{"id":127,"date":"2014-08-25T03:19:34","date_gmt":"2014-08-25T03:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.candelalearning.com\/collegesuccess1x1\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=127"},"modified":"2015-06-19T02:02:47","modified_gmt":"2015-06-19T02:02:47","slug":"12-4-getting-the-right-stuff","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/chapter\/12-4-getting-the-right-stuff\/","title":{"raw":"Getting the Right Stuff","rendered":"Getting the Right Stuff"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_n01\" class=\"im_learning_objectives im_editable im_block\">\r\n\r\n<b>\u00a0<\/b>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\r\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\nBy the end of this section, you will be able to:\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Explore the benefits of a four-year college education.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Understand the difference between work-based skills and transferable skills.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Learn how to use jobs, internships, and volunteering.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"im_section\"><\/div>\r\nWhat do you need to launch a good career? Employers will look at your education, skills, and experience. Making sure you have the \u201cright stuff\u201d in these three areas is what you should focus on in your college experience.\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">The Transfer Ticket<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-550\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"College transfer fair\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" \/><\/a>Are you in a two-year program or community college? Perhaps you decided to attend your college to save some money or to be able to explore a career before committing to a four-year program. Now you may find that a bachelor\u2019s degree is worth pursuing because it appears to be a requirement for the kind of career you want or because you will be able to boost your income opportunities. If you are thinking about transferring to a four-year program, be sure to follow these steps:\r\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s01_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>Find out about the transfer program at your college. Most two-year colleges have a program designed to make sure you have the right kind of general education courses, electives, and courses related to your major so that you can transfer seamlessly into a junior year at a four-year institution.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Make sure your credits are transferable. Each four-year college or university has its own policies about what kind of credits it accepts. If you are considering one or two particular four-year colleges, find out about their transfer policies as you lay out your plan of studies. These policies are typically described in the college catalogs. Read them carefully to ensure you can transfer most if not all of your credits.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Talk to your advisor. Now. If you haven\u2019t met with your advisor to discuss your ideas about transferring, do so soon. Your advisor will be a great help in formulating a plan of studies that meets your requirements for your associate\u2019s degree and maximizes your transferable credits.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Does your college have <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">articulation agreements<\/span><\/span>? These agreements between your college and four-year institutions define specific requirements for transferring and make it easier for you to transfer from your college to the bachelor\u2019s program in a four-year school.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nIf you are in a four-year college already but think your career objectives might be better filled in a program at another college, you should also go through steps two and three as soon as possible. It can save you a great deal of time, money, and heartbreak.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Skilled Labor<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-551\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Person welding\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a>The second requirement for employment is skills. Many of the skills you will need are career specific: we call those <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">work-based skills<\/span><\/span>. These include knowing how to use equipment that is specific to your career and mastering processes that are used in your field. While some of these skills are learned and perfected on the job, you may be in a vocational track program (such as for homeland security officers, nurses aides, or paralegals) where you are learning your work-based skills.\r\n\r\nThese are not the only skills you will need to be successful. The second set of skills you must have are called <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">transferable skills<\/span><\/span> because they can be used in almost all occupations. These include thinking skills, communication skills, listening skills\u2014in fact, most of the skills for college success we have been stressing throughout this book are transferable skills because they are also key to success in life. This skill set is very broad, and your extent of mastery will vary from skill to skill; therefore, you should identify those skills that are most important to your career objective and develop and master them. Review your occupation profile on O*Net (<a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/online.onetcenter.org\/find\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/online.onetcenter.org\/find<\/a>) to determine which skills you need to prove to potential employers you have mastered.\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s02_n01\" class=\"im_exercises im_block\">\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Exercise 3: Transferable Skills Inventory<\/h3>\r\nIn the list of forty transferable skills that follows, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">underline<\/em> five skills you believe you have mastered and then describe specific ways in which you have used each skill successfully. Then <em class=\"im_emphasis\">circle<\/em> five skills you think are important to your career that you have not mastered yet. Describe specific steps you plan to take to master those skills.