Friday, August 22, 2014

Your First Resume

Interviewing for a job can be a scary proposition. You don't know what to expect. Are you going to get some crazy questions? Will you be interrogated with bright lights? It can get a little nuts.


You don't have control of how you interview will go but you do have control over how you present yourself. Part of presenting a professional image is creating a resume. In your resume, you want to tell a story, your story. You want to craft your story to show how your life and your choices have prepared you specifically for the position to which you are applying. Think about the choices you've made, the classes you take, the sports you participate in. What do those choices say about you, your judgement, your drive, and your work ethic? Consider how you want to present yourself before you begin crafting a resume. Also, consider what a potential employer might want in an employee. Do some research. What positions have they had trouble filling. What skills do they need in an applicant. Is it a good "fit" for both of you? Once you have the answers to those questions, you'll be ready to create a quality resume.

Web Resources:

Forbes Article

Elements of a resume

What makes a good resume great?


Day 1: For the first day, we'll go over some general questions you might have about the job application process. Write a question on the board. We'll work together to research the answers. Next we'll select 5 qualities or characteristics that describe who we are.

Assignment: Create and share a folder on your Google Drive called "Resume Project." Write a new document called Personal Characteristics listing five characteristics of your life or personality. Write a summary sentence or two providing evidence for each characteristic. Evidence can include work experience, school studies, extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports, or church activities. Submit the document via your shared folder by the end of class.

Day 2: Believe it or not, Human Resources Directors (HRs) are real people just like you. And just like you, they have a job to do. They are approached by company managers who need qualified workers to fill positions within their companies. Why do they have positions to fill? There could be many reasons, perhaps the last worker was fired for not doing a good job or being chronically late or absent. Perhaps the company is growing and the company needs to expand their capabilities. Perhaps they are looking for someone with a particular skill (like being bi-lingual).

Assigment: Below are five job descriptions for entry evel jobs. Select one of them and write a list of five characteristics that would be needed in a job applicant. Be specific with what qualifications would be needed for the job. Consider other characteristics as well. Create a Google Doc, title it Job Description, enter the 5 characteristics for one of the jobs and submit it via you Resume Project folder that you have already shared.

1. Sales Clerk - Sporting Goods Store

2. Doctor's Office Receptionist

3. Assistant Chef - Local Restaurant

4. Assistant Computer Technician

5. Child Care Worker - Local Daycare Center


Day 3: Today is the day that we put everything together. Select one of the five opening positions posted from the previous day. I'll list five characteristics or qualifications the HR director is looking for in each applicant. Craft your resume to show that you are the best applicant for that particular job. I'll provide you a template but you'll have to fill in the resume with your own unique data. You can find the template in a folder here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I2fqmb8DGg63nRiI4bMvWG_XS7QAG8SXPZdov4x4Ox8/edit?usp=sharing.

 Place your resume into the Resume Project folder. You'll be graded on the completeness and effectiveness of your resume. Watch for grammatical or spelling errors which could derail your resume. Good luck!

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