PREPARING STUDENTS
FOR THE JOB MARKET
Prepared
by:
Prepared
for:
Dr. John
Olivo
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Unit Plan Overview
...1
Unit Learning Center
...7
Diagram of Learning Center
...8
Cooperative Learning Activity
.9
List
of Possible Interview Questions
.. 10
Mock
Interview Evaluation Form
...11
Sample Assessment (Career Development Portfolio)
..12
UNIT
PLAN OVERVIEW
Unit
Title: Preparing
Students for the Job Market
Subject:
Career
Essentials
Teachers: Mrs. Ross, Ms. Moody and
Ms. Samok
School:
Overview:
Preparing students for the job market is more important
today than ever before. Students should
have the opportunity to discover and explore the different career opportunities
that are available to them and the types of skills and qualifications that are
needed. This unit will cover the topics
of choosing a career to fit your personality type, creating cover letters and
resumes, completing employment applications, and preparing for an employment
interview. After completing this unit,
students will be more confident and better prepared to enter the job
market.
Topics
to be Covered:
The
following Career Development topics will be included in this unit:
- Choosing a career based on your
personality traits
- Job search strategies
- Resumes
- Cover letters
- Employment applications
- Interviewing
- Thank-you letters
Performance
Objectives:
Students
will be able to:
- Identify the importance of personality traits in choosing careers.
- Explore personality traits.
- Research various career options and write a report based on their findings.
- Create resumes, cover letters, and interview thank-you letters.
- Complete an employment application.
- Participate in an employment interview.
- Complete a career development portfolio.
Student Learning Activities:
|
Activity |
Required Resources |
|
Students will list
four of their strongest personality traits and their top five career choices. |
Paper and writing
utensil |
|
Students will use a
website to determine which career is best suited for them based on their
personality traits. Students will
choose one career to further explore. |
Website Address: http://www.nycareerzone.org/graphic/assessment/index.jsp;jsessionid=165961050439612069,
computers with Internet access, paper, and writing utensil |
|
Students will
research their chosen career to find the following information: job
description, skills, education, and starting salary. |
Computer with
Internet access and various career development websites |
|
Students will type a
1-2 page report based on their findings from the career research. |
Computer with
word-processing software, paper and writing utensil |
|
Students will create
a flyer (computer or hand-made) describing their career, the skills and
education required, starting salary, and a picture related to the
career. This will be displayed on a
Career Development learning center. |
Computer with
Internet access, various career development websites, paper, writing utensil,
and markers |
|
Students will create
and key a resume. |
Computer with
word-processing software |
|
Students will create
and key a cover letter. |
Computer with
word-processing software |
|
Students will
complete a sample employment application. |
Sample employment
application and writing utensil |
|
Students will form
groups and participate in a mock interview. |
List of interview
questions, mock interview evaluation form, writing utensil |
|
Students will create
a thank-you letter to send to the interviewer. |
Computer with
word-processing software |
|
Students will edit
and revise their career research reports, resumes, cover letters, employment
applications, and thank-you letters.
The students will compile the final documents, along with copies of
their mock interview evaluation forms, into a career development
portfolio. |
Computer with
word-processing software, copies of the final documents and interview
evaluation forms, folder, career development portfolio rubric |
Student Evaluation:
- Teacher observations
- Oral questions throughout the unit
- Personality traits, career choices,
and chosen career (introductory iesson)
- Career research reports
- Resumes
- Cover letters
- Employment applications
- Thank-you letters
- Career development
portfolio (final copies)
Resource Materials:
- CareerZone Website:
- http://www.nycareerzone.org/graphic/assessment/index.jsp;jsessionid=165961050439612069
- This website provides a
comprehensive interest assessment and provides information on a variety
of careers.
- Other Career
Development Websites including:
- Monster.Com: http://www.monster.com
INTRODUCTORY LESSON PLAN
Supplementary
Materials:
Computers with Internet
access
Projector
Chalk
and chalkboard
CareerZone
Website: http://www.nycareerzone.org/
Preliminary Information:
Subject: Career Essentials
Lesson: Career Development
Date: April 22, 2003
Period: 5th (50 minutes)
Room: 112 (Computer Lab)
Teacher: Mrs. Ross, Ms. Moody, Ms. Samok
Objectives:
Using the class
discussion and personality traits exercise, the students will:
·
Identify
the importance of personality traits in choosing careers.
·
Explore
personality traits.
·
Research
various career options.
Students will
complete a personality trait and potential career list with 100% accuracy.
