Week 4
Discussion & Assignment Prompts
Course Learning Outcome & Objectives
Comprehensive Resume Mastery: Participants will demonstrate the ability to create impactful resumes by integrating essential components, tailoring content to specific job roles, and employing strategic optimizations for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), ensuring their resumes stand out in competitive job markets.
(2) Module/lesson learning objective(s) the discussion and assignment prompts are aligned with
Understanding Resume Basics:
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Participants will be able to describe the purpose of a resume and identify its essential components.
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Participants will learn how to tailor resumes for different job roles.
Optimizing for ATS Compatibility:
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Participants will understand how applicant tracking systems (ATS) work.
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Participants will apply strategies to optimize their resumes for ATS compatibility.
Crafting Effective Resume Content:
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Participants will use action verbs and quantifiable achievements in their bullet points.
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Participants will showcase transferable skills effectively.
(3) Learning Materials:
Module 1 is a four-part 'lecture' with graphics. It includes an introduction and discussions on resume variations, key sections, and formatting. Click below to view the modules.
Prompts
Assignment Prompt
All directions and explanations can be found on the Canvas page.
If you are unable to access Canvas, prompts and instructions can be found in the PDF below:
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Learning Objectives for Discussion and Assignment Prompts:
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Understanding Resume Basics:
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Participants will be able to describe the purpose of a resume and identify its essential components.
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Participants will learn how to tailor resumes for different job roles.
-
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Optimizing for ATS Compatibility:
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Participants will understand how applicant tracking systems (ATS) work.
-
Participants will apply strategies to optimize their resumes for ATS compatibility.
-
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Crafting Effective Resume Content:
-
Participants will use action verbs and quantifiable achievements in their bullet points.
-
Participants will showcase transferable skills effectively.
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Discussion Prompts
Introduction to the Discussion Forum
Welcome to the discussion forum for our course, Resumes Reimagined: Mastering the Modern Job Application. This forum is designed to deepen your understanding, allow you to engage with your peers, and allow you to apply what you've learned in a collaborative environment. Our discussions will challenge you to think critically, evaluate different perspectives, and innovate in your responses.
Objectives and Expectations:
Enhance Learning: We aim to engage you in active learning, where you will critically analyze and apply concepts from our course. We encourage you to share your insights and build upon the ideas presented by your peers.
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Promote Collaboration: This is a collaborative space where diverse perspectives are welcomed. Support your classmates by providing constructive feedback, asking thought-provoking questions, and sharing relevant experiences.
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Build a Learning Community: Your contributions help create a vibrant learning community. We value your unique perspectives and encourage you to share them, fostering a sense of belonging and collective growth.
Participation Guidelines
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Frequency of Posts: You are expected to make at least one original post and two responses to your peers each week.
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Length of Contributions: Original posts should be a minimum of 150 words, with responses at least 50 words, focusing on quality and depth of engagement.
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Critical Engagement: When engaging with peers, aim to provide thoughtful analysis, ask questions that provoke deeper thinking, and offer constructive feedback.
Instructor's Role
I will participate in the discussions, offering guidance, highlighting insightful contributions, and encouraging diverse viewpoints. While I will not dominate the conversation, I am here to ensure that our discussions are fruitful and aligned with our learning objectives.
Engaging with Content
When contributing, link your thoughts to the course material. Share how a concept resonates with your experience or how it could be applied in real-world scenarios. We value your personal insights and encourage you to relate them to the topics at hand.
Discussion Prompt 1
The traditional paper resume remains a standard in job applications. However, digitalization has opened doors for alternative resume formats like online portfolios, infographics, or even video pitches. Do you think traditional resumes will become obsolete? When might an alternative format be more effective, and how can it be used strategically to showcase your skills and stand out from the crowd?
Discussion Prompt 2
Resumes are often presented as factual documents highlighting skills and experience. However, there can be a fine line between factual and creative when embellishing accomplishments. Where do you draw the line between honest representation and creative storytelling on a resume? What are the potential risks and rewards of using creative license in your resume?
PART 3
The assignment prompt has three parts, which I believe will both demonstrate student understanding and walk them through the real-world application of the skills. I think it is important for the student to look back at what they previously considered a "successful" resume they had submitted and review it with the new understanding gained in Module One.
I chose two discussion prompts that are not directly tied to the material but are intended to be more thought-provoking. The first prompt is forward-looking, asking how they think resumes may continue to evolve in the future; this is after the module addresses how resumes have changed in the past decades. The second prompt is an ethical discussion of what the student considers to be "ethical" in terms of embellishment or creative storytelling in regard to the resume. I think both of these will do an excellent job of setting up the final module, which is about the ethical use of artificial intelligence in creating job application materials.
