LEARN NC

CareerStart lessons: Grade eight

1.2 Writing a resumé

By Andrea Fedon, Gail Frank, and Cindy Neininger

Provided by CareerStart

Essential question: How can the application of grammar and language usage help you attain a desired job?

Learning outcomes

Students will gain experience with proofreading and editing.

Teacher planning

Materials needed

  • Resumé template
  • Resumé examples (You may also create your own examples or find examples on the internet.)
  • Optional: multimedia or overhead projector
  • Optional: overhead copy of sample resumés

Time required for lesson

One class period

Activities

  1. Hand out the sample resumés and the resumé template, and have the students name all of the things one might include on a resumé. As the students name the components of a resumé, list them on the board.
  2. Have a class discussion in which the students name the most impressive things about the sample resumés. You may choose to project copies of the sample resumés to facilitate discussion.
  3. Tell the students that they will write a resumé as if they were in college and looking for employment. Have the students brainstorm various jobs that college students might do, such as lifeguard, day care worker, cashier, etc.
  4. Have each student select a desired job and write a resumé that would increase the odds of getting hired for that job. Students may use the resumé template to help them. Students may use real and fictional information on the resumé — but be sure to remind them that fictional information is unacceptable on a real resumé.
  5. After students create their resumés, have them work with partners to edit each other’s work. Explain that in many job markets, spelling and grammatical errors on resumés can cause employers to eliminate applicants from the hiring pool.
  6. When students have finished editing each other’s resumés for spelling and grammatical errors, have each student work individually to create a second, more polished, resumé draft.
  7. As a closing activity, you may want to put students in small groups and have them select the best job candidate based on their completed resumés. Be sure to have students support their choices using information from the resumés.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 6: The learner will apply conventions of grammar and language usage.
    • Objective 6.02: Continue to identify and edit errors in spoken and written English by:
      • using correct spelling of words appropriate in difficulty for eighth graders and refining mastery of an individualized list of commonly misspelled words.
      • producing final drafts/presentations that demonstrate accurate spelling and the correct use of punctuation, capitalization, and format.
      • self correcting errors in everyday speech.
      • independently practicing formal oral presentations.