Resume Writing Teacher Script

Warm-Up: What's Your First Impression? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Imagine you're trying out for a new sports team, applying for a summer job, or even trying to get into your dream college. What's one of the first things people might ask to learn about you and your experience?"

(Pause for student responses. Guide them if needed towards ideas like 'my skills,' 'my experience,' 'what I've done,' 'a list of what I've accomplished.')

Teacher: "Exactly! Today, we're going to talk about something incredibly important for making a great first impression in the professional world: your resume!"

Introduction to Resumes (10 minutes) - Slides 1-4 of Crafting Your Career Story Slide Deck

Teacher: (Display Slide 1) "This is 'Your Resume, Your Story.' And it truly is your story – how you present yourself on paper."

Teacher: (Display Slide 2: What's a Resume?) "So, what exactly is a resume? As you can see, it's a brief, professional document that highlights your skills, experience, and achievements. Think of it as your personal marketing tool. It's a snapshot of who you are professionally, and it's often the first impression you make on a potential employer or college admissions officer."

Teacher: "Why do you think having a good resume is so important, especially now as you look towards college or jobs? What kind of message does it send if your resume is well-organized and clearly written?"

(Allow students to share responses. Prompt them to consider how it shows professionalism, seriousness, and preparedness.)

Teacher: (Display Slide 3: Why Do You Need One?) "You'll need a resume for many things: applying for jobs – whether it's a part-time job now or a full-time job after graduation – internships, volunteer positions, college applications, scholarships, and even just for networking. It's how you prove your capabilities and show what you bring to the table."

Teacher: (Display Slide 4: Resume Essentials: The Core Sections) "Every good resume has a few core sections. Today, we'll dive into these five: Contact Information, an Objective or Summary Statement, Education, Experience, and Skills."

Key Sections Deep Dive & Examples (10 minutes) - Slides 5-9 of Crafting Your Career Story Slide Deck

Teacher: (Display Slide 5: Section 1: Contact Information) "First up, your contact information. This sounds simple, but it's crucial. You need your full name, a professional phone number with a clear voicemail, and a professional email address. Please, no 'supergamer3000@email.com' for job applications! And usually, just your city and state are sufficient, a full address isn't often needed anymore."

Teacher: (Display Slide 6: Section 2: Objective or Summary) "Next, we have the Objective or Summary. If you have less formal work experience, an Objective Statement is usually best. It briefly states your career goals and what you're seeking. For example, 'To obtain a summer internship where I can apply my communication skills and learn about marketing strategies.' A Summary Statement is for those with more experience, and it's usually 2-3 sentences highlighting your top skills. For most of you, an Objective will be more appropriate for your first resume."

Teacher: (Display Slide 7: Section 3: Education) "The Education section is where you showcase your academic journey. You'll include your high school name, city, and state, along with your expected graduation date. For example, 'Expected May 2025.' If your GPA is strong (3.0 or higher), you can include it. You can also add relevant coursework like AP classes or specialized programs, and any academic awards or honors. What kind of coursework do you think would be 'relevant' for a job application?"

(Pause for student responses. Guide them to think about subjects related to the job or skills required.)

Teacher: (Display Slide 8: Section 4: Experience) "This is often where students get stuck, thinking they don't have 'experience.' But 'Experience' means a lot more than just paid jobs! It includes any paid positions – where you'd list the company, location, your title, dates, and use bullet points with action verbs to describe your responsibilities and achievements. But it also includes volunteer work, school activities, clubs, leadership roles, and even personal projects! If you were in charge of organizing a school event, that's experience! If you tutored younger students, that's experience! What are some things you've done in or out of school that could count as 'experience'?"

(Encourage students to brainstorm and share examples of volunteer work, club roles, sports teams, babysitting, managing social media for a group, etc.)

