Cover letter
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cover_letter.docxSOM 301 COVER LETTER
Points: Draft: Must complete in order to receive full credit on final. You will receive a penalty on your final assignment grade if you do not complete this incremental assignment. This should be more than a rough draft. Treat your writing as a process and submit at least your second or third draft on the Draft due date.
Final: 100 points maximum. You will have the opportunity to revise your draft based on feedback from your classmates, and your final should be a reflection of that revision.
Objective: To develop a working cover letter
Format: Professional letter (see sample on Bb)
Audience: Potential employer; formal
Hard Copies: Two hard copies are required in lab on the draft due date, and one hard copy is required in lab on the final due date. Failure to turn in one hard copy at the start of lab on the final due date will result in the assignment being considered late and marked as a zero, even if the SafeAssignment is submitted on time.
SafeAssign: Required for Final Cover Letter. Failure to submit to SafeAssign by the start of lab will result in the assignment being considered late and marked as a zero, even if a hard copy is submitted during lab.
Grading: See page 2 of this document and rubric posted to Blackboard
Formatting Note: Do not include the name, lab section number, and due date header on this assignment.
Honor Code: All instances of plagiarism–intentional or unintentional–will result in a report sent to the University Honor Committee and a recommendation of a zero for the assignment, and possibly the course.
One thing you should take from this class is a working cover letter that you can alter to fit the specific requirements and needs of a potential employer. You may already have a working cover letter, and if so, look it over and take into consideration information from the textbook and lecture. You are expected to use a new and current job posting for this assignment.
Assignment
Find a current, professional job listing that interests you and create a cover letter for that position (or tailor your working cover letter to that position). The listing must be current and have been posted within the last month (make sure to save a copy of the full job posting to turn in with your final; the URL is not enough). The job should be something related to your major (if your major is undeclared, then find a job posting related to what you will likely choose as your major), and should be something you could apply to today (not when you graduate). If you are uncertain as to whether the job listing you have in mind is considered professional, then please see your lab professor for approval.
NOTE: You must use the same job listing for this assignment and the Elevator Pitch assignment.
Assignment Requirements
1) Create your cover letter or review the cover letter you currently have, tailoring it to the chosen job listing. Be sure the information you provide is accurate and concise, the cover letter is consistent in style and format, and the overall product is attractive. In the cover letter, show the reader why you would be an asset to the company. Provide 2-3 specific and developed examples of your accomplishments/abilities. Explain to the reader how you can contribute to the company. Try to differentiate yourself from other candidates by demonstrating your uniqueness as you address the topics covered in the job posting. Be sure the cover letter complements your resume (see assignment posted to Blackboard).
2) The cover letter should be properly formatted and three-fourths to a full page in length with standard one-inch margins, with the appropriate use of white space and 12 pt. font.
3) You must submit a separate page that includes the full job listing and where it was found along with your Final Cover Letter. Underline or highlight the areas in the job posting that you focused on for this assignment.
4) Research the company you are applying to in order to set yourself aside from other candidates. This will also come in handy when writing your resume and elevator pitch.
Potential Step
Check out the GMU Career Services’ pamphlet, “Moving On: A Guide for Career Planning and Job Searching,” at: http://careers.gmu.edu/students/movingon/upload/document.pdf. Read over the sections on resumes and cover letters. This will cover design features for the resume, as well as application letter writing.
Grading Criteria
Draft: Must be completed in order to receive full credit on the final assignment. You will receive a penalty on your final assignment grade if you do not complete this incremental assignment.
This should be a nearly completed draft. Meaning, it should include all of the appropriate sections (i.e., introduction, 2-3 specific and developed examples, conclusion, etc.). Also, make sure to include the full job posting and where it was found on a separate page.
Final: Make sure to include the job posting and where it was found on a separate page. If you fail to include the job posting with your final cover letter then you will receive a penalty on your final assignment grade.
Grades will be based on the following:
· Format – Appropriate structure and style – 15%
· Content – Relevance of information; development of information – 40%
· Grammar and mechanics* – Professional and correct use of language – 45%
*NOTE: Although grammar and mechanics will only count 40% towards your grade on the Final Cover Letter, it is important to realize that there can be no errors on cover letters submitted to prospective employers. Even one error can prevent you from getting an interview or position.
Please see rubric posted to Blackboard for detailed grading criteria.
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