1

Task 2: Professional Writing

Task 2 is divided into two parts: ‘My resume’ and ‘My cover letter’.

IMPORTANT!!! Before doing Task 2 you will have to find a job advertisement or an
internship offer of your interest. The job advertisement/internship offer must be
submitted together with your resume and cover letter.

My resume
Title ‘MY RESUME’
Aim(s) • To write your own resume (CV) in order to apply for a job/internship
in your field of work.

Type of task Individually

Procedure Write your own chronological resume including, at least, the following
essential sections: contact information, education, experience, and
skills. If it is necessary, you can add optional sections such as awards,
volunteer activities or leadership (see “Basic structure of a resume” in Part
2 contents for +info).

Format guidelines The only strict format guideline for this task is that it should NOT exceed
ONE PAGE.
Students should be aware of the following recommendations:
 Create a format that best represents you.
 Be consistent in format and content.
 Make it easy to read and follow, balancing white space.
 Use consistent spacing, underlining, italics, bold, and capitalisation
for emphasis.
 Be aware of the language you use (see “Resume language and
formatting” in Part 2 contents for +info).
 Use action verbs in the past simple to describe your responsibilities
and experience.
 Plagiarism will be penalized to the fullest extent.

Assessment ‘My resume’ is worth 15% of the total mark.

My cover letter

Title ‘MY COVER LETTER’

Aim(s) • To write your own cover letter in order to apply for a job/internship
in your field of work.

Type of task Individually

Procedure Write your own cover letter in response to a job advertisement/internship

of your interest. Remember to tailor your letter to the position you are
applying for. You are supposed to strictly follow the structure of a
cover letter (see “Structure of a cover letter” in Part 2 contents for +info):
- Firstly, express your interest.
 2
- Secondly, match your skills to the needs of the employer.
- Thirdly, demonstrate your experience and accomplishments with
concrete examples.
- Finally, convince the employer to grant you an interview.

Format guidelines The only strict format guideline for this task is that it should NOT exceed
ONE PAGE (please, write NO MORE THAN 280 words).
Students should be aware of the following recommendations:
 Keep your letter concise. Avoid flowery language.
 Give examples that support your skills and qualifications.
 Don’t overuse the pronoun “I”.
 Avoid contractions as they make the letter seem too informal.
 Emotive words (wonderful, great, terrible) should be avoided.
 Be assertive, not aggressive.
 Plagiarism will be penalized to the fullest extent.

Assessment ‘My cover letter’ is worth 15% of the total mark.

HOW TO SUBMIT TASK 2:

Students should upload to Moodle (English for Professional and Academic Communication in
Architecture > Task 2: Professional Writing) a SINGLE PDF file (only 1 file per person). The
file should include 3 DOCUMENTS (in one file!!!) in this order:
1. The JOB ADVERTISEMENT/INTERNSHIP you chose.
2. Your ONE-PAGE RESUME.
3. Your ONE-PAGE COVER LETTER.

The deadline will be Thursday, 13 April 2023 at 23.55.

When naming your file, please use the following convention: TASK2_YOUR FULL NAME (e.g.
TASK2_JORGE SOTO ALMELA).

Job advert One-page

One-page
cover
= Internship
+ resume + letter

TASK2_YOUR FULL NAME

 3
Relevant bibliography

Downes, C. (2008). Cambridge English for Job-hunting. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University
Press.
Hancock, M. (2003). English Pronunciation in Use. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Office of Career Services (2019). Resumes and Cover Letters. An Extension School Resource.
Harvard University. Retrieved from https://ocs.fas.harvard.edu/files/ocs/files/hes-resume-
cover-letter-guide.pdf