The documents and conversations of getting hired. CVs, cover letters, application forms, supporting statements, online application portals, interviews (in person, on video, on the phone), follow-up communications.
What this includes
- CV writing — content, structure, plain English, what to include, what to leave out
- Cover letters and personal statements — adapting tone and content to the role
- Application forms — competency-based questions, STAR responses, online portals
- Interviews — preparation, common questions, asking your own questions, what to do if a question floors you
- Online presence — what an employer might find, professional digital footprint
- Follow-up communication — thank-you emails, accepting / declining offers
- Adjustments and disclosure — what learners may want to disclose about their needs and when, the legal protections that apply (Equality Act 2010), the reasonable-adjustment process
Tested by
- ASDAN Employability — significant overlap with the regulated portfolio
- FS English L2 — Writing (covers application-letter and CV writing)
- Edexcel IGCSE 4EA1 AO4 — transactional writing (article, speech, letter, guide, review, leaflet — leaflet and letter cover this territory)
- AQA GCSE 8700 AO5 (Paper 2 viewpoint writing covers letter and article forms)
- ASDAN Workright (workplace scenarios)
Cross-curriculum links
- Functional English — Writing (academic equivalent of the writing skill)
- Functional English — Speaking, listening, and communicating (interview skills sit here)
- KS4 English — Transactional and functional writing (academic-equivalent transactional writing)
- GIGF — Module 8: Presentation, Delivery, and Close (the closest practice for formal interview-style delivery)
- Relating Intelligently — Module 2: Prompting vs Patterning (interview questions are prompts; practising different kinds of question is preparation)
Suggested evidence types
- A working CV (revised over time as evidence accumulates)
- One real cover letter for a real opportunity (apprenticeship, course, volunteering, role)
- One mock interview log — questions, answers, what the learner would change next time
- Reflection on disclosure decisions and reasonable-adjustment requests
Mastery descriptors
- emerging — produces a basic CV with support; struggles to adapt content to a role
- developing — writes coherent CVs and cover letters; tailors content; survives a structured mock interview
- secure — fluent across CV, cover letter, application forms, and interviews; adapts to different opportunity types
- mastering — sophisticated self-presentation; handles unfamiliar questions confidently; manages disclosure with judgement