Overview
The Cover Letter and Resume
Assignment (See below cover tips and instructions) is an important step in completing this
course. You have gained new skills in Interdisciplinary Studies that will be
valuable in all areas of your life. You may be graduating soon and looking for
a new job or position of employment. Now is a great time to build a solid Cover
Letter and Resume and allow someone to review them.
Read Chapter 1 of the Repko &
Szostak text to review definitions associated with interdisciplinary skills.
Book: Repko,
Allen F., & Szostak, R. (2021). Interdisciplinary research:
Process and theory. (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications
For this assignment, you will create a Cover
Letter and Resume based
upon your academic experience in Business and professional background in Management.
Instructions
Cover Letter:
Compose a cover letter that expresses
your interest in the job (Retail management) with a request for an interview.
Include details on how your
interdisciplinary skills will be a great asset for this job.
Resume:
After reviewing the Career Center’s resume resources, compose your own 1–2-page
resume as if you are applying
for a job you would like. This can either be made up or you can seek out an
actual job description through an individual search. Before you submit your resume, critique it for design and
content.
**Below are items to consider when
building your resume. Review
the Cover Letter
Design/Format
·
Is
the name and address easily identifiable?
·
Is
the identifying information presented appropriately (font size, color,
placement)?
·
Does
the resume look original
(or did the student use a template)?
·
Does
the resume draw you in to read
it?
·
Is
the length appropriate?
·
Is
it error-free (including consistency of font)?
·
Do
the design elements highlight relevant information?
·
Is
it easy to skim read (appropriate use of white space)?
Appearance
·
Are
the margins even?
·
Are
the design elements appropriate and consistent?
·
Does
the resume look professional
and polished?
Job-Specific Information
·
Does
the resume fit the job
description?
·
Is
industry-specific language used when describing skills?
·
Is
there an effective use of action phrases?
·
Is
the tense correct?
Resume
Sections
·
Are
all sections labeled?
·
Is
the content placed to highlight the most important information?
·
Are
the experiences listed in reverse chronological order?
·
Is
the header accurate, complete,
and polished?
·
Is
the Objective/Professional Skills
Profile specific to the position and the job-related skills?
·
Does
the education section
include all key elements?
·
Does
the experience section
include an effective use of action verbs, correct tense, quantifiable results,
and an appropriate use of industry specific language?
·
Are
the skills specific to the
position and industry (transferrable skills)?
·
Are
the affiliations, certifications, and
licensures relevant and strategically placed?
·
Do
the activities, honors, and community
service sections include leadership experience and accomplishments?
·
Are
languages and computer skills identified and
strategically placed?
Accomplishments
·
Are
relevant career accomplishments strategically identified?
·
Does
the resume show the
specific success of the accomplishment through quantifiable data? (e.g.,
numbers, percentages, and dollar figures)
Relevance
·
Does
the resume show how the student
fits the needs of the employer?
·
Does
the resume use keywords and
industry-specific language?
·
Does
the resume communicate
specific, concise, relevant information that identifies the student researched
the company and the specific job?
COVER LETTER AND RESUME TIPS
1. Brevity is a virtue and always best. Consolidate your sections and entries
within each.
2. Try to keep all the most important information on the first page. Like
Google searches, most
employers do not go far beyond the first page of ‘returns.’
3. Always avoid acronyms when possible. While experts in the field will know
these, those in
charge of hiring are not always the experts — but they often hear the words
the acronyms stand
for. Make sure they read those words.
4. Avoid heavy amounts of prose and narrative in resumes. This is a good
example of where we
need to ” ‘show’ don’t ‘tell’ “.
5. It’s okay to use bullet points, but don’t get carried away.
6. Always list experiences — work or academic — in reverse chronological
order. List the most
current experience first, then work backwards.
7. Normally, place education in the first section of the resume, followed by
any sort of
professional licensure or accreditation, then work experiences third, and
volunteer service last.
8. If you are providing a resume for a highly detailed job posting, it might
help to reorganize
your resume to exactly match how the required job skills and experiences are
explained in the
actual job posting. You may wish to even place them in the same order they are
mentioned in the
posting.
9. Cover letters are very important. It is best to present cover letters with
these sections:
· First – a brief introduction and explanation of why you are a
good fit for the job. This is
where you personalize the letter to something only you may know about the
company or
about your connection with someone in the company.
· Second – why you have the most important skills, knowledge base,
or experience
required for the job.
· Third – what you hope to add to the company, business,
institution, or enterprise by
working there.
· Fourth – what personal goals you expect to meet by working at
this place.
