Com 3420 Business Communication

Module 4 Writing Assignment: The Resume and Cover Letter

Requirements: Write a cover letter and resume for a job you are currently qualified for. Worth: 150 points  

1. Follow these directions for writing a cover letter and resume:

• This assignment requires these items (saved as a single multi-page document): 

  • an email-formatted cover letter: the cover letter accompanies the resume and asks for the interview. It's the interview that will get you the job. Because so many resumes are emailed, your cover letter will be in email format -- without the usual letterhead.

  • a resume: the resume opens the door for the interview by highlighting your skills, work experience, and education and a list of three professional references 

  • an ad that you're tailoring your cover letter and resume for. The ad must be copied and pasted onto a Word document with the URL. You'll submit the ad with the cover letter. Please paste the ad as the LAST page of this writing assignment. Military students, be sure the ad is for a civilian job. The ad must be for a career-type job. Do NOT select seasonal or part-time positions.

   

• The cover letter and resume must be geared towards an ad. You don't actual have to apply for the job. Instead, you're using the info to tailor your letter and resume to its requirements and not writing a generic resume.  
  

• Find your ad listing. You must submit a copy of the ad with your resume. Try these sources (some require that you register, but all are free):

  • Online job search sources such as www.hawaiijobsondemand.com,  www.monster.com, www.careerbuilder.com, Career Builder (Hawaii), Tech Jobs Hawaii, or Job Hunt.org.

  • Online at company web sites such as Disney at www.disney.com, Price Waterhouse Coopers at www.pwcglobal.com or Fidelity Investments at www.fidelity.com

  • Online newspapers such as The Advertiser at www.advertiser.com or The San Francisco Chronicle at www.sfgate.com/chronicle  

   

• Download and study the grading criteria (.pdf), which tells you what your work will be graded on.  

 

• Reread the two Module 4 readings on the resume and cover letter. They contain important information and instructions. 5/25/2011

 

• Download and study these sample cover letter and resume (.pdf)

 

• Download and study my Tips for The Resume Assignment (.pdf)

 

• Follow these rules as you write your resume:

   

  1. Make sure the information on the cover letter and resume is TRUE ABOUT YOU. Do not make things up or exaggerate. The worst thing to do is to mislead the reader with untrue information or embellishments.
  2. The resume should be no more than one page long. Most students find that this length is more than enough. The one-page length forces you to carefully edit what you write down and NOT write your life story. Exception: If you have many (5+) years of full-time work or military experience, you may submit a two-page resume but the references must be on that second page. On a separate page (paginated with your name and the page number) provide minimum of 3 references (with name, business title, address, and phone number.)   
  3. Do NOT simply submit an old resume or write a generic resume
     • Target specifically for a position you're applying for - that's why you need an ad which lists qualifications and duties
     • Avoid old-fashioned, empty, unproven statements like "Outstanding communication skills" and "Team player, able to work without supervision." These are ridiculous because they don't say anything about you. Focus instead on your actual skills, experiences, and education. These things will come out in the interview and from your references who will speak on your behalf.
     • Don't confuse the company's goals  with your actual duties (so NOT "Supervised inventory worth $8 million" -- as if YOU somehow are responsible for that figure -- but "Supervised monthly inventory" -- which tells what you actually do.
     • Military students: write cover letters and resumes for a civilian job you're actually qualified for, even if you're not separating from the military yet. The idea is to compose an effective resume that you'll update when you actually do need the resume.
  4. Do not write an interview on paper. This means NO sentences. The resume highlights your most important experiences, skills, and education. It is supposed to be short.
  5. Do not use a resume template or wizard, like you can find at Microsoft Office online. If you use a resume template or wizard, you will receive a 0 for format. These are NEVER as good as ones you create from a blank Word page using the sample (linked below) as your model. You MUST create yours from a blank Word document. 
  6. IMPORTANT: Your resume and cover must meet Ms. Hurley's grading criteria, which do not necessarily agree with any resumes you may already have. 
  7. When all is said and done, the resume belongs to YOU. As long as you are truthful, you do not need to reveal things that you prefer not to reveal.  

2. Submit your work by the deadline.

   • Save all four items -- the email-formatted cover letter, resume, reference list, and ad -- as ONE multipage document in this order. Ms. Hurley should be able to scroll from one document to the next.

   • Save as Word .doc or .docx or as rich text .rtf.

   • Name it as yourlastname_resume.
   • Submit your work in the Assignments tool. Do NOT post your resume on the discussion board!