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We are pleased to offer a new skills-based solution. You can use this tool to optimize your resume for the type of job that you would like to apply for.

Resume Optimizer is a prototype and we will be working on enhanced versions in the near future. To help us improve the tool, we would love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

This tool is built using Lightcast Data and APIs, including our free Open Skills API. Want to build more tools like this, contact us to learn more.

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We are pleased to offer a new skills-based resume optimizer solution. You can use this tool to optimize your resume for the type of job you would like to apply for.

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https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/education-training/apprenticeships-work-based-learning

Apprenticeships come in many shapes and sizes. Pre-apprenticeships and internships are all forms of apprenticeships. For more information tap the photo or visit the link above.

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Careers Education & Training Information Center For High School Students

Back

Interest surveys, career options, training pathways

Back

Postsecondary and workforce training options

Back

Resource library, activities, and planning tools

Back

Grade-by-grade guide to preparing for your future

Back

Quick Links

Next Steps' most popular tools

Job Board

Education & Training

Work-based learning opportunities help you train for a job from a practical standpoint, rather than the more theoretical approach you might find in a traditional college classroom. Some options even provide the chance to pursue formal education while working. You can build your resume, work toward certifications and credentials, and earn a wage at the same time.

LEARN ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS

Practical Experience

Learn Through Work

Earn While You Learn

Learn at Work

Information Center

Self-Assessment & Planning Tools

Considering an apprenticeship, clinical practicum, or cooperative work experience (co-op) but not sure in what field or industry? Use these interactive quizzes and planning tools to explore how your interests can translate into a career you can pursue through work-based learning.

SELF-ASSESSMENT & PLANNING TOOLS

Life Costs Money. But How Much Do You Need?

New pick-up truck? Your own apartment? Explore the lifestyle you want, find the careers and jobs that can support that lifestyle, and get the training you might need for those careers.

Plan Smart

Careers That Fit You

Take this quick quiz that's all about you, your interests, and your strengths. The results will reveal careers you may want to consider based on who you are and what you want to be next.

Future Finder

New Opportunities

Youth Apprenticeships in Idaho

In this American Graduate video, Idaho Public Television (IPTV) explores the Idaho Workforce Development Council's Youth Apprenticeship Initiative allowing businesses to strengthen their workforce while giving youth an opportunity to learn as they earn.

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Careers Education & Training Information Center For High School Students Back Interest surveys, career options, training pathways Back Postsecondary and workforce training options Back Resource library, activities, and planning tools Back Grade-by-grade guide to preparing for your future Back Quick Links Next Steps' most popular tools Job Board Education & Training Work-based learning opportunities help you train for a job from a practical standpoint, rather than the more theoretical approach you might find in a traditional college classroom.

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Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success - Communication

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Lydia: Hi! HRU?
Customer 1: What?
Lydia: WC! QQ, WOYT?
Customer 1: I have no idea what you are talking about.
Lydia: ROTFLOL! JK, FDOJ, whatcha got?
Customer 1: Oh...tuna and coffee.
Lydia: GGMSOT. $5.95.
Hi! MIHU?
Customer 2: Uhh, what?
Lydia: YGTBKM. WOYT?
Customer 2: I have no idea what you are saying.
Lydia: Whatcha got there?
Customer 2: Oh, I've got three burgers, fries, chocolate shake, and ice cream.
Lydia: Well, IMHO, that's just TMF. I mean, OMG! $11.95. TY.

The Boss pulls her aside.

Boss: Uh, may I have a word with you for a moment, Lydia?
Lydia: NP.
Boss: Lydia, you've got to stop speaking in text. The customers don't know what you're saying and they've been complaining. I mean, do you always talk like this?
Lydia: IDK.
Boss: What?
Lydia: I mean, I don't know, maybe I do. UTITM? You think it's too much?
Boss: Yeah, I do. Communication skills are essential for this job, for any job. It's the top of the must-have list for every employer. And...I'm your employer. Do I make myself clear?
Lydia: Yes, ma'am.
Boss: Okay, good.
Lydia: Hi, HRU. I mean, I'm sorry. May I help you?
Customer 3: Yes, I have a chef's salad and--
Boss: Good communication skills are important for everyone. You need skills for both communicating information to others and receiving information from others. If you and your employer communicate well with each other, you'll have a much better chance of keeping your job, and maybe even getting a promotion.

