Language Arts, Writing, Writing Process

Grade 5- 8

Objective

Students practice creating resumes.

Directions

Since many students do not yet work, one way to practice resume writing is to have students pick a career they might be interested in pursuing in the future. With the help of the class, list several possible career choices on the board or overhead. Next, pass out sections of the classifieds to the students. Explain how the classifieds are organized. Show students how to find jobs that have been listed on the board. Next, look for jobs that no one has mentioned.
After students have seen what types of jobs are available, you can assign careers in one of two ways:

1. Have students look through the classifieds and decide on a job.
2. Have students draw from a collection of classified advertisements that you have previously cut out and gathered.

When students decide on jobs, help them determine what type of education, work experience, etc., they will need for the job. Encourage students to be creative and make up whatever information they will need for their resume.
Have students create their own resumes by studying the sample resume on page 51. If students do not have access to a computer, you may want to allow the resumes to be handwritten.
For an optional activity, hand out only five or six different job descriptions to the entire class. This way several students will apply for the same job. Determine which students have the same jobs and set up a date for students to interview for the position. The teacher can act as the employer, or another adult can be invited to the classroom to help with this activity. Have the students interview for the jobs and compare their resumes to determine who gets "hired" for the position.
Use the following information to instruct students about writing a resume:
Unless you happen to know a friend or relative who is hiring, getting a job is not always easy. It takes more to get a job than simply being a nice person. Most companies will require you to show how qualified you are for the job you want. Most will want to know your educational background and other job-related experiences that you've had.
Employers do not expect students to have extensive work experience, but they do want a resume that shows you have experience as a leader and that you would be a benefit to the company if they hired you.
Not every job requires a resume. Many jobs only require that you fill out an application. However, it is a good idea to have an updated resume on file at all times so that when a job becomes available that does require a resume, you are ready to go. Remember these helpful hints when writing your own resume:

• A resume lists a person's qualifications for a job.
• It includes a person's name, address, and telephone number.
• It includes a person's educational information and previous work experience.
• Information on a resume should be listed in chronological order, listing the most recent experiences first.

On a resume, do not include your work experience if it is not relative to the job you are trying to get. As a person gains more education, it is no longer necessary to include information such as middle school attended, etc. However, if you are a student in high school and you are trying to get a job as a counselor at a summer camp, this type of information is relevant to your resume.
A resume should always be typed, and it should be no longer than one page. There is no one correct style for a resume, but information should be neatly arranged on the page. Remember that you are trying to persuade someone to hire you, so be sure and emphasize any qualifications you might have that will help you get the job. A student looking for a job may want to include on his or her resume items such as community service or future goals.
Some companies may ask for a written reference from your friends, family, or past employers. A written reference is a letter from someone that recommends you as a good employee or worker. Others may ask for a list of names and phone numbers of your references so that the employer can call and speak personally to the references you have given.

Resources

• Sample Resume
• Computers
• Classified Ads