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Be the Change: Workplace Readiness

Unit of 3 lessons

9th-12th Grade

Subjects:

Language Arts, Philanthropy and Social Studies

Key Words/Concepts click to view

Lesson 1 :	ELA:	Resume; Vocabulary
	SOC:	Be the Change; Career Opportunities; For-Profit; Nonprofit
Lesson 2 :	ELA:	Interview; Nonverbal Communication; Questioning; Role-Play
	SOC:	Be the Change; Career Opportunities
Lesson 3 :	ELA:	Interview; Resume; Role-Play; Self Assessment
	SOC:	Be the Change; Career Opportunities

Unit Purpose:

Learners will determine the difference between for-profit and nonprofit organizations. They will investigate jobs in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, and reflect on their own job related interests and skills. Students will create a resume, geared toward gaining employment in a particular field or job. Students will learn that using the Internet and critical thinking can help them in searching for a job. They will learn and practice skills needed for a successful job interview. Students may choose to plan and implement a "Job Skills Workshop" to share their new knowledge and skills with their peers.

Unit Objectives:

The learner will:

analyze the connection between their interests, abilities, and appropriate volunteer, internship, career choices.
distinguish between nonprofit andfor-profit organizations.
identify criteria for job searches.
identify and explore a career opportunity in a nonprofit and/or business sector.
identify one or two jobs or careers they would like to pursue.
conduct internet and newspaper searches for available positions.
identify life experiences that illustrate their strengths and abilities, particularly as they relate to their chosen field.
utilize word processing programs to create a resume specific to the job of their choice.

explore the Internet as a resource for finding a job.
document the process of searching for a job.
connect the strengths and experiences listed on their resumes with the employment opportunities.
practice answering a variety of interview questions, including open-ended, information-seeking, and closed-ended questions.
role play mock interviews.
identify qualities employers seek in prospective employees.
analyze behavior that may--or may not--be appropriate in the workplace.
identify specific strategies to improve their own workplace readiness.
practice appropriate skills and behavior based on possible workplace scenarios.

Service Experience:

Although lessons in this unit contain service project examples, decisions about service plans and implementation should be made by students, as age appropriate.

Lesson Three: Encourage the students to share their newly learned job skills by planning and hosting a Job Skills Workshop for their peers at school or at a public place such as the local library. Have students make fliers and posters to advertise the workshop. Have the students make a copy of their resume in which they remove all identifying information. Compile a collection of class resumes and use their own resumes as examples to teach others. Have them prepare a list of interview tips, including “do” and “don’t” lists in their own words. They should also prepare a few mock interview skits based on their own experiences with the role-play interviews (or with the interviews with employers invited to the classroom). If workshops are not possible, the “do” and “don’t” interview tips can be made into bookmarks for the school library, with references to employment-related resources and websites.