Briefly summarize what employers are asking for in terms of experience, education, and other qualifications.

Paper Option (The Value of You – 150 possible points)

1. Using Indeed.com, identify three current positions in your field that interest you.
2. Using Careeronestop.org and/or BLS.gov, conduct research on the three positions you are interested in and answer the following questions.
3. Reflection: Choose one of the positions you researched that you are most interested in and answer the following questions in paragraph form.Assignment Questions
4. What are the job titles that you found in your research of job descriptions? Briefly summarize what employers are asking for in terms of experience, education, and other qualifications.
5. How do you match up with what employers say they need? What qualifications do you have that align? What are the gaps between what you currently have to offer and what the employer expects? What will you do to overcome those gaps? (Please note: Obviously few people will have everything an employer advertises, so aim to have about 60-70% of the stated qualifications. If you find that you have less than that, and you are not qualified for the jobs you identified, then go back again and search for new jobs that you are qualified for. You might need to look for more entry-level jobs. If you don’t have experience in your field, where do you need to start to get experience?)
6. Look for themes among the job ads. List at least 3 core competencies that someone needs to do that job effectively. In other words, what are the skills, characteristics, and abilities that a successful candidate must have (analysis, forecasting, budgeting, complex decision making, ethics or compliance, persistence, number orientation, communication, specific software knowledge, etc.)?
7. For each of the three core competencies, write at least one specific story that demonstrates how you have proven that you possess that competency. In other words, think about times when you have demonstrated those skills and characteristics. What did you do? How well did you do it? What was the result? What specific, detailed, concrete examples can you provide to your future employer that demonstrates your value? Consider this a personal success “story” you can tell to prove your ability. Your stories can come from your work experience, education, volunteer work, even personal life (if those stories are professional and relevant). See examples of stories in Resources.
8. For each story you have written, condense each story into one powerful accomplishment action bullet that you can use on your resume. See examples of action bullets in Resources. If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?
9. If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?