LEARNING STRAND 4 – LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS

MODULE 1: ROAD TO EMPLOYMENT

Lesson 1 – Preparing for Future Career
Competencies: You will be able to identify possible career options aligned to your interest/strengths/assets. (LS4LCAE-PSA-AE/JHS-8)
You will be able to demonstrate work readiness skills which include the following: (LS4LC-AE-PSA-AE/JHS-21)

Preparing for Future Career

In this module, you and Michelle will study how young people can find good jobs and build a sustainable career.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU DID

One of the most difficult decisions that you will make is to choose your career. There are a lot of things that
you should consider before you can say that a certain job or profession is really for you. In order for you to choose
the career that suits your interests and skills, here are some of the steps that
you should consider.

1. Assess yourself. Before you make a good decision about your career choices, you must try to reflect
and assess yourself first. Look at your strengths, personality, interests, and career goals. You may list down how
you see yourself in the future. You may also want to take different self-assessment tools and career tests so that
you will be more guided on your decision.

2. List down occupations. Since you have already assessed your strengths, interests, and career goals,
this is the time that you research possible careers that fit your personality. You may also list down careers or
occupations that appeal to you. This will give you wide options and perspectives on the careers that you think will
best suit you.
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 3. Research the occupations in your list. From the list that you made, make sure to learn more about the
careers you listed down. You may check the demands of the job, the educational requirements, and the challenges
that this profession might give you. You may also wish to consider the pros and cons of this career, especially on
your personal growth as a person.

4. Make a career choice. Make sure to make a shortlist after checking the choices you listed down. From
the shortlist that you have, select the best that suits your interest, strengths, and goals. This may be a tough
decision for you but your choice is more guided since you have considered different factors before selecting it.

5. Identify your goals. Since you have made your career choice, this is the step which will lead you back to
your goal. Make sure to include goals on to become successful in your chosen career. You must remember that the
goals that you have should be anchored on your values and principles. Make sure to include specific steps to
achieve these goals through measurable actions.

6. Write a career action plan. This is the time when you will identify how you will achieve your goals. This
must include specific steps that you have to take in order for you to make progress in achieving your goal. This will
guide you to identify things that you need to do more or those you need to do less as you move forward in your
chosen career.

These steps are a simple guide that you may follow to choose your career. Make
sure that you do enough data gathering to make a sound decision. Also, always go back on your self-assessment if
you feel like you are going out of focus. This will keep you on track on the things that you consider such as your
interests and strengths that will make you successful and productive in your chosen profession.

POSSIBLE CAREER OPTIONS

To help you with your job-hunting, here are a few options that you may want to consider. Most of the jobs
listed here have minimum qualifications and are always looking for new hires. Depending on your skills and interest,
you might just find the perfect career in the following:

Food Service Worker

Places like fast-food chains, restaurants, and food courts are all under the food service category. There are
several types of jobs that are available in this area. You can be short-order cook, waitress, cashier, barista, or a
dishwasher. If you like getting your hands on the job, and you have high stamina suited for standing for long hours,
you might consider working in the food service industry.
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Customer Service Representative
T
his is more commonly known as a call center agent. This line of job requires you to have good
communication skills, and of course, patience. Companies also offer several shifts depending on the arrangements
they make for you. You may work early in the morning until the afternoon, afternoon until evening, or evening until
sunrise. Unlike jobs in the food service, jobs in call centers require you have to sit most of the time because you will
be busy answering phone calls or emails from your customers. Most of these communications are about inquiries
and concerns regarding certain products and services.

Office Worker

There are many types of office workers, but most of them have one job in common: to keep the office day-to-
day operations smooth and efficient. Your tasks might include scheduling meetings, doing paperwork, responding to
emails, photocopying, and relaying information to the rest of the office workforce.

WORK READINESS SKILLS

Now that you have an idea what career path you would like to take, it is now time to prepare yourself for the
real action. Job-hunting does not happen in just one day. You need to make sure that you are ready and that you
are confident that you can present yourself to your future employers as the best candidate for the job. Remember
that you must impress them, as there may be other applicants who are eyeing the job that you want. Showing your
future employers that you are well-prepared and that you are taking this job application seriously is going to give you
a high chance of being hired.

Applying for a Job

Once you have identified the job that you want and the companies that you want to apply to, you must
prepare yourself for the requirements and be familiar with the hiring procedure that you will have to undergo before
being hired.

Preparing a Written Job Application

Not all companies will require a written job application, but it is better to be prepared than not. Write a short
letter about who you are and why you are applying for the job that you want. Include a bit of your background,
especially if you have done previous work that is related to the job that you are applying for. Your job application is a
summary of your biodata or curriculum vitae, so better show them the important information that they need to know.
Most of all, check your grammar and make sure that your letter is free of errors. Give them the impression that you
have an eye for details.

Preparing a Biodata/Curriculum Vitae (CV)

This is a document that will show your background, work, and education history. There are biodata and
curriculum vitae formats that you can follow which are available in the Internet. This is the most important document
that you will need when applying for a job, because all future employers look for this before they would decide if you
are suitable for an interview. Hence, make sure that all the information that you put are correct and backed up with
evidence. They will not be looking for your certificates and other proofs immediately, but they might ask for them
from you. This is why it is important that you are honest in the information that you will provide.