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Print out this PDF for wordless skits (charades) and cut into strips. Place strips in bowl or box and let each team pick one proverb to act out.

Present skits to the group and let them guess the phrase.

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https://forms.gle/wCBEbJvrdhXDZ3mu5

There are comment areas at the end of every section. We welcome comments and constructive suggestions.

Tap HERE or on the picture above to go to the feedback form.

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If you have constructive suggestions for improvements to the course please respond here.

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Pick out one of the ads above or find one on a community bulletin board and write a letter to the person or company who put up the ad.

Include:

Your contact info and date

The hiring company's contact info

A Professional Greeting - "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Time Traveler"

Write a paragraph about your skills

Write a paragraph about the reason you are a good fit for the job

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It pays to think ahead.
Scan the QR code or follow the link to Plan Smart on NextSteps.Idaho.gov. This is a fun page where you can imagine your best life and see what it takes to maintain your chosen lifestyle. You can download the personalized page and keep it for future reference, or change expectations to see what a few updates will do to your cost of living.

At any time during this mini-course if you feel that the content does not apply to you, return to this web page and think about your future expectations.

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Print out and cut each task apart. They should be put in envelopes labeled for their stations: 1. Rock, 2. Paper, and 3. Wild Card.
Each team will pick one envelope from one of the stations. Over the three review days, they should work through all three stations.
The tasks take about 15+ minutes so that there is time for each team to present their mini-project during the last bit of their time together (5 minutes per team).
Have each person vote for their favorite presentation on a slip of paper and turn it in so that you can present the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals the following day.

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I'm remembering that I forgot something.

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This Review Quest is a game designed to be played for three days review. The Stations are “Rock”, “Paper”, and “Wild Card”.

Divide the group into three or more teams of 3 to 5 team members. Let each team roll the dice. The highest number picks an envelope from the station of their choice (Rock, Paper, or Wild Card) and works in that station area for that day. Repeat for the other teams. Each team will work in a different station each day of the review. Once an activity has been finished by a group, remove that envelope from the stations.

Set the timer. Each team gets 15 minutes to follow the directions in their envelope until the last 15 minutes of the activity. At that time, each team has 5 minutes to present their work to the group.

Everyone votes for the best presentation by writing that team name on a slip of paper and handing it in to the leader. This is a secret vote so that the winner will be a surprise to everyone tomorrow.

The next day, the leader announces the Gold medal, Silver medal, and Bronze medal (or first, second, and third place). The gold medal team (same members as yesterday) will get to pick the first envelope from a different station. Silver medal picks next, then Bronze, and then the other teams if any.

The teams work on their new assignments for day two until the last 15 minutes of the session and they each get 5 minutes to present their work. Everyone votes on a slip of paper for the winner.

3rd day, repeat. At the end of the three days, kids should have had a fairly in-depth review of their professional skills either by doing projects or watching the presentations by their peers.

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Next Steps Idaho website is a place where you can return to take assessments or check out what new education and job search features have been added for people your age.

This course was created to be an introduction to the site and to help you learn about yourself as you pursue work or a career that gives you a satisfying future.

Make a point of checking out their Apprenticeships Program.

https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/education-training/apprenticeships-work-based-learning

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Careers Education & Training Information Center For High School Students Back Interest surveys, career options, training pathways Back Postsecondary and workforce training options Back Resource library, activities, and planning tools Back Grade-by-grade guide to preparing for your future Back Quick Links Next Steps' most popular tools Job Board Success Starts Here An initiative of the State Board of Education in partnership with Idaho's employers, Next Steps Idaho is designed to help you understand and pursue the many education and career opportunities available to you.

