Ch 2 Financial Aspects of Career Planning
Monday, February 2, 2026 9:15 AM
Career Choice Factors
- A job
○ An employment position attained only to earn money
- A career
○ A commitment to a profession that requires continued training & offers a
path for professional growth
Trade offs of Career Decisions
- Your income, business associates & leisure time are direct results of the work you
do along w/ risk & opportunity costs
○ Some people place family & personal relationships above monetary
rewards & professional recognition
Career Training & Skill Development
- A college degree may not secure your income but more education does increase
your potential earning power & reduces your chances of being unemployed
○ The Skills Gaps
§ The difference between skills needed by employers possessed by
applicants
○ Employability skills (aka transferable skills)
§ Basic capabilities needed for obtaining, maintaining & advancing in a
career
- There are two main workforce area’s you need to be skilled in:
○ Technical Skills
§ Specialized training, aka hard skills, are needed for specific
professions like technology, accounting, law, engineering, health
care, education, marketing, real estate, insurance & law
enforcement
○ General Skills
§ Traits adaptable to varied work situations, aka soft skills, both can be
learned in either school or the work force
□ The ability to work well w/ others in a variety of settings
□ Taking initiative to overcome obstacles & meet challenges
□ An interest in reading to understand technical journals &
financial reports
□ Adapting to conflict
□ Knowledge of computer systems & appliances when working
remotely
□ Effective written/oral skills
□ Understanding personal vs others motivations
□ Awareness of accounting, finance, marketing & other
business fundamentals
- Over a lifetime the earnings of a person w/ a 2 yr degree exceeds 1.8 million while
a person w/ a professional or doctoral can earn up to 4 million
Personal Factors
- Aptitude
○ Natural abilities that people posses i.e. being able to work well w/
numbers, problem solving, creativity and/or physical dexterity
- Interest Inventories
○ Help determine activities that give you satisfaction in various work
situations for those who have great social skills and interacting w/ other
people
Career Decision Making
- Changing personal & workplace factors require you properly asses your career
situation, different entry point depend on personal situations
Career Opportunities: Now & in the Future
- Social Influences
○ Demographic trends
§ Single parents are more likely to work in the food service industry
and/or child care
○ This is who has more accessible leisure time & are more likely working in
gyms for personal fitness, technology, recreational products & services
- Economic Conditions
○ Interest rates, Inflation & Consumer demands
§ Different geographic area’s & salary levels
□ Income is higher in metropolitan area’s where the cost of
living is higher than most
Economic Conditions
- Interest rates, price fluctuations and/or changing global demand for goods &
services affect career opportunities, eliminate the effects of economic factors on
unemployment trends & these factors affect some businesses more than others.
For example, higher interest rates in housing industries are less likely to buy homes
when interest rates are high
Industry trends
- Career opportunities have dwindled in some industries, Others have grown.
Service industries Expected to have the greatest employment potential include:
○ Tech
§ System analyst, data engineer, database & cloud administrator, web
& software developer, network manager, artificial intelligence
specialist, info security analyst, service tech, IT operations
○ Health Care
§ Medical Assistant, Physical Therapist, Home aid, bio tech analyst, lab
tech, registered nurse, nurse assistant, dental hygienist, health
service admin, pandemic tester & contract tracer
○ Medical Tech
§ Microbiologist, Food & drug inspector, Pharmaceutical sales, Public
health specialist, Medical lab manager, Clinical pathologist &
Toxicologist
○ Environmental services
§ Environmental auditor, Environmental consultant, Water quality
analyst, Sustainability analyst, Energy analyst & Urban Planner
○ Business services
§ Supply chain and logistics manager, Social media consultant, Foreign
language translator, Employee benefit manager, Operations analyst,
Research data analyst, statistician (a person who works w/ theories
& numbers in public sectors) home office designer & construction
supervisor
○ Social Services
§ Childcare worker, Elder care coordinator, Family Counselor & Social
service agency administrator
○ Marketing, sales & retailing
§ Digital marketing developer, Social media marketing representative,
Customer service Rep, sales manager w/ technical knowledge with
of electronics, Medical products and financial services
○ Hospitality & food service
§ Resort and hotel admin, Food service manager, Online customer
service rep & Meeting planner
○ Management & Human Resources
§ Clerical supervisor, Recruiter, interviewer, Employee benefit admin
& Employment service worker
○ Education
§ Online Tutor, Corporate trainer, Special education teacher, Language
teacher, Adult education instructor, Teacher for elementary,
Secondary or secondary schools
○ Financial Services
§ Financial advisor, Risk assessment manager, Actuary (A professional
w/ advanced mathematical skills who can measure & analyze risk &
the impact of uncertain future events help businesses manage
future financial stability) accountant, Investment broker, Investment
banker, other positions with knowledge of accounting, finance,
economics & taxes
Employment Search Strategies
- Obtaining Employment Experience
○ Part time Employment
§ Similar to temporary employees, one can attain experience in varied
fields. Many people take advantage of temporary job assignments as
a path to a full time position
○ Volunteer Work
§ Involvement in community organization can provide opportunities
to acquire skills, develop good working habits & make contacts.
