In this new weekly blog post, Jessica will highlight Just One Resource from our NGPF collection that maybe doesn't get the attention it deserves. Use it this week or bookmark it for later.

[The Resource]  ROLEPLAY: WIth Whom Should I Network?

The Gist: You're a junior in college, searching for an internship before senior year. You've got a network of 10 people -- former Little League coach, roommate's mom, your aunt -- who work in a variety of fields. In three different scenarios, based on different career aspirations, you decide who in your network is the best resource for helping you land a great internship. 

The Best Parts: 

• Sometimes, it's not what you know but who you know that matters when searching for a job, and this activity shows students that even at a young age, they've got a potentially valuable network to tap into
• Like many of our activities, there truly is no one "correct answer" to each scenario, so your students can discuss, deliberate, and argue their case and still be "right" in the end
• You can administer the activity as a worksheet, as we originally conceived, OR check your teacher answer key for suggestions on turning this into a live roleplay at the front of your classroom for even more fun
• This activity requires very little background knowledge other than a basic understanding of what it means "to network," so you can use this activity meaningfully at almost any point in your school year

About the Author

Jessica Endlich

When I started working at Next Gen Personal Finance, it's as though my undergraduate degree in finance, followed by ten years as an educator in an NYC public high school, suddenly all made sense.