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OK CDE 2020 1 Employment Skills Individual Event IMPORTANT NOTE Please thoroughly read the General CDE Rules Section at the beginning of this handbook for complete rules and procedures that are relevant to State FFA Career Development Events. I. PURPOSE The Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is designed for FFA members to develop, practice and demonstrate skills needed for seeking employment in the industry of agriculture. Each part of the event simulates, as closely as possible, real-world activities that will be used by real-world employers. II. OBJECTIVES This contest was developed to give students an opportunity to develop and enhance their job search skills. Each part of the contest simulates “real world” activities that will be used by “real world” employers and job seekers. The contest is developed to help the student in their current agriculturally-related job search (for SAE projects, part-time jobs, etc.). III. EVENT RULES A. The Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is an individual event and will be limited to one competing participant per chapter. B. The FFA Employment Skills Leadership Development Event will only be for students who are regularly enrolled in agricultural education during the calendar year, have a planned course of study, or who are still in high school but have completed all the agricultural education offered. C. Participants shall be in official FFA dress throughout each Employment Skills LDE contest phase on the day of the LDE event, and official FFA dress is required for the awards presentation and recognition. Please reference the latest edition of the Official FFA Manual for a definition of official FFA dress. D. The cover letter, résumé and job application submitted by the student must reflect their current skills and abilities and must be targeted to an agriculturally-related job for which he/she is currently qualified (i.e. a job that is realistic for a high school student). Contestants who submit cover letters, résumés and applications for positions for which they are not reasonably qualified or whose materials do not realistically reflect their knowledge, skills and experiences will be disqualified. E. Each participant’s cover letter, résumé and application will be the result of his or her own efforts. If a contestant’s materials are found to not be their own original work, that contestant will be disqualified from the Employment Skills LDE. F. The event will include both written portions as well as oral presentations. Students must provide their own writing utensil. G. Participants shall be evaluated/scored by multiple separate judges without consultation for each segment of the contest (i.e., résumé, cover letter, application, one panel interview, two personal

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Page 1: Employment Skills - Oklahoma State University–Stillwatercde.okstate.edu/guidelines/Finalized Employment Skills Guidelines.pdf · Cover Letter (100 Points) a. Cover letters submitted

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Employment Skills Individual Event

IMPORTANT NOTE

Please thoroughly read the General CDE Rules Section at the beginning of this handbook for complete rules and

procedures that are relevant to State FFA Career Development Events.

I. PURPOSE The Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is designed for FFA members to develop, practice and demonstrate skills needed for seeking employment in the industry of agriculture. Each part of the event simulates, as closely as possible, real-world activities that will be used by real-world employers.

II. OBJECTIVES This contest was developed to give students an opportunity to develop and enhance their job search skills. Each part of the contest simulates “real world” activities that will be used by “real world” employers and job seekers. The contest is developed to help the student in their current agriculturally-related job search (for SAE projects, part-time jobs, etc.).

III. EVENT RULES A. The Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is an individual event and will be limited to

one competing participant per chapter.

B. The FFA Employment Skills Leadership Development Event will only be for students who are regularly enrolled in agricultural education during the calendar year, have a planned course of study, or who are still in high school but have completed all the agricultural education offered.

C. Participants shall be in official FFA dress throughout each Employment Skills LDE contest phase on

the day of the LDE event, and official FFA dress is required for the awards presentation and recognition. Please reference the latest edition of the Official FFA Manual for a definition of official FFA dress.

D. The cover letter, résumé and job application submitted by the student must reflect their current

skills and abilities and must be targeted to an agriculturally-related job for which he/she is currently qualified (i.e. a job that is realistic for a high school student). Contestants who submit cover letters, résumés and applications for positions for which they are not reasonably qualified or whose materials do not realistically reflect their knowledge, skills and experiences will be disqualified.

E. Each participant’s cover letter, résumé and application will be the result of his or her own efforts.

If a contestant’s materials are found to not be their own original work, that contestant will be disqualified from the Employment Skills LDE.

F. The event will include both written portions as well as oral presentations. Students must provide

their own writing utensil.

G. Participants shall be evaluated/scored by multiple separate judges without consultation for each segment of the contest (i.e., résumé, cover letter, application, one panel interview, two personal

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interviews, follow-up letter, and telephone job offer). Points awarded to each contestant for each contest phase will equal the average of the total points awarded by each independent judge. The winner will be that participant whose summative total point value among all contest phases is the highest. Other placings will also be determined using the high point score method of selection.

IV. EVENT FORMAT

A. Team Make-Up The Employment Skills Leadership Development Event is an individual event and will be limited to one competing participant per chapter.

B. Early submission of job description, job application, cover letter, and résumé.

1. Participants must register for the Oklahoma Employment Skills LDE on www.judgingcard.com before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. DO NOT SUBMIT EARLY SUSMISSION MATERIALS TO JUDGINGCARD.COM. Registration through judgingcard.com is solely for the benefit of tracking overall participation in OSU Career Development Events; registration alone through judgingcard.com DOES NOT enter a contestant in the Employment Skills LDE.

