job search assignment for high school students

• Grades 6-12
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30+ Awesome Career-Readiness Activities That Teach Soft Skills

Students need these skills to succeed in the workplace.

Our vision is to unlock the potential of each learner at every stage of life. At McGraw Hill, we believe that your diverse experiences enrich the way you learn, teach, and grow. See how Career Explorations  introduces students to hundreds of diverse careers and critical soft skills needed to set them on a purposeful path through high school and beyond.

When it’s time for students to start working and/or head to college, they’ll need “soft skills,” otherwise known as career-readiness or job-readiness skills, in addition to academic knowledge and vocational skills.

Soft skills are those characteristics that help you function as an individual (motivation, self-confidence, flexibility) as well as within a group (teamwork, negotiation, respect). These job-readiness skills are key for succeeding in the workplace. After all, if you can’t show up on time, speak up for yourself, or get along with your peers, chances are you’re not going to have a very smooth go of it.

Explicitly teaching students these job-readiness skills is the best way to give them valuable insight into their strengths and weaknesses. We’ve rounded up just over 30 engaging lessons and activities that are not only just right for teaching the job-readiness skills students need, they are also a lot of fun!

1. Use an engaging curriculum for career exploration and readiness

There are so many important things to teach our students before they’re ready to leave high school that it’s daunting to know where to begin. That’s why having strong, trusted resources can make such a difference. McGraw Hill’s Career Explorations program for middle and early high school is an excellent example of such a curriculum. The resources blend occupation and industry content with case studies and real-world, application-based questions and activities to grab students’ attention right from the start. And real-world, industry-specific soft-skills practice questions throughout each chapter expose students to types of challenges they’ll face regardless of what career path they pursue.

Skills they’ll practice:

Collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving

Explore the program: McGraw Hill Career Explorations

2. Listen and recap

There are so many things competing for kids’ attention in today’s overstimulating world, so learning the simple art of listening can be a difficult task. This one-on-one communication activity will help students practice taking the time to clear their minds, focus, and really listen to what their partner is saying in a way that they can clearly and accurately repeat.

Divide students into pairs. Partner one draws a topic card from a prepared deck and talks about that topic, while partner two listens without speaking. The listener must really focus on simply receiving their partner’s words—not letting their mind wander or think about how they are going to respond. Then, without a rebuttal, partner two recaps what partner one said. Then, they switch roles.

Listening, respect, interpersonal skills, communication

Buy it: Letz Talk Conversation Cards at Amazon

3. Make a game of it

Responsibility isn’t something students develop overnight. It takes lots of practice to show self-control when things don’t go our way, to be accountable for our decisions, to finish what we start, and to keep trying even when we want to give up. Try these five super-fun games (below) that teach responsibility.

Responsibility, flexibility, patience

Learn more: 5 Great Games for Teaching Your Students About Responsibility

4. Serve others

Service-learning projects not only get kids involved in their communities, they help them develop many valuable job-readiness skills that will be assets on the job one day. Team students up to organize a book or food drive, recruit bilingual students to provide translation services, or encourage budding artists to collaborate on a community art event.

Teamwork, respect, time management, responsibility

Learn more: 30 Meaningful Service Learning Projects for Kids and Teens

5. Cultivate critical thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to examine a subject and develop an informed opinion about it. It’s about asking questions, then looking closely at the answers to form conclusions that are backed by provable facts, not just “gut feelings” and opinion. And it’s definitely on the top of most employers’ wish lists for new employees. Click the link below for fun and engaging classroom activities that’ll get your students’ gears turning.

Critical thinking, problem-solving, flexibility, self-confidence

Learn more: 5 Critical Thinking Skills Every Kid Needs To Learn and How To Teach Them

6. Human Marble Run

Working together to meet a goal takes patience and focus. This IRL version of Marble Run will help your students learn job-readiness skills like working together, and they’ll have fun doing it!

Give each member of the team a length of gutter or drainpipe. The team has to transfer a tennis ball or golf ball from one place to another by rolling the ball from one piece of gutter to the next. Make it interesting by making the team get the ball to traverse an obstacle course or to go up and down stairs.

Patience, negotiation, teamwork, communication

7. No-hands cup-stacking challenge

This hands-on group challenge is an exercise in learning job-readiness skills like patience and perseverance, not to mention it’s a total blast!

Decide how many students you want in each group, and tie that number of strings to a single rubber band. Each person in the group holds on to one of the strings attached to the rubber band. As a group, they use this device to pick up the cups (by pulling the rubber band apart and then bringing it back together over the cups) and place them on top of one another in order to build a pyramid.

Critical thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, patience

Learn more: Cup Stack from Ms. Sepp’s Counselor Corner

8. Paper bag skits

You never know what life is going to hand to you. This is true at work, school, and in life in general. Sometimes you’re handed a set of circumstances and have very little time to figure out what to do. This fun activity will help teens practice thinking on their feet.

Fill a few paper bags with four or five assorted classroom or household items. Break the teens into groups, and assign each group a bag without showing them what’s inside. Give them two minutes to examine the items in their bag and come up with a skit, using all of the items, for the rest of the class.

Time management, teamwork, flexibility, presentation skills

9. Nurture self-knowledge

Journaling is a powerful tool for creative expression and reflection, but did you know that it can also be an effective way to improve mental health? Recording your thoughts and feelings can be a cathartic form of stress relief, an opportunity to get to know yourself better, and a way to help you feel more grounded and authentic in your beliefs. Try these free writing prompt cards with your middle and high schoolers to help them get started.

Stress management, self-confidence, motivation

Learn more: Deep Writing Journal Prompts for Teens from Journal Buddies

10. Foster self-motivation

Self-motivation is one of the key indicators of success in the future. Conversely, lack of motivation leads to big problems not only in school but on the job later on. But how do we teach something that comes from inside? Check out the activities below for some great tips like breaking big dreams into smaller pieces, envisioning a bright future, encouraging students to share their stories, and more.

Work ethic, critical thinking, self-confidence

Learn more: How To Instill Intrinsic Motivation from 7Mindsets

11. Hold a poetry slam

Slam poetry is a unique performance art that will not only give your students the opportunity to express their thoughts, but build their confidence as well. Slam poems are specifically written to be performed in front of an audience, and topics are often diverse, political, and thought-provoking. Finding your voice and being able to move people with your words are job-readiness skills that can apply to any future endeavor.

Self-confidence, presentation skills, teamwork

Learn more: What Is Slam Poetry and How Can Teachers Use It With Students?

12. Team survival challenge

What would happen if your class went out on a pleasure cruise only to end up being lost at sea? Who would take charge? What materials would be essential for survival? If you ever saw an episode of the TV series Lost , you know that making these decisions as a group can get ugly fast. This activity is a great lesson in group decision-making, as students will undoubtedly have different ideas about what materials to add to a limited list in a limited amount of time.

Critical thinking, negotiation, communication, teamwork

Learn more: Lost at Sea from Grahame Knox

13. Start a school garden

A school garden is an amazing, hands-on way to help teach students about responsibility. From planning what to grow and organizing the supplies needed to creating a maintenance schedule and actually getting down and dirty in the garden, it’s a project that requires hard work and perseverance.

Responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, patience

Learn more: How One School Garden Transformed a Neighborhood

14. Time-management challenge

We all have days when our list of tasks is huge, and the amount of time we have to complete them just isn’t. When time is tight and your agenda is packed, you’ve got to prioritize tasks and work efficiently! This activity gives students the opportunity to practice just that by presenting them with a long list of tasks to complete in a limited time frame.

Make a list of tasks on chart paper, assigning a point value for each job. For example: Do 25 jumping jacks (5 points); make up a nickname for each member of the group (5 points); get every person in the class to sign a piece of paper (15 points); form a conga line and conga from one end of the room to the other (5 points; 10 bonus points if anyone joins you); etc. Make sure you list enough tasks to take up more than 10 minutes.

Divide your students into groups of five or six and give them 10 minutes to collect as many points as they can by deciding which tasks to perform. A debriefing session is essential with this game. Guide your students to think about how they made decisions, which group dynamics came into play, and how they determined the value of each task.

Negotiation, critical thinking, communication, time management

15. Vision boards

Unleash your students’ creativity while simultaneously helping them set goals for the future with a vision board. We don’t frequently take the time to express who we are and what we hope for. Setting aside time to contemplate can motivate teens to think deeply about what they really want in life and also fuel their desire to do what’s necessary in order to reach their dreams.

Self-confidence, motivation, critical thinking

Learn more: Why Teachers Should Create Vision Boards With Their Students from Study All Knight

16. Collaborative contract

This exercise for middle schoolers helps them establish values-based ground rules for a team. Each student takes an index card and lists three values that they believe will promote a sense of community. Team members discuss the values, consolidating them into more precise categories. They write the finalized list on a poster board, with each student signing it. Whenever there is a dispute, the team should refer to the “contract,” which holds everyone accountable.

The purpose of this exercise is to create a safe space to explore ideas by focusing on common language and shared expectations. Additionally, this activity prepares middle-school students for the workplace by emphasizing similarities rather than differences.

Negotiation, communication, listening, respect

17. Zombie apocalypse

In this two-day lesson, students are required to identify soft skills, literary guides, and everyday objects that will help them survive a zombie apocalypse. They’ll work both cooperatively and independently and produce short pieces of persuasive writing to argue in favor of their survival.

Teamwork, interpersonal skills (collaboration), problem-solving

Learn more: Zombie Invasion Plan  from Sarah Andrasik

18. Stoke their competitive fire

According to teacher Christine Weis , there’s nothing like a little healthy competition in the classroom. “It motivates students and drives them to put forth their best effort,” she says. “It sparks interest, passion, and ignites a fire within.” Not only can healthy competition build confidence, it can encourage students to learn something new and develop new skills. Try games, puzzles, sports, quiz competitions, team presentations, etc., to motivate your students to reach a higher level.

Motivation, work ethic, problem-solving, self-confidence

Learn more: 7 Motivational Activities for Students from The Homeschool Resource Room

19. The blindfold game

Teens leading one another around in blindfolds? Are we sure this is a good idea? The answer is yes when it’s part of a structured, purposeful job-readiness skills activity like this one!

You’ll need a large space for this activity (maybe the cafeteria after lunch or the gym during an off-period), enough blindfolds for half of the participants, and furniture and other items that you can use as obstacles (cardboard boxes, pillows, chairs, tables). Scatter furniture and objects around the room before the activity begins. Your course should be challenging but safe to navigate.

Pair students and have them line up at one end of the room. One person from each pair should put on the blindfold. The sighted person must guide their partner across the room and give them clear oral instructions (without touching them) to help them avoid the obstacles. When each team reaches the far side of the room, partners can switch roles and repeat the exercise. Have just a few pairs tackle the course at a time so that the others can observe. Take some time between rounds to process what went well, what didn’t, and what could make the challenge easier.

Communication, listening, respect (taking the task and their partner’s safety seriously), flexibility

20. Take a mini crash course

Our teens may almost look like adults, but we have to remember they still have a lot to learn. And sometimes the best way to teach them what they need to know is to just spell it out. This video is a no-nonsense tutorial about some of the job-readiness skills that employers find valuable. Hold a screening, then after the video, have students form breakout groups to talk about what portion of the video they found most helpful and what they need to work on.

