Part of Lesson Plan: Job Interviews

Activity Overview / Details

1.  Have students count off 1-8, break them into eight teams (or groups of 3-4 students). Give each team one minute to choose a recorder and a reporter. Tell them that today they are going to be a hiring committee for a company and need to decide on what they want to know about someone before hiring them for a job. Give the students chart paper, markers and colored dots to use during the lesson.

2.  Tell the teams that they have five minutes to choose a type of business for their company, create a company name and decide what position they are filling. The recorder will write this information on a sheet of chart paper.

3. Ask the reporter of each team to hold up the chart paper and tell the class their company name, type of business and position being filled.

4. Tell the students that they now have 10 minutes to create a list of 10 or more things they want to know about their candidates that will help them decide on who is best for the job.

5.  Call time and have each reporter take turns reading one item off their list until all ideas been shared. Recorders are invited to add to their list anything they hear and like.

6.  Teams are now asked to use their list to help them write interview questions. On the top of a fresh piece of chart paper the teams list their company name, business type and job opening. Then, the teams are directed to take up to 15 minutes to write eight interview questions they think will help them decide on whom to hire. Once the questions are written on their paper, the reporter will tape the chart to the designated area on the classroom wall.

7. Once the charts are posted, each reporter is asked to read the questions on their chart. Then each reporter will take their dots and place one dot beside each question on their chart each time that question is read. (The purpose is to see which are the most often asked questions).

8.  Discuss which questions have the most dots and write them on the board. Then give the students the "What Questions will I be asked during an interview" handout and give them 5 minutes to share with their team which questions are the same and which are different from the ones created by the class (on the charts). Students may highlight the duplicate questions on their sheet.

9. Tell the students that they will begin learning how to answer interview questions tomorrow.

Prepare them to think about the most universal interview question, Tell me about yourself.

Their task is to decide which answers tell the employer something that would help in hiring decision called work-related and which answers do not help, called personal.  Use the first chart as a demonstration:

The question"Tell me about yourself"

Which answers would be appropriate?

a. I used to live in Sacramento before coming to Chico - no

b. I was the captain of the basketball team- yes

c.  I get good grades- yes

d. I have 3 dogs- no, except if applying at a pet store

Discuss why each is a good or poor choice. What is the employer learning that helps him/her make a good decision about hiring you?