistic Steady Broad-minded Flexible Organized Strong Businesslike Forceful Original Strong-minded Calm Formal Outgoing Sympathetic Capable Frank Painstaking Tactful Careful Friendly Patient Teachable Cautious Generous Peaceable Tenacious Charming Gentle Persevering Thorough Cheerful Good-natured Pleasant Thoughtful Clear thinker Healthy Poised Tolerant Clever Helpful Polite Tough Competent Honest Practical Trusting Competitive Humorous Precise Trustworthy Confident Idealistic Progressive Unaffected Conscientious Imaginative Prudent Unassuming Conservative Independent Purposeful Understanding Considerate Individualized Quick Unexcitable Cool Industrious Quiet Uninhibited Cooperative Informal Rational Verbal Courageous Ingenious Realistic Versatile Creative Intellectual Reasonable Warm Curious Intelligent Reflective Wholesome Daring Inventive Relaxed Wise Deliberate Kind Reliable Witty Democratic Leisurely Reserved Zany Dependable Lighthearted Resourceful Determined Likable Responsible

12 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #9: My Skills Assessment This is an opportunity for you to assess all of your abilities, your marketable skills (technical, educational, personal), and your achievements. Don t leave anything out: even though you might believe it isn t significant, you may discover an employer who is looking for that particular skill, ability, or expertise. 1. List all of your personal qualities and characteristics, such as dependability, enthusiasm, honesty, high energy level, tact, cooperativeness, punctuality, and sense of humor. 2. List all your marketable skills that are work related, such as leadership, ability to learn quickly and retain what you learn, effectiveness at prioritizing, innovation, and investigative and problem- solving skills. 3. List your vocational and educational skills. Examples: computer programming and networking; computer maintenance and repair; information technology auditor; search engine optimizer; service- related skills such as hospitality, medical, and accounting; and mechanical or drawing skills. 4. List all of your accomplishments: personal, educational, and job related. A high grade point average (GPA), scholarships earned, honors, improvements in workplaces that you created, promotions, volunteer work, and community service are all achievements that can sell an employer on your value to them and help you get a job offer. Now pick 16 skills/abilities that you listed above or in Assignment 8. Rate these skills from 0-10, with 10 meaning you feel perfectly confident in the ability to perform a task requiring that skill or ability 100% of the time. A score of 5 means you think you could use that skill or ability to perform a task 50% of the time. A score of 0 means you think you could never use that task or ability.

13 Be as honest as possible. You can have more than one skill or ability rated 10, but this exercise is meaningless if you really think all of your skills are perfect. The lower scores should represent areas that you should improve to improve your chances of getting the job you want. The higher scores represent the skills or abilities that you really should focus on in your benefit statements, cover letters and job interviews.

14 2018 Job Searcher s Journal #10: Re-Setting My Goals Review the #2 assignment, Setting My Goals. Have any of your goals changed, or have you changed your opinion about benefits, roadblocks, or important skills/abilities? Maybe you have changed your action plan, or maybe you have already made progress on removing your roadblocks, or following your plan. Record any changes here (if there are no changes in some areas, just write no change ). 1. I believe setting goals is important because: 2. My immediate goal is: 3. The main benefits and rewards (internal and external) I will receive from reaching this goal are: 4. The roadblocks (internal: wrong thinking, assumptions, etc., and external: lack of skills, lack of training, etc.) that I need to remove to reach my goal are: 5. Actions I am going to take to get rid of these roadblocks are: 6. The skills and knowledge I need to reach my goal (skills and knowledge I have now or those I need to acquire) are: 7. Individuals, clubs, organizations and groups that can help me attain my goal: 8. My action plan (the specific steps that I must take to reach the goal) is: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. I promise myself, and my professor that I will follow the steps I ve just outlined. I see myself already reaching my goal in the future, and I will do everything in my power to reach this goal. Today s date: Date for the completion of my goal: My signature: