Résumé and Cover Letter

 For this assignment, you will locate a job advertisement from within your field or major, then create a résumé and cover letter to apply for that job. Feel free to apply for a “future” job by imagining you’ve completed up to a four-year degree. We will work on tailoring your application materials to specific qualities and attributes the employer values. Ultimately, you are marketing yourself—your experience, education, skills, and professionalism—to an employer. 

Assignment Objectives 

 Identify the needs of employers as an audience 

 Cater an argument to a specific situation 

 Format a resume and professional letter Preparing to Write the Resume and Cover Letter 

1. Locate a job listing for a position in your desired field. 

2. Build an Ideal Candidate Profile:  Identify key elements of the job listing – 

What qualities seem to be important to the employer? 

 What specific experience or skills do they require? 

What do they not require, but prefer? 

3. Identify how your own work and educational experience match the required and desired candidate profile. If you do not have these requirements, how might you position yourself to be considered anyway? 

Formatting Requirements 

 Cover Letter – Single spaced, with the proper business letter “heading” information, salutation, and closing. The letter will be no longer than one page. 

 The Résumé – Formatting will vary. Choose a format that best highlights your skills and qualities. The format should also help the reader “sort” through your resume. The résumé should be no longer than two pages each.

 1. The Cover Letter 2. Resume 3. The job listing or advertisement 4. “Ideal Candidate Profile”