Central Washington University Software Skills Resume and Cover Letter main content
Assignment Learning Objectives
Be able to
- Use Microsoft Office Word 2007
- Apply a Word template and its associated styles to format a document as a resume
- Use Microsoft Office Word tables to layout text on a page
- Choose and apply a Word template and its associated styles to format a document as a cover letter
- Write paragraphs that begin with strong topic sentences, demonstrate unity, and where the sentences in a paragraph flow logically and smoothly from one to the next.
Assignment
Use a Microsoft Office Word 2007 Situation Specific College Graduate Resume template to create a one-page resume that highlights the software and group skills you bring to this course.
Use a Microsoft Office Word 2007 Cover Letter template (your choice) to create a one-page cover letter directed toward me, your professor, that specifies your interests and desired role on a software project team.
Resume
Your one-page functional resume should include
- Objective - Write a one-paragraph statement about the kind of position, the type of project, and the type of software development process you prefer. Concisely state what you can contribute to the project team in return for such a position. This paragraph is hard to write. Done incorrectly it will resemble list of items lacking coherence and a central theme.
- Education - include your focus area and minor (if any)
- Programming Languages - list the programming languages you feel you are sufficiently proficient or familiar enough with to use in a CS 480-481 project
- Development Software - list the database management systems, programming IDEs, testing, and other software development tools you have experience with
- Operating Systems - list the operating systems you would be familiar enough with to develop for in a CS 480-481 project
- Team Skills - list the team and leadership experiences you have had that prepare you for a CS 480-481 team project
- Work and Volunteer Experience - include any relevant work and volunteer experiences
You may wish to view and/or print this sample resume [PDF].
Use the Situation Specific College Graduate Resume template to apply the styles to your resume. Tip: The resume template uses a table to lay out the text. Select View Gridlines from the Layout Ribbon to see what you are doing in the rows and columns of the table.
Cover Letter
While resumes can be re-used with little revision among target audiences, the most effective cover letters are carefully crafted for a specific reader and job position. An effective cover letter excites the reader and motivates him or her to look at your resume in-depth.
Use the following tips in creating your cover letter
- Generate interest in your qualifications by quickly explaining what you have to offer to a software team.
- Turn this interest into desire by tying your qualifications to a specific CS 480 project proposal and a specific role on a project (team leader, lead programmer, quality assurance manager, tester, agile team member, etc).
- Turn your desire into action by suggesting how you will proceed from this point.
You may wish to view and/or print this sample cover letter [PDF].
Take the time to view the various Microsoft Word 2007 templates available for cover letters and choose one the works for your letter's content and complements your resume style.
Take pains to construct paragraphs beginning with strong topic sentences, ensure that each sentence in the paragraph relates to its topic sentence (paragraph unity), and that the sentences in a paragraph flow logically and smoothly from one to the next (paragraph coherence).
Grading criteria
Your grade will be based on your demonstrated writing proficiency, not based on your qualifications or work history.
A scoring rubric [PDF] will be used for assessing this assignment. You are encouraged to print this rubric and use it as a checklist for expectations, writing guidelines, and quality assurance.
Honor code: The work needs to be your own. You may wish have someone help by proofreading a draft version and identifying problems, but the words and content contained in the documents should be your own.
Submission Guidelines
Due date: Tuesday, October 16 at the start of class.
Turn in a neatly printed cover letter and resume, stapled together with the cover letter appearing first. Remember to sign your cover letter.
Name (or rename) your Word files as LastnameFirstnameResume.docx and LastnameFirstnameLetter.docx. For example, I would call my resume GellenbeckEdResume.docx
Use e-mail to send me your word files as attachments (gellenbe@cwu.edu). I will look at your files to assess formatting according to the templates. If everyone is careful with the file naming convention, it simplifies my task of dealing with all the e-mail.