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Let your notebook be the anchor that helps you look for your first (or next) job.

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Your notebook should now have several pages about you! Possible future you, your work values, your resume and a cover letter, your interests, and your learning style.

Keep it so that applying and interviewing for your first or next job will be easier.

Complete your

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Be sure everyone has watched the interview video and noted both the bad habits and the good habits of a nice interview.

Play "Who", "Who", "Where", "What" -

Switch it up by passing out small slips of paper. Everyone writes down a character at the top of the paper and folds the top of the paper down to obscure the character and passes their paper to the right.

On the folded-down top, everyone writes another character and passes their paper to the right.

This time, on the folded top everyone, writes down a location and folds the paper down to obscure this info, and passes again to their right.

On the folded top this time, everyone writes down a job activity (riding horseback on a cattle drive, operating a Ferris wheel, selling concessions at a football game).

Play -

Sometimes your interview is informal. You meet the grocer in the store and ask him if he has any openings.

Read the bizarre situations that occur with the two characters, places, and situations. Create a crazy roleplay as the two characters at the stated location interviewing to do the job (activity - riding horseback, running the Ferris wheel, selling popcorn at the football game). One will be the boss and the other character will be the interviewee.

Remember the typical questions:

"How did you find out about this job?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"What are your greatest strengths?"

"Why do you want to work here?"

"Why should we hire you?"

"What are your goals?"

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Soft Skills--Being on time & organization

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You watched this video earlier in the course. Remember that the first half is about habits to avoid in an interview. Watch again, or have a short discussion to remember those errors.

Remember and comment on what went right in the second half of the video.

(The alternate activity was role play with boss and applicant and referee).
Typical questions you may be asked in a job interview:

How did you find out about this job?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"What are your greatest strengths?"

"Why do you want to work here?"

"Why should we hire you?"

"What are your goals?"

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Plan to keep the pages from this class to have a resource for yourself when you apply for work or college.

Let what you find out about yourself now help you to make decisions about the future.

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Here is a small outline that should help you with flow and logistics -- or jump ahead or back if needed.

PDF format (the program can be downloaded as a PDF)

Suggestion -- High Schoolers can learn these concepts and then teach them to Middle Schoolers

Leader’s Guide (this is the Leaders' Guide)

Organizational alignment

Adult after school facilitator

High School Reviewer/ teacher

Middle schoolers wanting to learn

This training should familiarize you with NextSteps.Idaho.gov

Sections include:

Professional Skills and getting a job

Before your start (Plan Ahead)

Written communication

Application

Blackout poetry (concept to be used in a later exercise too)

Observe

Create

Resume

Future Finder (NextSteps.Idaho.gov)

Experience worksheet

Work Values (NextSteps.Idaho.gov)

Who am I? Resume resources (NextSteps.Idaho.gov) Basic 5 sections:

Contact information

Intended goal

Education/skills

Experience/awards

References

Resume examples

Write your resume

Cover Letter - Why I want to work for you.

Non-verbal communication

Non-verbal skits (charades)

Skills to Pay the Bills - typical interview questions.

Verbal Communication

Active listening

Clear Speech (telephone game)

Why is clear speech important

Respectfulness - stop swearing

Interview tips

By phone

Typical interview questions

By online meeting

Interview Videography

Interest profiler NextSteps.Idaho.gov

Review in-person interview skills

Follow-up Coaching & Evaluation

Learning Styles (NextSteps website)

Complete your notebook

What am I forgetting (review)

Review Quest

Course evaluation and feedback

Conclusion

This mini-course aims to familiarize kids with NextSteps.Idaho.gov, a solid resource for future career and college planning. NextSteps is being improved continually. If you have feedback about the website, please contact info@NextSteps.Idaho.gov

References

Encouraged to explore learning through games by the book -- "Fully Engaged" by Michael Matera and John Meehan https://emc2learning.com/

At-Risk vs. At-Promise (TED talks)

https://www.ted.com/talks/victor_rios_help_for_kids_the_education_system_ignores

https://www.ted.com/talks/sal_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education

https://www.ted.com/talks/karim_abouelnaga_a_summer_school_kids_actually_want_to_attend#t-295936

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Watch for the problems that we talked about earlier when watching the other video. Observe the good and not-so-good habits.

