Student Resumes Count

The Workforce/Education Committee of the Chesterfield Business Council has adopted a program entitled Making Academics Count. This program strives to increase the number of employers asking job applicants for school transcripts and attendance records.

It has been found that employee training and remediation costs decrease when grade transcripts are used in hiring practices. And, asking for school transcripts and attendance history stimulates the connection between the work community and the school community.

Many students fail to see any tangible reward for mastering difficult course work or being punctual in the school environment. Employers can change this by demonstrating that they care about a job applicant’s performance and attendance in school and will reward hard work, punctuality and accomplishment with better employment prospects. And, students tend to focus more on planning their academic schedule and career goals if they have to show a transcript to get a job.

In order to facilitate a simple means for employers and prospective employees to share this kind of key information, Chesterfield County Public Schools is introducing a student résumé.

The information from the student’s transcript will be compiled into a two-page résumé. The first page, produced by the school, will show the student’s attendance, tardies, and grades. The second page, produced by the student, will show activities pertinent to employment, both in-school and out-of-school.

Chesterfield County Public Schools will introduce the résumé to all 10th grade students during their English class in the spring. The lesson will stress the importance of the résumé and teach the students how to prepare it properly. It will then become the students’ responsibility to keep the information updated to present to potential employers.