Topic Seven: Creating Your Resume

Creating Your Resume

Often times high school students think they do not need to create a resume. It is common to believe that if you have not held a job in the past, or have not worked fulltime, that you do not have enough qualifications to put on a resume. But this is not true!

Employers are looking for skills and personality types as much as they are seeking out experience, and it is never too early to take inventory of yours!

Task One: Create an inventory of your positive work traits

Write down a list of work and volunteer experiences you have had that equip you in the working world. Even if you have not worked before, you should be comfortable enough with your service learning to have increased your working skills.

Add to that list abilities you possess (such as multi-tasking or typing skills).

Now add to your inventory any academic honors you have received (grades, attendance awards, etc.)

These personal traits are the basic grid for creating your resume.

Task Two:

Log into Microsoft Word. Follow these steps:

1. File, New.

2. Create a document from a template for "resume."

3. Select a style that suits your personality and experience level.

4. Using your curser, highlight the information blocks automatically generated by Microsoft Word.

5. Type your own experience over the highlighted sections.

6. Carefully proofread your resume for consistency, spelling and grammar.

7. Swap files with a partner to peer-edit one another's resumes. Inform your partner of any changes that need to be made, and correct whatever is found on your own edited piece.

8. Keep up with your resume frequently. Update at least two or three times a year to add in new skills and experiences.

9. Apply for positions with confidence!

Task Three:

Blog Response: Answer the following questions in a well-developed paragraph (approximately 8-10 sentences).

What skills do you possess that are unique to you? What experiences in work or the community equip you to follow a career path you would like to pursue? What will you continue to do in your daily life to add valuable skills to your resume?

Alert your advisor when your work is complete.

Topic Six: Attendance and Timeliness

Attendance and Timeliness

Have you ever been left waiting for a friend? Did you become irritated and impatient? What about if someone canceled your plans at the last second? How did you feel? Many things can make someone late, but it is imperative to plan ahead so you are on time to your service learning site and future jobs.

Your employers and mentors depend on you to arrive each week at the same time and to stay for the duration of your scheduled shift.

Task One:


Here is a list of helpful tips that can keep you arriving on time all the time. Implement some or all of these time-savers into your daily routine.

1. Rise and Shine! Set your alarm clock for 20 minutes earlier than necessary. That way, you can either hit "snooze" in the morning, or have extra time to get ready.

2. Be Prepared! Have your clothes washed, ironed and laid out the night before so you can get dressed faster.

3. Multitask! Prepare your lunch for the next day ahead of time while making your dinner.

4. Know where you are going! Get directions to your service site before your first visit. Plan your route and know how long it takes to get there.

5. Expect the unexpected! Understand that not everything will go smoothly in the mornings. Give yourself enough time to deal with any potential problems that may arise, such as traffic jams, spilling something on your clothes or running out of gas.

6. Call ahead! If you are going to be late, make sure you have the phone number of the place where you are going. Call as soon as you know you will be late and give an honest estimate of how long it will take you to get there. Apologize for the delay and work harder the next time to get there on time.

7. Save your absences! Always reserve your absences for when you really need to take them. If you miss work, school or your service learning because you take a vacation day, your boss, teacher or mentor will be less sympathetic to you needing to also take a sick day. Be sure you need to be absent before you miss a scheduled responsibility.

Task Two:

Understanding where your time goes:
Keep a time log of how long certain activities take you. Write down each thing you do in the mornings before coming to school or to your service learning site. Determine which of these items could be done faster or at the same time. You may find you waste time in ways you do not even realize.

Task Three:

Blog post

I. Discuss a variety of ways you can implement time management into your daily life.

II. What would you do if you became overwhelmed with obligations?

III. Give your blog an appropriate title.

Task IV. Blog Post - Service Learning Weekly Journal

I. Write a two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal:

• Does your personality type you discovered today in the survey agree with the type of work you are doing in your internship/service learning?
• Knowing your personality, do you think you will have any challenges in the career you want to pursue?
• Discuss any positive experiences you've had in the last week.
• Discuss any negative experiences you've had in the last week.
• What do you look forward to in the coming weeks?
• A picture or visual that relates to your service learning.