2. Participants must also electronically submit a single PDF file consisting of a job description, job application, cover letter, and résumé, via email to [email protected] before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. File sizes must be limited to 10MB.

3. Those who do not both register and submit required contest documents before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, are not eligible to participate in the Employment Skills LDE. Early submission of materials (job description, job application, resumes, and cover letters) will NOT be accepted via mail, fax, hand-delivery, OR uploading to judgingcard.com.

4. Incomplete submission materials (i.e., materials with job descriptions, missing job

application, etc.) will not be accepted for competition; contestants will be disqualified. Contestants are encouraged to contact the contest superintendent after submitting materials, to verify that their job description, cover letter, job application, and résumé have been received prior to the early submission deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020f.

5. Early submission materials (job description, job application, cover letter, and

résumé) must be submitted as a single PDF file of less than 10MB. Name the single PDF attachment of early submission materials with the contestant’s last name and chapter name (ex: Smith_SomewhereFFA.pdf). Materials not submitted as a single PDF file will receive a 10-point deduction for inability to follow directions.

6. Job Description

• The job description is required to assist judges in best evaluating and scoring early

submission cover letters, and résumés in the context of the position for which the

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contestant has chosen to apply. The job description will not be scored but is required as a part of early submission materials.

• The job description should include a description of the position for which the student is applying a contestant in the Employment Skills LDE. The description should include desired qualifications and experience as well as typical duties or responsibilities. The chosen position should be an agriculturally-related job for which a high school student may be realistically qualified.

• Job descriptions submitted as a part of early submission materials should be saved as a part of the single PDF attachment of early submission materials.

• Participants who fail to submit a job description will be subject to disqualification from the Employment Skills LDE.

• A variety of sources can be helpful in identifying job descriptions relevant to the Employment Skills LDE, including newspapers, online job search sites, and specific organization, business, or company websites.

7. Job Application (75 points) a. Participants will complete the provided standard job application which is provided

at www.cde.okstate.edu/guidelines. b. The application submitted as a part of early submission materials should be saved

as a part of the single PDF attachment of early submission materials.

8. Cover Letter (100 Points)

a. Cover letters submitted as a part of early submission materials should be saved as a part of the single PDF attachment of early submission materials.

b. Hard copy cover letters brought on the day of the contest should be printed on 8 1/2" x 11" white bond paper.

c. The paper is to be single-sided only, left-justified, and typed using 11 point font size. Times, Times New Roman, or Arial font style should be used.

d. Letter is to be dated for the day of the Oklahoma State FFA Employment Skills LDE and addressed to the Superintendent of the event:

Mr. Taylor Harbuck Employment Skills LDE Superintendent 136 Agriculture Hall Stillwater, OK 74078-6017

Each contestant should pretend that the superintendent is the person in charge of hiring at the organization to which he/she is applying. In other words, don't use the name of the "real" person in charge of hiring.

e. Cover letters will be evaluated/scored by three separate judges based upon the scorecard provided at the end of these guidelines. Points awarded to each contestant for the cover letter portion of the contest will equal the average of the total points awarded by each judge.

9. Résumé (200 Points)

a. The résumé may be generated from the FFA Résumé Generator accessible through FFA.org.

b. If using the FFA Résumé Generator to inventory a contestant’s experiences and skills, the student’s résumé may be exported/downloaded as an editable MS Word document for customization.

1. Choose the template option, “FFA Logo (CDE/LDE Requirement).”

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2. Then choose the file format, “Open Office XML (Microsoft Word 2007 and later)” to open the version required for the contest in an editable form.

Final versions of the contestant’s résumé for the Employment Skills LDE competition must be saved as a part of the single PDF attachment of early submission materials and submitted by the early submission deadline.

c. Résumé must be non-fictitious and based upon student’s work, education, volunteer and career-related history.

d. Résumé should be targeted to the position for which the student wishes to apply. e. Hard copy résumés brought on the day of the contest should be printed on 8 1/2"

x 11" white bond paper. f. The résumé should be single-sided only, typed using 10-11 point font, and should

not exceed two pages total, including references. Career counselors and job search coaches recommend one page résumés for candidates of this level.

g. Résumés will be evaluated/scored by three separate judges based upon the scorecard provided at the end of these guidelines. Points awarded to each contestant for the résumé portion of the contest will equal the average of the total points awarded by each judge.

10. Selection of Contest Finalists a. Based upon the early submission of contestants’ job descriptions, cover letters,

résumés, and reference letters, preliminary scores will be tabulated and the ten (10) contestants earning the greatest number of points will be identified as finalists to continue with the state contest.

b. Ties for finalist positions will be broken based on the greatest number of low ranks of the cover letter and résumé phases. Participants’ rankings on the cover letter and résumé will be added and the participant with the lowest sum of the rank scores will be declared the finalist. If a tie still exists, then the event superintendent will review the participants’ ranks in the résumé phase of the contest, and the participant with the lowest rank from the résumé phase will be declared the finalist.

c. Finalists will be notified before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2020, via a reply to the email used for their early submission of materials. Ag teachers of the selected finalists will be copied on the email notification.

d. Contestants not selected as contest finalists and their respective ag teachers will also be notified before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, April 20, 2020, via a reply to the email used for their early submission of materials. Ag teachers of those students not selected as finalists will be copied on the email notification.

