Project help - for Essays guru

ENGL 317 Dr. Tremblay

Project 2 Assignment Sheet

Project Description Completion of this project will include identifying a full-time job or internship you’re interested in applying for and crafting a resume and cover letter tailored to that job/internship ad.

Objectives ● Job ad researching skills, including job ad literacy. ● Job application preparatory materials, including aesthetically-pleasing resume and cover letter

design.

Step One First thing’s first: You’ve got to find a job or internship ad that appeals to you. There are many, many sites that aggregate job ads. I’m betting this is an area where you might have your finger more on the pulse of the action than me, but these are a few sources I’ve used:

For government and nonprofit jobs: Idealist. For jobs at colleges/universities: Higher Ed Jobs. For private sector jobs: My advice, at this point, is to use LinkedIn as a first place to peruse ads. From there, you could use any number of aggregators, including Monster, Simply Hired, and Indeed.

Note: If you already have a job, please use this as an opportunity to think about how you might transition into another role or even make a lateral move. Or find your dream job and create application materials for it.

Once you start looking for jobs, you’ll develop a sort of literacy of job ads. In other words, you’ll figure out how to read the sometimes strange and very coded ways in which job ads are written. We’ll talk more about this, but it’s definitely a good skill to develop.

Step Two A. Develop a resume and cover letter. There are literally hundreds of thousands of examples of how

to write a cover letter and resume on the internet. It can be really overwhelming to look through them, trying to figure out the best one. Really, there is no “best” one; nearly all of them offer at least some valuable information, and most of them, if not all, offer the same suggestions.

In writing, we call these either “forms” or “genres.” Just like a job ad is its own genre, which means it has its own rules, a resume and cover letter are the same. All forms or genres can differ slightly, but there are some really standard rules I’d suggest following. I call these the conventions of the genre.

NB: Some people strive for bending the rules or going directly against them. While that may pay off, it’s a big risk to take, especially when applying for jobs. Something to keep in mind.

Here are some conventions of the resume and cover letter genres:

Convention Resume Cover Letter

Page length With less experience, 1 page. 1 page, unless given permission

ENGL 317 Dr. Tremblay

Project 2 Assignment Sheet

With more experience, 2 pages. for a longer letter in the job ad.

Organization ● Experience listed in chronological, descending order. Start with your most recent and work backwards to your oldest experience.

● List relevant skills and educational history.

● Introduce yourself. ● Describe experience in

chronological, descending order (start with your most recent and work backwards to your oldest experience).

● Each former job gets 1 paragraph.

● Closing paragraph.

Formatting You can find many templates (and you might design your own), but the most effective are clean, simple, straightforward.

You can find many templates (and you might design your own), but the most effective are clean, simple, straightforward.

B. Tailor the cover letter (especially) and resume (where appropriate) to the job ad.

Does the job ad ask you to address the cover letter to a specific person?

Make sure to include the company/organization name and position name exactly as you found it in the job ad.

How can you list your experience in your resume that relates to the requirements listed in the job ad?

Did you learn about this position at a networking event or job fair? If so, mention it.

Did you learn about this position from someone within the company or someone with whom the company has a relationship already? If so, mention it.

Are there other opportunities for customizing your letter and resume?

What I’m looking for:

● No word length, but you should conform to the conventions of each genre (cover letter and resumé).

● Following directions is a key part of business communications. ● I look for substance and effort in every piece of writing you submit. Expect it of yourself as well.

Points possible: 200. A specific rubric follows on the next page.

ENGL 317 Dr. Tremblay

Project 2 Assignment Sheet

Grading Criteria Strong

Work demonstrates unquestionable understanding of assignment, rhetorical conventions (where appropriate), and subject. Author uses these conventions in creative, sophisticated ways.

Satisfactory Work demonstrates some understanding of assignment, rhetorical conventions (where appropriate), and subject, but provides this information in less sophisticated or interesting ways.

Weak Work displays little or no understanding of the assignment, rhetorical conventions (where appropriate), or subject. The goal of the writing is often unclear, and/or the author’s text is unreadable.

Essentials: Does author present both a cover letter and resume tailored to a specific job ad?

75 50 25

Tone and Author’s Rhetorical Stance: Does the author present and maintain a consistent, appropriate tone?

50 25 15

Structure: Does author present information in a logical, communicative, inviting order? Does author transition from one idea to the next?

25 15 5

Use of Research: Does author present relevant, credible research? Does author analyze, explain, or counter the research they present?

0 0 0

Professionalism: Was the paper sloppily assembled or was time taken to make it presentable?

25 15 5

Mechanics: In spite of any mechanical or typographical errors, does author communicate their intent? Is author’s subject and position clear?

25 15 5