Learning intentions
- Know what goes on a resume and in what order
- Turn everyday experience into resume points
- Write a clear one-page draft
You will need
- The resume template on the worksheet
- Devices or paper
- A sample layout on the board
Lesson steps
- 10 min
What a resume is for
Explain that a resume helps an employer decide whether to meet you. It should be short, true and easy to scan.
- 10 min
The sections
Walk through the sections: contact details, a short profile, skills, education, experience (including volunteering, sport and school roles), and referees available on request.
- 25 min
Draft it
Students fill in the template. Remind them that experience includes things like babysitting, helping with junior sport, helping at a market stall or leading a school group.
- 10 min
Peer check
Partners check each other's draft: is it one page, are there spelling errors, does every point start with an action word?
- 5 min
Keep it safe
Explain that a resume holds personal information: share it only with employers and people you trust, and never post it publicly.
Adapting it
Give students sentence starters and a list of action words. Students who already have a resume can tailor it to a job advertisement.
Going further
Students tailor their resume for one real job or work experience advertisement and highlight the words they matched.
Student worksheet
My first resume
Name: Class:
Contact details (name, phone, email)
Profile: two sentences about you and what you are looking for
Skills (with a short example each)
Education
Experience: school roles, sport, volunteering, work
Referees (available on request)