This morning I woke up totally excited to return to CTK after Spring break. How exciting is it to get to spend my next 2.5 months with some of my favourite teenagers on the planet.
We are moving into a Career Exploration unit. Thanks to Barb Duncan of CSSD for developing this resume writing lesson plan which I will be using:
Overview
Applying for volunteering or employment is a demanding task. Confident resume writing skills allow students to explore exciting opportunities according to their interests. They can practice identification of skills, areas of potential growth, and recognition of achievements. Furthermore, it challenges students to think critically about how to apply their experiences and thrive in their desired position.
Another important skill to develop is applying for scholarships. Post-secondary education can get very expensive, especially if you decide to move away from home. Scholarships can thus provide support for professional and personal development while reducing the stress associated with many necessary expenses.
Prior to writing your resume, remember to explore your interests, skills, and values. It is equally important to understand the qualifications and responsibilities involved in the volunteer or employment position of interest.
As an initial step, create a Master Resume to house information you can tailor to any application. It will describe your education, training, work history, and experience along with the associated skills gained with each.
Next, identify the appropriate type of resume you want to put forward:
- Applying for work similar to your current experience? Use a Chronological Resume. This is most familiar to employers as it lists work, education, training etc. history in order from most recent to oldest.
- Applying to a field outside of most of your experience? Use a Functional Resume, which may be more challenging to write, but it showcases skills and abilities in categories related to the job you are applying for. Alternatively, try a Combination Resume, which is useful for organizing your achievements in skill categories rather than outlining your work history.
No matter what type of resume you choose, remember there are certain formatting techniques to be aware of such as document type, margins, etc. Here are a few reminders. As well, make sure you have a neutral or generic e-mail address, e.g., your first name.last name. Do not have any unprofessional words in your e-mail address!
If you are having difficulty with describing your accomplishments, the following two activities can help:
The STARS acronym stands for situation, task, action, results, and skills. Reflecting upon your experience in this fashion helps you clearly articulate your responsibilities and accomplishments.
Be honest when developing your resume, but also write with power. Lead with your strengths, utilize keywords (to be identified in the job posting and reiterated in your resume), and use active words to describe your actions (e.g., analyzed, developed, engaged).
Main Resume Take Away: Make sure it is concise (1-2 pages),free of mistakes (grammar check), easy to read (proper format),and showcases your strengths (quantify and qualify). Make sure it is professional looking.
Do you have any other Career Exploration Lesson plan ideas?
Feel free to share below
Thanks in advance
Erin Luong
B Ed, MC, CCC
Professional School Counsellor and Health Teacher
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