IS 1003
Fall 2008

Resume / Cover Letter / Letter of Reference
Thank-you Letter / Interview Questions

Assignment:

Find an advertisement in a newspaper, on the Internet, or through the office of Career Services. Find a position in your field, for which you might be qualified. Write a resume, a cover letter, and a letter of reference in response to the advertisement. Include the job advertisement or a photocopy of it. Also assume you had an interview with this company and write a thank-you letter to the interviewer. Finally, answer the 10 most commonly asked interview questions. While this resume is a class assignment, you should consider updating your resume to be a process that will be on-going throughout your career.

Due: The resume, cover letter, letter of reference, thank you letter, and interview questions are all due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 10 and Thursday, September 11.
Points: 25 possible. You will be evaluated not only on the content and the appearance of the materials, but also on how well you have targeted the materials to the job advertised.

Resume   (9 points)

    Length: At least 1 complete page (not including references). Use 12-point font and 1" margins.
References: As part of your resume, include the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three or four references. These may be included within your resume. If you choose instead to have your resume say, "References available upon request," enclose a copy of the list of references you would send if the list were requested by the employer.
Format:
The following list provides some ideas for the content of your resume.
  • Personal Information (name, address, phone number, and e-mail address)
  • Education (major, subjects taken)
  • Skills
    • Technological - computer applications and software
    • Communication
    • Leadership
  • Work Experience
    • Full/part-time work
    • Volunteer work
  • Publications/Presentations
  • Honors and Professional Affiliations
  • Interests and Activities
  • References
It is recommended that you use action verbs to start each sentence on your resume. A list of action verbs can be found at the following address. http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/teaching/action-verbs.html

Cover Letter   (4 points)

    Length: At least 200 words.
    Format:
Your cover letter must contain at least the following parts: return address, dateline, inside address, salutation, body, and a complimentary close.

Below is a typical breakdown of the body:

Your first paragraph should include a statement that you are interested in the advertised position and your desire to obtain an interview.

The second paragraph should include any major accomplishments this company would be interested in hearing about. You should also list your overall skills.

The third paragraph should include any specific skills/accomplishments that are listed in your resume, but need to be flushed out for this particular advertisement.

In your final paragraph, tell them that you look forward to hearing from them soon.

Your closing should typically be Sincerely.

Letter of Reference (4 points)

    Length: The letter of reference must be at least 200 words.
    Format:
The letter of reference should appear as though someone else wrote it on your behalf. It must contain at least the following parts: return address, dateline, inside address, salutation, body, and a complimentary close.

Thank You Letter (4 points)
Assume you had an interview with the company addressed in your cover letter. Write a follow-up thank you letter to the interviewer. Minimum of 150 words.
A sample of a resume, a cover letter, letters of reference, and a thank you letter can be found at the following addresses:
Resume (http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/resume)
Cover letter (http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/samples/cover-letter.html)
Letter of reference #1 (http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/samples/reference-1.html)
Letter of reference #2 (http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/samples/reference-2.html)
Thank you letter (http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~rosener/samples/thank-you.html)



Answer the following 10 most commonly asked interview questions. Assume you are interviewing with the company you addressed in your cover letter.   (4 points)

10 Most Commonly Asked Interview Questions

  1. What is your greatest strength?
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
  3. What academic subjects did you like best?
  4. What have you learned from your mistakes?
  5. What led you to choose your field of major study?
  6. Describe your most rewarding college experience.
  7. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?
  8. How do you work under pressure?
  9. Why did you decide to seek a position with this company?
  10. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?