This assignment is a little different than the first in that you, as the writer, has less freedom. At some point, you will need to write a letter of application and submit a resume. You might be applying for a job, an internship, a scholarship, to work in a professor’s lab, or any number of things. For this assignment, find or invent something that requires a letter of application and a resume. You should always have an updated resume on hand anyway (in academia, we call this a cv or curriculum vitae). Precision and appearance are important. How do you make yourself stand out among hundred of other applicants. The letter and resume work together, but do not repeat each other–they must complement each other. They must be appropriate for whatever it is that you are applying for.
Do some research. What does a good letter look like? What must it contain? Can you be creative with your resume? or must you be more traditional? University career center web sites often have good examples and tips. Take a look at the CSUF Career Center website, but also look at others. My alma mater, the University of Iowa has some really good examples, as does Ohio State University’s career center.