Comment on the video that was made of your Prospective Employee.

Note improvements as positive statements. (e.g., "Keep your feet quiet" instead of "Don't tap your foot").

Note: "Employers" can make mistakes too. They might need to be more polite. They might need to learn to have a more professional attitude.

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Now that you are warmed up, you can take turns role-playing an interview. This will be even more helpful for the participant(s) if there is a video to follow up. This will help kids see things they may be doing unconsciously. It will also help people by letting them hear interview questions more than once so that they can mull over what their response might be to those questions and be prepared for a real interview.

Choose someone to be the Employer and choose someone else to be the Prospective Employee. If possible have someone else make a video (from a cell phone or tablet).

If you have enough devices, you can break the whole group into groups of three and all create a 5-minute video, switch places, and make another video, etc.

Give the employer a list of questions that they can ask. Set up the scene to be somewhat realistic. Let the camera operator have time to set up and continue.

Set the timer for 5 minutes (this is only a practice). It is also important to have the video be short enough to be useful.

Do whatever is best for your situation. You can watch the video with only the participants present or watch as a group -- whichever will be most productive.

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What are you looking for in your next job?
What is your greatest weakness? your greatest strength?
How do you handle stress and pressure?
What motivates you?
Tell me about yourself.
Questions about your career goals:
What type of work environment do you prefer?
How do you evaluate success?
Job interview questions about your abilities:
What were your responsibilities?
What major challenges and problems did you face? How did you handle them?
Why are you leaving your job?
What are your salary expectations?
Why do you want this job?
What experience do you have?
What can you do for this company
What do you know about this company?
What challenges are you looking for in a position?
What can you contribute to this company?

Does and don'ts
Prepare: Dress for success, sit at a table, have pen and paper ready, try to eliminate most of the background noise.

Don't take the call on speakerphone - wear a headset instead.

Don't multitask - don't browse the internet, eat or drink, scan social media, or try to carry on a conversation with a pet.

Keep your answers short and to the point. Too much talking can make you swerve into unnecessary boring territory.

If possible, don't take the call in a public place. There will be too many distractions. If you need to go to the library or someplace where there is better internet, arrive early and ask the librarian if you can have your meeting in the conference room or another private room. Schedule this in advance with the librarian if you think there may be a conflict.

Before the call, give yourself an adequate amount of time to be sure you have the number and any correspondence in front of you. Don't hesitate to call at the appointed time or if your interviewer is calling you, make sure you are waiting and ready a few minutes before the call.

Take notes. Speak up if you can't hear and allow your interviewer to adjust. Follow up with a thank-you email.

A phone interview is usually the first step to getting an in-person interview. If there were a lot of applicants, there may be more than one phone interview.

Phone Interview Do's and Don'ts (thebalancecareers.com)

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https://youtu.be/X0voPlW2pSs
The video is about speaking clearly and in a manner that everyone can understand.

Alternate exercise: Lydia is on her first day on the job as a cashier in a cafeteria. Here is the transcript of the video skit. Copy the next page for 5 skit participants. Assign different members of the group to read

Lydia’s part,

Customer 1,

Customer 2,

Customer 3,

and Boss

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Active Listening usually means more than just following directions to untangle a human knot!

When you are being interviewed by a prospective employer or when you are on the job, you will have to pay attention to what they say or ask.

This means, ignore your cell phone or watch, look them in the eye. It also helps to get into the habit of repeating back what you heard. For example, "So you are saying that you want me to take everything off of shelf 3 and put them on shelf 2?"

Getting instructions backward or incompletely can lead to extreme job frustration!

Repeating a request back to an interviewer might give you a chance to gather your thoughts. For example, "You want to know if I have any hobbies? Do you mean that you want to know what I do in my spare time?"

