21st Century Workplace Skills: What, Why and How to Gain Them

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21st Century Workplace Skills What, Why and How
to Gain Them

• Ann White
• Director, Hong Kong/China
• Institute of International Education

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Overview Education, Talent, and the
World

• About EducationUSA, how we can help you
• What International Study Brings
• What University Admissions Officers Want
• What Employers Want
• o Leadership
• Job Interview Tips, CV help, advice
• Q A

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Education and society

• Education and talent. Intellectual capital.
  Brain gain/drain
• Build capacity as talent hub. Knowledge capital
  no border
• Wider understanding, creativity, adaptability,
  innovation
• Outside the classroom, lifelong learning
• Value-added judgment, beyond knowledge
• Good workplace English all four skills
• International study helps this
• US institutions produce these skills, beyond RD
  tools
• Do MNCs and SMEs have same, or different,
  outlooks?

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EducationUSA can help you

• Official, not agents. U.S. Department of State
  Consulate.
• o Free, objective, comprehensive current info
  and guidance
• Talk at school, host visits, fields of
  study/careers.
• Network in 170 countries - merit and diversity
• IIE 90/40
• Hub of network of U.S. institutions, HR heads,
  the College Board, State Department NAFSA
• IIE Open Doors
• www.EducationUSA.state.gov
• IIE promotes international study and its lifelong
  benefits

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Students Look Ahead

• Work world less fixed, more flexible
• Career? Interests?
• People change
• Passion and aptitude go together
• Unis less vocational, grad school more
• Keep doors open wait on major, integrate
• We have guides to fields of study, and careers

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Factors to find Suitable SchoolS

• Family support?
• Location environment/urban/rural/access to
  cities
• professor/student ratio? graduate assistants?
• Independent projects?
• Student support helpful? Writing labs?
• Grades, test scores, clarity, maturity
• Community colleges excellent option
• Think past brands, look past West and East
  coasts

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What U.S. Admissions Committees Want

• Love Hong Kong students value readiness
• Passion ability (Careers Day. Point of view)
  
• Improvement in marks over time essays
• Admissions test scores that show potential
• Building a community interests - lumpy vs.
  well-rounded
• Grow Volunteer for areas outside expertise
• Non-school experiences
• Internships/
• - Remember more than one uni is suitable
• the best mindset is to maximize the here and now

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Scholarship Programs

• Check IIE website, Funding US Study On-line
• AmCham, KAUST, NYU-AD, Vincennes, SMBC
• IIE/State Dept. database of scholarships,
  fellowships and grants
• www.fundingusstudy.org
• across a full range of academic areas

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Choose Region or Program East Asia
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Upcoming Events

• EducationUSA University Fair in Hong Kong
• Sunday, September 20, 1- 4 pm
• Meet face-to-face with admission officers of
• more than 70 U.S. colleges and universities,
• including graduate schools!
• Exhibition on liberal arts, summer study (ltcost)

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Useful Resources

• www.iiehongkong.org
• www.educationUSA.state.gov
• www.collegeboard.org
• www.petersons.com
• www.communitycollegeusa.com
• www.ets.org (TOEFL)
• www.mba.com (GMAT)
• www.chea.org
• www.fundingusstudy.org
• http//hongkong.usconsulate.gov (99 visas)

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New Online Advising
EducationUSA advising now available on
Twitter and MSN IM Add our advisors to your
contact list start chatting away! EducationUSA_
HK_at_live.com
Online Advising is available Monday to Friday,
10am-6pm (GMT800 HK)
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Visit us, or ask us to visit you

• Room 202, General Commercial Bldg. (opposite
  Sincere Dept. Store)
• 156-164 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong
• (MTR Sheung Wan, Exit E1)
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email info_at_iiehongkong.org
• awhite_at_iiehongkong.org
• Website www.iiehongkong.org
  www.iie.org

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Skills for the 21st century why

• HR conferences in Asia the War for Talent
• Attract, Develop and Retain - Succession
• So many people so few High Potentials
• Hi Pots add value. They make decisions, take
  calculated risks, and lead projects, anywhere in
  world including HK, with global colleagues,
• Fast, project-based, technology, competencies
• Not yet a Hi Pot? harder to find and keep a job
• Diversity (teams, point of view,group think)

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What I look for in CVs and interviews

• Competent? Reliable? Trustworthy?
• Show initiative, resourcefulness?
• Listen well? Questioning? English?
• Responsible, self-starter, independent?
• Alert, not passive, showing interest
• See show challenges/opportunities willing to
  decide no time to hold hands
• Example what matters?

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10 Things Employers Want Students to Learn in
College

• Establishing a work ethic
• Developing Physical Skills
• Communicating Verbally
• Communicating in Writing
• Working Directly with People (manage resources)
• Influencing People
• Gathering Information
• Using Quantitative Tools (develop a budget)
• Asking and Answering the Right Questions
• Solving Problems

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21st Century skills know-how

• Learn how to organize, sort and present words,
  numbers, graphs, spreadsheets
• Microsoft Word -evaluate info, judge source
• Outlook (user groups) full function
• Excel needs, resources, make budget
• OJT know how to learn, KHS
• Field of study less important
• Balance independence with teamwork

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What Employers Want21st century skills

• Its not grades! Not even field of study or skill
• Cannot afford seat-warmers
• HR Surveys Thinking power over discrete skills
• Studies show intl study develops creativity
• Ability to learn (Lib. Arts learning HOW to
  learn)
• Real-world English listening, speaking,
• reading and writing skills
• (get a TOEIC score, put it on your CV)

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How to handle job interviews

• Common sense, integrity, personality. Im sure
• Show you read and understand job description
• Teamwork flat world, flat project-based teams
• Initiative, curiosity ask the right questions
• Repeat issue, make sure you understand
• Problem-solving, not just IDing problem
• Connect, notice trends, challenges, and
  opportunities get hired
• Point of view but back it up

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21st Century Skills People skills

• Emotional intelligence/relating
• Trust, credibility
• Ability to persuade
• Vision
• Contextual intelligence
• English
• Awareness of choices and consequences
• Is the Pacific century any different? Same?

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On Leadership

• What does it mean?
• Is it what HR professionals want?
• How do you demonstrate initiative?
• What is Merit?
• Do not simply tick the boxes
• to get items on your CV
• Those who continue to develop get rewarded

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Question

• How can we all help students develop these things
  in themselves?
• International student exchange
• Project v. curriculum build in English
• Learn how to research and present
• Rotate role of note-taker (filterer)
• Learn how to use data
• Internships

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My advice to students

• http//www.mnsu.edu/cdc/students/undeclared/handbo
  ok/entirehandbook.pdf
• Boost English, show TOEIC score, consider summer
  school
• Postpone decision on field of study get
  practical experience
• CONNECT with teachers, develop field knowledge,
  view
• Develop interests clubs, sports, trips
• On CVs, simplify highlight competencies,
  projects
• In interviews read job description, engage, show
  confidence

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more advice

• English critical to graduates, Hong Kong
• Get an internship, a mentor, talk, ask
• Read SCMPs Saturday HR/management columns
• Develop expertise
• Join a business chamber, committee, serve
• Be a resource to larger community
• Hierarchy is over work is collaborative
• so play well with others and be social!
• 10 Things Your Employers Want You to Learn in
  College
• - Bill Coplin