C. Equipment for the Day of the Contest 1. Participants may bring the following items to the event:

e. Copies of résumé f. Copies of cover letter g. Blank letterhead to print follow-up letter (Optional, and must be printed on 8 1/2"

x 11" white bond paper.) h. Appropriate writing utensil i. List of questions to ask judges j. Business cards k. Professional folder or padfolio to carry supplies listed above.

2. The following items are NOT permitted during the event:

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l. Cell phone m. USB drive / flash drive n. Samples of work, portfolio, or pictures o. Letters of reference

D. Event Schedule on Saturday, April 25, 2020 1. Each contestant shall complete the event in the time allotted:

p. Panel Interview (Up to 15 minutes) q. 2 Personal Interviews (Up to 10 minutes) r. Follow Up Correspondence (20 minutes) s. Telephone Job Offer (Up to 5 minutes)

2. Contest Timing t. Considering the allotted time for each contest phase, including the time necessary

for panel interview judges to both rotate through contestants and complete their evaluations, the estimated contest end time is 12:30 p.m.

E. Contest activities on the day of the Employment Skills LDE 1. No materials other than those listed in section IV-C-1 of the Employment Skills LDE

guidelines will be permitted in the contest area.

2. Panel Interview (250 Points) u. The interview will consist of one 15-minute panel interviews with no less than two

separate judges on each panel. v. As with the National Employment Skills Leadership Development Event,

contestants may not be interviewed by the same interview judges or panels. All interview judges complete a judges’ training workshop prior to their interaction with the Employment Skills LDE contestants to provide a level of standardization in their evaluation of the contestants’ interview skills. This training is equivalent to the training provided to the national contest judges.

w. Points awarded to each contestant for the personal interview portion of the contest will equal the average of the total points awarded by each panel interview judge.

3. Personal Interview (250 Points) • The interview will consist of two 10-minute panel interviews with two

separate judges. x. As with the National Employment Skills Leadership Development Event,

contestants may not be interviewed by the same interview judges or panels. All interview judges complete a judges’ training workshop prior to their interaction with the Employment Skills LDE contestants to provide a level of standardization in their evaluation of the contestants’ interview skills. This training is equivalent to the training provided to the national contest judges.

y. Points awarded to each contestant for the personal interview portion of the contest will equal the average of the total points awarded by each panel interview judge.

4. Follow Up Correspondence (100 Points) • Participants will develop, print or email, and submit or send follow up

correspondence after their final personal panel interview.

• Contestants will be provided with necessary information and, if applicable, a computer with either Internet access or the Microsoft Word application at the

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conclusion of their final personal panel interview in order to develop their follow-up correspondence.

• 20 minutes will be provided, and test prints will be allowed, if necessary.

• Follow up correspondence will be evaluated/scored by two separate judges based upon the scorecard provided at the end of these guidelines. Points awarded to each contestant for the follow up letter portion of the contest will equal the average of the total points awarded by each judge.

5. Telephone Job Offer (50 points)

• Participants will participate in a 5 minute follow-up phone call where they will receive a job offer. They will be scored on their ability to collect information and negotiate. They will also be scored on their response to the offer and overall impression.

V. SCORING

Cover Letter ................................ 100 Résumé ....................................... 175 Application ................................. 75 Panel Interview………………………..250 Personal Interview ..................... 250 Follow Up Letter ......................... 100 Telephone Job Offer…………………50 Total Points ……………………….…..1000

VI. TIEBREAKERS

Ties will be broken based on the greatest number of low ranks among each contest phase. Participants’ rankings in each contest phase will be added, and the participant with the lowest sum of the rank scores will be declared the winner. If a tie still exists, then the event superintendent will review the participants’ ranks in the personal panel interview phase of the contest, and the participant with the lowest rank from the personal panel interview phase will be declared the winner.

VII. AWARDS

Awards will be presented to individuals based upon their rankings at the awards ceremony during the Oklahoma FFA Convention on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. Awards are sponsored by the Oklahoma state University College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and by cooperating industry sponsor(s) as a special project, and/or by the general fund of the Oklahoma FFA Foundation.

VIII. REFERENCES

• Bortz, D. (2016.) What your resume should look like in 2016. Money: Career Guide 2016. Retrieved from http://time.com/money/4171054/resume-tips-advice/.

• Gallo, A. (2014). How to write a cover letter. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-write-a-cover-letter

• Giang, V. & Stanger, M. (2012). How to write the perfect resume. Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-the-perfect-resume-2012-11?op=1.

• Green, A. (2011). How to prepare for a job interview. U.S. News & World Report: Money. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/02/07/how-to-prepare-for-a-job-interview.

