Cover Letter & Resume

Research a Job you might want in the future (internship, promotion from your current job or post-graduation, entry level position) and locate a job description for such a position (save the job description to your computer, you will need to submit it – I recommend using the “print to PDF” function to print from the Internet). The job description should include a summary of the job tasks, qualifications, education requirements and desired/ideal attributes, plus any licenses, certificates or certifications if applicable. A short paragraph or brief listing does not provide enough detail and you may lose points if you submit something that doesn’t clearly describe the job. There are many generic job descriptions, it does not have to be for a particular company. For example, if you wanted to be a public relations manager, look for a generic job description for what most public relations managers do. I suggest trying various Google searches such as “job description for ________” (insert job title)

Select a company you may want to work for in the future. I highly suggest you select a publicly-traded company since information is more readily available. Consider searching the Fortune 500 list at  to find a company that interests you. Assume the company you select is hiring for the position you want (in the example above, a public relations manager). The company you choose does not actually have to have a job opening for this position, it is hypothetical. You might even get lucky and find a position that you want for the company you want to work for, that is fine to use as job description as well.

Write a resume catered to the JOB AND COMPANY you selected. The work or related experience section of your resume should be factual. If you have not worked, volunteer, club or other association experience is applicable (babysitting, dog-walking, landscaping, house cleaning, etc.). For the skills/education portion, you can be a bit more creative and assume you have already completed your degree and have adequate skills (be realistic). Grading will be based on format, evidence of research (matching your skills, interests and other attributes to the job description and company culture) as well as spelling, grammar and punctuation. Some of you may already have a resume, that is a great starting point but don’t submit it as your final draft; revise it based on the requirements of the job and details you know about the company (hint: think about what’s important to them. For example, Disney is going to want people that are positive, energetic, imaginative and love kids – sell that in your resume).

Required sections for your resume: Objective (including the job title and company name), Education, Work/Related Experience, Skills (at least 10 skills including hard and soft skills)

Additional recommended sections: Career Summary/Profile, Honors/Awards, Interests/Hobbies, Certifications/Licenses

Compose a cover letter (a.k.a. application letter) that would likely satisfy the objective of being granted an interview for the position at the company you have identified. Just as you should match your resume to the job and company you’re applying for, you should also match your cover letter to the job and company – meaning, discuss the attributes that you posses from the job description (personality, attitude, skills, experience, interests, etc.) Your cover letter should be approximately a page consisting of 3-4 paragraphs. 

Submit THREE ATTACHMENTS- Job Description, Cover Letter and Resume (PDF is recommended format). If not PDF, then Word files such as .doc or .docx