iowa workforce development resume builder

• Career Services
• Skills To Employment

Skills To Employment/IowaWorks

Open the door to more opportunities.

Need a job or a better one? IowaWORKS can help – you can search thousands of jobs . Take advantage of our networking opportunities and weekly recruiting events. Get help creating a resume and learning how to interview. If you are 14 years or older let us help your career.

Job Resources

Open the door to more opportunities.

• Learn or improve your computer skills in typing, Word, Excel, email, or surfing the Internet.
• Earn your high school diploma .
• Upgrade your skills in forklift, OSHA, manufacturing, CPR and more.
• Obtain a National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC).
• Get help figuring out a path to a two-year degree.

Free Training for Food Assistance Recipients

If you receive  food assistance  you are eligible to participate in free training. The program was developed to help you learn skills for in-demand jobs that pay a higher wage. Sign up to learn more.

Creating Futures is for young adults, ages 16–24. 

We’ll help you figure out your career goals, simplify the educational process and help you build skills for seeking and landing a job.

Don’t assume you don’t qualify for tuition assistance . 

If you want short-term training or plan to go to college, talk to us. We have programs available for ages 16+, including food assistance participants and dislocated workers.

Email [email protected]  or call 319-365-9474 , ext. 31112.

Earning this  certificate  can make you stand out among other applicants. The NCRC™ shows you are qualified for the job demands regarding reading, information gathering and mathematics. The higher you score on the tests, the higher the certification. Higher certification opens the door to more job options.

Certificate, Diploma, Degree – What’s the Difference?

All three represent a level of training for a certain area of study. The number of training hours determines the award. More training usually means earning a higher wage.

Certificate:  A document acknowledging the holder has received training in a specific area of study. The training received is not part of the diploma and degree program. Certificate programs are typically specialized in a single skill set. Depending on the area of study, a certificate can be earned in six to 12 weeks.

Diploma:  At a community college this is a document acknowledging the holder has received training in a specific area of study. The training is more in depth, enabling the holder to earn a higher wage while working toward a degree. A diploma is typically earned in one year.

Degree:  At a community college this is a document acknowledging the holder has received training in a specific area of study. The training is more in depth and allows the holder to earn a higher wage while working toward an advanced degree. An associate degree typically is awarded in two years.

Training Pathways (KPACE)

If you are low income and eligible to work in the U.S, find your path to a two-year degree. We have developed three complete training pathways so you can build skills for a new career. Whatever your personal situation you can stop and start anywhere along the pathway. We'll help you find funding, and provide the guidance, support, and encouragement you need along your pathway to success.

Make Your Path

Receive  basic education tutoring , earn a high school equivalency diploma  and/or  learn to speak English . 

Then choose your pathway with KPACE .

• Get certified in these careers for FREE: Nurse Aide , Office Professional/Customer Service , Welder .
• Earn a one-year diploma to earn higher wages: Practical Nursing , Business, Welding.
• Earn a two-year degree for even higher wages: Nursing , Business, Welding.

Whether you are starting from square one or are college ready, you’ll be connected to a pathway navigator who will provide guidance and support every step of the way. Sign up here to attnd a FREE information session.

KPACE offers financial help and guidance, so you can earn a degree for an in-demand job. See the training pathways we have developed so you can build skills for jobs that are in-demand. Whatever your personal situation, we will help you stay on track. Connecting you to funding, and providing the guidance, support, and encouragement you need along your pathway to success.

KPACE College Ready Pathways

• Receive help applying for financial aid
• Complete Kirkwood enrollment
• Tour Kirkwood
• Learn about Kirkwood support services
• Start classes

Earn a diploma for a better-paying job.

Practical Nurse: $16.57/hr*

Welder: $18.76/hr*

Office Professional: $17.23/hr*

Industrial Maintenance Tech: $17.11/hr

*Estimated beginning wage source: Iowa Workforce Information Network.

Earn more by getting an associate degree.