Topic 4: Identifying Your Learning Style

Topic 4: WHAT IS YOUR LEARNING STYLE?




We all learn in different ways. Most people have a preferred or favorite method of learning new information. In this lesson, you will identify the style of learning that enables you to process information best. Let's get started . . .


Task One: Taking a learning styles inventory - Click on the following Learning Styles Modality Preference Inventory link. Copy the entire document into a new Microsoft Word document that you can save in your "My Documents". Your instructions for how to complete each page are listed below:

Page 1 directions: Read each statement and select the appropriate number response as it applies to you. If what is being described in the statement is true for you "often", write "3" beside that statement. If what is being described in the statement is true for you "sometimes", write "2" beside that statement. If what is being described in the statement is true for you "seldom or never", write "1" beside that statement. You should have a number beside each statement. Choose a best response and do not leave any blank spaces.

Task Two: Identifying which type of learner you are and the way you learn best.

Page 2 directions: Read each of the profile descriptions of the three types of learners. After reading each, identify which one describes the way you learn best. Often people can identify with the decriptions given with more than one type of learner. For this task, please choose the one with the most statements that describes you.

Task Three: Once you have figured out the way you learn best, you will need to learn some strategies to enhance your way of learning.

Page 3 directions: Read the list of suggestions of things you can do in class and/or at home to help you learn and retain information and ultimately be more successful in school that fits the learning style you identified in Task Two.

Task Four: Creating a plan of action to help you learn better.

Page 4 directions: For each of the courses that you are currently enrolled in, make a list of of five actions that you can begin taking on a consistent basis to improve your learning in those courses. Type your list under the heading that fits your learning style. For each action, indicate when you will start taking this action and how often you will perform that specific action. For example, if you are a visual learner currently enrolled in a mathematics course, you may need to begin taking better notes and allowing your teacher to review your notes with you to be sure that you are writing down all of the important information. This action needs to happen every day.

Make sure that you save your completed document in your "My Documents" as "your name Topic 4 Learning Styles Inventory" and place a copy of this document in your advisor's dropbox. Notify your advisor when these task are completed.

Task Five:

Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal.

I. Write a two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal

* what you've learned about the profession

* what you've learned about working with the people at your placement

* any positive experiences you've had

* any negative experiences you've had

* what you look forward to in the coming weeks

* how your learning style could be an asset to you in this career

* a picture or visual

II. Give your post an appropriate title.

III. Be sure to proof read your work before publishing your post.

IV. Notify your adviser when you have published your service learning weekly journal blog post.

Topic 10 : Communication Skills

Communication: The exchange of thoughts, messages or information by speech, signals, writing or behavior.

Rules for Effective Communication:

1. Recognize the difference between formal and informal settings and the communication needed for each.

2. Be clear and precise. Pay attention to your grammar and pronunciation.

3. Avoid slang -- it doesn't always translate well. The intended meaning isn't always what's received.

4. Know what you are saying without saying a word. Studies show that over 90 percent of communication is non-verbal. Be aware of what you are saying without speaking.

5. Be culturally aware. Gestures, proximity when speaking, and inflection can all be perceived differently by different cultures.

6. Proofread and revise. Formal, written communication needs to be grammatically correct. Always present your best.

7. Listen. Communication is two-way. Someone is transmitting and someone else is receiving. Make sure you are a good receiver.

Assignment #1 - Blog Post

There are three types of communication:

1) Written: through words: in print, on paper or electronically

2) Verbal: through speech: spoken word

3) Non-verbal: through gestures, body language, eye contact, clothing, hairstyles, symbols you wear, tone of voice, voice quality, style of speech

List three forms of communication for every type. For example, a form of written communication could be email. Then explain what barriers or problems could arise with each form of communication. Explain how those barriers or problems could be rectified or solved.