Teacher: (Display Slide 9: Section 5: Skills) "Finally, your Skills section. This is where you list what you're good at! This can be technical skills like software you know (Microsoft Office, Adobe programs), any programming languages you've learned. It also includes language skills – are you fluent, conversational, or basic in another language? And importantly, soft skills: communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership. While you can list these, it's even better if you can show them through your experience. Lastly, any certifications you have, like First Aid or CPR, are great to include."

Activity: Resume Builder Worksheet (5 minutes)

Teacher: (Distribute the Resume Builder Worksheet) "Now it's your turn to start thinking about your own resume! On this worksheet, you'll brainstorm ideas for each section based on your experiences so far. Don't worry about perfect wording yet, just get your ideas down. This is your chance to start crafting your own professional story. I'll be walking around to help if you have any questions."

(Circulate around the room, offering support and answering questions. If time permits, ask a few students to share one idea they put down for a section. Otherwise, assign completion as homework and collect in the next class if desired.)

Teacher: (Display Slide 10: Tips for Success!) "As you work on your resumes, remember these tips: use action verbs, quantify your achievements when possible, PROOFREAD everything, tailor your resume for each opportunity, and always be honest. This worksheet is just the beginning. A strong resume will open many doors for you!"

Resume Builder Worksheet: Your Career Story Begins!

This worksheet will help you brainstorm ideas for your own resume. Don't worry about perfect wording right now; just get your ideas down! We'll refine them later.

Section 1: Contact Information

How will employers/colleges reach you?

• Full Name:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Phone Number:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Professional Email Address:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• City, State:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• (Optional) LinkedIn Profile URL:
  
  
  
  
  
  

Section 2: Objective Statement

What are your immediate career/academic goals, and what kind of position are you seeking? (Keep it concise, 1-2 sentences).

*Example: "To obtain a summer internship in a marketing department to gain practical experience and develop professional skills."

Your Objective Statement:

Section 3: Education

What are your academic achievements?

• High School Name:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• City, State:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Expected Graduation Date: (e.g., "Expected May 2025")
  
  
  
  
  
  
• (Optional) GPA (if 3.0 or higher):
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Relevant Coursework: (e.g., AP English, Computer Science, Graphic Design)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Awards & Honors: (e.g., Honor Roll, Academic Excellence Award)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Section 4: Experience

List any paid jobs, volunteer work, school activities, clubs, leadership roles, or significant projects. For each, describe your role and what you achieved or did using action verbs.

Experience 1:

• Type of Experience: (e.g., Paid Job, Volunteer, Club, Project)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Organization/Company Name:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Your Role/Title:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Dates: (e.g., "Summer 2023," "Sept 2022 - Present")
  
  
  
  
  
  

• **Key Responsibilities/Achievements (use action verbs!):
  **
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  * -

Experience 2 (if applicable):

• Type of Experience:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Organization/Company Name:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Your Role/Title:
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Dates:
  
  
  
  
  
  

• **Key Responsibilities/Achievements (use action verbs!):
  **
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  * -

Section 5: Skills

What are you good at? Think about technical, language, and soft skills.

• Technical Skills: (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, specific software, coding languages)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Language Skills: (e.g., Spanish - Fluent, French - Conversational)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Soft Skills: (e.g., Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving, Leadership - try to connect these to your experiences!)
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Certifications: (e.g., First Aid, CPR, Microsoft Certified)
  
  
  
  
  
  

Reflection

What is one new thing you learned about resume writing today?

Resume Builder Answer Key: Sample Responses & Guidance

This answer key provides sample responses and guidance for the Resume Builder Worksheet. Students' answers will vary widely based on their individual experiences. Encourage them to be thorough and use descriptive language.

Section 1: Contact Information

• Full Name: Jane A. Doe / John B. Smith
• Phone Number: (555) 123-4567
• Professional Email Address: jane.doe@email.com / john.smith@email.com
• City, State: Anytown, CA
• (Optional) LinkedIn Profile URL: www.linkedin.com/in/janedoe (Students should only include this if they have an active, professional LinkedIn profile).

