Wondering what’s new at JIST? This month we released new editions of two assessments and a new edition of a reference book in our popular Best Jobs series. Here are additional details about each of these products.

O*NET Career Interests Inventory, Third Edition

This best-selling inventory helps individuals match their interests to O*NET job titles. In just 30 minutes, test takers respond to 180 work activity statements, uncover their top RIASEC interest areas, and review an extensive list of related O*NET occupations categorized by required preparation (the U.S. Department of Labor’s five “job zones”). In-depth suggestions for further research help individuals explore career options. A job information worksheet gives guidance for evaluating occupations.

In this edition, the work activity statements have been reviewed and updated to reflect changes in technology, the economy, and the workplace. The job titles have been extensively updated to conform to the latest O*NET taxonomy.

This inventory is self-scoring and self-interpreting and is based on decades of research. It makes an ideal starting point for anyone engaging in career exploration.

O*NET Career Values Inventory, Third Edition

The O*NET Career Values Inventory helps individuals match their work values to O*NET job titles. The inventory consists of just 36 items and takes less than 20 minutes to complete. It scores into six work values identified most important by the U.S. Department of Labor: achievement, independence, recognition, relationships, support, and working conditions. After individuals have identified their most important work values, the inventory guides them to connect their results to careers organized by both values and preparation required (using the DOL’s five “job zones”). In-depth suggestions for further research and a job information worksheet help individuals explore those careers. The inventory is a much simpler adaptation of the DOL’s O*NET Work Importance Locator, so administration time is greatly reduced.

For this edition, all job titles have been updated to match the latest O*NET taxonomy. In addition, the instructions have been reviewed and updated to be more values-related.

150 Best Jobs for Your Skills, Second Edition

 Employers need workers with good skills, but many people struggle to identify them. It is important job seekers know their skills for writing resumes, interviewing, and showing employers their value. Plus, people are happier and more successful at jobs that use their skills. This book helps job seekers identify their best skills and connect them to the best jobs.

150 Best Jobs for Your Skills highlights the most important skills in today’s economy: communication, mathematics, science, social, management, technology/programming, equipment use/maintenance, installation, and thought-processing skills. A self-assessment pinpoints clients’ three best career skills.

The book also includes nearly 100 “best jobs” lists, including the best jobs for each skill, best-paying jobs, jobs with the most openings, jobs with the highest projected growth, best jobs based on education level, and best jobs for the self-employed.

Complete descriptions of the best jobs for each skill are provided. The 200 job descriptions offer useful information on wages, growth, openings, tasks, and required education and courses. Other helpful content defines skills, discusses the importance of skills in career choice and the hiring process, and gives suggestions for developing skills.

This edition includes information on each job’s income growth potential, career cluster, and career pathway. New lists include best jobs in the 16 career clusters, for younger workers and older workers, by gender, and in urban and rural areas.

After obtaining a degree, conquering certification and completing student teaching—the final key to securing a teaching job is mastering the interview. Teachers must be prepared to answer questions about themselves, their teaching philosophies, classroom management styles, curriculum preparation and myriad other topics.

In his new book Ace Your Teacher Interview, Dr. Anthony D. Fredericks describes solid answers to several common questions candidates might face in their teacher interviews. Here are some sample questions Fredericks pinpoints, as well as his tips for answering them.

1. What do you know about this school?

“This is a frequent question in any interview. Simply put, the interviewer wants to know if you’ve done your homework. What do you know about the school other than how many teachers work there and the color of the hallways? Make sure you take the time to pour over school board minutes, the school’s website and any printed newsletters or brochures. Talk with people in the school and learn as much as you can about the climate and philosophy.”

2. Why do you want to teach in this school/district?

“This is a golden opportunity to demonstrate all the homework you did on the school or district. Your response should make it clear that you know something about this specific school or district as well as how you can contribute to their overall academic effort. Here’s where you can ‘stroke their feathers’ and tell them what a good job they are doing.”

3. What gives you the greatest pleasure in teaching?

“Your answer should underscore your reasons for becoming a teacher. Your response should be a validation of why you decided to enter this profession and what you will do to be one of the best. Most important, there should be passion in your response!”