Preparing for a Job Interview

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 If your potential employers were impressed by your written job application and CV, they would likely decide
to interview you for the job. Getting an interview does not immediately mean that you are hired, but it means that you
have a high chance on getting the job. Therefore, you should present your best self. You can search the internet for
possible questions that they may ask you. Practice how you would respond to their questions. On the day of the
interview, you should dress appropriately and arrive ahead of time so that you would not be late. When you meet
your interviewers, greet them with a smile and be polite.

Following Work-Related Instructions

Once you’re hired, your manager will give you a list of instructions of what you’re supposed to do. You will be
also briefed about the company rules and regulations so you won’t commit any violations while on your job. Please
read them well and apply them when you’re already working. Your company will give you some training so you’ll be
prepared for the actual job. Once you’ve passed the training, you will probably be under probationary status during
the first few months of your employment. That means you need to be careful and diligent with your tasks, because
they will be watching if you’re a good investment for their industry.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Most jobs will put you in a team or a group of people who are working in the same area as you are. You will
need to communicate with them while working as they are part of your company’s system. For efficient teamwork
and collaboration, you need to be in your teammate’s good graces. Be friendly with them; be familiar with how they
work and what their best traits are. Knowing your teammates well will help you collaborate better because it will be
easier for you to know how to deal with them. You will know whom to help, and whom to ask for help in case you
need it.

Taking Initiative

Part of being in a team is having an initiative which means that once you see that something is wrong or
something could be done better, you immediately act on it. You solve problems without having your supervisor
telling you to do so. Taking initiative means that you can recognize what needs to be done in a certain situation and
you assess what needs to be done independently. This means that you are a responsible employee and that your
employers can trust you with minimal supervision.

Attendance and Punctuality

Performing well is not just the benchmark of a good employee; you should also be mindful of your time.
Being late and having a lot of absences will get you into trouble. Always go to work on time, and ask permission if
you need to be absent. As an employee, your co-workers and supervisors expect you to be in the work area during
working hours, so not being there during those times will decrease your dependability. This might seriously hurt your
reputation as an employee as they might not trust you to do certain tasks anymore. Hence, if there are some
unavoidable situations where you might be late or absent, inform your supervisors. They will appreciate it if you
would tell them that you will be unavailable ahead of time, so that they can delegate your tasks to someone else
when you are not around.

Workplace Problem-Solving and Thinking Skills

In a workplace, there will always be times when you will encounter problems or situations which you need to
troubleshoot. In cases like this, you should be ready to find ways to solve the problem—be it directly about you, or
about someone in your team. As mentioned earlier, you should have the initiative to address situations before they
get worse. Offer solutions, and if someone needs your help, offer him/her an assistance.

Dependability

If you want your co-workers and supervisors to see you as a good employee, you will have to be dependable.
This does not mean that you will have to cater all of their requests. It simply means that they should see you as
someone that they can trust to have the job done with minimal problems. Also, dependability means that they can
expect you to put your best effort in everything that you do. In this way, your teammates and supervisor will see you
as a good investment for the company that you are working for.

Willingness to Learn

In the field of employment, there are many things that you need to learn. Hence, it is very important that you
are willing to learn and apply your learnings once you are on the job. It is very normal to commit mistakes, especially
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when you have not mastered your job yet, but you should show that you are willing to learn so that you can perform
better next time.

Resiliency

As said earlier, committing mistakes is unavoidable; therefore, you should not dwell on them. Consider your
shortcomings as a lesson that will make you a better employee. There will also be days that will be tougher than the
rest; all you need to do is to be brave enough to overcome them. Challenges will always be a part of life, and you
should learn how to recover from them, and become a better version of yourself.

Self-Management

Being a responsible and dependable employee means being able to assess yourself. You should know your
best traits, and those that can still be improved. Always seek to become better and to perform better. If you notice
that you are slacking off, find ways on how to avoid it. Learn how to make things work for you. Your ability to
manage yourself will reflect your efficiency as an employee.

Directions: Complete the mind map below. Identify and describe your dream job.

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Directions: Identify which skill is being required in the given situations below.

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ANSWER KEY:

TRYING THIS OUT: (Answers may vary)

The job is: to become a firefighter

Job description: puts out the fire and helps people in emergencies

Salary: around P20,000/month

Responsibilities: respond to emergency calls especially of those in fire, provide rescue in

various forms of danger, drive and operate firefighting apparatus like the fire truck

Requirements: college degree, knowledge of the rules and regulations in the fire service,
extensive knowledge and training in emergency medical care, and skill in using fire
equipment

Benefits: physical fitness, job security, good pay, and fulfillment

SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS:

1. punctuality
2. teamwork and collaboration
3. problem-solving and thinking skills
4. resiliency, problem-solving and thinking skills
5. taking initiative, self-management

Question:
What is the most important thing to consider when choosing a career?

Possible Answer:
After this lesson, I realized that aside from my personal goals that I want to achieve, the most
important thing to consider when choosing a career is my skill. I think it is best that I assess first what my
interests and skills are because these will serve as my weapon.

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