2002 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Leader’s Guide: Experience Resumes and Targeted
Cover Letters
Introduction
Experience resumes showcase accomplishments and strengths. They are
ideal for the first-time worker who has no job experience. They also work
for persons with considerable experience who want to make a career change,
who have gaps in their resumes, who have had an unfortunate job experience
the applicant does not want to highlight, and for those who do not have
traditional career paths.
Targeted cover letters allow the employer to read what you consider
are the most important qualities you bring to the advertised job. These same
items may or may not be specified on the resume. Targeted cover letters can
also be your resume.
The skills used to create experience resumes and targeted cover letters are
also used to complete 4‑H record books, 4-H applications, and other
applications.
There is no perfect resume. Nor is there one way to write a resume. This
lesson considers a non-traditional resume form based on experience, both paid,
volunteer, and passion about a subject.–444
Target Audience
Adult and employment-age youth who are looking for work
Dislocated
workers, unemployed, underemployed.
Junior and Senior High School Career
Classes and Career-Awareness Classes
4-H Youth
Objectives
Learn how to create an experience resume.
Learn how to create a
targeted cover letter to use with a resume or as a resume.
Major Teaching Points
Writing an experience resume is a three-step process.
1. Make a list of accomplishments. Write in bullet form.
2. Group the list around themes to market your strengths.
3. Format the resume onto one-single page.
Write a one-page cover letter to apply for the job and highlight the most
important points in the letter or specific items of interest to the employer
that are not part of the formal resume.
Sample resumes and targeted cover letters are written for a teen without job
experience, a teen with job experience, and an adult with a 27-job resume to
demonstrate how-to techniques.
Teaching Materials
The following items are on the web site. Each if formatted in html. Each also
has a link for a printer friendly version.
Experience Resumes and Targeted Cover Letters
Frequently Asked Questions
The following sample resumes include an experienced resume, list of
accomplishments (except NeDa Job), targeted cover letter.
Resume for NeDa Job, an adult with a 27-job resume.
Resume for Sammie Sparks, a teen with no formal job experience but a high
interest in electronics. Sammie has a targeted cover letter that could be used a
resume.
Resume for Robin Friday, a teen with some job experience. Note how she used
several life experiences in her resume.
Impact Evaluation
It will be difficult to learn how many persons used targeted cover letters or
experience resumes. If you do, report it.
Resources
Career Smarts Series: Unit 6 – The Job Hunt
Career Smarts Series: Unit 7 – Getting a Job
Career Smarts Series: Leader’s Guide
AR Families web site -
Employment Skills
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