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Printable sheet of phrases for Telephone game

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Printable sheet of phrases for Telephone game

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If you need to print out a sheet of phrases use this and cut them into strips. You can put the strips in a box or bowl and have game participants choose a phrase.

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Looking at the samples and using a template, create your own resume.
Use more than 1 sheet.
Brainstorm, take notes. Tell us who you are.

Contact Info (You can fill this out later, but don't forget!)

Goal (Why do you want to work?)

Education (List your schools and degrees.)

Experience (Clubs, awards, hobbies, chores.)

References v  (Just names will do for now. Write down names of adults (teachers, neighbors, friends) who will support you getting a job.) On the final resume, you will need their full name, job title, and contact information. References are the people who your prospective employer will call during the interview process to get someone else’s opinion about your work values, etc.

Yay! You have your first resume!

Fun fact: Many adults find it hard to do this part. Professional Resume Writers make an average of $200 to $400 for a few hours' work writing resumes for other people.
https://www.zipjob.com/blog/professional-resume-writing-costs/

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Noting your working style (Work Values) and interests (Future Finder), write a resume for yourself. If you get stuck, collaborate with others. It might be easier to work together. Make suggestions to others and let them help you with yours.

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Printout work values result and note your core values, preferred work environment, where you enjoy working, and your favorite work activity.

Remember these results as you think about writing a resume -- the one-page summary of your accomplishments and aspirations.

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Watch the video to the 1:36 minute mark. What are the verbal and non-verbal mistakes made by the actor playing the interviewee? Let each viewer keep a running count.

Compare scores (counted mistakes). Discuss the mistakes you saw the actor make.

Finish watching the video. Comment on what went right in the second half of the video.

Alternative activity:
Let someone pretend to be "the boss" and someone else pretend to be the person looking for a job.

During this skit have the interviewee make glaring non-verbal and verbal mistakes.

A third person will be the narrator (referee). The narrator (referee) can blow a whistle or say "freeze" after the most glaring errors and ask the audience to identify the error and how it should be played.

"The boss can ask these questions:

"How did you find out about this job?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"What are your greatest strengths?"

"Why do you want to work here?"

"Why should we hire you?"

"What are your goals?"

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Clear speech (what I heard, what I said)

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Clear speech (what I heard, what I said)

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For this game, stand or sit in a line. Spread out a bit. Give the first person in line a phrase to repeat to their neighbor. After they tell their neighbor the phrase, that person repeats the phrase down the line to their other neighbor and so on and so on.

At the end of the game, the message will have traveled down the "telephone line" and the last person in line says the phrase they were told out loud, -- and then moves to the head of the line.

Make up your own phrases (or let the first person make up the phrase). If you are stumped, use the phrases below.

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Pick someone to be "It". Have them leave the room or turn their back if that's not possible.

The rest of the group will stand in a circle and all join hands. Begin to tangle up by stepping over joined hands or ducking under other joined hands.

If the group is too big, you can break into two smaller groups and race to untangle the group (or not).

Whoever is "It" will come back and untangle the group using only words. They must hold their hands behind their back so that they won't be tempted to point or gesture.

This is a demonstration of active listening and verbal communication!

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Verbal Communication - what we say; how we speak

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Verbal Communication - what we say; how we speak

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Communication during an interview is verbal and non-verbal.

Write a short weather forecast that characterizes how you felt at some point in the past 24 hours.

For example:
cloudy with a chance of showers,
sunny and clear,
overcast,
intermittent fog, etc.

You remember these feelings because they are still fresh in your mind. You also remember what caused those feelings.

Think: When you enter a job interview, the interviewer has also walked through a range of emotions recently. While you are interviewing, something you may consider a small thing (like checking your phone) may spark more of a reaction than you expect.

Be yourself, yet be aware.

Watch the following video and count each mistake. Keep score😁!

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Ask if that activity was fun, not fun, or so-so.
Thumbs up for fun.
Thumbs down for not fun.
Thumbs sideways for so-so.

