Resume Development + Rationale

In this assignment, you'll   update your resume (part 1) and a short rationale explaining your method and choices for your resume (part 2).

Part 1: Resume Development

Depending on whether or not you already have a resume, you'll pick from either Option 1 or Option 2 described below.

Option 1:  and submit your resume.

If you do not have a resume,

1. Gather details such as dates and place names about your education/training and experience.
2. Use either the Office 365 web edition or desktop app.
3. Access resume templates in MS Word. There are both chronological and functional resume templates available but remember Pro Tip #2! You can also format your own.
4. Format your resume/Fill in a resume template.
5. Edit and proofread your resume.
6. Review the Resume + Rationale rubrics for more details on how you're graded.
7. Save your resume as a .pdf.
    
8. Submit the following to the Resume Development+ Rationale dropbox.

•  
  • your resume

 PRO Tip: According to RRC's Student Employment Services (SES), employers looking for admin/legal assistants, business grads, and laboratory/manufacturing technicians prefer chronological resumes. 

 

Option 2: Develop and revise your existing resume.

If you already have a resume, revise and develop it.

Create a different version: It is not uncommon to have several versions of your resume. If you already have a functional resume, create a chronological or hybrid/combination resume. Remember Pro Tip #2!

Customize: Every industry is a little different. Review the pros and cons of the 3 main types of resumes in SES's Resume Development Tip Sheet located here: https://cpb-ca-c1.wpmucdn.com/www.rrc.ca/dist/7/61/files/2020/09/Resume-Development.pdf

1. Use either the Office 365 web edition or desktop app.
2. Access resume templates in MS Word to choose a resume template. There are both chronological and functional resume templates available but remember Pro Tip #2! You can also format your own.
3. Revise your resume with the information you gathered above.
4. Edit and proofread your resume.
5. Review the Resume + Rationale rubrics for more details on how you're graded.
6. Save your resume as a .pdf
7. Submit the following to the Resume Development + Rationale dropbox.

•  
  • your new revised resume
  • your old resume

 

 PRO Tip: RRC's SES has heard that resumes from a template are less likely to stand out.

 

Part 2: Rationale

Whether this is your first or seventeenth resume, it's important to be aware of the choices you've made to present your skills, education, and employment. It's also important to understand the choices someone else made if you have a resume that was professionally created.

1.  a document on MS Word that is at least one page in length to explain the rationale behind your resume.
2. Include
   •  
     • an appropriate title
     • formatting and headings to make the content easier/more accessible to read. Some heading options could include (but aren't limited to):
       • Style and Structure Decisions
       • Content Choices
       • Industry Needs
     • At least 3 Resources/References that helped inform and that support your choices
3. Save your rationale as a separate .pdf file
4. Review the Resume + Rationale rubrics for more details on how you're graded.
5. Submit the following to the Resume Development + Rationale dropbox.

•  
  • your rationale

 

Your rationale should answer some of the following questions about your resume.

Style, Structure and Content Decisions 

• What is your objective?
• What type of resume have you submitted?
  • Is it a chronological or functional resume?
  • Is it a complete historical list or have you omitted anything? Why?
• Why did you use this type?
  •  
    • Does it highlight your education, experience, or skills?
    • Did you use a template from MS WORD, format the document on your own, visit Student Employment Services or hire a service to create it for you?
    • What advantage does this format have? Is this advantage specific to your industry?

Industry Needs 

• How or why is this resume appropriate for your industry? How do you know that this style is appropriate?
• Did you share your resume with anyone else to read?
• Do you know what skills you have developed?
  • Can you describe them?
  • Can you connect them to the position you've found?
• In an interview, how well will you be able to summarize, defend, and speak to the information in your resume?
  • Will you be able to connect your education and experience to the skills required in a job posting?
  • Will you be able to describe the application of your skills in past, new, and different scenarios?