Job Letter and Résumé Assignment

Assignment Description

You will submit a Job Letter and a Résumé for a job advertised on MSN Careers. The job should be one for which you can realistically apply. Ideally, this should be something along the lines of your intended career plans (internships are acceptable too).

The purpose of this assignment is for you to design a job letter and résumé in an environment where you can receive feedback before actually submitting it to a potential employer. Please recall that job letters and résumés are actually marketing tools; they are your opportunity to sell yourself professionally, in writing.

NOTE: Fictitious content is grounds for a zero on the assignment, even if the content's fictional nature is only discovered at semester's end.

Deliverables (4)

1. Job Ad

Printout of the job ad, taken from MSN Careers. Job letters and résumés without job ads will not be accepted.

Hint: It would be a very good idea to print out the ad on the day you find it.

2. Job Letter

A one-page job letter.

3. Résumé

A one-page résumé (unless you have more than 10 years of experience or are applying for an advanced job).

4. Reflective Memo

A 350-500 word reflective memo, addressed to the instructor, in which you:

• summarize your process of researching the job, noting any surprises or difficulties you encountered;
• summarize your analysis of your potential audience for your letter and résumé;
• describe which of the course goals (see the course website home page) you feel you encountered in completing this assignment, and explain your answer.

Grading Criteria

The résumé and job letter will be graded according to the following criteria:

• Analyze Your Audience
  • address a specific person
  • include information relevant to the specific job
  • use the appropriate format (chronological or functional/analytical)
  • reflect information from the job listing
    
     
• Use design elements to make the documents professional and accessible: 
   
  • include all standard sections
  • apply the concepts of proximity, repetition, alignment, and contrast
  • avoid unusual fonts, colors, or unneeded graphical elements
  • DO NOT use a template
  • use block format in the letter
  • print both documents on résumé paper with a good ink jet or laser printer
     
• Use a clear and correct style:
   
  • use active language and partial sentences
  • use vocabulary aimed at your identified audience
  • provide measurable achievements
  • proofread thoroughly and carefully
     
• Be Honest
   

For more information about Job Letters and Résumés, see Chapter 15 in Markel.