This is a free course offered as part of the Saylor Foundation's Professional Development program. 'This program is designed especially for adult learners who are ready to learn and apply skills demanded by today’s employers. Whether you are new to the employment world or wish to develop and improve your workplace skills, you will be able to select short-term courses targeted to your success.'
'Are you getting ready to apply for a job, or are you already seeking employment? A resume (or résumé) is a brief written account of personal, educational, and professional qualifications and experience that you prepare as part of your application materials for a prospective job. To ensure that your resume is read by the recipient, you will need a cover letter that markets your unique qualifications for the specified job description. In the current global economy, it is essential for job seekers to optimize their chances of being considered and hired for positions that are well-suited to their qualifications and interests. This course will help you effectively develop employment application materials for today’s job market by honing your resume writing skills, providing you with tools to create an impressive resume (or to improve the one you already have), and giving suggestions on developing an effective cover letter. You will study different types of resume and cover letter formats that can be applied to various prospective employment situations and your own personal career goals. You will undertake a critical assessment of the professional skills you already possess, brainstorm and apply the best ways to market these skills in your resume and cover letter, and enhance your application materials by using specific tips and techniques to make you more competitive for the job you seek. By the end of this course, you will combine effective language and design elements to produce a polished resume and cover letter that can be tailored to each specific job application.'
Meghan Phinney (Student)
This lesson plan is extremely useful for students of all ages. Though the lesson suggests that it is best for adult learners, the information is useful even for freshman students. Everyone should have a professional resume to help give them the competitive edge in a job search, and this lesson plan can help with that. I LOVED that the lesson covered resumes, cover letters, AND portfolios. That was extremely important to me. I did however think it could be condensed slightly. The lesson was meant to take about three hours, which was too long for my purposes. I also did not use the final exam, although that is a nice feature. Overall I really enjoyed the lesson and even learned a few things myself from it. I would recommend using this lesson in the classroom.