PLEASE Stop by the Office to Talk with Dr

PLEASE talk to Dr. Hall BEFORE YOU START. (use TAB key to move from one field to the next; When complete, return to Marti Steelman in the NREM Student Services Office, 124 Science II)

The NREM 104 Requirement Report that you are about to complete is the only record of your work experience maintained by the department. As such, it should represent your best effort to describe in detail your work experience. Please use the template provided and address all categories listed.

The following guidelines may be helpful to you: 1. Include as much specific detail as you can. It helps us evaluate your work experience and it may pay off for you when you request a job recommendation. 2. Develop your response in draft form and ask someone to review it for you before you submit it. Approximately four to five pages of text should be adequate to fully describe your experience in appropriate detail. 3. Be sure your writing is grammatically correct and that there are no spelling or typographical errors. This form becomes part of your permanent record. You should be as careful in preparing it as you would be in writing a report to a supervisor that will be deciding the amount of your next salary increase. 4. After completing the form, please use a laser printer to print the final copy. Be sure to sign your report where indicated.

If you have questions about your NREM 104 Requirement, please make an appointment to see me. I would be happy to discuss it with you.

Sincerely, Rick Hall, Professor Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management RECORD OF PRACTIAL WORK EXPERIENCE OFFICIAL RECORDS: USED TO EVALUATE CREDIT NREM 104

Name (Last) (First) (M. I.)

Address Phone number Curriculum Forestry Advisor: University ID # Dates of Employment: Started Ended: Name of Employer (Agency) Name of immediate supervisor Mr. Ms. Title of immediate supervisor Address of supervisor

What was your job title? Wage paid: $ Where did you work? (city closest to your employment) Estimate the number of hours worked:

1. How was the job obtained?

2. Description of the work experience.

3. What professional skills did you apply?

4. What new professional skills did you learn?

5. What do you wish you had known, but didn’t?

6. As appropriate briefly explain how this experience provided you an opportunity to test, develop, demonstrate, apply, and/or exhibit each of the following. Address each item individually. Definitions for each term are available at the end of the form. Do not be constrained by the space allocated in the template.

Communication Skills

Enthusiasm

Leadership

Persistence

Time Management

Physical Fitness

Intelligence

Self Confidence

Dependability

Initiative

Energy Level

Imagination

Flexibility

Interpersonal Skills

Self Control

Conflict Management

Goal Achievement

Competitiveness

Direction

Integrity 7. How will this job help to prepare you for your profession?

______Student Signature *****************************************************************************

Your work experience has been approved for credit in NREM 104

Please resubmit this form after addressing the items indicated.

______Rick Hall, Professor Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management SOCIAL SKILLS AND BEHAVIOR TRAITS

1. Communication skills. The world has transitioned to an information-based economy. If you wish to participate fully, it is vital that you read, write, speak and listen fluently. Most graduates will be called upon to lead and/or persuade others, and communication skills are vital for both roles. Others will judge your technical competence based on your ability to communicate that competence. Wisconsin DNR position descriptions clearly state that the department wishes to employ outgoing and effective communicators. There IS a good reason to take Comm 101 seriously! 2. Enthusiasm. One of the most endearing traits that employees can possess, personal enthusiasm is universally sought by employers, especially in Natural Resources where public contact is vital. Learn to express yourself openly in a positive and enthusiastic way and it can pay employment dividends upon graduation. 3. Leadership. You can gain leadership strength and promote your employability via significant involvement in extracurricular activities and positions of responsibility on campus. Employers look with favor upon those who have risen to positions of responsibility in clubs, activities, and university organizations and it is to your great advantage to get involved and seek out these opportunities. 4. Persistence. Don’t allow yourself to give up after a few tries. Obtain a realistic perspective of the job market and pursue every course open to you. Some employable graduates settle for jobs outside their major simply because they do not fully exploit the services and resources available to them through Career Services or other sources. Finding a job IS a job, and taking the time to learn the process, plan accordingly, and sticking to pursuit of a goal will pay off in the long run. 5. Physical fitness. Many of the outdoor positions in Natural Resources require evidence of physical fitness as part of the employee selection process. Over half of the nation’s employers also require drug testing of all applicants, and they often conduct random drug testing of employees after hiring them. 6. Intelligence. Most employers define intelligence as “problem solving ability”. The other phrase used is “common sense”, and it should come as no surprise that employers like to hire candidates with proven problem-solving experience. EVERY occupation requires solving problems. Career decisions can often be made (or simplified) by understanding what kind of problems you want to solve! Keep in mind that grades demonstrate your ability to learn in a classroom, but they do not measure your ability to learn and apply those lessons on the job. Employers seek candidates who have proven their ability to learn in BOTH environments. 7. Self confidence. It is essential that you develop an awareness of your range of skills and abilities so that you can call upon them, confidently, when demands for those skills appear. Job applicants are usually called upon to produce examples of their skills in action, and your future employment prospects can actually be tied to knowing what it is that you can do -and being able to prove it. 8. Dependability. Employers prefer candidates with histories of seeking, accepting and mastering responsibility. Your performance in prior situations provides employers with a glimpse of your potential in their organization. 9. Initiative. Employers like to hire candidates who have a history of looking for things that need to be done and doing them, correctly, without having to be prodded. 10. Energy level. Many jobs require physical and/or mental stamina. Some assignments may take months or even years to complete. Low boredom thresholds are not compatible with many occupations! 11. Imagination. One of the very best tools for problem-solving, a harnessed imagination envisions outcomes of potential courses of action before any action is taken. Obviously, this ability is a big boost for problem solving and trouble-shooting! 12. Flexibility. Today’s working environments require the ability to multitask; to have several activities occurring simultaneously. Modern workers juggle assignments, equipment, and even co- workers. 13. Interpersonal skills. Resource managers often find themselves in conflict with property owners and resource users. Tact, diplomacy, patience and service orientation are instrumental in satisfying employer expectations. 14. Self Control. Knowing your strengths is an obvious advantage, but it is equally important to know your weaknesses and to then take proactive steps to correct them whenever possible. When these weaknesses cannot be eliminated, a strategy must be developed to overcome the weaknesses so that they do not interfere with your work. 15. Conflict management. Increasing responsibility (and impact!) in most occupations is accompanied by the likelihood that one will be called upon to resolve disputes, or negotiate compromise between parties. Experience on residence hall staff, officiating sports, etc., is very useful for developing and refining this ability. 16. Goal achievement. Employers like to hire candidates with histories of setting and achieving goals. They like to see evidence that a candidate is capable of making sacrifices when the outcome is important. This trait - short term sacrifice for long term gain - is often called into play on the job. 17. Competitiveness. This is NOT to be confused with destroying your enemies! In this instance, the employer likes to find applicants who exhibit the drive to reach goals set by the employer. These applicants usually display strong teamwork skills and focus on what is good for the organization. 18. Direction. Employers take risks when they hire, so they prefer to minimize some of that risk by employing applicants who have demonstrated a clear and strong commitment to their career goals. In- field Internships or summer jobs, active membership in matching student organizations, independent study projects and similar activity implies a strong and focused interest. 19. Integrity. Employers prefer to employ individuals who are honest and live up to their promises. 20. Time Management. All employers equate time with money and expect employees to be sensitive to the need to perform tasks in a timely manner using an appropriate amount of this important resource. Sequencing of tasks in an appropriate order, and meshing of tasks with those of other employees are important aspects of time management. It is also important to develop the ability to keep more than one task moving at the same time (parallel processing). Achieving an appropriate balance between academic, extracurricular, and work activities is an excellent way to practice this important skill.