Writing a Job Description and
Lists of Skills/Tasks
Warm-up Question
What Makes a Great Work Experience?
What was the best summer or after-school job you had
as a teen/young adult? What did you learn from this
job?
What was the most unexciting or unglamorous job you
have ever had? What did you learn from this job?
Introduction
How can you use the Work-Based
Learning Plan’s Job Description and the
list of Workplace and Career Specific
Skills to create high quality work
experiences for youth?
Introduction
One of the advantages of
using the Massachusetts
Work-Based Learning Plan is
that it was developed and is
used by a network of youth
employment programs across
the state. By connecting with
this network and the WBLP
resources, you can get ideas
and inspiration for your
work.
Introduction
The Work-Based Learning
Plan includes a job
description, a list of
foundation skills (pre-written)
and a list of career and
workplace specific skills
(which you customize for the
specific placement).
There are online resources to
support you in writing highquality job descriptions and
identifying skills.
Job
Description
The job
description
should be a
brief
description of
the work,
along with
background
about the
organization.
Foundation
Skills
The foundation skills,
which are pre-written,
describe basic
professional skills
required by all jobs.
This list provides
a guide for orienting
students to the
workplace and for
defining expectations.
Workplace and
Career Specific
Skills
The Career and Workplace
Specific Skills section
allows you to define
specific skills for the work
experience. You can list up
to seven skills in this
section, or focus on just a
few.
Some suggestions are
provided at the top of the
page, or you can identify
other skills.
Put the skill name in the first
column of the grid (one or
two words, generally) and
write a brief description of
tasks or performance goals
in the second column.
Three
Purposes…
Orientation – Setting Expectations:
The job description and the list of
skills/tasks are used to guide formal or
informal, group or one-on-one
orientation to the work experience.
Performance Review: The list of skills
is used as the basis for the performance
reviews that are provided at least twice
during the work experience.
Reflecting: Youth may refer to the job
description, skills and tasks in the future
when they are developing portfolios,
writing resumes and applying for jobs
and colleges.
About Job Descriptions
• Job descriptions should be
brief, but with enough
information to provide the
“flavor” of the job.
• Include details about “who,
what, where and why”
information in the job
description.
• The job description might
mention the job title, a few
words describing the
organization, a brief list of
tasks, and a few words about
the customers or goals of the
work.
As hostess in a friendly
restaurant, greet
customers and seat them
as soon as possible. Make
them feel comfortable
and welcomed. Operate
cash register and clear
and set tables.
Job Descriptions - Sharing Background
• In the job descriptions,
share brief information
about:
- history
- goals
- customers
- or other interesting
background information
about the organization
and about the work.
Work as a landscaping
assistant in the XYZ Park,
which is a 100-year old
park designed by landscape
architect Harold Harrison,
visited by thousands of
city residents each
summer. Tasks include
maintaining walkways,
weeding, and providing
water for plants during dry
periods of the summer.
Job Descriptions - Identifying Projects
Job descriptions may
include both routine
daily tasks and
opportunities for
special projects.
As a Summer Parks Intern,
assist Parks Department
staff in daily park
maintenance and special
projects. Park maintenance
tasks include weeding,
watering plants and
maintaining walkways.
Special projects may include
preparing the soil for a new
garden and working on a
signage project.
Job Descriptions - Project Ideas
• Projects may provide
a chance to build
career awareness, try
out skills, and make a
longer-term
contribution to the
work of the
organization.
As a Classroom Assistant,
intern will assist with daily
tasks in the classroom and will
prepare and present at least
one lesson plan during each
semester.
As a Curatorial Intern,
student will assist in the
development of a new exhibit
to be displayed in the museum.
Workplace and Career Specific Skills
The list of workplace and career
specific skills can include:
• Broad skills (project
management, collecting and
organizing information,
applied math, reading);
• Specific task-oriented skills
(weeding, park maintenance,
food preparation, filing
medical records…);
• Career awareness skills
(career development,
understanding all aspects of
the industry, reading about
the industry, active learning)
Project Management:
Create a display for the Visitor Center
Food Preparation:
Student will plan, prepare and serve
healthy and nutritious suppers to
children.
Medical Knowledge (Animal Care)
To understand a few common medical
problems/complications, in order to
learn to monitor hospital patients. (Ex.
signs of low blood sugar in a diabetic
pet).
Skills - Expanding on Foundation Skills
The career and workplace specific
skills should go beyond the
Foundation Skills, providing a
focus on more specific and higher
order skills. You do not need to
repeat any of the foundation skills
in the workplace and career
specific skills section.
However, you may want to expand
on some foundation skill areas,
such as health and safety
awareness or confidentiality or a
specific dress code for the
organization, if there are
particular foundation skill areas
that need expansion or
clarification.
Health and Safety: Things to
know about health and safety
while working outdoors include:
• Water and hydration
• Sun and sunscreen
• Preventing heat stroke
• When to seek First Aid
• Lifting techniques
• Use of tools, rakes, shovels
• Handling trash
•Understanding time management,
including a healthy pace of work
and taking breaks
Skills - Providing Context
• Wherever possible, when
describing skills, mention the
goals of the work, the
customer served, or other
information that gives the
“context” of the work.
• Like the job descriptions, the
skill descriptions are
strongest when they include
information about “who,
what, where and why.”
Animal Care:
Intern will reassure orphaned animals
thru petting, walking and talking to
them. This stimulus helps maintain
healthy animals.
Administrative Skills:
- Assist with organization of client
files, copying and faxing.
- Take initiative to answer phones and
direct calls appropriately.
