Resumes: A How to Guide

Jeff wants to work in the information technology field. Cindy dreams of being a gourmet chef. Over the course of this program, these students learn how to write functional, chronological, combination, and newsletter-style resumes using information on their skills and experience that they identify through two exercises: Personal Inventory (to capture the “what”) and Showing Your COLORS (to uncover the “how”). Ways to get a resume in front of a decision maker’s eyes are also addressed, and insightful snippets of commentary by a career counselor and an HR professional are interspersed throughout.

Engaging and informative, Resumes: A How-To Guide is an excellent introduction to resume writing for students with little or no job experience.

1. Resume Writing: Personal Inventory A resume is a snapshot of life experiences, work history, accomplishments, and skills related to a particular job. An essential element of preparation is the personal inventory. A student gets coaching to develop his work history section of his inventory.
2. Work Experience and Skills: Paid and Non-Paid For the resume, creatively consider all experiences that display desired skills: class projects, extra-curricular activities, and others. The word COLORS reminds students how to "sell" themselves in their resumes.
3. Do's and Don'ts of Resume Writing Do not include anything on the resume if you have not done it. Not telling the truth on a resume can be a "fatal" mistake in getting a job. At the same time, do not be shy, and sell yourself by pointing out your best qualities.
4. How to Write a Functional Resume Students have different styles of resumes to choose from. Functional resumes focus primarily on skill areas, achievements, course work, and extra-curricular activities. A student learns how to write and format a functional resume.
5. How to Write a Chronological Resume In the chronological-style resume, students list their work experiences in chronological order. A student learns how to write and format a chronological resume.
6. Combination and Newsletter Resumes Combination-style resumes use elements from both functional and chronological resume styles. A how-to portion shows students how to write a combination resume. The newsletter-style resume is formatted to look like a newsletter.
7. Writing Style Important on Resumes Writing style in creating a resume includes: sell yourself, your skills, and experience--but keep it professional. Use action verbs such as "managed," "supervised," and "designed." Keep phrasing succinct and to the point.
8. Resume Tips for Professional Impression Job seekers use a variety of ways to find out job availability and where to send their resumes. Formatting tips include: white 8 x 11 paper, print on one side only, one typeface (non-decorative), 10-12 font size, keep length to one page.

Grade: 6-8, 9-12

Resumes: A How to Guide (DVD)
© 2008
Time: 35 Minutes