Citizenship Ready

What does it mean to be Citizenship Ready?

Citizenship Ready -- Students as Citizens

Thriving communities need citizens who can and will contribute their time and talents by lending their service. School-to-Career (STC) programs provide the support and opportunities necessary to foster these citizenship skills. Whether it's through leadership develop programs; Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO); service learning; or community service projects, student are able to make a vital connection and practice the skills necessary to be a productive citizen.

STC helps students increase their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen. South Garner High School students have many opportunities to serve and contribute to their schools, the workforce, and their larger communities. Identifying and engaging with these communities fosters citizenship and practical ways to contribute to society.

Citizenship ready includes the development of soft skills such as responsibility, integrity and respect as well as important life skills such as appropriate and effective use of technology.

*Source: MEBA

Soft Skills

Soft skills are those character traits, interpersonal skills and social habits that characterize a person’s relationships with other people, and they are critical for personal and professional success. Many of today’s employers emphasize that soft skills are just as important — if not more — as academic preparation and job-specific skills and training.

Soft Skills Most In Demand By Today’s Employers:

• Communication
• Positive, Professional Attitude
• Teamwork
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Work Ethic
• Ability and Willingness to Learn
• Integrity
• Initiative
• Organizational skills

Skills to Pay the Bills

The US Department of Labor’s “Skills to Pay the Bills” curriculum and video series highlighting several important soft skills including teamwork, communication and critical thinking and problem solving.

Download the entire document (PDF)

View the Soft Skills video series

Networking

Have you heard the expression, “It’s all about who you know.” Having connections and contacts can help you get your foot in the door. Networking is the process of building relationships with other people who have complementary interest to help increase your influence and position within a specific market or industry.

The beneficial factors of networking can be academic or professional. If you are trying to get into a particular academic program in the summer, having a professional contact with whom you have a strong relationship can help you to secure a good recommendation and increase your chances of acceptance.

Having a good employment record with your employers now will allow you to obtain good references for more serious jobs.

Below are some Networking 101 Tips for you to consider before you head out to the next event.

Getting started:

• Ask the event sponsors for a list of prospective participants
• Prepare a list of questions prior to the program
• Be prepared to offer some information about your interests, talents, skills, accomplishments and/or goals
• Research some career fields of interest
• Practice a brief introduction or "elevator speech" which can be delivered in 20 - 30 seconds.

At the event:

• Arrive early so you can mingle with people as they arrive
• The Introduction– give a brief overview about yourself, find out who they are (be genuine and interested)
• Bring business cards if you have one and create one if you don't, so you exchange contact information
• The follow up- Request permission to contact Business Professionals you made connections with after the event

After the event:

• Send a follow up email or thank you note
• Join social networks based on career interest
• Initiate connections through social networking sites such as Linkedin and Twitter to establish your brand or professional contact database

Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, the list goes on and on. Chances are pretty good that you currently use one or more of these social media platforms to interact online with friends and other network members by sharing messages, posting photographs, etc. Consider the image that social media is portraying about you.

A common trend for today’s employers is to seek out a candidate’s personal information on search engines such as Google as well as their social media profiles on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Be aware that what you do online now, including how and what you share on various social networks, can impact your future career path.

Consider these Social Networking Tips:

• Don't mix business with pleasure. Create a professional email address to use only for job search and for school and a separate personal email address for social networking.
• Google yourself! Make sure there are no surprises which may hinder your success.
• Check your privacy settings. Make sure your privacy settings are set to “My friends only” and not public. This should include settings that control who can view posts, photos and comments other people may make on your profile.
• Keep your profile picture in good taste.
• Think before you tweet. Be careful what you tweet because you never know who might read it. Tweets can show up in a Google search.

*Source: MEBA