There are two very good ways for you to spend your
time in school. They include:
1. finding out the kinds of things you like
to do
2. finding out the kinds of things you are
good at doing
Some of the things you are good at doing could be
called your "skills." Skills are talents or abilities. You and your
classmates have different skills. These skills may include the following:
(a) scoring high on computerized games
(b) answering questions in open-class discussion
with no sense of fear
(c) creating dances, music, written materials,
athletic successes, or art
(d) solving math problems quickly
and correctly
(e) working with people of all ages
(f) working with machines and technology
(g) reading and studying
(h) solving problems
The list above could go on and on. It is important
for you to learn to recognize the skills you have, the ones you can
improve, the ones you enjoy, and the ones you would like to gain.
Why do you need to know about your skills? The skills
you have now and those you will develop will play a big role in your
life happiness and in your career success.
The United States Department of Education has tried
to help people learn more about skills people need in the workplace.
Individuals in the Department of Education researched the working life
of people living in the U.S. Based on their research, the experts in
that government agency decided that all possible jobs could be grouped
into 15 work areas. They called these 15 areas "Career Clusters." Each
of the 15 career clusters describes different kinds of jobs.
(In response to the burgeoning number of jobs available
in information technology, the U.S. Department of Education recently
restructured its Career Clusters to include Information Technology Services.)
In this Career Connection, you will get a
chance to see how individuals working in each of the Career Clusters
use computer and keyboarding skills. Perhaps you thought jobs still
existed that would not require computer and keyboarding skills. Many
people in the workforce find this is not the case anymore. Computer
and keyboarding skills are absolutely necessary for many jobs, and they
are a major plus for any job.