9781422274927

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

HOW TO MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION PRESENTING YOURSELF

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

PRESENTING YOURSELF HOW TO MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

CAR MECHANIC CHEF COSMETOLOGIST DOG GROOMER MASSAGE THERAPIST FARMER THE ARTS _________ PRESENTING YOURSELF

CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL

PRESENTING YOURSELF HOW TO MAKE A GREAT IMPRESSION

Christie Marlowe and Andrew Morkes

MASON CREST PHILADELPHIA MIAMI

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4328-2

ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4319-0 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7492-7 Cataloging in Publication Data on file with the publisher.

Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Editor: Andrew Gance Interior and cover design: Jana Rade, impact studios Interior layout: Tara Raymo, CreativelyTara

Production: Michelle Luke Proofreader: Abby Jaworski

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: Your Future Career 7 CHAPTER 2: Etiquette, Manners, and Communication 21 CHAPTER 3: Writing a Top-Notch Résumé and Cover Letter 35 CHAPTER 4: Interview Etiquette 47 CHAPTER 5: Your First Day on the Job 65 Series Glossary of Key Terms 72 Further Reading & Internet Resources 75 Educational Video Links 76 Index 77 Author Biographies and Photo Credits 80

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills.

SIDEBARS: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. RESEARCH PROJECTS: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. SERIES GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

ambitious: showing strong determination and a desire to succeed entry-level job: one that requires only basic skills mentoring: providing guidance and advice to someone who is younger or less experienced work ethic: always working hard at a job regardless of the task

6 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: PRESENTING YOURSELF

CHAPTER 1

YOUR FUTURE CAREER FROM STUDENT TO PROFESSIONAL One thing is certain in life unless you win big in the lottery: You will graduate from high school and either need to get a job, go to college, or train for a career in some way. But don’t be scared by the fact that you’ll have to get a job someday and make your ownmoney andway in theworld. This is one of themost exciting times of your life. When you graduate from high school, you’ll finally be considered a young adult. You’ll have freedom that you could only dream about during those times when your momand dad told you to clean your room, do your homework, or go to bed at a certain time. You’ll get to make your own decisions regarding where you’ll live (many high school grads still live at home, so don’t get too worried about that yet), what career you’ll pursue, and how you’ll train for it. There are many ways to prepare for a career, which we’ll discuss in this chapter.

Your Future Career 7

GOING TO COLLEGE A college education can be a wonderful thing. Education, no matter where and how you get it, is a valuable tool in life—and college is one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating places to get an education. There are some careers for which four years of college—or many more than that—are absolutely required for even an entry-level job . You’re never going to become a doctor or a lawyer without spending lots of time in college and university classrooms! Most colleges also offer courses and programs in areas that might not seem directly applicable to a work situation but are important for building a young person’s understanding of people, cultures, arts, and sciences, which may not be available to them otherwise. You never know what seemingly unrelated piece of knowledge could trigger your imagination and get you started on the road to success. Steve Jobs, for example, a college dropout and founder of Apple, attributed the inspiration for his innovative designs to a calligraphy (the decorative writing of letters and words) course he took as a young man. Similarly, college can be the time when young people learn important soft skills, such as cooperation and compromise. Having a roommate, learning to TRUE OR FALSE? ARE YOU READY FOR A CAREER? 1. There are many ways to prepare for a career. 2. Apprentices do not receive pay for their work. 3. Your network can consist of people you know and don’t know. Test yourself as you read. See the end of this chapter for True or False answers.

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PR SENTING YOURSELF

High school graduates can pursue a wide variety of educational paths to prepare for a career.

interact with your peers on campus, and experiencing mentoring relationships with professors are all life-shaping opportunities. But the knowledge and skills one learns in college do not always translate to success once a college graduate begins a career. Some skills are learned on the job. Despite this, employers of workers in certain occupations continue to require a college diploma before they will even consider an application. “A college diploma is simply a credential [proof of achievement or qualifications] that at best says you’re smart and ambitious ,” says John Tamny, a political and economics writer, reacting to politicians who insist on the need to see more young people in America graduate from college. Yet despite the fact that a significant segment of society agrees with Tamny, many people today do see college as the only way to find a stable, well-paying career. This is part of the reason that in 2016, nearly seven out of every ten students in the United States who graduated from high school went on to

Your Future Career 9

attend college, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDL). Unfortunately, acollege education isn’t necessarily a safe bet when it comes to finding a successful career. The Wall Street Journal reports that students who graduated fromcollegewith debt (money owed to a person, company, or

Earning a bachelor’s degree is a good strategy for some young people, but attending college can be expensive.

organization) had average debt of $37,712. This much debt takes more than ten years to pay off! Additionally, studies have shown that some university graduates cannot find a job that is a goodmatch for their degree or they can only find jobs that don’t require a university degree! This is why a growing number of young people are pursuing other educational paths that prepare them for good jobs.

