Job Application Worksheet for Students

Job Posting to Application - Job Interview Skills Example

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Lesson Plan Overview

Template and Class Instructions

Lesson Plan Overview

A job posting is a list of what the employer needs. A strong application answers that list point by point. In this activity, students read a real job posting, then build a spider map with the job in the center and one requirement on each leg. Next to each requirement, they show proof from their own life. The finished map tells them what to put on the application, the résumé, and in the interview.

The example uses TagBack's posting for a part-time order assistant, the job Jordan applies for throughout this guide.

Before You Begin

Time needed: 45 minutes for the spider map; 20 minutes to fill in an application.
Find postings: use local job boards, CareerOneStop, or postings from businesses near school. Choose jobs open to teens.
Read like an employer: have students highlight the "must haves" (age, hours, skills) and the "nice to haves" in different colors.
Applications: remind students to list their real availability, ask references before naming them, and never stretch the truth.
Assessment: every requirement on the posting has its own leg, each leg has a specific piece of proof, and any gaps have a plan.

Example: TagBack Order Assistant

THE POSTING SAYS	JORDAN'S PROOF
Available 2 afternoons a week (6–8 hours)	Free Tuesdays and Thursdays after 3:00, after track season ends.
Careful and organized	Restocks and counts inventory at the school store every week.
Friendly written communication	Writes the school store's weekly announcement email.
Basic computer skills	Uses Google Sheets for the club budget.
Reliable	Hasn't missed a school store shift this year.
Experience with shipping (nice to have)	No experience yet. Plan: say I'm eager to learn and mention I pack the store's online orders for pickup.

Differentiation

Grade 8: provide the posting and three requirements.
Grades 9–12: students find a real posting and use the spider map to tailor their résumé from the Visual Résumé Planner.
Work-based learning: use an internship or apprenticeship posting from your program's partners.

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Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a spider map that matches your skills and experience to a job posting.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
In the center, write the job title and the business.
Read the posting and list one requirement in each leg of the map.
In each cell, show proof from your life that you meet that requirement.
If you don't meet a requirement yet, write your plan to address it.
Use your map to fill in a job application.
Save and submit your storyboard.

Job Posting to Application - Job Interview Skills Template

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Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

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Lesson Plan Overview

The example uses TagBack's posting for a part-time order assistant, the job Jordan applies for throughout this guide.

Before You Begin

Time needed: 45 minutes for the spider map; 20 minutes to fill in an application.
Find postings: use local job boards, CareerOneStop, or postings from businesses near school. Choose jobs open to teens.
Read like an employer: have students highlight the "must haves" (age, hours, skills) and the "nice to haves" in different colors.
Applications: remind students to list their real availability, ask references before naming them, and never stretch the truth.
Assessment: every requirement on the posting has its own leg, each leg has a specific piece of proof, and any gaps have a plan.

Example: TagBack Order Assistant

THE POSTING SAYS	JORDAN'S PROOF
Available 2 afternoons a week (6–8 hours)	Free Tuesdays and Thursdays after 3:00, after track season ends.
Careful and organized	Restocks and counts inventory at the school store every week.
Friendly written communication	Writes the school store's weekly announcement email.
Basic computer skills	Uses Google Sheets for the club budget.
Reliable	Hasn't missed a school store shift this year.
Experience with shipping (nice to have)	No experience yet. Plan: say I'm eager to learn and mention I pack the store's online orders for pickup.

Differentiation

Grade 8: provide the posting and three requirements.
Grades 9–12: students find a real posting and use the spider map to tailor their résumé from the Visual Résumé Planner.
Work-based learning: use an internship or apprenticeship posting from your program's partners.

Copy Activity

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a spider map that matches your skills and experience to a job posting.

Click "Use This Template" from the assignment.
In the center, write the job title and the business.
Read the posting and list one requirement in each leg of the map.
In each cell, show proof from your life that you meet that requirement.
If you don't meet a requirement yet, write your plan to address it.
Use your map to fill in a job application.
Save and submit your storyboard.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 9-12

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual, Partner, or Group

Type of Activity: Spider Maps

Copy Activity

How to Match Skills to a Job Posting

Find a posting

Students choose a real posting for a job open to teens, or use the TagBack example.

Highlight the requirements

Students mark the must-haves and the nice-to-haves in different colors.

Build the spider map

Each requirement gets its own leg, with proof from the student's life in each cell.

Plan for any gaps

For a requirement they don't meet yet, students write an honest plan to address it.

Complete the application

Students use the map to fill in a real or sample job application.

Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Job Applications

How should students read a job posting?

Like an employer's checklist. Have students highlight the must-haves (age, hours, required skills) in one color and the nice-to-haves in another. Each highlighted line is a requirement they should answer with proof on the application, the résumé, and in the interview. Reading this way also shows students quickly whether a job fits their schedule.

Where can students find real job postings?

Local job boards, CareerOneStop, the websites of businesses near school, community bulletin boards, and your program's work-based learning partners. Choose postings open to teens, such as retail, food service, camps, libraries, and recreation centers. Printing a few in advance saves class time and makes sure every posting is appropriate.

What if a student doesn't meet every requirement?

They can still apply. Postings often list more than employers expect from a first-time worker, especially nice-to-haves. Students should write a plan for each gap, such as eagerness to learn or a related experience, and be honest about it. In the example, Jordan has no shipping experience but packs the school store's pickup orders.

What should students know before filling out an application?

List real availability, including sports and family commitments; ask references before naming them; and never stretch the truth, since anything on the application can come up in the interview. Students under 18 should also check whether their state requires a work permit, which the school counseling office can usually help with.

How should I grade the spider map?

Give points for giving every requirement in the posting its own leg, for a specific piece of proof on each leg, and for a realistic plan wherever the student doesn't meet a requirement yet. Then check the completed application against the map to see whether the proof made it onto the form.