○ Internships
§ Provide experience in competitive fields, the ability to make contacts
for the future & now after COVID many internships have expanded
to in person & online for remote work
Campus Projects
- Class assignments & campus activities can be overlooked as work related
experience, you can obtain valuable skills on campus from experience in:
○ Managing, organizing and coordinating people and activities activities as an
officer of a campus organization or class team project
○ Public speaking in class, on campus and community presentations
○ Goal setting, planning, supervising, delegating responsibility in community
service and class project
○ Financial planning and budgeting gained from organizing fundraising
projects, Managing personal finances & Handling funds for campus
organizations
○ Conducting research for projects, Community organization, and campus
activities
Using career information sources
- The four main career informational Sources
○ Library & Media
§ Access to career publications, govt materials, industry reports, news
& magazine articles, TV & radio news reports
○ Online Sources
§ Website, Email contacts, Phone apps, Videos & webinars, Podcasts &
networking site
○ Campus Career Office
§ Career exploration, Planning publication & other resources
§ Résumé & Cover letter assistance
§ Practice Interviews
§ Networking and Mentor programs
§ Internship place
§ Available job listing
○ Business & Personal Contacts
§ Business, Community & Organizations
§ Job training service
§ Professional organization meetings & publications
§ Friends, Relatives & Colleagues
§ Teachers, Employers & Local businesses
Networking
- The process of making & using contacts to obtain & update career info. 70% of
professionals find positions through contacts, responding to job ads accounts for
15% of jobs, the main sources of networking are:
○ Community Organizations
§ A business or civic group that allows for the opportunity to make
contacts
○ Professional Associations
§ This can be work association, business or field association i.e. The
National Association of Nurses, most of these organizations have
reduced fee’s for students
○ Business Contact
§ Advise you about career prep & job opportunities, through friends,
family, school, work, religious services etc
- Effective Networking requires
○ 30 second intro/summary of your abilities, interest & experiences
○ Ask questions to others & talk about their profession/experiences
○ Volunteer for committees & events
Identifying Job Opportunities
- Job Advertisements
○ Job ads were previously found in the news papers & printed media, some
still exist but are now online. In addition to newspaper website, check for
positions offered through community job listings, campus career office &
online resources
- Networking & Career Fairs
○ Utilize personal and business contacts, they are important sources of
employment opportunities, from campus careers, alumni networks and job
listings. Websites like indeed, Vault, Zip Recruiter and Handshake w/ a
focus on college students
- Employment Agencies
○ For profit organizations that help you find a job, be weary of paying their
fees. A paid fee doesn’t guarantee a job. Govt supported services are also
available through your state’s Dept of Labor
- Job Creation
○ Developing an employment position that matches your skills w/ the needs
of an organization, as your skills develop you might create a demand for
your services
Other Job Search Methods
- Visit company websites where you would like to make in person contacts
- Continue looking for opportunities like meeting people who work for these
companies w/ similar qualifications as yours
- Via LinkedIn, you can search for people who:
○ Work in said company/field of interest
○ Have attended your college/university
Applying for Employment
- Qualified people don’t get the jobs they want w/o effective presentation of skills &
experiences, this process involves 3 parts
1. The Resume - A summary of their education, training, experience &
qualifications provides a possible employer an overview of potential
contributions to an organization
2. A Cover Letter - The Correspondence you send w/ a resume to
communicate your interest in a job & obtain an interview
3. The Interview - The formal meeting to discuss a candidates qualifications in
person/online in more detail
Financial & Legal Aspects of Employment
- Accepting a position
○ Do additional research, ask about specific duties & expectations
○ Ask about corporate/company culture
§ The Work Environment
□ Aka management style, work intensity, dress code & social
interactions
- Factors affecting Salary
○ Initial salary will be based on education, training, company size & salaries
comparable for each position. To improve your value be sure to:
§ Ask your supervisor for professional development suggestions
§ Obtain additional training; request expanded duties
§ Take initiative to exceed performance expectations
§ Talk w/ coworkers for idea’s to contribute to team & company
success
○ When negotiating a salary
§ Research comparable positions
§ Prep evidence of your contributions
§ Plan appropriate time & messages for meetings w/ supervisors
§ Emphasize the value of your work to/for your employees
Evaluating Employee Benefits
- Meeting Employee Needs
○ An increase in two income, single income/parent result in a higher need for