4. How would you describe the ideal teacher?

“This is a question you’re likely to be asked near the beginning of the interview. Then the interviewer will try to determine if, indeed, you are the candidate who best exemplifies these ideals. It’s equally important that you know what good teachers do in response to those concepts.”

5. What is the most important quality of a teacher?

“This one also will be presented early in the interview process. Have your answer ready, but more important, have several examples or anecdotes you can share later in the interview that will support your response. Demonstrate that you not only know what good teachers do, but you’ve had experiences that make you one of those outstanding educators.”

Additional information can be found in Ace Your Teacher Interview. The book was published in January of 2012 and is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and jist.com.

Can a teacher be popular with his students and still maintain control of his classroom? “Definitely,” says Dave Foley, an award-winning educator and classroom management coach.

Foley’s expertise is grounded in the 29 years of experience he has teaching English and Social Studies at junior high and middle schools in Cadillac, Michigan. Like all teachers, Foley faced daily behavioral challenges from students. His ability to address these issues through innovative and effective classroom management techniques led to his acclaim as an exceptional educator.

Foley shares the techniques that worked for him in the recently released, second edition of his book Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook. Foley drafted this guide while teaching, hoping to help novice teachers as well as veteran educators who, despite being highly trained and experienced, struggle to run a classroom free of chaos.  

In Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook Foley helps teachers better understand the nature of adolescents so that behavior issues can be handled and prevented without sacrificing students’ self-esteem. Through Foley’s guidance, teachers are able to develop a classroom management plan that fosters student cooperation, ensuring class time can be used for instruction rather than discipline.

Realizing that teachers need specific strategies, Foley focuses on what to say and do when dealing with student misbehavior. Here are a few of his keys to successful classroom management:

1. Take charge of the classroom when the bell rings. Don’t begin the lesson until everyone is in their seat, attentive and focused on you.
2. Have a discipline plan. When disruption or misbehavior occurs, know what you are going to do.
3. Prepare a “Plan B.” If students don’t comply with your requests to behave, there must be consequences.

Foley further adds, “To get kids to behave, teachers need to find out what it is that students don’t want to have happen and to make that situation a possibility. Understanding what motivates students can help gain their cooperation.”

Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook is written to offer teachers techniques for dealing with the many problems they will likely encounter in the classroom, plus strategies to boost student achievement. The book is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and JIST.com. To request a sample copy for review or to interview Foley, please contact Selena Dehne at (651) 215-7548 or sdehne@jist.com.

Talking. Texting. Sleeping. Passing notes. Pulling pranks. Teachers face myriad disruptions every day—regardless of whether they’re new to the classroom or have taught for decades. Most teachers want to address issues immediately so they can get back to teaching.

Dave Foley, an award-winning educator and classroom management coach, describes simple techniques teachers can use to tackle disturbances in the new edition of his book, Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook. Because talking is a top disruption, Foley offers six steps that will encourage students to be quiet.

1. “Raise your voice and say something such as ‘I need you to be quiet.’ This option works if a number of students have tuned you out and are unaware that you are teaching.…Do not continue to teach until all students are quiet.”

2. “Lower your voice. When you have information that students must know … lower your voice and continue with the lesson. Those students who have been struggling to hear will become alarmed. Because they aren’t able to read your lips, these individuals will start making ‘sshhh’ sounds and giving the talkers dirty looks. Invariably the din will subside, and you will be able to continue teaching in your normal voice.”

3. “Stop teaching and stand silently. If the talking continues, say, ‘I can’t continue until everyone is quiet.’ Then stand quietly, looking directly at those students who are disturbing the class….This action quiets the class almost every time.”

4. “Threaten to give homework. Sometimes you find yourself constantly reminding students to be quiet. Even writing names on the board doesn’t stop the restlessness. In this case, let the class know that all this talking has consequences….Peer pressure becomes a factor at this point as students start to shush the talkers.”

5. “Mention staying after class. This tactic is particularly effective when used near the end of the class period. Just say, ‘Every time you talk, I’ll be quiet. But we need to finish this lesson today, and I’m afraid you might have to stay after the bell rings in order to finish.’ Invariably this declaration is followed by some frantic shushing noises, and then you have the quiet you need to teach.”

