Researching Companies and Understanding Job Market Trends

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

Think about this: Why is it good to learn about a company before you try to get a job there? What kind of things about jobs are changing these days?

Activity 2: New Words (Vocabulary)

Here are some new English words. These words will help us talk about learning about companies and job changes.

Company Check: Finding out important information about a company you might want to work for.

Example: You should do a company check online before your job interview.

Job News: Information about how jobs are changing, or what new jobs are becoming popular.

Example: Reading job news helps you know what skills are good to learn for the future.

Work Vibe: How it feels to work at a company; the way people act and work together with each other.

Example: Ask about the work vibe in the interview to see if you would be happy there.

Job Area: A type of business or work, like making computers, working in hospitals, or selling clothes.

Example: It is good to decide which job area you like the best when you are looking for work.

Beliefs: The important ideas a company has about how to do work, how to treat people, and what is important to them.

Example: Look for a company that has good beliefs that you also agree with.

Connect (verb): To talk to people to make work friends, share information, and learn about job chances.

Example: You should try to connect with people who are working in the job area you are interested in.

Activity 3 (Reading)

Let's read about Sara. She is looking for her first job and is learning how to prepare.

Sara is looking for her first job. Her teacher told her it's very important to do a good company check before applying for any job. So, Sara picks a company she is interested in called 'Green Tech Solutions.' She goes to their website and reads about their company beliefs. She learns that they want to help the environment, which Sara likes. She also tries to understand the work vibe at the company by looking at pictures of their office and reading what some employees say online about working there.

Next, Sara wants to learn about job news in the green tech job area. She reads some articles online. She sees that jobs for helping customers with new solar panels are growing fast. This is good news for Sara because she enjoys helping people and is interested in green energy. She also decides to connect with someone who already works at Green Tech Solutions. She finds an employee on a professional website and sends a polite message asking about their experience working at the company. Sara feels much more prepared now. Doing this research helps her understand the company better and see if it's truly a good place for her to start her career.

Think about the story:

What is the first thing Sara did to learn about 'Green Tech Solutions' (a company check)?
How did Sara try to understand the company's beliefs and the work vibe?
What did Sara learn from the job news about the green tech job area, and how did she try to connect with someone at the company?

Activity 4: Role Play

Read this dialogue with a partner. One person is Ben (who is looking for a job), and the other is Lisa (his friend who is giving him advice).

Ben: Lisa, I'm starting my job search soon. Do you have any advice for me before I begin applying everywhere?

Lisa: Hi Ben! Yes, my best advice is to always do a good company check before you apply for any job. Don't just send your resume to every company.

Ben: A company check? What kind of things should I be looking for when I do that?

Lisa: You should try to learn about their company beliefs – what is important to them. Also, try to understand their work vibe to see if it feels like a good place for you to work every day.

Ben: Okay, that makes sense. And what about the jobs themselves? How do I know which jobs are good to look for right now?

Lisa: That's where it helps to read some job news for the specific job area you're interested in. This news can tell you what skills are popular and what kind of jobs are growing.

Ben: So, just reading online news articles about jobs is enough for that?

Lisa: Reading online is a very good start. Also, if you can, try to connect with people who are already working in that job area. They can give you really good advice and information.

Ben: Connect with them? You mean like find them on a job website and send them a message to ask questions?

Lisa: Exactly! Being prepared with good information about the company and the job market makes a very big difference in your job search.

After reading, discuss: What is one way you can find out about the "work vibe" of a company before you decide to apply for a job there?

Activity 5: Let's Practice

Objective: Practice using the new vocabulary about researching companies and job trends.

Scenario: Maria (the learner) is telling her friend, Tom, about how she is preparing to apply for different jobs.

Tom: Hi Maria! How's the job search preparation going for you? What are you working on?

Maria: It's going well! I'm starting by doing a for a few different companies that I think I might like to work for.

Tom: That's a smart way to start. What are you trying to find out about them when you do that?

Maria: I'm looking at their company website to understand their company and what they think is most important in their work.

Tom: That’s a good idea. Do you also try to see what it might be like to actually work there every day?

Maria: Yes, I'm trying to get an idea of the at each place. I also read some online about which jobs are popular now and what skills companies are looking for.

Tom: Are you focusing on one specific type of work, or are you looking at many different kinds of jobs?

Maria: For now, I'm mostly interested in the healthcare . I also want to try to with people who already work in hospitals to ask them some questions about their jobs.

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