Digital Communication Tools

Chapter 15: Get the Job You Want

Additional Activities

Understanding Nonverbal Communication

Objective

Materials

Procedure

1. Discuss the concept of nonverbal communication with your class. Think of examples of the many ways humans show emotion without speaking. Do you believe everyone expresses emotion in the same way, and is that expression understood in the same way by everyone?
2. List several facial expressions, gestures, and body language cues you have used or have noticed others using in the past. Examples of facial expressions might include smiling, frowning, wrinkling the brow, raising the eyebrows, or dropping the jaw. Gestures might include waving, making the OK sign with the thumb and index finger, or turning the palms of the hands up. Body language cues could include shrugging the shoulders, tapping the foot, slumping, throwing back the shoulders, or bowing.
3. In the chart, assign a specific emotional meaning to each facial expression, gesture, or body language cue. This will function as the hypothesis.
4. Make observations for several days, taking note of how people use facial expressions, gestures, and body language cues to express emotion. Make notes and drawings of the expressions used and describe the emotions conveyed in your PDAs or Tablet PCs.
5. When the observation period has ended, compare your observations with your initial hypothesis. Was it accurate?
6. Submit your hypotheses, observations, and findings to your teacher, who will chart the class's findings. How do your conclusions compare with those of your classmates?

Extension

Nonverbal Communication in the Job Interview

Objective

Materials

Procedure

1. Work with a partner. Choose a job for which you would like to interview. If necessary, you may need to review career planning information you developed in previous chapters.
2. Provide information about that job to your partner. Information should include a job description, information about the company, and information about the person who would be likely to interview you. Allow the partner who will be playing the part of the interviewer a few minutes ask questions and familiarize themselves with the job and company information. You should also select one of the résumés you created in Lesson 15.1 to use in the interview.
3. Set up an area in the classroom for the interviews to take place. Make the interview setting as realistic as possible, within classroom limitations.
4. Set up the camcorder, on a tripod if possible, and position it so that it will capture a full-body image of the student playing the job applicant. Another student should operate the camera. The camera should remain as still as possible during the interview, so that it will not distract you while you are in the role-playing exercise.
5. Videotape the entire role-playing exercise from the entrance of the job applicant to the end of the interview. Limit the interview to 3-4 minutes.
6. After you have had the opportunity to play the part of the job applicant, screen the videotape with the sound turned off. What can you observe about the nonverbal communication skills of the job applicants?
7. It is important that you participate in the role-playing exercise and respect your classmates as you view the videotapes. Offer supportive suggestions to each other to help you with your interviewing skills

Extension