Guidance: Emphasize the importance of professional contact details. A simple, clear email address is crucial. Remind students to set up a professional voicemail message.

Section 2: Objective Statement

Example 1: "To secure a challenging part-time position in retail where I can apply strong customer service skills and contribute to a positive shopping experience."

Example 2: "Seeking a summer volunteer opportunity in a healthcare setting to gain exposure to medical fields and assist patients and staff."

Guidance: Look for statements that are concise, clearly state a goal, and mention skills relevant to the type of position they are seeking. For 11th graders, an objective statement is generally more suitable than a summary unless they have significant, focused experience.

Section 3: Education

• High School Name: Anytown High School
• City, State: Anytown, CA
• Expected Graduation Date: Expected May 2025
• (Optional) GPA (if 3.0 or higher): 3.8/4.0
• Relevant Coursework: AP English Language, AP Calculus, Computer Science Principles, Graphic Design I, Public Speaking
• Awards & Honors: Principal's Honor Roll (2022, 2023), Science Fair Winner (2023), National Honor Society Member

Guidance: Students should include current and future graduation dates. Encourage them to think broadly about coursework that demonstrates skills (e.g., public speaking shows communication, computer science shows technical ability). Any academic recognition is valuable.

Section 4: Experience

Guidance: This section requires strong action verbs and quantifying achievements where possible. Help students identify transferable skills from seemingly non-traditional experiences.

Experience 1: (Example - Paid Job)

• Type of Experience: Paid Job
• Organization/Company Name: Local Cafe
• Your Role/Title: Barista
• Dates: June 2023 - Present
• **Key Responsibilities/Achievements (use action verbs!):
  **
  • Served over 50 customers daily, accurately taking orders and handling payments.
    
    
    
  • Managed inventory and restocked supplies, ensuring efficient operations.
    
    
    
  • Trained two new employees on cafe procedures and customer service best practices.
    
    
    

Experience 2: (Example - Volunteer/Club)

• Type of Experience: Volunteer / School Club Leadership
• Organization/Company Name: High School Robotics Club
• Your Role/Title: Lead Programmer / Team Captain
• Dates: Sept 2022 - Present
• **Key Responsibilities/Achievements (use action verbs!):
  **
  • Led a team of 5 students in designing and programming a competition robot using Python.
    
    
    
  • Mentored junior members in coding fundamentals and troubleshooting robotics issues.
    
    
    
  • Secured 3rd place in the regional robotics competition (2023).
    
    
    

Guidance: For students with less formal experience, emphasize how volunteer work, school clubs, sports, and even major personal projects demonstrate valuable skills like teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and time management. Remind them to use strong action verbs.

Section 5: Skills

• Technical Skills: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), Google Suite, basic Python programming, Canva, social media management (Instagram, TikTok)
• Language Skills: Spanish (Conversational), French (Basic)
• Soft Skills: Excellent Communication, Team Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Leadership, Time Management, Customer Service
• Certifications: CPR and First Aid Certified, Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification

Guidance: Encourage students to be specific with technical skills. For soft skills, guide them to think about how they demonstrate these skills rather than just listing them (e.g., instead of just "Leadership," students could connect it to their role as "Team Captain, leading project initiatives"). All relevant certifications should be included.

Reflection

Guidance: This is an open-ended question. Look for responses that indicate genuine learning or a shift in understanding about resume importance or components. Examples:

• "I learned that my volunteer work actually counts as 'experience' on a resume."
• "I didn't realize how important it is to use action verbs instead of just listing duties."
• "I need to create a professional email address and maybe a LinkedIn profile soon."
• "The objective statement is really useful for someone like me who doesn't have a lot of formal work history yet."

Overall Feedback: Remind students that building a resume is an ongoing process. This worksheet is a starting point, and they should continue to add to it as they gain new experiences and skills.