Communication, listening, critical thinking

21. Human knot

Nothing promotes job-readiness skills such as cooperation like getting all tangled up with your classmates — literally!

Players stand in a circle and reach out to shake hands with other players, with each hand holding that of a different person, creating a “human knot.” Then the players have to figure out how to untangle their bodies without letting go of each other’s hands. This activity lends itself to a vibrant debriefing session as students observe their communication and cooperation skills.

Teamwork, communication, problem-solving

Learn more: The Human Knot Game from Icebreaker Ideas

22. Mind your mental health

Managing stress in school (and on the job) is a timely subject. With mental health issues on the rise across the country, it’s critical to teach your students strategies that will help them stay grounded and build resilience. After all, it’s hard to do your best in any endeavor when you’re stressed to the max. Try the empowering activities below to teach students how to manage stress so they can succeed in college, on the job, and in the future.

Self-confidence, problem-solving, leadership

Learn more: 22 Empowering Mental Health Activities for Teens

23. Rope Circle Shimmy

Divide teens into two groups. Each group should have a minimum of five members. To begin play, make a big circle out of rope for each team and put it on the floor. Each member of the team stands at the edges of the circle, so the rope is taut around their ankles, while holding their hands in the air.

Team members must take turns moving to work the rope up from ankles to wrists, keeping hands in the air at all times. The team member will have to wiggle and move to slide the rope up. Other team members can help by keeping the rope as taut as possible. The team that finishes the challenge first wins!

Communication, flexibility, interpersonal skills (cooperation)

Learn more: Looped to Rope from Mom Junction

24. Four-card negotiation

Sometimes to get ahead in life, you have to know how to wheel and deal. This is entirely what this lesson is all about. The objective is for teams to trade and barter for pieces of cards to match up with the pieces they already have and ultimately end up with four complete playing cards.

Start with a pile of playing cards (four cards per team of four or five students). Cut each card diagonally into four pieces and mix all of the pieces together. Now divide the mixed-up pieces evenly among the teams. Give teams a couple of minutes to sort out their card pieces and figure out which pieces they have and which pieces are missing. Set a timer for 10 minutes. The goal of the game is for the students to use their negotiation skills with the other teams in order to gain as many complete cards as possible for their team. At the end of 10 minutes, the team with the most cards wins.

Negotiation, communication, interpersonal skills

25. Pair up with younger kids

Nothing helps teens build responsibility like pairing up with a younger buddy. Being the more mature, more experienced partner in the relationship gives teens the opportunity to share what they know and learn to be a leader. Have your students plan fun activities and special events with their buddies.

Responsibility, leadership, problem-solving, listening, patience

Learn more: 20 Activities for Big Buddy/Little Buddy Time from Create, Dream, Explore

26. Blind spelling practice

Weaving soft-skills activities into everyday curriculum is a win for everyone. Enhance your students’ interpersonal skills with this fun spelling activity. Tape letters to each student’s back. Then call out a definition of a word. Students will need to work together to assemble in the right order to spell the word correctly.

Communication, listening, negotiation, problem-solving

Learn more:  Manuel Antonio Noronha

27. Practice small talk

Teenagers aren’t exactly known for their chitchat skills. In fact, for many it is one of the most awkward situations they can imagine being put in. But small talk is considered a foundational job-readiness skill that is important for almost every job, as well as learning to network. Many teens feel awkward speaking with people they’re not used to speaking to and need practice, especially with adults. Try some free conversation starters that will help them practice the “three P’s” of small talk: being polite, positive, and professional.

Communication, listening, self-confidence, patience, respect

Learn more: Conversation Starters on the Job from Realityworks

28. Blind drawing

Try this hilarious activity with your teens. It’s kind of like “telephone” but instead of listening, each person must pay close attention to what is being drawn on their back. Each student in the line gets a blank sheet of paper taped to their back and a marker. The student at the end begins by slowly drawing an image on the person’s paper in front of them. When that person feels what’s being drawn, they try to re-create what they’re feeling on the person of front of them. When the image is complete, have the students take off their papers and compare the results. This activity is a colorful reminder that people often perceive things very differently, so communication is extremely important!

Communication, teamwork, patience

29. Mock interviews

The prospect of going on a job interview can be terrifying to a kid who’s never had a job before. Practicing job-readiness skills like interviewing can help them reduce the fear factor and build their confidence. Pair students up and assign one teen the role of interviewer and one the role of interviewee. Use a set of job interview questions to practice with.

Give each pair 15 minutes, then have them talk about how the interview went. The interviewer may have some valuable insight for the interviewee. Then have the partners switch roles and repeat. After they’ve had practice with their peers, invite a few adults into the room to conduct mock interviews.

Interview skills, critical thinking, self-confidence

Learn more: Job Interview Questions for Teens from Understood for All

30. Group storytelling

Create small groups of three to eight students. The first person makes up the first line of a story and says it out loud. The second person says, “Yes, and …,” continuing the story. Play continues around the group until everyone has contributed or until the story has come to a satisfactory ending. Since students don’t know what’s coming, they have to learn how to listen carefully and react and communicate well on the fly. As an alternative, to have students listen even more carefully, have them continue the story with the phrase, “because …”

Communication, listening, critical thinking, presentation

31. Team pen

Sometimes it takes the whole team to produce results. This fun game involves a marker with four to six strings tied to it and a blank piece of paper. The teacher calls out a word and the team has to work together to legibly print the word on the paper. Students will have to think carefully and cooperate with one another to maneuver the pen correctly to write the word.

Communication, teamwork, patience, critical thinking

Be sure to visit McGraw Hill’s Career Explorations page for more information about their career and technical education resources for middle and high school.

Also, check out these “would you rather” questions to get teens thinking about their future careers..

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Home » Blog » Lesson Plans » Free Interactive Job Interview Practice for High School Students

Free Interactive Job Interview Practice for High School Students

Navigating the job market can be daunting for high school students, particularly those in special education programs. As educators, it’s our role to demystify the process and prepare our students for success. This comprehensive guide offers free interactive job interview practice for high school students that focuses on the dos and don’ts of job interviewing, designed with high school special education teachers in mind.

Empowering Students Through Interview Skills

A job interview is a critical step in the employment process. Our students must understand the nuances of interviewing to put their best foot forward. This lesson plan not only equips students with the necessary knowledge but also engages them in a free interactive job interview practice for high school students.

Lesson Plan Overview: Interview Dos and Don’ts

Objective: To help students recognize appropriate and inappropriate behaviors in a job interview.

Materials Needed: ‘ Do’s and Don’ts of Job Interviewing ‘ interactive activity

Duration: 30 minutes

Introduction to Job Interviewing

• Exploring Concepts Begin by discussing what a job interview is and why it’s important. Explain how interviews are opportunities to make a strong first impression.
• Group Brainstorm Ask students to brainstorm what they think are good and bad interview practices and list these on the board.

Interactive Activity: Dos and Don’ts in Action

• Activity Distribution Display the ‘Do’s and Don’ts of Job Interviewing’ via Smart Board or computer. This activity features two columns for students to categorize behaviors.
• Interactive Sorting Students will read through pre-written scenarios and place them in the correct column—either ‘Do’ or ‘Don’t.’
• Group Discussion Review the answers as a class, discussing why each behavior is appropriate or not for an interview.

Deep Dive: Role-Playing the Interview

• Scenario Assignment Pair students and assign them roles—interviewer and interviewee—with scenarios that have both dos and don’ts.
• Role-Play Execution In their pairs, students conduct mock interviews, aiming to display as many ‘Do’ behaviors as possible while avoiding the ‘Don’ts.’
• Reflection After the role-play, each student reflects on what they did well and what could be improved.

Class Collaboration: The Feedback Loop

• Observer Notes During role-plays, the rest of the class takes notes on the dos and don’ts they observe.
• Group Feedback Students provide constructive feedback, citing specific examples of good and poor interview practices they witnessed.
• Recap & Review Conclude with a recap of the key learnings and takeaways from the lesson.

Teaching the dos and don’ts of job interviews through interactive practice prepares high school students in special education for real-world challenges. By engaging in this Free Interactive Job Interview Practice for High School Students , they’ll gain confidence and the skills needed to navigate the job market successfully.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Encouraging students to rehearse their interview skills in a supportive, educational environment can make a significant difference in their ability to secure employment post-graduation. Let’s commit to preparing our students not just academically but for life beyond school.

Armed with these strategies and resources, special education teachers can provide students with the tools they need for job interview success. Download the interactive activity sheets, and let’s get started on this journey together!

Sample Video

Students learn best from watching real students their own age model skills. Try out this sample video-modeling lesson below. We offer our entire Social-Emotional Learning platform free for 30 days here !

Related Blog Posts:

No-Prep High School Lessons to Teach Job Skills

High School Interview Skills Lesson

Practical Interview Games for High School Students: A Guide

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Job Applications » Resources » Job Hunting Lesson Plan

Job Hunting Lesson Plan

Lesson plan 1: job hunting.

Synopsis: Successfully navigating the job hunt and procuring that first job is a great feeling for any young worker. The freedom, the feeling of self-sufficiency, and the responsibility all help build teens into dependable, mature adults. Still, searching for a job can be difficult if certain factors aren’t taken into account. Simple mistakes, like not following directions or even giving up early in the process, may cause undue stress and leave teens wondering what they did wrong. Our first school lesson plan talks about making the most out of the job hunt, how to avoid common mistakes, and just how and where to start your search.

Download PowerPoint Presentation

Teacher Companion: Searching for a job in the correct manner remains paramount for young job seekers. While many inexperienced applicants make simple gaffes when trying to find a job, others compound their mistakes by continually repeating them. From starting a search too late to holding the misguided belief that certain jobs are beneath them, teen workers might just not fully understand the future benefits of working entry-level positions. Giving up too quickly in the job-search process, not following simple directions, and making too many grammatical and spelling errors on the application may disqualify potential workers before they even arrive at the interview.

A surefire way to find the right job is by tailoring the job search to personal and professional interests. Many companies seek out younger or inexperienced workers to fill entry-level jobs because teens and first-time employees adapt to training, are often willing to work varied schedules, and frequently need to accommodate other activities, which keeps payroll down and puts work hours on par with the needs of the business. Teens should check with community job boards, local libraries, and school guidance counselors for assistance in finding jobs. If finding employment with a major company proves difficult, the idea of starting a small business could be explored.

Properly preparing for a job search is vital. Depending on state and local laws, teen workers may need to have proof of age, a social security card, current contact information, references, and perhaps even a work permit. Further preparation generally includes setting realistic goals and sticking to them. This may consist of applying to two places a day, always following up, setting a date for when you want to start working, and, most importantly, writing everything down so it can always be visualized.

Teens need to decide what type of job search they want to conduct. For those who are not particularly interested in any specific type of work but just want a job, a blanketed search may be the best approach. Mass-applying at every available job that typically requires little to no experience may yield results, especially if the applicant isn’t too picky. For younger workers who want a more pointed approach, a targeted job search may work much better. Utilizing a research-based approach, teens find jobs based on interests, as well as what works best with their schedule and monetary needs, and subsequently narrow down the jobs that are best for them.

