Assignment 1: Application Packet

Draft: 2.9 | Due: 2.14

Though Im sure youve created rsums for courses and personal use in the past, this application
packet assignment differs in that it asks you to research and carefully customize versions of several
documents for 2 specific job/internship advertisements in your future field. You will create 7
documents. Each individual document will be on its own page of the packet. The packet will be a
PDF and include consecutive page numbers (1-?), a cover page, and a table of contents.

I.

Curriculum Vitae

[1: Curriculum Vitae]: A curriculum vitae is an extra long rsum (at least 2 single-spaced pages) in
which you create a list of and descriptive paragraph for all the previous experiences, administrative
roles, jobs, volunteer work, classes, skills, organizations, etc., that youve done or been a part of in the
past that you might use on a rsum in the future. It serves as a resource from which to build shorter and
more customized rsums and, in some fields, you can submit a CV instead of a rsum. For this class,
your CV does not have to be formatted; it can just be a bulleted list with headings if youd like. My goal
of you including a vita is that I want to see if you left anything important off your resume that you might
add.

II. Analyses
[1: Rsum Analysis]: Find a rsum from a professional in your field or future career (you can find
these online; on Linked-In; through the career center; or simply by asking professors, friends, and
family). In ~200 words describe the types of information and experiences you see on the rsum and the
types you do not. Use and cite the readings and my presentations to analyze the pros, cons,
organization, and general rhetoric of the rsum. Is it missing things the readings say to include, does it
include extras that you like? Please include the example you are analyzing in the final packet. If youd
like, you can draw and write your analysis directly on the resume itself.
[2: Job Calls, Brief Analyses, T-Charts, and Customization Analyses]:
A. Find two job calls for a job/internship that you might want to apply to in the future, create a tchart for each of them, and write 150-200 words analyzing each. Respond to the following
questions: What is this company looking for? What specific skill sets do they expect? What is
this companys corporate culture like (formal, informal, scientific, creative)? What are the
buzzwords they use (find at least two technical/jargon terms and define what they mean)? How
might your resume and cover letter respond specifically to this job callwhat language will you
mimic; what will your tone be? Please include comparisons and contrasts between the two ads.
B. After youve created your cover letter and rsum, briefly describe (100 words a piece200
words altogether) how each of your documents was customized to respond to the job call you
selected.

III. Productions
[1: Rsum]: Prepare 1, 1-page customized rsum for a job call youve analyzed. Weve talked about
how this customization should occur. Use our readings, presentations, and discussions to think about
what information from your CV to put on the rsum and what to leave off; think about the order of that
information depending on what the job call asks for; think about using synonyms for the key words/core
values that the company presents itself as holding. Describe the customizations youve made and why in
part II-B above.
[1: Cover Letters]: Prepare 1, 1-page customized cover letters for the job calls youve analyzed. Each
letter should be at least 4 paragraphs long. Again, weve talked in class and read about what a cover
letter should and should not include. The goal of the cover letter should be to show how you and your

past experiences can benefit the company you are applying to. Each job call will ask for different
experiences so you need to be able to spin yourself to fit those specific experiences. As with the
rsums, describe the customizations youve made and why in part II-B above.
[1: Follow-Up Letter]: A follow-up letter should occur sometime within two weeks of your job
interviewusually a quick thank you email immediately after your interview about a handwritten note a
week after your interview. Its goal is thank the employer, remind them of something specific you
bonded over in the interview, maybe mention something you didnt mention in the interview, and thank
them for their time again. End by stating that you look forward to hearing back from them.

Assignment 1: Rubric
For full description of grading criteria, see above. Comments will be provided directly on your documents.
______Curriculum Vitae: (10 Points)
At least 2-pages single-spaced.
Some kind of organization/headings.
______Analyses: (20 Points)
1 resume professional resume and analysis.
2 brief job call analyses and t-charts.
1 description of how you adapted both your cover letter and resume to one of the job ads.
Each analysis refers to the course readings at least once.
______ Rsum: (30 Points)
Rsum is clearly scannable and follows an easily readable grid.
Resume is uniform, using the same fonts, colors, headings, and positions throughout.
Descriptions of jobs, classes, etc., are brief, active, interesting, and informative.
Everything described on the rsum is specific, not falling into the trap of merely listing buzzwords.
Resume is ordered in a way that clearly responds the job call, highlighting the most important things
the job call is looking for.
Rsum is free from grammar and spelling mistakes.
______Cover Letters: (30 Points)
Each cover letter follows the formatting and guidelines as read about/discussed in class.
Each cover letter is personal and specific, describing what youve specifically done and what skills
youve specifically developed in the past that might benefit the company your applying to in the
future.
Each cover letter responds to the specific questions and qualifications the job call asks/lists.
Each cover letter builds an image/ethos of the applicant as active and interesting through showing the
applicant doing things.
Each cover letter is free from grammar and spelling mistakes.
______Thank You/Follow Up: (10 Points)
______Total (100 Points)