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E9 E - Analyse a job advertisement and match a candidate

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E9 E - Analyse a job advertisement and match a candidate

Mini-description: Compare the requirements in an English job advertisement with three fictional candidate profiles. Use evidence to decide who matches best and explain your choice.

Level: English as a first foreign language, Class 9, E level, Baden-Württemberg.

Learning route: English first → understand → respond → ask → hint → improve → use again.

Einleitung

A job advertisement tells you what an employer needs. A strong match is not the person you simply “like best”. It is the candidate whose profile gives the clearest evidence for the important requirements.

In this aiMOOC, all job and candidate data are fictional. Do not search for real candidates or private social-media information.

Media starter

Look at the “help wanted” sign above for 20 seconds.

First impression: What tells you that somebody is looking for staff?
Prediction: Which information would you expect in a modern online job advert?
Key question: Which details would you need before recommending a candidate?

Now compare the visual idea of “help wanted” with a real interview situation:

Think – pair – share: What could happen between reading a job advert and sitting in an interview? Give four steps in English.

I can ...

Reading: I can identify tasks, must-have requirements and useful extra skills in a job advertisement.
Comparing: I can compare two or three candidate profiles using evidence.
Speaking: I can recommend a candidate and answer spontaneous follow-up questions.
Writing: I can write a coherent recommendation with reasons and examples.
Mediation: I can pass on the important information for a specific person without translating everything.
Media literacy: I can check whether a source, profile or AI suggestion is reliable and relevant.

Activate your prior knowledge

Without a dictionary, sort these words into three groups: job advert, candidate profile or both.

available – experience – requirement – reliable – skills – shift – teamwork – qualification – responsibility

Then add two words of your own.

Listening and viewing

The video is from BBC Learning English and shows preparation for a job interview.

Before watching: Predict three qualities an employer may look for.

While watching: Note down:

one phrase that introduces an example,
one quality that matters at work,
one point Anna should prepare.

After watching: Which of these ideas could also help when you compare candidate profiles? Explain in 2–3 sentences.

Challenge: Watch a short part again without subtitles. Focus on key words, not every word.

Listening strategy

You do not need to understand every word.

Listen for: names, tasks, time expressions, skills, examples and contrast words such as but, although and however.

Ask yourself: “Which detail changes my decision?”

Reading: the fictional job advertisement

Riverside Youth Café – Weekend Assistant

Job information	Details
Main tasks	Welcome visitors, take simple orders, help prepare activity tables, update a short digital notice.
Working time	Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Must have	Friendly communication, reliability, basic digital skills, confident spoken English.
Useful extra	Experience with customers, children, clubs or food service.
Minimum age	15
Application task	Send a short profile explaining why you match the role.

Important: “Useful extra” is not the same as “must have”. Do not reject a candidate only because an extra is missing.

Reading task: rank the requirements

Create three headings in your notes:

ESSENTIAL – USEFUL – NOT STATED

Place each point from the advert under one heading. Then compare your choices with a partner.

Source check: Use only information that is actually in the advert. Do not add assumptions such as “a café worker must be very outgoing”.

Candidate profiles

All profiles below are fictional.

Candidate	Profile
Maya Patel, 15	Volunteers in the school library twice a month. Greets younger pupils, explains where to find books and uses shared online documents. Available every Saturday. Says she enjoys speaking English in class. No café experience.
Leo Martin, 16	Helps coach a junior basketball team and is confident speaking to groups. Reliable at training and good at solving small problems. Uses a phone confidently but has little experience with shared documents. Has matches on two Saturdays each month.
Samira Okafor, 15	Member of the coding club. Strong with digital tools and creates clear online notices. Available every weekend. Friendly and reliable, but says she needs a little time before she feels confident speaking to new people. No customer-service experience.

Understand → respond

For each candidate, find:

one clear match,
one possible problem,
one detail that is not important for this advert.

Use short evidence notes, for example:

Requirement: Saturday availability Evidence: Maya is available every Saturday. Result: strong match

Compare the candidates

Use at least three requirements. Do not compare personal characteristics that the advert does not ask for.

Requirement	Maya	Leo	Samira
Saturday availability	strong	limited	strong
Spoken communication	strong	strong	developing
Digital skills	strong	developing	strong
Relevant experience	some	some	limited

Your job: Decide whether this quick table is fair. Change any label you can challenge with evidence.

Context vocabulary

Word or phrase	Meaning in this context	Useful partner
requirement	something the employer says the candidate needs	meet a requirement
candidate	a person being considered for a job	suitable candidate
reliable	someone who can be trusted to do what they agreed to do	reliable team member
available	free and able to work at a stated time	available on Saturdays
experience	knowledge or skill gained by doing something	relevant experience
evidence	information that supports your claim	give evidence
match	fit between a requirement and a profile	strong match
essential	necessary, not optional	essential skill

No full translation: First infer meaning from the advert, profile and example. Use German only as a short support if you still need it.

