February 16, 17 and 18 resumes / cover letters

By Friday 18 February, each person needs to have submitted a resume and cover letter to me. These are part of the senior exit interviews, which will take place on Wednesday March 30. They are individual graded assigments. And they are part of your graduation requirement. You have three days to work on them in class. There are templates on Microsoft Publisher and I Works on the Macs.

Please follow them carefully, selecting a model that best works for you. As you assemble these, be mindful of punctuation, grammar and capitalization. Although I will edit them, so that the final copy will be accurate and correct, your grade will be based upon the material you turn in on Friday the 16th. If you are absent, both the cover letter and resume are due. I need these to edit over the break. Any received after Friday are 10 points off per day, down to 50.

A cover letter as the name depicts acts as a covering or an attached letter to any other letter, document, resume or CV. Though the cover letter is mainly attached with the resume or employment letter but there are many other types of cover letters like legal cover letters, marketing cover letters, sales cover letters and many other sample letters.
The cover letter helps the receiver to get the first hand and instant information regarding the detailed content of the attached letter or document. It acts as a marketing tool for the purpose of the letter or the attached document. Besides this, cover letter also acts as a tool of communication for the intangibles which are not available through the actual content letter.
Thus a cover letter is a very important letter that provides various benefits. A cover letter should always be written in a tone which covers the enthusiasm of the writer. There are some important factors which should be considered while drafting a cover letter and these are as follows:
1. Always try to address the cover letter to an individual by his/her name
2. The first paragraph of the cover letter should be attractive enough so as to get the immediate attention of the reader.
3. Then mention the main purpose of writing the letter
4. Mention about the attached letter or the document for which you are sending the cover letter
5. Avoid any negative statements, spelling and grammatical errors.
Finally mention that you will follow up with your cover letter and also do so.
Thus keeping these things in mind one can draft a good sample cover letter for variety of purposes.
Please see samples below of resumes and cover letters.
COVER LETTER Sample 1
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Date
Name Title Organization
Address City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:

I am writing in reply to the classified ad seeking to fill the position of Graduate Student Advisor for the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree program.

I have been awarded the degree of Master of Arts from XXXX so I understand the need for academic advisement and program planning in a nontraditional higher education environment. I have also experienced, first-hand, the comforting effect of being able to contact an adviser who genuinely cares for the success of students.

During my career as an electrician I was elected Chairman of the Executive Board which sat as the union’s representatives to the apprenticeship advisory board. In this capacity I was able to be an effective advisor to apprentices who were experiencing scholastic problems which threatened their future in the industry; especially to older apprentices who were seeking a career change and had problems adjusting to the obligations of work, school and family life.
I believe my educational background in nontraditional post-graduate education and my work related duties of counseling and advising students enrolled in learning programs qualifies me for consideration for the position of Graduate Student Advisor. I look forward to discussing how my skills can be of value to XXX as it prepares to move into the new millennium.

Sincerely,
Your Signature

Your Typed Name

SAMPLE 2


Mr. Albert Englebert
29 Marion Road
Mill Hill, London, Nw7 9an

September 15, 2010

Mr. Aldrin Wales
Human Resources Officer
London University

Dear Mr. Wales,

I Found Out Through An Advertisement Posted At The London University’s Bulletin Board That You Are Currently Looking For A Customer Service Representative. I Have The Skills You Require For The Post And I Wish To Apply For The Said Position. Enclosed Is My Resume For Your Reference.

I Am Currently Finishing My Undergraduate Degree In Sales At The London University Which I Had To Stop Taking Due To Financial Constraint In The Past. Despite This, I Have Sufficient Training And Volunteer Work That Make Me Highly Qualified As An Entry-Level Applicant. The Trainings I Have Attended Have Also Provided Me Knowledge In New Marketing Strategies. I Am A Dedicated And Hard-Working Person And I Believe That I Can Contribute To The Continued Success Of Your Company.

I Hope To Further Discuss My Credentials With You At Your Convenient Time. I Can Be Reached Through 020 8879 7218.

Thank You. I Hope For Your Consideration.

Sincerely,
Albert Englebert

TWO MORE SAMPLES





BELOW IS A RECENT GRADUATE RESUME SAMPLE
Donald Kelley
184 South Fifth St.
Columbus, GA 31914
(901) 555 - 6238

Education
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
B.A., English & Communications, 2000
Magna cum laude.
Editor, University Year Book

Strengths

Excellent verbal communication skills, both written and oral.
Self-motivated, hard working.
Comfortable working alone or as part of a team.

Skills

• Detail-oriented.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Transcription and proofreading experience (70wpm., 10-key).
• Windows 95/98/2000/NT environments.

Experience

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Manager, Office of University Yearbook, 1998 - 2000

Carolina Savings Bank, Chapel Hill, NC
Seasonal Teller (Summers & Winters), 1996 - 1999

References

Available upon request.