child care benefits & leave of absence
○ Elder care for those w/ dependent relatives
○ Others benefit from:
§ a varied/flexible work schedule
§ Virtual set up
§ Legal assistance
§ Counseling for their health
§ Emotional & financial needs
§ Fitness programs
- Flexible Employee w/ Benefit Program
○ AKA cafeteria-styled benefits allow employees to use their benefits on a
credit system & their personal needs
- Financial Literacy for my life: Emerging Employee Benefits
○ Provides info on varied employee benefits
§ Flexible Spending Plans (AKA Expense Reimbursement accounts)
□ Allows you to set aside part of your salary to pay for medical
or dependent care expenses
§ Medical-Savings Account (MSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA)
□ Enables holders to pay health care costs w/ pre taxed dollars
1. Health insurance coverage w/ high deductibles
2. Tax deferred savings account for medical expenses
○ When matching dependent health care needs w/ a medical insurance plan
be sure to consider:
§ Types of services available & location of health care providers
§ Direct costs (aka insurance premium)
§ Anticipated out of pocket costs (deductibles & co-insurance
amounts)
○ Some companies will add to a 401k plan or a 401b
§ A 401b - a non profit organization
○ Vesting
§ When retirement payments are made by the company on your
behalf belong to you even if you no longer work at that company
§ Vesting schedules are varied
□ There are deduction plans for tax purposes
® 1yr ≈ 100% of 5yrs OR
® Have 20% after 3yrs and the rest in stages over the
course of 7yrs
- Comparing Benefits
○ Market Value
§ The monetary value of employee benefits
□ The cost of the benefits IF you had to pay for them
○ Future Value
§ Your ability to asses long term worth of employee benefits
○ Tax exempt
§ When you don’t pay taxes on your income
○ Tax deferred
§ Requires payment of income taxes in the future
- Your Employment Rights
○ A woman can’t be discriminated against for being pregnant
§ This includes reduced hours (unless requested), can’t be forced to go
on leave, if she stops working due to her pregnancy they must get
full credit for previous service, accrued retirement benefits &
accumulated seniority
○ Other rights include
§ A person can not be discriminated against on the basis of:
□ Age, race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin,
mental or physical disabilities and/or sexual orientation
§ Minimum wage & overtime pay legislation apply to individuals in
certain work settings
§ Workers compensation (for either work related injuries and/or
illnesses), Social Security and unemployment insurance are required
benefits
Long Term Career Development
- Training Opportunities
○ Continue to learn about new technologies, diverse cultures, management
strategies & global businesses
○ Formal Trainings include:
§ Company programs, seminars, webinars, graduate programs &
advanced college courses
○ Informal Methods:
§ Reading, open discussions w/ colleagues, webinars in your field of
business, economic, social trends & off the clock meetings w/ other
Career Paths & Advancement
The Stages of Career Development: Characteristics & Concerns
- A Mentor
○ An experienced employee who serves as a teacher & counselor for a less
experienced person in a field
Changing Careers
- Indications to change jobs include:
○ Low motivation towards your current job
○ Physical and/or emotional distress
○ Consistent poor performance evaluations
- Minor adjustments
○ Retail to industry sales
- Major adjustments
○ Retraining for a current position
○ Entry level in a different field
- Other Factors to take into account
○ Consider financial & personal costs
○ Benefits needed to acquire your current goals
○ Being aware of trade offs
§ Losing health insurance for expanded career opportunities
- In the event of life changes that alter society & no longer support modern day long
term work
○ Be aware of company mergers, downsizing, technological advances,
economic conditions, forced career changes
- Recommended activities to cope w/ the stress are:
○ Acknowledge your stress, anxiety, frustration & fears
○ Maintain appropriate eating, sleeping, exercise & social activities
○ Determine sources of emergency funds & cut unnecessary spendings
○ Expand networking activities; your personal contacts, professional
organizations & activities and volunteering
○ Taking assessment tests to see where your skills are
○ Improving career skills by studying
○ Being aware of high growth industries, small business startups & other
emerging opportunities
○ Considering opportunities w/ non profits, temporary employment,
consulting and/or starting your own business
○ Maintaining a positive outlook to communicate confidence
Resumes, Cover letters & Interviews
- Resume Elements
1. The personal data sections
○ A heading including name, phone number, email & mailing address if
required
2. The Career Profile summary section
○ A synopsis of your skills & experience
3. Your Education
○ Dates of schools attended, field of study & degree’s earned. Course
directed info in relation to field of study like; research, team projects &
presentations
4. Your Experience
○ List organizations & dates of service, responsibilities from previous
employment, work related school activities, community services done,
note any computer skills and/or technical abilities of any kind
Use S.T.A.R.
