Job Application
Most people obtain jobs through a multistage process. First you research the types of jobs you are qualified for and the types of employers you would like to work for. Then you try to convince specific employers to consider you for a job. These days, most employers have too many applicants per job to interview each personally. These employers sort through job application packages (resumes and cover letters) to decide which applicants to consider further.
Your first communication with your future
employer is likely to be in writing and must persuade him or her to continue
the conversation.
For this assignment, you will write:
One cover letter and tailored resume addressed to a specific prospective employer/internship. The letter should highlight different aspects of your experience relevant to the job listing. The revised resume may well differ significantly in content or in layout or both from your conventional resume. The choices of content and layout should emphasize appropriate experience for a specific job posting.
Resume
The purpose of the resume is to describe your qualifications for work.
Writing
a Resume
Content. Your resume should include contact information and relevant details of your educational training, professional training, special accomplishments, and skills. A resume is not a life history. The goal is to argue that you are qualified for a particular type of job and that you would be a capable, responsible, and personable employee who communicates effectively.
Format. Your format may be traditional or innovative as long as it is appropriate and as long as the information is highly accessible and is organized in a way that highlights the most important items--from the employer's perspective.
Style. Your style should be fairly formal. You need not use complete sentences, but you should use a concise, active style and show consistency in expression from section to section.
Cover Letter and Tailored
Resume
While your resume is addressed to any employer
with a certain type of job opening, the cover letter is most effective when
tailored to a particular employer. The purpose of the cover letter is to
persuade that specific employer to grant you an interview. The tailored resume
may well differ significantly in content or in layout or both from your
standardized one-size-fits-all resume format. The choices of content and layout
should emphasize appropriate experience for a specific job posting. Just as you
appreciate being treated as an individual rather than as a statistic, so does
an employer. Are you applying hit-or-miss to every company in the country? Or
have you invested some effort into finding a company that you are well suited
for?
Cover Letter
The
job-application letter, which is the first thing the reader sees, expands upon
a few of the points made in the resume. The typical letter has at least four
paragraphs:
- Introduction that identifies the writer's source of information and desired position, states the writer's desire to be considered, and forecasts the rest of the letter
- Education
- Experience
- Conclusion that includes a reference to the enclosed resume, a request for an
interview, and the writer's phone number and e-mail address.
Depending
on the situation, education and experience could come in a different order, but
all four parts should be included. You should prepare for job interviews by
studying job ads, researching the organization to which you have applied,
thinking about what you can offer the organization, studying lists of common
interview questions, compiling a list of questions to ask, and rehearsing the
interview. There are other things you can do to prepare, but these are crucial
steps.
For
every hour you spend in a job interview, you need to do many hours of
preparation. You should send a follow-up letter after having been granted an
interview and after receiving an offer or a rejection from an organization.
Writing a Cover Letter
Content and Organization.
The opening of your letter should establish why you are writing to your reader.
Be explicit about the fact that you are looking for a particular kind of job
and explain why you would like to work at that particular company. Preview the
body of the letter by stating your major qualifications for the job. The body
of the letter develops each qualification with specific evidence. The goal is
to show the reader both that you know what that specific company needs and that
you have what it takes. You may organize this section in various ways: around
your training and experience, around what the job or the company requires, or
some other way. The letter should close by inviting a response.
Style. Cover letters are
difficult to write because they aim at somewhat conflicting goals. On the one
hand, you want to make a good first impression. So you want to sound polite and
fairly formal. On the other hand, you want to stand out from the
crowd--otherwise, why should the employer hire you rather than any of the other
applicants? The best policy is probably to talk to your reader as directly and
naturally as possible. Avoid hype.
Format. Use a conventional
business letter block format. Be brief: if possible, stick to one page.
Cover Memo
Write a brief memo (no more than one page,
single-spaced) addressed to me that will help me read, understand, evaluate,
and "coach" your resume and cover letter. The memo must contain a job
description and audience analysis, as well as a commentary highlighting how you
adapted your resume and cover letter to the job. You should look over it
carefully at the very end to make sure that it tells me "how to read"
your resume and cover letter.
Writing a Memo
Audience Analysis. Investigate the particular company you are applying to. You may obtain information on the company from the library, on the Internet, from Career Services, or other places. You may also contact the personnel office of the company directly. Then write one or two paragraphs that specify any special qualities or experience that this company may be looking for in its employees. For example, suppose you are applying for a job as a chemical engineer. A small company may be looking for an engineer who can work on a variety of projects, while another may be looking specifically for someone who has experience with polymers. This is also the place to describe anything you know about the particular person you are writing to. Note: I expect you to make extensive use of this information in your cover letter. It might also have a big impact on the organization and choice of details in your resume.
Rhetorical Analysis. Describe how you will adapt your resume and cover letter for its particular type of job, company, and reader and why you will make those changes. Normally, your reasons will be closely related to the information in the job description and audience analysis.
Memo Outline
To:
From:
Subject:
Date:
The purpose of this memo....
Summary
Job Description
Audience Analysis
Rhetorical Analysis
Recommendation
Step 1: Upload resume pdf to Scribd.com.
Step 2: Copy embed code.
Step 3: Open Dashboard.
Step 4: Open your Portfolio Blog.
Step 5: Create a page.
Step 6: Select <A>.
Step 7: Paste embed code.
Step 8: Tag page @topnav.
Step 9: Save.
Step 10: Publish.
You have now uploaded your resume!
Standards for Correctness
Employers impose strict standards of correctness on application materials: An error is the equivalent of a bad spot on your shirt. Accordingly, I will mark this assignment on a somewhat stricter scale than usual. If any letter or resume contains more than two typographical or grammatical errors, I reserve the right to fail the entire package.
Files
Draft Worksheet Conventional
Resume
Draft Worksheet Cover Letter and
Tailored Resume
Evaluation
|
Job Application Package |
Excellent |
Good |
Needs Work |
|
|
Content |
The Job Application Package
is complete: one tailored resume, one memo and one
cover letter. |
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|
Design |
Important information has been
front loaded. Related materials are grouped. Design features enhance
readability. Paragraphs utilize effective topic
sentences. |
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|
Style |
Resume: Your style should be fairly formal. You need not use
complete sentences, but you should use a concise, active style and show
consistency in expression from section to section. Memo: Complete and informative. Letter: Polite and formal. |
|
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Audience and Mechanics |
Respectful. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct. |
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Participation |
In-class writing exercises, planning worksheet, rough draft posted timely and draft reviews (30% of your grade) |
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End Note
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