Target Selection and Task Analysis:

How can you break this skill down?

1. First, it is important to concretely clarify what the door to door search is, and why it is sometimes necessary.   Though most larger corporations exclusively rely on the online application process, many smaller, locally owned businesses still issue paper applications to applicants within their stores.
   
   
2. Identify potential locations within the student’s community that align with the student’s interests, needs, and strengths.  Make a list of these locations (names, addresses) with the student.
   
   
3. Concretely identify what to wear to such locations and why.  In most cases, appropriate casual attire or business casual attire is suitable for entry level positions at retail and restaurant settings.  (see Grooming and Dressing topic for more details)
   
   
4. Within the context of role-play, video and picture examples, and live practice in stores (if possible), guide the student in identifying the most likely area within a store where he might obtain an application (e.g. the front desk, the customer service desk, the hostesses’ stand, a cashier’s station) and who to ask (e.g. the person wearing a name tag, the person behind the counter, the person wearing a uniform).  This will vary across locations, so multiple practice opportunities targeting increasingly different settings will be important.
   
   
5. Within the context of role-play, video scenarios, and live practice in stores (if possible), guide the student in determining the following:  Is this the right time to approach the employee, or do I need to wait?  Concretely identify the “rules” that will help the student determine that he should wait:  The employee is on the phone, the employee is working with a customer (talking to a customer, checking a customer out in the check-out line), there is a line (student must wait in this line), etc.
   
   
6. Within the context of role-play, video scenarios, and live practice in stores (if possible), guide the student in rehearsing what to say and how to say it.  In many cases, this involves at least three primary steps: 1. Introduce yourself (“Hi, my name is _____”) . 2. Request an application (“I was hoping I could please pick up an application.”) 3.  No matter whether you get an application or not, say “Thank you.”  As the student shows increasing competence with this basic interaction set, begin to target responses to increasingly complex variations:  The employee indicates that they are not hiring right now; the employee is not sure, and sends you somewhere else within the store; the employee gives you instructions on where to find the application online; the employee/manager asks you questions about your availability, what positions you are applying for, etc.
   
   
7. The final step to emphasize is for the student to take the application with him/her to fill it out in a quiet, non-distracting setting.

 What sub-skill should you target first for the student to initiate? Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?