OverviewPart One — Landing the Job
What these three chapters accomplish together
Chapters 1–3 are the most personal chapters in the course. They ask your student to look honestly at what they have to offer, research what employers actually want, and practice being evaluated by someone else. The mock interview in Chapter 3 — which you run — is the single most impactful exercise in this entire curriculum. Take it seriously.
Chapter 1Build Your Resume
Track A · Weeks 2–3
What to Watch For
Vague answers on the questionnaire. “Good at working with people” is not a skill. “Led a team of 4 volunteers at the food bank every Saturday for six months” is. Push for specifics — what did they do, how often, for how long, with what result?
Underselling or over-inflating. Both are common. Some students list nothing because they feel they have nothing. Others list casual activities as professional experience. Help them find the honest middle — everything counts, but accuracy matters.
Accepting the first Claude draft without reviewing it. The AI draft is a starting point, not a finished product. Make sure your student reads every line and asks: “Does this sound like me? Is this accurate?”
Discussion Questions
Walk me through your resume. What are you most proud of on this page — and why?
What would an employer reading this learn about you in 30 seconds?
Is there anything on here that needs more context to make sense? Anything you’d be nervous to explain in an interview?
What is missing from this resume that you’d like to be able to add in the next year or two? What are you going to do to earn that?
- Specific, dated, quantified entries (“200 hours of volunteer work”)
- Honest objective that reflects real goals
- Skills that can be demonstrated or explained
- Student can speak to every line without notes
- Reviewed and edited the Claude draft — it sounds like them
- Generic phrases: “hard worker,” “team player”
- Vague dates or no dates at all
- Accepted Claude’s first draft unchanged
- Can’t explain what a listed skill actually means
- Objective says what they want, not what they offer
Many homeschool students feel they have “nothing” to put on a resume. This is almost never true. Babysitting, lawn care, helping in the family business, co-op leadership, volunteer work, sports, music, caring for a sibling — all of it counts. Your job is to help them see the value in what they’ve already done. Ask: “What do you do that someone might pay you for?” and keep asking until the list is longer than they expected.
Chapter 2Find & Apply for a Job
Track A · Weeks 4–5
What to Watch For
Choosing a job listing that’s completely unrealistic. A 16-year-old researching a senior software engineering role with 10 years of experience required is not doing the assignment. The listing should be realistic for their target time frame — entry-level, in a real field they’re considering.
A cover letter that sounds like a form letter. If the cover letter could apply to any company for any job, it needs to be rewritten. It should reference the specific company, the specific role, and at least one specific reason why this student — not any student — is right for it.
Skipping the company research section. The Glassdoor and company website research isn’t optional. Understanding who you’re applying to is a basic professional skill. Ask them: “What did you learn about this company that you couldn’t have guessed?”
Discussion Questions
Tell me about the job you chose. What attracted you to it — and is that a realistic path for you?
Read me one line from the job description that you didn’t fully understand. How did you figure out what it meant?
What did you learn about this company that surprised you?
Read me your cover letter opening. Does it sound like you? Would you want to read it if you were the hiring manager?
Of the three jobs in your tracker — which one are you most genuinely interested in, and why?
- Real listing in a realistic field for their timeline
- Cover letter references the specific company and role
- Company research goes beyond the homepage
- Three tracker entries with honest status and notes
- Student can explain what the job actually involves
- Unrealistic listing chosen for wishful thinking
- Generic cover letter that could go to any employer
- Company research section left vague or blank
- Three identical tracker entries, no real engagement
- Can’t describe what the job actually requires day-to-day
This is a good chapter to do alongside your student — not to do it for them, but to sit at the table while they do it and ask questions in real time. Pull up the job listing on your own screen and read it yourself. What questions do you have? What would you want to know more about? Your genuine curiosity models what engaged research looks like.
Chapter 3The Interview
Track A · Week 6
What to Watch For
Written answers that don’t translate to spoken answers. Students often write polished responses but freeze or ramble when asked to say them out loud. The written prep is scaffolding — the real test is the mock interview. Don’t skip it.
STAR answers that are missing one of the four parts. Most commonly, students skip the Result. “I organized the event” is not a STAR answer. “I organized the event and attendance increased by 40% from the prior year” is. Push for the outcome every time.
No questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Walking into an interview with nothing to ask signals disinterest. Make sure your student has at least three genuine questions ready — not “What is the salary?” but questions that show they’ve thought about the role and the company.
Discussion Questions (Post Mock Interview)
What answer do you feel best about — and what made it work?
Which question caught you off guard? How would you answer it differently now?
Did you make eye contact? Did you fill silence with filler words? What do you want to change?
If I were the hiring manager, would I call you back? Honestly — why or why not?
What is the one thing you want to practice before a real interview?
- All STAR answers include a clear, specific result
- Spoken answers sound natural — not recited
- At least 3 thoughtful questions prepared to ask
- Thank-you note is personal, specific, and prompt
- Student can self-evaluate honestly after the mock interview
- STAR answers end at the Action — no result stated
- Spoken answers read verbatim from notes
- No questions prepared to ask — or only salary questions
- Thank-you note is generic (“Thanks for your time”)
- Self-evaluation is all fives — no honest reflection
Dress the part — both of you. Sit across a table. No phones. Start and end with a handshake. Use the 9 questions below and score them honestly using the rubric. Then spend at least 15 minutes debriefing out loud together.
Be honest, not harsh. The goal is not to make them feel good or to make them feel bad — it is to give them accurate feedback before a real interviewer does. “That answer was vague — I didn’t know what you actually did” is more useful than “Great job.”
Consider running it twice. Many families do a first round, debrief thoroughly, then do a second mock interview a few days later. The improvement between round one and round two is often significant — and seeing that improvement is motivating for the student.
MilestoneMilestone 1 Review
Before moving on to Chapter 4
- ✓Resume is complete, honest, and they can speak to every line
- ✓A real job listing has been researched in a realistic field
- ✓A tailored cover letter has been written
- ✓The mock interview has been completed — not scheduled, completed
- ✓The debrief conversation has happened
- ✓Student can answer “Tell me about yourself” without reading from notes
The question to ask yourself at Milestone 1: If my student walked into an interview for an entry-level job in their target field next week, could they represent themselves professionally? Not perfectly — but professionally. If the answer is yes, move on. If not, identify the specific gap and address it before Chapter 4.
Interview GuideMock Interview Guide
Your complete script for the Chapter 3 mock interview
Read this entire guide before your student finishes their Chapter 3 prep. Do not share the questions in advance. The interview should feel real — because it is practice for something real.
The full interview guide includes a 4-step structure for running the mock interview:
What to do now: Open the standalone Mock Interview Guide and read it from start to finish. The questions, scoring criteria, and debrief framework are all there. Print it if you prefer pen and paper, or fill it in on screen during the interview.