Understanding that most tutors are not experienced in the professional field of the student, we suggest that you focus your resume assistance with your student on the following:
1) vocabulary - how does your student describe their experiences - do you understand how they are describing their work and academic experience - what vocabulary suggestions might you make to enhance clarity and enrich those descriptions, taking into account that the final product and word choices must belong to the student and his/her voice
Help students discover ‘transferable’ skills related to a work experience.
Example: If a student has experience working as a cashier/stocking shelves, instead of writing a statement like ‘stocked shelves’ or ‘rang through grocery items’….
Help students… a. Determine the kind of skills prospective employers look for in a candidate. b. Once identified, use strong words to highlight these attributes- for example - Demonstrate both patience & tact when handling customers’ questions & complaints. - Capable of multitasking under tight timelines. -Commended for solid work ethic. - Complete all work assignments in a timely & professional manner. If describing current work experience, the statements should be in the present tense. If describing past experience, the past tense should be used. Example: Complete all work assignments…(present) Completed all work assignments…(past)
2) capitalization - Hebrew has no capital letters and students often need help with understanding what requires capitalization and what doesn’t
3) syntax - suggestions to improve the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences
Once you have worked with your student on a resume, the student can ask Minna or the Tech Career staff to pass their resumes on to the tutors who specialize in resumes for polishing for professional use.