Cover letter / Resume

Overview

In a world where cover letters are read by computers, For this project, you will submit a set of professional documents, specifically:

  • Part A: An actual, real, honest to God job announcement and citation in a professional writing/communication field you have tailored your resume for.
  • Part B: A cover letter and resume that you can both use and that is tailored to the specific actual, real, honest to God job announcement you have chosen.

At this point, you would have read several pieces on resumes, looked at and critiqued older resumes, and used several worksheets and critique sheets as well as looked at several examples of good resumes to think though resumes.

We’ve talked about and looked at resumes and cover letters in class, and you’ve also spent some class time working on your resume. Resumes are living documents—you will update yours regularly during your time as a student and beyond. For class, you’ll turn in a polished version of your resume-in-progress as well as a job announcement it is tailored for as well developing a cover letter template. Please remember, there should be the same key words on the resume as are used in the job announcement for your resume to be effective.

Getting Started

Start by practicing the different ways resumes and cover letters are read.

  • First Glance: Pick up the resume. Spend 5 seconds scanning it. Place it face down in front of you. What are your first impressions? Would the overall appearance make an employer want to read it? Is the layout professional? Is the information organized so it is easy to read? (Can you skim it and easily identify key points?)
  • Basics: Are there any spelling, grammatical, or mechanical errors? Are the headings and lists consistent and parallel? Are organizational headings clear such as boldface, underlining, and italics used appropriately and effectively? Are name, address (including zip code), and phone number (including area code) included?
  • Core Content: Have words and content been tailored to job announcement? If the resume is more than one page, does it merit more than one page? If there is an objective statement, is it well-written and clear? Does the content point to and support the employment objective? Are pertinent skills and competencies included? Are they well-categorized? Do statements begin with action verbs and communicate accomplishments and results? Are employment experiences listed in reverse chronological order? Is information logically developed, going from most important to least important?
  • Overall: Are any key headings/sections missing? Does the person’s strengths stand out? Is it easy to get a clear picture of their qualifications? Does the resume stress accomplishments, skills, and problem-solving abilities more than responsibilities and duties? Does the resume avoid generalities and focus on specific experiences, projects, products, skills etc.? Has irrelevant information been eliminated? Could the resume tell the same story if it were shortened? Are there areas that seem like they could be further expanded upon and/or developed?
  • Job Announcement: Have you submitted a copy of a real world, job announcement along with your resume? Have you cited where you obtained the job announcement?

Deliverables

  1. Contract Rubric filled out
  2. actual, real, honest to God job announcement
  3. a cover letter written for that job announcement
  4. a resume written for that job announcement

Submission (through Moodle)

Contract Rubric