6. “Focus on one talker. While looking directly at one student who is talking, lower your voice and speak to her. The rest of the class, being naturally curious, will stop talking to listen in on your conversation. Exactly what you say isn’t all that important, although you may want to ask for the student’s cooperation so that you can begin teaching again.”

We’ve kicked off the New Year with the release of a new assessment, a new addition to JIST’s Best Jobs series, a new job search guide for educators, and a new edition of a classroom management handbook.

See below for additional information on each of these products.

Military-to-Career Transition Inventory

The Military-to-Career Transition Inventory (MCTI) helps to address the 11.5 percent unemployment rate among veterans. This number is even higher for male veterans between the ages of 18 and 24; they have an unemployment rate of 21.9 percent, according to recent information from the Department of Labor.

The MCTI is designed to help recent veterans make a successful career transition, which is often difficult as ex-military struggle to overcome personal, psychological, and other barriers to their successful reintegration into civilian society.

This 60-item assessment features six scales that cover transition management, veterans benefits, career transition skills, job search basics, resumes and cover letters, and interviewing and negotiating.

The MCTI takes about 25 minutes to complete, offers strategies for career development and employability, and includes a worksheet for setting goals. It can be given to groups or to individuals.

150 Best Jobs for a Secure Future

Jobs with stability are in demand. More than ever, people want assurance that another recession, technological advances, or offshoring won’t derail their careers.

150 Best Jobs for a Secure Future reveals which occupations are most likely to sustain such situations. In just two steps, this book helps readers identify jobs that are secure in good and bad economies and learn more about them. Approximately 175 best jobs lists rank secure occupations according to earnings, growth, openings, education level, age, personality type, and more. Bonus lists reveal jobs that are highly sensitive to economic downturn and vulnerable to offshoring.

Next, readers can browse information-packed descriptions to learn about the jobs that interest them. These descriptions include details about each job’s pay, growth, openings, skills needed, education and training requirements, highest-growth fields, and much more.

Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook, Second Edition

“Lack of student discipline” is a top problem facing schools, according to Gallup Polls. Some might be quick to assume that novice teachers struggle the most to manage student misbehavior, but in reality veteran educators are plagued with this dilemma as well.

This fix-it manual, written by an award-winning educator and classroom management coach, targets student disruptions and teaching inefficiencies and empowers educators to regain control over their classrooms. Teachers will learn how to deal with common behavior problems so that discipline is immediate, the problem ends without paperwork or conferences, and the lesson can continue. Written primarily for those teaching grades 6–12, the Ultimate Classroom Management Handbook describes real situations and tells teachers exactly what to say and do, which removes the uncertainty that often occurs when teachers are grappling with discipline issues.

This realistic guidebook is unique because it isn’t based on theory and wasn’t written in hindsight, years after the author left the classroom. It was drafted while the author was teaching in the trenches, and was enhanced while the author was coaching fellow educators on how to run a chaos-free classroom.

This edition offers new and expanded coverage on many critical topics, including how to talk to kids; take charge; maintain order; handle the unseen disrupter; deal with stealing; work with senior-high students; handle texting, cell phones, and the changing role of technology in the classroom; manage lab classes; and working with parents.

Ace Your Teacher Interview

Despite their differences, freshly minted teachers and veteran educators share common anxieties when preparing for interviews. They stress about which questions they’ll be asked and how to answer them.

Ace Your Teacher Interview is the all-in-one sourcebook educators need to tackle their fears and go into the interview with confidence. The book identifies 149 frequently asked interview questions, including the one question candidates must be able to answer well, 99 basic questions, and 39 zingers. The book also pinpoints 10 questions candidates should ask during the interview.

Readers will discover how to effectively answer interview questions through a wealth of sample responses. These stellar examples were gathered from principals and administrators across the country, so they’re an excellent representation of how to make a positive, lasting impression on key decision-makers.

Readers will also gain insight into the hiring process, discover what they can do and say to impress interview committees, and learn how to cinch the deal once the interview has ended.

As the nation, economy and businesses continue to heal from the recession, job security is more important than ever to most workers. Employees can preserve job security by ensuring they are irreplaceable to their companies, says Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., in his new book, 150 Best Jobs for a Secure Future.

