OPPORTUNITY EXPO 2018 My Future, My Choice NAME: Student Guide February 27, 2018
Success Skills Below are some tips to follow to make sure you look and act the part at the Opportunity Expo! Appearance Wear appropriate dress, neither too dressy nor too casual. While this isn t a job interview, you should want to look appropriate because you want the people you meet to remember you positively. Some helpful hints include leaving your hat behind, putting your ipod away, setting your phone to vibrate and no gum. Communicating your value Now that you ve got the attire part figured out your next step is to go out and meet the companies/colleges there to see you. Greet each person you talk to with a firm, warm handshake and a pleasant smile. Speak clearly to them and make eye contact to show your interest. Effective and ineffective communication: Page 2 Effective: Use people s names Listen Show appreciation Maintain eye contact Give information or opinions Smile Ineffective: Refer to people as you and hey Dominate the conversation Appear frustrated Look at the ceiling or floor Interrupt constantly Appear disinterested Resumes and portfolios It will also help you bring a stack of resumes and your portfolio with you. A well-organized attractive portfolio can demonstrate your seriousness and attention to detail. Don t just toss various items in your portfolio in a random way. Prospective employers and or college admissions counselors will be impressed by an organized portfolio that shows effort. A portfolio provides a central location for recording and documenting your achievements, honors, and letters. It provides information about your education, career plans, personal accomplishments and demonstrates your ability to others. Make sure to stress your accomplishments and skills if appropriate and don t apologize for lack of experience. Collect business cards When you are there one thing that you ll want to do is collect business cards of the people you introduce yourself to. Then after the fair you can email the individuals you met and express your interest in their company and thank them for their time. Wrap up It s important to always be marketing yourself to potential employers. It s your responsibility to convince them that you are the person they ll want to hire in the near future. If there is a company you met with that you d like to work for in the near future, send them a thank you card or email. Remember, the more knowledge, education, and experience you have, the more doors are open to you. Keep an open mind and have fun!
Opportunity Expo Prep Sheet Come Prepared & Make a Game Plan Research Companies/ Colleges of Interest Keys to Success Market Yourself Update Your Resume Top Three Interests Top Three Careers to Explore 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. 3. My Personal Goal for Opportunity Expo: Page 3
Personal Action Plan INSTRUCTIONS Fill in the questions below to develop your own personal action plan. If you already know your career goals, target the specific education and skills you will need. If you are still looking for the career path that's right for you, simply target the broad base of job skills that you observe at Opportunity Expo. CAREER INFORMATION The types of careers that interest me today are: 1. 2. Personal goal: To find out more about these jobs, I will: Research Internet Seek an internship Talk to your school s career counselor Research careers Look in the classifieds Other: EDUCATION PLAN Every job has a minimum education requirement. For many jobs, it is a four-year college degree. Other jobs require more or less education. How much education do you think you will need to begin your career? If you have not chosen a career, select the minimum you think you will need. High School Diploma 2 year college or technical school (Associate's Degree or Certificate) 4 years of college (Bachelor s Degree) 5+ years of college (Advanced Degree) Personal Goal: By now, you already know that doing well takes some work. List two things you can do immediately to help in obtaining your education goal (i.e. completing all your assignments, bringing up your grades, sending college applications in on time, etc.). 1. 2. SKILLS Every job requires a minimum set of skills. Write three specific skills that you will need in the future (e.g. a musician will require the ability to read music; a computer programmer will need advanced computer training; a business person will require proficiency in math, etc.). Then, decide how you will obtain or strengthen each skill. There are many ways to strengthen your skills. Consider some of the following options: volunteering, joining a club, practicing, taking lessons, working part-time, finding a tutor, etc. 1. 2. 3. Page 4 SKILLS NEEDED WAYS I CAN OBTAIN OR IMPROVE SKILL
Student Resume Use this page to layout the basic components of your resume. It should reflect your career interests, skills, and experiences. A resume is a great way to introduce yourself and gives you valuable practice for the future! Name School CAREER OBJECTIVE: List career interests you find most appealing. EDUCATION Provide the level of education you have completed to date and/or expected graduation date. JOB EXPERIENCE: List three jobs (paid or unpaid) that you have had. (You may include babysitting, lawn mowing, washing cars, writing for a school newspaper, etc.). Dates Dates Dates Job description Job description Job description SPECIAL SKILLS: List any skills you already have to be successful on the job (such as computing, good communication, using a calculator, etc.). AWARDS AND HONORS: List any awards and/or honors you ve received. COMMUNITY SERVICE: List any volunteer work you have done to help your community such as raising money for the needy, working at an animal shelter, or helping senior citizens. Include work you have done through clubs (such as the Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts). You may also include personal giving such as donating your money to a cause or recycling, etc. INTERESTS AND HOBBIES: List any clubs you belong to and/or any personal hobbies and interests you may have (such as collecting cards, playing games or computers, listening to music, playing sports, video games, helping animals, etc.). Page 5
Opportunity Expo Reflection Now that you have experienced Opportunity Expo, spend some time reflecting on what you learned and how it affects your plans for the future. You may not know what you want to do for the rest of your life, and that s ok! Reflecting on what you learned today will give you a better understanding of the career paths most meaningful to you and the steps you need to take for a successful future. What career opportunity did you find most appealing? 1. Describe the duties of that job. 2. What skills and qualifications are needed? 3. Which parts of the job were interesting to you? Page 6 4. Which parts of the job were not interesting to you? 5. Which high school classes would help you prepare for this type of job? Reflections for the Future: Reflect on what you learned at Opportunity Expo. Do you want to continue in the career path you have chosen or explore something new? Are you taking the correct courses to stay on your career path? Maybe you would like to enroll in a class you ve never dreamed of taking? What do you know now that you didn t know before? Every plan for tomorrow requires some action today. Even if you have no idea which career is right for you, it s possible to begin preparing for the world of work now. Promise yourself that you will try to gain the education, skills and experience that you will need to be successful in the future. Congratulations on taking the first steps to a successful future!