Introduction:
1. The following
careers will be listed on the board before the class begins:
·
Teacher
·
Nurse
·
Store
Manager
·
Stunt
Person
·
Firefighter
·
Web
Designer
·
Talk
Show Host
·
Professional
Athlete
2. Ask the
students what personality traits are needed for each career that is listed on
the board. List the students answers on
the board under each career. For select
answers, ask students why those specific traits are needed for that particular
career.
3. Discuss with
the students the importance of personality traits in choosing a career. Stress to the students that certain careers
are better suited for certain personality traits. Reinforce with the examples of the students
responses listed on the board.
4. Explain to the
students that for the next five weeks we will be exploring different career
options. The students will each have the
opportunity to pick a career that is suited to their personality type and do
further research.
5. Tell the
students we will use their career choices to examine the entire job search
process, including resumes, cover letters, applications, and employment
interviews.
6. Explain to
students that they will have the opportunity to create their own personal
career development portfolio.
Procedures and Content:
1. Have students
write down what they feel are their strongest personality traits (at least
four). Give the students examples of
personality traits: shy, outgoing, works best alone, works best in groups,
likes to work with their hands, self-motivating, carefree, or organized.
2. Have students
write down their top five career choices.
This is a list of careers that they are interested in and feel that they
would be good at.
3. Have the
students go to the CareerZone website at:
http://www.nycareerzone.org/graphic/assessment/index.jsp;jsessionid=165961050439612069
(write website address on board)
4. By using the computer and projector at the
front of the classroom, demonstrate to the students how to use the
website. Walk the students through the
following steps:
·
Use
the mouse to navigate around the six different personality traits. As you move the mouse over each trait, you
will be asked a question. Be sure you go
to each trait and read the question.
·
Once
the students have read all the questions, have them click on the first trait
that they think best describes their personality.
·
As
each trait is chosen, it will appear on the left side of the screen next to the
corresponding number.
·
Have
the students choose their second and third personality traits.
·
Once
all three traits are chosen, an option will appear on the right side of the
screen that says View Jobs.
·
Have
the students click on the View Jobs link, which will take them to the best
careers based on the personality traits they have chosen.
·
Have
the students view all the jobs listed.
Explain that the first group of jobs listed under the heading You Have
Chosen are best suited for their personality.
The jobs listed under the remaining headings are careers that may not be
as well suited for them as the first group.
·
Have
the students click on various jobs to view the descriptions of each career.
·
Have
the students compare the list of the top five careers that they had previously
chosen with the careers listed in the top section (You Have Chosen section).
·
If
any careers are similar or match, tell the students to choose one that they
would like to further research.
·
If no
careers match their list, have students choose a career they are interested in
from the You Have Chosen section of the CareerZone website.
5. Have the
students write down their career choice on the same piece of paper that they
wrote their personality traits and career choice list on. This piece of paper will be handed in at the
end of class for approval from the teacher.
Summary:
1. Ask the
students why it is important to choose a career to fit their personality.
2. Use the
opening examples listed on the board to reinforce that certain personality
traits would not be suited for certain careers.
3. If time
permits, ask each student what career they have chosen and their personality
traits that they feel best match that career.
If there is not enough time remaining, call on a few random
students.
Evaluation:
To evaluate the
accomplishment of the objective above, assessment will be ongoing and monitored
during class time. Students will also be
evaluated on the personality trait and career list they handed in at the end of
the class.
Self-Evaluation:
UNIT LEARNING CENTER
Subject: Career
Development
Purpose: Expose
the students to a variety of different careers.
The students will be able to see the types of skills and education
levels that are required for the various careers. This will help the students identify careers
that they may be interested in pursuing.
Procedures:
1) Using the careers that the students chose during the
introductory lesson, the students will create a flyer that describes the
following characteristics about their career:
·
Job Description
·
Skills
·
Education Level
·
Starting Salary
In
addition, the flyer must include a picture relating to the career.
2) The students will use a computer with Internet access
to research the careers. Various career
development websites will be used.
3) The flyers can be drawn by hand or created using a
computer.
4) The teacher will staple all the flyers onto the
bulletin board in a random fashion.
5) As the teacher displays each flyer on the bulletin
board, the students will describe their careers to the class.
Materials: Bulletin board with the words
Stapler
Flyers
created by the students
Diagram: See the
following page
Teacher
Description: Teachers act as facilitators or coaches, using interactive
discussions and hands-on learning
to help students learn and apply concepts in subjects such as
science, math or English.
Skills:
Organizational, problem-solving, social, conflict-resolving, record keeping,
motivation, patience, and creativity.
Education: Minimum -
Bachelors degree
Starting Salary: $28,000 - $32,000