In the end, all young workers should understand that finding their first or next job is often not as difficult as they may think it will be, especially if they take the time to direct their search appropriately. Teens should understand that, for the most part, while jobs can be fun experiences, employers expect new hires to show up when scheduled and work accordingly. Additionally, when jobs aren’t what teens expect, it’s alright to quit as long as appropriate notice is given to the employer. Even if they don’t get the first position they apply for, young job seekers should always remain courteous to employers, as it could help with future job openings.

All the slides for this curriculum should present themselves in a way that shows students how to conduct a proper job search. The accompanying video, links, and activities should be used at the teacher’s discretion to help supplement the presentation. The questions at the end of the slideshow can be used for group work or to encourage class discussion. Thank you for choosing our job skills curriculum, and please look to our additional presentations for further assistance in helping your students navigate the job market confidently and successfully.

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Next Lesson Plans: Job Application Resume Interviewing Networking Social Media

Testimonials from School Administrators “The information covered by Job-Applications.com in the job skills lessons will be useful well beyond our students’ first job!” – Deb N., Director of Title 1 & Auxiliary Services, Canton, OH

“The videos, interactive slides and handouts easily guide students through all facets of the job search, and provide teachers with the high quality curriculum needed to teach these necessary life skills.” – Karen V., Former School Administrator, Canton, OH

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The Ultimate Guide to Effective Job Search Strategies

Effective Job Search Strategies: 6 Super Strategies to Find that Perfect Job

Why students need to develop effective job search skills.

As with most things in life, success is very rarely the result of an accident. A career is not something students want to leave to the mercy of chance.

Finding a rewarding job is an art form and we shouldn’t expect that our students will leave school and stumble effortlessly into their dream careers right off the bat.

It’s essential that we help them maximize their chances of finding the perfect fit job-wise by sharing with them the most effective job search strategies out there.

In this article, we’ll review six tried-and-tested job search strategies students can use to ensure a fruitful job search. Each of these job search strategies is supported by a practical activity you can use in class immediately.

Let’s get started.

The 6 Super Job Search Strategies

1. get organized.

For students to maximize their chances of a successful job search, they’ll first need to get organized. 

It might be helpful for students to think of this process as similar to online dating. However, finding a good job requires a more Match.com approach to the process than a Tinder one.

Setting goals and deadlines and tracking and recording efforts made will help the student develop a systematic approach to landing that dream job. 

To do all of this effectively, students should:

• Set realistic goals and deadlines and stick to them
• Break big tasks down into several smaller ones
• Prioritize tasks and complete them in order of importance
• Review progress on a regular basis and adapt as necessary.

Having a clear record of the actions they’ve undertaken will help the student avoid needless replication of efforts.

Keeping a journal of these efforts is a useful investment of time. Students should record the actions they’ve undertaken and the result of those actions. 

They should also keep track of dates and times too. This will help with follow-up later. 

It’s also worthwhile to keep a note of contact names and other important details – there is nothing quite as sweet for an individual to hear as the sound of their own name.

Get Organized Activity

As students begin to get organized, they should keep a Job Search Record to keep track of actions, deadlines, completion dates, and outcomes.

Some possibilities of things to include on their Job Search Record might include:

• Checking job vacancies 
• Applying for jobs
• Updating resume
• Writing cover letters
• Registering with agencies

Here’s a snippet of what a running record of tasks might look like:

2. Use Local Organizations

When students begin their job searching in earnest, they’ll discover that there are a wealth of governmental and non-governmental organizations dedicated to supporting them in their endeavors.

Most districts in most countries will have a local government job center. The job seeker can visit centers such as these to avail of free support. Not only will they find many local job vacancies, but they may also get the opportunity to speak to an advisor who will help guide them in their job-hunting efforts too. These kinds of services are usually free.

As well as job centers, recruitment agencies are often well-placed to help the job seeker find work. 

Unlike government job centers, these agencies usually take a fee from the job seeker or the employer, or both. Therefore, the job seeker should be sure to check how things work with each agency before they register.

Local Organizations Activity

Doing a little online research, ask students to identify three local organizations that can help them find suitable employment. 

They should find the location, opening hours, and what type of support they offer. Students should write these details down. They may also like to save the locations of each organization on their phones via Google Maps.

They should plan a visit to each organization as part of their job search. They should also plan follow-up visits as job vacancies change all the time.

Remember to remind the students to record everything on their Job Search Record.

3. Scour Local Newspapers

Local newspapers used to be the mainstay of the average job seeker. Now, most people’s go-to when looking for work is the Internet.

While there’s no doubt that the Internet is a very valuable tool, the worth of the local newspaper shouldn’t be overlooked. While the Internet is a vast, global entity, your local rag specializes in one thing only – your local area!

For this reason, the job vacancies in the classified section of a local paper are often a rich and under-utilized source of job openings. Don’t overlook it.

Local Newspaper Activity

Students go out and buy their local newspaper/s. They scour the job vacancies in the classifieds section, circling ones that interest them and recording their details.

Remind students that newspapers are periodicals. This means that they’ll need to check them regularly on a weekly or even daily basis for new job listings.

As always, students should record any activity on their Job Search Record.

4. Search Online

In this digital age, online job boards are often the first port of call on a hunt for the perfect position. And boy are there a lot of options out there!

While many of the big hitters such as Indeed and Monster offer positions globally, other websites have a more regional focus. Of course, the big sites also let you use filters to refine your search to restrict it to your local area.

Other sites such as FlexJobs focus primarily on remote work-from-home type jobs.

Online job seekers should pay attention to the dates when job posts they’re interested in were posted. Sometimes the perfect job may pop up, only for the seeker to discover it has long since been filled but the job poster has neglected to remove it. Good sites will, however, have procedures in place to ensure vacancies posted are valid.

Jobs boards aren’t the only online tool available to facilitate effective job searches. Websites such as Glassdoor are very useful for doing a little research on companies you’re interested in working for.

LinkedIn is also a great tool for building a network and for contacting recruiters directly. For those with a profile, there is a range of features available to help recruiters and job seekers to find each other.

Some other sites allow the job hunter to post their resume online for recruiters to contact them directly. 

However, students should be very careful here. Posting personal details in an online public space can leave the poster open to people of poor character more interested in scamming, identity theft, harassment, etc. than they are in filling positions of employment.

Also, sometimes employers are reluctant to use online profile sites to contact potential recruits as, just like with the job boards above, frequently they will contact the resume owners only to discover they’ve long since found employment but have neglected to update their new employment status on the site.

If students do intend to use such sites, remind them of the importance of keeping things up to date.

Online Job Searching Activities

Challenge students to go online and find their Top 3 useful sites for online job searches. They make a note of these sites.

Students then use the various search filters to find jobs that interest them and choose their top 3, again, recording the details of these.

It’s then time to decide on subsequent actions to take, all of which can be recorded on their Job Search Record.

5. Widen Your Network

Networking is an extremely effective way to find a job, particularly for those who are already established in their chosen profession or trade.

Obviously, younger people such as students may not yet have established themselves in their employment areas of interest.

However, that doesn’t mean they can’t begin to practice their networking chops. Practice makes perfect, after all.

Networking helps connect the job seeker with potential employers in an organized manner. The idea is here is to connect with other people to uncover potential opportunities of mutual interest.

Essentially, there are two basic types of networking: face-to-face and online.

i. Face-to-Face Networking

The best place for the job seeker to begin their networking efforts is with the people they know best. This will help them to build the confidence they’ll need to venture outside their comfort zone.

The student informs family and friends they are looking for work, asking them to look out for suitable opportunities and spread the word within their own circle. 

As confidence grows, students can then spread the word further afield by speaking to teachers, religious and community leaders, acquaintances, etc. Who knows quite where that perfect opportunity may lie?

Then, it’s time to widen the net beyond speaking with individuals by engaging with organizations such as volunteer groups, hobby clubs, and sporting organizations, for example.

ii. Online Networking

The Internet can be a powerful tool for networking. Essentially, there are two types of networking websites: social and professional.

Social Networking Websites 

These are very popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. They can be a lot of fun as well as an effective tool for virtually meeting with others with a view to finding employment.

However, job seekers need to use their time wisely on these sites. They can become a counterproductive time-suck distracting the student from their job-searching efforts. 

While we’re on the topic, students should also be careful what they post on social media platforms as potential employers may have access to those wild party pictures too!

As well as social media platforms, there are also all sorts of groups, special interest forums, and blogs where opportunities to engage with potential contacts exist. These are great ways to keep up to date with industry trends and they can provide openings to connect with people who work in these industries. Who knows where such interactions might lead.

Professional Networking Websites:

The best-known professional networking site is, of course, LinkedIn. This online social media platform for professionals is a veritable powerhouse of networking opportunities, but it will require a considerable upfront investment of time and effort on the part of the jobseeker to set up their profile (if they don’t already have one) and to learn the wide range of functionalities available on the platform.

Once they have a profile set up, the student can join lots of public and private groups based on common interests where job leads are often shared. Members can also send and accept connection requests from other members as well as set their profile to ‘Open to Work’ to make their availabiliy clear to potential employers.

LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for jobseekers to widen their network in a short period of time.

Networking Activity

If they don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, get your students to set one up by following the platform’s online instructions to complete their profile.

Once their profile is set up, it’s time to widen their network. A connection request can be automatically sent to anyone in the student’s email address book to get started by connecting accounts.

Students should then set themselves a target of getting to 100 connections in 1 month. That means adding approximately three people per day. To achieve this, and allowing for 2 requests getting rejected, they’ll need to send out about five or six requests per day to reach their target.

Encourage students to personalize their invitations to connect, where possible. This will ensure a much higher likelihood of the connection request being accepted.

6. Contact Potential Employers Directly

By now, you’ll have noticed after each of the strategies in this article there is an accompanying activity. That’s because job searching is an active process.

It’s important that we help our students to approach the act of finding a job with some aggression. There’s no point in them sitting back and waiting for their dream job to fall into their lap. No one is out there headhunting inexperienced school leavers for high-paying, rewarding jobs.

Instead, encourage your students to be proactive. One great way to do this is by contacting potential employees directly – even if they haven’t advertised a suitable vacancy.

This shows initiative and it might just secure the student a chance to get that all-important foot in the door.

Contact Employers Activity

Set the students the task of identifying a company they would like to work for. This may be a company they have already come across during their previous job search activities.

Once they’ve identified the company they’d like to work for, instruct them to do a little online research to find out more about the company and who is head of hiring.

Then, have students write a speculative email introducing themselves to the contact person and inquiring if there are any current vacancies. 

As a class, take the time to share these emails with each other and critique them. What did each student do well and what could they do to improve their email.

Ultimately, students will need to invest the time required to create their own cover letter and resume as both are essential elements of any formal job application.

If you want to learn all you need to know about how to teach cover letter writing to your students, check out our complete guide on How to Write a Cover Letter right here .

You’ll also find our How to Write a Great Resume instructional article here .

The Tip of the Iceberg

These six job search strategies represent the tip of the job searching iceberg but, undoubtedly, they are all very effective strategies in their own right.

Don’t forget, if you want that free job search activity template, you can click here.

Author: Shane Mac Donnchaidh

Images: Vectorjuice on Freepik.com , and Canva

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Career Readiness | Employability Skills | Interview Skills

Top 10 Job Seeking Skills to Teach High School Students

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October 27th, 2021 | 19 min. read

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Whether they’re a freshman looking for their first part-time job or a senior getting ready to join the workforce , job seeking skills are some of the most important concepts you can teach to high school students.

