Business English - Decoding Job Descriptions: What Employers Really Want

Activity 1: Let's Get Started! (Warm-up)

Think about this: When you read about a job, is it sometimes hard to know what the company really wants? Why is it important to understand the job information well?

Activity 2: New Words (Vocabulary)

Here are some new English words. These words will help us understand job information better.

What You Do in the Job (Job Responsibilities): The main things you have to do in a job every day.

Example: The list of what you do in the job tells you about your daily tasks, like writing emails or helping customers.

What You Need for the Job (Qualifications): The skills, learning (like school), and experience you must have to get a job.

Example: Always check what you need for the job to see if you have the right skills to apply.

Nice to Have Skills (Preferred Qualifications): Extra skills that are good to have for a job, but you can still get the job without them.

Example: Having nice to have skills, like knowing another language, can help you, but they are not always a must.

Work Skills (Hard Skills): Special skills you can learn for a job, like how to use a computer program or a machine.

Example: Typing fast is a good work skill for many office jobs.

People Skills (Soft Skills): How you act and work with other people, like talking clearly, working well in a team, or solving problems together.

Example: Being a friendly person is a good people skill that many jobs look for.

Important Words (Keywords): Special words in the job information that tell you what skills or tasks are very important for that job.

Example: If a job ad says "teamwork" many times, then "teamwork" is an important word for that job.

Activity 3 (Reading)

Let's read about Maria. She is looking at information for a job as a "Marketing Helper."

Maria found a job for a "Marketing Helper." To know what the company really wanted, she read the job information very carefully. The information said that what you do in the job is help with social media like Facebook and Instagram, and write interesting things for the internet. This sounded fun to Maria.

For what you need for the job, it said she needed to finish college and have some work experience. The job information also said it was good to have some nice to have skills, like being able to make videos. Maria saw they wanted some work skills like using Google tools and special computer programs for marketing. They also wanted good people skills, like talking and writing well, and being creative.

Maria also saw some important words used many times in the job information, like "talking to customers" and "making the company well-known." Maria learned that understanding all these parts helped her know what the company really wanted. She then wrote her application to show she was a good fit for the job.

Think about the story:

What were two things Maria looked at in the job information to understand it better?
What is an example of a work skill and a people skill that the job wanted?
How did finding the important words in the job information help Maria?

Activity 4: Role Play

Read this dialogue with a partner. One person is Ben (who is looking at job information), and the other is Lisa (a friend who knows about jobs).

Ben: Hi Lisa, I am looking at this job information for a 'Customer Helper' role. It's very long! How do I know what is most important?

Lisa: Hi Ben! First, look closely at the part that says what you do in the job. This will tell you about the daily tasks. Then, see what you need for the job and if there are any nice to have skills listed.

Ben: Okay. It says the job needs someone who is 'good at solving problems.' Is that a people skill?

Lisa: Yes, it is! When you apply, you can give examples of how you solved problems. Also, look for any work skills they want, like if you need to 'know how to use Microsoft Word'.

Ben: That makes sense. I also see some words used many times, like 'helping customers quickly.' Are these the important words I should look for?

Lisa: Yes, exactly! Using these important words in your resume or application can help the company see you are a good match for what they need.

After reading, discuss: What is one thing Ben should look for in the job information to understand it better and decide if the job is right for him?

Activity 5: Let's Practice

Objective: Practice using the new vocabulary about understanding job information.

Scenario: Ali (the learner) is looking at a job advertisement online with his friend, Sara.

Sara: Ali, let's look at this job for an 'Office Helper.' What does it say about the main tasks you would do?

Ali: It says the includes 'answering phones,' 'helping visitors,' and 'organizing papers.'

Sara: Good. And what about the essential things they say you must have to apply?

Ali: For , it says I need to know how to use a computer well.

Sara: Okay. Does it list any extra skills that are good to have but not strictly required?

Ali: Yes, 'knowing how to type fast' is listed under .

Sara: And that typing skill, what kind of skill would you call that?

Ali: That’s a specific , I believe.

Sara: Correct. What about qualities like 'being friendly' or 'working well in a team'? What are those called?

Ali: Those are examples of .

Sara: And finally, when you write your application, what special words from the job ad should you try to include?

Ali: I should use the main from the job ad.

Try to fill in the blanks with appropriate words or phrases from this lesson!