Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga City
DON PABLO LORENZO MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
Stand-Alone Senior High School
Governor Ramos Avenue, Zamboanga City

MODULE ON WORK READINESS FOR

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Developed for Fundacion Concordia y Libertad and Philippine Business for

Social Progress under the project “Fortalecer competencias profesionales, el
compromiso cívico y empleabilidad de jóvenes y mujeres desplazadas en
Marawi y Zamboanga, Mindanao” (Strengthening professional skills, civic
engagement and employability of young people and women displaced in
Marawi and Zamboanga, Mindanao)
SESSION 1 ENSURING THE SUCCESSFUL EXIT OF THE SHS LEARNERS

Objective:

1. To be able to explain to the SHS learners the different situations between being a
student and being an employee.
2. To provide an input for smooth transition from student to employee

I. INTRODUCTION

Student work readiness relates to the acquisition of relevant skills and knowledge which enable
students to make meaningful contributions to industry. The role of the teacher plays a vital role
in assisting the students in the transition from student to practitioner. The students’ smooth
transition into the workforce translates into higher levels of interactions in their workplace,
ensuing in benefits for both the employee and the employer.

Teacher Intro: “In few months, you will make a big decision whether to proceed to the university
or embark in a workplace. It can be an overwhelming step to take but it is comforting to know
that your school has prepared you well for this purpose. Today, you will be enlightened on the
shift of setting from being a student to being an employee.

II. ACTIVITY 1

BUZZ session The VENN Diagram (The students will be asked to write down the differences and
similarities between a student and employee

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 III. PROCESSING/ANALYSIS

Teacher Part: “What do you think are differences between being a student and being an
employee in terms of lifestyle, schedule, deadlines, feedback, manners etc.?’
“How about the similarities?”

IV. INPUTS FROM THEN FACILITATOR

A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OF A LECTURE IN THE TRANSITION OF STUDENT TO

EMPLOYEE

Transition from Studentship to Employee

Transition
Content
• Stages of transition
• Student lifestyle
• Working Professional’s lifestyle
• Difference between Student & employee
• Qualities to adopt for transition •
• Challenges & Opportunities
• Conclusion

STAGES

Student life Employee

•Frequent, quick and concrete feedback
(grades, etc.
•Highly structured curriculum with lots
of direction.
•Personally, supportive environment
•Flexible schedule
•Infrequent and less precise feedback
•Highly unstructured & uncertain environment
& tasks with few directions.

•Structured schedule •Less personal support.

Steps involved in Process of transition from student to An Employee

1. Adopt the right Attitude
2. Adjust your expectation
3. Build effective Relationship
4. Understand organizational culture
5. Understand your new hire role
6. Be an employee easy to manage
7. Acquire knowledge, skills, abilities

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8. Stay alert, stay afresh, stay updated

1. Adopt the right attitude

• Identify “success-related attitudes”.
• Humility
• Readiness to learn
• Readiness to change
• Respect
• Confidence
• Have an open min
• Positive attitude

2. Adjust your Expectation

• Decide what is reasonable
• Eliminate the word “Should’’
• Be tolerant of other views
• Explore proper ways to meet the needs

3. Build effective Relationship

• Understand the nature of working relationships
• Learn to work in teams
• Network, network, network
• Find a mentor, coach

4. Understand organizational culture

...also known as “around-here-isms.”
• Mission of the organization.
• Guiding philosophies.
• Basic values and norms.
• Behavioral expectations.
• Work ethic
• Management philosophies.
• Ethical standards.
• General atmosphere/. Office climate.
• Attitude of employees.
• Communication norms.
• Work norms.

5. Understand your new-hire role

• Master the art of being new.
• Pay your new employee dues
• Understand the bigger picture
• Find your niche

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 6. KEYS TO BEING AN EASY EMPLOYEE TO MANAGE
• Accept criticism and feedback well.
• Be flexible; expect the unexpected.
• Take ownership of the job.
• Keep disagreements behind closed doors.
• Motivate yourself instead of waiting to be motivated.
• Accept assignments willingly.

7. Acquire knowledge, skills & abilities

• Technical knowledge
• Human skills
• Conceptual skills
• Ability to work within a team
• Leadership skills

8. Stay alert, afresh and update

• Have good knowledge about both internal and external environment
• Stay connected through social media
• Update yourself regularly

Challenges faced during transition from student to employee

• Chaotic and stressful environment
• Time management issue
• Unaware of dealing with all types of people and personalities
• Balancing work demands with family/ friends/ personal life

Opportunities
• Every day new learning form experienced people
• Get more exposed to external environment
• Get self-motivated
• Being a fresh blood can come up with innovative ideas for the benefit of the company
• Can create healthy and energetic environment

V. SYNTHESIS

Teacher Part: “The idea of having to perform as an employee can be both challenging and
pleasant. So, whatever your first career step after this Senior High School year, even if you are
working in a job and you have no idea of where your future lies, know that you are growing,
maturing and acquiring valuable abilities, strengths and personal qualities that you will no doubt
use at some point as you navigate your way along your career path.”