Students who have this valuable skillset are confident in their worth, and stand ready to find, apply to, and land that job they need. However, students that lack it may find themselves scrambling and unprepared to face the modern job market, which can lead to all sorts of stress, anxiety, and financial worry as they struggle to catch up. 

Nobody wants to face that, which is why it's critical you instill these values and employability skills in your students early, so they can get some experience under their belt before transitioning more fully into adulthood. 

In this article, you'll discover the 10 job seeking skills that every high school student needs to know:

• Finding job opportunities
• Researching job openings
• Writing a resume
• Writing a cover letter
• Applying to a job
• Accepting an interview
• Succeeding in an interview
• Working as a minor
• Working as an adult
• Leaving a job

By the end of this article, you'll have a stronger grasp on the modern job search, and will be able to more easily foster these skills in your students. 

Infographic: Top 10 Job Seeking Skills for High School Students

1. Finding Job Openings

First things first — your students have to know how to find a job before they can earn one.

In days past, you used to have to know someone who wanted to hire or comb through a newspaper to hopefully find something that fit your expertise. Fortunately, today’s students can find job opportunities with a quick Google search.

Showing students how to use search engines like Google and Indeed can give them a big leg-up over other job seekers, both now and years in the future. After all, the internet isn't going anywhere, and it's likely these resources will only become more important to the job search as time goes by. 

The biggest job-related search engines students should know include:

• ZipRecruiter
• Simply Hired

You can also discuss networking as a way for students to make and leverage professional connections. That can apply to in-person interactions, professional organizations, online networking (like LinkedIn ), and more.

All in all, students have dozens of job seeking resources available to them--they just need to know what they are!

Once they find the search engines or methods that they like, the next step is to research job openings themselves.

2. Researching Job Openings

Now that your students know how to find jobs, they need to know how to find jobs that they want . But researching different job openings takes time, patience, and a little bit of online finesse. So what's the best starting point?

Well, one way you can get started is by teaching students about different job titles and their responsibilities. After all, jargon and specialized vocabulary can create major hurdles to understanding a job description. By knowing what kind of job title they're looking for, students have a clear direction and can focus their efforts. 

With that in mind, you can define a few of the common words found in today’s job titles to ensure students know what an opportunity actually entails.  

A manager is someone who makes decisions for a group of people with a similar skill set, like salespeople, web designers, financial, and more. 

Depending on the size of the company, a manager may or may not perform any of the duties associated with the people they manage. Sometimes, it is their focus to instead bring out the best in their department or team.

In general, a manager’s responsibilities often require a mix of interpreting ideas from company executives, figuring out how to make them work, and creating corresponding goals for their team.

Assistant 

An assistant is often someone who performs the non-specialized duties of someone’s specific role.

For example, an architect who is the only licensed individual at her firm may need an assistant to handle scheduling meetings, screening phone calls, or performing a variety of tasks for the office.

Contrary to how assistants are portrayed in film and television, their responsibilities form the bedrock of an organization. They do the little things that keep a company running every day, whether that’s picking up coffee on the way to the office or ordering lunch for a big client meeting.

An intern is a student or trainee who performs duties within a company in order to gain work experience and progress in a career field. 

Internships can be paid or unpaid, though paid internships are becoming more and more common when it comes to highly skilled positions. 

An internship can provide an excellent learning experience, as interns get to make networking connections, ask individuals about their jobs, and learn about what they want from a career. In that regard, internships are similar to apprenticeships in that they encourage your students to get their hands dirty and learn something by doing it.

In fact, both interns and apprentices belong to the growing number of American students who express interests in learn-by-doing style education.

Interns often wind up working under a variety of people at a company, essentially “proving their worth” in the hopes of earning a salaried job at the company upon completion of their internship.

Analysts are individuals who know a lot about a certain topic, gather data about it, and make predictions based on that data.

For example, a financial analyst at a company may look at the total amount of expenses a company paid in a year compared to the gross revenue that the company earned.

If the final number of that comparison is positive, then the analyst can report that the company is moving in the right direction.

If the final number is negative, then the analyst can recommend changes for the coming year.

Analysts often have years of experience in a certain field to the point where they probably have a reputation for their work. They may even be considered local experts.

Analysts typically work under a manager in larger companies. They may work directly for an executive in smaller businesses on a local level.

Remote employees are those who perform their job duties from a location separate from the company’s main office.

Sometimes, this could mean individuals work for a company that’s one or two towns away. Other times, it could mean someone in New York is working for a company in California. Regardless, these types of jobs require workers to have an Internet connection and a decent understanding of modern technology.

With that said, remote positions can give students an excellent chance to get their foot in the door with a company, or to gain job experience in general. And its possible remote work will continue to be on the rise for the near future. 

Remote workers may be considered employees of the company, but they may also work as independent contractors. Understanding the differences between those types of employment is key to fulfilling the duties of a remote employee.

These are just five terms that you’ll find in modern job descriptions. But if a student actually wants one of these jobs, they’re going to need a resume.

That means they have to write one first!

3. Writing a Resume

It’s hard to overstate the importance of a resume. Simply put, this is an essential part of every classroom that focuses on career exploration to any degree. 

A resume is a showcase of everything your students have done, ranging from extracurriculars, to relevant classes, to volunteer positions they've filled, and more. While these may not even have much to do with a job they want, they’re outstanding indications of work ethic, drive, and attitude – three qualities in high demand in today’s workforce.

Some students also choose to write an objective statement, or a brief sentence about what they hope their resume accomplishes. It’s up to you whether you encourage this in the classroom. Some business owners have stated they prefer objective statements, and others don’t place any emphasis on them.

Regardless, students can use this general template to create their first resume:

• Name at the top
• Address, phone number, and email address underneath
• An objective statement
• Most recent work experience with title and employing organization
• Least recent work experience with title and employing organization
• Extracurricular organizations
• Awards / accolades

For these first jobs, students may not need a resume. They may only need to fill out an application. But even if that’s the case, everyone should know how to write a good resume. By teaching this to your students, you help them take a solid step forward in their professional development.

But if a student is going to learn to write a resume, they may as well learn to write another key part of job hunting: the cover letter.

4. Writing a Cover Letter

It’s standard practice to write a cover letter when applying to almost any position. Many professions won't even consider a candidate for a position unless a cover letter is included in their application. So what is a cover letter? What does writing one entail?

Cover letters are one-page summaries of who a student is, what position they want, and why they think they’re qualified for it. These letters give students the chance to highlight their specific strengths and how those strengths would be beneficial to the position, share a few of their past work experiences, and provide overall context for their application. 

Some best practices for writing cover letters include:

• Include the hiring manager's name and company address in the upper left corner of the letter, as this indicates you've done your research and know the identities of those who'll be interviewing you. 
• Make each cover letter unique to the job and company you're applying to. Don't send in the generic cover letter you send everywhere. Note that this doesn't mean you need to write a brand new cover letter for each position you apply for. Sometimes, it's easier to write a single cover letter, then tailor the language in it to appeal to each individual company you apply to in an industry. 
• Keep the cover letter concise. No hiring manager has the time or inclination to read a 10 page cover letter. Say what you need to say in a single page of writing. This will force you to be efficient and strike that healthy balance of only listing the key points that qualify you for a position. 

It's important to keep in mind that, much like an objective statement, not every employer requires--or will read--a cover letter. Cover letters can even be troublesome to write because of how counterintuitive they seem to students--like listing only some relevant accomplishments and experiences, rather than all of them. After all, most students wouldn't want to undersell their qualifications. 

The truth is, though, learning to write a great cover letter might be the difference between getting the job or not. It's a skill, just like any other, and by becoming proficient in it, students demonstrate a capacity for communication and critical thinking that will aid them in the workforce. 

Once they’re done with a cover letter, they can now apply for the job they want!

5. Applying to a Job

When it comes to applying for a job, the process is generally uniform from company to company. Though i ndividual companies may have differences or nuances that students have to follow, on the whole, applying is simple.

The common process of applying to a job includes:

• Write your resume
• Write your cover letter
• Fill out an application form (if needed)
• Submit the application (either digitally, in person, or via mail)
• Await reply

With the exception of awaiting a reply, all of these are fairly straightforward. After all, students should already have a resume and cover letter--preferably each tailored to the job they're applying for!

The application form itself might have some variation to it. Most jobs ask for the applicant's name, contact information, address, experience, and basic information about themselves to get a general sense of who they are. Higher level jobs, however, might have the applicant complete some kind of assignment to prove their skillset, or ask more specific or pointed questions to determine if the applicant would be a good fit for the company culture. 

After the application is completed and sent on its way, then the waiting game beings. 

Awaiting a reply from the company can be tricky. After all, waiting for someone to reply to your application can feel like an eternity. It’s especially stressful since some hiring managers choose to simply not respond to applications they feel are unqualified. In other words, students may apply to a job they want and simply never hear back.

The best thing students can do while they wait is simply continue to apply to other jobs. This ensures they won't just be sitting around waiting for a reply that never comes. Tell them to make use of that time by diversifying their chances. If they send out enough applications, they're bound to get responses. Much of the time, some representative of the company will have the time and decency to reply about moving forward.

If the answer is no, then the student has no choice but to shake off the rejection and try again somewhere else. It’s easy to become discouraged at this point. In some competitive industries, it can take weeks or even months to hear back from a company, and even then, it could just be a rejection notice. This is also true for unskilled labor. Because anyone can apply, a position could very well be filled before a student even submits their application.

When a student gets a positive reply from a company, then it’s time for the next big step: the interview.

6. Accepting and Preparing for an Interview

Accepting a job interview may sound minor, but it’s actually a significant moment in the journey of earning a job.

An acceptance message — whether it’s written, typed, or verbal — conveys a student’s attitude and level of professionalism right away. Formal verbiage, structured responses, and politeness are all key to a strong first impression.

In addition, promptly responding to an interview offer reflects well on a student. It also lets students set a date and time in stone for the actual interview. Some hiring managers even place responsiveness on par with someone’s ability to be on time!

Once the student has accepted the interview, they should begin to prepare for it. The importance of this can't be understated. These days, no one should go into a job interview without spending at least an hour or two preparing for it. There are several solid strategies they can use to prep:

• Research the company so you have a sense of their history, culture, and function. What does the company do? How did they start? If you join them, what role will you be playing in your new position? By doing this, you show you care about earning the job and will work hard to succeed in your new role. 
• Come up with questions to ask during the interview. Hiring managers like when you have insightful points or questions you can bring up during the interview process. It shows you have an aptitude for the role, have thought about it in-depth, and envision yourself as a member of the team. Bringing at least 3-4 questions with you for the interview is a good place to start.
• Bring notes and/or remember your main selling points. With how many interviews are now being done virtually, it's easy to keep an off-screen page of notes describing your strengths, weaknesses, and why you would be a good fit for the role. You can refer to this to help you keep a sense of structure for the interview. This might even work for an in-person interview, so long as you keep your notes compact and don't rely too much on them!

All of these contribute to an essential part of job seeking skills — succeeding in the interview itself !

7. Succeeding in an Interview

Depending on the student, succeeding in an interview can be a difficult challenge, or the easiest part of the job search.

For the more friendly, open, and gregarious students, interviews can be exciting, easy, and enjoyable, as social skills undoubtedly play a large part in whether they do well. 

