MR. CAPLINGER AND MRS. MAGATO 8 TH GRADE LANGUAGE ARTS CAREERS: WRITING A RESUME AND COVER LETTER

OBJECTIVES To explore, research, and think about possible careers you may be interested in. (Day 1) To fill out a job application. (Day 1) To learn how to write a resume and cover letter in applying for a job. (Day 2 and 3)

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…. Ninety-three percent of middle school students report that their goal is to attend college. However, only 44% enroll in college, and only 26% graduate with a college diploma within six years of enrolling (Conley, 2012a; Conley, 2012b). How many of you know what you want to do when you graduate? It is never too soon to think about careers! Mr. Caplinger and Mrs. Magato will share how we got where we are.

WHAT TO DO? Some of you may not know what you want to do and that is ok. There are tools out there that can assist you in jobs that may interest you. I am going to pull up the following website which allows you to take an interest inventory and also research jobs you are interested in.

O-NET Today, we will research jobs and find one that may be of interest to you. You must pick something even if you are not 100% sure. If you have no idea, I will show you how to take an interest inventory. You will spend the rest of the day today finding some information about your career and or taking the interest inventory. You may also want to think about a mock business that you will be applying for a job to.

APPLYING FOR A JOB First, you need to fill out a job application. You will pick one of these up today and turn it in before you work on anything else. Most of the time, you also need the following: A resume´ is a document listing the most important information about you -- your education, work experience, and job skills. Another document you might use when searching for a job is a cover letter. This is a special type of business letter in which you introduce yourself to a prospective employer and express interest in a particular job. Often, a resume´ is sent along with a cover letter. We will revisit these tomorrow but this is just an idea to help you understand where we are going.

JOB APPLICATION

Here is an example of a completed job application. Notice that even though the style and length are different from the first application, much of the information requested is the same.

BY THE END OF THE DAY TODAY…. You should know what career choice you have made and done some research. Some of you may need to take interest inventory. You should start and maybe finish your job application.

REVIEW! A resume´ is a document listing the most important information about you -- your education, work experience, and job skills. Another document you might use when searching for a job is a cover letter. This is a special type of business letter in which you introduce yourself to a prospective employer and express interest in a particular job. Often, a resume´ is sent along with a cover letter.

John Doe 123 Main Street Columbus, OH Career Objective Obtain a part-time position in a communications, public relations, or advertising firm or department. Employment History 2003 – Present: Lifeguard, Ohio Country Club Monitored pool for violations and potential hazardous situations Taught summer swimming classes 2002 – 2003: Editor of Campus Newspaper, Hometown High School Relevant high school studies; technical writing; advanced composition; video production; computer classes providing knowledge of word processing, desktop publishing, and Web software 2001 – 2003: Campus Newspaper Staff, Hometown High School Researched and gathered information for news articles using library and Web sources. Composed and edited informational articles, columns, editorials, and advertising copy – 2001: Yearbook Staff, Hometown High School Experience taking photographs, designing layout, and writing captions and sidebars.

Awards / Honors / Special Recognition Ohio Media Association Scholarship recipient. Scholarship based on academic achievement, community service, and leadership in high school communications projects and studies. Best High School Newspaper Design of 2002 Central Ohio Regional Communications Contest, sponsored by the Communications Department, Ohio State University. President, high school chapter of FCA – Future Communicators of America. Member, 2000 – present Vice President of National Honor Society, 2000 – 2001

John Doe 1335 ABC Circle City ABC, State ABC, March 31, 2010 Mr. John M. Smith Senior Recruitment Consultant, Company ABC 55 ABC Avenue City ABC, State ABC, Dear Mr. Smith: I am interested in the position of English teacher for Tanzanian businessmen as described in your recent Internet announcement. I am a scientist by training, and I have enclosed a copy of my resume´ listing my academic training and professional experience.

WHAT SHOULD GO IN MY COVER LETTER? First paragraph: Explain how you learned about the position and make it clear what position you are applying for! Second paragraph: Describe your qualifications! Third: This is the ending. Offer a way to contact you, thank them for their time, and close with something like, “ I look forward to hearing from you.” Follow the examples provided to you.

VIDEO Just in case you are still not sure on what to do with a resume and cover letter, here is a short video.

QUESTION 1. The purpose of a cover letter is _____. A. find out if there are any jobs available B. introduce oneself to an employer C. express interest in a particular job D. both B and C E. none of the above Think about our purpose as you do everything you do today and when you finish these up tomorrow!

CHECKLIST! Make sure you have completed your job application and turned that in first! Next, work on your resume and filling in the template. Work on your cover letter! Feel free to ask either of us for help if you need it. Also, you may pick up a rubric for help on the cover letter and resume! You have the rest of the class today and one class tomorrow to finish!