Content Engineering: Resume and Cover Letter Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to produce and refine a professional resume and letter for your job search.  It is also to help you understand how the principles of persuasion we studiend in advertising can be applied to the job hunt, and how to write reader-centric job correspondence.

Tuesday, October 25  Bring two job ads to class that you would actually consider applying for.

Rough Draft Due Thursday, October 27 Bring a printed copy of your résumé and cover letter, as well as your job ad.

Final Draft Due Tuesday, November 1 This will be turned in as a hard copy, at the start of class.  Staple a copy or print-out of the job ad you are applying for as well.

Find materials online or at the career resource center for two different jobs or summer internships that you feel you would be qualified for. Bring these with you to class on Tuesday the 25th.

In Tuesday's Workshop Class:  Using the two job descriptions, write a one-page journal, in paragraph or list form, in which you assess the aspects of your own experience that should be highlighted in a application letter and résumé for each job. You will use these notes as the basis for class discussion.  Note:  This work will be done in class.  To prepare you only need to bring in the two job ads, and do the assigned reading.

For the actual assignment:  Choose one of the ads, and craft a résumé and cover letter as though you were applying for the job.  Remember that these documents should be persuasive, and should target the needs of the audience (as revealed in the job ad).  Your grade will be determined partly by how well you focus your letter and present your experience in your résumé for the particular ad you have chosen.  We will be reviewing rough drafts of the assignment in Thursday's class, and turning in the final draft the following Tuesday.

 Final drafts of the formal recommendation report are due to me (via email) by class time on Thursday, October 13.

Return to the syllabus.