Take Action: 11th Grade Launch Curriculum - 339

unit 8: Resume

lesson procedure
motivation: you gotta start somewhere (10 minutes)
OBJeCtiVe: StUDentS WiLL ConneCt An inDiViDUAL'S eArLY Work HiStorY to tHeir eVentUAL CAreer SUCCeSS.

before class, copy this list of famous people onto chart paper, an overhead, or the board. Mix up the names
with the jobs so that students have to guess who goes with which. if you like, replace any of the celebrities with
individuals who you think your students will relate to more.
Celebrity

His/Her First Job

Oprah Winfrey (talk show host)

Internship at a local radio station

Bill Cosby (comedian)

Worked before and after school, selling produce, shining shoes, and stocking shelves at a
supermarket to help out the family

Eminem (rapper)

Had a minimum wage job cooking and dishwashing at a restaurant

Denzel Washington (actor)

Worked as a counselor at an overnight summer camp

Jennifer Lopez (actor and singer)

Worked in a legal office and as a backup dancer

Colin Powell (former Secretary of State)

Had a job in a local neighborhood shop while in high school

Brad Pitt (actor)

Had a number of odd jobs, ranging from chauffeuring, being a delivery man, selling cigarettes,
assisting a soap opera writer, and dressing up as an El Pollo Loco chicken

Your Name

Your first job

tell students that everyone who is successful in a career has to start somewhere. Ask the class if they have
ever heard of bill Gates. Do they think he graduated from high school and instantly became the founder and
Ceo of one of the most powerful companies in the world (not to mention one of the world's richest men)? of
course not! How do they think he got his start? What do they think was his first job? explain that while he was
in high school, bill displayed an unusual talent for working on computers. So his high school principal hired
him to write the school's computer program to schedule students in classes. While working on the program, he
modified the code so that his own schedule was changed to put him in classes with mostly female students. He
went on to Harvard University, where he met the man who would eventually help him start Microsoft.
then ask the class: How many of you currently have a job? if any of the students raise their hands, ask: How did
you get that job? take a quick informal poll of how each student got their job. Point out that most likely, they
knew someone who worked there or walked into a store because they saw a "Help Wanted" sign on a window
or got the job through a friend. explain that all of these situations involve something called "job searching."
Point out the list of famous people and their first jobs. See if students can match up the celebrity with her/
his first job. After you've revealed the correct answers, ask students: How do you think your first job, whether
working in a grocery store or a car wash or selling newspapers, can help you reach your career goals?

direct instruction: summer opportunities (10 minutes)
OBJeCtiVe: StUDentS WiLL LiSt reSoUrCeS tHAt ProViDe inforMAtion AboUt AnD ACCeSS to
JobS AnD oPPortUnitieS.

everyone (no matter who they are or where they come from) has to start somewhere. Developing a work history
while still in high school is a great way to develop transferable skills and to get a head start on your career path.
the summer between junior and senior year is an optimal time to explore:
LeSSon 32: SUMMer oPPortUnitieS

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