Job Service shares skills with students

Students at Thompson Falls High School (TFHS) are learning how to build their resumes in order to better prepare themselves for the future. A program that is being taught by Ashley Fredrickson through the Sanders County Job Services is in its first year of being introduced. Jodi Morgan, TFHS counselor, alongside Pam Peters, who teaches sophomore and junior English, were approached by the job service in hopes of integrating the workshop to all the English classes at the high school.

The workshop covers all the bases it takes to successfully construct a resume. Morgan stated that "everyone who attends leaves with a working resume. The students are learning what resumes are, tips and tricks, as well as different templates." In the past, the school has only focused on the seniors when it comes to teaching students about building their resumes. "Moving forward, we're going to teach this to the freshmen who are coming in every year," Morgan said. She reinforced that resumes are always going to change, and they are all never going to be the same. Teaching the students at a young age will help instill that mantra, in hopes that it prepares them for the working world once they graduate. Morgan says the students can access their resumes anywhere they can get onto the internet; allowing them to build on their resume throughout their high school career.

Morgan believes the resume building workshop has been an educational success so far. "The older students really understand what this is, and they've been really receptive to it. The freshman and sophomores have been more excited about it," Morgan said. The students taking the workshop have found it to be informational as well. "I just think it was a great experience, it really prepares us for what comes after school," said Tyler Battles, a sophomore. "I've never worked with a resume before, I thought it would be a complicated process, but it hasn't been as bad as I thought," added Lance Palmer, a fellow 10th-grader.

Fredrickson, who had the big job of teaching the workshop to the 150 students, found that everyone has been responsive and welcoming. "This is my first year teaching a resume building workshop and the kids have all been so awesome," Fredrickson expressed.

When talking about the main purpose of this workshop, Fredrickson stated, "the biggest part of this is to build their self-confidence and build their skills in the work field. If you can find what you're good at, it helps in the long run, and knowing what you're good at, is helpful with confidence."

While Fredrickson said the idea that confidence and working skills go hand in hand, she also wants the students to "walk away with the resources to know where to go when they are getting ready to update their resume or change their career."

As far as continuing to teach this workshop next year, Fredrickson would like to expand this knowledge to the other communities. "I would love to teach this class to the other schools. I wanted to start in Thompson Falls because this is my hometown. I have so much respect for what teachers do."