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• Green, A. (2013). 5 Interview Questions You Should Always Prepare to Answer. U.S. News & World Report: Money. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/03/06/5-interview-questions-you-should-always-prepare-to-answer

• Martin, C. & Troutman, K. Tactics for handling a panel interview. Monster. Retrieved from http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/handling-panel-interviews/article.aspx

• OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Career Services “How-To” Resources. Retrieved from http://casnr.okstate.edu/career-services/how-to-resources.

• Potter, C.M. Practice makes perfect: How to rehearse for your next job interview. Monster. Retrieved from http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/practice-makes-perfect-how-to-rehearse-for-your-next-job-interview-hot-jobs/article.aspx.

• Strunk, Jr., W. & White, E.B. (1999). The Elements of Style (4th ed.). London, England: Longman Publishing.

• Vaas, L. (2009). How to write a great cover letter. The Ladders. Retrieved from http://www.theladders.com/career-advice/how-to-write-cover-letter

IX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION, MATERIALS AND FORMS A. 10 Tips for Contest Participation

1. Start early in preparing materials. This is not a contest that a student can decide to enter the week of state LDE’s. This contest requires prior preparation and early submission of materials.

2. Have at least three people proofread and critique your student’s work. Are there any grammatical or spelling errors? Is the student doing his/her best job of marketing skills relevant to his/her job objective?

3. Name the single PDF attachment of early submission materials with the contestant’s last name and chapter name (ex: Smith_SomewhereFFA.pdf).

4. Submit materials early. Materials must be submitted via email to [email protected] no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2020. No exceptions are made, and materials are not accepted via postal mail, fax, hand delivery, or judgingcard.com.

5. Use white bond paper as indicated in the contest guidelines for hard copy résumés and cover letters brought on the day of the contest. No colored paper, résumé paper or cardstock should be used.

6. Ensure that your student has addressed all areas within his/her résumé and cover letter that are evaluated and scored, as detailed on the scorecards in the contest guidelines.

7. Don’t forget to have your student bring a writing utensil to the contest for taking notes. 8. Be prepared to patiently wait during the contest. All contestants rotate through two panel

interviews; therefore, there is a significant amount of waiting time in between interviews and contest phases.

9. Students should pick up critiqued contest materials at the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources booth within the Career Show during the State FFA Convention in Oklahoma City.

B. 10 Tips for Résumé & Cover Letter Development 1. Use the FFA Résumé Generator accessible through FFA.org only for assembling your skills and

experiences and for obtaining the FFA emblem watermark on your résumé. Then download the generated résumé as an MS Word document, and customize it to your desired position and formatting preferences. Adhering strictly to template styles and content is counterproductive to a résumé’s purpose – to showcase one’s relevant qualifications and to set oneself apart from other applicants.

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2. Match the font style of the résumé with the font style of the cover letter. 3. Font size should never be below 11 point in size and margins should create approximately a

one-inch frame around each document. 4. Narrow the listing and descriptions of activities and awards on the résumé to those that are

significant and relevant to the job objective. Eliminate or consolidate others. 5. Use lists within the résumé – not complete sentences. Never use “I”, “my”, or “me” in the

résumé and minimize their use in the cover letter. 6. Consider all sources of experience and qualifications, including part-time and summer jobs,

volunteer work, leadership experiences, class projects, and others. 7. Use strong words that show action throughout your documents. 8. Keep the cover letter to one page and the résumé to one page, if possible (does not include

reference information). 9. Vary sentence structure and length within the cover letter and organize sentences into

paragraphs around common main points. 10. Connect the job description to the résumé through providing supporting details and facts

within the cover letter.

C. 10 Tips for Interview Preparation 1. Review the interview scorecard at the end of the contest guidelines to understand and

practice all areas that will be evaluated. 2. Official dress is the dress code. How can you best present yourself in official dress? Are shoes

polished? Do you have wild or bright nail polish? Is your skirt/slacks worn, faded or wrinkled? Are any jewelry and/or accessories of a minimalistic, conservative and professional nature?

3. Research the potential employer and the position. Know the employer’s needs. 4. Practice good posture, a firm handshake, making eye contact, and good voice qualities. 5. Know what is presented and/or described in the job description, résumé and cover letter

submitted. Anticipate questions about the content. 6. Control nervous gestures and fillers. 7. Respond to questions with more than one word. 8. Provide specific examples in answers that describe the use of relevant skills and abilities. 9. Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer in advance of the interviews. 10. Practice! Practice! Practice!

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D. Cover Letter Rubric/Scorecard*

INDICATOR Very strong evidence

of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Format and General Appearance

Does not exceed one page without overcrowding; margins are acceptable; font size and style is readable (10-12 pt.); uses appropriate business format, date and address at top; addressed to appropriate person; appropriate signature block.

Does not exceed one page without overcrowding; margins are acceptable; font size and style is readable (10-12 pt.); uses appropriate business format, date and address at top; not addressed to appropriate person; inappropriate signature block.

Exceeds one page; margins are inappropriate; font style is unreadable; font size is too small or too large; no signature; no date or address; no inside address; not in appropriate business format.

X 4

Introductory Paragraph

Identifies position for which he/she is applying; states how he/she heard about the position; states why he/she is interested in the position; uses wording to attract reader’s attention.

