Resume of a 2nd Grader
YEP, it counts. Learn how to start tracking what your teen is doing and learning as it relates to jobs.
Resumes are a social construct used to get a job that really has gotten off course due to something called the imaginary “they”.
They say you should have one page
They say you should only list things from the past 5 years
They say you should only list paid positions
They say you should put education first
Who is They? I can guarantee “they” all didn’t have a meeting and make a rule book. I can also guarantee that some HR people are trained and interview daily or weekly and others are interviewing for the first time and hire once in a blue moon.
So, let’s toss out the rule book and focus on what you can do for an employer. I have a lot of tips around this I will be sharing as time goes on but just to get you thinking as your teen is out applying this summer, here was my daughter’s resume as a 2nd grader. YEP second grader. I would have formatted this into a resume if she was applying for a job but she wasn’t so we just made a habit of keeping track of all her skills over the years each time she did something or learned something. I know many of you keep brag sheets for scholarships so do your best to adapt this model and also start recognizing that even learning and hobbies and tasks they are doing informally count.
More to come on this in the future and how to put on a real resume but for today, wow, your kids are amazing. Look at all they know and can learn if you shift to this growth mindset and toss the “they”.
Download the handout here.