Here are some tips to help high school students find their hidden skills, prepare for the workforce, learn how to write a resume, be coached for an interview, wear the appropriate clothing for their interview and search the internet for the right resources for internships, apprenticeships, and jobs and choose a career they will like..

Finding Hidden Skills for the Best Career Choice

• Have your student take a comprehensive assessment (not interest based), which will reveal their hidden skills. This will also help your child identify their strengths and weaknesses and potential next careers.
• Encourage your student to explore their interests and hobbies. This can help them identify their passions. 
• Provide opportunities for your child to work on projects that align with their interests. This can help them develop their skills and gain experience.

Preparing for the Workforce

• Encourage you’re your child to network with professionals in their field of interest. This can help them learn about job opportunities and gain valuable insights into their chosen career path.
• Provide opportunities for your child to work on projects that align with their interests. This can help them develop their skills and gain experience.
• Consider researching job shadowing or mentorship programs to help your child gain exposure to different careers and industries.

Writing a Resume

Writing a resume can be a daunting task, but it’s an important step in preparing for the workforce. Here are some tips to help your child create a resume that showcases their skills and experience: when helping your student:

• Start with a summary: Begin a resume with a brief summary of your student’s skills, experience, and career goals. This will help employers quickly understand what they have to offer.
• Have your child Highlight their education: it’s important to highlight their education on your child’s resume. Have them Include information about their curriculum, grades, and any extracurricular activities they participated in.
• Emphasize your student’s skills: Please have your child point out their unique set of skills, such as self-motivation, time management, and independent learning. Be sure to have them highlight these skills on their resume.
• Include relevant work experience: If they have any work experience, be sure to have them include it on the resume. Even if it’s not directly related to the desired career path, it can still demonstrate your student’s work ethic and reliability.
• Have your child list their achievements: Including any awards, honors, or achievements they have received. This can help demonstrate their dedication and hard work.
• Have your student use action verbs: When describing their experience and achievements, have your child use strong action verbs to make the resume more engaging and dynamic.
• Proofread: Finally, be sure to have your child proofread the resume carefully. Spelling and grammar errors can make a negative impression on potential employers.

Remember, this resume reflects your student’s skills, experience, and potential. Have them take the time to create a well-crafted resume that showcases unique strengths and abilities. 

Searching for Internships, Apprenticeships, and Jobs

• Encourage your student to use online job boards and career websites to search for internships, apprenticeships, and jobs.
• Have your child reach out to local businesses and organizations to inquire about internship or apprenticeship opportunities.
• Encourage your student to network with professionals in their field of interest.
• Encourage your child to learn about job opportunities and gain valuable insights into their chosen career path.

Remember, finding hidden skills, preparing for the workforce, and searching for internships, apprenticeships, and jobs takes time and effort. Remember to encourage your child to take the assessment, it will help identify their strengths and will help them stay focused and motivated; remind them that their hard work will pay off in the long run.

Coaching for a Career Interview

Preparing for an interview can be a nerve-racking experience. Here are some tips to help you coach your high school student for their first interview:

• Practice general interview skills: Before diving into the specifics of the interview, make sure your child knows the basics of interviewing. You can give them practice with interview skills by having them work in groups of three: Your child and one other person role-play an interview while a third, the evaluator, offers coaching and suggestions on the points below as they practice. They should practice several skills:

• Prepare a list of questions, realizing that they don’t have to ask every one of them.
• Maintain good eye contact, including looking up again if they look down to consult their list of questions.
• Prepare for a follow-up question when your response leads them to think of a question they didn’t plan for.
• Ask a follow-up question. It shows you are emotionally involved in the interview.

Research the company: Encourage your child to research the company they want to interview with. This will help them understand the company’s values, mission, and culture. They can use this information to tailor their responses to the interviewer’s questions.

Prepare for common interview questions: There are several common interview questions that students can prepare for, such as:

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work for this company?
• What are your long-term career goals?
• Emphasize soft skills: soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are highly valued by employers. Encourage your child to highlight these skills during the interview.
• Provide feedback: After the practice interview, provide feedback to your child. Let them know what they did well and what they can improve on. Encourage them to practice more and offer additional coaching if needed.

Preparing for an Interview

Remember, the key to a successful interview is preparation and practice. With the right guidance, high school students can ace their first interview and land their dream job.

• Encourage students to be themselves: Have them use interview as an opportunity to display their personality and show a hiring manager more about themselves than what’s listed on their application documents. For example, if they like bold colors, then have them choose to wear a bright-colored top with neutral pants.

Here are some general guidelines for what to wear to an interview:

• Business formal: A suit and tie for men, and a pantsuit or skirt suit for women.
• Business casual: Dress pants or khakis, a dress shirt or blouse, and a blazer or sweater. Avoid wearing jeans, t-shirts, or sneakers.
• Casual: A collared shirt or blouse, khakis or dress pants, and dress shoes. Avoid wearing shorts, t-shirts, or sneakers.

Remind them that dressing appropriately for an interview can help them make a great first impression.

What should be the dress code be for an interview?

Dressing appropriately for an interview is important as it can help students make a strong first impression. The dress code for an interview can vary depending on the company and the position the student is applying for. Here are some general tips to help students decide what to wear:

• Have your child research the company’s dress code: Before the interview, have them research the company’s dress code to learn more about their expectations. Even if the dress code is casual, it may benefit students to look more professional than the employer requires than showing up under-dressed.
• Have your student Choose clothing that matches the climate and season: To ensure they are comfortable during the interview, have them choose clothes that align with the climate and season. For example, students may not want to wear sandals if it’s snowing outside or wear a wool coat in the summer heat.
• Have your child check for pet hair or any noticeable clothing defects: Another way to ensure the student looks professional for their interview is to check their clothing for any pet hair, holes, or stains. They may not want to wear clothing items with these details since it can prevent the interviewer from focusing on their professionalism and credentials.
• Ensure clothing is pressed and wrinkle-free: Regardless of what they decide to wear to for their interview, it’s a good idea for students to press, steam or iron clothes before meeting with a prospective employer. This can help them show that they took time to prepare for the interview and care about their appearance in the workplace.

In conclusion:

• It’s important to take a comprehensive assessment. It will help discover hidden skills.
• Prepare for the workforce by writing a resume.
• Search for apprenticeships, internships, and entry level jobs
• Be prepared for an interview by being coached for potential questions.
• And how to dress for success.

Let’s Build Career Success:

Let us help your job seekers prepare: for the workforce, for their next step in life, for their future.

Interested in improving the success of Students & Job Seekers or do you have a questions about our Assessment? We’re here.

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Please set a date and time on our calendar at your convenience to speak and learn about how Career Day helps new employees succeed.