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Who is this site for? |
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The site will help you to become the manager of YOUR Career Development! |
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Learn more about yourself: Discover information about the world of work, training and entrepreneurship; Develop a plan for your education, your training and work paths. |
1-888-HEART-NTA
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FAQ
1. How long should my resume be?
2. What should I include in my resume?
3. What about cover letters?
4. And references?
5. I have no idea of what career I want to pursue. Where do I begin?
6. Should I begin hunting for a job while at university or after graduation?
7. Should I take only jobs that are related to the degree I pursued?
8. How can I get financial assistance to pursue postgraduate studies?
9. I have a job interview to attend, what should I wear?
10. Where can I find general information on careers?
11. Where can I find information about choosing a career?
12. Where can I find information to plan for postsecondary education?
Some more career questions
I am confused about what I really want to do in life. Where should I start?
This might sound wacky, but I want to invent the first flying car. Where can I get training?
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions The length can vary depending on years of experience and educational attainment. However, it is best to condense your resume into one to two pages. Persons who will be examining your resume will have many others to handle and therefore will not be interested in reading a long resume.
What should I include in my resume? Your resume should include:
* Read the on-line guide to resume writing on this website.
What about writing cover letters? The cover letter should accompany your resume and must be targeted at the specific employer to whom you are applying. It should refer to the position being applied for, where you heard of the position and your ability to meet the needs of the employer. The content should also emphasize your knowledge of the company and the position requirements. It should communicate your most appropriate personal and professional qualities without repeating what is on your resume. You may want to visit Sample Cover Letter to examine some cover letters which you can tailor to meet your needs.
What should be done about referees? There are several schools of thought about including referees on your resume. Include referees - name and contact information. Ensure that your referees areaware that you are using them. So please inform them before including their names. Include for Reference "Available on request" Omit reference completely. I would choose option No. 2 because it indicates that you have referees who can be contacted if necessary.
I have no idea of what career I want to pursue. Where do I begin? The process of choosing a career involves a number of steps beginning with
Should I begin looking for a job while at university or after graduation? Beginning your job search while at university will give you some needed information on the opportunities that exist in your field of study. You may find out in your search that there are some courses that you may need that you are not now pursuing in order to better prepare yourself for the job market. After graduation it may be too late to make adjustments based on the demands of the industry you are thinking of entering.
Should I take jobs that are related to the degree I pursued? Many graduates find that on completion of their degree they have had to take jobs unrelated to their degree, based on a number of reasons including lack of work experience in the area and lack of openings which may have existed before graduation but due to the changing labour market may no longer exist. However, accepting a job unrelated to your degree will provide work experience for you, perhaps not in the technical areas but in all the other non-technical or soft-skill areas which are important skills to gain in this ever changing world of work..
How can I get financial assistance to pursue postgraduate studies? Financial assistance for postgraduate studies is not as readily available as for undergraduate studies. However, where it is available it comes at a high price in the form of loan repayment. The Student Loan Bureau may be able to assist you. Scholarships in certain specific fields are also available if you can qualify. Remember postgraduate studies is an investment in your development.
I have a job interview to attend, what should I wear? A job interview is your opportunity to "sell yourself to the interviewer". In most instances how you dress has to do with the position for which you are being interviewed. If it is a managerial position - a business suit (black, brown) would be appropriate for both male and female. If it is a non-managerial position - a white shirt with a tie and dark pants would be appropriate for a male and a co-ordinated suit or tailored dress for a female. Small pieces of jewelry can also be worn to complement your outfit.
Where can I find general information on careers? This age of technology has provided us with the Internet where a wealth of information on careers is available. Some websites to visit are: ******* Any Dictionary of Occupational Title would provide this information. You can also visit the following links which will provide careers in some specific areas
Where can I find information about choosing a career? The following link will take you through the process of choosing a career.
Where can I find information to plan for post-secondary education? The "Directory of Training Opportunities in Jamaica" can provide you with a range of institutions giving details on what is offered. What your area of interest is, should be decided on before accessing the database.