S. Situation or setting
1. Serves as fund-raising for a certain goal
T. Task your duties
1. Prep a plan to raise funds for a social agency
A. Actions you took
1. Administered a team to ask for donations
R. Results
1. The amount of your goal to donate to a certain organization
i. I.e. $1,000 to the homeless shelter
5. The related info section
○ Highlight unique technical expertise like computer skills or a spoken
language, honors/awards, abilities and/or interest in relation to your
career & lastly some hobbies/extracurricular activities your are involved in
to show work/life balance
References
- A list of people who can verify your work abilities & competencies
○ These people can be teachers, previous employers, supervisors and/or
business colleagues - although not usually shown on a resume be sure to
have names, titles, organizations, phone numbers & work addresses
- Work references are not usually shown on a resume, choose people who will give a
balanced view of your strengths
Types of resumes
- Chronological
○ Shows education & experience in reverse order is most used
- Functional
○ More used for those w/ diverse skills & time gaps in there experience like
communications, supervision, project planning etc
○ This type of resume is mostly used when changing careers or
positions/titles
Resume Preparation
- Your resume must be legible on both paper & technology
○ Bullet points, bold lettering & short direct writing is best advised
○ Try to limit your resume to one page if possible, two pages max
○ Be sure to highlight how your experience will contribute to the
organizations needs
- OVERUSED WORDS TO AVOID ON YOUR RESUME
○ Team player, energetic result focused, confident, creative & professional
- Describe your abilities in programs related to your field for research purposes or
an important project at a previous job
○ DONT only say you know Microsoft word, google slide etc
When preparing your resume online be sure to:
- Keep the format simple
- Avoid adding attachment files that might be difficult to open
- Use key words specific to your industry
- Submit online applications using plain text
- Be sure the date is accurate you don’t want your previous/potential employer
thinking this application/resume is an old one
Resume submission
- Be weary of job scams:
○ Never pay a fee to submit your resume
○ If sent by email be sure it’s a specific company email w/ a subject line &
your cover letter
- Follow up w/ a call to confirm resume arrived & on the status of application
FOCUS
Fit - Communicate your sustainability for the company
Objective - Present a goal of your desire & interest in the company
Connect - Provide examples of accomplishments that will benefit you
Unique - Emphasize your distinctive qualities & experiences
Skills - Relate your abilities to company needs & industry trends
Creating a Cover Letter
- A cover letter is designed to obtain an interview, it’s a preview of who you are &
consists of
1.) An intro
○ To communicate your job interests, experience & qualifications, other
approaches also include
§ Your passion for your choice of work
§ Use of a personal story, project and/or activities related to your
position
2.) Developmental paragraphs
○ Should highlight aspects of your background & what qualifies you for the job,
elaborate on various trainings, organizations skills & specific needs
3.) The Concluding paragraph
○ Should request action, ask for a meeting to discuss your qualifications in more
detail aka GET AN INTERVIEW
Key Things to Remember to prep a cover letter:
- Prep a personalized cover letter
- Email or address the letter to the appropriate person
○ In the subj line add email, job title & the position your applying for
- Emphasize your fit for the position & your desire to work for this industry
- Communicate how your skills will serve the needs of the organization
The Job Interview
- Preparing for the Interview
○ Obtain info about your potential employer
1. Do an online search for annual report, company news & industry
trends
2. Observations of company activities & reports
3. Informal discussions w/ current & past employees
4. Conversations w/ people who are knowledgeable about the
company/industry
- A pre interview action to have ready is to ask questions:
○ What qualities do most successful employees possess?
○ What are the expectations & challenges of this position?
○ What do your employees like best about working here?
○ What career development opportunities are available to employees?
○ What market trends/actions of competitors might affect the company in
the future?