On the other hand, interviews can be a nightmare scenario for socially anxious or introverted students. They could be terrified of meeting a room full of strangers and trying to figure out what they want to hear, rather than answering questions honestly.

But regardless of where a student falls on that spectrum, they’ll need basic communication and presentation skills to really nail an interview, such as:

• Dressing well
• Showing up on time
• Shaking hands
• Speaking clearly
• Smiling and being friendly

While these may sound simple or self-explanatory, you'd be surprised at the number of interviewees who neglect one or more of these key employability skills . Whether they're late, show up in inappropriate attire, or give off the impression of being cold or disinterested, by neglecting these skills, they indicate they're not the best fit for the role.

As the bare minimum, your students should be capable of using these skills. By doing so, they  show attitude, passion, pride, dignity, and kindness, all of which are positive qualities for an employee in any field.

But even if a student's interview still goes poorly, it's not the end of the world. 

Even the best of us sometimes make mistakes that end up derailing job interviews. It's a high pressure situation, after all, and that can lead to all sorts of nervous hiccups. 

It's important to emphasize to your students that job interviews are learning experiences, and that there's wisdom to be gained from each one, whether it's a success or a failure. 

Students who live through bad interviews have an opportunity to learn great life lessons. They know what they did poorly in that interview, and may even know if a job in the same field is a good or bad choice later down the line. In other words, they didn’t “fail” the interview--they learned something from it that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

In fact, it's even common wisdom for new job seekers to always sit down to interview for a new position, even if you're not very interested in the job itself. By doing so, you'll learn more about interviewing successfully and further hone your social skills--and who knows, you might end up falling in love with the job once you find out more about it!

Enough of this learning and experience will prime students to become experts capable of nailing the interviews that truly matter to them, and getting that dream job. 

Then, they get to the next step of earning a job: s tarting to work.

There are two ways a student can start a job — as a minor or as an adult. We’ll talk about both!

8. Working as a Minor

Unless you teach a class of high school seniors, most of your students will start their first jobs as minors.

This has a huge range of implications, but the most important ones to keep in mind are the labor laws that might apply to your students. These laws are designed to keep minors safe, paid honestly, and treated well while away from their parents, but they can also present a few extra hoops students will have to jump through to ensure they can legally work. 

The first step to educating your students on working as a minor is finding out what that entails in your state. 

After all, states can have different labor laws when it comes to minors, so it's important to have a solid understanding of the process your students will have to go through in order to begin working. 

For example, states usually require that minors have   special papers — sometimes called “working papers” — and even doctors’ signatures on documents that say they’re cleared to work. These work permits can often be obtained through the student's school district, but that may vary by state, and you should do your own research in order to best guide your students on your state's laws. 

Bank accounts, medical documentation, legal documentation, and sometimes parental consent could all also play into a minor’s ability to start working.  In that respect, minors have a lot of work to do before their first day of work in order to actually work, and it's your job to educate them on these practices. 

But even if your students have trouble obtaining this documentation, they can rest assured that it will only be for a few years at the maximum. Once they're adults, the process becomes easier, and that leads you into your next lesson: giving students context on working as an adult.

9. Working as an Adult

The process of working is generally simpler for adults than it is for minors, and has fewer regulations. However, some legal documentation is still necessary in order to get started, as well as an available bank account. 

Generally, new workers have to provide documents that prove two things: that they are who they say are, and that they are authorized to work within the United States. As long as they present the documents within a few days of starting their job, your students should be fine. 

Some examples of these documents include:

• A United States passport
• A permanent resident card or alien registration receipt card
• A social security card
• A driver's license or citizen ID card
• A Native American tribal document
• A birth certificate

Note that your students don't need all of these documents to start working--usually just one or two of them will do fine. They simply help employers verify the identities of prospective workers.

However, depending on both the company and the qualifications required for the job, other documents, proof, or testimonials might be requested:

• Many employers will request that your students present references--people your student knows who can vouch for their qualifications and skills. These could be peers, former bosses, or even teachers and professors. 
• Other positions that require a college degree or GED might require students to present their school transcripts or even the degree itself.
• Some government jobs require a verified security clearance in order for workers to be able to start. 

Depending on the company, your students may need to jump through some hoops to get all of their paperwork in order. But as long as they get it ready before they get to their first day, they’ve performed one of the last skills they have to master when seeking a job.

The last skill on this list may sound counterintuitive, but it’s just as important as every other job seeking skill here: learning how to quit. 

10. Leaving a Job

Leaving a job can cause a lot of worry and anxiety for most people, regardless of where they work.

After all, no employer is perfect, but most employers aren't all bad, either. And that means when someone chooses to leave a job, they’re often both excited about their new opportunity and remorseful about leaving where they currently work. Even employees who think “it’s just a job” may feel strange about leaving coworkers with whom they forged meaningful connections.

When it comes to a strategy for quitting, what's most important is leaving in a professional, polite, and courteous way.

After all, former employers are the best references for future career opportunities. Former employees make great recommendations for future hires at a company, too.

So what do students need to do to leave a job the right way?

• Give notice in writing (usually two or three weeks)
• Sit down for an exit interview
• Discuss why you’re leaving without assigning blame
• Set expectations for the rest of your time at the company
• Maintain your same work ethic until you leave

These steps work tremendously well whenever someone needs to move on from one career opportunity to the next. Whether it’s in a retail environment, 9-5 office job, or temporary employment gig, these actions smooth the transitional phase so that both employer and employee gets the best results possible. 

So with that in mind, how can you actually teach these skills to high school students?

Want to Ensure Your Students Get Those First Jobs?

Teaching your high schoolers the right job seeking skills can be an intimidating prospect. Chances are, your kids are of various ages and come from all sorts of backgrounds. Some might be heading into the workforce as soon as they graduate from high school, while others might simply need a part-time job to save up before they head off to college. 

Whatever their plans, the skills you’ve learned about in this article are essential to helping your students get started in the workforce. With these skills, your students know what to expect when looking for that first job. Without them, they might find themselves feeling overwhelmed and scared by a process that’s completely alien to them. 

But in this article, we still only covered the skills themselves, and not how to implement them in your classroom. 

Home » Teens

Career Sites and Resources for High School Students

Check out these great resources to help you explore and research career paths as a teen.

Careers offer us an opportunity to work daily in an area we are passionate about! We can grow, change, mature, and develop a skill set in an area that truly interests us. When we do work that matters, we’re happier, more focused, and have a better outlook on life overall.

Most teens are only exposed to a limited number of careers by the adults in their lives, so it’s important to find resources that help us explore careers outside those already right in front of us.

So, let’s discuss career choices, how to research career fields you’re interested in, and where to find research resources that are credible and helpful!

Exploring Career Awareness and Job Research

Many of us didn’t find our dream career directly after high school, but we explored jobs that interested us and built skills that allowed us to take the next step in the journey to finding what fits us. 

CareerVillage

This forum allows teen career seekers to ask questions of professionals from all walks of life in many different careers. The responses are well thought out and specific to the questions being asked. 

Road Trip Nation 

If you’re looking for a fulfilling career, this series of almost 9,000 documentaries explores opportunities, unique career paths, and learning styles through their constant pursuit of new stories by taking their show on the road.

Career Girls

An incredible resource for girls that provides access to female leaders that are role models in their industry and video training that teaches skills such as “how to be a leader,” “being confident,” and “career exploration 101”. 

Mapping Your Future

The perfect resource for career seekers that have an idea of an industry that they would like to explore but don’t know what jobs are available in the industry that could fit your skills. Take quizzes to find jobs that fit your personality and strengths, then explore them.

This site offers a comprehensive list of over 400 interviews that showcase a day in the life of business owners and employees in industries, from stock analysts to bail bondsmen. This resource allows you to see their job duties, evaluate if this career could be a good fit for you, and help you decide whether or not to pursue it further.

Firsthand: Day in the Life 

A huge library of articles written by industry experts in their field that take you through their entire day so you can read about what a day in the life would look like for you should you choose to pursue that career. 

Department of Labor

Every state in the US has its own Department of Labor website with resources on unemployment, job industries in the state, minimum wage, health and safety for employees, workers’ compensation, and apprenticeship programs. Most states have information available specifically for teens or recent graduates!

Browse jobs by pay, industry, highest availability, no degree required, management, and so much more! Type in a keyword to the jobs database, and so many amazing resources are available. If you need help writing a resume, researching careers, applying, or interviewing for jobs, there are resources available.

MyCareerTech

A free platform full of video lessons, full lesson plans, certification courses, and post-curriculum tests based on industry that was created by certified teachers. Use these resources to strengthen your resume and on-the-job skill set!

US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) K-12 Resource Center

This site offers an Occupational Outlook Handbook with specific resources on various jobs that may interest you. Find information on how to start in the career field and possible growth opportunities, and get creative on how to fund your education.

Take career quizzes to find careers that may interest you, and then research what those career fields look like. Are there jobs available? What training is required? Dig around and see if you can find apprenticeships available on this site that will help you get experience in the field!

Learn about the benefits of finding a career mentor, taking career assessments, developing your learning plan for college or trade school, finding job training or advanced skill set trainings, where to go for job search assistance, how to develop soft skills, applying for apprenticeships in your chosen field, and the differences between internships and apprenticeships. This resource is full of helpful tips and other websites to check out!

This initiative was started by President Obama and is focused on helping teens find gainful employment that leads to long-term careers by providing resources for exploring educational opportunities, crafting strong resumes, and networking to build strong work relationships through mentorship, apprenticeships, internships, and meaningful summer jobs that could turn into long term employment. 

Career Vision

A strong list of potential resources for high school students looking to: experience college campus tours, internships and apprenticeships, career planning, college applications and admissions, finding ways to finance your college education, planning your college journey, how to manage stress, and exploring careers. 

LiveBinders

Career development and planning resources intentionally designed as a one-stop shop of career resources for high school students and career counselors. These resources are meant to teach about job searching, preparing for interviews, the application process, job shadowing, career planning, military opportunities, interactive and educational games that target various career paths, and so much more!

Finding Careers that Fit You

How are we supposed to know what jobs will fit our skills, personality, or life experiences if we’ve never worked a job before or have never worked a job in an industry that we feel we could be passionate about?

Job skills tests or quizzes are a great way to determine your current skills and those you need to strengthen to work in a career you’re interested in OR figure out jobs that could fit you. Let’s look at some quizzes!

Princeton Review Career Quiz

Registration to use this resource is free by registering with your email, and then you answer a series of 24 questions. The questions fall into four categories:

• Yellow: Administrative
• Blue: Planning
• Red: Expediting
• Green: Communicating

These categories will help you figure out your interests and your work style, then give you a list of recommended careers that would fit your individual personality based on your quiz results. 

One of the recommended career choices I received when taking this quiz was “Business Owner,” and I had to laugh because I’ve owned my own businesses for 20 years now!

Career Girls Career Quiz

This quiz is targeted towards teen girls and offers 35 personality traits that you can check off if you feel they fit your personality. After submitting your answers, you can look over a list of possible career choices based on those answers. Apparently, my personality traits would help me be a great social worker, psychologist, or human resources manager!

