Short
Answer Questions
- Explain how the horticulture
industry has grown and developed from the first commercial nursery in the
1730s to present times.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
- Describe various career paths
under the three branches of horticulture.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ESSAY
QUESTION
Respond to the following prompt
given the reading selection “What Do Employers Really Want?”
“What are the
characteristics that employers seek from their employees in the horticulture
industry? Give specific examples and explain which characteristics you have.”
What Do Employers Really Want? Top Skills and Values Employers Seek from Job-Seekers
by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. and
Katharine Hansen
Most job-seekers wish they
could unlock the secret formula to winning the hearts and minds of employers.
What, they wonder, is that unique combination of skills and values that make
employers salivate with excitement?
Every employer is looking
for a specific set of skills from job-seekers that match the skills necessary
to perform a particular job. But beyond these job-specific technical skills,
certain skills are nearly universally sought by employers. The good news is
that most job-seekers possess these skills to some extent. The better news is
that job-seekers with weaknesses in these areas can improve their skills
through training, professional development, or obtaining coaching/mentoring
from someone who understands these skills.
The best news is that once
you understand the skills and characteristics that most employer seek, you can
tailor your job-search communication -- your resume, cover letter, and
interview language -- to showcase how well your background aligns with common
employer requirements.
Numerous studies have
identified these critical employability skills, sometimes referred to as “soft
skills.” We’ve distilled the skills from these many studies into this list of
skills most frequently mentioned. We’ve also included sample verbiage
describing each skill; job-seekers can adapt this verbiage to their own
resumes, cover letters, and interview talking points.
Skills Most Sought After by Employers
So, what are these critical
employability skills that employers demand of job-seekers?
Communications
Skills (listening, verbal, written). By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers
is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively. Successful
communication is critical in business.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Exceptional listener and communicator who effectively
conveys information verbally and in writing.
Analytical/Research
Skills.
Deals with your ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives,
gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be
addressed.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Highly analytical thinking with demonstrated talent for
identifying, scrutinizing, improving, and streamlining complex work
processes.
Computer/Technical
Literacy.
Almost all jobs now require some basic understanding of computer hardware and
software, especially word processing, spreadsheets, and email.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Computer-literate performer with extensive software
proficiency covering wide variety of applications.
Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing
Multiple Priorities. Deals with your ability to manage multiple
assignments and tasks, set priorities, and adapt to changing conditions and
work assignments.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Flexible team player who thrives in environments
requiring ability to effectively prioritize and juggle multiple concurrent
projects.
Interpersonal
Abilities.
The ability to relate to your co-workers, inspire others to participate, and
mitigate conflict with co-workers is essential given the amount of time spent
at work each day.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Proven relationship-builder with unsurpassed
interpersonal skills.
Leadership/Management
Skills.
While there is some debate about whether leadership is something people are
born with, these skills deal with your ability to take charge and manage your
co-workers.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Goal-driven leader who maintains a productive climate
and confidently motivates, mobilizes, and coaches employees to meet high
performance standards.
Multicultural
Sensitivity/Awareness. There is possibly no bigger issue in the workplace than
diversity, and job-seekers must demonstrate a sensitivity and awareness to
other people and cultures.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Personable professional whose strengths include
cultural sensitivity and an ability to build rapport with a diverse
workforce in multicultural settings.
Planning/Organizing. Deals with your
ability to design, plan, organize, and implement projects and tasks within an
allotted timeframe. Also involves goal-setting.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Results-driven achiever with exemplary planning
and organizational skills, along with a high degree of detail orientation.
Problem-Solving/Reasoning/Creativity. Involves the
ability to find solutions to problems using your creativity, reasoning, and
past experiences along with the available information and resources.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Innovative problem-solver who can generate
workable solutions and resolve complaints.
Teamwork. Because so many jobs involve
working in one or more work-groups, you must have the ability to work with
others in a professional manner while attempting to achieve a common goal.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Resourceful team player who excels at building
trusting relationships with customers and colleagues.
Personal Values Employers Seek in Employees
Of equal importance to
skills are the values, personality traits, and personal characteristics that
employers seek. Look for ways to weave examples of these characteristics into
your resume, cover letters, and answers to interview questions.
Here is our list of the 10
most important categories of values.
Honesty/Integrity/Morality. Employers probably respect personal
integrity more than any other value, especially in light of the many recent
corporate scandals.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Seasoned professional whose honesty and integrity
provide for effective leadership and optimal business relationships.
Adaptability/Flexibility. Deals with
openness to new ideas and concepts, to working independently or as part of a
team, and to carrying out multiple tasks or projects.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Highly adaptable, mobile, positive, resilient, patient
risk-taker who is open to new ideas.
Dedication/Hard-Working/Work
Ethic/Tenacity. Employers seek job-seekers who love what they do and will keep at it
until they solve the problem and get the job done.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Productive worker with solid work ethic who exerts
optimal effort in successfully completing tasks.
Dependability/Reliability/Responsibility. There’s no question that all
employers desire employees who will arrive to work every day - on time - and
ready to work, and who will take responsibility for their actions.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Dependable, responsible contributor with
committed to excellence and success.
