Educating high school students for both college and career is difficult. Teaching trade skills seems alien to the academic culture. But new research indicates that soft skills are quite important to judgments of employability and that youth learn many soft skills in traditional academic subjects (e.g., literature). A focus on soft skills allows…

Many students seem disinterested in learning to handle employment interviews effectively. This article discusses students' motivation to become skilled interviewees and steps educators and counselors can take to increase students' interest in this crucial career activity. The article also discusses mistakes students frequently make during…

American graduate schools command a strong aspiration among international students. However, there is a wide disparity in institutions' experience attracting and enrolling internationals students. Two out of every three international graduate students were enrolled in public institutions--an indication of international students' consideration of…

Networking is a chance to interact with people, build friendships or business partners, identify opportunities, and create value. Technology has made this process easier, since individuals can readily contact others who were previously unknown. In the professional world, LinkedIn has become the standard way to build virtual and personal networks.…

Improving students' psychological literacy has become a key part of the new British Psychological Society accreditation. This is fuelling an emphasis on helping students to apply their degree knowledge critically and innovatively, both to enhance their chances in a competitive job market and to give them the skills to make a real-world difference.…

This Info Brief introduces families, including families of youth with disabilities, to a new way of looking at career development for youth. This brief discusses the three phases of career development, highlights Individualized Learning Plans as a tool for facilitating the career development process, and offers strategies on how families can be…

Informational interviews are valuable tools for improving writing, editing, and interviewing skills, and they are also extremely valuable in improving the soft skills that are valued by employers, such as confidence, adaptability, the ability to set and keep deadlines, the ability to manage risk, and so on. These soft skills, this article argues,…

Managers and business owners often base hiring decisions on first impressions. That is why it is so important to teach students to make a great first impression--before they go on that first job interview. Managers do not have unrealistic expectations, they just want to hire people who they believe can develop into valuable employees. A nice…

Analyzes the group job search process in terms of individual responsibility and group support, and discusses the Group Job Search (GJS) Workshop concept. Describes the Job Club, Job Factory, Self-Directed Placement and the Nevada Work Incentive Program. Concludes that GJS provides a successful, cost effective approach to reducing unemployment.…

The results of a survey at Oregon State University emphasized the variety of skills needed for a successful job search. Job acquisition skills training sessions will continue to be needed for successful placement. (JAC)

The PACE Employment Program brings together potential employers and employees in the Cook County Jail (Chicago). Inmate-students and employers participate in a variety of exercises related to the development and strengthening of personal and interpersonal skills. (Author/BEF)

Describes a career entry program for adolescents entering the work force. The 12-step procedure is organized in four phases: preliminary; resume; search; and interview. A flowchart of career entry strategy and a career data worksheet are included. (Author/BEF)

Job finding is a learnable skill. Many programs emphasizing job search methods and interviewing techniques show a high rate of success in equipping the unemployed with the tools to find work quickly and efficiently. (JAC)

Lake Sumter Community College (Florida) undertook a project to improve its existing job placement services for vocational students. The primary objectives of the project were to develop and implement a system for all vocational students to register with the placement office, inform all vocational students and instructors about the services…

Describes the employment interview as a communication situation in which skill in communication is the important determinant of success. Presents a workshop format that focuses attention on interview communication skills. Discusses what makes a competent communicator and describes possible workshop components and their integration into successful…