Identifies position which he/she is applying; does not state how he/she found the job; vaguely describes why he/she is interested in the job; introduction is bland and not attention catching.

Does not clearly identify position he/she is seeking; no description of how he/she heard about the position; does not describe why he/she is interested in the job; does not grab the reader’s attention.

X4

Skills and Experiences

Identifies two to three strongest qualifications for the job; indicates how education has prepared him/her for this specific job; states why he/she is interested in the position; skills and experiences are consistent with resume; makes reference to resume.

Identifies one to two qualifications for the job; indicates how education has prepared him/her for this specific job; provides a vague explanation of why interested in the job; skills and experiences are somewhat consistent with resume; makes reference to resume.

Does not identify relevant qualifications for the job; does not indicate how education has prepared him/her for this job; does not state why they are interested in the job; skills and experiences are not consistent with resume; does not mention resume.

X4

Closing Paragraph

Thanks reader for taking time to read;

Thanks reader for taking time to read;

Does not thank reader; does not

X3

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence

of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

provides appropriate contact information; makes appropriate provisions for follow up.

provides contact information, but makes reader assume follow up process or responsibility.

mention a plan for follow up; does not provide any contact information.

Spelling/ Grammar/ Punctuation

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are extremely high quality with two or less errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are adequate with three to five errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are less than adequate with six or more errors in the document.

X5

TOTAL POINTS

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E. Resume Rubric/Scorecard*

INDICATOR

Very strong evidence of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Contact Information

Includes name, address, email address, and phone number; name stands out on resume; provides professional e-mail address.

Name does not stand out; email address is too casual.

Missing name, address, email address, or phone number; email used is inappropriate or unprofessional.

X 2

Employment Objective

Focused objective that states how candidate will help the business/ organization/ company achieve its goals.

Focused objective that states what candidate wants from the business/ organization/ company.

No objective identified.

X2

Education or Relevant Coursework

Contains complete information listed in reverse chronological order (school, location, completion dates, etc.), relevant courses listed, dates formatted correctly, GPA listed in correct format (if appropriate), includes appropriate honors and awards.

Contains information listed in reverse chronological order (school, location, completion dates, etc.), relevant courses listed, dates formatted correctly, may show gaps in education; inappropriate GPA listed, includes appropriate honors and awards.

Information not listed in reverse chronological order, important information missing, information not listed in correct format.

X7

Relevant Experience and Skills

Entries are listed in reverse chronological order; business/ organization/ company name, title, location, and dates are included; strong action verbs used with correct verb tense; personal pronouns and extraneous words are omitted; bullets are

Entries are listed in reverse chronological order; entries have a pattern of one type of error; action verbs are weak; verb tenses are inconsistent; bullets are not concise or direct and do not indicate impact/ contributions/ accomplishments;

Entries are not in reserve chronological order; most entries do not include business/ organization/ company name, dates, location, or position title; bullets are written in complete sentences; verb tenses are inconsistent; bullets are wordy, vague, and/or do not indicate

X9

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INDICATOR

Very strong evidence of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

concise, direct and indicate one’s impact/ contributions/ accomplishments; results are quantified; bullets are listed in order of importance.

bullets are written in complete sentences.

one’s impact/ contributions/ accomplishments; bullets are not listed in order or importance to the reader; results are not quantified when appropriate; irrelevant or outdated information is listed.

Achievements and Honors

Appropriate and relevant achievements and honors listed; achievements and honors related to career goal; provides specific details related to achievements and honors; listed in reserve chronological order.

Appropriate and relevant achievements and honors listed; achievements and honors related to career goal; lacks specific details related to achievements and honors; listed in reserve chronological order.

Achievements and honors not listed in reverse chronological order; inappropriate or irrelevant achievements listed; and/or no achievement or honors are listed.

X5

References Listed appropriate references and provided complete contact information for references.

References are listed, but not all may be appropriate or not all contact information for references is included.

Inappropriate references are listed; no references listed; and/or no contact information listed.

X2

Spelling/ Grammar/ Punctuation

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are extremely high quality with two or less errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are adequate with three to five errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are less than adequate with six or more errors in the document.

X5

Format and General Appearance

Does not exceed two pages without overcrowding or excessive spacing; margins are acceptable; font size and style is readable (11 point or greater); formatting is

Does not exceed two pages; appears overcrowded or empty/void of content; margins are acceptable; font size and style is readable (11 point or greater); formatting is mostly

Exceeds two pages; margins are inappropriate; font style is unreadable; font size is too small or too large; formatting is not consistent; content is not logically organized in targeted

X8

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INDICATOR

Very strong evidence of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

consistent; headings reflect content and content substantiates headings; content is well-organized in targeted way.

consistent; headings don’t necessarily reflect content or content substantiate headings; content is well-organized in targeted way.

way.

TOTAL POINTS

Page 14: Employment Skills - Oklahoma State University–Stillwatercde.okstate.edu/guidelines/Finalized Employment Skills Guidelines.pdf · Cover Letter (100 Points) a. Cover letters submitted

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F. Employment Application Rubric/Scorecard*

Indicator Very strong evidence

of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Consistent with Resume

Name, education, experience and other personal information matches information provided on resume.

