In this new weekly blog post, the Curriculum team will highlight Just One Resource from our NGPF collection that maybe doesn't get the attention it deserves. Use it this week or bookmark it for later.

[The Resource]  ANALYZE: A High School Resume and Cover Letter

The Gist: Are your students looking for part-time jobs but don’t know where to start? This activity gets students to start thinking about what elements make strong high school resumes and cover letters by analyzing real life examples.

Teacher Quote: "This activity really helps students visualize what to do/not do on a resume and cover letter." - Kyle Ebel, Dodgeville High School, WI

The Best Parts:

• There are 4 different resumes and 4 different cover letters that include relevant experiences to many high school students.
• Students are asked to identify various glows (strong points) and grows (areas to work on) within the sample documents. This allows for an engaging class discussion on what employers are looking for in high school student employees.
• We have provided a clear and thorough checklist on what can be included in resumes and cover letters that make them stand out to employers to help students find any errors during the analysis, as well as guide students on how to create their own!
• This activity could be extended to helping students create their own LinkedIn profiles as well!

About the Author

Abby Alcala

After graduating with a statistics major at UC Davis, Abby set off to Massachusetts to teach algebra 1 and geometry and enjoyed working with the curious and creative minds of high school students. She is passionate about helping students recognize and develop their strengths and leadership skills. She was instrumental in taking the high school cheer team to regional competitions, as well as elevating school spirit and pride through creating unity amongst the study body and educators. Back in the Bay Area, Abby is excited to work with other educators to build and share content to enhance the teaching experience in applied math and finance.