By Madison Bailey/reporter
No matter what age people are or what they’ve done in their lives so far, they most likely already have the skills for any job, an international best-selling author told NE students Oct. 2.
Miste Anders-Clemons gave students tips to on how to grow and maintain their marketable skills at the Let’s Taco About It workshop.
Clemons, a certified life coach and a job search specialist, told students it is up to them to know their skill sets.
“We have to always be evolving and staying current because it’s about the company and what you can do for them,” she said. “Every single job is really about solving a problem. If you get lost, I just want to say, ‘Google it!’”
If people don’t have a particular skill they wish they had, the website gcflearnfree.org has different kinds of free courses that will enable them to build their skill set.
Clemons said “you’re doing yourself a disservice” if people aren’t on social media because employers are looking at whether they have an electronic presence.
She emphasized two skills people need in the job market today: problem-solving and social media literacy. She also told students that they must be willing to learn and adjust to new circumstances.
“I learned a lot of information I can actually use toward resumes and jobs,” NE student Sarena Szantyr said. “I think that people should know this information so they can benefit themselves in the workplace.”
Clemons told students to have their LinkedIn URL on their résumé. She told a story about her friend’s husband who refused to make a LinkedIn account. When he told his boss he was competing with his wife over needing a LinkedIn account to get a job, his boss told him that they almost didn’t hire him because of his lack of an electronic presence.
From athletics to school clubs and part-time jobs, people gain skills no matter what they do, Clemons said. She urged students to keep a running list of their skills and to “be on constant skill alert.”
NE career services adviser Besspher Mannah said holding talks on job preparation is “part of their mission to get students ready for the real world.” By knowing their skills, students can “make themselves valuable in the job market.”