- Provide walk-in clients with
appropriate travel brochures.
Skills - Resumes and Applications
• Youth can refer to this list of
skills in the future as a guide
for developing portfolios,
resumes or college
applications.
• Generally, the skills listed in
the first column of the grid
should be 1-3 words long and
“resume-friendly” such as:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Accounting skills
Animal care
Blueprint reading
Customer service skills
Critical thinking
Data analysis
Etc.
Will include
screenshot and link
here
What Career and Workplace
Specific skills are selected most?
1.
Time Management
2.
Collecting and Organizing Information
3.
Computer Technology
4.
Project Management
5.
Equipment Operation
6.
Teaching and Instructing
7.
Leadership
8.
Customer Service
9.
Problem Solving
10. Understanding All Aspects of the Industry
Project
11. Critical Thinking
12.Management
Safety
13. Research and Analysis
14.Collecting
Writing and
15. Reading
Organizing
16. Mathematics and Numeric Analysis
Information
17. Creativity
18. Classroom Management
Teaching and
19. Career Development
20.Instructing
Teamwork
Most common skills from
WBLPs, July 1, 2012
through June 30, 2013.
Career and Workplace Specific
Skills – More Examples
1.
Web Design Principles
2. Gardening Techniques
3. Human Rights and Dignity
4. Hand Tool Nomenclature
5. Animal Care Skills
6. Project Evaluation
7. Installing Computer Software
8. Creativity and Inventiveness
9. Color Choice
10. Community Interaction
Selected examples from
WBLPs, July 1, 2009
through June 30, 2010.
General Recommendations
Who Writes the
Job Description
and Skills/Tasks?
The job description and skills/tasks can be
written by the employer or program
staff or both in collaboration.
In some programs, the interns work with a
teacher or program staff to write their
job descriptions and skills/tasks.
The Online WBL Database allows staff,
interns and employers to collaborate on
developing a WBLP.
Where Can I
Find Examples
and Ideas?
Ideas for writing are available in several
places:
• In the Online WBL Database in the bank of
sample job descriptions and skills/tasks
• Online in articles in the resource pages at http://
skillspages.com
• From the employer from written job postings,
job descriptions, company profiles, websites or
other materials
• Definitions of many of the skills are available in
the “youth” PowerPoint in this series
Youth
Development
Concepts
Consider youth development concepts
when designing youth employment
experiences.
Teens and young adults are generally in a
period of rapid growth in areas such as
creative and critical thinking, problem
solving, communication, interpersonal
skills and technology skills and more…
Youth
Development
Concepts
….while also needing guidance as
they develop basic foundation
skills as they enter professional
workplaces for the first time.
Youth
Development
Concepts
Youth development theory emphasizes
assets rather than deficits. It makes the
point that too many social programs
today are “deficit-based” and focus
attention on deficits and risk factors in
the lives of youth and their
communities. (i.e., focusing on lack of
opportunities, lack of work skills, or on
summer jobs as a way of “keeping kids
off the streets.”)
But youth employment programs
are especially well-positioned to
be “asset-based,” emphasizing the
positive impact of work experience as
an opportunity for youth to develop
skills, gain experience, explore career
options, build resumes, and contribute
to the work of the organization and the
community.
Youth
Development
Concepts
Youth development theory suggests
some important ideas about job
design, suggesting that a diverse
blend of tasks, skills and
responsibilities make the best
work experiences.
The exact mix of tasks and skills
used will depend on the type of
job, length of the placement, pay
status (paid, unpaid, etc.), and
other factors.
But in all cases, the work experience
can blend special projects and
routine daily tasks, and blend
opportunities to explore both high
level career skills and basic
foundation skills.
Job Design for
Paid and Unpaid
Experiences
In unpaid internships, in lieu of pay,
employers are required by law to
provide an equivalent value of
supervision, mentoring and training as
compensation for the work done by the
intern.
In paid experiences, employers are
encouraged to provide a blend of tasks
and opportunities, so that the
experience provides opportunities for
both learning and productivity.
Building
Learning and
Productivity
When you are designing a
work experience, think about
what the youth can do during
the work experience both to
productively contribute to the
work of the organization and
to have a rich learning
experience.
Supporting
Skill
Development
Think about how the youth
can be supported in
developing and practicing the
basic foundation skills needed
in the workplace while also
exercising higher order,
technical, academic and
career-related skills.
Where to Look for
Examples and Ideas
1.) While using the online WBLP,
look for the navigation buttons for
“Bank of Sample Job
Descriptions” and “Bank of
Sample Skills/Tasks.” You can
click on the examples, copy into
the WBLP you are writing, and
modify as needed.
2.) In the resource pages
at http:// skillspages.com/masswbl
look for the article on
“Characteristics of Quality Youth
Employment Programs.” This
article describes real examples of
work experiences, with examples of
skills and tasks.
3.) Read the Skills Pages Youth
Employment Blog at http://
skillspages.com/blog for articles
about workplace skills. There are
articles about leadership, problem
solving, time management, customer
service, active learning, health and
safety, creativity, critical thinking,
and other workplace skills.
What Makes a Great Work Experience?
Work
Experience
Thinking about the warm-up questions….
what do you think makes a great work experience?
What Makes a Great Work Experience?
Interesting
challenges
(customers,
technology, etc.)
Sense of
accomplishment
Building relationships
Feeling like part of
a community.
Formal and
informal
mentoring
conversations
Work
Experience
An awareness of
what you learned
and what you
accomplished
Getting a glimpse
of what you want
(or don’t want) in
the future
Some of the elements of a quality work experience
Image of
the job
Building a
resume