“Sometimes jobs are threatened by short-term or local events,” Shatkin says. “More commonly, jobs are threatened because a particular business gets into trouble even though the economy may be in good shape. … (But) even a prosperous business may need to lay off workers.

“Whatever the reason for the layoffs, you my be able to hang onto your job if you’re irreplaceable. You need to be so vital to the business that it can’t go on without you.”

Here are some of Shatkin’s tips for becoming an irreplaceable worker:

1. “Focus on the core mission of the business. Many businesses diversify and serve several functions, but usually there’s a central mission that makes money and determines whether the business will succeed or fail. Identify that central function and play a role in it. Identify the skills the business needs for future development of this function and acquire them.”
2. “Accept change. Better yet, be a part of it. Keep abreast of new business methods, especially for handling communication and information, and find ways to use them in your work. The attitude ‘We’ve always done it this way’ will not advance the organization’s mission.”
3. “Be exceptionally productive. This doesn’t necessarily mean working longer hours. It’s more important to find a task or role you can handle that goes beyond your job description. Here again, skills are important because they are the key to productivity. If you have any time and energy to spare, volunteer to take over a small task that unburdens your manager or a co-worker; this both broadens your skill set and showcases your productivity. Don’t catch yourself saying, ‘That’s not my job.’”
4. “Be visible. In many businesses, the person whose office is next to the boss’s tends to get the best performance appraisals. If you don’t have that office, find ways to make your accomplishments known; don’t wait for performance-appraisal season.”
5. “Acquire a mentor. Find someone who really knows the business; be helpful; and ask a lot of very specific questions, including questions about how to improve your work. Give public credit to the mentor for the advice you get.”
6. “Be pleasant. Be someone customers like to deal with. Find ways to say positive things about your co-workers and promote their accomplishments. Back-stabbing may seem like a way to get ahead, but it can hurt you in the long run. Abrasiveness or whining may make you stand out, but for the wrong reasons. If you really can’t get along with some people in your work group, try to be transferred to one where you’ll fit in better.”

150 Best Jobs for a Secure Future published in January of 2012. The book is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and jist.com.

By Lori Michelle Ryan

Job seeking in today’s world can be overwhelming for those new to the hunt, especially college students or recent graduates. They must learn to combine traditional efforts like networking with new methods such as navigating Internet job postings and social media.

In her new book, Best Resumes for College Students and New Grads, Louise M. Kursmark offers simple steps for managing and balancing a successful online job search.

Step 1: Convert your resume into an Internet-compatible format. Your resume can be a text file for pasting into online applications, a PDF file to preserve special formatting, or an online portfolio that provides an expanded resource beyond the traditional resume.

Step 2: Post your resume online. Employers and recruiters can easily view your resume on countless websites, and a few are especially helpful for students and new grads:

• monster.com
• careerbuilder.com
• college.monster.com
• wetfeet.com
• collegegrad.com
• campuscareercenter.com
• student.fins.com
• collegerecruiter.com
• tenstepsforstudents.org
• aftercollege.com

Step 3: Build your online image. First, establish your personal persona by thinking about who you are and what kind of image you want to present to hiring managers and recruiters. Then do a quick Internet search to see what type of information is available about you: Is it positive or negative? Is it relevant to your job search? Did you find nothing about you? You then can decide how to highlight and build your online image:

• Create a LinkedIn profile.
• “Like” appropriate Facebook pages.
• Join a professional association relevant to your field.
• Tweet about your profession.
• Read blogs about your field, and share your opinion.

Additional information can be found in Best Resumes for College Students and New Grads. The book was published in January of 2012 and is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and jist.com.

We’d like to wish all of our customers, authors, distributors, catalogers, and vendors a Happy New Year. Our success stems from your support and we value our relationship with each of you.

JIST has many exciting projects in development for 2012. This month we’ve launched a new and improved jist.com, which is more user-friendly and better organized to help you find the right materials for your needs.

We’re releasing new editions of some of our most popular products, including the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2013, O*NET Career Interests Inventory, Transition-to-Work Inventory, Job Savvy, and College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs.

