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Evaluate Your Career Readiness

To assess your job search readiness (what you know and can do; and what knowledge and skills you need to improve), rate your response to the statements below. Scale: 1 = Strongly Agree; 2 = Agree; 3 = Maybe, Not Certain; 4 = Disagree; 5 = Strongly Disagree

1. I know what motivates me to excel at work.
2. I can identify my strongest abilities and skills.
3. I have seven major achievements that clarify a pattern of interests and abilities that are relevant to my job and career.
4. I know what I both like and dislike in work.
5. I know what I want to do during the next ten years.
6. I have a well-defined career objective that focuses my job search on particular organizations and employers.
7. I know what skills I can offer employers in different occupations.
8. I know what skills most employers seek in candidates.
9. I can clearly explain to employers what I do well and enjoy doing.
10. I can specify why an employer should hire me.
11. I can gain support of family and friends for making a job or career change.
12. I can find 10 to 20 hours of time each week to conduct a part-time job search.
13. I have the financial ability to sustain a three-month job search.
14. I can conduct library and interview research on different occupations, employers, organizations, and communities.
15. I can write different types of effective resumes, job search letters, and thank-you notes.
16. I can produce and distribute resumes and letters to the right people.
17. I can list my major accomplishments in action terms.
18. I can identify and target employers I want to interview.
19. I can develop a job referral network.
20. I can prospect for job leads.
21. I can use the telephone to develop prospects and get referrals and interviews.
22. I can plan and implement an effective direct-mail job search campaign.
23. I can generate one job interview for every ten job search contacts I make.
24. I can follow up on job interviews.
25. I can negotiate a salary 10-20% above what an employer initially offers.
26. I can persuade an employer to renegotiate my salary after six months on the job.
27. I can create a position for myself in an organization.

Add the numbers you've chosen for a total composite score. If you score under 50 points, you are highly skilled and prepared to start your search. You may now want to meet with a UE career professional to design and implement your job search plan. If your total score is more than 51 points, you need to work on developing your job hunting skills. Developing a healthy Career Competence is a life-long process and starts at the beginning of your college experience.

Career Services and Cooperative Education provides assistance with self-assessment, internships and co-ops, letter and resume writing, effective interviewing, the job search and graduate school. Improve your Career Readiness Score through an active relationship with UE career services!

Reprinted with permission from Change Your Job, Change Your Life by Dr. Ronald L. Krannich, T 1995, Impact Publications.