Building a Resume: Tips for Youth with Disabilities

Tips for young people with disabilities and their families on

eective strategies for building the ﬁrst resume

e resume is the main tool employers use to review the qualications of prospective employees, and what

they use when deciding who to interview or hire. Everyone who is looking for a job should have an up-to-date

resume that shows employment, education, and volunteer history. Many youth with disabilities do not have an

updated resume, or have no resume at all. is is oen because they feel they have nothing to put on a resume. e

misconception is that only prior paid competitive employment positions can be listed. is is far from the truth.

Employers understand that young people may not have a wide variety of prior job experiences to list on a

resume. What they are looking for is proof that the young person wants to work, and has taken steps to build

work skills on his or her own. What can a young person list on a resume that shows a strong desire to work?

Here are some ideas:

Volunteer Experiences: Volunteering is an excellent way to show employers that you are actively seeking skills

that will be useful to you on the job. It also proves that you are an active member of your community and are

willing to lend your time to people, an organization, or a worthy cause. Many people assume that volunteer

experiences can’t be listed on a resume, or that volunteer activities need to be for a long period of time. e

fact is, employers like to see any type of volunteer experience, especially if it is during a time when you are not

working. Another benet of volunteering is that families can do it together. For example, a young person with a

disability can volunteer with his or her family to serve meals at a local senior center, pick up trash in community

parks, or help at the local animal shelter. Remember, volunteering is not a substitute for a paying job, but a step

on the way to one.

School Work Experiences: Many young people with disabilities are involved in some type of school transition

or work experience program. ese programs may oer work experiences in the school or community, such

as working at a local library. Another component of these programs is oen academic curriculum in work-

readiness or interpersonal communication. Young people should list these experiences on a resume because

they are building work-readiness skills.

INSPIRING POSSIBILITIES

PACER Center | 8161 Normandale Blvd. | Minneapolis, MN 55437

952-838-9000 | 888-248-0822 National Toll-free | PACER@PACER.org | PACER.org/Transition

Beware of resume red ags! Employers are very good at reading resumes, and recognizing when something is missing

or may not be accurate. Remember that the rst rule is to never lie or misrepresent yourself on the resume. If an employer

nds an inaccuracy on the resume, you may be removed from consideration for that job. A second red ag for employers

are “gaps” in the resume. Gaps are long periods of time where a person does not have a position or activity listed. For

example, an employer may see that you have no work related activities for a full year, and wonder what you were doing

during that time. Employers tend to be cautious about people with big gaps in their work history. A good rule of thumb

is to try and have a volunteer experience, job shadow, or information interview listed for every three months you are not

working. is shows the employer that despite not having a paid position, you are still making an eort to build work

experience. However, employers may also take notice of a resume that has many jobs listed in a short time span, and be

concerned about the candidate’s ability to stick with a job for an acceptable period of time.

Job Shadowing: It is sometimes dicult 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 diculty

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 oer

an employer.

Scott Hampton

1500 Oak Road, Pine Falls, MN 55555

(555) 888-8234

Scotthampton@not-real.com

Career Objective

I am a good worker and always on time. I like people and work well with others. I take pride in my work and like

learning new things.

Skills and Achievements

• Student Manager of high school basketball team

• Oen complimented on ability to work well with others and follow directions

• Good computer skills

• Able to use public transit for transportation

• Five Boy Scout Merit Badges

Education

2010 – Present Pine Falls High School

• Basic computer

• Communications

• Introduction to work skills

• Money management

• English

Work Skills and Volunteer History

Summer 2008 – Member of Boy Scout Troop #3 Clean Up the Highway Project

Summer 2012 – Visited Pine Falls Fire Station and interviewed the Chief

March 2013 – Assisted in raising money for the homeless in Pine Falls

Summer 2013 – Sold items at the concession stand at the Pine Falls Arena

Fall 2014 – Successfully completed two job placements by school transition program at Tallenger Landscape and Pine

Falls Hospital

Hobbies and Interests

• Reading

• Listening to music

• Basketball

• Drawing

• Computers

• Traveling

References

Ken Tallenger

Tallenger Landscape

555-888-0938

Carrie Oswald

Pine Falls High School Work Experience Coordinator

555-888-2249

Tyrell omas

Boy Scout Troop #3 Leader

555-888-5722

(Written references available upon request)

Example Resume

My Action Plan for Employment

Have a discussion with your youth about what types of jobs they would like to do.

List 2-3 job types they identify:

What skills are necessary to do the jobs that your youth identiﬁed? Please list 3 skills that your youth either has or will

need to acquire to do the jobs he or she is interested in. (Skills might include computer use, interpersonal

communication, knowledge of carpentry, or math/reading.)

Job #1

Skill:

Job #2

Skill:

Job #3

Skill:

Tip!

It may be helpful to begin this conversation by describing a job you have had and what was required of you.

Talk with them about what they are already doing that will help when he or she has a job. For example, he or

she gets to school on time, is well groomed, likes people, has good manners, follows directions, is pleasant

to be around, willing to help others, has access and knows how to use transportation.

How is your youth going to acquire needed work skills? Be intentional about action steps you will take to help your youth.

Please check at least 3 boxes.



Make sure work readiness or work experience is incorporated into IEP



Explore opportunities for volunteering in the community



Make chores at home an expectation



Look into job shadowing experience



Look for people your child can interview about their jobs



Practice interpersonal skills in the community



Write down expectations of appropriate attire and hygiene and teach if necessary



Give opportunities to display leadership and self-direction



Be clear when tasks need to be done in a timely manner and practice if necessary



Practice taking verbal directions at home



Enforce expectations of personal responsibility at home (waking up on time, homework, etc.) by creating a plan



Practice phone skills by having youth call for information about a community business



Have your youth keep a calendar of his/her activities; medical appointments, school work due, youth spiritual activities,

fun happenings, athletic events etc.



Other:



Other:

Job Search Checklist

Here are some components of the job search to consider for your youth. Use this checklist as a reminder of strategies

you can use to help your youth become employed:



Have discussion with your youth about career interests



Help your youth explore various jobs within chosen career area



Arrange for an informational interview with a job manager from your community and write a brief note of thanks



Work with IEP team to incorporate career interests into IEP



Work with IEP team to build work readiness, reading, math, and computer skills



Begin discussion about what agencies can provide work supports (adults)



Help your youth create a resume



Help your youth ﬁll resume with paid work, volunteering, job shadowing, and personal interests



Consider people in your personal network to help identify job opportunities



Gather job applications



Create sample application for your youth to use as an example



Practice basic interview questions with your youth



If youth has an apparent disability, practice what he or she will say about his or her disability



Make sure your youth has appropriate clothing and knows what to wear for a job interview



Help your youth write follow-up thank you note to person who interviewed him or her



Practice working on automated job applications using the computer



Consider what job accommodations your youth may need on the job



If transitioning out of school, begin interviewing potential job support providers and talk with Vocational Rehabilitation

Services



Maintain high expectations that your youth will become employed!