Loyalty. Employers want employees who will
have a strong devotion to the company -- even at times when the company is not
necessarily loyal to its employees.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Loyal and dedicated manager with an excellent work
record.
Positive
Attitude/Motivation/Energy/Passion. The job-seekers who get hired and the employees who get promoted are the
ones with drive and passion -- and who demonstrate this enthusiasm through
their words and actions.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Energetic performer consistently cited for unbridled passion
for work, sunny disposition, and upbeat, positive attitude.
Professionalism. Deals with acting in a responsible
and fair manner in all your personal and work activities, which is seen as a
sign of maturity and self-confidence; avoid being petty.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Conscientious go-getter who is highly organized,
dedicated, and committed to professionalism.
Self-Confidence. Look at it this way: if you don’t
believe in yourself, in your unique mix of skills, education, and abilities,
why should a prospective employer? Be confident in yourself and what you can
offer employers.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Confident, hard-working employee who is committed to
achieving excellence.
Self-Motivated/Ability
to Work With Little or No Supervision. While teamwork is always mentioned
as an important skill, so is the ability to work independently, with minimal
supervision.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Highly motivated self-starter who takes initiative with
minimal supervision.
Willingness
to Learn. No
matter what your age, no matter how much experience you have, you should always
be willing to learn a new skill or technique. Jobs are constantly changing and
evolving, and you must show an openness to grow and learn with that change.
Sample bullet point
describing this skill:
- Enthusiastic, knowledge-hungry learner, eager to
meet challenges and quickly assimilate new concepts.
Final Thoughts
Employability skills and
personal values are the critical tools and traits you need to succeed in the
workplace -- and they are all elements that you can learn, cultivate, develop,
and maintain over your lifetime. Once you have identified the sought-after
skills and values and assessed the degree to which you possess, them remember to document them and market them (in your
resume, cover letter, and interview answers) for job-search success.
See also our Transferable Job
Skills for Job-Seekers.
Sources of More Information about
Employability Skills
- Some Major Employer Hiring Concerns, from IT Headhunter.
- The
Skills Most Sought By Recruiters in Small- and Medium-Sized Organizations,
from Human Resources Development
- Skills and
Tasks for Jobs -- A SCANS report for America 2000,
U.S. Department of Labor (excerpts).
- Skills
and Tasks for Jobs -- A SCANS report for America
2000, U.S. Department of Labor (full report).
- Employers Describe Perfect Job Candidate, from National
Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
- What Skills and Attributes Employers Seek When Hiring
Students, from the
- Skills Employers Seek, from
- Skills
Employers Seek, from Psych Web.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article?
Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and
job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's
Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Dr. Randall Hansen is
Founder of Quintessential Careers, as well as publisher of its electronic
newsletter, QuintZine. He writes a
biweekly career advice column under the name, The Career Doctor. He is also a
tenured, professor of marketing in the
Katharine Hansen,
Credentialed Career Master (CCM), is a former speechwriter and college
instructor who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine,
an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence
as chief writer for Quintessential
Resumes and Cover Letters.
The Hansens
are authors of numerous books, including: Dynamic Cover Letters; Dynamic Cover Letters for New
Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and
Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press.
Read the following paper and answer
the questions.
Starting
a Florist Shop Business
If you love flowers and have innate artistic
ability in creating wonderful floral arrangements, you may consider starting a
florist shop business. Learn how to start and operate a florist business from
home.
by Jenny Fulbright, Staff Writer
Flowers are a big part of people’s lives. Their
beauty and color allows us to convey our messages perfectly get-well soon for
our sick friends and family, congratulatory messages to a newly promoted
colleague, condolences to a grieving family, and to express our love to another
person. Every occasion is celebrated with flowers. Or even
without an occasion. Recent trends indicate that majority of those who buy
flowers buy it for themselves. The American Floral Endowment Consumer Tracking
Study conducted in 2000 showed that about 67 percent buy flowers for
themselves, and only 33 percent buy it as a gift.
It
is thus no wonder that flowers have become big business. The Society of
American Florists estimates that the floriculture industry will sell $19
billion in flowers, plants, and floral supplies for 2001. There are about
26,200 retail florist shops in the
Kinds
of Service The first
step to starting a florist business is to determine what kind of service you
want to provide. There are three major kinds of a florist business:
1. Wholesale florist service
supplies retailers with fresh-cut flowers and potted plants.
They may sell and deliver directly to flower and flower shops or they may sell
through wholesale produce and flower markets. Some wholesale florists are
growers as well. This kind of business requires extensive knowledge, experience
and funding; and thus, is not suitable for start-up entrepreneurs.
2. Retail florist service -- ranges
in size and function from a hospital flower kiosks to large flower shops in the
mall serving different customer needs. A flower shop may focus on providing
arrangements for weddings, funerals, gifts, and other occasions and deliveries.
A business floral service caters to business people where floral designs tend
to be more conservative and longer-lasting. A hospital flower kiosk offer
primarily bright and cheerful flowers that need little maintenance as possible.
