When creating an assignment on resume writing, it’s best to first observe the key aspects of a strong resume document. After all, this assignment can serve as a resource for your students even outside of the classroom. In fact, their resume can even operate as one of their most beneficial documents when entering the professional world. When creating your assignment on resume writing, be sure to encourage your students to research their industries, identify correct formatting styles, and effective language and sentence structure usage. By adhering to these simple rules, you can create an effective assignment on resume writing that may influence your student for years to come.
Understanding How to Make An Impactful Assignment
Assuming you are working with either late high school or collegiate students, it’s safe to say that most of them already have some form professional experience. Even better, they may know what professional field they’d even want to pursue a career in. To start have your assignment on resume writing begin with a bit of research, let your students explore their dream job and industry. Not only will this allow for your students to discover unique positions within their field, but it will also help them learn what language needs to be included on their personal documents. By identifying industry specific buzzwords, students will increase their overall SEO value. This is key when having their resumes processed through standard applicant tracking systems (ATS) software.
Instruction on Formatting Is Key
Next, create a rubric that allows for your students to properly format and style their resume. This should serve as one of the critical aspects of your assignment on resume writing. Formatting is key. While students can feel free to explore how they arrange and create their document, it’s crucial that you provide them with the necessary foundation to do so. Give them a hard 400-word limit, at this point in their career there isn’t much reason to exceed this. Remember, it’s about keeping the most relevant and beneficial information upfront. Next, have them create a professional summary and areas of expertise (AOE) above their experience. Keep in mind that the higher up the information is listed, then the more relevant the ATS will perceive this data as. A professional summary and AOE is an effective way to organically highlight industry key words that may not naturally appear in your students’ bullets.
Another great way to nail in how important formatting is, show your students exactly what is and is not acceptable. The internet is full of questionable resume formats, show your students exactly what styles they should avoid and what formats are safer to experiment with.
Additionally, instruct your students on the best way to construct bullets that highlight their professional experience and accomplishments. Your assignment on resume writing should provide you students with real life examples of what content should and should not look like. Showcase how just listing skills and completed tasks can be elevated by showing exactly what was accomplished.
Lead By Example
While it can be beneficial to let your students have free reign on the start of this assignment on resume writing. It can also serve you well to lead by example: show your students your resume! Odds are you have the most professional experience in the room, so showcase how you were able to create a comprehensive resume tailored for your teaching position! Show them how you were able to relate previous positions to your career goal dreams. After all, nobody is born with their dream job. Unless you know, nepotism.
As a professional resume writer, one of the most common complaints I receive from clients is that they never learned how to properly create a document. It appears a majority of our clientele have been self-taught. And while it is great to keep yourself up to date on new trends, some our customers would have started off in a much stronger position if they had had the necessary foundation constructed. By following the advice provided above, you can provide your students with the necessary tools to navigate their professional world.