Name, education, experience and other personal information generally matches information provided on resume.

Name, education, experience and other personal information do not match information provided on resume.

X4

Grammar/ Punctuation/ Spelling

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are extremely high quality with two or less errors in the document. Abbreviations were used appropriately and consistently.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are adequate with three to five errors in the document. Most abbreviations were used appropriately and consistently.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are less than adequate with six or more errors in the document. Abbreviations were not used appropriately and/or consistently.

X6

Form Completed

Entire application was completed with “N/A” indicated where appropriate.

Majority of the application was completed with few blank fields.

Contains several blank spaces and missing information.

X4

Overall Impression

Application was consistent and appropriately highlighted candidate’s qualifications for the position.

Application was consistent and generally highlighted candidate’s qualifications for the position.

The application was not consistent and did not highlight candidate’s qualifications for the position.

X6

TOTAL POINTS

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G. Panel Interview Rubric/Scorecard*

INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Appearance Professional dress/groomed: Follows standard dress code; polished shoes, clothes pressed, conservative accessories, personal grooming is appropriate and professional.

Dress appropriate: Just not as professional and “put together;” shoes clean but not polished, personal grooming not as on point (i.e., hair in face, chipped nail polish, etc.), cologne or perfume is distracting.

Very disheveled: Dirty shoes, not wearing black shoes., wrinkled attire, messy hair, overwhelming cologne or perfume, etc.

x 10

First Impression Greeting: Appropriate salutation and firm handshake.

Introduction: States name

Body language: Smiling and pleasant, does not sit until invited, posture is good, confident in manner.

Greeting: Appropriate salutation, confident but uneasy, soft handshake.

Introduction: States name only when asked.

Body language: Rarely smiles, posture not as confident, sits before invited to do so.

Greeting: Does not use salutation, very informal.

Introduction: Fails to introduce self, fails to shake hands with interviewer.

Body language: Poor posture, lackadaisical or obnoxious, chewing gum.

x 15

Response to Questions

Used appropriate language for career: Cited relevant examples; evidence knowledge of career field (talk the talk); knows education and experience required for position; discussed skills gained through school or past jobs and how they are relevant to position for which applied; abilities described matched the resume; responses concise and logically communicated;

Seemed to know terms associated with career: Some holes; cited several relevant examples; but list is incomplete, knew about career, but conveyed incomplete picture; unsure of education or experience required for position; incomplete list of skills gained through school and past jobs and relevance to position for which applied; abilities mostly matched resume;

Knew some of the language of position, but used incorrectly or did not show understanding of terms: Unable to cite or few relevant examples; position education and qualification requirements not known or do not match applicants skill set; unable to relate skills learned in school or past jobs and relevance to position applied; abilities hardly match

x 30

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

responses do not sound “canned;” provided in-depth description of skills, not just a list; provided in-depth response to questions, not yes/no responses to questions; established a “theme” that overall describes their abilities.

responses seemed rehearsed and/or somewhat disorganized; provided some depth to description of job skills; provided some depth to responses to questions; provided some yes/no responses; was able to tie some abilities together to form a picture of qualifications.

resume; responses seemed “canned” with little logical progression; mainly provided list of skills with little explanation; provided yes/no responses; unable to see an overall theme of person’s abilities.

Communication Skills

Persuasive: Led the interview in a direction that enabled them to expand so their skills were expressed, took initiative to add information beyond question asked.

Confident: Exhibited self-confidence both with body language and verbally

Appropriate volume: Spoke with proper volume for room to be heard clearly; not too loud, not too soft.

Enunciation/grammar: Avoided words like “git” versus “get” and “agin” versus “again;” used proper words when speaking (didn’t use 10 dollar words when a five-dollar word will do).

Concise: Avoided run-

Persuasive: Was able to expand somewhat on skills that are a fit for the position; volunteered some additional information to questions asked.

Confident: Exhibited some nervousness, but covered well; voice and body language showed some uncertainty.

Appropriate volume: Did not modulate volume to express answers; could hear sometimes; but quiet when unsure of response and hard to hear OR volume was occasionally overbearing needed tempered.

Enunciation/grammar: Some language not appropriate for position applied, used some slang and

Persuasive: Answered yes or no to most questions; did not expand on skill set.

Confident: Did not appear comfortable; obviously nervous or disengaged, slouched in chair, etc.

Appropriate volume: Hard to hear answers or volume too loud for room.

Enunciation/grammar: Used overly complex or simplistic language, sprinkled in words like “git” versus “get” and “agin” versus “again.”

Concise: Rambled and used run on sentences. Answers were poorly organized or unrelated, and thoughts not clearly expressed.

Sincere: Seemed uninterested in the

x 30

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

on sentences and answered with logical and organized thoughts.

Sincere: Expressed true interest in the position they are seeking.

Poise: Avoided distracting mannerisms, such as drumming fingers or overuse of “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Shared appropriate information and did not create an awkward situation through responses.

exhibited some “dialect.”

