Career Achievement Growing Your Goals, Fourth Edition
By Karine B. Blackett
Table of Contents:
PART
You and Your Career: Finding and
Cultivating a Great Match! 2
Chapter 1 Jump-Start Your Career 4
The Difference between a Job and a Career 6
Managing Your Career 11
The Importance of Effective Goal Setting 13
Writing Down Your Goals 15
Attitude and Self-Talk 19
Affirmations 21
SMART Goals and Stretch Goals 21
Achieving Your Goals 24
Career Hacks 27
Your Career Mission Statement 28
Creating a Portfolio 30
Chapter Summary 32
Skill/Term Check 32
Key Terms 33
Chapter 2 Skills and Interests—Your Career Assets 34
Your Values, Interests, and Personality 36
What Do You Value? 36
Your Unique Personality 41
Soft Skills and Adaptive Skills 42
Hard Skills and Transferable Skills 44
Job-Specific Skills 45
Achievements, Accomplishments, Honors, and Awards 46
Your Brand Identity 49
Identify Your Skills Gap 50
Match Your Degree to Goals and Possibilities 52
Chapter Summary 54
Skill/Term Check 54
Key Terms 54
Chapter 3 Where Are the Jobs?
Maximize Your Career Options 55
Rethinking Unemployment 56
Labor Market Trends and the Changing Employment Landscape 57
New Landscape of Employment Trends 57
Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Occupational Employment
and Wage Statistics 65
Working Poor Statistics 65
Using Sources to Find Employment Opportunities 69
Targeted Job Search 70
Chapter Summary 78
Skill/Term Check 78
Key Terms 78
PART
Marketing Tools: Promoting Your Skills 80
Chapter 4 Networking—It’s Always Who You Know 82
The Importance of Networking 84
The Hidden Job Market 85
Where Companies Look for Employees 86
Mentors 90
Keep Your Commitments 91
The Power of the Invisible Network 91
Networking Opportunities 93
Leverage Your Career through Networking 95
Social Media in Your Job Search 99
Your Social Media Presence 100
Case Study: Utilizing Social Media 101
Warm and Cold Contacts 102
Break Out of Your Comfort Zone 104
Specific Tools to Enhance Networking Results 106
Networking Business Card (NBC) 106
The Power of a Professional Handshake 114
How to Work a Room 115
Informational Interview 116
Organizing Your Contacts 117
Chapter Summary 118
Skill/Term Check 119
Key Terms 119
Chapter 5 Professional Resumes the Easy Way 120
The Importance of a Professional Resume 123
The First Cut 125
How to Get Your Resume Through AI/ATS (Applicant Tracking System) 125
Types of Resumes 126
Chronological Resume 126
Presentation Overview 127
Functional or Skills Resume 130
Combination, Hybrid, or Custom Resume 130
Scannable, Plain Text, E-Resume, or Online Resume 130
Fonts for All Resumes 132
What to Include in Your Resume 133
The Skills FormulaTM 137
Quantifying Skills 138
The Skills Formula 138
Formatting, Saving, and Sending Your Resume 140
Target the Job 140
Visual Impact 140
Maintain Integrity 140
Resume Formats 141
Resume Challenges 141
Portfolios: Putting It All Together 143
Delivering Your Resume 144
Chapter Summary 155
Skill/Term Check 155
Key Terms 155
Winning Resumes: Real Student Examples for Resumes and References 156
Chapter 6 Professional Cover Letters and Applications 176
Creating Professional Cover Letters 178
Cover Letter Workshop 178
Putting It All Together 183
Student Sample Cover Letters 183
Writing an Effective Cover Letter 190
Completing an Error-Free Application 195
Application Guidelines 195
The Master Application 197
Challenging Questions 197
Chapter Summary 206
Skill/Term Check 206
Key Terms 207
PART
Moving Forward: Interview, Follow-Up, and
Managing Change 208
Chapter 7 Successful Interviews 210
The Seven Interview Steps 212
Seven Steps to a Stellar Interview 212
Types of Interviews 218
Standard or Traditional Interviews 218
Competency-Based/Behavioral Interview 219
Lunch or Dinner Interview 219
Nondirective or Work Sample Interview 220
Panel or Group Interview 220
Phone Interview 221
Screening or Prescreening Interview 223
Second Interview 224
Stress Interview 224
Structured Interview 225
Technical Interview 225
Understanding and Answering Interview Questions 226
Standard or Traditional Interview Questions 226
Competency-Based/Behavioral-Based Interview
Questions 228
Illegal Questions 232
Answering Illegal Questions 234
Creating Your Professional Image 238
Professional Attire Guide 238
Self-Worth in Interviewing 240
Project Confidence 241
Conduct a Mock Interview 242
Log of Contacts Expanded 244
Chapter Summary 247
Skill/Term Check 247
Key Terms 248
Chapter 8 Follow-Up and Negotiation 249
The Two-Step Follow-Up Procedure 251
The Interview Is Not Over until the Thank-You Note Is Sent 251
Two Thank-You Notes Are Better than One 251
Thank-You Notes When You Are Turned Down 256
Applying the Art of Successful Negotiation 257
Key Negotiation Questions to Ask 259
Other Questions to Consider 260
Making a Sound Career Decision 262
Negotiation Student Success Story 263
How to Diplomatically Ask for What You Want 265
Get the Offer in Writing 266
Job Offer Acceptance Letter 266
“Don’t Sell the Farm” Yet 266
Juggling Offers 266
How to Turn Down an Offer Successfully 267
Make a Decision—Then Make It a Right Decision 269
Negotiate Once You Have the Job 270
Asking for a Raise 270
Turn the Performance Evaluation into a Negotiation
Opportunity 271
Managing Obstacles and Frustrations 272
Job Search Rejection Tips 272
Get Support 273
Roadblocks, Side Trips, and Detours 274
Chapter Summary 276
Skill/Term Check 276
Key Terms 276
Chapter 9 Step Up Your Career 277
Making a Professional Impression 279
Fit into the Company Culture 279
Have a Positive Attitude 280
Project Professionalism 280
Smile and Shake Hands 280
Take Initiative 280
Show Confidence 280
Be an Active Listener 280
Use Names 280
Remember Your Netiquette 280
How to Advance in the Workplace 281
Meet and Exceed Expectations 282
Power over Your Schedule 283
Navigate Office Politics 285
Moving Forward through Performance Appraisals 285
If Your Employer Doesn’t Use Performance Reviews 286
Managing and Advancing a Small Business: The Basics 287
Managing Job Changes, Stress, and Life Balance 287
Tips and Tools for Moving Forward No Matter What 287
Job Loss Triage 289
Priority Plan of Action 289
Employees Don’t Quit Jobs; They Quit Bosses 295
Bully Bosses 295
Workplace Burnout 297
Career-Life Balance 298
Tips to get through Hard Times 299
Lifelong Learning and Goal Setting 300
Career Management Plan: Taking Goal Setting to the Next Level 300
Expand Your Toolbox 301
Professional Growth and Lifelong Learning 303
Mentors 304
Chapter Summary 306
Skill/Term Check 306
Key Terms 306
Appendix A 307
Appendix B 312
Glossary 330
References 333
Index 335