Tag Archives: employability skills

Oct 25 2010

Global Achievement Gap-Assessment

Schools at all levels around the world fail to prepare students for the workplace.

This was the clear message from business, government and education leaders of 50 nations participating in the Bahrain 2010 Global Education Conference. The global achievement gap between what industry expects and what education delivers is not caused by a lack of content but of context and practical application.

The basic problem stems from the fact that educational institutions mistakenly interpret rigor as adding more difficult coursework not demanding mastery of existing content at all levels. They are also mired in an archaic assembly line system that fails to deal with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy that is agile, pull oriented, media rich and increasingly accessible.

The result is both business and students are unhappy. Fewer jobs require a 4-year degree but more technical skill. Mobility has increased and students at all levels feel increasingly unprepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century workplace. Continue reading →

Oct 6 2010

Hiring Manager Deal Breakers

So what really is a deal breaker when you or your students apply for a job? I know many of you will disagree, but the reality is astonishing. Here is a summation of an article from Caitlin Malden of Career Builder.Com.

The full text of the article can be found here: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2320-Job-Search-10-Hiring-…

1. Using social media speak during an interview.
2. Having an unprofessional online personal brand or posting personal content that is in poor taste.
3. Any written content that displays below par writing and grammar skills.
4. Complaining about prior companies in online forums
5. Bringing up salary in the initial interview.
6. Speaking about scheduling limitations or prospective reasons to leave a position.
7. Acting impolitely or speaking down to any person in the office.
8. Saying that dealing with people is your biggest challenge/weakness.
9. Consistently answering questions other than those asked.
10. Having immature cell pone ring backs.
11. Not knowing what job or company you are applying for.
12. Lying on a resume.
13. Arrogance.
14. Spelling mistakes on a resume.
15. Inappropriate attire.