Strategic Training for Employability and Personal Success STEPS

1
Strategic Training for
Employability and Personal Success (STEPS)
2
What is STEPS?

• Strategic Training for Employability and Personal
  Success (STEPS) is a holistic and systematic
  program assisting first year undergraduates in
  their career planning and career search
  strategies which would better prepare them for
  the transition into the working world upon
  graduation.

3
How is STEPS organized?
There are three stages to STEPS. Year 1
Understanding and Exploring Increasing self
awareness for career planning gathering
information and exploring options - 1
Understanding Self and Identifying Assets for
Career Planning - 2 Developing a Career
Portfolio - 3 Communicate Well Its Your Asset
Year 2 Identifying and Exploring Building
knowledge and experience base developing
transferable and job related skills - 4 Resume
Cover Letters Your Introduction Tools! - 5
Interview A Meeting to Impress Year 3/4
Preparing for the Transition Refining the job
search process expanding the career search - 6
Networking Another Job Search Strategy - 7
Business and Interview Etiquette Talks on
Understanding Employment Contracts, Employers
Expectations of New Hires etc (optional to
students)
4
How is STEPS organized?

• Each stage focuses on different areas of a
  students personal development and career related
  skills.
• Students will also be provided with worksheets to
  help them reflect on what theyve learnt and how
  they can apply it. They will also participate in
  discussion groups and/or meet with the career
  counselors to discuss their personal reflections
  and clarify any queries they may have.

5
Are there charges for STEPS?

• Yes. Students registered under STEPS pay for each
  Stage at the start of each academic year. They
  are then given a STEPS card for their self
  monitoring of attended workshops.

6
Synopsis of Workshops
Understanding Self and Identifying Assets for
Career Planning This workshop provides the
foundation for your career planning. Issues
addressed include getting to know yourself
better (your skills, interests and values) and
how this self-assessment can facilitate the
process when you explore your career options and
plan your career path. Building a Career
Portfolio This workshop helps you realize the
importance of building a good career portfolio at
an early stage and also illustrates how you can
keep all your career planning documents in a
systematic and orderly manner. Communicate
Well Its Your Asset Being able to present and
communicate well is an asset to you. This
workshop explores why it is important to
communicate well and provides you essential tips
and skills on how you can improve on your
written, verbal and non-verbal communication
skills.
7
Synopsis of Workshops
Resumes Cover Letters The resume is a tool you
would use to introduce yourself to potential
employers. Find out how to write a resume that
best reflects your abilities. Topics covered in
this session include tips on the proper layout of
a resume, how to make it readable, the essential
information that should be included in a resume
and the basic guidelines for writing cover
letters. Interviews - A Meeting To
Impress Employers use interview sessions to
assess your suitability for the job, ability to
fit into the company culture as well as
your potential to add value to the company. It is
important that you are well-prepared for the
interviews. The workshop will cover the basic
dos and donts of interview etiquette, how you
can best prepare for the interview and what would
employers expect from a candidate. Business
Etiquette and Interview Etiquette This talk helps
prepare the individual to make a better
impression at job interviews as well as at work,
both to colleagues and clients. It provides
insight into the correct and proper protocol in
business situations and how, in the global
context, cultural sensitivity is essential in
business etiquette. Networking Another Job
Search Strategy Being at the right place, at the
right time and knowing the right people are
important for your job search. This workshop
emphasizes the importance of networking as a job
search strategy, and provides insight on building
a network to facilitate your career development.