Why People Work

1. Why People Work • Achievement • Fulfillment • Personal growth • Sense of belonging • Approval

2. Careers affect your lifestyle in many ways: • How much you will earn • Where you live and work • Your schedule and free time

3. The World of Work Public and Private Sector • Public sector—funded by tax dollars. Includes local and state governments, federal government agencies • Private sector—the part of the economy not controlled by the government Types of Businesses • Individual Proprietorships—owned and controlled by one person, known as the proprietor • Partnerships—owned and controlled by two or more people • Corporations—owned by many people called shareholders because they own shares in the company

4. Types of employment • Full time—spending at least seven or eight hours at work each day, five days a week. Usually receive benefits such as vacations and insurance • Part time—Usually work a few days each week or a few hours each day. Usually lower pay and no benefits • Contract—Working on a specific project for a specified period of time. When the project is over, the job is over.

5. Types of employment, continued • Temporary—usually a job that is for a short time, no benefits or security • Freelance—self employed workers that usually work for several different clients. Usually no benefits • Entrepreneurship—when a person sets up and operates a business for themselves

6. Changes in the workplace • Economic trends—US is now a service economy—more workers perform services at work, instead of producing goods • Because we have a global economy, we are trading w/other countries for things they produce • Downsizing and outsourcing are also conditions affected by economic conditions • Technological trends—most jobs are changing because of technology—new and improved tools and products, computers, internet, etc. • What trends have you heard about on the news that we could add to this list?

7. Preparing for your future—Education and TrainingLots of different training programs are available, including • Apprenticeships • Internships • Vocational/technical centers • Trade Schools • City or community colleges • Colleges & Universities • Armed forces • Distance Learning

8. When choosing your career, you will want to consider how you feel about school and which type might be best for you, as well as the expense and ways to pay for it: • Grants—you don’t have to pay back, but you must qualify for them • Loans—usually a low interest rate, but you must pay them back • Scholarships—you don’t pay these back, but you must meet requirements to earn them • Work study—working on campus while you study

9. Employability Skills—skills that help you fit into the workplace and be a valuable team player • Academic skills • Reading • Writing • Math • Thinking Skills • Critical thinking • Reasoning • Creative Thinking

10. Interpersonal Skills • Communication • Teamwork • Technology Skills • Software programs • Computers • Management Skills • Planning • Organizing • Setting priorities • Managing resources

11. Discussion Question • Given what you now know about training and qualities that employers want in their workers, what are four things you can do to help improve workplace readiness while you are in school?