CS 3604: Assignment 1 (Résumé, cover letter, and career plans)

Fall 2002, Dr. Rosson

Due dates: 8/30 (ungraded draft); 9/6 (1-A, first draft); 9/13 (1-B, final draft)

Approximate size: 3 pages, about 750 words

Learning objective:
To help you get started with the CS professional activities involved in job hunting and interviewing.

Audience:
Potential employer

Resources:
On-line sample résumé and sample cover letter

The Task (What to do):
You are to create a one-page résumé and a sample cover letter as an application for employment. You are also to write a career plans statement. This assignment will be accomplished through three drafts, the first ungraded:

1. You will develop a rough draft of the résumé, cover letter, and career plan statement) before we discuss the topic in class. Use the on-line sample résumé and sample cover letter as examples to follow. Select a company from a Web site, personal experience, or a Career Service employment bulletin as the target recipient for your cover letter. If you do not have the name of a company contact person, invent a name. You are building a template for future cover letters. This assignment will be heavily graded on mechanics, style, and tone.

   It is important that you understand that the term "first draft" here does NOT mean "rough draft". In fact, it is the opposite, the first draft is expected to be the very best writing you can do. The iterative writing process is designed to make your final draft even better. In a one-semester course like this, we have to compress the process from what it would be in the real world, where it is not uncommon for a journal article, for example, to undergo 20 iterations over a period of six months! At least this will follow the spirit of that kind of iterative writing.

   The résumé must be prepared in HTML format so that you may post it on your own personal web site, if you have one (and you should!). Print the HTML file on paper and bring to class on the due date. Make sure that your URL is clearly printed as a header or footer on the printed page. If you do not have a web site for posting your résumé, bring it to class as an html file on a floppy disk (no viruses, PLEASE) in addition to the printed version.

   After completing the résumé, write a half-page statement of what your career plans are. In what position do you plan to start, and how do you plan to progress from there? What do you anticipate will be your job description in ten (10) years time?

2. Assignment 1-A, first draft to hand in for grading. Followingthe discussion in class, you are to revise your existing résumé, cover letter,and career plan. It is important that you understand that the term "first draft" here does NOT mean "rough draft". In fact, it is the opposite, the first draft is expected to be the very best writing you can do. The iterative writing process is designed to make your final draft even better.

   You are required to have two proofreaders go over your first draft of this assignment and mark it up with specific suggestions for revisions (not just make general comments), which you should implement as relevant. Your proofreaders must sign the grading form.

   Deliverables for 1-A (stapled together in this order, please):
   

   • Grading form on top, with name and number of words filled out, signed (at the bottom) by yourself and your two proofreaders
   • The first draft of your résumé (printed form of your résumé from an html file)
     
   • The first draft of your cover letter to convey your resume to a prospective employer
     
   • The first draft of your half-page career plans statement
     
   • Two copies of an early version, of each marked up by one of your proofreaders

3. Assignment 1-B, final draft to hand in for grading
   Based on feedback from the GTA and instructor, revise your assignment as needed and hand a final draft.

   Deliverables for 1-B (stapled together in this order, please):
   

   • Grading form on top, with name and number of words filled out, signed (at the bottom) by yourself. Proofreader signatures not required for the final draft.
   • The final draft of your résumé (printed form of résumé from an html file)
   • The final draft of your cover letter to convey your resume to a prospective employer
     
   • The final draft of your half-page career plans statement
     
   • The first draft of the assignment graded by us (we want to be able to see any marks we made on it)

Last updated 99/08/07
© S. Birch, 1998, 1999.
Modified by J.A.N. Lee, 2001.
Modified by Rex Hartson, 2002
Modified by M. B. Rosson, 2002