- Prep w/ mock interviews
○ Have specific Q’s to practice with explaining how you experience will
contribute to the company
○ Have a theme for your interview that focuses on your main qualifications
§ i.e. Your research abilities, tech skills, personal growth etc
○ Current employees are the best source of info for dress code
○ Have copies of your resume & be there 10-15 minutes before your
interview
The Interview Process
- A Screening Interview
○ An initial, usually brief meeting to determine the best candidates this
includes overall impression & general questions
○ Practice screenings can be done on your campus, phone, online or at a job
fair
○ Some companies disclose the use of credit reports when deciding who to
interview
○ Most interviews conclude with the interviewer giving you a window of time
when you should hear back, in the meantime:
§ Send an email to those you met expressing your thanks for the
interview
§ Repeat your interest in the job and your skills
Monday, February 2, 2026 9:15 AM
Career Choice Factors
- A job
○ An employment position attained only to earn money
- A career
○ A commitment to a profession that requires continued training & offers a
path for professional growth
Trade offs of Career Decisions
- Your income, business associates & leisure time are direct results of the work you
do along w/ risk & opportunity costs
○ Some people place family & personal relationships above monetary
rewards & professional recognition
Career Training & Skill Development
- A college degree may not secure your income but more education does increase
your potential earning power & reduces your chances of being unemployed
○ The Skills Gaps
§ The difference between skills needed by employers possessed by
applicants
○ Employability skills (aka transferable skills)
§ Basic capabilities needed for obtaining, maintaining & advancing in a
career
- There are two main workforce area’s you need to be skilled in:
○ Technical Skills
§ Specialized training, aka hard skills, are needed for specific
professions like technology, accounting, law, engineering, health
care, education, marketing, real estate, insurance & law
enforcement
○ General Skills
§ Traits adaptable to varied work situations, aka soft skills, both can be
learned in either school or the work force
□ The ability to work well w/ others in a variety of settings
□ Taking initiative to overcome obstacles & meet challenges
□ An interest in reading to understand technical journals &
financial reports
□ Adapting to conflict
□ Knowledge of computer systems & appliances when working
remotely
□ Effective written/oral skills
□ Understanding personal vs others motivations
□ Awareness of accounting, finance, marketing & other
business fundamentals
- Over a lifetime the earnings of a person w/ a 2 yr degree exceeds 1.8 million while
a person w/ a professional or doctoral can earn up to 4 million
Personal Factors
- Aptitude
○ Natural abilities that people posses i.e. being able to work well w/
numbers, problem solving, creativity and/or physical dexterity
- Interest Inventories
○ Help determine activities that give you satisfaction in various work
situations for those who have great social skills and interacting w/ other
people
Career Decision Making
- Changing personal & workplace factors require you properly asses your career
situation, different entry point depend on personal situations
Career Opportunities: Now & in the Future
- Social Influences
○ Demographic trends
§ Single parents are more likely to work in the food service industry
and/or child care
○ This is who has more accessible leisure time & are more likely working in
gyms for personal fitness, technology, recreational products & services
- Economic Conditions
○ Interest rates, Inflation & Consumer demands
§ Different geographic area’s & salary levels
□ Income is higher in metropolitan area’s where the cost of
living is higher than most
Economic Conditions
- Interest rates, price fluctuations and/or changing global demand for goods &
services affect career opportunities, eliminate the effects of economic factors on
unemployment trends & these factors affect some businesses more than others.
For example, higher interest rates in housing industries are less likely to buy homes
when interest rates are high
Industry trends
- Career opportunities have dwindled in some industries, Others have grown.
Service industries Expected to have the greatest employment potential include:
○ Tech
§ System analyst, data engineer, database & cloud administrator, web
& software developer, network manager, artificial intelligence
specialist, info security analyst, service tech, IT operations
○ Health Care
§ Medical Assistant, Physical Therapist, Home aid, bio tech analyst, lab
tech, registered nurse, nurse assistant, dental hygienist, health
service admin, pandemic tester & contract tracer
○ Medical Tech
§ Microbiologist, Food & drug inspector, Pharmaceutical sales, Public
health specialist, Medical lab manager, Clinical pathologist &
Toxicologist
○ Environmental services
§ Environmental auditor, Environmental consultant, Water quality
analyst, Sustainability analyst, Energy analyst & Urban Planner
○ Business services
§ Supply chain and logistics manager, Social media consultant, Foreign
language translator, Employee benefit manager, Operations analyst,
Research data analyst, statistician (a person who works w/ theories
& numbers in public sectors) home office designer & construction
supervisor
○ Social Services
§ Childcare worker, Elder care coordinator, Family Counselor & Social
service agency administrator
○ Marketing, sales & retailing
§ Digital marketing developer, Social media marketing representative,
Customer service Rep, sales manager w/ technical knowledge with
of electronics, Medical products and financial services
○ Hospitality & food service
§ Resort and hotel admin, Food service manager, Online customer
service rep & Meeting planner
○ Management & Human Resources
§ Clerical supervisor, Recruiter, interviewer, Employee benefit admin
& Employment service worker
○ Education
§ Online Tutor, Corporate trainer, Special education teacher, Language
teacher, Adult education instructor, Teacher for elementary,
Secondary or secondary schools
○ Financial Services
§ Financial advisor, Risk assessment manager, Actuary (A professional
w/ advanced mathematical skills who can measure & analyze risk &
the impact of uncertain future events help businesses manage
future financial stability) accountant, Investment broker, Investment
banker, other positions with knowledge of accounting, finance,
economics & taxes
Employment Search Strategies
- Obtaining Employment Experience
○ Part time Employment
§ Similar to temporary employees, one can attain experience in varied
fields. Many people take advantage of temporary job assignments as
a path to a full time position
○ Volunteer Work
§ Involvement in community organization can provide opportunities
to acquire skills, develop good working habits & make contacts.
