Finances and Career Planning Quiz

Why is a cover letter important?

A cover letter is important because it is a personal letter (about you as a person and not just on a paper) that tells your potential employer why you're interested in the particular job and why he should call you for an interview.

What is the difference between a job and a career?

A job refers to work you do with the purpose to earn money while a career is a plan to work in a field that actually interests you and you don't JUST put effort in for money.

How do the following resources help you in deciding your career? a. Libraries b. Mass Media c. Internet d. School Guidance Offices e. Community organizations f. Professional organizations g. Contacts

a. Libraries help you decide your career because they offer a variety of references and resources pertaining to different careers. b. Mass media helps you decide your career because forms of it (like newspapers) feature articles, trends, and other information on business, employment, job hunting, etc. c. The internet helps you decide your career because it has information, tips, suggestions, and even easy-to-access applications for jobs and employment. d. School guidance offices help you decide your career since they have helpful materials, and advice tailored to specific students based on your academics, hobbies, behavior, and other aspects. e. Community organizations help you decide your career because most communities have business and civic groups that give members the opportunity to meet with local business people. f. Professional organizations help you decide your career since they share information about careers and advertise careers to those looking for the right one. g. Contacts help you decide your career since those you acquaint with can give you advice/help in their own field and even get you in contact with their contacts in other fields; opportunities can arise this way.

Your goal is to find a job or career that gives you the right balance between ___________ and _____________-.

financial rewards... personal satisfaction

Explain how deciding a career leads to tradeoffs.

Every career has pros and cons (like trade-offs). The cons differ with each career so before choosing a career you should do research to see if its opportunities or requirements are compatible with your ideal way of life. For example, choosing to become an astronaut means you'll often be away from your family and you'll be traveling for long periods; you need to determine if these trade-offs are worth it or not to you.

Which factors should you consider before accepting a job offer? Explain.

Factors one should consider before accepting a job offer are the work environment (the pace, pressure, overall behavior/mood, and policies of the workplace), the factors affecting your salary (your compensation compared to others at the same experience+education level), and your package benefits (you should measure the benefits you're getting by seeing how much they would cost without the job).

How do factors such as economic conditions and industry trends affect your career choices?

Factors such as economic conditions could affect your career since the job market and demand for people in certain professions fluctuates with the economy. Industry trends could affect your career since the demand for workers in specific careers fluctuates based on the demand for the production of the good/service being provided by the industry.

Which factor would be most important to you? Explain why.

Health insurance is probably the most important benefit for me because I want to feel assured that in case of emergency I can always seek medical attention.

Have you ever held any type of job? (babysitting, work for allowance)? What skills did you learn?

I've never held an actual job but I once agreed to do chores in the garden in exchange for an allowance. While doing the work, I felt a sense of responsibility and pride to know that I'm earning my money in exchange for my hard work.

If your career choice became outdated or was no longer in demand, how would you go about making a new choice?

If the specific career you choose based on your abilities is outdated, you would have to return to step 2 of career planning and identify which job opportunities in your chosen field are still available.

What should you do if you are granted an interview?

If your are called in for an interview, your should research and find as much information about the company's work as you can beforehand so that you look informed and interested in front of the employer.

Give specific examples of jobs that use technology and explain how tech is used in these fields.

Pilots use technology on every leg their trip. While they may not be computer engineers, they must use technology to operate their vehicles efficiently and safely in a controlled environment. They must also understand how the the engines on their vehicles work and what measures to take in case something goes wrong. While technology operates a plane. pilots operate the technology.

On page 335, look at the sample resume. Which of these two formats would be best for a school teacher who wants to obtain an entry-level job at a law firm? Why?

Skills...

How can training opportunities benefit you?

Training opportunities can benefit you because technological/other advancements are always being made so attending conferences that update you on these can give you new ideas and improve your overall performance.

How can you become an asset to your employer?

You can be an asset to your employer by having certain qualities (everyday qualities as a person which don't have to depend on your educational qualifications) that can avoid conflict or any other major problems in the workplace (like communication and working under pressure to find solutions).

How can you make sure your career develops in the right direction?

You can make sure your career develops in the right direction by gaining support from a mentor who can serve as a professional counselor or overall role model because mentors are experienced and have more insight compared to new employees (who need the advice). Having mentor can ensure you don't make mistakes that your mentor made (and learnt from).

What are your rights as an employee?

Your rights as an employee are that a woman can't get fired due to reasons related to her having kids, no one can be discriminated against due to non-work factors (like race, gender, religion, etc.), and any employee injured doing his or her job must be compensated by the employer (unemployment insurance, social security, and other funds) to make his or her life easier.

