Resumes Part 2: Writing a Resume's Experience Section

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable):

  Blueprint for Professional Success

  Course Title:

  Blueprint for Professional Success

  Course Number:

  8500375

  Career Cluster:

  Business Management and Administration

  CIP Number:

  09200119PA

  Course Type:

  Non-Career Preparatory

  Standard(s) or benchmarks

  Focus

  CTE 06.02

  Prepare, organize, and maintain a portfolio containing at least the following: career and educational goals, autobiography, picture identification, resume, letters of recommendation, completed job application, list of school/community activities, work and volunteer history, sample memos and letters for job related writings.

  Supporting

  CTE 06.01 Discuss the value of the portfolio as a job search tool.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  The unit will focus on students creating their resume to build their professional portfolios. This lesson is the second of four lessons. For this lesson, students will use a template to practice writing the work/volunteer experience portion of a resume for a famous person. During the first lesson students will learn key terms for resumes by reviewing two student resume samples. Subsequent lessons will focus on adapting students’ writing styles for resume writing. During the third and fourth lessons students will draft their resume and collaborate with other students to receive and provide feedback for revision.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Writing a successful resume is an essential skill for all prospective employees, particularly those entering the workforce for the first time. Students will also consider the perspective of an employer screening resumes when hiring prospective employees. This series of lessons will help students develop effective employability and resume writing skills. Students will prepare resumes that can be used for real-world experience of completing job applications.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Write the work/volunteer experience section of a resume using action verbs and details.
  • Conduct online research on a famous person’s work/volunteer experience.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with:

  • The important parts of a resume.
  • The purpose of a resume when applying for a job.
  • Locating different resources on the internet to find information on a topic.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What parts of the resume are important?
  • What information about work/volunteer history should be in a resume?
  • How is writing a resume different from writing a typical school assignment?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, ask students to recall the important parts of a resume from Lesson 1.

  • Focus on the experience section of the resume by asking students the guiding question: What information about work/volunteer history should be in a resume? Students can verbally share responses.

  2. Distribute the student handout with excerpts about Benjamin Franklin and Susan B. Anthony.

  • Read aloud the first excerpt from Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography (primary source).

  3. Model a think-aloud to show how details (e.g., dates, employer, job duties) from the excerpt can be used to write the work/volunteer experience section (see teacher handout).

  • Show students that bullet points beginning with an action verb instead of sentences are used for the work/volunteer experience section.
  • Paraphrase information from the excerpt to create a sample bullet point for Benjamin Franklin and students will copy it on the handout.

  4. Students will read the second excerpt (secondary source), highlight details, and practice writing a bullet point for Susan B. Anthony. The teacher can assist students as needed.

  5. Students will select a partner and discuss how writing a quality work/volunteer experience section can help an applicant in their job search.

  6. Provide students with a digital copy of the student handout. With their partner, students will select a famous person who has held multiple jobs/positions.

  • Once students select a person, they will conduct online research about the person’s work/volunteer history using available technology. Students will record their sources on the student handout.
  • Each student will select a different job/position held by the person. They will paraphrase information from their research to write three bullet points for the work/volunteer experience section. One student will type bullet points under Partner#1, and the other student will type bullet points under Partner#2.
  • Students will review each other's writing and provide verbal feedback or each of the bullet points.

  7. To bring the lesson to a close, students will complete an exit ticket to reflect on the following questions:

  • How is writing a resume different from a typical school assignment?
  • What changes did you need to make to your writing to complete the work/volunteer section of the resume?

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • It is important for students to understand that the writing style used for a resume is different than other writing styles with which they may be familiar. This idea can be reinforced in this lesson.
  • B.E.S.T Standards Alignment Note: To meet expectations for literary research, the teacher can assign students to research literary or fictional characters.
  • The teacher can use different excerpts for the modeling activity depending on student interests.
  • Additional action verbs can be provided to students.
  • Consider a quick review on the importance of using reliable online resources. The teacher can provide suggested links such as those ending in .gov or .edu.
  • Students may need a review of primary versus secondary resources.
  • The teacher can provide a suggested list of people to choose from if students are having trouble selecting a person.
  • Students can be provided a printed handout if technology is not available.

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • The teacher can informally observe and assess students’ participation during the partner activity.
  • Once students have completed the bullet points for their person the teacher can collect and review the student handouts.
  • Students can submit the exit ticket to reflect on their writing.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Students can draft a full resume for the famous person they selected and prepare a presentation for class on different careers.