Concise: Some questions answered in a rambling fashion, but point was able to be made. Thoughts were logical, but somewhat disorganized.

Sincere: Expressed interest in the position they are seeking, but not 100% convincingly.

Poise: Seemed comfortable with some nervousness; caught self before exhibiting distracting mannerisms; rarely used “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Mostly professional in tone and shared information that created little, if any, awkwardness.

position and distracted.

Poise: Demonstrated distracted mannerisms such as tapping foot, drumming fingers, cracking knuckles, etc.; Excessive use of “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Shared information that may be seen as personal about self or someone else that created awkwardness; appeared unprofessional.

Conclusion

Posed appropriate questions of interviewer: Questions were thoughtful and relevant to the interview that transpired (e.g., when notification of when selection will occur and how fi not mentioned, etc.); clarified next steps or inquired as to next step in interview process (e.g., if there will be additional

Questions posed were somewhat appropriate: Some questions had no relevance to interview; incomplete inquiry of the next steps in the interview process; asked for business card; thanked interviewer(s) and shook hands, but seemed uncertain how to end the interview and exit.

Asks no questions: Questions asked (if asked) had no relevance to next steps in the interview process; ended interview abruptly or awkwardly; exited without thanks or shaking hands.

x 15

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

interviews, etc.)

Appropriate thanks and exit: Asked for business card, thanked interviewer(s), stood and shook hands prior to exiting room.

TOTAL POINTS

H. Personal Interview Rubric/Scorecard*

INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Appearance Professional dress/groomed: Follows standard dress code; polished shoes, clothes pressed, conservative accessories, personal grooming is appropriate and professional.

Dress appropriate: Just not as professional and “put together;” shoes clean but not polished, personal grooming not as on point (i.e., hair in face, chipped nail polish, etc.), cologne or perfume is distracting.

Very disheveled: Dirty shoes, not wearing black shoes., wrinkled attire, messy hair, overwhelming cologne or perfume, etc.

x 10

First Impression Greeting: Appropriate salutation and firm handshake.

Introduction: States name

Body language: Smiling and pleasant, does not sit until invited, posture is good, confident in manner.

Greeting: Appropriate salutation, confident but uneasy, soft handshake.

Introduction: States name only when asked.

Body language: Rarely smiles, posture not as confident, sits before invited to do so.

Greeting: Does not use salutation, very informal.

Introduction: Fails to introduce self, fails to shake hands with interviewer.

Body language: Poor posture, lackadaisical or obnoxious, chewing gum.

x 15

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

Response to Questions

Used appropriate language for career: Cited relevant examples; evidence knowledge of career field (talk the talk); knows education and experience required for position; discussed skills gained through school or past jobs and how they are relevant to position for which applied; abilities described matched the resume; responses concise and logically communicated; responses do not sound “canned;” provided in-depth description of skills, not just a list; provided in-depth response to questions, not yes/no responses to questions; established a “theme” that overall describes their abilities.

Seemed to know terms associated with career: Some holes; cited several relevant examples; but list is incomplete, knew about career, but conveyed incomplete picture; unsure of education or experience required for position; incomplete list of skills gained through school and past jobs and relevance to position for which applied; abilities mostly matched resume; responses seemed rehearsed and/or somewhat disorganized; provided some depth to description of job skills; provided some depth to responses to questions; provided some yes/no responses; was able to tie some abilities together to form a picture of qualifications.

Knew some of the language of position, but used incorrectly or did not show understanding of terms: Unable to cite or few relevant examples; position education and qualification requirements not known or do not match applicants skill set; unable to relate skills learned in school or past jobs and relevance to position applied; abilities hardly match resume; responses seemed “canned” with little logical progression; mainly provided list of skills with little explanation; provided yes/no responses; unable to see an overall theme of person’s abilities.

x 30

Communication Skills

Persuasive: Led the interview in a direction that enabled them to expand so their skills were expressed, took initiative to add information beyond question asked.

Confident: Exhibited self-confidence both

Persuasive: Was able to expand somewhat on skills that are a fit for the position; volunteered some additional information to questions asked.

Confident: Exhibited some nervousness, but covered well; voice and

Persuasive: Answered yes or no to most questions; did not expand on skill set.

Confident: Did not appear comfortable; obviously nervous or disengaged, slouched in chair, etc.

Appropriate volume:

x 30

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

with body language and verbally

Appropriate volume: Spoke with proper volume for room to be heard clearly; not too loud, not too soft.

Enunciation/grammar: Avoided words like “git” versus “get” and “agin” versus “again;” used proper words when speaking (didn’t use 10 dollar words when a five-dollar word will do).

Concise: Avoided run-on sentences and answered with logical and organized thoughts.

Sincere: Expressed true interest in the position they are seeking.

Poise: Avoided distracting mannerisms, such as drumming fingers or overuse of “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Shared appropriate information and did not create an awkward situation through responses.

body language showed some uncertainty.

Appropriate volume: Did not modulate volume to express answers; could hear sometimes; but quiet when unsure of response and hard to hear OR volume was occasionally overbearing needed tempered.

