TEXAS-ONLY COMPETITIONS TEXAS ONLY EMPLOYMENT PORTFOLIO NOTEBOOK CONTEST TEXAS ONLY EMPLOYMENT PORTFOLIO NOTEBOOK CONTEST TEXAS ONLY Purpose To evaluate contestants understanding of written employment procedures they will face when applying for positions in the occupational areas for which they are training. Notebooks can be found under job exhibits in registration. Open to active SkillsUSA student members. Middle and High School eligible. Event Preparation The following requirements must be included in the Employment Portfolios: 1. 3 ring, “one” inch notebook in red is required. SkillsUSA notebooks are acceptable, no decorations. 2. Table of Contents is the first page of the notebook. It identifies all the documents as dictated by the syllabus and have been included in the notebook. 3. Description of current job, work, and or student activities being performed presently or in the past by the student should be included in the resume. 4. A job description is the advertisement/internet job posting or other documentation which describes the position, and the necessary skills required by the employer. This is critical for judges determining if the job seeker possesses the skill sets as required by the employer. 5. Key words in the student’s resume, letter of application, letters of recommendation, and thank you letter should be consistent with the key words, phrases, and or elements discussed or requested in the job description. This is a critical requirement as many companies making hiring decisions use key word search of job seeker responses, to reduce the about of time spent reading every line. 6. Each document submitted in the project notebook must demonstrate continuity of thought and work with other written documents contained in the notebook. The job seeker is advised to use the same stationary for all typed written letters and documents. 7. Students may use or quote other sources to support their leadership essay. Students using a source must give credit and acknowledge the source. If a student uses a source without credit a score of “0” will be given. Contest Guidelines 1. Binder: - Red 3 ring, “one” inch binder. SkillsUSA notebooks are also acceptable. No decorations. 2. Title Page: Includes Student’s Name, Occupation, School Name, Chapter Number and Graduation Year 3. Table of Contents:Is the first page of the notebook. It identifies all the documents as dictated by the syllabus and included in the notebook. 4. Resume: The job seeker should convey their qualifications, work and or classroom experiences for the desired job by highlighting strengths, accomplishments, and responsibilities that demonstrate their ability to perform. The resume is to contain a clearly stated job objective which supports or applies to the job sought. It should speak to the job as described in theJob Description(see below) as required by the syllabus. The resume should be pleasing to the eye as to capture the interviewer’s interest with its layout and easy readability. The resume may contain the following – job objective, educational background, work experiences/skills, special experiences, activities, honors, and references. Careful attention to content is expected. 4. Request Letters of Recommendation – Letters ask specifically for a recommendation “letter” to be completed by a specified date. For consistency, the recommendation providers should be the same as those indicated in the job seeker’s resume. These letters are formal requests and contain an address line, (contact information of the job seeker), date, greeting, and opening, reason for the letter, body, closing, salutation, and signature. The request should ask the provider to speak to the job seeker’s performance, specific skills sets, and or accomplishments and be consistent with the job seeker’s resume. Careful attention to content & detail is expected. SkillsUSA Texas TEXAS-ONLY COMPETITIONS SKILLSUSA TEXAS | 2026-2027 25