ABS 201W - Employability Skills for Success

1. Identify and classify personal job-related skills, abilities, and attitudes and how they fit into the world of work.
   1. Describe three categories of job skills: transferable, job specific, and personal/adaptive.
   2. Analyze and classify one’s own experiences and skills relative to the three categories.
   3. Compare one’s own qualifications with requirements of job objective(s).
2. Identify and demonstrate ability to deal with barriers to employment.
   1. Discuss and describe barriers including, but not limited to, attitude/self-sabotage, possible discrimination factors, and work and personal history.
   2. Identify one’s own barriers in the job search including, but not limited to, geographic, transportation, and computer skills.
   3. Devise a positive plan to counteract these barriers.
3. Describe and demonstrate the ability to use the process/methods available for getting job leads.
   1. Identify agencies and organizations (including, but not limited to, temporary, employment, and government agencies and college placement office) that could be used for job leads.
   2. Use resources such as newspaper ads, journals, job fairs, personal contacts, business directories, and social media/social networking sites.
   3. Use the following methods for job leads: networking, occupational interviewing, telephone techniques, cold calling, researching of employers,and other methods as appropriate.
4. Research targeted job(s) requirements, expectations, and benefits.
   1. Demonstrate successful use of resources (such as the Career Center resources), including computer systems and various written materials, as well as other appropriate resources.
   2. Demonstrate successful use of methods, such as networking and informational interviewing.
   3. Demonstrate the ability to research career and/or employer-specific requirements such as licensing, background checks, physical demands, etc.
5. Complete an employment application, resume, cover letter, and follow-up.
   1. Gather information for properly completing an employment application.
   2. Recognize the types of resumes including, chronological, functional, combination, online, and targeted.
   3. Determine when to appropriately use each type of resume.
   4. Produce an acceptable, professional-looking resume.
   5. Discuss the purpose of a cover letter.
   6. Describe the proper format of a cover letter.
   7. Produce an appropriate cover letter.
   8. Discuss when and how to do a proper follow-up.
6. Discuss, describe, and demonstrate knowledge about the interview process (preparation, participation, follow-up, etc.)
   1. Describe different kinds of interviews such as telephone, screening, individual, group, lunch, behavioral, and series interviews.
   2. Describe the different parts of an interview.
   3. Identify different types of questions and questioning formats, such as legal and illegal, skeleton, demonstrations, and case studies; demonstrate how to respond effectively.
   4. Discuss most frequently asked questions.
   5. Identify proper questions you may ask in an interview.
   6. Develop your own personal list of appropriate questions.
   7. Discuss appropriate interview etiquette such as dress, mannerisms, and language.
   8. Demonstrate interview skills by completing a mock interview.
   9. Demonstrate knowledge of proper follow-up techniques.
   10. Write an appropriate follow-up letter.
7. Evaluate the importance of proper job acceptance and denial.
   1. Discuss negotiated items such as salary and benefits, obligations made prior to employment, etc.
   2. Discuss proper notification to current employer.
   3. Analyze long-term benefits to multiple jobs.
8.   Develop a comprehensive employability plan.