Mathematics for Business and Personal Finance

Unit 1: Basic Math Skills: Workshops

WebQuests

Looking for the Right Fit

Introduction
If you have ever been on a job hunt, you probably were looking for something specific. Maybe you wanted a job in a nearby neighborhood, with a certain salary, or in a particular industry. Have you ever thought about the job hunt from an employer's point of view? Just like you have certain expectations for your next job, employers are also looking for someone special in their next hire.

Many companies have a human resources or personnel department to recruit and hire new employees. When a position becomes available, the human resources manager will consider the company's current needs and write a job description. The job description outlines the responsibilities and daily tasks of the position. A good job description also includes basic requirements: the education, credentials, skills, and experience needed to perform the job.

Task
In this WebQuest, you are a senior human resources manager at a Fortune 500 company. The company is growing quickly, and this month it has six positions newly open. First you will need to research the positions to learn more. Then you will write a job description to post online. Finally, you will write a series of questions to ask during the interview process. Great employees are a company's best asset, and it is your job to find them, so good luck!

Process
1. Your company needs to hire people for the following positions:

Computer support specialist Editor for company website Electrician for a large office facility Management accountant Paralegal Staff nurse for an office of 200

Choose one of these positions to research. Learn about this job's responsibilities and requirements. Think about what this job's day to day activities will be, and what kind of professional experience a person will need to excel.

2. Once your research is complete, you need to write a job description. This will be posted on online job boards, and you will post it on your company's website. It is important that the job description is clear and concise, so prospective candidates can quickly decide if they should apply or not. If your job description is too vague, you will receive too many applications from candidates who are not qualified.

In the job description, include this information, in this order:

Title of the position Key areas of responsibility People with whom the person will work on a daily basis Occupational hazards (if any) Mandatory skills Required education or certification (if any) Typical hours per week Salary range

3. Online job boards are a great resource for job hunter and employers alike. They are not the only resource, though. How else can potential job seekers find you? Do some online research to find out. Then, make a list of other ways you can attract great candidates to your company.

4. The next time you are in class, form groups based on the position you researched. Now that the job positions are advertised online, candidates will start to contact you for interviews. As a group, write a list of questions to ask during the interviews.

Most interviews start with general questions about the candidate's background and interests. In addition to those basic questions, come up with five more in-depth questions. These should be specifically targeted to the position you chose. Think about questions that would be most helpful in determining if this candidate is a good fit for the position.

5. Hand in a copy of your work to your teacher.

Resources
Here is a list of Web resources to help you with this assignment:

Researching positions

Bureau of Labor Statistics Career One Stop CollegeGrad.com

You may find it helpful to visit online job boards and look at job descriptions posted:

Monster.com CareerBuilder.com HotJobs.com Indeed.com Dice.com

The Internet is full of advice for finding the perfect job. In addition to perusing online job boards, there are other ways to look:

Hidden job market Targeted inquiry Networking Recruiters (headhunters)

Evaluation

Conclusion
Thanks to your effort, the company's human resources department receives a stack of resumes from well-qualified candidates. If you keep up the good work, you might just get a promotion. Then you can hire some one to take your old job!

Understanding the job market from the employer's point of view will give you an advantage in your next job hunt. Just like you, employers have something specific in mind when they advertise a job opening. If you think about what a prospective employer is looking for, you are that much closer to landing the job yourself.