Employers Look for Old-Fashioned Work Ethic : Jobs: A knowledge of basic skills is vital for young career seekers, survey says. But the first step to success is to get there on time.

Be on time. Follow directions. Ask for help when you need it.

The ability to capably do these three basic things received the highest marks from 85 Ventura County employers when asked what qualifications they look for in entry-level job candidates.

Results from the companies surveyed--ranging from local stores in the K mart chain to Semtech Corp.--prove that whether the job is as a cashier or as a junior-level technician, employers will be more impressed by the skills you learned in kindergarten than with your knowledge of the field.

Possessing a strong, old-fashioned work ethic is what employers are really after, according to Patti Ross, the Moorpark English professor who conducted the survey, which also included responses from school career counselors.

“They just want people who know how to work, follow directions and how to stick with the job,” said Ross.

Employers who attended Ross’s presentation of her findings Wednesday at Moorpark College agreed, saying that young people starting out in new careers often flaunt traditional measures of a good employee, such as starting work on time.

“The young people have no concept that they are showing up five minutes late,” said Sharon Goudy of Practical Peripherals, a modem manufacturer based in Thousand Oaks.

Don Reynolds, the administrative services manager for the city of Moorpark, said he often sees young job applicants with excellent knowledge of software computer programs, but who can’t type, spell or write.

“They know WordPerfect,” he said. “But they can’t type. They know how to talk on the phone, but they don’t know phone etiquette.”

Of the 85 employers interviewed, 54% required prospective employees to have high school diplomas, while 20% expected college degrees from applicants.

But most indicated that they valued specialized skills--such as being able to read and use spreadsheets, budgets and flow charts--the least.

Part of the reason for these low marks, according to Ross, was that employers were responding to their expectations for entry-level employees rather than more experienced workers.

“One employer told me that when it comes to entry-level positions, somebody else will do the thinking,” she said. “They are not looking for specialized skills, creativity, flexibility or excellent communication from entry-level people.”

Those are the sort of skills individuals already in the work force display to get promoted, she said.

In addition to decisiveness, most employers--57%--said they would promote employees who showed sustained high-quality work and 47% said that initiative and willingness to learn would be rewarded.

The survey, called “Face to Face: Building a Foundation for Education and Business in Ventura County,” was developed as a tool for the Ventura County Tech Prep Consortium, an organization of high school and community college faculty members who work together to design a comprehensive curriculum to meet the needs of employers.

Though the qualities most coveted by the employers surveyed seem obvious, Ross said students ignore professors who stress the importance of such basics.

“Now we can tell them that this is what employers, not just their teachers and parents, are after,” she said.

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Top 10 Job Skills

A Moorpark College survey of Ventura County employers and school career counselors identified the top skills they look for in entry-level job candidates. The scores are rated from 1 to 5, with 5 as the top score.

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Counselors Employers Follows directions 5.0 4.7 Is punctual 5.0 4.6 Asks for help when needed 4.6 4.6 Accepts responsibility 4.9 4.5 Asks for clarification 4.3 4.4 Understands group goals 4.6 4.2 Meets deadlines 4.4 4.3 Is responsive to others 4.0 4.4 Handles unexpected change 4.3 4.2 Sensitive to others’ needs 4.1 4.1

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Source: Face to Face: Building a Foundation for Education and Business in Ventura County