○ Internships
§ Provide experience in competitive fields, the ability to make contacts
for the future & now after COVID many internships have expanded
to in person & online for remote work
Campus Projects
- Class assignments & campus activities can be overlooked as work related
experience, you can obtain valuable skills on campus from experience in:
○ Managing, organizing and coordinating people and activities activities as an
officer of a campus organization or class team project
○ Public speaking in class, on campus and community presentations
○ Goal setting, planning, supervising, delegating responsibility in community
service and class project
○ Financial planning and budgeting gained from organizing fundraising
projects, Managing personal finances & Handling funds for campus
organizations
○ Conducting research for projects, Community organization, and campus
activities
Using career information sources
- The four main career informational Sources
○ Library & Media
§ Access to career publications, govt materials, industry reports, news
& magazine articles, TV & radio news reports
○ Online Sources
§ Website, Email contacts, Phone apps, Videos & webinars, Podcasts &
networking site
○ Campus Career Office
§ Career exploration, Planning publication & other resources
§ Résumé & Cover letter assistance
§ Practice Interviews
§ Networking and Mentor programs
§ Internship place
§ Available job listing
○ Business & Personal Contacts
§ Business, Community & Organizations
§ Job training service
§ Professional organization meetings & publications
§ Friends, Relatives & Colleagues
§ Teachers, Employers & Local businesses
Networking
- The process of making & using contacts to obtain & update career info. 70% of
professionals find positions through contacts, responding to job ads accounts for
15% of jobs, the main sources of networking are:
○ Community Organizations
§ A business or civic group that allows for the opportunity to make
contacts
○ Professional Associations
§ This can be work association, business or field association i.e. The
National Association of Nurses, most of these organizations have
reduced fee’s for students
○ Business Contact
§ Advise you about career prep & job opportunities, through friends,
family, school, work, religious services etc
- Effective Networking requires
○ 30 second intro/summary of your abilities, interest & experiences
○ Ask questions to others & talk about their profession/experiences
○ Volunteer for committees & events
Identifying Job Opportunities
- Job Advertisements
○ Job ads were previously found in the news papers & printed media, some
still exist but are now online. In addition to newspaper website, check for
positions offered through community job listings, campus career office &
online resources
- Networking & Career Fairs
○ Utilize personal and business contacts, they are important sources of
employment opportunities, from campus careers, alumni networks and job
listings. Websites like indeed, Vault, Zip Recruiter and Handshake w/ a
focus on college students
- Employment Agencies
○ For profit organizations that help you find a job, be weary of paying their
fees. A paid fee doesn’t guarantee a job. Govt supported services are also
available through your state’s Dept of Labor
- Job Creation
○ Developing an employment position that matches your skills w/ the needs
of an organization, as your skills develop you might create a demand for
your services
Other Job Search Methods
- Visit company websites where you would like to make in person contacts
- Continue looking for opportunities like meeting people who work for these
companies w/ similar qualifications as yours
- Via LinkedIn, you can search for people who:
○ Work in said company/field of interest
○ Have attended your college/university
Applying for Employment
- Qualified people don’t get the jobs they want w/o effective presentation of skills &
experiences, this process involves 3 parts
1. The Resume - A summary of their education, training, experience &
qualifications provides a possible employer an overview of potential
contributions to an organization
2. A Cover Letter - The Correspondence you send w/ a resume to
communicate your interest in a job & obtain an interview
3. The Interview - The formal meeting to discuss a candidates qualifications in
person/online in more detail
Financial & Legal Aspects of Employment
- Accepting a position
○ Do additional research, ask about specific duties & expectations
○ Ask about corporate/company culture
§ The Work Environment
□ Aka management style, work intensity, dress code & social
interactions
- Factors affecting Salary
○ Initial salary will be based on education, training, company size & salaries
comparable for each position. To improve your value be sure to:
§ Ask your supervisor for professional development suggestions
§ Obtain additional training; request expanded duties
§ Take initiative to exceed performance expectations
§ Talk w/ coworkers for idea’s to contribute to team & company
success
○ When negotiating a salary
§ Research comparable positions
§ Prep evidence of your contributions
§ Plan appropriate time & messages for meetings w/ supervisors
§ Emphasize the value of your work to/for your employees
Evaluating Employee Benefits
- Meeting Employee Needs
○ An increase in two income, single income/parent result in a higher need for