Nursing: $24.88/hr*

Welding: $26.40/hr*

Business: $23.09/hr*

Industrial Maintenance: $20.38/hr*

• Get help with your resume
• Prepare for interviews
• Connect with hiring businesses
• Go to work, receive benefits, pay off debt, and save for retirement

To get started, please contact:

[email protected]

Cedar Rapids main campus 108 Iowa Hall

319-398-5899 ext. 5069

Want to be contacted ?

IowaWORKS Hours

Lindale Mall, Cedar Rapids

Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Wednesday 9 a.m.)

Eastdale Plaza, Iowa City

Still have questions about our program?

Skills to Employment 319-365-9474 , ext. 31112 [email protected]

Resumes, Cover Letters, and References

Your resume is your primary marketing tool that provides employers, graduate schools, scholarship committees, and others with the first impression of your qualifications. Resumes must be detailed, yet concise and easily skimmed; they should offer information on your education and relevant experiences (e.g., work, involvement, research, projects). There is no one definitive resume format – sections and formatting should be customized to your discipline – but use this  resume template  and the following tips to get started on or refine your resume:

• Begin with a Word or Google Doc document and save as .docx or .pdf
• Avoid templates, columns, tables, text boxes, images, and other elements that can’t be parsed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
• Fill one page if you are an undergraduate student; two pages are acceptable if you are a graduate student
• Use a modern and clean, size 10-12 font for your text
• Be consistent with your text formatting between entries and sections
• Order experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent at top) within sections; order sections so that the most relevant are at the top of the page
• Balance your text from top to bottom and left to right
• Include 3-5 bullets for highly-related experiences, 2-3 for less-related
• Vary the verb tense of your action verb – current positions = present tense, completed positions = past tense
• Skills-based bullet points = task + transferable skill + result (or scope/impact)
• Customize your resume to the application: rearrange sections, swap out keywords, add/remove content based on relevancy

Want immediate feedback on your resume draft? Iowa State pays for a license to Big Interview’s ResumeAI tool that provides feedback at any time of night or day – just create a free account with your iastate email address to access the tool. You can also schedule an appointment with one of the LAS Career Services career advising team to receive in-depth feedback and advice on how to make your resume work for you.

Arts Resume

Communications Resume

Computation Resume

Humanities Resume

Mathematics Resume

Science Resume

Social Science Resume

Freshman Resume

Graduate Student Resume

Curriculum Vitae (CVs)  are used by graduate students to obtain positions in academia and sometimes in advanced industry research. However, two-page resumes are most appropriate for graduate students who are looking to work in industry.

Cover letters

With the exception of career fairs, you should include a tailored cover letter with your resume submission to explain your qualifications for a position and demonstrate how your unique abilities meet the skills needed in the role and add value to the organization. Cover letters are a chance to connect the dots between your experience and the job, to tell your professional story, and to provide the employer with a sample of your writing.

Cover letter resources

• Cover Letter Outline with Tips
• Cover Letter Sample 1
• Cover Letter Sample 2
• Cover Letter Sample 3

Prospecting letter

A prospecting letter is a type of cover letter that you can send if you find an employer of interest but are not aware of a specific job opening. You need to make a strong case for how your skills can contribute to the organization’s specific needs/priorities. Research the organization through sources such as their website, their press releases, and their employees’ LinkedIn profiles. See an example.

Most employers will ask for a list of 3-5 references either as a part of your application or once you are a top candidate. The employer will call, email, or send a questionnaire to these people to learn more about your work history, professionalism, and likelihood of succeeding in their job. You want references who can be strong advocates for you and your potential, so be sure that you:

• Select references who will speak well of your work ethic and professionalism.
• List your current or previous supervisor as a reference unless your employer does not know you’re searching for a job, or if it was a discriminatory or unsupportive environment.
• Always ask permission before giving a reference’s name and clarify which contact information they want to be shared with an employer.
• Send your resume, cover letter, and job description(s) to your references – when potential employers call, this will make it easier for your references to speak about you in detail.