You can also choose to create a niche. There are some online stores that sell
roses primarily.
3. Floral supplier sell the various non-growing
components that floral designers use in making arrangements: ribbons, vases,
baskets, floral foam, wreath, frames, stands and other supplies. This kind of
business requires extensive inventory and an efficient distribution
system.
What
You Need A florist
business goes beyond selling flowers. Rather, what you are selling
is a service of providing skillfully-arranged
flowers. To succeed in this business, you would need to have all the
elements in the process of providing a service: knowledge, materials and labor.
The
key element needed in the florist business is the knowledge and skills in
floral design. You must have basic knowledge of flowers and plants. Customers
will ask questions and want advice, so an extensive knowledge of soils, plant
nutrition, and light and temperature control will be handy. You should also
know the proper methods of handling cut flowers. Of course, you must possess
creative and artistic flair to come up with innovative flower arrangements.
It
would greatly help if you get some formal education in floriculture. If not,
try to gain experience in the business by working in another floral shop before
venturing on your own. Experts even recommend that a prospective retail florist
must gain at least three years of practical experience before starting their
own business.
Like
any other business, you also need to have a solid understanding of business and
economics. The flower business is more than arranging flowers. You need
to know how a business runs from buying, selling, record keeping, planning
profits, managing costs, marketing and attracting customers. You need to
balance the creative side of the florist business with the business management
side.
It
is also important that you know how to deal with customers. This is a
customer-oriented business and you will be facing the public all the time. A
pleasant personality is a must. Repeat business normally accounts for a high
percentage of a florist’s sales, so it is imperative that you know how to
cultivate customer relationships.
The
materials you will need for florist services include: a store or sales
location, a refrigeration system, flowers, plants, floral supplies, and
secondary products you want to sell.
The
location of your shop can make or break your florist business. Your shop must
be situated in an area conveniently located for your customers. The location
you choose must have sufficient drive-by and walk-by traffic. Check your
budget, and try to find the best possible location that you can afford.
Aside
from cost, other factors that you must consider in finding the best location
for your florist business are: proximity to primary customers, availability of
parking facilities, opportunities for future expansion, neighborhood quality,
and personal convenience.
If
you plan to use your home as your place of business, your home should be in a
well-traveled street in an area nearby retail businesses. Otherwise, you must
seek out venues to increase your exposure to your targeted market, perhaps by
launching a web site or increasing your marketing and advertising
budgets.
And
of course, you need labor to run this business. At the start, you may decide to
run your florist business from home, with you doing the entire process of
designing, selling, delivering and ordering new supplies.
Income
Potential
The
income of a florist business depends on local need, competition, skills, and
oftentimes, the location. Dan Ramsey, in his book “Owning and Managing a
Florist Business” estimates that an established florist operating full time
from a good location, without employees, can sell about $100,000 to $150,000 in
floral services annually. This level of income is usually achieved when you
have developed repeat and referral business, have developed a target market,
and has in place all your equipment and supplies.
First
year sales can reach as high as $75,000 although you should expect your
overhead to eat up most of your profits. The key is, Ramsey advises, “don’t
plan on getting rich the first year and you won’t be disappointed.”
Resources: Associations: American
Floral Marketing Council (1601 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314;
1-800-336-4743) American Institute of Floral Designers (721
Light Street, Baltimore, MD 21230; 301-752-3318) Society of American
Florists (1601 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314; 1-800-336-4743)
Books: Peter Blair
Pfahl, "Retail Florist Business," Interstate Printers & Pub
(1994)
Rosemary Batho, Stephen
Roberts, Bernice Waugh, "The Advanced Guide to Floristry," Merehurst
Ltd (1999)
CHOOSE THE
BEST ANSWER:
- Betty went to her local florist
and purchased a bouquet of flowers to put on her kitchen table. She is
similar to many Americans who purchase flowers for their personal use.
What percentage of Americans is this?
- 49%
- 67%
- 33%
- 87%
- Ryan is interested in opening a
floral business. He wants to sell various
non-growing components that floral designers use in making arrangements.
What type of business is this?
- floral
supplier
- wholesale
florist service
- retail
florist service
- personal
floral consultant
3.
Mary owns a floral shop and is very
successful because she has all the elements necessary to provide a service. Which of the following is not one of those elements?
a.
Knowledge
b.
Labor
c.
Skill
d.
Materials
4.
Although owning a floral business
requires a large amount of creative genius, Mark knows that he must also gain
information about the business aspect of owning a business. Which of the
following is not one of those areas?
a.
record keeping
b.
managing costs
c.
marketing
d.
window display arrangements
5.
Teri knows that the location of her
floral shop is extremely important to her success. Which of the following
should not play a factor in her
decision?
a.
Convenient parking and easy entrance
and exit
b. Highway location
c. Sufficient drive-by traffic
d. Sufficient walk-by traffic
6. Debbie is very interested in doing
whatever necessary to increase her income.
Which of the following is income not based upon?
a.
Window display
b.
local need
c.
competition
d. skills