Building a Resume
at our school, when teaching resume writing and building, students thinks that writing resume is very easy until they actually start to build it
John,
Great points. It sounds like you can build an entire workshop or course around the learning objectives you have created. What might be interesting is to invite employed grads in for a brain storming session on what should be included too. They will have information from life on the job and the job search process they went through. Great that you keep grads' eyes on the future. You are telling them they it is not a job for tomorrow but a career for a long time. Great approach to how much work experience should
be included on a resume. What is important is that the grad can talk about the skills learned on each job and how they apply to the one being sought. Sounds like you are doing a great job. Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
I want to offer as much help as the student needs to build an effective resume which means I need to be prepared myself. I always read the appropriate chapters in the textbooks and conference with the instructors to determine a minimum skill set the students should have when they graduate. I encourage the students to put that info in a qualifications section. Also, I offer info from relevant job descriptions, the OOH and BLS, as well as, the school catalog to help round out the qualifications section. I tell them that the qualifications section is a bulleted list of their best features and deserves an important place near the top of their resume. My philosophy is that the resume is forward looking because it is preparing them for a career change. I tell the students I am more concerned with where they are going than with where they have been. Education usually comes next because it supports where their qualifications come from. Employment is very often down on the page because it is rarely relevant to the jobs they are seeking now. I am often asked “how far back should it go?†My answer is “as long as it takes†to make a tight story of your experiences/employment that you are comfortable telling in an interview setting. I don’t believe the resume needs to contain every detail of the past; however, the resume should not make more questions than it answers.
Deborah,
Crafting resumes has its rewards and challenges. The rewards are that students can see who they are. This often increases self confidence and personal awareness. There are also the challenges of putting together a resume when there is little relevant experience. This certainly points to the value of experiential learning within programs and portfolios. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
When I work with students to put together a resume we look at all that they can do in their fields of study and we add that toward the top of the resume as qualifications. It shows everything they bring to the table for the job. Except for a little at the bottom of the resume that is employment history almost all of the resume shows what they offer in the job.
Glenda,
Great idea Glenda. Students need to be encouraged to go the extra mile and look for relevant activities so they gain experience for their resumes. This certainly includes intern- and externships. They can be encouraged to think of other creative experiences. This goes for grads and alumni too. Grads can be encouraged to return to school to assist in a variety of ways such as in the classroom, with placement, and more. All great service learning experiences to add to their resumes and confidence. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Great suggestion, also I will encourage students or graduates who do not have any work experiences to include their Externship or Internship Services on their resumes.
Regards,
Glenda Johnson
Angela,
Sometimes people don't want to write a resume because they are scared they won't have anything to put in it. When you work with them and show them all the experience they do have, then they feel really good. You can watch them smile when they see the completed resume that show they are really good. So it is good to push a bit. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
yes, we agree a lot of the students dont think is important in the beauty fiel to have a work history and when we help them with process until they get the interview they that is very important to have a good resume with all the information of there work expirience.
This is great, Doris. Most people don't know how to write resumes. They don't know how to evaluate their work experience when they have worked. We like the idea of writing up their work history. You might want them to list their responsibilities at each job. Then ask them to list their accomplishments. That brings up a lot of interesting insight. Also it gives them topics to discuss during the interview. Thanks, Susan
Dr. Susan Schulz
Yes I agree we have student who do not even know who to begin a resume. Some have never worked before so we really have to emphasize on their educational skills. I have our student write there work history on paper first. We use an online website called online.onetcenter.org which gives them some definitions of a job description.
We agree. Resume writing starts with a good analysis of oneself. What the student is good at and what they like to do. Then they need to consider what an ideal work day will be like and to train and then search for that job. All the thinking and self reflection when creating a resume can also be used during the interview. Especially if the interviewer is good and asks thought provoking questions. thanks, Susan