Why is training important?

Training is important because it teaches you more than the basics; the more knowledge you have, the higher your chance of success (closer to reaching your financial goals).

On page 334, look at the sample cover letter. What information in this cover letter might set this applicant apart from others?

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When you have an interview, various questions will be asked. Choose one of the three jobs listed on this paper, pretend that you are interested in that job, and answer the sample interview questions: Computer Technician i. SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ii. What education and training qualifies you for this job? iii. Why are you interested in working for this company? iv. What experiences have helped prepare you for this job? v. What are your major strengths? Major weaknesses? vi. What do you plan to be doing five or ten years from now?

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What are the 6 stages of career planning? Explain.

1) Asses personal goals, abilities, and interests. Research careers. 2) Identify job opportunities in said chosen field. 3) Develop a résumé and cover letter. Apply for jobs. 4) Interview for available positions. Improve interviewing skills. 5) Consider job offers. Accept a job that meets your financial and personal requirements. 6) Plan and implement a program for career development. -For one to have the most chance of success, he or she must make sure to take the above steps to having a pretty decent career.

List and describe places you can find job opportunities.

Advertisements: Media like newspapers have ads with job listings by employers looking for employees (or vice versa). The internet can also be used for specifically finding the right job for your that's being advertised as available. Job fairs: Recruiters, sent by employers, set up stations in this event where candidates can go to discuss opportunities and submit their résumés while trying to make a good impression on the recruiter (like a pre-interview thing to get a recommendation) Employment agencies: These are businesses that help match potential employees with employers that have openings in their companies (if a company hires you, they'll probably pay the agency's fee).

What is the difference between an aptitude test and an interest inventory?

An aptitude test measures your natural abilities that aid or hurt your career while an interest inventory identifies activities that you actually enjoy doing which are crucial in certain careers.

How do social influences, such as demographic trends and geographic trends, affect your career choices?

Social influences (like demographics and trends) could affect your career since more people would want to join/leave your preferred profession based on the numbers which would affect the demand of people entering that profession. Geographic trends could affect your career since making the wrong choice of where to settle based on your profession can have an effect on your lifestyle and compensation; you must choose a place that benefits your work and life while still being paid well.

What are some other ways to find a job?

Some other ways to find jobs are visiting companies you're interested in, calling companies or directories (for business names), networking (talking with people with similar interest as you since they may have advice, and searching through resources like the internet.

What are some reasons you may consider a career change? What do you need to consider before you do so?

Some reasons you may consider a career change are if you feel bored/depressed at work, your job majorly impacts you emotionally or physically (negatively), you keep receiving poor performance evaluations, and you see little potential of getting a raise/promotion at your current job. Though, before doing so, you must consider how the financial and personal costs/benefits of your career choice will affect your needs/goals.

What are the two basic types of resumes? Describe both.

The 2 basic types of résumés are the chronological résumé (provides a time-to-time outline of your education, work experience, and other information about what you've dine thus far) and the skills résumé (highlights your abilities in specific categories like communication, research, and supervision) .

What can you do to ensure that you will make a professional and memorable impression on a recruiter?

To make your best impression on a. recruiter at a job fair, you should be prepared and seem like you know what you're talking about (presentable, confident, passionate, and informed).

What steps can you take to help make your career a success?

To make your career a success, you can improve your communication skills (written and oral) by getting along with coworkers, be flexible to new ideas, make good work habits, be productive/efficient, learn to anticipate and deal with problems, use time-management to improve quality of work without stressing out, and be open to learning new techniques/technology.

What are the benefits and drawbacks for the following types of jobs? a. Part-time work b. Volunteer work c. Internships and cooperative education d. Class projects or afterschool activities

a. The benefits of having a part-time job is to get experience in fields that you otherwise wouldn't- this can help you choose your career. The drawbacks are that its a temporary position and it can't help you majorly in terms of finances. b. The benefits of doing volunteer work are learning new skills, developing good work habits, and making professional contacts. The drawback of this is that, while fulfilling, volunteering doesn't pay so you can't volunteer with the intention of making money. c. The benefits of having an internship is that you gain professional experience and, if you prove to be good at what you do, you could have a shot at permanent employment at that company. The drawback is that you may not be able to get the experience you were hoping for. The benefit of cooperative education is that, like internship, students get experience in the field that there interested in. The "drawback" is that the student may learn that they aren't actually interested in what they thought they would enjoy. d. The benefits of class projects and after-school activities are that they help students gain fundamental life and career skills (like public speaking, conducting research, planning, organizing, managing people, etc.). The drawback is that it may take quite a bit of time to do these activities as well as schoolwork.