Researching Job Openings

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable): 

  n/a

  Course Title: 

  Medical Skills and Services

  Course Number:  

  8400320

  Career Cluster: 

  Health Science

  CIP Number: 

  03179997PA

  Course Type: 

  Non-Career Preparatory
  
  

  CTE Standard(s) and  Benchmark(s): 

  10.1 Identify local job openings in health care.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Filling a Job Vacancy.” See CPALMS resource ID# 210165.  

• Career Connection

  
  

  Understanding the hiring process will help students in their pursuit of future employment. Using the internet to find job postings will allow students to explore job availability of careers of interest in their local area.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to: 

  • Create a sample job opening description for a medical receptionist.
  • Use a computer to research local job openings in the medical field.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • The concept that there is a process or steps taken to hire an employee.
  • The concept that most employers post job openings online.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What information is included in an online job posting/website?
  • What training, education, and experience is needed to be successful in a specific medical career?
  • What positions/jobs are available in the local geographic area?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, tell students to think about various medical careers and how different careers require different skills. Then, have students discuss what skills a person would need to work in the following careers: dentist, paramedic, and pharmacist.
  2. Read the “Filling a Job Vacancy” case study (see CPALMS resource ID# 210165) with students. This creates the setting for this lesson and leads into the following discussion questions:
     • "What steps will Dr. Morales need to take to hire a new employee?”
       • Sample answers: advertise or post the job online, collect applications and resumes, interview candidates, check references, etc.
     • “What experience, traits, and/or skills would this new employee need to have?”
     • “How would Dr. Morales find potential candidates for this job?”
  3. Tell students that this lesson will focus on how and where jobs are advertised to attract high-quality applicants.
  4. Activity #1: Creating a Job Posting
     • Display the case study or provide a copy to groups to use as a reference for this activity.
       • Pass out the Job Posting Template (see attachments) to students (one per group).
         • The template will have the following categories for students to fill in: job responsibilities/duties, skills needed, education/training needed, experience, etc.
       • Tell students that they are going to use the internet to research existing job postings for medical receptionists and work together to create a job posting for the new position at ABC Pediatrics.
       • Give students about 15-20 minutes to research and fill in the template.
       • Have groups share their answers with the class.
       • Then, ask students:
         • “What other information did you find on these websites?”
         • “What things on the websites would make an applicant want to apply for a particular job?”
           • Sample answers will likely focus on benefits, work schedule, etc.
     • Collect the group papers, if desired.
  5. Activity #2: Researching a Career of Interest
     • Now that students are familiar with job posting websites, students will use them to research a career of interest in the medical field.
     • Provide students with The Researching Job Openings Worksheet (see attachments) that will instruct students to research several postings for one career of interest.
  6. Use the follow-up questions from the Researching Job Openings Worksheet as a closure. These questions ask students to compare the postings, select the one they are most interested in, and justify their choice.

   

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Activity #1 requires students to work in groups. The teacher should set up groups in advance.
  • If students do not have computers, the teacher may need to sign up to use a computer lab.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • The teacher will informally assess learning through group discussion.
  • Student answers on the Researching Job Openings Worksheet can also be used to evaluate student understanding of job postings.

  Accommodation Suggestions:

  • Allow students to work with a buddy on the Researching Job Openings Worksheet.
  • Reduce the number of details needed in each section of the Researching Job Openings Worksheet.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Students could create a poster or presentation of the career they researched.