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Module 05 — Job Skills & Career Tech

Duration: 2–3 sessions Audience: Adults, recovery, reentry Prerequisite: Module 01, Module 02; Module 04 strongly recommended

The module with the most direct, measurable participant benefit. Most adult Second Boot participants take this module.

Learning objectives

By the end of Module 05, a participant can:

  • Write or update a resume using LibreOffice templates
  • Manage a professional email account
  • Use LinkedIn and at least one online job board appropriately
  • Prepare for a video interview (technical setup + content)
  • Use AI to draft cover letters tailored to specific jobs
  • Identify free certifications and learning paths relevant to their goals

Session breakdown

Session 1 — Resume + email

  • Resume structure: what goes in, what gets cut
  • Translating non-traditional experience: recovery-era work, incarceration gaps, volunteer work, family responsibilities, military
  • LibreOffice resume templates — start from a real template, fill it in
  • Professional email accounts: setting one up if needed
  • Thunderbird walkthrough
  • Email etiquette for job applications and follow-ups
  • The major job boards: Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, state workforce sites
  • LinkedIn profile basics — what to include, what hiring managers look at
  • Saving searches and setting alerts
  • Application tracking — a simple spreadsheet works
  • Reading a job description critically (what's required vs. nice-to-have)
  • Fair-chance employers: where to find them, how to identify them

Session 3 — Interview prep + AI assist

  • Video interview technical setup: camera, mic, lighting, background
  • Common question types and how to think about answers
  • The "tell me about yourself" question — drafting a real one
  • Using AI to:
    • Draft a cover letter from a real job description
    • Practice answering interview questions
    • Get feedback on a resume bullet
  • Google certifications, LinkedIn Learning free paths, freeCodeCamp, Coursera audits

Hands-on assignment

By the end of the module, the participant has produced:

  1. A polished resume saved to their device
  2. A professional email account in use through Thunderbird
  3. A LinkedIn profile (or a documented reason not to have one)
  4. At least one cover letter drafted (with AI help) for a real posting
  5. A short list of free certifications relevant to their goals

Audience adaptations

Audience Emphasis
Recovery Translating gaps, recovery-friendly employers, peer support orgs that hire alumni
Reentry Fair-chance employers, expungement awareness, parole-officer-aware application timing
Veterans MOS translation, veteran-preference programs, GI Bill alignment
Older adults re-entering workforce Age-positive framing, skills update vs. skills replacement, gig and consulting paths

Partnerships that strengthen this module

  • Local Workforce WV office (or the state equivalent)
  • WIPA counselor (for SSI / SSDI recipients — earned income rules matter)
  • Recovery-friendly employer coalition (WV has one — confirm contact)
  • Reentry simulation programs / Goodwill Industries
  • Local community college continuing education

What this module doesn't cover

  • Specific career coaching for one industry — bring in subject volunteers
  • Salary negotiation depth — covered in follow-up if there's demand
  • Legal advice on background-check disclosure — refer to fair-chance legal aid

Assessment for award eligibility

A facilitator confirms (no written test):

  • Does the participant have a saved, polished resume?
  • Have they completed at least one practice or real job application?
  • Can they describe their next step in their own words?

If yes to all three, Module 05 is complete.