Resumes for Children includes over 30 sample resumes that showcase how to frame and write up kids’ KSAs and accomplishments in clear, direct language. Manley makes clear that resumes need not focus primarily on jobs. The samples highlight volunteer work, the generation of hobby income, awards and recognition in hobbies and arts, and computer and software skills. Like all good resumes, each selection here is crafted to target a goal or demonstrate a particular skill set, such as gardening or music. The volume is rounded out by samples to help with the rare writing project young people dread even more than thank-you notes: cover letters.
Rather than nudge kids toward the professionalization of their hobbies, Manley’s guide encourages children both to dig deeper into their interests and to range outside them, to take on new challenges (giving presentations, taking online courses, learning languages, getting involved in library programs) that could add new dimensions to their resumes—and to their real-life skills and conception of self. The result is a book and process that encourages kids to know and better themselves, in the flesh and on paper.
Takeaway: This charming guide lays out why and how developing resumes can give kids a leg up.
Great for fans of: Christine M. Field’s Life Skills for Kids, Rachel Toor’s Write Your Way In.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A