Our 21st CCLC Site Coordinator, Matt, describes the benefits of resume workshops for students in Lana’s summer programs.
This summer, Lana’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) program is prioritizing college and career readiness for our participants at Cardozo Education Campus in Washington, DC. A critical skill for all students is to learn how to write a resume, whether they attend college or enter the workforce. Through our resume workshop, we have equipped students with the knowledge necessary to stand out to future employers and schools.
When administering a resume workshop, it is important to outline objectives for students to complete throughout the seminar. Here are the objectives that we used for our students:
Resume Workshop Objectives:
1. Write your Contact Information
Students must ensure that they have appropriate contact information to provide employers and colleges with. School-provided emails are a great way to stay in contact with employers, though a personal email may be appropriate as well. The most important detail to remember is to use an email that students regularly check and have access to. An email, phone number, and city of residence is sufficient for a resume.
2. Write your Headers
Professional resumes have sections with headers to make an applicant’s resume easy to digest. Students should be sure to include headers for Education, Work Experience, Honors and Awards, Additional Skills, and References.
3. Use Headers to Detail Experiences
Now that students have their headers in their resume, they can enter their experiences in an organized fashion. Be sure to offer support to students when brainstorming what counts as work experience. Even without work experience, students can describe impressive details about themselves such as a high GPA, awards, and success in extracurricular activities.
4. Format
While resumes can come in various styles, the formatting of a resume should be consistent within itself. We found that it was helpful to demonstrate shortcuts in Microsoft Word to students. Many students benefitted from learning Tab, Ctrl+Z, and bulleted lists.
5. Proofread
Once a resume is filled out, it should be proofread. Oftentimes we miss details when we have been working on a document for a while. Therefore, it is helpful to have a second set of eyes on a resume before it is submitted. Students will benefit tremendously from receiving feedback on their finished product.
By equipping students with resume-writing skills, we are preparing them for their futures. We are excited to see how they employ these skills in their journeys to college or the workforce in the near future!