ESL Voices

Technology has changed the way the way employers look for potential job candidates. Which means the way people present their skills has changed. Using social media is a must if you wish to get employers to notice you.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post with Answer Key.

Using social media to network and advance your career. Photo- govloop.

Excerpt: How to Say ‘Look at Me!’ to an Online Recruiter By  Phyllis Korkki, The New York Times

“If you are thinking of looking for a job this year, or are already searching for one, be warned: for some job seekers, the rules have changed. Technology and social media have altered the way some employers consider candidates. Simply sifting through job postings and sending out applications en masse was never a good route to success, and is even less so now.

Job Recruiters use social media to find you. Photo-Digital Trends.

One of the most important questions that many job seekers can ask these days is this: How searchable am I? Some employers aren’t even bothering to post jobs, but are instead searching online for the right candidate, said Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, a career management firm in New York…

On Facebook, “liking” a company can mean receiving early notice of job openings and other news. But privacy concerns make Facebook tricky… Make sure you understand who is receiving which of your posts, or resolve to be thoroughly professional on Facebook at all times…

Using social media to find employment opportunities. Photo-Examiner.

She is among those who recommend that job seekers spend serious time detailing their skills and experience on commercial sites like LinkedIn and Twitter…Old-fashioned personal networking can still be an effective way to land a job, but online networking now supplements it in many fields…

Old-fashioned resumes and cover letters are still important tools. Photo-U. of Western States.

ESL Voices Lesson Plan for this post

Level: Intermediate -Advanced

Language Skills: Reading, writing, speaking and listening. Vocabulary and grammar activities are included.

Time: Approximately 2 hours.

Materials: Student handouts (from this lesson) access to news article, and video.

Objective: Students will read the article with a focus on improving reading comprehension and learning new vocabulary. At the end of the lesson students will express their personal views on the topic through discussions, writing, and simulations. 

I. Pre-Reading Tasks

• Stimulating background knowledge

Brainstorming

Directions: Place students in groups, ask students to think about what they already know about  the topic.  Next, have students look at the pictures in the text and generate ideas or words that may be connected to the article. Debrief as a class and list these ideas on the board. Students can use the UIE brainstorming Chart (sample) for brainstorming the meanings

II. While Reading Tasks

•  Vocabulary

Word Inference

Directions: Students are to infer the meanings of the words in bold taken from the article. They may use a dictionary or thesaurus for assistance. Have the students write sentences using each word.

III. Post Reading Tasks

• Reading Comprehension Check

WH-How Questions

Directions: Have students use the  WH-question format to discuss or to write the main points from the article.

Who or What is the article about?

Where does the action/event take place?

When does the action/event take place?

Why did the action/event occur?

How did the action/event occur?

• Discussion/Writing Tasks 

Directions: Place students in groups and have them answer the following questions. After, have the groups share their thoughts as a class. To reinforce the ideas, students can write an essay on one of the discussion topics.

1. The article states, “ Technology and social media have altered the way some employers consider candidates.” Provide some examples of how social media has changed searches for potential candidates.
2. How would people from different socioeconomic backgrounds be affected by this new technology used for job searches? For example people in poor countries where access to computers are scarce?
3. How would  older people react to this new way of finding candidates, or jobs using social media?
4. List the most significant ideas from this article.

IV. Listening Activity   

Video: Job Search 101: Answering the question, What are your weaknesses?

This video reviews some of worse responses to the question “What are your weaknesses?”  As you will see, many students are not prepared to answer this question.

While-Listening Tasks

True /False statements

Directions: Review the statements with students before the watching the video. As students listen to the video if a statement is true they mark it T if the statement is  false they mark it F and provide the correct answer.
Students usually don’t like this question.

1. This is an easy question for many people to answer.
2. The narrator never asked this question as a recruiting director.
3. 3 out of 4 people gave the same answer.
4. The answer used the most was “I work too hard.”
5. The next common response was “I’m a perfectionist.”
6. According to the narrator both are strong answers.
7. A good response to this question is “I tend to like people.”
8. Other good responses are: being more organized, being more patient, managing your time effectively.
9. Another place to get advice on how to answer interview questions is from your parents.
10. Other poor responses are; I’m bad at math, I not a morning person, and I hate people.
11. Another tip is to be aware of how you formulate your responses.

• Post-Listening Tasks
Questions for Discussion
Directions: Place students in groups and have them discuss the following.

1. With your members create a list of other questions an interviewer might ask.
2. Make a list of possible responses.
3. What questions would you like to ask the narrator?

Group Projects
School Tube: students can create their own individual videos or arrange group projects with the teacher’s support. School Tube. 

For example students can practice what they would say on video that would attract a potential employer.

Role-Simulation: Create A Job Fair!
Students should have already  practiced the following in  ESL Voices Business Writing:
1. resume writing
2. cover letter writing
3.  filling out application forms
For each job:

1. As a class students decide which jobs they want to have at the fair.
2. Set up an area in the classroom for each job.
3. In groups students could make up colorful flyers, posters, handouts for each area. Students can study the photos above for ideas.
4.  Index cards with the  names for different job titles:
5.  On the back of each card have questions the representative for the job might ask.
6.  Another set of index cards for applicants with questions they might want to ask each representative for that job.
7. Divide students into groups of applicants looking for jobs and job representatives.
8. Have groups switch roles.
ANSWER KEY: Searchable on the web