child care benefits & leave of absence
○ Elder care for those w/ dependent relatives
○ Others benefit from:
§ a varied/flexible work schedule
§ Virtual set up
§ Legal assistance
§ Counseling for their health
§ Emotional & financial needs
§ Fitness programs
- Flexible Employee w/ Benefit Program
○ AKA cafeteria-styled benefits allow employees to use their benefits on a
credit system & their personal needs
- Financial Literacy for my life: Emerging Employee Benefits
○ Provides info on varied employee benefits
§ Flexible Spending Plans (AKA Expense Reimbursement accounts)
□ Allows you to set aside part of your salary to pay for medical
or dependent care expenses
§ Medical-Savings Account (MSA) or a Health Savings Account (HSA)
□ Enables holders to pay health care costs w/ pre taxed dollars
1. Health insurance coverage w/ high deductibles
2. Tax deferred savings account for medical expenses
○ When matching dependent health care needs w/ a medical insurance plan
be sure to consider:
§ Types of services available & location of health care providers
§ Direct costs (aka insurance premium)
§ Anticipated out of pocket costs (deductibles & co-insurance
amounts)
○ Some companies will add to a 401k plan or a 401b
§ A 401b - a non profit organization
○ Vesting
§ When retirement payments are made by the company on your
behalf belong to you even if you no longer work at that company
§ Vesting schedules are varied
□ There are deduction plans for tax purposes
® 1yr ≈ 100% of 5yrs OR
® Have 20% after 3yrs and the rest in stages over the
course of 7yrs
- Comparing Benefits
○ Market Value
§ The monetary value of employee benefits
□ The cost of the benefits IF you had to pay for them
○ Future Value
§ Your ability to asses long term worth of employee benefits
○ Tax exempt
§ When you don’t pay taxes on your income
○ Tax deferred
§ Requires payment of income taxes in the future
- Your Employment Rights
○ A woman can’t be discriminated against for being pregnant
§ This includes reduced hours (unless requested), can’t be forced to go
on leave, if she stops working due to her pregnancy they must get
full credit for previous service, accrued retirement benefits &
accumulated seniority
○ Other rights include
§ A person can not be discriminated against on the basis of:
□ Age, race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin,
mental or physical disabilities and/or sexual orientation
§ Minimum wage & overtime pay legislation apply to individuals in
certain work settings
§ Workers compensation (for either work related injuries and/or
illnesses), Social Security and unemployment insurance are required
benefits
Long Term Career Development
- Training Opportunities
○ Continue to learn about new technologies, diverse cultures, management
strategies & global businesses
○ Formal Trainings include:
§ Company programs, seminars, webinars, graduate programs &
advanced college courses
○ Informal Methods:
§ Reading, open discussions w/ colleagues, webinars in your field of
business, economic, social trends & off the clock meetings w/ other
Career Paths & Advancement
The Stages of Career Development: Characteristics & Concerns
- A Mentor
○ An experienced employee who serves as a teacher & counselor for a less
experienced person in a field
Changing Careers
- Indications to change jobs include:
○ Low motivation towards your current job
○ Physical and/or emotional distress
○ Consistent poor performance evaluations
- Minor adjustments
○ Retail to industry sales
- Major adjustments
○ Retraining for a current position
○ Entry level in a different field
- Other Factors to take into account
○ Consider financial & personal costs
○ Benefits needed to acquire your current goals
○ Being aware of trade offs
§ Losing health insurance for expanded career opportunities
- In the event of life changes that alter society & no longer support modern day long
term work
○ Be aware of company mergers, downsizing, technological advances,
economic conditions, forced career changes
- Recommended activities to cope w/ the stress are:
○ Acknowledge your stress, anxiety, frustration & fears
○ Maintain appropriate eating, sleeping, exercise & social activities
○ Determine sources of emergency funds & cut unnecessary spendings
○ Expand networking activities; your personal contacts, professional
organizations & activities and volunteering
○ Taking assessment tests to see where your skills are
○ Improving career skills by studying
○ Being aware of high growth industries, small business startups & other
emerging opportunities
○ Considering opportunities w/ non profits, temporary employment,
consulting and/or starting your own business
○ Maintaining a positive outlook to communicate confidence
Resumes, Cover letters & Interviews
- Resume Elements
1. The personal data sections
○ A heading including name, phone number, email & mailing address if
required
2. The Career Profile summary section
○ A synopsis of your skills & experience
3. Your Education
○ Dates of schools attended, field of study & degree’s earned. Course
directed info in relation to field of study like; research, team projects &
presentations
4. Your Experience
○ List organizations & dates of service, responsibilities from previous
employment, work related school activities, community services done,
note any computer skills and/or technical abilities of any kind
Use S.T.A.R.