Assignment #2 - Blog Post

Write about your communication skills. Do you think you have good communication skills? Do you think you communicate effectively and efficiently with everyone you encounter? Do you communicate differently with different groups/kinds of people? If so, why? Do you see ways you could improve your communication skills?

Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal.

Continue to write a one or two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal:

* how you use your communication skills on a weekly basis at your placement

* what you've learned about the profession

* what you've learned about working with the people at your placement

* any positive experiences you've had

* any negative experiences you've had

* what you look forward to in the coming weeks

* a picture or visual

Topic 5: Career Exploration

Topic 5: Career Exploration


Career Exploration!

… the ultimate road trip to career success!


Please read carefully before moving on to the tasks below.

Career planning helps you learn about yourself, your skills, your strengths, weaknesses, and your potential fit for a particular career. It's possible to quickly choose a career. But to find a career that's right for you, it's helpful to slow down, give it some thought, and take the time to get it right. This is useful whether you are choosing a career for the first time or changing careers for the thirty-first time.

Career exploration is not the same as job searching. Job searching is a short-term pursuit of a position that matches your financial and career goals. Career exploration is a long, progressive process of choosing education, training, and jobs that fit your interests and skills.

Start here to begin planning your trip!


Task I. Self-Assessment
Commit yourself to finding a career that's appropriate to your interests, personality, and values. The first step in career planning is self-assessment, which helps you examine who you are and what you know about yourself.

According to John Holland's theory, most people in our culture are one of six personality types: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. People of the same personality tend to flock together. For example, artistic people easily make friends with and work well with other artistic people. When people of the same personality type work together, they create an environment that fits their type. For example, when artistic persons are together on a job, they create a work environment that rewards creative thinking and behavior — an artistic environment.

A. Click Career Key for a survey to determine your interests and to match them to the six personality types called Holland Codes. Begin by logging on to the gacollege411 website. If you do not have an account, you will need to create one before taking the survey. At the bottom of the Career Key page, select “Begin the Career Key”. Keep this website open so you can return to it later.

B. Record your scores at the top of page 3 of the Holland's Six Personality Traits. Keep this document open so that you can continue adding to it.


Task II. Career Matching
People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be successful and satisfied with their jobs: For example, artistic persons are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they choose a job that has an artistic environment, such as choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school, an environment dominated by artistic people where creative abilities and expression are highly valued. This combination creates a productive and satisfying environment.

A. Now that you have completed the survey, read pages 1 and 2 of the Holland's Six Personality Traits to learn more about your personality type.


B. The Student-Career Matching Assistant will use your Holland Codes to link careers to your interests and personality. On the gacollege 411 website, start the "Student-Career Matching Assistant". You will see your Holland codes and interests already populated. Select and "Industry Focus" and view the matching careers. Review the careers generated and see if they are truly of interest to you. Record your "Industry Focus" and top three career choices on page 3 of the Holland's Six Personality Traits. Repeat this process two more times. In the end you will have 9 possible career choices listed.



Task III. Career Exploration
Now that you have assessed yourself, it is time to explore your career options. A wide variety of information about industries and occupations is available. Exploring several industries and occupations will help you to discover the options that most interest you.

A. Return to the gacollege411 website. From your list of nine possible careers, choose your top three. On the Career Key page, choose the "List of Careers" tab on the left. Select one of the careers you are interested in. You are now going to investigate the occupation descriptions, worker characteristics, entry-level education and training requirements, work environment, physical demands, and related occupations.

B. Complete page 4 of the Holland's Six Personality Traits with your first career choice.

C. Complete page 5 of the Holland's Six Personality Traits with your second career choice.

D. Complete page 6 of the Holland's Six Personlity Traits with your third career choice.

E. Save your completed document into your My Documents by selecting "Save As". Name this "Week 5 - Career Explortaion".

F. Notify your advisor when you have completed every part of this assignment.


Task IV. Blog Post - Service Learning Weekly Journal

I. Write a two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal:

• Does your personality type you discovered today in the survey agree with the type of work you are doing in your internship/service learning?
• Knowing your personality, do you think you will have any challenges in the career you want to pursue?
• Discuss any positive experiences you've had in the last week.
• Discuss any negative experiences you've had in the last week.
• What do you look forward to in the coming weeks?
• A picture or visual that relates to your service learning.
  