An educator gives advice on choosing what to do after high school.

10 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: PRESENTING YOURSELF

OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING OPTIONS

Many good-paying careers are available for those who do not earn a bachelor’s degree (one that requires the completion of four years of college after high school). Nine of the twenty fastest-growing job fields in the United States do not require a four-year college degree, according to the USDL. Quickly growing job fields offer more opportunities for employment, less competition for available positions, fewer layoffs, and, usually, faster andmore substantial wage increases than other careers. Getting one of these jobs, though, doesn’t mean you can simply graduate from high school and show up. Almost all careers require some sort of training after high school. Some of the fastest-growing fields—such as physical therapist assistant and occupational therapy assistant—require the completion of an associate’s degree, which involves two years of study after high school. But some of the jobs on the USDL list don’t require a degree, and instead, job seekers attend a training program or vocational school, which is a school that trains them for a specific career but has shorter courses of study and is much cheaper than a traditional four-year college. Vocational school programs last from six months to two years. They can be completed on a part-time basis so that students can work in other jobs and support themselves while they acquire new skills. An apprenticeship is another type of nondegree training program that is popular with students. It is a formal training opportunity that combines classroom instruction and supervised practical experience. Apprentices are paid a salary that increases as they obtain experience. Apprenticeships last

Your Future Career 11

Participating in an apprenticeship is a good option for those who want to earn while they learn.

longer than a vocational school education, typically about four years (although some are shorter), and sometimes require apprentices to take classes at local community colleges (which offer short-term training opportunities and associates degrees). More than 150,000 employers in the United States offer apprenticeships, according to the USDL. Apprenticeships are also available throughout the world. Some jobs do not require any type of formal training, just on-the-job training. These positions don’t typically pay a lot, but they serve as a good way to make money while you train for another career or try to choose an occupational path. Finally, many people prepare for careers by joining the military. The armed forces offer training in a wide variety of careers—from electronics and health care to law enforcement and cybersecurity. Before you decide whether or not to go to college, you should do the following things:

12 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: PRESENTING YOURSELF

• Learn which careers are the fastest growing and the highest paying • Understand how you can become prepared for these careers and how much time and money this training costs • Become aware of what kind of work you would like to do and how hard you are willing to work to train for this career PREPARING YOURSELF FOR THE JOB HUNT Preparing yourself for the job hunt means many things. In short, looking for a career can be broken down into five actions: • Conducting research: This involves finding out information about fields you might want to work in, companies you might like to work for, salaries you could make, and the careers that are most available to you based on your experiences and location. •

Developing contacts: These are peoplewho canhelp you learn about and research jobs, and they caneventually be useful for recommending you to potential employers. The people you know are your network , and meeting new people who might be able to help you find a career is known as networking .

Building a good network is key to landing a job. Below, a group of businesspeople network during a break at a conference.

Your Future Career 13

• Focusing on your skills and training: You need to develop practical skills that you will use on the job (such as those learned in a vocational school or college), soft skills (communication, leadership, etc.), and job-search skills (such as how to performwell during a job interview). • Preparing your résumé: This key application credential summarizes your experiences and skills that are relevant to the position or career to which you are looking to apply. Preparing a résumé involves not only learning what it should look like and what to include on it but also includes knowing where to post it so that potential employers with open positions will be able to see it. • Searching for job openings: You need to learn where prospective employers post advertisements for open positions and where to look for the careers that would be most suited to you and your experiences. Reading about and researching these categories (like you are doing now!) is an important step and a great way to prepare yourself for what can be the difficult process of seeking a career. If you have prepared well, not much will surprise you. Luckily, most of us already have access to a tool that can be very important when it comes to preparing and eventually searching for a career: an internet connection on one’s smartphone, computer, tablet, or other electronic device. The internet is a powerful tool for job seekers. Websites such as the USDL’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh) and PayScale.com can be great resources for learning about careers and expected salaries. Many websites offer suggestions or templates (models to copy) for building an attractive and appealing résumé. Others—such as LinkedIn.com and Indeed.com—are great

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