Workplace Job Skills and Attitudes Essential to Landing a Job

You’ve heard the latest “good news” on jobs and the economy. According to the jobs report last Friday, the U.S. job market is showing signs of a sustained recovery.  U.S. employers added 200,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 8.5%, its lowest level since early 2009.

For those out of work the decline in the unemployment rate is but a drop in the unemployment bucket and what we need is a rainfall. Rates for all categories except men 20 years and older remain stubbornly high with minorities still bearing the brunt of the jobs downturn. Most economists believe 2012 will show a grudgingly slow recovery both economically and in the jobs market. So, what can be done by an unemployed person or recent college graduate to enhance one’s chances of getting a solid job offer?

My advice is based on a dramatically changing job market both with respect to needed job skills and how to seek out and apply for jobs. First of all, here is a list of the best careers with respect to job opportunities.

1.      Medical Field: Certified Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Physician Assistants

2.      Technology Sector: Systems and software engineers and information technology analysts

3.      Financial Services: Accountants, actuaries, and financial advisers

4.      Medical & Health Support: Physical therapists, dental hygienists, and X-ray technicians

5.      Engineering Jobs: Civil, structural, environmental, and biomedical

6.      Skilled Workers: telecommunicator, trades-person (i.e., toolmaker, machinists, and welders)

My goal here is not to cover every occupational field but to emphasize areas where job opportunities exist with the proper training. Not all of these areas require a college degree; many skills can be learned through certificate and vocational training programs. The key is to search the Internet and look for high-demand job areas in terms of growth needs, determine the skill set desired by potential employers in these fields, and investigate programs that might provide the skills needed to be successful in your chosen field.

As I college professor I have noticed over the years  an increasing decline in some of the skills needed by graduates and employees regardless of their chosen field of work. Some would call these the soft skills. I call them transferable work skills that are essential to build a career. To help my students remember what they are I use the acronym TWAC.

• Teamwork: you have to be able to get along with others and learn how to support each other in the workplace
• Work ethic: Arguably the most important ethical value in the workplace, you have to be willing to give 110% to your job; if not, someone else will be found who will
• Analytical reasoning abilities: Many issues in the workplace differ from those encountered before. An ability to think through unstructured situations is key to developing transferable skills
• Communication skills: The most common deficiency I hear about from potential employers is the inability to communicate effectively in written and oral form

I believe the sparseness of these skills is directly attributable to the social network-driven form of communication today whereby a conversation takes place through text messaging and not direct verbalization. This is a problem in the workplace as employees may find it difficult to talk directly with customers, suppliers and clients. My advice here is to put down the iPhone, pick up the house phone, call someone you can converse with, and begin to discuss an issue of importance to you. Better yet, knock on their door and ask to come in.

What should you do if you have been looking for a job with no success? One suggestion is to use your time doing something that would enhance your resumé. For example, ask for an unpaid internship to build a record that illustrates your TWAC skills. You should do this even if it is an unpaid internship. Internships are an excellent entrée to a full-time job with the same employer.

More and more young people are doing volunteer work to show they care about their community, are not solely out to satisfy their own interests, and are willing to build the skills needed for success in the workplace by giving back to their community in a non-paying job. Some volunteer jobs may even include a small amount of compensation for services rendered.

Volunteerism is a great way to get your foot in the door. It also shows initiative and it can demonstrate that you're active in your desired career field. You can volunteer for a civic or charitable organization, but don’t discount the assertive step of offering to work for free for a prospective employer for a limited period of time to serve as a trial period (e.g. six months). At the end of that time, a willing employer should know enough about your job and TWAC skills to determine whether a more permanent offer should be made.

As you already know, the Internet is the preferred source for potential hires of employers, and you should use it to search for job opportunities. Most employers no longer rely on postings in the want ads. The most popular sites are: Monster, CareerBuilder, and HotJobs run by Yahoo. In each case you are searching a giant database of jobs and you can also post your resume for employers to search and find you. 

Social media is at the intersection of technology and human interaction. I recommend LinkedIn, a site that enables professionals to connect with other, participate in groups, and network. LinkedIn is very popular with employers and recruiters. Most young people are familiar with Facebook and Twitter and may use both to communicate with friends and family. I find them to be less helpful to find a job although users on Facebook can join networks organized by city, workplace, and school or college that enhances networking capabilities. 

Finally, if you have a specific job interest then I suggest you become familiar with organizations that represent professionals in your area. You can initiate contact to find out more about the organization and even attend one of their meetings. Some organizations have advice on education and careers and may even host career nights. One that I have found to be very valuable for students and the unemployed looking for jobs in technology is IEEE, the world's largest professional association for the advancement of technology.

Looking for a job in today's tough economy requires perseverance, a willingness to accept the word "no", and the dedication to one's craft to work on improving skills when not engaged in gainful employment. Perhaps the most important attribute is to have the right attitude. Remember, your attitude is something you choose. To quote former President Harry Truman, “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”

Blog posted by Steven Mintz, aka Ethics Sage, on January 10, 2012