Education.com Career Test

More than 1.6 million career researchers have taken this comprehensive quiz highlighting possible careers and degree choices if you’re uncertain or just want reassurance in your choice. There are 35 questions, and the categories of questions include:

• Environmental
• Communications
• Customer Service or Service-Oriented

O*Net Interest Profiler

Based on the psychological initiative RIASEC, this quiz measures your personal interests and then lines you up with jobs or careers that fit those interests. RIASEC stands for:

• Investigative
• Enterprising
• Conventional

CareerOneStop Skill Matcher

This is a career quiz sponsored by the US Department of Labor and helps potential job seekers explore careers, match to training opportunities, and find jobs in those fields, so it’s a helpful, one-stop shop for career searches. 

Quiz takers are asked to rate themselves as a beginner, basic, skilled, advanced, or expert level in a series of 40 different job skills in multiple categories. Use this tool to find your natural gifts and talents or those you want to work on to find the best career choice for you. 

Start Planning Early!

Career planning is different from searching for a job. A career is a long-term plan you create with actionable steps and a clear path for progression. You can choose a career you’re passionate about so that work doesn’t become a chore and you enjoy your work days. 

As a high school student or recent graduate, planning for your career can be hard to navigate so the resources included here are great for learning about available careers, industries that have available jobs and pay well, how to negotiate salaries, finding mentors, evaluating job offers, and so much more.

Getting an early start on career planning while in high school will help you choose a great college or trade school that will set you up for starting your first job after you graduate. We recommend finding opportunities to network with people already working in the industry that can answer questions or hook you up with possible internships or apprenticeships that will give you on-the-job training.

Related Reading

• Career prep for teens
• Best career prep books for teens
• Median starting salaries for various careers

About the Author

Jessica anglin.

Jessica was raised in a household where her parents didn't know how to pay bills on time and indulged in life's pleasures on a consistent basis in order to cover the misery from working jobs they hated for money that wasn't enough to live off of. She took on the role of caregiver to 4 siblings at age 15 and started her first business selling tie-dye t-shirts in order to buy food and provide a stable home. Nineteen years later, she owns three successful businesses, has earned an MBA in Finance, and works daily to set an example for the next generation on how to build wealth so they never face the same struggles.

Last updated on: November 27, 2023

14 Career Sites for High School Students (All Free)

By: Author Amanda L. Grossman

Posted on Last updated: January 9, 2024

Helping high school students choose a career? Career sites for high school students plus free career exploration activities for high school students.

Helping high school students choose a career?

It’s an awesome thing to give teens motivation and purpose behind their education – experts say this can increase their focus, interest, and even get more of your students to graduate. 

The thing is: most students can’t name very many careers or job types. It’s because they haven’t been exposed to tons of industries, careers, vocations, or even jobs.

That's why career awareness and career exploration for students is so important at this stage in life.

These career sites for high school students will help them to first cast a broad net into career and skillset exploration, and then to narrow their lists down enough so that that they can do meaningful career and job research.

Helping High School Students Choose a Career

Before we jump into these great websites, let's put a little structure to how you can help a high school student choose a career.

Plus, let's manage our expectations a bit. I mean, it's not 100% likely that a high school student is able to pick out what they want to be (even after they go through all this career exploration) at this age.

And that's okay!

I think it's important to help them narrow down 2-4 possible fields, and then put in some research into those. Using the websites below.

Here are some steps to help high schoolers pick 2-4 career fields to research:

Step #1: Skillset Identification

First, you need to help a student figure out what their skill set is.

Step #2: Interests Identification

Then, you need to help them figure out what they’re interested in doing, that is a paid position.

Step #3: Match Skillset and Interests to Career Fields

Where these two things intersect is where they should be looking for careers and jobs.

BUT, they might have a ton of different industries/jobs/careers that come back from this stage.

So, they’ll need to narrow that list down to do meaningful career research.

Step #4: Narrow Careers Down

Once they’ve narrowed down to 3-5 different jobs, they’ll want to run each through a research phase to learn more.

Step #5: Research those Careers to Find Out More

Researching a career:

• Income Ranges
• Education Requirements
• Skills Requirements
• Different job types
• Day in the Life
• Reading career books for students

Let's dive into how to do all of this, with some pretty awesome + free career sites for high schoolers.

Career Sites for High School Students – Skills Exploration

This section of career sites for high schoolers is dedicated to free online quizzes that will help your students figure out what their current skill set is, and which ones they might want to develop further.

Psst: got students who will not be going to college? Here's a resource of the best careers without college . You also might want to check out RISE Up's free classroom activities from the National Retail Federation.

1. Princeton Review’s Career Quiz

Students will need to register (for free), and then answer a series of 24 questions.

They’ll then receive one of four “interest colors” for “Your Interest” and “Your Style”:

• Red: Expediting
• Green: Communicating
• Blue: Planning
• Yellow: Administrating

For example, I received Yellow for both. Which means I’m interested in jobs that require organizing and systematizing, and my style is to work where in an orderly manner with few surprises (haha!).

You can then tab over to “Recommended Careers” for a list specific to your interest and style.

Bonus: One of my recommended careers? Is a small business owner…which I am. Woohoo!

2. Career Girls Career Quiz

Here’s a personality-based career quiz for girls that offers 35 different characteristics they can check off about themselves (multiple choice is totally allowed).

Then, based on those personality traits, they’ll receive a list of appropriate careers.

For example, I plugged in about 10 different ones about myself, and got the following list of potential careers:

• Real Estate Agent
• Athletic Trainer
• Physical Therapist
• Social Worker
• Human Resources Manager
• Sociologist
• Fitness Trainer
• Emergency Management Director
• Psychologist

3. O*Net Interest Profiler

Gives you RIASEC interest levels, which correspond with different jobs.

• Investigative
• Enterprising
• Conventional

Once you get your interests, you then go here and find out which jobs line up with those interests.

Hint: if you don’t have time to get your students using this website? Then they can take the PDF version of the quiz .

4. Education.com Online Career Test

Answer 35 questions, register with an email, and then you get your results (on the same screen – not through your email).

The different types of career paths you get measured for:

• Service-minded
• Communications
• Environmental

Note: this site steers students towards the type of coursework they should take, based on their results.

5. Career One Stop’s Skill Matcher

Career One Stop has figured out 40 workplace skills, and created a skills matcher to help students match their real-life skills with them.

Students can choose a beginner, basic, skilled, advanced, or expert level in each of the 40 listed workplace skills.

In the end, they’ll offer your teens a list of jobs where their natural skills and the ones they want to develop come into play.

Career Sites for High School Students – Career Awareness

Career awareness for high school students is so important. Remember, most students can rattle off maybe 20 careers or job types – but there are literally thousands or even millions of different types of jobs out there.

Psst: here's a take your child to work day activity you might want to try, for small business owners.

Not only that, but making students aware of the skills needed for certain careers so that they can work towards getting those, as well as what a day in the life of that job looks like, is critical as they continue to tweak their career choices moving forward.

These career sites for high school students will help you do all of that, and more. Plus, they all offer free resources that I’ll point out, below!

1. Road Trip Nation

An incredibly cool website for students – where people travel around the US in an Green RV, to talk about and document people in all types of jobs about work that they love, getting lost in their careers, finding their ways, etc.

Students can click “Start Your Roadmap”, and then answer three different questions. Then, they’re sent to a page of actual job ideas that list, among other info, the trend on that type of career (how much it’s growing or not growing). Not only that, but you can click over to “Leaders” and “Majors” to get more info/follow in the footsteps of how others got to that position.

I just love the milestones listed for how someone got into a particular job!

2. Career Girls

I cannot say enough good things about this website – it’s got a huge amount of resources for teen girls to:

• Discover things about themselves
• Research different career paths
• Hear from career role models about specific jobs
• Figure out how to develop employment skills they’re lacking

Be sure to check out this page , where you can download guides that will outline how the activities on this site align with Common Core Standards.

3. Career Village

Here’s a really cool site that will connect your high school students with real-world professionals so that they can get their profession-specific questions answered.

Students can leave a question, and a professional will (hopefully) respond to it!

Actually, I’m really impressed with the responses from real professionals.

Just check out an example:

4. Job Shadow

On this site, students can listen to over 400 videos from professionals talking about what a day in their work life looks like.

Interviews are available from professions like:

• Bail Bondsmen
• Firefighter
• Radiologist
• Veterinarian
• Pharmaceutical Rep
• And many, many more

5. Vault’s Day in the Life

Check out this collection of written “Day in the Life” from hundreds of professionals in all kinds of career fields.

For example, under “Human Services”, you can find a Day in the Life from:

• An in-House Grant Writer
• A Foundation Officer
• A Peace Corp Volunteer

6. Mapping Your Future

On this site, there’s the following options:

• Visit the featured career
• Match my career interests
• Review careers by clusters
• Career search

I specifically like the career clusters, because once your student gets an idea of a broad industry they’d like to be in (like “healthcare”), this tool helps them drill down into lots of specific jobs that fall under that.

7. Department of Labor Employment Websites

When researching teen career sites for this article, I was pleasantly surprised to find youth and student career resources on my own state’s employment website.

You can find your state’s various employment websites here , and then root around to see what youth and student resources/services they have.

8. My Future

You can input a generic industry/career type (like “science”), and it spits out tons of job titles and salary ranges for that industry.

9. The Forage

The Forage is this awesome new concept where actual companies who hire people everyday have created virtual internship experiences.

Not only that, but:

• You can usually put the certification/experience on your resume (they have instructions at the end of each)
• Recruiters routinely go through completers of these programs first to find new job candidates

I reached out to them, and there are actually 4 intern experiences high school students can take online, for free!

Here they are:

• Kennedys Virtual Experience Programme
• Global Introduction to Law Program
• ANZ Job Ready Virtual Experience Program

They just opened up this program to high school students, so be on the lookout for further opportunities in the future.

Psst: looking for more? I've included some career game sites in this article on career exploration for students .

10. MyCareerTech

This is a free platform created with CTE certified teachers.

Each topic comes with video lessons, a certification, lesson plans, and tests.

Career clusters are extensive – check them out:

Career Awareness for High School Students

What exactly does it mean to be “career aware” for high schoolers?

Let's discuss that.

I think there are several things teens need to know in order to be career aware.

Student Understands Difference Between a Job and a Career

A job is different from a career, and vice versa.

A job is “a paid position of regular employment.” A career is “an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.”

Each person's career will likely be filled with multiple jobs, internships, etc.

Also, sometimes you take a job that you don't necessarily want or like, because:

• a) it pays the bills
• b) it's a stepping stone to where you eventually do want to get to

Student Understands How Skills Work within Careers

There are specific skills someone must have to work in a particular field. Some skills you need to have before you can even apply for an entry-level position. Some skills, you obtain while on the job.

Skills can be obtained through apprenticeships, through internships, through education, through experience, through extra-curricular classes you take online, etc.

Here's a great CommonLit reading assignment called, “Will the ‘Right” College Major Get You a Job?” Another great one to give your students is “The Myth of the College Dropout” .

Pro Tip: It's important for students to know that some skills are “transferrable”, meaning, you can use that same skill in a different career (and you should point those out in a resume if you're looking to switch jobs).

Student Understands the Career Industry is Dynamic and Ever-Changing

Careers go in and out. Sometimes a career is trending up, and sometimes it's dying out. Sometimes, it's maintaining.

Something else that's particularly important for high school students to understand – since they haven't entered the job market yet and might not be for several more years – is how a particular career is trending.