In the next session you will be asked to assess yourself for Job Readiness

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SESSION 2 ASSESSMENT ON JOB READINESS USING THE WORK VALUES INVENTORY
TOOL

OBJECTIVE:
1. To identify the skills and values that would help the students assess their strengths and
weaknesses and to provide the drive to accomplish the important goals in life

I. INTRODUCTION

The Work Values Inventory is a list of 42 work values and lifestyle considerations that have been
found to be important in work environments.

Moreover, it is necessary that students must understand the skills they possess. Thus, each one
varies in the skill they possess. Similarly, employers also differ in the kinds of skills they require.
While students have many different skills, they usually take them for granted, and as a result have
difficulty identifying and communicating them with others.

II. ACTIVITY

The students will be asked to answer the WORK VALUES INVENTORY TOOL

Note: Teacher-facilitator should give the students enough time to comprehend and answer the
questions.

*See attached appendices for copy of the Assessment Tool

See attached appendices for the INVENTORY TOOL.

III. PROCESS/ANALYSIS

The students will be asked to list the top 10 important Work Values and rank in order of
importance: (1= most important, 2=next important, 3=least important). From the top 10 the
students again make a summary of work values narrowing it to top 5 most important work values.

Furthermore, on the skills inventory, the students must list 12 skills they have checked which are
marked as EXISTING SKILLS, another 5 for SKILLS TO DEVELOP, and 7skills which they think they
can use in the work.

IV. INPUTS FROM THHE FACILITATOR

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 How to Use the Results

First, remember to keep the lists of skills and values in these exercises for future reference. The
skills listed here will help you identify some of the skills you may want to list when writing your
resume or to articulate in the interview. The values list will assist you in keeping your most
important goals in mind.

If you have a high degree of overlap with a work area of interest, you should be prepared to
include mention of these skills and values in your letters, resumes, and informational interviews
with potential employers. If you did not find much overlap you will want to take advantage of the
many opportunities available to develop your skills while at Wagner. These include coursework,
group projects, internships and part-time employment. If you are not yet sure of an area of interest
and the relevant skills and values, there are other sources for further exploration.

Values and skills are intimately related.

If we value what we do, we engage more enthusiastically in developing the skills needed to
establish meaningful and productive careers. For example, if you value working with people, you
will want to develop the communication, leadership, and relationship building skills that will
facilitate your professional growth in that kind of work

V. SYNTHESIS

• Teacher Part: (Explain to the students the concept below)

Knowing your Work Values and skills will allow you to identify those you possess and those that
you have to work toward developing in order to actualize your career goals and meet the needs
of employers.

SESSION 3 “Where Do I Find the Job Opportunities?” Job Search techniques

Objective:

1. To be able to be familiar with the different platforms of information as to where the SHS
learners can apply for a job

I. INTRODUCTION
This session the teacher facilitator will assist the students in determining different platforms where
the students can search for a job.

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Teacher Part:

Whether you're a fresh graduate or someone who's been in the job market for years – job
hunting is tough. Have you tried rethinking your approach?

There's no denying it – searching for a job really is a full-time job in itself, and unfortunately, it
doesn't get any easier as you get older!

Feeling a bit like you're going around in circles and getting nowhere with it? Sometimes, it can be
helpful to take a step back and really think about your approach before bashing out the job
applications.

Taking a different angle can give you a fresh boost of confidence if you're feeling in a rut, and
hopefully land you that opportunity you've been searching for!

II. ACTIVITY (JOB HUNT ROLE PLAY)

The teacher facilitator will engage the students in a role play to highlight the different platforms
for job searching such as:

a. Print Media
b. Radio and TV Advertisements
c. Posters
d. Social Media
e. Online Networking /Online Platform

III. PROCESSING ANALYSIS

In this session, the teacher facilitator will walk through the students in the best ways to find a
job quickly by using the following;

Method #1: Using Your Network to Find a Job

I’ll start by saying I know not everyone has a strong network they can rely on. It’s okay. But whoever
you do know, you should talk to and utilize. And you should make new connections/relationships
to make your job search easier as well.

Rule 1: Tell EVERYONE

The first rule of job search networking: Tell people your job hunting. Nobody can help you if you
don’t tell people.