\r\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\r\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Active listening<\/td>\r\n<td>Decision making<\/td>\r\n<td>Negotiating<\/td>\r\n<td>Researching<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Active learning<\/td>\r\n<td>Editing<\/td>\r\n<td>Observing<\/td>\r\n<td>Selling<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Analyzing<\/td>\r\n<td>Evaluating<\/td>\r\n<td>Organizing<\/td>\r\n<td>Speaking a second language<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Budgeting<\/td>\r\n<td>Forecasting<\/td>\r\n<td>Perceiving Feelings<\/td>\r\n<td>Supervising<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Coaching<\/td>\r\n<td>Goal setting<\/td>\r\n<td>Persuading<\/td>\r\n<td>Teaching<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Communicating<\/td>\r\n<td>Handling a crisis<\/td>\r\n<td>Planning<\/td>\r\n<td>Teamwork<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Consulting<\/td>\r\n<td>Handling details<\/td>\r\n<td>Problem solving<\/td>\r\n<td>Time management<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Creative thinking<\/td>\r\n<td>Manipulating numbers<\/td>\r\n<td>Public speaking<\/td>\r\n<td>Training<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Critical thinking<\/td>\r\n<td>Mentoring<\/td>\r\n<td>Reading<\/td>\r\n<td>Visualizing<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>Customer service<\/td>\r\n<td>Motivating<\/td>\r\n<td>Reporting<\/td>\r\n<td>Writing<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\r\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Skills I have mastered<\/th>\r\n<th>Examples of how I used them<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\r\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Skills I still need to master<\/th>\r\n<th>How I will master them<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\nGoing over the list in Exercise 3, you will find that you have at least some experience in many of them, but you probably haven\u2019t thought that much about them because you use them in so many ways that you take them for granted. It is important to think about all your activities and consider the skills you have applied successfully; your transferable skills inventory is larger than you may think. For example, if you volunteer as a big brother or big sister, you have skills in active listening, mentoring, time management, and probably coaching. If you have written a college paper, you have skills in visualizing, researching, communicating, and writing.\r\n\r\nBe aware of the ways you develop and master transferable skills. Keep a list of them, and update it every month or two. That will be a valuable tool for you as you work with your career development and ultimately with job applications.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\r\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Are You Ready for a Test Drive?<\/h2>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-552\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Toy car sitting on map\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" \/><\/a>Are you frustrated by the fact that even entry-level jobs require some experience? Experience is the third set of qualifications employers look for, and it\u2019s the one that often stumps students. Relevant experience is not only important as a job qualification; it can also provide you with a means to explore or test out occupational options and build a contact list that will be valuable when networking for your career.\r\n\r\nBut how can you gain relevant experience without experience to begin with? You should consider three options: volunteering, internships, and part-time employment.\r\n\r\n<strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Volunteering<\/strong> is especially good for students looking to work in social and artistic occupations, but students looking for work in other occupation types should not shy away from this option. You can master many transferable skills through volunteering! Certainly it is easy to understand that if you want to be in an artistic field, volunteering at a museum or performance center can provide you with relevant experience. But what if you want to work in an engineering field? Volunteering for an organization promoting green energy would be helpful. Looking for a career in homeland security? Do volunteer work with the Red Cross or the Coast Guard Auxiliary. With a little brainstorming and an understanding of your career field, you should be able to come up with relevant volunteer experiences for just about any career.\r\n\r\n<strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Internships<\/strong> focus on gaining practical experience related to a course or program of study. Interns work for an organization or company for a reduced wage or stipend or volunteer in exchange for practical experience. A successful internship program should create a win-win situation: the intern should add value to the company\u2019s efforts, and the company should provide a structured program in which the student can learn or practice work-related skills. Internships are typically held during summers or school vacation periods, though on occasion they can be scheduled for a set block of time each week during the course of a regular school term.\r\n\r\nOnce you secure an internship (usually through a normal job application process aided by a faculty member or the career guidance or placement office), it is important to have a written agreement with the employer in which the following is stated:\r\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s03_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\r\n\t<li>The learning objective for the internship<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The time commitment you will invest (including work hours)<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The work the company expects you to do<\/li>\r\n\t<li>The work your supervisor will do for the college and for the student (internship progress reports, evaluations, etc.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThis written agreement may seem like overkill, but it is critical to ensure that the internship experience doesn\u2019t degrade into unsatisfying tasks such as photocopying and filing.\r\n\r\nRemember that a key objective of your internship is to develop relationships you can use for mentoring and networking during your career. Befriend people, ask questions, go the extra mile in terms of what is expected of you, and generally participate in the enterprise. The extra effort will pay dividends in the future.\r\n\r\n<strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Part-time employment<\/strong> may be an option if your study schedule provides enough free time. If so, be sure to investigate opportunities in your field of study. Ask your instructors and the career guidance or placement office to help you generate job leads, even if they are not specifically in the area you want to be working in. It is valuable and relevant to hold a job designing Web sites for an advertising agency, for example, if your specific job objective is to produce event marketing. The understanding of how an advertising agency works and the contacts you make will make the experience worthwhile.\r\n\r\nIf you are lucky enough to have a job in your field of study already and are using your college experience to enhance your career opportunities, be sure to link what you are learning to what you do on the job\u2014and what you do on the job to what you are learning. Ask your supervisor and employer about ideas you have picked up in class, and ask your instructors about the practices you apply at work. This cross-linking will make you a much stronger candidate for future opportunities and a much better student in the short term.