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The Little Black Dress of Workforce Development

Fashion and workforce development are not two things we usually discuss in the same sentence, but really the age old question about if you wear trendy or classic applies to not only your outfit of the day, but also how workforce development professionals do business.  Like fashion there are certain things that make us out dated and there are certain things that make us trend setters. There are other things that make us classic and timeless, like the Audrey Hepburn little black dress.

I spend a considerable amount of time researching and looking for what’s next in workforce development. I always want to be sure that I am up to date and be a workforce development trend spotter. I happened to be reading updates on Linked In and spotted a connection’s update on trends in presentations. I then looked at the posts in a group that I participate in and noticed that people were talking about trends in job searching.

All this lead me to the question… Is there anything in workforce development that is timeless and classic or do we only follow trends? Are there any “little black dresses” in workforce development?  


KC’s List of the Little Black Dresses of Workforce Development
 
§  Helping Job Seekers Completely and Accurately Fill out Job Applications- paper may be passé, but the same rules apply to online application.  In order to get jobs and keep jobs, job seekers at all levels need to complete a job application. If the application is not accurate or complete, the job seeker may not get the job. If the job application is misleading or false in any way, a person can be fired.
 
§  Interview Preparation- It doesn’t matter if we practice one-on-one in person, with a practice panel, or utilizing Skype, interview preparation is still a function of workforce development. It’s probably one of the most important things that we do!
 
§  Assessment- The format has changed, we may now use the computerized instruments, but we still measure interest, aptitudes, and personality. There are hundreds of assessment tools out there and the reason is that uncovering all those hidden gems in our job seekers never goes out of style.
 
§  Résumés-Yes they still exist! Not only do they still exist they have evolved and changed from copies of a job descriptions to showcases of achievements. It does matter if it’s on paper or online- a résumé still exists.
 
§  One on One In -Person Appointments – It’s nice and trendy to Skype and Face Time your job seekers, but nothing shows how much you care about a person like giving them your time. In person time is so important, especially when it is individualized and face to face. Truth is that workforce development can come up with hundreds of new gimmicks, but individualized in person service is a classic!
 
If I missed any, feel free to post a comment below. This list is not exhaustive, but a start. For one moment, let’s talk about little black dresses and not skinny jeans….

 

Happy Mother’s Day! ~ Karen Cirincione~ kcirincione@gmail.com

Comments

  1. Marte SorgMay 12, 2014 at 9:51 AM

    Job Search Workshops: If not a staple, they should be. It is much more time and cost-effective to work with several job seekers at once.The presentation needs to relevant, informative and entertaining. There should also be opportunities for job seekers to ask questions and interact with one another.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KCSpeaksMay 12, 2014 at 6:31 PM

    Absolutely, job search workshops definetly belong on the list! Not only are they cost effective, but nothing can replace the interaction between the instructor and the participants. Also, they give the participants a chance to network with one another. Thank you for posting Marte!

    ReplyDelete

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