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Rule 2: Always Try to Get Introduced to a Company

Also, think of anyone in your existing network (former coworkers, classmates, friends and family,
etc.) who work at companies or have connections to companies you might want to work at.

Approach them and ask if they know if the company is hiring. Explain why you thought the
company would be a good fit and see if they have any ideas how you might be able to get in
contact with them.

It’s best to ask casually like this, rather than directly asking for a big favor upfront… unless you’re
very close with the person you’re talking to (like a sibling, best friend, parent, etc.)

Method #2: Apply Directly to Targeted Companies

You should spend a good portion of your time finding companies that fit what you want to be
doing in your career, and apply directly via email or via their “Careers” page.

This includes companies that are hiring, but also companies who are not hiring.

Your odds of hearing back from a company that doesn’t appear to be hiring are lower, but you’ll
have virtually no competition if they do reply and show interest in your background.

So, aim for a mix, maybe 70% companies who are hiring, and 30% companies who don’t appear
to be hiring or don’t have a job that fits your background listed on their site.

Reasons Companies Might Interview You Even if a Job Wasn’t Posted

• They were planning on posting a relevant job soon, and you caught them at the right
time (you’d be amazed how much luck goes into a job search. This can absolutely
happen)
• They’re growing fast and want talented people in general. Many growth-stage
companies are always looking for ambitious talent, and if you go out of your way to
email them even when they don’t have a job posted, you’ll definitely get their attention!

Method #3: “Rapid-Fire” LinkedIn Job Search Method

While method #2 above requires careful research, and selectively picking companies to apply to,
this method works by ramping up the number of applications you send out.

This is one of the favorites and has been working very well for job seekers for the past two years.
It remains one of the best ways to find jobs online, even if you don’t have any network to rely
on.

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 IV. INPUTS FROM THE FACILITATOR

1. The teacher facilitator will give a lecture on the different job search websites in the
Philippines.
2. Model actual Job Search Online Application

#Hurtleberry: A list of job-hunting sites in the Philippines

Job Street

JobStreet has been around for a while, and you can bet a good chunk of professionals working
today at some point used this site to land them a job. Even if you have yet to sit down and write
your resume, you’ll have one once you’ve completed your Job Street profile – which, once all filled
out, reads pretty much like your standard resume.

On this site, you may notice that you’ll have to sift through a lot of spam-like posts that promise
too-good-to-be-true sign up bonuses, but the site – like other portals – allows you to filter
opportunities by industry, employment type, and job level. The site also does salary matching
(where you can put in your desired salary, and it filters out job opportunities based on that), and
it also posts articles that may help you in your job search – for instance, articles on how to answer
common interview questions.

Kalibrr

Like Job Street, the profile you build on Kalibrr essentially reads like your resume – and this is
the first thing that employers look at when you send in an application.

Applying for work on this portal is pretty easy – with just a click of a button, your profile will be
sent to the employer – no need for cover letters, or steps that require you to say something
about yourself in 1000 characters.

Workabroad.ph

If you’ve got your sights set on that expat life, head to Workabroad.ph. At the moment the site
says they have over 26,000 overseas jobs available, and searches can be categorized depending
on your specialization, qualifications, and salary demands.

You can also sort by country, and find jobs with low application rates. You can also find jobs
from agencies under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). Many of the
opportunities here are for those in the healthcare, service, and food sectors, though
opportunities from other industries may also be there.

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Freelancer

Does a freelance career seem more appealing to you than a full-time office job? As the name
suggests, Freelancer should be your go-to. It’s got a lot of job opportunities from employers all
over the world, across various sectors – from remote web development, video editing, writing,
admin work.

There are also a number of job openings here that are on a per-project basis – so if you’re not
quite sure what direction you want to take your career in, dipping your toes in several different
projects might help you decide.

LinkedIn

Many employers from big, multinational companies or promising start-up keep their eyes on
LinkedIn, so even if you aren’t actively seeking out opportunities, having a LinkedIn profile is a
great way to get your name out there, and essentially build a network.

There are also a lot of helpful articles available on the site, and its chat-like messaging feature
makes communicating with potential employers more accessible.

Craigslist

Craigslist may have a sketchy reputation, but don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. If you’re smart
enough to weed out the questionable opportunities from the legit ones, you may zero in on a
good job opportunity that other applicants have not found yet.

The site is also region-specific – with pages for Bacolod, Bicol Region, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu,
Davao, Iloilo, Manila, Pampanga, and Zamboanga – though many of the postings are usually for
remote work or online jobs.