We’re also publishing brand new titles including the Planning Your School-to-Work Transition workbook, the Military-to-Career Transition Inventory, and the Quick Military Transition Guide.

Many of these projects were pushed into development, based on the feedback of our customers. If you have your own ideas to share with us, we’d love to hear them! Many of the products we publish and the marketing materials we distribute are driven by the needs of our customers. It’s our job to help others succeed in the world of work, and we’re determined to help even more people do that in 2012.

We’re excited to announce that we’re releasing two new editions this month! One is part of our Best Jobs series and the other was written by Louise Kursmark, one of the nation’s most renowned professional resume writers. See below to learn more about how these books can help you plan your career and education and succeed in the job hunt.

Best Jobs for the 21st Century, Sixth Edition

By Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D.

Are you looking for your first job or a better job? Planning your education and career options? Interested in exploring better-paying or more interesting jobs at your current education level? This book is ideal for making important career plans and decisions.

In two easy steps, this reference will help you learn about jobs that offer an entire package of rewards. First, you’ll browse more than 65 lists that reveal the best jobs for pay, growth, openings, and more. Then, you’ll choose from 500 occupations to review descriptions of the jobs that interest you most. These descriptions offer details about wages; projected growth through 2018; openings; required education, training, and experience; career clusters and pathways; and more. There is also information about each job’s top three industries for growth. Plus, this edition features the best jobs in the 16 career clusters and the best jobs in urban and rural areas.

This book is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com, and jist.com.

Best Resumes for College Students and New Grads, Third Edition

By Louise Kursmark

If you’re a college student or recent grad, you have your work cut out for you in the job market. Not only are you competing for internships and jobs against more experienced candidates, you may have had little to no instruction on how to write a resume. This is problematic, because a solid resume is essential for effectively marketing yourself to employers and recruiters.

With this guide, you can gain an advantage over your competition. Author Louise Kursmark, one of the nation’s leading professional resume writers, lends situation-specific advice for creating resumes and explains how to use them effectively while navigating the job market. She also provides guidance on writing cover letters, identifying skills, and presenting college experience effectively. You can browse a collection of more than 100 professionally written resume and cover letter samples—all written for college students and new graduates.

This enhanced edition includes a chapter on using social media and other online resources in the job search, as well as updated resume samples.

This book is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com, and jist.com.

Today’s job seekers face numerous obstacles: a recession that has eliminated countless positions and crowded the job-seeking field; ever-changing technology; and pressures to do more with less. It can be difficult for anyone to decide which career to pursue.

Best Jobs for the 21st Century, Sixth Edition, helps job seekers quickly and easily focus their career options and learn more about jobs of interest. Author Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D., includes 69 lists divided by demographic, experience, salary and more. The “Best Jobs Overall” list contains 400 jobs ranked by the best combination of pay, growth and openings. Here are the top 10 best jobs overall for the 21st Century:

Software Developers, Applications

• Annual earnings: $87,790
• Percent growth: 34
• Annual openings: 21,840

Physicians and Surgeons

• Annual earnings: $165,279
• Percent growth: 21.8
• Annual openings: 26,050

Software Developers, Systems Software

• Annual earnings: $94,180
• Percent growth: 30.4
• Annual openings: 15,340

Management Analysts

• Annual earnings: $78,160
• Percent growth: 23.9
• Annual openings: 30,650

Computer Systems Analysts

• Annual earnings: $77,740
• Percent growth: 20.3
• Annual openings: 22,280

Registered Nurses

• Annual earnings: $64,690
• Percent growth: 22.2
• Annual openings: 103,900

Civil Engineers

• Annual earnings: $77,560
• Percent growth: 24.3
• Annual openings: 11,460

Medical Scientists (except Epidemiologists)

• Annual earnings: $76,700
• Percent growth: 40.4
• Annual openings: 6,620

Physical Therapists

• Annual earnings: $76,310
• Percent growth: 30.3
• Annual openings: 7,860

Dental Hygienists

• Annual earnings: $68,250
• Percent growth: 36.1
• Annual openings: 9,840

Additional information can be found in Best Jobs for the 21st Century. The book was published in December of 2011 and is available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and jist.com.