You wouldn't want them to spend 4 years studying for a career field that will hardly be available when they get out of college or trade school, right?

That's why I love the bureau of labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook , which shares if a particular field is growing/expanding or not.

Student Understands Careers Have Different Pay

While each career holds a host of jobs at different pay points, we all know that some career fields pay more than others. Not only that, but some career fields have more hourly-type jobs, while others have more salary-type jobs.

Wow – did you make it all the way to the end? A gold star for YOU! I hope you found these career sites for high school students helpful, and are super-pumped to help that next generation of workers to get a clearer path on how to move forward. Not only that, but THANK YOU for your work as a teacher! We need more caring role models for students like you.

And if your teen is ready to start earning something on the side now? Here are the best online jobs for teens that pay .

• Latest Posts

Amanda L. Grossman

Latest posts by amanda l. grossman ( see all ).

• 50 Banking Activities for Kids (Student Financial Literacy) - February 14, 2024
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• 3 Fun Selfie Scavenger Hunts for Teens (Christmas, Fin Lit, etc.) - November 27, 2023

Go back to previous editions of CareerWise Weekly.

Resources to support high school students’ job search

There are many reasons why a student may be interested in a part-time or summer job – such as the chance to earn their own money, develop new or existing skills, gain experience or engage in something new.

But there are many reasons why it can be challenging to find a job too – hours may be inconvenient, transportation may be tricky for students who don’t have their own transportation and high school students may be at a disadvantage against jobseekers with more experience.

The following resources can help high school students find, prepare for and get part-time or summer jobs. Career practitioners may also find these resources useful as they support high school students in their job search.

Job search tips

Job search tips for high school students (the balance careers) [guide].

This article aims to help students approach their job search creatively and from multiple angles to help boost their chances of finding a job. Some examples include starting your job search close to home, checking out companies known for hiring young people and advertising your job search. The article also touches briefly on other things students can do to boost their chances, such as cleaning up their social media presence, being flexible and dressing appropriately.

Job search tips for high school students (eCampusTours.com) [Article]

This brief, helpful article provides students with 10 tips to help them in their job search, from searching for opportunities and applying for jobs to preparing for interviews and following up. It also highlights some aspects of a job search that could easily be forgotten but are very important.

Job Search Tips and Resources (Academy Canada) [Article]

This robust article covers several aspects of a student’s job search. The career fairs section of this article provides strategies that may be helpful to high school students when they attend job fairs, which are a popular way of finding first jobs.

Talentegg.ca [Website]

TalentEgg.ca is a gigantic online hub of job-finding and career-related resources. Their job search tool can help high school students search by job type (such as student jobs or summer jobs), city, and area of study. Students can also filter their search by province, city and keywords.

Resume resources

Almost every job posting will ask for a student’s resume. For tips, templates and tools, check out our article dedicated to resume resources for high school students .

Cover letter resources

Cover letter for high school students with no work experience (with samples) (indeed) [guide].

In addition to providing tips for creating each section of a student’s cover letter, this guide includes formatting tips, examples of experiences students can include and sample cover letters for entry-level positions (such as babysitter, retail sales associate and dishwasher).

Entry Level Cover Letter Examples and Writing Tips (The Balance Careers) [Guide]

This article is chock-full of tips to help high school students create a strong cover letter. A particularly useful part of this guide focuses on helping students connect their non-work experience to the job and industry they’re looking to work in, as well as showcasing skills that match a job description.

High School Student Cover Letter Example (ResumeGenius) [Article/Guide]

One of the most useful aspects of this article is the long list of skills high school students can highlight in their cover letter. This article also contains a short section with writing tips, an example of a high school student’s cover letter and a detailed template students can use as inspiration.

How to Write an Entry Level Cover Letter (Glassdoor) [Article]

This article provides four clear and actionable cover letter tips for guiding high school students who have limited job experience, along with useful examples for connecting a student’s experience and skills to a particular role.

Interview preparation

High school interview questions and answers (indeed.com) [article/guide].

This to-the-point article provides sample answers to four of the most common interview questions, as well as a useful list of questions in the following categories:

• General questions
• Questions about the student’s experience and background
• In-depth questions

Job Interview Tips for High School Students (TheBalance.com) [PDF]

This PDF provides detailed and helpful guidance for high school students on the following topics:

• Interview tips
• What to wear
• Examples of interview questions and good answers
• Interviewing do’s and don’ts

LiveCareer [Website]

LiveCareer offers the following resources to help students prepare for a job interview:

• Interview Preparation for Teens: 11 Tips for Getting the Job
• Job Interview Strategies for Teens

Teen Job Interview Questions, Answers, and Tips (The Balance Careers)  [Guide]

In addition to offering general interview tips for teenagers, this article helps students explore common questions asked during a teen interview, insights into what the employer is looking to learn and examples of good answers.

Student Interview Tip Sheet (Ontario.ca) [Tip sheet]

This four-page tip sheet provides students with interview preparation tips for before, during and after their interview. While the guide was designed for summer job positions, the tips provided can help high school students prepare for other roles as well.

This tip sheet also gives examples of interview questions in the following categories, along with suggestions for answering them:

• Technical or job-specific
• Situational or scenario-based
• Behavioural-based

Additional reading

• “Irrelevant” summer jobs still equip students with valuable skills (CareerWise)
• LinkedIn Profile Checklist for High School Students (LinkedIn)
• Dream Jobs? Teenagers’ Career Aspirations and the Future of Work (OECD)
• Thanks to COVID-19, High Schoolers’ Job Prospects Are Bleak. Here’s How Schools Can Help (EducationWeek)
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• Career Planning
• Finding a Job

Job Search Tips for High School Students

Consider a Variety of Job Options

• Companies That Hire Young People

Consider Volunteering

Check the rules for teen job seekers, write a resume, start your job hunt close to home, advertise your job search, check with the guidance office, job search online and in person, apply for lots of jobs, dress appropriately.

• Make Sure Your Social Media Is Presentable

Be Flexible

When you're in high school and haven't worked much or at all, it can be hard to find a job. In fact, teenagers have a really high unemployment rate.

There are a few reasons why finding work as a teenager can be challenging: 

• Experience: If you're looking for your first job, you may not be able to easily show you have the necessary skills and experience. 
• Hours: Sometimes employers need candidates who can work late nights or during school hours, which may not be doable for students. 
• Personal qualities: Interviewers may feel concerned that teenagers lack responsibility, maturity, and other key personal qualities needed to perform in the role. 

But don't get discouraged by these factors. If you are a high school student looking for a job, there are plenty of things you can do to overcome those obstacles, get your application noticed, and get yourself hired. 

Don't limit yourself to certain types of jobs. This is a tough market for young job seekers, and you may not be able to find a job doing what you really want to do. If you need a paycheck, keep an open mind when it comes to what you'll do to earn that paycheck.

Seasonal jobs , like camp counselor roles or retail hiring around the winter holidays, are often particularly open to hire teens.

If you were initially interested in a job working in retail, for example, consider roles in food services as well. You can also look for office-focused jobs. 

The more flexibility you have, the more opportunities you'll be able to apply for. Plus, even if the job wasn't your first choice, it may turn out to be better than you expected.

Check Out Companies That Hire Young People

There are some companies that traditionally hire younger workers. Here's information on the types of first jobs that students often work at, and the companies that hire 16 year-olds .

Even though you won't get a paycheck, volunteering is a great way to add valuable work experience to your resume, which will help you find a paid position in the future. Check with your high school guidance office and with local non-profit organizations for volunteer opportunities. 

Depending on how old you are, there are only certain jobs you can do and hours you can work. Check the Child Labor Law (you count as a child if you're under 18 when it comes to working) regulations to see how they apply to you. The minimum age you can work at paid non-agricultural employment is 14.  

In order to work legally in some states, workers under eighteen may need to obtain  working papers , which are officially called "Employment/Age Certificates." If your location requires them, you'll need to show them to an employer when you're hired.

Even though it may not be required by employers, a  resume  can help you stand out from the competition. Even though you may not have much information to include, a resume shows that you're serious about your job search.

Make sure to include extracurricular activities and volunteer work on your resume. 

One good way to get experience when you are a high school student is to start by working for friends and neighbors. Babysitting, mowing lawns, landscaping, yard work, shoveling snow, and pet sitting all can be included on your resume. In addition, the people you work for will be able to  give you a reference  when you apply for other jobs.

The most important thing you can do is advertise the fact that you’re looking for a job. You never know who might be looking for their next employee.

Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Many jobs aren't advertised, and you may be able to get a good job lead from a friend or family member.

TIP: The more people you tell, the better your chances are of finding a job. 

Your high school guidance office staff should be able to help you with job listings and jobsearch advice. There may be a bulletin board with job postings, a notebook with listings, and/or an online job board. They might also have internship opportunities, which may (or may not) be paid, but will give you valuable experience.

Check websites that list local job openings. You can use the job search engines like Indeed.com to search by keyword part-time and your location to find job listings in your city or town. Check your local Chamber of Commerce website (Google your city/town name and Chamber of Commerce to find it) to see if they list jobs. There are lots of sources of employment opportunities, both for part-time during the school year and for great summer jobs.

Also, try stopping in at local businesses, and check to see if they are hiring. In some cases, the business may put a sign in the window. If there isn’t one, check with the manager anyway. Your motivation and self-assurance will impress the manager and could land you an interview.

Job searching is a numbers game. Apply for as many jobs as possible. The more applications you have in, the better your chances are of securing an interview.

Keep applying for jobs, rather than waiting to hear back from one before you try for another position.

Be prepared to complete a job application. Bring all the information you need when you’re applying for jobs online, and have the details handy when you’re filling out online job applications. For most jobs, what you’ll need:

• Contact information (address and phone number)
• Educational background
• Extracurricular activities
• Skills related to the job
• Availability (days and hours)
• Previous jobs and employer contact information (if you have work experience)
• Salary history (if you have work experience)
• References (typically three)

Spend as much time as you can applying, and follow up by calling or emailing to check on your application. It will show that you’re actively job searching and interested in the position.

When you are applying inperson for jobs and interviewing, dress appropriately. Use the "Grandma Rule" (if your grandmother would like your interview outfit, then you are dressed properly).

Here's more info on what teens shouldn't wear to job interviewers. 

Make Sure Your Social Media Is Presentable

Potential employers may search your name online and on social media sites. Make sure they won't find anything that would make them reconsider hiring you.

Be as flexible as possible when it comes to your availability. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to get a job offer. Also, know when you're available for work. Bring a list of the hours you can work with you when you apply in person or go to an interview.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. " Employment and Unemployment Among Youth ." Accessed March 14, 2021.

U.S. Department of Labor. " Age Requirements ." Accessed March 14, 2021.

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youngworkers.org

Materials For Teachers, Youth Employment Programs, and Community Volunteers

As an educator, you have the opportunity to raise awareness about young worker health and safety.

This page contains teaching and educational resources available for you to use to teach about young worker issues as well as rights and responsibilities of young workers on the job.

Your CTE Safety Program: Safe Students, Safe Workers  (2019)

New tools for Career Technical Education (CTE) administrators and instructors on key program elements for safe CTE programs. Includes action-oriented guide for administrators and instructors in general industry and construction CTE Programs, links to resources, and assessments to identify where your program is stronger and where it needs more attention and lesson plans and materials to teach health and safety problem-solving and communication skills.

