Unit 1: Preparing for the Workplace
This Unit Activity will help you meet these educational goals:
21st Century Skills—You will employ online tools for research and analysis and assess and validate information.
Introduction
After you have weighed your likes and dislikes to select a career option, and found a suitable job vacancy, the next step is to prepare for the job. An important part of the preparation is creating a résumé and a concise cover letter. A résumé is a brief account of a person’s academic qualifications, prior experience, personal information, and skills. The main aim of a résumé is to help you get your desired job. A good, detailed résumé can go a long way toward getting you the job you want. In this unit activity, you will learn how to structure and write an effective résumé.
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Directions and Analysis
Task 1: Understanding the General Structure of a Résumé
Read about how to organize and write a résumé. Note the sections, format, and recommended fonts of a résumé. Then, answer the following questions. The teacher will use the rubric in the Evaluation section to grade your work.
a. Name the sections that are generally found in a résumé, along with the information usually included in each section.
Type your response here:
b. Write the "honors and activities" section of the résumé of a student who excels in sports (pick one sport). Discuss with your peers what information should be included in this section.
Type your response here:
Now study a few sample résumés and observe how their structures vary with the jobs targeted. Note the various résumé formats and their uses. You can discuss the important points of the style of each résumé with your peers. Then answer the following questions.
c. Michael is in grade 10. He loves photography and has been mastering photography skills in his free time. He plans to apply for a part-time summer job as a photographer with a local daily publication. Michael has photographed and made video recordings for his school magazine. He has also volunteered as a photographer at some local weddings. Based on this information, which résumé format should Michael use to apply for the job?
Type your response here:
d. Melissa has just graduated from high school and is looking for a full-time job. She does not have an impressive record in extracurricular activities, but she loves to read books, has good verbal communication skills, and is well organized. Melissa would like to work as a librarian at a local public library. However, she does not have any prior experience in the form of volunteer work or internships. Write a suitable job objective for her résumé.
Type your response here:
Task 2: Write Your Résumé
Apply what you have learned to write your own résumé. Select an appropriate résumé template and write a résumé for the career option you want. Ensure that you follow the guidelines you explored in Task 1, and use one of the résumé formats that you have seen. Format the selected résumé using the word processing devices available to you. The teacher will use the rubric in the Evaluation section to grade your work.
Type your response here:
Resources
· how to organize and write a résumé
· sample résumés
· résumé templates
Document any additional references you used for this project below. At minimum, include a title and a URL for any Internet resource:
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Evaluation
Your teacher will use this rubric to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the clarity of thinking you exhibit.
Task 1: Understanding the General Structure of a Résumé
ConceptsDistinguished
(4 points) / · The response lists all four sections in the general structure of a résumé and provides a detailed description of each.
· The honors and activities section is well written and notes names of the honors or awards for a particular sport.
· The student understands the uses of different résumé formats and states the best résumé format for Michael.
· The job objective is accurately written, and Melissa’s skill sets are appropriately highlighted.
Proficient
(3 points) / · The response lists all four sections in the general structure of a résumé and provides a moderately detailed description of each.
· The honors and activities section is moderately well written and notes the names of honors or awards for a particular sport.
· The student understands the uses of different résumé formats but does not suggest the best résumé format for Michael.
· The job objective is accurately written, but Melissa’s skill sets have not been sufficiently highlighted.
Developing
(2 points) / · The response does not list all four sections in the general structure of a résumé, but the sections listed have been described in detail.
· The honors and activities section is well written overall, but names of the honors or awards for a particular sport are not mentioned.
· The student understands the uses of different résumé formats and has suggested the best résumé format for Michael after teacher intervention.
· The job objective is appropriately written, but Melissa’s skill sets have not been highlighted.
Beginning
(1 point) / · The response does not list all four sections in the general structure of a résumé, and detailed descriptions have not been provided.
· The honors and activities section is not well written, and names of the honors or awards for a particular sport are not mentioned.
· The student does not understand the uses of different résumé formats and has suggested the wrong résumé format for Michael.
· The job objective is poorly written, and Melissa’s skill sets have not been mentioned in the objective.
Task 2: Write Your Résumé
Distinguished
(4 points) / · All four sections of the résumé are present and logically arranged.
· The résumé has a short and concise objective that includes the organization's name and the specific position title.
· The information in the résumé is organized well.
· The résumé uses appropriate vocabulary throughout.
· The résumé uses a formal tone and consistent font styles for headings and text.
Proficient
(3 points) / · All four sections of the résumé are present.
· The résumé has a short and concise objective, but the organization's name or the specific position title has not been mentioned.
· The information in the résumé is generally well organized.
· The résumé generally uses appropriate vocabulary.
· The résumé generally uses a formal tone and consistent font styles for headings and text.
Developing
(2 points) / · One section of the résumé is missing.
· The résumé has a long and detailed objective that includes the organization's name and the specific position title.
· The résumé reflects an attempt to organize information.
· The résumé sometimes uses words that do not fit in the given context.
· The text occasionally strays from a formal tone or has some inconsistencies in the font styles for headings and text.
Beginning
(1 point) / · More than one section of the résumé is missing.
· The résumé has a long and detailed objective that does not include the organization's name and the specific position title.
· The information in the résumé is not organized.
· The résumé frequently uses words that do not fit in the given context.
· The text frequently strays from a formal tone and has several inconsistencies in the font styles for headings and text.
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