High school is a prime time for teenagers to start scouting and applying for jobs to be able to save up for college and other needs. 

Helping students to be prepared for interviews, write presentable resumes and more, COM 102 teacher Henry Castillo, is focusing the remainder of the fourth quarter on jobs and the workplace environment. 

“Preparing this unit was unique this year as the pandemic has ravaged the U.S. economy . Nonetheless, it’s important to still develop good interview skills and practice professional communication,” Castillo said. “I’ve had students earn a job before during this unit. I’m quite pleased with that possibility.”

During class, Castillo has been going over a Google Slides lecture focusing on professional relationships and discussing relevant topics such as harassment, racism, types of communication in the workplace, and ways to ace an interview. 

“The unit we are currently learning about in COM 102 is one of my favorites. I plan on using the info and resources we obtain when applying to jobs or internships throughout the rest of my high school and college career,” junior Kimiya N. said. “The unit in general has taught me more about the workplace environment, and even some of the issues that are present in these environments, which is good to be aware of.”

Students appreciate Castillo’s efforts in preparing them for real-life scenarios and are hoping to be able to take this unit and apply it to future references. 

“COM 102 has been very helpful in giving me insight on genuine concerns in real life,” junior Isabell Min said. “I would like to get a job soon anyway so it has really prepared me in tactical ways like interviews and confronting workplace harassment. All the units that we’ve discussed so far in COM 102 have been very insightful, but this one has been especially motivating in terms of future goals.” 

Throughout the month, students will have to complete four tasks: find a job, make a cover letter, discus interview questions, and record a self-interview. 

“The class itself goes over topics we’d never really think about talking about or know we should be talking about,” junior Nia Anderson said. “This workplace unit and more specifically the discussion on workplace harassment and all the statistics surrounding it is disheartening, but I feel it is 100% necessary to be talking about. This subject has helped me open my eyes to some of the conflicts in the workplace environment and has made me think about what I should do if I ever find myself in a situation or if I witness anything similar.”