All Industry CTE

• Teaching Activities Guide [ ENGLISH ] [ SPANISH ]
• Problem Solving for Safety PowerPoint (PPT) [ ENGLISH ] [ SPANISH ]
• More Scenarios for Safety Bull’s Eye Activity (excerpts from the NIOSH Youth@Work— Talking Safety curriculum and PowerPoint )
• All Industry Guide. Your CTE Safety Program: Safe Students, Safe Workers
• “20 Questions” Handouts for Administrators and Instructors in CTE programs

Construction CTE

• Construction CTE Guide. Your Construction Safety Program: Safe Students, Safe Workers
• “20 Questions” Handouts for Administrators and Instructors in construction CTE programs
• 10-minute CTE Program Assessments for Administrators and Instructors in construction CTE programs

Youth @ Work: Talking Safety Curriculum (2017)

Includes instructor’s notes and training materials for teaching youth, including those with developmental and learning disabilities, basic job health and safety knowledge and skills. The 3 to 5- hour curriculum covers how to recognize and reduce hazards in the workplace, employees’ rights and responsibilities, emergency preparedness, and how to speak up about workplace concerns in an effective manner.

• California Curriculum
• PowerPoint (PPT)
• Other States Curriculum

A Safety and Health Curriculum for Workers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2016)

The curriculum is intended for supported employment agencies, community vocational rehabilitation programs, high-school transition programs, and other organizations and companies that place in jobs or hire workers with disabilities. The curriculum can help teach students or consumers/employees the foundational job safety and health skills that all workers need. The curriculum uses highly interactive and fun learning activities to teach workplace safety and health skills, which are general, transferable, and can apply across all jobs and industries.

• PowerPoint  (PPT)

Safe Jobs—Work Safe! A Curriculum for Continuation School Students and Teachers (2015)

The curriculum is designed to support the student in an independent setting. It can be implemented within the requirements of English Language Arts, Health, Career/Technical, or Life Skills to ensure that information about teen worker health and safety is delivered to our students, many of whom work, or are actively seeking employment. We have included alignment with two sets of standards (pp. 2 and 3 below) – the Common Core English Language Arts Standards, and the Core Competencies established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for a Safe, Skilled, Ready Workforce.

Orienting Worksite Supervisors About Teen Health and Safety Tool (2014)

Designed for job placement professionals to work with worksite supervisors to ensure that all young workers are working in a safe and healthful environment.

• Orienting Worksite Supervisors  (Steps, Training Agreement, Orientation Checklist) (PDF)
• Orienting Worksite Supervisors (DOC)
• The Facts for Employers: Safer Jobs for Teens Factsheet  (2019)(PDF)

Teens Working in Agriculture Curriculum (2010)

An ESL curriculum for high school students Developed by UC Berkeley’s Labor Occupational Health Program.

This curriculum covers basic agricultural health and safety concepts designed to be incorporated into high school intermediate level ESL classes in rural communities. Includes a video, “Teens Working in Agriculture.”

• Download from the LOHP website

OSHA’s 11 Curriculum (2009)

An OSHA 10-hour curriculum for Young Workers

This curriculum, developed by the University of Washington’s Pacific Northwest OSHA Education Center, LOHP, and the Education Development Center, contains lesson plans for teaching a version of the OSHA 10-hour General Industry training course (2009 OSHA requirements) appropriate for young workers, especially high school-aged students enrolled in career & technical education, skills centers, academies, or other school-based programs. In order to be eligible for an OSHA-10 card, students would still need to receive the training from an OSHA-approved instructor; content and time spent on specific topics would need to meet current OSHA requirements. Activities have been drawn from a variety of other curricula, acknowledged in the OSHA’s 11 curriculum.

• Curriculum & Powerpoint Files
• Teen Workers: Real Jobs, Real Risks
• Don’t Fall For It
• Dr. Ergo: Ergonomics Awareness
• Is it Worth Your Life

Teens Speak Out for Safety on the Job Curriculum (2008)

Lessons from the Young Worker Leadership Academy

Since 2005, over 150 enthusiastic young people from throughout California have attended one of our Young Worker Leadership Academies (YWLAs) on workplace health and safety. The YWLA is a fun, activity-packed, all-expense-paid leadership training for teens. It prepares teams of teens to go back to their communities and create an education, policy, or media project that promotes workplace safety for young people. Because the YWLA can serve as a model for similar efforts, we have prepared this booklet, in partnership with UCLA’s Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH), to explain how the YWLA works. It describes, step by step, how we plan and carry out the YWLA and what lessons we have learned.

• Complete Booklet
• Supplemental materials

For more information on the Young Worker Leadership Academies, click here .

Teens, Work, and Safety Curriculum (1998)

A Curriculum for High School Students

Designed by and for teachers, this interactive curriculum can be used in academic high school classes as well as in vocational and work experience programs. Each 3 to 5-hour teaching unit contains learning objectives, lesson plans, detailed teacher’s instructions, masters for overheads, and student handouts. Units cover both specific job hazards and labor laws.

• Introduction
• General Unit
• English Unit
• Science Unit
• U.S. Government Unit
• Resources Section

Additional Teaching Activities

• 2019 Safe Jobs 4 Youth Kahoot! Quiz  ( Factsheet ) ( ANSWER KEY )
• 2018  Sexual Harassment at Work ( Kahoot! Quiz )  ( Answer Key )  ( Factsheet )
• 2017  Safe Jobs 4 Youth Activities Guide  (PDF)   (PPT)  ( Webinar Recording )
• 2016  “Are You a Working Teen Game Show Activity”( PDF ) ( PPT )
• 2015  “Lost Youth” ( PDF )
• 2014  “Workplace Violence Prevention” Curriculum ( PDF )
• 2013  “Safe Work/Work Safe” ( PPT )
• 2012  “Teens Take on Sexual Harassment” ( PDF )
• 2011  “Triangle Tragedy” ( PDF ) ( PPT ) ** Labor History Activity!
• 2010  “Heat Safety: It’s Part of the Job ( PDF )
• 2009  “Emergencies at Work” ( PDF )
• 2008  “Why Does Workplace Health and Safety Matter?” ( PDF )
• 2007  “Making the Job Safer” ( PDF )
• 2006  “Identifying Hazards and Solutions” ( PDF )
• 2005  “There Ought to Be a Law!” ( PDF )  **Labor History Activity!
• 2004  “Know Your Rights” – Bingo ( PDF )
• 2003  “Identifying & Controlling Workplace Hazards” ( PDF )
• 2002  “Problem Solving for Health and Safety” ( PDF )
• 2001  “Taking Action for Health and Safety” ( PDF )
• 2001 “Legal Rights” ( PDF )
• “Are You A Working Teen?”  English  / Spanish
• Facts for Employers  English  /  Spanish
• Tips for Parents with Working Teens  English  /  Spanish
• Tips for Adolescent Health Care Providers  English

For additional materials

For additional materials, visit External Links and Resources .

Moscow District

• Environment

District Summary Ratings

• Top Rated Schools

College Success Award

District student progress, advanced courses.

• ENVIRONMENT

Student Demographics

Teachers & staff, district calendar, district finances.

• Nearby homes for sale

A larger number of schools in this district are rated above average in school quality.

Top Rated Schools in This District

A larger number of schools in this district have students who are making more academic progress than their peers at other schools in the state.

Academic Summary

Greatschools district data sources & information, 8th grade algebra 1 participation rate.

Source : Civil Rights Data Collection, 2018

8th grade Algebra 1 pass rate

Ap math course participation, ap science course participation, other ap course participation, students per teacher.

The average number of students per full-time teacher in this district; please note that this is not a reflection of average class size.

Students per counselor

The average number of students per counselor in this district.

% of teachers with 3 or more years experience

The percentage of full-time teachers in this district who have been teaching for 3 or more years.

% of full time teachers who are certified

The percentage of full-time teachers in this district who have met all applicable state standard teacher certification requirements.

Average teacher salary

The average salary for full-time teachers in this district.

This indicates the percentage of schools in this district that have a full-time or part-time registered nurse on staff.

Psychologist

This indicates the percentage of schools in this district that have a full-time or part-time licensed psychologist on staff.

Law enforcement officer

This indicates the percentage of schools in this district that have a full-time or part-time sworn law officer on campus.

Total district revenue

This reflects the total annual funds this district received from local, state, and federal sources, compared to the average across the state. (See examples below).

Source : National Center for Education Statistics, 2017

Average revenue per student

This reflects how much annual revenue per student this district has compared to the state average. The revenue per student figure offers a helpful way to compare districts, since total revenues will vary greatly between large and small districts.

Funds from the federal government, which can include money for Title 1 schools, vocational and tech education, bilingual education, and the Child Nutrition Act, and more.

Funds from the state government, which can include money for staff improvement, special education, gifted and talented, bilingual, and vocational education, school lunch, transportation, and employee benefits, and more.

Funds from local sources, which can include money from parent organizations like a PTA/PTO; local property, sales, or utility taxes, and transportation, and more.

Total district spending

This is a breakdown of this district’s total spending, including spending on preK-12 education, adult education, payments to governments, private or charter schools, spending on buildings, roads, and equipment, and more.

Average spending per student

This reflects how much money this district spent on a per-student basis, compared to the state average. This figure can help you compare districts to one another.

Instruction

Spending on preK-12 instruction, including teacher salaries and materials for regular, special, and vocational programs during the school year and summer, and more.

Support services

Spending on administrative support for preK-12 education, including professional development, counselors, transportation, materials, and more.

Other preK-12 spending

Spending on preK-12 spending outside of instruction and support services.

Other spending

Other spending, including community services, adult education, and spending on things like buildings and roads.

Homes Nearby

Homes for rent & sale near this district

Reviews From Schools in Moscow District

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Unv youth advocates programme: applications now open, the talent programme by unicef and unv aims at empowering young people, including youth with disabilities, to become agents of change.

UNICEF has launched the UNV Youth Advocates programme , an initiative to recruit talent in partnership with United Nations Volunteers  (UNV) . We aim at empowering young people , including youth with disabilities, to become agents of change and champion children's rights.

Click here to go to the video | Click here to go to the assignments

The UNV Youth Advocates

After the success of the first initiative in 2018 - 2019, which mobilized 42 Youth Advocates (18-24 years old) in 27 countries, UNICEF, in partnership with UNV, is now looking for the second cohort.  We are searching for 20 young, passionate, and skilled advocates to join us and become agents of change advocating for the protection of children’s rights.

The UNV Youth Advocates Programme offers young people the chance to gain one-year professional experience through a National UN Volunteer (UNV) assignment with UNICEF , while also imparting their valuable insights into the organization's work for children and young people.

The recruited UNV Youth Advocates will have access to learning and professional development opportunities, including a suite of online learning programmes.

Young professionals with disabilities and from under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

If you are 18-35 years of age and passionate about children´s rights, check out the assignment opportunities listed below.

Click here to go to the assignments

Listen to what Joyranig, Jean Junior, and Rediet,

UN Youth Volunteers at UNICEF have to say about their experience

and why they think you should join too.

Youth Advocates Assignments

Take note of the closing date for applications. Assignments are removed on the application closing date. Click on the country you are interested in to go to the assignment.

Disability Inclusion Assistant - UNICEF Iran

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