\r\n<div id=\"post-355\" class=\"post-355 chapter type-chapter status-publish hentry type-1\">\r\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\r\n<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div class=\"im_section\">\r\n<div id=\"mclean-ch03_s01_s02_n01\" class=\"im_key_takeaways im_editable im_block\">\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\r\n<h3>KEY TAKEAWAYs<\/h3>\r\n<section>\r\n<div data-type=\"note\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Employers look at candidates who have the right education, the right skills, and the right experience.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Progress in many career opportunities is enhanced by more advanced education; you should work, however, to make sure the education you are already getting counts.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Be sure you can identify and show mastery in transferable skills as well as work-related skills.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Experience through volunteering, internships, and part-time jobs will illustrate to potential employers that you can work in your chosen field, but it is also instrumental to help create a network of colleagues to enhance your career development.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<h3 class=\"im_title\"><\/h3>\r\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\r\n<h3>EXERCISES<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li>Read the famous \u201cfence whitewashing\u201d story in Mark Twain\u2019s <em class=\"im_emphasis\">The Adventures of Tom Sawyer<\/em> (<a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.inspirational-short-stories.com\/tom-sawyer-fence.html\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.inspirational-short-stories.com\/tom-sawyer-fence.html<\/a>). What transferable skills does Tom demonstrate? What work-related skills does he demonstrate?<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Why is having a written internship agreement important?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"post-citations sidebar\"><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_n01\" class=\"im_learning_objectives im_editable im_block\">\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-highlight\">\n<h3>LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\n<p>By the end of this section, you will be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explore the benefits of a four-year college education.<\/li>\n<li>Understand the difference between work-based skills and transferable skills.<\/li>\n<li>Learn how to use jobs, internships, and volunteering.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"im_section\"><\/div>\n<p>What do you need to launch a good career? Employers will look at your education, skills, and experience. Making sure you have the \u201cright stuff\u201d in these three areas is what you should focus on in your college experience.<\/p>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s01\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">The Transfer Ticket<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-550\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"College transfer fair\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-225x149.jpg 225w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/transfer-fair.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Are you in a two-year program or community college? Perhaps you decided to attend your college to save some money or to be able to explore a career before committing to a four-year program. Now you may find that a bachelor\u2019s degree is worth pursuing because it appears to be a requirement for the kind of career you want or because you will be able to boost your income opportunities. If you are thinking about transferring to a four-year program, be sure to follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s01_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>Find out about the transfer program at your college. Most two-year colleges have a program designed to make sure you have the right kind of general education courses, electives, and courses related to your major so that you can transfer seamlessly into a junior year at a four-year institution.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your credits are transferable. Each four-year college or university has its own policies about what kind of credits it accepts. If you are considering one or two particular four-year colleges, find out about their transfer policies as you lay out your plan of studies. These policies are typically described in the college catalogs. Read them carefully to ensure you can transfer most if not all of your credits.<\/li>\n<li>Talk to your advisor. Now. If you haven\u2019t met with your advisor to discuss your ideas about transferring, do so soon. Your advisor will be a great help in formulating a plan of studies that meets your requirements for your associate\u2019s degree and maximizes your transferable credits.<\/li>\n<li>Does your college have <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">articulation agreements<\/span><\/span>? These agreements between your college and four-year institutions define specific requirements for transferring and make it easier for you to transfer from your college to the bachelor\u2019s program in a four-year school.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>If you are in a four-year college already but think your career objectives might be better filled in a program at another college, you should also go through steps two and three as soon as possible. It can save you a great deal of time, money, and heartbreak.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s02\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Skilled Labor<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-551\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Person welding\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-65x97.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-225x337.jpg 225w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding-350x524.jpg 350w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/welding.jpg 427w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>The second requirement for employment is skills. Many of the skills you will need are career specific: we call those <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">work-based skills<\/span><\/span>. These include knowing how to use equipment that is specific to your career and mastering processes that are used in your field. While some of these skills are learned and perfected on the job, you may be in a vocational track program (such as for homeland security officers, nurses aides, or paralegals) where you are learning your work-based skills.