Pronunciation and fluency

Focus on clear stress and understandable rhythm.

requirement /rɪˈkwaɪəmənt/ candidate /ˈkændɪdət/ reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/ available /əˈveɪləbəl/

Say this chunk three times, each time more smoothly:

“Maya is a stronger match because she is available every Saturday and has relevant communication experience.”

Then change Maya and the evidence. Verständlichkeit ist wichtiger als Akzentfreiheit.

Functional grammar

You need grammar to make the comparison precise.

Function	Useful language
State a requirement	The candidate must be available on Saturdays.
Compare	Maya is a stronger match than Leo for availability.
Add contrast	Samira has strong digital skills, but speaking to new people may be harder at first.
Balance evidence	Although Leo communicates confidently, he is not available every Saturday.
Conclude	Therefore, I would recommend ...

Rule: Use must for an essential requirement. Use could or may when the evidence is uncertain. Avoid turning guesses into facts.

Speaking

Work in a group of three. You are the selection team.

Round 1 – 60 seconds: Each learner recommends one candidate.

Round 2 – spontaneous questions: Ask two follow-up questions, for example:

“Which requirement is most important here?”
“What evidence supports that?”
“What is the biggest weakness in this match?”
“Could another candidate still be suitable?”

Round 3 – improve: Repeat your recommendation in 45 seconds. Use one comparison and one contrast connector.

Recordings are optional and should stay private unless everybody clearly agrees otherwise. No upload is required.

Help levels for speaking

Hint 1 – keywords: requirement – evidence – stronger – although – therefore

Hint 2 – sentence starters: “According to the advert, ...” “This matches ... because ...” “In contrast, ...” “Therefore, I would recommend ...”

Hint 3 – structure: 1. Name your candidate. 2. Give two strong matches. 3. Mention one limitation. 4. Compare with one other candidate. 5. Conclude.

Writing

Write a 130–170 word recommendation to the fictional café manager.

Your text should:

identify the candidate you recommend,
refer to at least three requirements,
use evidence from the profiles,
compare at least two candidates,
include one limitation,
end with a clear recommendation.

Keep your own text. If you use digital or AI feedback, compare it with the advert and profiles. Do not replace your whole draft automatically.

Revision loop

Draft → check → improve → use again

Check your text:

Have I separated facts from assumptions?
Does every important claim have evidence?
Have I used at least one comparison?
Have I used because, although or another connector correctly?
Is my conclusion supported by the evidence?
Did I keep my own voice?

Then rewrite only the sentences that need improvement.

Mediation

A German-speaking classmate asks: “Why is one candidate a better match for this Saturday job?”

Explain the key decision in 4–5 German sentences. Do not translate the whole advert. Select only the information your classmate needs.

Then return to English and say your recommendation in one sentence.

Feedback and error analysis

Problem	Weak version	Improve it
No evidence	Maya is best.	Add the exact requirement and matching profile detail.
Assumption	Leo will learn the software quickly.	Mark this as uncertain or remove it.
Missing contrast	Samira has digital skills. Samira is shy.	Connect the ideas with but or although.
Wrong priority	Maya has no café experience, so she cannot do the job.	Check whether café experience is essential or only useful.
Vague comparison	Maya is better.	Say better for which requirement and why.

Peer feedback: Give one evidence-based praise and one precise next step.

Transfer: a second advert

Imagine a different job: School Event Media Helper.

Requirements: available after school – confident with digital tools – able to explain ideas clearly – reliable

Without changing the candidate profiles, decide whether your first recommendation still works.

Transfer question: How can a different advert change the “best match” even when the candidates stay the same?

Media extension: CV and profile information

Watch or listen to a suitable section of the BBC Learning English video.

Viewing focus: Which ideas about a strong CV or profile could help a candidate present relevant strengths clearly?

Media check: Who produced the video? What is its purpose? Which advice is general, and which advice depends on the job?

Responsible media and AI use

Privacy: Use only fictional candidate data in this course. Do not search private social-media accounts.
Recording: Audio or video recordings are voluntary and private by default.
Uploads: Do not upload recordings, names or profiles without clear permission.
AI check: Verify AI-generated facts, comparisons and feedback against the original advert and profiles.
Source check: Prefer the advert, candidate profiles and reliable learning sources over unsupported claims.
Own writing: Keep your draft and make your own final language decisions.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which point is an essential requirement in the Riverside Youth Café advert? (Basic digital skills) (!Café experience) (!Basketball coaching) (!Coding club membership)

Which candidate is available every Saturday and has experience greeting younger pupils? (Maya) (!Leo) (!Samira) (!No candidate)

Why is Leo's Saturday schedule important? (The job requires Saturday availability) (!The job requires basketball experience) (!The job is only for sports coaches) (!The job requires evening work)

Which sentence uses evidence most clearly? (Maya matches the communication requirement because she regularly greets younger pupils) (!Maya seems like a nice person) (!Maya is obviously the best) (!Maya probably learns everything quickly)

