unskilled graduates are more expensive, say companies

Why?

According to a study, companies have second thoughts about hiring graduates of certain schools that did not equip their students with important skills that are necessary in the workplace.

Top firms say that unskilled graduates are more expensive in the long run because they still need to be retrained and the budget for training these graduates with no or very little know-how could drain companies' pockets.


This is the reason why companies always look for graduates of schools that are known for their highly skilled graduates.

What particular skills do these companies look for?

1. Communication skills: Speaking, listening, reading, writing

2. Computer skills

3. PR skills (could very well follow if you have no. 1)

4. Others (driving, carpentry, nursing, cooking, etc.)

Focus on item no. 1---Companies generally look for people who are highly skilled in the various aspects of Communication.

Question: Where do people get their training in this area?

Answer: In school.

Question: Are the schools giving us this training?

Answer: Some, but not all.

Question: What does this mean?

Answer: It means low demand for your sevices. Solution? To go to a school that addresses this need.

Will your teacher think it weird that you always make it a point to say something before your class ends?

In this part of the world where the opening of classes start in June, students are now gearing up for the coming schoolyear. Starting it with a bang may be the best advice that students can get from here. Or, putting your best foot forward will most likely lead to a very good ending---awards, medals, and citations.

The school is one great place for individuals to find opportunities to develop their potentialities. It is where great speakers, writers and leaders are hatched. It is important that students know how to find and when to use these opportunities for personal growth.

The classroom is the best place for training students the necessary skills such as speaking and writing. Students should be given equal opportunities to develop and show these skills or talents in guided class activities. However, it is generally observed that classrooms seldom offer or allow students to hone their gifts because teachers still use the traditional method of instruction wherein teacher talk still dominates the scene. In such a set-up, students are rarely heard or given the chance to say something. During the entire class time, students sit and listen to the teacher deliver his talk. The bell rings, teacher goes out, students wait for the next teacher and the same thing happens. The whole day at school ends without the students being able to practice any skill.

Let us break this monotony. A student who desires to excel not only in the classroom should find ways to interact with his teacher or classmates during the entire period. She should call the attention of the teacher at one point, and give her point of information in the form of a question or a statement. There are some teachers who do not even bother to ask the students for any questions but just goes on and on reading the book or copying information from the book to the board.

As a student you should make it a point to say something in every class. Let us say you have 9 subjects everyday. If you make it a habit to raise your hand and say something before the bell rings in all your 9 subjects, that makes a total of 9 sentences a day! Multiply that by 5 x the number of weeks then the months the whole year. See what I mean? You would have said so many at the end of the year!

Will teachers wonder why you are that active in class? Well, they should know better. If they are not giving you the opportunity, create it yourself. It will not hurt you nor your teacher if you make a daily goal of speaking up in every subject. It will only make you a better speaker everyday.

Lucky 9

Nine kids have signed up for my summer workshop in debating, hosting, and journalism. I welcome and congratulate the following lucky stars who made it: Rio May, Bien Raphael, Michaela, Jea, Kate, Dianne, Charla, Russel, and Angel. These guys are just lucky for they will be learning the rigors of public speaking for a month, after which a debate or talk show will be put up by the same people. I would like to thank Mark for giving them a good motivational start-up.

writing an effective application letter

It's another season of harvest---thousands of college graduates will march out of school to find their niche in the world and the race begins. Usually those seeking for employment will be asked to submit an application letter together with a resume. If there are three hundred interested applicants for a single position, there will be a total of 300 application letters all aiming to catch the interest of the prospective employer. Which letters will gain favorable attention and which ones will be junked? If you were an applicant, how do you want the reader to treat your letter? The answers to these questions depend on how well you have written your application letter.

The first step to do before writing that crucial letter is to ask yourself this question: What is my purpose of writing this letter? I could almost hear you say, "to get a job". But that is not the real aim of the application letter. The real role of the employment or application letter is for you to be granted an interview---that is, if your letter is well written and convincing enough to attract the attention of the prospective employer who should schedule you for an interview. However, if the letter is poorly written, meaning, it is merely copied from someone else's letter and is therefore laden with cliches and not specific about your goals and achievements, then you lose the opportunity to sell yourself during a face-to-face interview. It is important therefore to write your application letter with much care and thought.

First, make an assessment of your personal characteristics, your assets or positive characteristics that will make you a valuable new hire. In other words, what have you got to deserve the post you want? Take note of these top selling traits and use them in your application letter. Remember, an application letter is much like a sales letter in which the product you are marketing is you. And before you can market anything, you need to know the product very well. After taking stock of your potentials, be ready to know which companies will need your services. Then be very clear about the kind of work you want to do. Do not just state "any position". That shows weakness on your part because it means you don't know what you want. Be specific with the kind of work that you can do and want to do. Use this to start your letter along with your top three assets or selling points. Then after stating the position you are seeking and your capabilities, move on to the second paragraph and explain what you mentioned in the first paragraph. State your academic preparation, your experiences in school which have prepared you to tackle future responsibilities. Since you are explaining your academic training and experiences on the second paragaph, it is understood that this should be the longest of the 3 paragraphs your application letter should contain. The third and last paragraph will seek for action from the reader. Do not say " I am hoping for your reply" or "I will be waiting for your call", because they sound weak and are downright cliches. What do you want your reader to do after reading your letter? Of course, you would like him or her to schedule you for an interview by giving you a call or sending you a telegram or an e-mail to that effect. The last part of your letter should make it easy for the reader to get in touch with you by telling him how you can be reached and what you would like to happen after that.

My students--don't they all look so pretty?

Accountancy students in a Business Communication class portray the roles of BOD's and CEO's of the world's top ten companies/corporations as one way of shaping up for the global competition via the use of the English language.