<\/p>\n<p>These are not the only skills you will need to be successful. The second set of skills you must have are called <span class=\"im_margin_term\"><span class=\"im_glossterm\">transferable skills<\/span><\/span> because they can be used in almost all occupations. These include thinking skills, communication skills, listening skills\u2014in fact, most of the skills for college success we have been stressing throughout this book are transferable skills because they are also key to success in life. This skill set is very broad, and your extent of mastery will vary from skill to skill; therefore, you should identify those skills that are most important to your career objective and develop and master them. Review your occupation profile on O*Net (<a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/online.onetcenter.org\/find\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/online.onetcenter.org\/find<\/a>) to determine which skills you need to prove to potential employers you have mastered.<\/p>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s02_n01\" class=\"im_exercises im_block\">\n<h3 class=\"im_title\">Exercise 3: Transferable Skills Inventory<\/h3>\n<p>In the list of forty transferable skills that follows, <em class=\"im_emphasis\">underline<\/em> five skills you believe you have mastered and then describe specific ways in which you have used each skill successfully. Then <em class=\"im_emphasis\">circle<\/em> five skills you think are important to your career that you have not mastered yet. Describe specific steps you plan to take to master those skills.<\/p>\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"border-spacing: 0px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Active listening<\/td>\n<td>Decision making<\/td>\n<td>Negotiating<\/td>\n<td>Researching<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Active learning<\/td>\n<td>Editing<\/td>\n<td>Observing<\/td>\n<td>Selling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Analyzing<\/td>\n<td>Evaluating<\/td>\n<td>Organizing<\/td>\n<td>Speaking a second language<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Budgeting<\/td>\n<td>Forecasting<\/td>\n<td>Perceiving Feelings<\/td>\n<td>Supervising<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Coaching<\/td>\n<td>Goal setting<\/td>\n<td>Persuading<\/td>\n<td>Teaching<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Communicating<\/td>\n<td>Handling a crisis<\/td>\n<td>Planning<\/td>\n<td>Teamwork<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Consulting<\/td>\n<td>Handling details<\/td>\n<td>Problem solving<\/td>\n<td>Time management<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Creative thinking<\/td>\n<td>Manipulating numbers<\/td>\n<td>Public speaking<\/td>\n<td>Training<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Critical thinking<\/td>\n<td>Mentoring<\/td>\n<td>Reading<\/td>\n<td>Visualizing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Customer service<\/td>\n<td>Motivating<\/td>\n<td>Reporting<\/td>\n<td>Writing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"border-spacing: 0px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Skills I have mastered<\/th>\n<th>Examples of how I used them<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"im_informaltable\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" style=\"border-spacing: 0px;\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Skills I still need to master<\/th>\n<th>How I will master them<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Going over the list in Exercise 3, you will find that you have at least some experience in many of them, but you probably haven\u2019t thought that much about them because you use them in so many ways that you take them for granted. It is important to think about all your activities and consider the skills you have applied successfully; your transferable skills inventory is larger than you may think. For example, if you volunteer as a big brother or big sister, you have skills in active listening, mentoring, time management, and probably coaching. If you have written a college paper, you have skills in visualizing, researching, communicating, and writing.<\/p>\n<p>Be aware of the ways you develop and master transferable skills. Keep a list of them, and update it every month or two. That will be a valuable tool for you as you work with your career development and ultimately with job applications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s03\" class=\"im_section\">\n<h2 class=\"im_title im_editable im_block\">Are You Ready for a Test Drive?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-552\" src=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"Toy car sitting on map\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-65x43.jpg 65w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-225x149.jpg 225w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car-350x232.jpg 350w, https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2216\/2015\/04\/car.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Are you frustrated by the fact that even entry-level jobs require some experience? Experience is the third set of qualifications employers look for, and it\u2019s the one that often stumps students. Relevant experience is not only important as a job qualification; it can also provide you with a means to explore or test out occupational options and build a contact list that will be valuable when networking for your career.<\/p>\n<p>But how can you gain relevant experience without experience to begin with? You should consider three options: volunteering, internships, and part-time employment.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Volunteering<\/strong> is especially good for students looking to work in social and artistic occupations, but students looking for work in other occupation types should not shy away from this option. You can master many transferable skills through volunteering! Certainly it is easy to understand that if you want to be in an artistic field, volunteering at a museum or performance center can provide you with relevant experience. But what if you want to work in an engineering field? Volunteering for an organization promoting green energy would be helpful. Looking for a career in homeland security? Do volunteer work with the Red Cross or the Coast Guard Auxiliary. With a little brainstorming and an understanding of your career field, you should be able to come up with relevant volunteer experiences for just about any career.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Internships<\/strong> focus on gaining practical experience related to a course or program of study. Interns work for an organization or company for a reduced wage or stipend or volunteer in exchange for practical experience. A successful internship program should create a win-win situation: the intern should add value to the company\u2019s efforts, and the company should provide a structured program in which the student can learn or practice work-related skills. Internships are typically held during summers or school vacation periods, though on occasion they can be scheduled for a set block of time each week during the course of a regular school term.