Worksheets & References
Worksheets & References
The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from the shore.
– Dale Carnegie
Worksheet One: Work Place Values
Read through the values listed on the table. Rate the importance of each work place value by marking an X in the appropriate box.
Do not over analyze your response. Select the box that most accurately describes your true feelings.
| Work Place Value | Very Important | Somewhat Important | Not so Important | Unimportant |
| Independence | ||||
| Freedom | ||||
| Teamwork | ||||
| Recognition | ||||
| Creativity | ||||
| Loyalty | ||||
| Honesty | ||||
| Prestige | ||||
| Perseverance | ||||
| Positive attitude | ||||
| Competitive | ||||
| Leadership qualities | ||||
| Self-confidence | ||||
| Humility | ||||
| Quality | ||||
| Respect | ||||
| Open-mindedness | ||||
| Stability | ||||
| Innovation | ||||
| Detail-oriented | ||||
| Flexibility | ||||
| Discipline | ||||
| Empathy | ||||
| Order |
Worksheet Two: Purposes of Obtaining Employment
Read through the employment purposes listed on the table. Rate the importance of each purpose by marking an X in the appropriate box.
Do not over analyze your response. Select the box that most accurately describes your true feelings.
| Purposes of Obtaining Employment | Very Important | Somewhat Important | Not so Important | Unimportant |
| Gain an income source that provides for my basic survival needs and some of my wants. | ||||
| Find an outlet for my creativity, skills, abilities, and energies that will not only benefit myself but will help others also. | ||||
| Make a valuable and lasting contribution to my community and to society. | ||||
| Use my college degree for something worthwhile. | ||||
| Do something constructive with my time to avoid boredom. | ||||
| Be in a place where I can meet new people, travel, and gain new experiences. | ||||
| Get out of debt. | ||||
| Save money for the future. | ||||
| Try a new skill and gain new experiences. | ||||
| Fulfill my dreams and my mission in life. |
Worksheet Three: Assessing Your Skills
Read through the following skills and circle the top three that accurately describe you. Once you have circled your top skills, write notes beside them explaining why they are important to you.
Do not over analyze your response. Select the skills that most accurately describe your true feelings.
- Organization
- Analytical ability
- Speaking
- Listening
- Writing
- Special relationships
- Typing
- Physical coordination
- Hand-eye coordination
- Rhythm and bodily movement
- Creativity
Worksheet Four: Get SMART
SMART goals are goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-framed.
Using what you have learned about SMART goals, write an employment goals. Be sure to include information that shows your goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-framed.
Worksheet Five: Create a 30-Day Job Hunting Plan
Use the calendar to create your 30-day job-hunting plan. This calendar will include activities such as dates you have scheduled interviews, interview follow-up dates, days and times spent on searching for employment opportunities, completing applications, sending emails, and making calls. You can also record the days that will be used to fine-tune your cover letter or resume. Reading books about job hunting and practicing for your interviews can also prove to be beneficial.
Worksheet Six: Interview Questions
The following interview questions can be considered awkward and some maybe even illegal. With your partner, take turns asking and answering the questions in a manner that is graceful.
Q: I noticed there is a two-year gap between your last couple of jobs? What were you doing during that time?
Q: I see your last name is Garcia and you speak fluent Spanish. I did some volunteer work in Mexico. Is that where you are from?
Q: Your application says that you can’t work on February 28th. That’s the second day of Purim, the Jewish Holiday. Are you Jewish?
Q: According to your resume, you have over 30 years’ experience in your last job. You must be pretty close to retiring?
Q: That’s a very nice ring. How long have you been married?
Q: This job requires a lot of interaction with children. Do you have any children of your own?
Q: If you are offered the position, you will be working in our Chicago office. Your resume says that you live in Wheaton. How far is Wheaton from Chicago?
Worksheet Seven: Who Am I?
Read the sample branding statements below.
STUDENT: Poised to apply strong leadership, entrepreneurial, and business-development background as a successful MBA student.
PROJECT MANAGER: Delivering excellence in operations management, design implementation, and strategic, collaborative problem-solving to the industrial construction industry.
TAX ACCOUNTANT: Offering accounting experience and specific expertise in tax research, strategy, and planning.
Write a one sentence branding statement that communicates the quality and kind of work you offer your potential employers.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rate your branding statement.
Branding Statement Rubric 5-Very well 4-Well 3-Somewhat 2-Barely 1-Very little or not at all
- Does the statement communicate uniqueness?
- Does the statement present an accomplishment or skill?
- Does the statement highlight personality traits?
- Does the statement indicate potential benefits?
Worksheet Eight: Where are the Jobs?
Place an X by the positions you would be able to find in the local newspaper and an O by the positions that would not be publicly advertised.
- President of a College______
- Custodial worker ______
- Network Sports Broadcaster ______
- Curator for a Museum______
- Secretary for a banker______
- Scorekeeper for NBA games______
- Automotive sales person______
- Radio talk show host______
- DJ for a night club______
- Pizza delivery _____
Worksheet Nine: What Shall I Wear?
Read the list of dress attire items below. With an X, mark the items that are NOT appropriate for a job interview.
Earrings for men______
Big earrings for women______
Flamboyant hairstyle______
Dress______
Make-up______
Sandals______
Pantyhose______
T-shirt______
Tank top______
Shorts______
Capris______
Hat______
Sneakers______
Dress shirt______
Denim______
Loafers______
Cardigan______
Leather jacket______
Gym socks______
Team uniform______
Slacks______
Suit______
Tie______
Heavy jewelry______
Light jewelry______
Bibliography
Bolles, R. (2007) What Color Is Your Parachute? 2008: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career-Changers
Casperson, D. (1999) Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career
Hansen, K. (2004) A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market
Hoevemeyer, V. (2005) High-Impact Interview Questions: 701 Behavior-Based Questions to Find the Right Person for Every Job
Kalil, C. (1998) Follow Your True Colors to the Work You Love
Kennedy, J. (2008) Cover Letters For Dummies
Lorenzo, D. (2006) Career Intensity: Business Strategy for Work Place Warriors and Entrepreneurs
Martin, C. (2003) Boost Your Interview IQ
Morem, S. (2005) How to Gain the Professional Edge: Achieve the Personal and Professional Image You Want
Poore, C. (2001) Building Your Career Portfolio
Straub, C. (1996) Creating Your Skills Portfolio: Show Your Accomplishments
Whitcomb, S. (1998) Resume Magic: Trade Secrets of a Professional Resume Writer
