Concepts Taught: How to Find, Get and Keep Employment - even in this economy
Helping Teens Find, Get and Keep Jobs
The lesson objective is help students not only prepare for entering the workforce, but also the lifetime skills required to keep a job.
Subjects covered: labor laws, finding openings, etiquette for picking up applications, do’s and don’ts for filling out applications, resume writing, interviewing, hire packets including defining harassment, what employers expect from their employees (otherwise known as how not to get fired), and managing money and time.
Grade Levels: 9-12 (better with grades 9,10)
Time To Complete: One week, fifty minute class periods
Objectives:
• Students will know the labor laws for their age group.
• Students will know resources for them to use when looking for job openings, and they will know how to pick up applications.
• Students will know how to properly fill out a job application.
• Students will know how to interview effectively.
• Students will be aware of what a hiring packet is and what one will contain.
• Students will know what workplace requirements are so that they will be competent employees.
• Students will learn how to manage money, time and know when they are being taken advantage of by employers.
Materials needed:
• Hey, Get a Job! An e-book that can be purchased at http://www.heygetajob.com/index.html - comes with a free Workplace Requirements PowerPoint. The information needed can be gathered by the instructor without the book, but it’s a daunting task. The book has a blank application and a summary of the child labor laws that can be copied for students. The rest of the book, however, is copyrighted.
• Projector from a computer or an overhead
• Optional: various applications from businesses that hire teens, various hiring packets from businesses that hire teens, your local Job Service information on what services they provide for teens, a worksheet for the labor laws
Plans:
• Day 1
o Survey the class to see who has or had a job and who has gone through the application and interview process Assure those that have been through the application and interview process that they will still learn something and that you may call on their expertise.
o With students generate a list of where they might look for job openings. Eliminate those that don’t really work for teens (i.e. newspaper). See Hey, Get a Job! Pg. 9-11
o Discuss picking up applications – appearance, alone, and that they may have to stay and fill out an application on computer Hey, Get a Job! Pg. 11-13
o Show example applications from various businesses if you have them – I let them pass them around
o Hand out a copy of the Child Labor Laws Hey, Get a Job! Pg. 7-8 (can pick up a summarized copy like this one at a Job Service office) ask specific questions about these laws verbally or make up a simple worksheet to do for homework.
• Day 2
o Handout a blank application to students. Hey, Get a Job! Pg. 31-32
o Section 2 (pgs. 14-35) of Hey, Get a Job! Goes step by step through the application do’s and don’ts and what to put in which blank and why. I project the examples on screen, but have also copied an example onto a transparency. As you take students through the application, discuss with them why they are putting those things. For example, why their references have to be adults and what the difference is between N/A and none.
o Their completed application (including references is due the next day)
• Day 3
o Give the Interviewing Tips handout (attached) Hey, Get a Job! Section 3 covers interviewing extensively
o Role play interviews – ask a student a question and then discuss the good and the bad of their answer with the class
• Day 4
o Workplace Expectations ppt. presentation (comes free with the purchase of Hey, Get a Job!) covers technical skills, communication skills, work ethic, dependability, responsibility, honesty, flexibility, respect, attitude and the definition of harassment. These are also covered in sections 4 & 5 of Hey, Get a Job!
• Day 5
o Brief discussion of handling money, not letting employers take advantage of teens (Hey, Get a Job! Section 6).
o Provide a newspaper classified section to each student. Assignment: List 30 job requirements, and 30 adjectives describing the type of person employers are looking for.
o Exit card – list three things you learned about getting and keeping a job, and one question you still have.
Extension: Although I haven’t tried it, I think this lesson could be modified to fit an adult audience.
Assessment: I don’t really assess the lesson as far as a test goes. The interest level for my student is usually so high, they soak it up. The only real assessment is the exit card. I get to find out what they learned, and I answer the questions they have so I know I’ve covered everything.
Teaching Standards: Meets standards in Career Education and Vocational Technical curriculums.
