Looking for a job
In a competitive market, it can be difficult for young people with only limited work experience to find a job. Students may be unsure about where to begin in making themselves more employable. Helping students to consider what employers are looking for in an applicant, and to identify some general qualities they should try to demonstrate, will help them to gain employment. Assisting students to identify and take some actions to make themselves more employable will assist them in securing a job.
Year level
10-12
Duration
5 minutes
Type
In class activity
Take away activity
SEL Competencies
Self-awareness
Self-management
Learning intention
Students will explore ways to gain skills and experience that will assist them with job seeking.
Key outcomes
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
identify what employers look for in applicants
understand some general qualities that they should try to demonstrate
take some actions to make themselves more employable.
Materials needed
Access to the ReachOut.com article ‘How to get a job’.
Mapped to
Australian Curriculum: General Capabilities
Critical and Creative thinking:
Generating
Personal and Social Capability:
Self-awarenesss
Self-management
Activity 1
Instructions
5 minutes
Explain to students that finding a job as a young person can seem difficult, as they may not know where to begin.
Applying these tips will help students to get a job.
Provide students with access to the ReachOut.com article ‘How to get a job’.
Ask students to form a large circle with a smaller inner circle so that they are facing each other in pairs.
Students will speak to their partner on a given topic from the article for one minute before moving to the next person. Set a stopwatch or timer that makes a sound to indicate the time is up.
Discussion questions:
How can you make yourself a more appealing job candidate?
Other than by using Google, how could you look for a job?
How can talking to someone about your new prospective job help you be better prepared (e.g. for an interview)?
If you have never had a job before, how could you answer questions about your work experience?
What does ‘professionalism’ mean?
Debrief
There are lots of things to consider when looking for a job. Discuss with students that by planning their approach, such as ensuring that they are looking in the right places, having their CV in order and discussing opportunities, they will be more likely to be successful in finding a job.