SOME MORE SPECIFIC CAREER QUESTIONS. A - If you have been working, you are indeed pursuing a career. You may not have consciously developed a career plan for your life but you have been pursuing a path or several paths. The fact that you have a skill suggests that some plan was put in place to gain this skill and that you must have thought about how you could use this skill before you decided to be trained in this area. Now you may need to do some research in order to identify what career path to take, for which you will find this skill useful. Normally, one would identify one's career path and then identify the skills needed. However, you are not too old neither is it too late for your to choose a career.
Q - I am confused about what I really want to do in life. Where should I start? A - Click on the link provided which will take you through the process.
A - Yes, you can have all three, but you will not be able to do all, well. As you may be aware, in order to be a good athlete you have to spend many hours in training which would leave very little time to pursue the other two areas. Secondly, the career of an athlete is short. You may need to pursue this area during your youthful years while gaining skilled in the other areas which you can pursue when your athletic career comes to an end. Both sewing and baking can be pursued together as they employ similar skills - providing a service to customers/clients.
A - It is never too late to plan for a career. You need to develop a career plan. Click on the link which will take you through the career planning process. When you have completed the activity you may find that further training or education may be necessary in order to pursue your career path.
A - The importance of the career planning process is based on the fact that it aims at reducing the incidence of persons pursuing career paths that are not suitable, based on their personal characteristics. I encourage you to do a self-assessment to find your interests, among other things, as a guide to identifying the career paths that will bring you some satisfaction. If you have the time, click on Assessment Information and follow the steps.
A - All too often we find situations like this - where the family business takes precedence over the individual interest. There is nothing wrong in choosing another profession because each person has areas in which he/she is interested or in which he/she is not interested. It seems that neither your interest nor your ability lies in dressmaking. However, I encourage you to visit the link Assessment Information and go through the process to identify your ability and interest and what careers are suitable for you to pursue.
Q - This might sound "wacky", but I want to invent the first flying car, where can I get training? A - Many inventions came about from "wacky" persons. Persons who have ideas to solve certain perceived problems will find there is no specific training institution that one can go to pursue this dream. You have to possess the ability to work with aerospace technology, electronics, mechanics, electrical equipment, etc. You may need to talk with persons in both the automotive and aeronautics field for the information you would need.
A - There are still jobs for specialists but it depends on what field in which you are working. However, there is a greater need for persons with multiple skills and jobs are not as compartmentalized as previously - as when the assembly line was introduced. Now you need to be able to understand all the jobs on the assembly line and be able to operate at the various stations along the line. You may, however, have specialist training in one area and still be able to operate in the other areas. It is becoming increasingly important to constantly upgrade oneself and be vigilant as the changes occur in your industry.
A - There are several possible answers to this question. But first I am assuming that you were unemployed for three years.
A - Although tertiary education is desirable it is an investment in yourself. Therefore taking a loan is one way of funding your education. Most employers prefer to employ persons who have worked before as they have more to contribute initially, having been exposed to the work environment. Gaining work experience may be difficult but summer jobs are one way of gaining some experience. Doing voluntary work is also another way of gaining experience. While you are trying to be gainfully employed you can become involved with working with community groups or voluntary agencies which may, after you have proved yourself, give you a paid position.
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Success Stories
Those who graced our sacred halls
 Jason Jacquette |
After leaving high school I enrolled with The National Youth Service where I did one month training at Knox Community College as a Teacher’s Aide. After completing my training I was placed at Rousseau Primary School. However, it became evident to me that my passion wasn’t for being in the >> |
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 Denrie Burton |
In 2004, after spending nearly twenty (20) years in the garment industry as a sewing machine technician and this once vibrant cog in our economy has gradually become moribund, the inevitable has dawned on me that a new career focus was necessary. After the closing date of Sportswear #3 (one of the many garment factories operated by the HART Group of Companies). >> |
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 Brenton Morgan |
I have been involved in construction since 9th grade at High School, in order to earn extra pocket money. I would accompany my father to various construction sites on weekends and on holidays. Since then it has become a passion of mine, and after High School I developed enough skills to stay in this field. It has been ten years since I have been in this field. >> |
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 Kimona Hudson |
A lot can be said about knowledge and how it shapes our lives as we grow up. After spending five years in high school, where I studied Agricultural skills, I had no immediate plans for college, since I did not have the money to finance further studies. I honestly thought that my life was over and that’s where I would have to stop, however, I was soon to realize that this was just the beginning of my career. >> |
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