Don’t

• Use relatives or clergy as references.

Letters of recommendation

Letters of recommendation are more common for graduate school applications, but the same protocol of selecting references and keeping them informed applies. view a sample list of references .

Iowa Workforce Developments: Virtual Job Club: Expert Online Advice about Resumes, Interviews, Etc., June 16 2022

(2022) Iowa Workforce Developments: Virtual Job Club: Expert Online Advice about Resumes, Interviews, Etc., June 16 2022. Iowa Workforce Development

Virtual Job Club: Expert Online Advice about Resumes, Interviews, Etc.

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Resume Support

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Crafting the perfect resume can be tough, but you don't have to do it alone. TCS offers a variety of resources that can support your application process - at whatever level of involvement is best for you.

Resume templates

Try our set of 8 downloadable, editable resume templates customized for a variety of applictions and experience levels. These templates, also available on VMock, can be downloaded individually or as a packet.

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VMock is a resume builder and editor designed to optimize your resume for jobs in your field.  Benchmark your application against leading industry resumes tailored for Tippie students and find out how your resume scores today!

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Cover letter guides

Created specifically for business students, our cover letter template and brainstorming worksheet can help you craft a letter that'll make your skills stand out. Downloads as a ZIP file containing PDF and Word versions of both files.

Download now

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Iowa works opens mobile center to help iowans find employment.

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The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Works launched a new tool on Thursday that will help Iowans find employment.

The Iowa Works mobile workforce center is a mobile service that helps people with resume building, interview preparation and career navigation. The goal is to bring these resources to Iowans, no matter where they're located in the state.

The center will be at the Ames Public Library on March 6 and at Camp Dodge on March 12 to help soldiers returning from basic training.

» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

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About Future Ready Iowa

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Workforce readiness and what's next, resources and programs created by future ready iowa's efforts.

In August 2016, then-Governor Terry Branstad signed Executive Order 88, which first established the Future Ready Iowa initiative and Future Ready Alliance to develop and implement a strategic plan for the future of Iowa’s workforce. When first established, the end goal of Future Ready Iowa was to help meet the anticipated skills needs of Iowa’s workforce by making sure that at least 70 percent of Iowans received some form of post-high school education or training by 2025.

The path to achieving this goal involved a wide number of resources, programs, and new initiatives – and, as Governor Reynolds announced in her 2024 Condition of the State, we are now proud to report that we have met that goal as a state.

The strategies have expanded over the years as various workforce challenges arose (including a worldwide pandemic). As we knew in the beginning (and saw even more following the pandemic), individuals frequently get hired into their chosen occupation before they complete their actual degree or credential. Employers looking for workers also tend to care most about the skills readily available for high demand occupations. Therefore, multiple programs focused on creating these pathways for Iowans, and they helped many more Iowans expand their careers.

Iowa’s progress in worker readiness has been documented through IWD’s statewide Laborshed Survey. This ​survey found that Iowa’s postsecondary educational readiness level had reached 71.8 percent in 2022. This figure includes both the Iowans who received a certificate and those adults who attended training and education programs that they stated helped them acquire skills that have added value to their career path (despite not officially completing a program). This number, instead of simple completion, is the metric that most reflects Iowa’s workforce readiness, and it represents a collective effort of utilizing new ideas and initiatives.

With the state reaching its goal, the program will begin to transition. However, the programs and initiatives spurred by Future Ready Iowa – including work-based learning opportunities, scholarships, and targeted grants – will live on. 

View the recent years of readiness figures below.

Grants and Scholarships

Information on IWD's workforce grants, the Last-Dollar Scholarship program, and other opportunities that are benefiting Iowa's workforce and creating new careers.

Last-Dollar Scholarship Program

Unique state program that helps Iowans achieve their education and training goals by helping cover gaps in tuition for high-demand occupations.

Career Exploration and Resources

IWD has the resources to help any Iowan advance in their career path or find a start in a new one.