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.
| 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. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Create a spider map that matches your skills and experience to a job posting.
Students choose a real posting for a job open to teens, or use the TagBack example.
Students mark the must-haves and the nice-to-haves in different colors.
Each requirement gets its own leg, with proof from the student's life in each cell.
For a requirement they don't meet yet, students write an honest plan to address it.
Students use the map to fill in a real or sample job application.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.