This is non-verbal communication. We use it all the time and often to figure out the emotional climate in the room. Likewise, be aware of your non-verbal communication as you are seeking to talk to a prospective employer.

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Pass out 3 x 5 cards. Fold them in half. Ask kids to draw their favorite emoticon on the front. Inside they will have a small space to write what it means and why they like it.
Set a timer for 5 minutes.
Go.
Collect the cards.  Show them to the group one by one and have them identify the emotions. This should be easy, but if not, there is an explanation inside :-)

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Now that you have a resume and cover letter, make a couple of printouts of each. One copy is for this activity. One copy is for your notebook.

Pretend to be an employer seeing your resume and cover letter for the first time. Circle 10 to 12 words that stand out and black out all the rest. What stands out? Have you Found Poetry?

Save these in your journal.

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Here is another sample resume for Babysitter

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Here is another sample resume for Babysitter

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Take the interest profiler on a computer or cell phone. At the end download the results as a PDF, print them out, and add them to your journal notebook.

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Follow the QR code or the link under the picture and find your "learning style". Take the learning assessment, download and print out the PDF, and add it to your notebook.

If you are a presenter of this course to others, be mindful that other people learn differently than you. Use more than one learning mode as you go through the material with others.

Use all three modes as you present:

Reading activities

Listening activities

Hands-on activities

Switch up the activities to have some group activities as well as individual activities.

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Beginning to think outside the box.

Print out this sheet and check the tasks that you normally do. Read the phrases in the far-right column to see how you could describe yourself in terms that an employer would find desirable.

Think of other things you do every day that show your resilience, creativity, teamwork, time management, etc. Write those in the margins to remember for later.

Add this page to your notebook.

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Before we get into what you want to do in the future, let's think about what you do every day.
Do you do chores, babysit, play games, sew, bike, run? Getting your first job might be related to how you describe yourself now.

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More creative examples of Blackout Poetry

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More creative examples of Blackout Poetry

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Anyone can scribble out words -- the clever part is knowing which words to leave.
I love the magic of childhood -- a mad dash through having nothing to do.

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It's not hard. There are no rules -- except the blackout!

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Examples of Found Poetry or Blackout Poetry

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Examples of Found Poetry or Blackout Poetry

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Found_poetry

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To do: Print out the PDF called Found Poetry and choose either page to create a Blackout Poem. 

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To do: Print out the PDF called Found Poetry -- or better yet, use a newspaper story cut out (approximately 8" x 10") or magazine page. On the printed page, pick out ten or twelve words (or more or less) that stand out to you. Blackout all the rest! There, you have a "found" poem.

Start your Journal! Saving these papers to your notebook or folder will help you anytime you are getting ready to apply for work or for college.

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Scan the code or visit the website to take a work values assessment.

Everyone has a favorite work environment. Do you like peace and quiet or a lot of noise and activity? There is no "right" answer. Everyone has their own preference. Go to this page of NextSteps.Idaho.gov to find yours.

Alternate Activity:
What are your core values? (circle the most important)

Living in a high-change environment?

Helping others

Getting respect

Taking risks

Getting recognition

What are you willing to do for a job?

Travel for work

Get a big paycheck

Flex hours

Having paid vacation

Working on your own

What are your lifestyle choices?

Spending time with friends or family

Living in the city

Living in a foreign country

Saving money

Paying for college

After completing the lists, you should have some idea of what is important to you. Keep this in mind as you think about your future self.
Work Values Checklist | Monster.com

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What are your strengths? Take a quiz to discover where you shine.
Use the QR-code or URL under the picture to go to this page of NextSteps.Idaho.gov and follow the prompts. Can you find two or three "future you" possibilities?

Print out the result and add it to your notebook.

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Here is a sample resume. What would your resume look like?

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In an online interview, you are going to prepare just like the phone interview and expect the same typical questions.

Be sure you leave enough time before the interview to set up your desk, check the meeting connection (you may need to download a meeting app), and get your thoughts together.

