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English IV Unit 4 “Applying for a Job”

The World of Work

1. Complete the sentences by rearraging the letters in CAPITALS to form a word to do with work,
as in the example

A. They sent me an application form. PLITACAIOPN

B. They want two written ______________. They suggest an empoyer and a teacher. EFEERRNCES

C. Well, the invited me for an ________________ next week. Can I borrow your suit? ITEWRVNIE

D. His academic ______________ are good, but he doesn’t have any previous _______________.
UALIIOFQCATISN / PEERINCEX

E. Employer re intereseted in practical ___________ like word-processing and fluency in languages.

SLKLSI

F. The job offers a _________________ of US$ 423 a year. SARAYL

G. Officially, she works thirty-five hours a week, but sometimes with _______________ she does as
many as fifty. VEOTIMRE

H. In Britain, the normal working week for ____________-time employees is anything up to eighteen
hours a week while people working ___________-time do around thirty-eight hours. PART / LULF

I. Nowadays many designers or information technology workers are _____________; meaning they
sell their work or services to different organizations. ERLENAEFC

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2. Check the meaning of these words and phrases. Circle five which best describe yourself and five
which best describe your partner. Compare with your partner and discuss your choices.

3. What is the difference between skills and traits? Read the following description and tell the
class.

SKILLS are tasks you can do well, whereas TRAITS are features of your character.
You learn skills through experience in life, whereas traits are theorized as
integral to you either through genetics or experiences in life. Trait theory
explains human personality; many theorists believe traits remain relatively
constant over your lifespan. Skill acquisition, on the other hand, is potentially far
more manageable through training.

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4. Read about Mary and Lee’s skills.

MARY LEE

5. Classify the following attributes as personality or traits.

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Personality Traits

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STRENGTHS VS. WEAKNESSES

Personality traits can be considered as strengths or weaknesses. Describe yourself and make a list of
5 strengths and 5 weaknesses.

STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

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LET’S TALK ABOUT YOU!

Work with a partner. Brainstorm each other’s skill qualifications, strengths and special interests.

● Things you’re good at

● Work activities you like doing (meeting people, making bread)
● Skills you already have (IT skills, a foreign language)
● Qualifications
● Personal strengths
● Skills you would like to develop
● Clubs or groups you belong to
● Interests outside of work/your studies

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CV

What does CV mean?

A CV (full form Curriculum Vitae which is Latin for “course of life”) is an in-depth document which
describes the whole course of your career in full detail. It’s usually two-or-three-page long but can just
as well be laid out over 10+ pages, if necessary. A Curriculum Vitae contains details about your

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education, professional career, publications, awards, honors, and other achievements. IN the USA and
Canada, a CV is used only for academic applications: academic jobs, grants, research fellowship, etc.

What is a Resume?
A resume (or résumé, from French “to sum up”) is a short, concise document used for job applications
in the US and Canada. The purpose of a resume is to provide recruiters
with a brief overview of the candidate’s work history. A good resume
should be targeted at a specific job and one to two pages long.

Is a CV a resume?

A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or

two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages.
The resume will be tailored to each position whereas the CV will stay
put and any changes will be in the cover letter.

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JOB INTERVIEW
Before Your First Job Interview

Research the company. Take some time to research the company, so you are familiar with how
they operate. There is a lot of company information available online. You might be asked what you
know about the organization, so check out the "About Us" and "Careers" section of the company
website if you're interviewing with a large employer. For smaller employers, review their website to
get an idea of what the company is about. Also, check social media pages to ascertain the
company's current focus.

Learn about the job. Find out as much as you can about the position you’re applying for, then ask
yourself, "Why am I the best person for this role?" Do you know someone who works at the
company? Ask them about the job, the interview process, and the company. The more you know
about the job, the easier it will be to answer questions about why you'd be a good fit for it.

Practice interviewing. Review typical teen interview questions and answers, then ask a family
member or friend to ask you some questions so you can practice your answers. You may also
want to review the ten most common interview questions.

These tips will help you practice interviewing, so you'll be more comfortable with the process.

Dress appropriately. Choose simple and appropriate attire for the position you are interviewing
for. If you're not sure what to wear, ask an adult family member, teacher, or guidance counselor.
Take a look at what you shouldn't wear to a first job interview, as well.

The "grandma" rule is always a good one to go by. If your grandma would approve of the
outfit, you have made the right choice.

Write a resume. A resume will make a good impression on the interviewer. You don't need formal
work experience to write a resume. You can include informal experience, volunteering, academic
achievements, and your participation in sports or clubs. Bring a copy of your resume, if you have
one, to the interview, as well as a pen and paper so you can take notes. Here's how to write your
first resume.

Get directions and a ride. If you need a ride to the interview, line it up ahead of time. Make sure
you know where you are going for the interview so that you do not get lost and are either on time
or—even better—a few minutes early.

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10 most common job interview questions

1. What are your weaknesses?
2. Why should we hire you?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. What are your goals?
5. Why did you leave (or why are you leaving) your job?
6. When were you most satisfied in your job?
7. What can you do for us that other candidates can't?
8. What are three positive things your last boss would say about you?
9. What salary are you seeking?
10. If you were an animal, which one would you want to be?

Activity One: Identifying Strengths (****FOR TEACHERS****)

Pass out copies of this list to your students below. Ask them to read it over or read it to
them.
Ask if there is anything that people are good at that is not on this list. Write down any
additions on the chalkboard. Ask people to copy the additions onto their copies of the list.
Ask the students to circle the statements of the list that apply to themselves. They can
circle as many as they want.
Break the class up into pairs. Have them read what they have circled to each other.
While the students are still in pairs ask them to pick one statement. Ask them to explain to
each other why they are good at that.
For Beginning Readers And Writers:
● Ask the class to pick one statement. Tell them you are going to use it for a group writing
exercise.
● Have a group discussion. Ask the class "Why are you good at this? What makes you better than
other people at this?" Ask for examples.
● Before the discussion dies down, start a group writing. Ask them to summarize what has been
discussed. Write the groups ideas on the board. One long paragraph is a good length for this.
● Read the paragraph to the group. Ask the group to read it with you. If the group is ready, ask
for individual volunteers.
● Ask each person to copy over the paragraph you all wrote together.

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Part 2

Pass out the list below to the class. Read it aloud. Tell them that these are traits of good
workers. They are also the traits of good parents, good friends, good sisters and brothers,
etc.
Ask if anyone wants to add anything to this list of what makes a good worker. Write
additions on the chalkboard. Have students add the additions to their lists.
Have students circle statements on the list that are true for themselves. They can circle as
many as they want.
Break up into pairs and read the lists to each other.
Bring the group together and ask for volunteers to read their lists. Ask questions along the
way such as "What makes you good at that?" "Why did you circle that one?" Etc.
Now write a little bit about these. Here are a few ideas:

● Fill in the blanks in statements like this: I said that I am ________, because
_______________________________________________.
● Ask students to write an example of something they once did that relates to one of the
statements they circled.
● Give each student several index cards. Ask them to write some of the statements that
are true for them on the cards. Write one statement on each card. On the back of the
card write why this statement is true.
● Write a longer piece describing strengths and weaknesses.

Now make the connection to interviewing. The statements the students circled on the
cards are the answers to the questions:

● What are your strengths?

● Why should I hire you?
● What are you good at?
● What will make you a good employee?

Practice asking students those questions. Have them use the cards to support their answers.
For example:
"Why should I hire you?"
"Because I am organized; I like to be busy; I am a Self starter; I finish what I start; I am
honest and loyal; and I like to be the best at what I do."

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