II. Give your post an appropriate title.

III. Be sure to proof read your work before publishing your post.

IV. Notify your adviser when you have published your service learning weekly journal blog post.

Topic 3 - Study Skills

Topic 3: Study Skills


What if you were told that you could learn more with less effort and get better grades. It's true! And, you don't have to be any smarter. However, you do have to work smarter. Developing good study skills is the key. In your lessons today you will learn how to work smarter not harder by developing your study skills.



Task #1 First, let's take a little inventory of your present study skills. Examine the list of study skills below. Next, choose one or two skills you would like to improve. In a short paragraph, tell which skills you chose and why. Post your response on your blog.

1. Get to class on time -- it takes more of your time to catch up than to keep up. Vital instructions needed for the swift completion of your tasks are often given during the first minutes of class each day. Missing them means extra effort and wasted time.

2. BE PREPARED -- have pen/pencils, paper, pacing guides and assignments handy. Can't get things done if you can't get started or delay starting because you don't know what to do. Worse yet, ever complete a lesson in NovaNet you didn't have to do? Having the pacing guide handy can save you a lot of time and effort. Work smart; be prepared!

3. Take good Notes -- taking good notes doesn't necessarity mean taking more notes. On the contrary, writing less is usually more effective. Write down only key words. Use abbreviations for long words. Make up a shorthand or code for words (if you send text messages, you already have plenty of practice). You know, "formulas are your friends." Think about it. They are the ultimate shorthand. And, " a diagram is worth a thousands words." Put a date on each page of notes to make organizing them as simple a 1-2-3. As a result, you will be able retrieve facts quicker, cut down on study time, and learn more in less time.

4. Get Started -- it's easy to put things off "until tomorrow," but it's silly to wait three days to do an assignment that could only take you only 30 miniutes to complete. That's working harder not smarter. It's called procrastination. There are a lot of reasons why we procrastinate. Work on this skill. Get into the habit of starting tasks without thinking (and worrying) about them first. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish.

5. Finish - finish whatever you start whenever possible. It is much easier to take a few extra minutes to finish a task than it is to quit and restart. Just rebooting your computer and opening NovaNet can take longer than it would to simply finish a NovaNet lesson or test when you had the chance.

Task #2 Click here to open a website dedicated entirely to improving study skills. Here is a chance to work on improving two skills that most people ususally need to work on -- how to take notes and combating procrastination. You will complete this task in two parts.

Part a. From the main menu, click on the lesson Taking Notes in Class. Read the lesson, take notes, and then list 5 things you can do to take better notes. Post your list.

Part b. Now, go back to the menu and click on the lesson labeled Procrastination. Again, read the lesson, take notes, and then list at least 5 things you yourself are willing to do to control excessive procrastion. Post your list.

When you have completed both Task #1 and #2, notify your advisor that both tasks have been completed.

Task #3 Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal. Continue to write a one or two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar. You may want to include some of the following in your journal.

* how good study skills can help you at your placement
* what you've learned about the profession
* what you've learned about working with the people at your placement
* any positive experiences you've had
* any negative experiences you've had
* what you look forward to in the coming weeks
* how your learning style could be an asset to you in this career
* a picture or visual

Topic Two: Planning For Immediate and Long Term Success

Topic Two: Planning for Immediate and Long Term Success

Task 1: Transcript Check and Diploma Checklist
I) Review Transcript: Get a copy of your transcript from your adviser. Look over your course summary for any mistakes you might find. Write in the courses you are taking this semester at the bottom of the transcript summary box. Continue to part II.

