Earning Your Keep
Social Experience - Individual and Social Responsibility
Student Page
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Key Concept:

In many cases, our individual responsibilities put us in situations where it becomes necessary for us to take on more social responsibilities. As you get older, your responsibilities may include helping out with the bills at home or earning your own spending money. Your individual responsibilities, in this case, may lead you to begin applying for jobs within your community, and in turn, learn more about social responsibilities. In this lesson, you will have the opportunity to explore your own capabilities and strengths while creating a résumé and a cover letter.

Objectives:

You will be able to
- write to reflect, clarify, and explore ideas
- write to describe, narrate, inform, and persuade
- recognize writing as a process of constructing meaning for self and others
- use what is known as the writing process
- use appropriate pre-writing and planning strategies
- develop ideas previously explored into draft form
- revise and polish compositions
- share, present, or publish compositions
- write introductions that engage interest, focus the thoughts of the readers, and establish the mood and tone of compositions
- demonstrate the ability to trace a coherent thought pattern to a suitable conclusion
- write conclusions appropriate to the overall intent
- analyze and evaluate their own and others' writing for ideas, organization, sentence clarity, word choice, and mechanics (i.e., capitalization, punctuation, and spelling)
- assess compositions for unity, coherence, and emphasis
- confer with peers and teachers
- write and document a convincing argument using logical thought and persuasive language
- produce an updated résumé and covering letter
- evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of information presented
- read to find meaning

Resources:

- information regarding writing résumé and cover letters
- evaluation tool
- list of skills/words
- sample combination résumé
- peer editing checklist

Teaching-Learning Strategies:

In order to apply for a job for which you are interested. you must first decide whether you have the right skill set to fulfill the job requirements and responsibilities.

Task One: A Look in the Mirror

Before you begin searching for the perfect job, you must begin by considering what skills you will be bringing to any position for which you apply. To begin, answer the questions listed below.

1. What are three positive words I would use to describe myself?
2. What are three skills that I consider strengths?
3. What is one thing I need to work to improve about myself?
4. Why am I a good person to hire?
5. What are three things enjoy doing in my spare time?
6. What jobs have I had in the past that I have been good at?

If you already have a part-time job, you may be able to answer these questions more easily. As you answer each question, consider jotting down any examples from your current job that help to prove that your answers to these questions are accurate.

Once you have finished answering these questions, reflect on your answers and determine the job for which you would most like to apply and for which you are most well-suited.

As this assignment is simply practice, you can pretend that any job for which you are qualified is available. However, if you are currently looking for a job, you may want to extend this assignment beyond practice and tailor your résumé to a particular position within your community.

Task Two: My Reflection

A résumé and a cover letter are reflections of who you are. In order to best present yourself, you must give a great deal of thought to the way in which you would like others to see you.

Writing a résumé is similar to preparing for an interview or a date. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so you spend a great deal of time deciding how you will present yourself, what you will wear, etc.

In a résumé, you must also decide how you will present yourself; the format of your résumé and the words you choose will be your one chance to make a good first impression.

Regardless of the format you choose, a résumé should include:
1. Your name and address
2. A career objective
3. Your current level of education
4. Your previous work experience
5. Skills and qualifications
6. Activities and Honours
7. References

Before you begin writing your own résumé and cover letter, look over the information provided by Service Canada regarding writing a résumé and a cover letter. As you read through the information, pay close attention to the different types of résumés and the different do's and don'ts regarding résumé writing.

As you navigate through the site provided, be sure to click on the sample résumés and letters in order to see a larger view. The website discusses writing a résumé and a cover letter, so keep clicking 'next' to see all of the information that is relevant to you!

After you have looked at all of the information provided, choose the style of résumé you would like to create. Using your answers to the questions in Task One, begin drafting your own résumé. As you are working on your résumé, remember to use the evaluation tool your teacher will be using as a checklist of tasks you must complete.

As you are working, you may want to consult this list of skills/words to help you determine what you might like to highlight about yourself and any of your previous job experience. You can also take a look at this sample combination résumé to help you get started; the person in this résumé has minimal job experience, similar to what you might have, but still manages to highlight skills that will be important to prospective employers.

Once you are finished your résumé, you must also devise a cover letter. A cover letter is your chance to highlight, for the employer, all of the reasons that he/she should hire you.

A cover letter must include:
1. a heading
2. an introduction
3. your argument for why you should be considered for the job (this includes a highlighting of your skills)
4. a conclusion

If you are applying for a real position, consider highlighting any skills that you have that are also listed in the advertisement for the position. If you are applying for a fictional position, consider what skills make you qualified for the job and what skills make you a good prospective employee.

Don't be modest! In your cover letter you must persuade the people reviewing your résumé that you would make an excellent addition to their staff.

Task Three: Reflection of Others

Once you have completed your résumé and cover letter, get another opinion through peer editing.  Trade assignments with a partner and complete the checklist provided. 

Below each point on the checklist there is a space for comments and suggestions.  It is your responsibility to let your partner know what things he/she needs to improve.  You can also use this space to let your partner know what things he/she has done well.

Remember, your résumé and cover letter are your chance to prove to an employer that you are responsible enough to work for him/her.  Take the time to consider what things you want an employer to know about you and be sure that you have provided enough relevant information about yourself to convince someone that you are right for the job!