<\/p>\n<p>Once you secure an internship (usually through a normal job application process aided by a faculty member or the career guidance or placement office), it is important to have a written agreement with the employer in which the following is stated:<\/p>\n<ol id=\"lochhaas-ch12_s04_s03_l01\" class=\"im_orderedlist im_editable im_block\">\n<li>The learning objective for the internship<\/li>\n<li>The time commitment you will invest (including work hours)<\/li>\n<li>The work the company expects you to do<\/li>\n<li>The work your supervisor will do for the college and for the student (internship progress reports, evaluations, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This written agreement may seem like overkill, but it is critical to ensure that the internship experience doesn\u2019t degrade into unsatisfying tasks such as photocopying and filing.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that a key objective of your internship is to develop relationships you can use for mentoring and networking during your career. Befriend people, ask questions, go the extra mile in terms of what is expected of you, and generally participate in the enterprise. The extra effort will pay dividends in the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"im_emphasis im_bold\">Part-time employment<\/strong> may be an option if your study schedule provides enough free time. If so, be sure to investigate opportunities in your field of study. Ask your instructors and the career guidance or placement office to help you generate job leads, even if they are not specifically in the area you want to be working in. It is valuable and relevant to hold a job designing Web sites for an advertising agency, for example, if your specific job objective is to produce event marketing. The understanding of how an advertising agency works and the contacts you make will make the experience worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p>If you are lucky enough to have a job in your field of study already and are using your college experience to enhance your career opportunities, be sure to link what you are learning to what you do on the job\u2014and what you do on the job to what you are learning. Ask your supervisor and employer about ideas you have picked up in class, and ask your instructors about the practices you apply at work. This cross-linking will make you a much stronger candidate for future opportunities and a much better student in the short term.<\/p>\n<div id=\"post-355\" class=\"post-355 chapter type-chapter status-publish hentry type-1\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div class=\"im_section\">\n<div id=\"mclean-ch03_s01_s02_n01\" class=\"im_key_takeaways im_editable im_block\">\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-success\">\n<h3>KEY TAKEAWAYs<\/h3>\n<section>\n<div data-type=\"note\">\n<ul>\n<li>Employers look at candidates who have the right education, the right skills, and the right experience.<\/li>\n<li>Progress in many career opportunities is enhanced by more advanced education; you should work, however, to make sure the education you are already getting counts.<\/li>\n<li>Be sure you can identify and show mastery in transferable skills as well as work-related skills.<\/li>\n<li>Experience through volunteering, internships, and part-time jobs will illustrate to potential employers that you can work in your chosen field, but it is also instrumental to help create a network of colleagues to enhance your career development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"im_title\"><\/h3>\n<div class=\"bcc-box bcc-info\">\n<h3>EXERCISES<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Read the famous \u201cfence whitewashing\u201d story in Mark Twain\u2019s <em class=\"im_emphasis\">The Adventures of Tom Sawyer<\/em> (<a class=\"im_link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.inspirational-short-stories.com\/tom-sawyer-fence.html\" target=\"_blank\">http:\/\/www.inspirational-short-stories.com\/tom-sawyer-fence.html<\/a>). What transferable skills does Tom demonstrate? What work-related skills does he demonstrate?<\/li>\n<li>Why is having a written internship agreement important?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-citations sidebar\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-127\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Success in College. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: anonymous. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\">http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of transfer fair. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Skyline College PR &amp; Marketing. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/bU8RRP\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/bU8RRP<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of welder. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Province of British Columbia. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/nrfQnu\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/nrfQnu<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Image of car on map. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Rachel. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8CpfRp\">https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8CpfRp<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Success in College\",\"author\":\"anonymous\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/2012books.lardbucket.org\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of transfer fair\",\"author\":\"Skyline College PR & Marketing\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/bU8RRP\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of welder\",\"author\":\"Province of British Columbia\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/nrfQnu\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Image of car on map\",\"author\":\"Rachel\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/8CpfRp\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-127","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":936,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/127","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/127\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":553,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/127\/revisions\/553"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/936"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/127\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=127"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=127"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=127"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/ivytech-collegesuccess2x48x111\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=127"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}