Facebook

Yes, this social networking site is not just for stalking your crush or sharing your post-graduation
kuda. It can also be a great job-hunting portal.

Depending on your industry, there are many groups you can join where employers – usually start-
ups – post job openings and requirements for application. And because it’s on Facebook, the job
hunt tends to feel more personal and less intimidating. Just remember to clean your profile of
anything you wouldn’t want your potential future employers to see.

V. SYNTHESIS

1. Comment/ feedback actual online Application Technique

2. Watch a Video Clip for job search portals

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SESSION 4: “How Do I Prepare and Pass the Documents Needed for the Job?”

Objective:
1. To be able to illustrate and exhibit samples of documents needed in the preparation for
job application; (2) to be able to write a cover letter and resume

I. INTRODUCTION

Teacher’s Intro: (Pop-up question) “How do you define communication?”, “Why do you think
clear communication is important?” How will you apply your knowledge in communication in
both oral and written, when applying for a job?”

*Abstraction Intro: For job seekers, clear and precise communication is very vital when you
market your skills to the employer. This kind of communication is exhibit firstly in the documents
which you will submit during application.

The written documents you submit serve as tool to help introduce yourself in a memorable and
personal way during application. A well-crafted document gives information to the reader, thus
taking them into a guided journey on some of your greatest career achievements.

II. ACTIVITY

1. LABEL THE PARTS OF THE LETTER: (BUZZ SESSION)

The teacher-facilitator will distribute sample of cover letter to each group of students. The student
will have to identify the parts of the cover letter.

After identifying the parts of the letter, the group members will again discuss and the content of
each paragraph in the letter.

Finally, each group will have to report their answers to the whole class.

2. Watch a video clip for preparing a RESUME

III. PROCESSING/ANALYSIS

Guide questions for the teacher-facilitator (cover letter)

1. What is the information you can find on the cover letter?

2. Can you say that the information given is clear and complete?
3. Are the parts of a letter, present on the sample cover letter?
4. Can you see any errors in spacing, fonts, spelling, grammar?

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 5. Any suggestion you can give?
6. How will you improve the letter?

Guide questions for the teacher-facilitator (RESUME)

1. What are some of the information you can find in the sample resume?
2. What do you notice on the arrangement of information in terms of date entry, education
and employment?

IV. INPUTS FOR FACILITATOR

The teacher- facilitator will give a lecture on the following topics: (Please refer to handout and
PPT for this portion)

A. Writing the Cover Letter

1. The qualities of good cover letter

2. Steps in preparing the cover letter
3. Things needed to make sure before submitting the application letter
4. Faults in writing an application letter

B. The RESUME, CURRICULUM VITAE and BIODATA

1. What is a resume, curriculum vitae and bio-data?
2. Types of RESUME
3. RESUME content

V. SYNTHESIS

Teacher Part: (Close the session with the concept below)

You know exactly who you are, what you want to do, what your skills are, and what you have to
offer an employer. It’s time to put it all on paper and build your resume. Your goal is to represent
yourself on a paper in a way that will convince the employer to give you the opportunity to shine
in an interview.

SESSION 4: “How Do I Prepare and Pass the Documents Needed for the Job?”

Objective:
1. To be able to determine the preparations needed before going to a job interview;
2. To be able to present and model techniques in answering job interview questions.
I. INTRODUCTION

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Teacher Intro:

Thoughts such as “What if I don’t get any job offers?”, “What if I don’t get the job I want?”, or “Will
I accept the position that isn’t right for me?” can cause considerable stress. This session will give
you few notes and pointers on how to prepare for interviews and determine if the job is the right
one for you.

II. ACTIVITY

1. Role play (Scenario: Preparing for an interview, answering interview questions)

• The teacher facilitator will group the class in small groups.
• The group will act out a scenario where someone is preparing for an interview and a
scenario of the interview proper.
• The group will decide the different questions to be given to the applicant. Similarly, how
the applicant will answer the questions.

2. Recording of VIDEO RESUME

3. Watching and critiquing of Video Interview

III. PROCESSING / ANALYSIS

The teacher-facilitator will engage the class critiquing the presentation of each group. They
will share what are the dos and don’ts for each scenario, based from their prior knowledge.

IV. INPUT FROM THE FACILITATOR

The teacher- facilitator will give a lecture on the following topics: (Please refer to handout
and PPT for this portion)

1. Preparing for job interview (Face to face)

a. Self-Assessment
b. Knowledge about the company
c. Practice frequently asked questions
d. Power Dress

2. Video Interview (Video Resume)

a. How to prepare for Video interview
b. Parts of Video Interview

V. Synthesis/ Reflection
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

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