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Day 1: Job Search Steps + Admin Pathway

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Identify the steps of an effective job search; explore Administrative Services careers in H&L; outline a cover letter for a sample job posting
TEKS d(6)(A), d(1)(C)
Deliverable 7-step job search notes + cover letter outline
Materials Chromebooks, H&L accounts, sample job posting (printed), Cover Letter Template, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: Imagine you are 18, just graduated from high school, and looking for your first real job. Write down, in order, the first 5 things you would do.

Take 4-5 student responses. Most students will get some steps right and miss others. Bridge to today: there is a clear, repeatable process for job searching, and it works for any career at any age.

Activity 1: 7-Step Job Search Process (15 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 6 (Job Searching Steps) + scope and sequence d(6)(A)

Walk through the 7-step process on the projector. This is an expanded version of the H&L Ch 6 four-step framework students saw in Wk 1:

  1. Self-Assessment: Know what you want. Use your H&L Climber Profile, RIASEC, Building Blocks, and the favorites you've collected all year.
  2. Research Openings: Search job boards (Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, Handshake), company websites, and networking. Use specific keywords.
  3. Prepare Materials: Resume (Wk 2), cover letter (Day 2), references (Day 3). Have these ready BEFORE you find a job posting.
  4. Apply: Submit application + cover letter + resume. Follow directions exactly. Sloppy applications get ignored.
  5. Prepare for Interview: Research the company. Practice common questions. Plan your outfit. Bring copies of your resume.
  6. Interview: Eye contact, firm handshake, clear answers, smile. Show interest in the company.
  7. Follow Up: Send a thank-you email within 24 hours. This step alone makes you stand out.

Students take notes on the 7 steps in their notebooks or on a graphic organizer.

Connection to the year: Step 1 is everything they did from Wk 0 of the year. Steps 2-3 are what this week and last week cover. Steps 4-7 are what real job seekers do. Students are already further along than they realize.

Facilitation Tip

Number each step on the board big and visible. Refer back to them all week. ("We did Step 3 yesterday. Today we're working on Step 5.") Repetition cements the steps in students' memories, and d(6)(A) is the standard students need to recall by name.

Activity 2: H&L Administrative Services Hat Tour (10 min)

Source: H&L Workbook Ch 5: Business, Marketing, and Finance (Business Management pathway)

Direct students to open H&L and explore Administrative and Business Management Hats within the Business, Marketing, and Finance cluster.

[H&L PLATFORM] From the workbook (Ch 5, p. 73): The Business Management pathway is described as "Planning and organizing how business runs to make sure everything works smoothly." Students use the Hat Finder to browse: Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Human Resources Specialist, Operations Manager, Administrative Assistant.

Quick salary check on bls.gov: Administrative Services Manager median is around $100K nationally. Office workers are the backbone of every company, and these jobs are everywhere in DFW.

Why this connects to today: Administrative careers REQUIRE strong job skills (cover letters, resumes, references, interviews) because they are the people who often handle the hiring documents at companies. They know what good looks like.

Activity 3: Cover Letter Outline Setup (15 min)

Source: Cover Letter Template + sample job posting

Distribute the printed sample job posting. Use a real-sounding posting like:

Position: Part-Time Office Assistant, Pecan Creek Veterinary Clinic

Description: Pecan Creek Vet Clinic is hiring a part-time Office Assistant for after-school hours. Duties include greeting patients (and their pets), answering phones, filing paperwork, and helping the office manager with daily tasks. Looking for friendly, organized, dependable students. No experience required, we will train.

Qualifications: Friendly attitude, basic computer skills, ability to work 3-5 hours after school, comfortable around dogs and cats.

To Apply: Send cover letter and resume to pecancreekvet@example.com.

Students will write a cover letter for THIS posting starting Day 2. Today they only need to outline what they will say.

Distribute the Cover Letter Template. Walk through the six parts:

  1. Header: Your name, contact info, date, employer name + address
  2. Greeting: "Dear [Hiring Manager / Employer Name]:" (use a real name if possible)
  3. Body Paragraph 1, Why I'm Writing: Name the job, where you saw it, one sentence about why you're interested
  4. Body Paragraph 2, Why I'm Qualified: Connect YOUR skills to THIS job. Use specific examples.
  5. Body Paragraph 3, Call to Action: Thank the reader, ask for an interview, share your contact info
  6. Closing: "Sincerely," + your name

Students fill in JUST the outline today, bullet points for each section. They will write the full sentences on Day 2.

Facilitation Tip

The most common cover letter mistake is making it about YOU instead of the job. Push students: "What does the vet clinic NEED? What do YOU have that matches?" Cover letters work when they answer the employer's question, not when they list the student's life story.

DOK 2: Why does a cover letter need to be different for each job? Why can't you write one cover letter and send it to everyone?

Exit Ticket (5 min)

EXIT TICKET (Concept Map) · Printable PDF:

Draw a quick concept map. Place JOB SEARCH in the center. Draw 7 bubbles (one per step) around it and label each in ORDER.

  1. Step 1 label: _____

  2. Step 2 label: _____

  3. Step 3 label: _____

  4. Step 4 label: _____

  5. Step 5 label: _____

  6. Step 6 label: _____

  7. Step 7 label: _____

Pick ONE step. Write a SPECIFIC concrete action you would take next week for that step (e.g., Step 4 = "Update my resume with my bilingual Spanish skill"):

Step #: _____

My action: _____________

(d(6)(A))

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a printed 7-step job search reference card with simple icons next to each step. Provide a partially-filled cover letter outline for the vet clinic posting with the header pre-completed.
  • Extension: Students find a REAL job posting on Indeed for an Irving-area part-time job and outline a cover letter for that posting instead of the sample.
  • ELL: Pre-teach: Job Search = Búsqueda de empleo, Application = Solicitud, Interview = Entrevista, Follow Up = Seguimiento. Many DFW employers value bilingual workers, encourage students to mention bilingual abilities in their cover letter.