New In Career Resources:
- New Information on Nursing Education and Careers.
What’s Inside
Do you have what it takes to succeed in your future career?
This is a short, practical, yet conversational guide that provides everything you will need to prepare for and succeed in the workplace.
Awards and Reviews
Winner of 2008 National Best Book Award in Young Adult/Non-Fiction Category (Awarded October 20, 2008) for First Edition.Discover your “Self” and Develop your Work Image
Many people think of work as a place that you “go to” and labor to make money. While this is true in a very practical and basic sense, work is better described as an environment in which we go to interact with others to produce a product that contributes to society at large. The workplace is full of relationships with colleagues and managers, and how you begin to prepare for this place where you will spend a great deal of your time, is extremely important.
In order to prepare well for the intricacies of the workplace—from the day-to-day interactions, to the challenges of your task, to the deadlines and other demands—you need to first understand and develop your “whole person.” Unlike preparing a resume, or preparing for an interview, preparing yourself appropriately for work requires a good look at your complete “self” today. This includes your hopes and dreams, your feelings and attitudes and your physical presence, among other things. Chapter 1 of Teens and the Job Game provides you with a way to see yourself today, and begin to develop your “whole person.”
Understand How School is your Workplace of Today
When you go to school each day, you are doing your “work” of today. How you approach your studies has a very close relationship to how you would approach assignments on a job. You need to ask yourself if you are approaching your studies with dedication. Are you applying yourself and persisting in your studies? How are you handling the tough courses? What are some of the habits you need to form to succeed in school and the workplace? What are some of the secrets to success in school and work?
Chapter 2 of Teens and the Job Game will provide the answers on how to succeed in school and ultimately at work.
Determine the Right Career for You
According to Teens and the Job Game, Career = Skills + Interests + Personality. In order to choose the right career, you must appropriately interpret your skills or talents, realize what interests you in life, and understand how your personality fits in with certain types of work. If you are just starting high school, perhaps you don’t have a clear idea of your future career. If you are a senior in high school, chances are you a choosing a college based on your career interest.
Teens and the Job Game will point the way to discover your place in the world. The book will also tell you that it’s okay if you don’t yet know what you want to do in life. People arrive at their career choice at different points in their teens and even 20’s. Chapter 3 will help you begin to discern your place in the world.
Discover All the Ways to Search for Work
If you have never had a job, or even if you have worked in a part-time or summer job, it can be challenging to search for and find a job. There are many different ways to search for work today, especially with on-line job search options. There are also many traditional ways to search for work, including those you may not even have thought of, such as networking, socializing and others.
Chapter 4 of Teens and the Job Game provides you with specific tools for searching for work, approaching employers, preparing for a job interview, and preparing that all-important resume. At the end of the chapter, there are sample resumes for those who have already had a job, as well as for those who never worked. Sample cover letters are also provided for your use with each type of resume.
Learn What Employers Look for on the Job
There are basic, professional workplace behaviors that you have to know, whether you work in a part-time or summer job while you’re in high school, or volunteer at an institution, or are finally in your dream job of the future. You can be highly talented in a particular subject or work area, but if you don’t know “workplace behaviors 101” you cannot succeed. If you find a job that will challenge your abilities, and you know how to interact with colleagues and managers, and understand what it means to behave professionally, you will have the best chance of succeeding in your work.
Chapter 5 of Teens and the Job Game will discuss these professional behaviors and provide important guidance on how to handle workplace conflicts, and how to navigate through things like the office romance.