CORPORATE SKILLS
Assignment Guidelines:

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All Questions are to be completed.
References should be mentioned at the end with proper APA referencing style.
Examples of local industry would be appreciated.
Assignment should be uploaded in MS – Word format with the first page giving the necessary particulars of the student.
Caution: Plagiarism and sharing-similarity comes under use of unfair means, if found in response by the students, shall be dealt with in accordance with examination rules.

Q.1: Considering the Six Business Skills and Five must have skills, develop your own Personal Marketing Plan. As finding a job is like selling yourself, how can you best market yourself in this competitive job market? As you need to both market and sell yourself because your career is a product in a market. Your customer is your employer, especially your manager. Other managers and employers are potential customers. Your product is what you do – hence the stress on the earlier question, `What do you do?' Therefore, considering this scenario evaluate yourself and job market:
1- Understanding your market and how it is changing, knowing what is wanted now and in the future. What is happening out there?
2- Understanding your current product and changing it to meet future needs, matching it to the market, and do I have to offer and what will I need to offer in the future?
3- Pricing your product and getting it to the customers. How much am I worth and where do I want to work?
4- Selling your product. How do I convince them?
Q.2 (A): Write a two-page Personal Statement, considering a suitable job opportunity that has been advertised in recent past (consider a public sector position and another a private sector position).
Q.2 (B): As the job market becomes even more competitive, having generic covering letters to not cut it. Write separate covering letters for both positions you selected for each public/private sector.

Q.3 : Critically analyze how orientation helps acquaint you with your new company? How can you decrease anxiety about first day on the job?
Q.4: Emotional intelligence activities and exercises are attempts to build, develop, and maintain one’s emotional intelligence, often called EI or EQ for Emotional Quotient. Many people are interested in improving their EI, for a variety of reasons.
Some of the most common reasons to work on your EI include:
- Wanting to succeed in a leadership role;
- Trying to fit in with a new organization or new team;
- Attempting to branch out of your network and make new friends or contacts;
- Starting a new business and wanting to improve your customer service.
Self-Evaluate your EQ and discuss the procedure you adopted and interpret your results.
Q.5: Analyze the following statement, “Job search should be considered as a full-time job” in your opinion does this comment compliment a precision based job search to get your dream career.
Q.6: Many of us object to being judged for employment based on how we look. We prefer to be hired because of our skills and abilities, not because of our dress and grooming. Like it or not, appearance is important.
While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard.
Do not go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard -dress- is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. If you have only one sharp outfit and desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet!
Eemployers hire people they believe will -fit- into their organization. Skills, experience, and qualifications are important, but so are dress and grooming. Your appearance expresses motivation and professionalism.
When in doubt, err on the conservative side and make a statement of who you are. Your clothing and grooming should create the image that will help you get the job offer.
First Impressions:
Most of us have heard the expression, -A picture is worth a thousand words.- Remember this when preparing to meet with a prospective employer. The picture you create will greatly influence your chances of being hired. Most employers form a first impression during the first seven seconds of a meeting. Not much is said is this short time; early judgment is based strictly on appearance. Furthermore, studies reveal that employers consistently ask the question, -Does the individual look right for the job?-
Some basic guidelines to follow are:
- Be clean and neat, including your fingernails, teeth, shoes, hair and face

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Conservative two-piece business suit in a basic color
Empty pockets-no bulges or tinkling coins/keys, etc.
No gum, candy or cigarettes
Light briefcase or portfolio case
No visible body piercing (noise, eyebrow, tongue, etc.) -wear minimum jewelry and cologne Arrive ten minutes early and arrive alone
Smile; be friendly
Demonstrate a positive attitude
Use good eye contact
Shake hands firmly
Use good manners
Don't interrupt and don't argue!
Don't chew gum
Take resumes and/or other pertinent information
Clothing

The clothes you wear affect all your attitude and confidence levels. When people take the time to dress for success, they tend to feel good about themselves. Image alone will not win the job offer, but it will go along way in building respect.
There are no absolute rules regarding dress. Your selection will vary based on your occupation, location, and preference. A business suit for a construction job or overalls for an office job would not be appropriate dress! The goal is to look the part, and your appearance should be consistent with your occupation. Neat, clean work clothes would be suitable for assembly, production, or warehouse positions. Sales and office positions require business clothes. A conservative suit would be the recommended style for professional and managerial positions.
Common sense and good taste are the best guides in selecting clothing for the interview. Avoid faddish styles and loud colors. Jewelry should be conservative and kept to a minimum. Clothing should fit comfortably. You want the employer to focus on your skills, not on your clothes.
Grooming:
Personal grooming is just as important as what you wear. You may select the right clothes, but neglecting personal hygiene can ruin the image you wish to present. Review the following grooming checklist before meeting with the employer.
Goals of Appropriate Dress and Grooming
The primary goal is to -feel good- about the way you look and project a positive image. When you feel good about yourself, you naturally convey confidence and a positive attitude. These nonverbal messages are as important in the interview as the verbal skills you use in selling your qualifications. Persistence and follow-up are the keys to a successful job search. If you are serious about employment, plan your follow-up. There is no such thing as a wasted effort. Situations change and the employer who is not hiring today may be looking for someone with your qualifications in the future.
An interview isn't a beauty contest, but how you dress and your overall appearance almost always get noticed by the interviewer. Don't give the interviewer a chance to rule you out because you didn't feel like ironing your shirt or polishing your shoes. Dress in a business-like, professional manner, and you will be sure to fit in wherever you interview.
Questions:
1- In your opinion, why do you think it is a good idea to focus on what you wear to an interview?
2- Explain why -A picture is worth a thousand words-.

3- What, in your opinion, are the top 5 basic guidelines when dressing for an interview?
4- According to the article, what type of clothing should you avoid when dressing for an interview?
5- What are the goals to dressing appropriately for an interview?
Good Luck!