review

 

Your peer review should answer all of the following bulleted questions:

CONTENT
Are the cover letter and résumé COMPLETE? Do the cover letter and résumé address each of the 3–10 most important required or desired skills the writer chose to list from the job announcement? After reviewing the job announcement, are there any additional skills that you think the writer should address in the cover letter or résumé? (The peer review must include the word “self-containment.”)
Where in the cover letter and résumé does the writer provide quantifiable and CONCRETE examples to demonstrate experience and skills? If revision is needed, where in the cover letter or résumé could the writer be more quantifiable or concrete?
What are some ways that the writer makes CLEAR that the writer has the necessary education, experience, or skills? If revision is needed, how can the writer be clearer in either the cover letter or résumé about the ways that the writer has specific education, experience, or skills?STYLE
Are the cover letter and résumé CONCISE? If revision is needed, which sections, words, or phrases could be cut and why?
Are the cover letter and résumé COURTEOUS? Where in the cover letter does the writer use the "you" approach to focus on the employer's needs and wants? If revision is needed, where can the writer better use the "you" approach to focus on the employer's needs and wants? Where in the cover letter and résumé does the writer emphasize the positive? If revision is needed, which parts can the writer rephrase to be positive or neutral?  CORRECTNESS
Does the résumé use parallelism [webpage] in all lists? (For instance, bulleted lists of work experience should always begin with past-tense verbs for previous jobs and present-tense verbs for current jobs.)
Are there any spelling, grammar, punctuation, or mechanics errors in either the cover letter or résumé?ORGANIZATION
Does the cover letter use the AIDA persuasive approach [content page]?Attention: Does the first paragraph grab the reader's attention by indicating the job and primary reason(s) the writer should be hired (the main idea)?
Interest: How is interest in hiring the writer built or how can it be better built?
Desire: How is desire to hire the writer built or how can it be better built?
Action: What desired action is indicated or what desired action should be indicated (e.g., review the résumé, contact the writer for an interview)?
Does the résumé use an organization (chronological, functional, or combination) that is best suited to the writer's experience and the potential employer's likely expectations for a résumé? If revision is needed, which alternative organization strategy do you suggest and why?FORMATTING AND DESIGN
What design elements [content page] (e.g., white space, typography) does the résumé use that draw the reader's attention in a positive way? What elements, if any, are distracting or unnecessary? What revisions, if any, do you recommend?
Does the cover letter use appropriate business letter formatting [content page]? If not, what changes need to be made so the cover letter uses appropriate formatting?