What does “useful extra” mean in the advert? (It can strengthen a profile but is not essential) (!It is more important than every must-have) (!It is a legal requirement) (!It must appear in every candidate profile)

Which connector introduces a contrast? (although) (!therefore) (!because) (!for example)

Which statement is careful about uncertainty? (Samira may need time to feel confident with new customers) (!Samira will fail with customers) (!Samira cannot communicate) (!Samira is unsuitable for every job)

What should a strong recommendation include? (Requirements, evidence and a justified conclusion) (!Only a personal opinion) (!Only the candidate's age) (!A full German translation)

What is good practice when using AI feedback? (Check the suggestion against the original sources and keep your own draft) (!Replace the whole draft without checking) (!Upload real candidate data) (!Accept every suggested fact)

Why can the strongest candidate change when the job advert changes? (Different jobs prioritise different requirements) (!Candidate facts always change automatically) (!Every employer wants exactly the same skills) (!Only age decides the match)

Memory

requirement	something the employer needs
evidence	information supporting a claim
reliable	can be trusted to do what was agreed
available	free and able to work at a stated time
candidate	person considered for a role
essential	necessary rather than optional

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Thema
Must-have	Essential requirement
Useful extra	Helpful but optional skill
Profile detail	Evidence about a candidate
Comparison	Difference between candidates
Recommendation	Final evidence-based choice

Kreuzworträtsel

requirement	What does an employer say a candidate needs?
candidate	What do we call a person being considered for a job?
reliable	Which adjective means that someone can be trusted to do what they agreed?
available	Which adjective means free and able to work at a stated time?
evidence	What information supports a claim?
experience	What do you gain by doing an activity over time?

LearningApps

Lückentext

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Requirement hunt: Mark every must-have and useful extra in the fictional advert with two different symbols.
Evidence cards: Create one evidence card for each candidate with one requirement and one matching profile detail.
Vocabulary map: Connect six key words from the course with English definitions and one example sentence each.
Media snapshot: Choose one embedded image and explain in 3–4 English sentences how it connects to recruitment.

Standard

Candidate comparison: Compare Maya and Samira in 90–120 words. Use at least three requirements and one contrast connector.
Selection meeting: Hold a three-minute group discussion and answer at least two spontaneous follow-up questions.
Mediation task: Explain the most important job requirements to a German-speaking classmate without translating the whole advert.
Source check: Check one learning video and one Commons image. Identify creator or organisation, purpose and relevance for this course.

Schwer

New job advert: Write a short fictional advert with four clear requirements. Let a partner rematch the same three candidates.
Evidence challenge: Argue for a different candidate than your first choice while staying strictly within the evidence.
Bias check: Review a recommendation and remove assumptions about personality, background or appearance that are not supported by the advert.
Mini presentation: Give a 2–3 minute recommendation with one visual, a clear comparison and spontaneous answers to audience questions.

Lernkontrolle

Evidence-based decision: You receive a new short advert and three fictional profiles. Select the two most important requirements and justify which profile matches them most clearly.
Priority shift: Change one must-have requirement in the Riverside Youth Café advert. Explain how this changes the candidate comparison.
Source versus assumption: Identify three claims in a sample recommendation as fact, reasonable inference or unsupported assumption. Correct the unsupported claim.
Mediation for purpose: A parent wants only the working time, main tasks and reason for your recommendation. Pass on exactly this information in German without translating everything else.
Revision task: Improve a weak recommendation by adding evidence, one comparison, one contrast and a supported conclusion.
Transfer discussion: Explain why a candidate can be a strong match for one role and a weaker match for another without the candidate having changed.

Lernnachweis

For a successful learning record, you should be able to:

identify essential and optional requirements in an English job advertisement,
select relevant evidence from fictional candidate profiles,
compare candidates without adding unsupported assumptions,
justify a recommendation in connected spoken and written English,
respond to follow-up questions,
revise your own text using feedback,
mediate key information for a specific person and purpose,
check media, sources and AI suggestions critically,
protect personal data and use only fictional profile information in this course.

Can-do-Check

Can-do statement	Yes	Nearly	Not yet
I can separate must-haves from useful extras.	□	□	□
I can connect a requirement with profile evidence.	□	□	□
I can compare candidates precisely.	□	□	□
I can justify my recommendation and mention a limitation.	□	□	□
I can answer an unplanned follow-up question.	□	□	□
I can revise my own writing after feedback.	□	□	□

Use again: Repeat the matching task with a new advert and check whether your reasoning becomes faster and more precise.

Folgekurs

Continue with: E9 E - Write a short application email and prepare interview answers

OERs zum Thema

Weitere geprüfte Lernmedien: BBC Learning English materials on interview preparation and CVs; Wikimedia Commons files used above provide openly licensed visual material. Check the file page for the exact licence and attribution details when reusing an image outside MOOCwiki.

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