Professional Job Application and Resume, communications homework help

Professional Job Application and Resume, communications homework help

For this assignment, you will create two documents:

A Job Application Letter

A Résumé

You will need to research job leads to find an actual job announcement that advertises a position for which you are qualified. Search national job sites like Monster.com, Employmentguide.com, Careerbuilder.com, and USAJobs.gov. Also, review pages 153-154 for a discussion of various sources for finding out about a job opening.

Research the Company or Organization. You must research the company or organization that advertised the job announcement. You can research the company in a variety of ways. For instance, you can find the company’s Website if one is available; or you may obtain a copy of the company’s annual report; or, if you know someone who works for that company, you can network with employees of the company. The goal here is for you to become more informed about the company in general—its product line, its past and current successes, and its plans for future development. Ideally, you should use some of this information to your advantage in your application letter. The best application letters not only demonstrate how you are well qualified, but also show how you can make specific contributions to the company. Remember that the chief aim of an application letter is to help you get an interview. Your letter should persuade the reader that you are the best applicant for the position.

Requirements for the Application Letter

Review the information on application letters in Chapter 9 and write a job application letter with an effective introduction, body, and conclusion. The job-application letter, which is the first thing the reader sees, expands upon a few of the points made in the resume. The typical letter has at least three parts, and your letter should have all of them:

Introduction. The first paragraph establishes why you are writing to your reader. State that you are looking for a particular position and explain why you would like to work at that particular company. You should also identify the source where you find the job opening information. Forecast the body of the letter by stating your major qualifications for the job.

Body. The body of the letter develops each qualification (education and experience) with specific evidence. The goal is to show that you know what the 2 employers need and that you meet the requirements. You may organize this section around your education, around your training and experience, or around what the job or the company requires.

Conclusion. You should end the letter politely and include a reference to the enclosed resume, a request for an interview, and your phone number and e-mail address.

Format. Your letter must meet all of the formatting requirements of a good business letter. It should use block format. If possible, write no more than one page. The letter should contain all of the elements covered in Chapter 10:

Heading (sender’s address)

Date

Inside address (full address, including title, for the person who is addressed)

Salutation

Body text (introduction, body, conclusion)

Complimentary closing (“Sincerely,” or “Sincerely yours,”)

Signature

Typed name

Enclosure notation (“Encl. Resume”)

Requirements for the Resume

The purpose of the résumé is to describe your qualifications for work. Review the information on résumés in Chapter 9 carefully and then design and write a professional résumé. You should create a reverse chronological résumé tailored for the specific job opening. Your résumé should be no longer than one page, and must contain all of the following elements:

Heading (full name, address, phone, and email address)

Objective

Education (schools, majors, minors, and dates of graduation; omit high school

education unless it is a specialized high school)

Work Experience (employer’s name, the position you hold, and a list or description

of duties and responsibilities for each position)

Certifications (optional)

Interests and Activities (optional)

References (list “Available on request” instead of the actual references)

Your style should be formal. You need not use complete sentences, but you should use a concise, active style and show consistency in expression from section to section. When making lists, be sure to use the parallel structure (They should match one another in tense and form).

Submission

Combine both documents (letter and resume) into ONE WORD FILE and submit. Do not submit this assignment as two separate documents. If you submit more than one document, you will only receive credit for the first document submitted. Use this link for help with combining documents: Combining Documents.docx

Required title for Word file: your last name-letter-resume. For example, my file name should be: Pearman-letter-resume.docx.

Due by 11: 59 pm on the Sunday of Week 2.

Evaluation Rubrics

Completeness (10 pts): The job application package is complete, containing one application letter and one tailored résumé. Each document is complete and contains all required elements as stated in the handout.

Relevance (20 pts): The letter and résumé are tailored to the specific job for which you are “applying” and include information relevant to that job. The information included makes clear why you are qualified for the job.

Résumé Design (20 pts): The résumé is clean and well organized. The use of space is uniform and well considered. The font and type size are easy to read. Different levels of headings are used consistently to demarcate different levels and categories.

Writing Style (10 pts): The description of job duties and responsibilities at each position include vivid, concrete, action verbs (in past tense if you no longer hold the position). The verbs are in parallel structure. The style and tone are formal. Paragraphs utilize effective topic sentences.

Format (20 pts): The letter and résumé are each formatted correctly following the specified guidelines in Chapters 9 and 10.

Grammar and Mechanics (20 pts): Spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct.

*** Employers impose strict standards of correctness on job application materials. Accordingly, your coach will mark this assignment on a stricter scale than usual in terms of correctness. If any letter or resume contains a single typographical or grammatical error, you cannot receive an A on this assignment.