S. Situation or setting
1. Serves as fund-raising for a certain goal
T. Task your duties
1. Prep a plan to raise funds for a social agency
A. Actions you took
1. Administered a team to ask for donations
R. Results
1. The amount of your goal to donate to a certain organization
i. I.e. $1,000 to the homeless shelter
5. The related info section
○ Highlight unique technical expertise like computer skills or a spoken
language, honors/awards, abilities and/or interest in relation to your
career & lastly some hobbies/extracurricular activities your are involved in
to show work/life balance
References
- A list of people who can verify your work abilities & competencies
○ These people can be teachers, previous employers, supervisors and/or
business colleagues - although not usually shown on a resume be sure to
have names, titles, organizations, phone numbers & work addresses
- Work references are not usually shown on a resume, choose people who will give a
balanced view of your strengths
Types of resumes
- Chronological
○ Shows education & experience in reverse order is most used
- Functional
○ More used for those w/ diverse skills & time gaps in there experience like
communications, supervision, project planning etc
○ This type of resume is mostly used when changing careers or
positions/titles
Resume Preparation
- Your resume must be legible on both paper & technology
○ Bullet points, bold lettering & short direct writing is best advised
○ Try to limit your resume to one page if possible, two pages max
○ Be sure to highlight how your experience will contribute to the
organizations needs
- OVERUSED WORDS TO AVOID ON YOUR RESUME
○ Team player, energetic result focused, confident, creative & professional
- Describe your abilities in programs related to your field for research purposes or
an important project at a previous job
○ DONT only say you know Microsoft word, google slide etc
When preparing your resume online be sure to:
- Keep the format simple
- Avoid adding attachment files that might be difficult to open
- Use key words specific to your industry
- Submit online applications using plain text
- Be sure the date is accurate you don’t want your previous/potential employer
thinking this application/resume is an old one
Resume submission
- Be weary of job scams:
○ Never pay a fee to submit your resume
○ If sent by email be sure it’s a specific company email w/ a subject line &
your cover letter
- Follow up w/ a call to confirm resume arrived & on the status of application
FOCUS
Fit - Communicate your sustainability for the company
Objective - Present a goal of your desire & interest in the company
Connect - Provide examples of accomplishments that will benefit you
Unique - Emphasize your distinctive qualities & experiences
Skills - Relate your abilities to company needs & industry trends
Creating a Cover Letter
- A cover letter is designed to obtain an interview, it’s a preview of who you are &
consists of
1.) An intro
○ To communicate your job interests, experience & qualifications, other
approaches also include
§ Your passion for your choice of work
§ Use of a personal story, project and/or activities related to your
position
2.) Developmental paragraphs
○ Should highlight aspects of your background & what qualifies you for the job,
elaborate on various trainings, organizations skills & specific needs
3.) The Concluding paragraph
○ Should request action, ask for a meeting to discuss your qualifications in more
detail aka GET AN INTERVIEW
Key Things to Remember to prep a cover letter:
- Prep a personalized cover letter
- Email or address the letter to the appropriate person
○ In the subj line add email, job title & the position your applying for
- Emphasize your fit for the position & your desire to work for this industry
- Communicate how your skills will serve the needs of the organization
The Job Interview
- Preparing for the Interview
○ Obtain info about your potential employer
1. Do an online search for annual report, company news & industry
trends
2. Observations of company activities & reports
3. Informal discussions w/ current & past employees
4. Conversations w/ people who are knowledgeable about the
company/industry
- A pre interview action to have ready is to ask questions:
○ What qualities do most successful employees possess?
○ What are the expectations & challenges of this position?
○ What do your employees like best about working here?
○ What career development opportunities are available to employees?
○ What market trends/actions of competitors might affect the company in
the future?
- Prep w/ mock interviews
○ Have specific Q’s to practice with explaining how you experience will
contribute to the company
○ Have a theme for your interview that focuses on your main qualifications
§ i.e. Your research abilities, tech skills, personal growth etc
○ Current employees are the best source of info for dress code
○ Have copies of your resume & be there 10-15 minutes before your
interview
The Interview Process
- A Screening Interview
○ An initial, usually brief meeting to determine the best candidates this
includes overall impression & general questions
○ Practice screenings can be done on your campus, phone, online or at a job
fair
○ Some companies disclose the use of credit reports when deciding who to
interview
○ Most interviews conclude with the interviewer giving you a window of time
when you should hear back, in the meantime:
§ Send an email to those you met expressing your thanks for the
interview
§ Repeat your interest in the job and your skills
