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2022-23 JFY Workshops

* Due to the ongoing pandemic, we will continue to offer virtual or in-person JFY Workshops until further notice. Please check back for updates or feel free to email us at jobsforyouth@smcgov.org.

Founded by former Daly City Mayor Al Teglia in 1982, the County of San Mateo Jobs for Youth program is driven by an aspirational goal: We envision a community in which every youth feels empowered to take charge of their career and economic future. To this end, we provide support via our three pillars of success—job skills workshops, employment opportunities, and scholarships.

Our workshops focus on job preparation and lifelong career success. All workshops are built on the belief  that the career journey is about more than getting a job: it’s about finding, and being, yourself. We teach our youth that the best way to figure out what you want to do is to figure out who you are. During Jobs for Youth workshops, youth learn how to communicate more effectively, network, master the job application process, and interview effectively.

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Workshop Offerings

As we return to the classroom, we will continue to offer six different job skills workshops. All workshops are based on our proprietary curriculum and use our fun, engaging workbooks. We are cognizant of the need for environmental stewardship and are no longer printing the workbooks. We ask our community partners and students to download our free JFY e-workbooks and use them during the JFY workshops. Our new PDF fillable format allows student to save their work and return to the workbook to update as they continue to work on the various exercises.

We invite you to review the following six workshop offerings and schedule an virtual or *in-person workshop at your school/community based organization.

Soft Skills for Success

Because success starts with knowing yourself, loving yourself, and being yourself. This workshop focuses on success, confidence, and resiliency and is the first essential building block to all of the other workshops. In this workshop, youth gain confidence and an understanding of their individual growth potential. We will explore Participants learn to present themselves in a positive and thoughtful light. Youth will be invited to participate in one or more of the following exercises using the PDF fillable JFY Soft Skills Workbook:

1. How do you define success? Page 2
2. Participate in a five minute positivity break. Page 2
3. What are you grateful for? Page 3
4. Exploring Interest by using your key to success! What are your values, passions, talents and goals? Page 7
5. Create a Passion Pitch! Page 10 

Networking

Sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. In this workshop, youth learn the value of networking and authentic relationships. We explore the differences between direct and indirect networking and develop an understanding of how personal networks are seen by potential employers. By the end of the workshop, youth learn how to give a “passion pitch” and feel more confident in professional interactions. Youth will also be invited to participate in one or more of the following exercises using the PDF fillable JFY Landing the Job Workbook:

1. What does networking mean to you? How can you benefit from networking? Page 8
2. What is your interpretation of the phrase, Everyday is an interview? Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Page 9
3. Arrange steps in chronological order to reveal the typical networking process. Page 10
4. Create a Passion Pitch and practice it in small groups. Page 12
5. Negative and positive messaging in social media. Page 13

Job Search & Master Job Application

In this workshop, youth learn how to find job openings that are a good fit. By the end of the workshop, participants have a basic understanding of online job search tools, the typical application and hiring process, and how to identify transferable skills that match a job description. We also cover how to maintain and use a Master Job Application, and we guide youth in reviewing sample job applications and completing an application. For youth under age 18, we cover how to obtain a work permit. Youth will also be invited to participate in one or more of the following exercises using the PDF fillable JFY Landing the Job Workbook:

1. How to search for a job. Page 14
2. What are your transferable skills? Page 19
3. Read and analyze scenario to help list core transferable skills. Page 20
4. Review and complete Master Application using a PDF fillable form. Page 22

Resume & Cover Letter

This workshop builds on the material covered in the Job Searching & Job Application workshop. We cover the structure of effective resumes and cover letters, dissecting a resume with youth and providing tips on making resumes shine. We explore the different types of resume layouts and learn the importance of customizing resumes. We discuss professional references, thank you letters, and the value of networking. Youth will also be invited to participate in creating a draft resume using a Word template that is e-mailed to the teacher and the students. We also go over different examples of resumes and cover letters using the PDF fillable JFY Landing the Job Workbook:

1. Create a draft resume using a Word template or improve on a resume they are currently using.

The Interview

This workshop prepares youth to succeed in the job interview. We cover the different types of interviews, what to wear and what not to wear, and how to prepare for an interview. We teach the EAR (Event, Action, and Result) method for responding to questions, and we interact in polls or in the chat box to answer various roleplaying interview scenarios. We also discuss how to prepare an effective closing statement. Youth learn to reflect after an interview, explore ways to be resilient, and gain confidence. Youth will also be invited to participate in one or more of the following exercises using the PDF fillable JFY Landing the Job Workbook:

1. Connect the best answer to each interview question. Page 32
2. Write answers for three sample interview questions. Page 33
3. What to wear and not wear in an interview. Page 36
4. Mock Interview: Practice one question with a partner. 

Best Employment Practices

In this workshop, youth learn how to implement the best employment practices. By the end of the workshop, participants have a basic understanding of informational interviews, how to stand out and make an impact following the interview, and how to properly quit a job. We also cover different practices youth should take when they first get hired, and how to bounce back when they don’t get the job they wanted. Youth will also be invited to participate in one or more of the following exercises using the PDF fillable JFY Landing the Job Workbook:

1. Learn why you should conduct an informational interview. Page 28
2. Identify three tasks you can do after a job interview to make you stand out. Pages 40-42
3. How to impress your new employer/how to bounce back if you do not get hired. Pages 45-50
4. How to quit a job the right way. Page 51

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SCHEDULE A WORKSHOP

Are you a teacher or community partner in San Mateo County who would like to schedule a free JFY Virtual Workshop for your students or group of youth who live in San Mateo County between the ages of 14-21? We would love to hear from you! Let’s chat.

Please click on “SCHEDULE” below to secure a workshop or email Jobs for Youth jobsforyouth@smcgov.org with any questions.

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LANDING THE JOB WORKBOOKS

All Jobs for Youth Job Preparation Workshops use  the Landing the Job Workbooks developed in the Human Resources Department of the County of San Mateo. Please click on “download” below to download our FREE PDFs of the JFY Soft Skills Workshop e-Workbook or JFY Landing the Job e-Workbook.

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YOUTH/STUDENTS WORKSHOP REGISTRATION

1. Have you been invited by your teacher/counselor? If so, please click on “register” below and look for the date, time-frame and your school to register.
2. If you haven’t been invited by your teacher/counselor, we invite you to attend a workshop listed as “public”. Please do not sign up for the other school workshops. Thank you!

We would love to hear feedback from youth who register and attend a JFY Job Skills Workshop and ask youth to take an anonymous workshop feedback survey along with a demographics survey to help us improve our services and apply to scholarship grants. A survey will be provided via an email following the workshop. We would also love to have feedback from our fabulous teachers and community organizations. Please feel free to email feedback to Jordy Pascual at jobsforyouth@smcgov.org. Thank you!