II) Diploma Checklist: Complete the diploma checklist by:
a) Select which diploma you are working towards by clicking on the link below and opening the document.

• Technology/Career Diploma
• College Prep Diploma
• Dual Seal Diploma
  

b) Follow the instructions on the checklist. Type directly on the document. See your adviser if you have questions or difficulties.

c) Save your completed diploma checklist into your My Documents folder by selecting save as and selecting your My Documents. Be sure to give the document an appropriate title that includes your name and the current term.
Example of an appropriate title: Carrie Siegmund's Spring 2009 Diploma Checklist

It is really important that you save your diploma checklist into your My Documents so that you can make additions to the document in the future.

d). Notify your adviser when you have completed every part of this assignment.


Task 2: Blog Post: You in 10 Years
Where do you want to be in ten years? What can you do now to get there?
Visualize what you want your life to be like in ten years. What do you look like? What are you doing? Where are you living? What kind of job do you have? Are you sharing your life with a partner? Have you started a family? etc.

Complete a blog post that includes parts I-V below. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar.

I. Where do I want to be in ten years? Type a numbered list with ten details of what you want your life to look like ten years from now.

II. What can I do now to get there?The second part of this blog post is to formulate a list of ten things you have to do this quarter to help yourself get that life you formulated a list for in part I. Type a numbered list of ten things you have to do over the next four months to help yourself later. These should include steps you need to take in school and outside of school.

III. Upload an image/picture that represents at least one aspect of what you want your life to look like ten years from now.

IV. Give your post an appropriate title. Be sure to proof read your work before publishing your post.

V. Notify your adviser when you have published this post.


Task 3: Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal
I. Write a two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar.

You may want to include some of the following in your journal:

• your first impressions
• your work
• what you've learned about the profession
• what you've learned about working with the people at your placement
• any positive experiences you've had
• any negative experiences you've had
• what you look forward to in the coming weeks
• a picture or visual

II. Give your post an appropriate title.
III. Be sure to proof read your work before publishing your post.
IV. Notify your adviser when you have published your service learning weekly journal blog post.

Topic ONE -- 7 Habits of Successful PLC Students

Please read the following list carefully before moving onto the tasks at the bottom.

Successful PLC Students . . .

#1 -- Attend Class Faithfully -- You cannot learn if you are not present!

#2 -- Develop Good Study Habits -- Listen, take notes, read, and review what you have learned.

#3 -- Motivate Themselves -- Good students want to do well no matter what anyone else is doing or not doing.

#4 -- Set High Expectations -- Set goals and work toward achieving them. Know where you want to go, aim high, and you will get there.

#5 -- Learn from Their Mistakes -- "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." -Albert Einstein

#6 -- Built Healthy Relationships -- Surround yourself with others who are like-minded.

#7 -- Realize the Importance of Communication -- Learn to write well, speak well, and be aware of the message you send when you are not speaking.

Task One: In which of these areas do you need to make the most improvement to become a more successful student? Even if you feel as though you are already successful, you could still make strides in one of these areas? Which is it?

Sign onto your service learning blog and write a paragraph or two about the area in which you need the most improvement. You should provide details about the improvements you might make, as well as some examples of how it can improve your success at Classic City High School.

Task Two: What did we miss? Can you think of anything you might add to this list? Come up with one or two more habits you believe positive students have. Explain why you think your additions to this list would be important for every student at Classic City High School.

Before publishing your post, please review your work to be sure your writing is clear and grammatically correct. This should take just a moment of proofreading to make sure your post represents well. You should also be sure what you wrote illustrates that you put thought and effort into your work. Will your post be a positive contribution to our classroom discussion?

Task Three: Request a student information form from your teacher and fill it out completely. You should do this even if you have filled out one of these forms previously.

Blog Post: Service Learning Weekly Journal.

Continue to write a one or two paragraph blog post that discusses your experiences thus far at your service learning placement. Be sure to write using complete sentences, proper capitalization, and proper grammar.