Dress for success. Take a deep breath. It's crazy and not totally intuitive, but looking straight into your computer camera will give the interviewer the impression that you are making eye contact. Typically, we look at the image of the interviewer on the screen and it gives the impression that we are looking slightly away. Adjust your meeting screen to be right under your computer camera to minimize this.

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Prepare - know something about your employer. Print out a resume to share.

Get plenty of sleep the night before. Have your clothes picked out and ready.

Take a shower. Comb your hair. Eat breakfast.

Be on time.

2. Avoid nervous habits (tapping, sighing). Stay calm.

3. Answer questions with enough detail, but don't continue talking just to fill the air.

4. Follow up with a thank-you note.

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In the past, phone interviews were to screen applicants to decide which ones would be invited to an in-person interview. During the Pandemic, and perhaps for the foreseeable future, phone interviews have become the norm.

After you apply for a job, expect a phone interview (or a polite turning away). In most cases, the interview will be scheduled in advance, but be ready to receive a phone call at any time after you've applied for a job.

For a scheduled interview, be sure to be prepared and in a quiet place with good reception. Sometimes things happen, but as far as possible create a quiet background environment and a clear conversational environment.

What do I need to know for a phone interview? The employer may ask you questions about your expectations for the job. Do you understand what you applied for? They may ask how much you know about their company. It's a good idea to know something about the job. How long have they been in the community? Do they provide a needed service? Do they hire a lot of young people? Do they offer an apprenticeship?

Apprenticeships - Next Steps Idaho

What do you talk about in a phone interview? If asked what your current salary and expected salary are, tell them. After that, don't talk about salary again until asked if you have any questions (if you feel you need clarification). It is a turn-off to employers if you talk too much about money. They can hire someone who thinks about money or they can hire someone who thinks about the company. If you think you are a good fit for the company and can contribute to their success, make that the aim of your conversation with the prospective employer.

Be prepared with a copy of your resume and your cover letter in front of you so that you can remember what details you have already shared. If you have a LinkedIn profile make sure that your resume and your profile match.

Speak clearly and keep upbeat throughout. Employers want employees they can trust. Speaking lazily and without interest will give the employer the impression that you are not very interested in working for them.

Phone Interview Questions (betterteam.com)

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You can't assume that everything you say -- is ok with all those around you. 

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Respectfulness - by thinking before you speak

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Respectfulness - by thinking before you speak

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Showing respectfulness by not using offensive language can be a challenge. Swearing could be a real put-off in a job interview or after you start working. Some bosses will be more sensitive about this than others.

One game to play with yourself if you are in the habit of using bad language is to pretend that you are meeting your girlfriend's or boyfriend's parents for the first time. You have to watch your language because you don't know if they will accept you.

Eventually, you will want a job where swearing is not appropriate; think bank teller, store clerk, medical professional, or newscaster. Learn to "flip the switch" and turn off cursing, -- or better yet, stop swearing.

Ways to Stop Swearing - wikiHow

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Talk about non-verbal communication. Hand signals, body stance, facial expression, posture.

Divide into groups. Friends working together is fine. Each group will create a wordless skit (think charades) to convey the meaning of a common proverb. Pass out proverbs on folded slips of paper. Set the timer for 5 minutes. Go.

Show skits and let the group guess the phrase mimed.

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Many job applications require a resume and "cover letter"

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Why I want to work for you. (Cover Letter)

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Why I want to work for you. (Cover Letter)

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A cover letter is a quick introduction of yourself and your reason for wanting to work for this employer. Keep the letter short and upbeat.

Write a cover letter to your prospective employer.

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Learn to condense your life onto one page.
Click on the photo to enlarge it and follow the QR code or follow the link.

Visit the Resume Resources on NextSteps Idaho.

Sections of a Resume include:

Contact information

Intended goal

Education/skills

Experience/awards

References

There are some samples there to give you an idea of what a resume looks like. Following are a couple of resumes to give you some ideas of what to include in your resume.