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Job Shadowing: It is sometimes dicult for young people to identify what types of jobs they may be interested
in as a future career. ere are countless kinds of jobs in the world, and job shadowing is an excellent way for
young people to explore if a particular type of job suits them. It also is an excellent way to show employers that
you have taken the extra step to nd out if you are truly interested in the type of work they do. A job shadow
experience can be as short as half a day of following a person who is doing the kind of work the young person
may like to do, and asking a lot of questions during that time. For example, a young person may be interested
in working with computers, and could seek the opportunity to job shadow a computer programmer to see if the
job truly ts his or her interests. is experience is then listed on the resume.
Informational Interviews: Like job shadowing, an informational interview is a great way to learn more about
a job you might be interested in. Informational interviews take less time than a job shadow, but with the right
set of questions, can yield the same information. An informational interview is simply an opportunity to ask
questions of a person who is doing the type of job you are thinking of pursuing. It can be done over lunch
or even through e-mail messages. Families can help arrange interviews by accessing people in their personal
networks who work in those elds. Again, this activity is then listed on the resume.
Attending Career Fairs: Many school transition programs, colleges, and business groups hold career fairs to
help students access information about certain jobs. ese events are a wonderful opportunity to learn what
education and skills are needed in the world of work. ere is no reason why this experience can’t be included on
a resume. One example of how attending a career fair might be portrayed on a resume could be: “Attended Mill
City Transition Fair and spoke to an advocacy organization about job accommodations, and to a representative
from a local bank about what is needed to become a teller.”
e resume is still an essential part of the hiring process. Youth with disabilities should have an updated,
complete resume just like all other job seekers. Even if a person is receiving supports on the job or help nding
employment (through Vocational Rehabilitation or a community rehabilitation provider), he or she needs a
resume. A good resume can help all youth become competitively employed.
Visual Resumes or Portfolios
How can a young person make themselves stand out from other applicants? Consider creating a visual resume or
portfolio of your goals, skills, and accomplishments. is is especially useful for youth who may have diculty
discussing these points during a job interview. A visual resume allows for deeper personalization by using pictures,
graphics, and sound. ere are several examples of visual resumes and portfolios online, and a youth can also
consider using PowerPoint, a presentation program that is widely available. Youth are encouraged to maintain a
traditional paper resume, and to ask if it is acceptable to e-mail the visual resume as part of their application.
Helpful Tip: Many businesses use an online application process or application kiosks to facilitate the hiring
process. Youth may nd that this method of applying for jobs is stressful due to the nature of the questions
asked and the limited amount of time given to provide information. Having a completed resume is a helpful
way to have all of the needed information in one place. Have the resume on a ash drive so it can be uploaded
if requested. Finally, consider practicing how to complete applications online or at a kiosk to become more
comfortable with how it works.
Resources
For more information, please visit the virtual Employment Resource Center at:
PACER.org/transition/learning-center/employment
e next page is an example of a resume for a youth with no paid job experience, but plenty of skills to oer
an employer.