Enunciation/grammar: Some language not appropriate for position applied, used some slang and exhibited some “dialect.”

Concise: Some questions answered in a rambling fashion, but point was able to be made. Thoughts were logical, but somewhat disorganized.

Sincere: Expressed interest in the position they are seeking, but not 100% convincingly.

Poise: Seemed comfortable with some nervousness; caught self before exhibiting distracting mannerisms; rarely used “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Mostly professional in tone and shared information that

Hard to hear answers or volume too loud for room.

Enunciation/grammar: Used overly complex or simplistic language, sprinkled in words like “git” versus “get” and “agin” versus “again.”

Concise: Rambled and used run on sentences. Answers were poorly organized or unrelated, and thoughts not clearly expressed.

Sincere: Seemed uninterested in the position and distracted.

Poise: Demonstrated distracted mannerisms such as tapping foot, drumming fingers, cracking knuckles, etc.; Excessive use of “uhm,” “like,” and “you know.”

Discretion/Tact: Shared information that may be seen as personal about self or someone else that created awkwardness; appeared unprofessional.

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INDICATOR Very strong evidence of

skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total

Points

created little, if any, awkwardness.

Conclusion

Posed appropriate questions of interviewer: Questions were thoughtful and relevant to the interview that transpired (e.g., when notification of when selection will occur and how fi not mentioned, etc.); clarified next steps or inquired as to next step in interview process (e.g., if there will be additional interviews, etc.)

Appropriate thanks and exit: Asked for business card, thanked interviewer(s), stood and shook hands prior to exiting room.

Questions posed were somewhat appropriate: Some questions had no relevance to interview; incomplete inquiry of the next steps in the interview process; asked for business card; thanked interviewer(s) and shook hands, but seemed uncertain how to end the interview and exit.

Asks no questions: Questions asked (if asked) had no relevance to next steps in the interview process; ended interview abruptly or awkwardly; exited without thanks or shaking hands.

x 15

TOTAL POINTS

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I. Follow Up Correspondence Rubric/Scorecard*

INDICATOR Very strong evidence

of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total Score

Format The document was directed to the appropriate person with an appropriate address and salutation. The level of formality was appropriate for the type of correspondence.

The document was directed to the appropriate person with an appropriate address and salutation, with minor errors. The level of formality was generally appropriate for the type of correspondence.

The document was not directed to the appropriate person. No address or salutation was included. The level of formality was not appropriate.

X 4

Content Effectively expressed appreciation and appropriately reiterated their qualifications. Expressed interest and appropriately stated provisions for follow-up.

Attempted to express appreciation and generally reiterated their qualifications. Generally expressed interest and attempted to state provisions for follow-up.

Did not attempt to express appreciation. Did not attempt to reiterate their qualifications. Did not attempt to express interest or state provisions for follow-up.

X6

Grammar/ Punctuation/ Spelling

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are extremely high quality with two or less errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are adequate with three to five errors in the document.

Spelling, grammar and punctuation are less than adequate with six or more errors in the document.

X4

Overall Impression

Writing (when appropriate) was legible and length was appropriate.

Writing (when appropriate) was difficult to read and length was generally appropriate.

Writing (when appropriate) was illegible. Length was inappropriate.

X6

TOTAL POINTS

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J. Telephone Job Offer Rubric/Score Card*

INDICATOR Very strong evidence

of skill is present

5–4 points

Moderate evidence of skill is present

3–2 points

Weak evidence of skill is present

1–0 points

Points Earned

Weight Total Score

Response to Offer

Expressed appreciation; upbeat; sincere; shows excitement for the offer

Seemed caught off guard; attempted to be sincere; showed excitement for offer

Unengaged; insincere; showed little excitement for offer

X 4

Gathered Appropriate Information

Provisions for follow up expressed; posed appropriate questions (start time, date, who to report to); got contact information

Somewhat expressed provisions for follow up; attempted to pose appropriate questions (start time, date, who to report to); asked for contact information

Poorly expressed provisions for follow up; did not pose appropriate questions (start time, date, who to report to); did not ask for contact information

X6

Negotiating Points

Negotiating points appropriate; exhibited appropriate poise and professionalism while negotiating points; accepted results with an appropriate response and maturity

Negotiating points were posed but were a little inappropriate; exhibited some poise and professionalism while negotiating points; accepted results with a mostly appropriate response

Negotiating points were inappropriate/none were stated; did not exhibit appropriate poise and professionalism; was disgruntled with results

X4

Overall Impression

Exhibited poise; was pleasant; professional; courteous; ended call appropriately

Exhibited poise with some nervousness and attempted to be pleasant and courteous; ended call with a thank you or just said bye

Seemed nervous; forced conversation; just hung up.

X6

TOTAL POINTS

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*Oklahoma FFA Employment Skills rubrics/scorecards are adapted from rubrics developed and used for the National FFA Employment Skills LDE, with only minor modifications. National FFA Organization. (2016). Employment Skills Handbook: 2017-2021. Indianapolis, IN: Unknown. Retrieved from https://www.ffa.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/cde_employment_skills_handbook.docx