AALL Internet Lesson: Preparing Resumes and Cover Letters

Online Activity Sheet
(Print this worksheet)

Learning Level: Upper level ABE

Just about everyone looking for employment will be asked to submit a resume, frequently with a cover letter attached. It requires some thinking on your part to list your skills and qualifications for convincing a potential employer that you are the one candidate that should be hired. In this lesson you will have an opportunity to organize your thoughts regarding your resume and cover letter, outline your skills and interests, use the Internet to learn what advice other have to offer, examine sample resumes and cover letters, and finally compose your own cover letter and resume.

First, let's do some brain storming:

1. Why is your resume important?

a.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Employers may be looking for one of several different types of resumes: Chronological resume, Functional resume, or a Combination resume. What do you think should be included in each type?

Chronological resume:___________________________________________________________________________

Functional resume: _____________________________________________________________________________

Combination resume:____________________________________________________________________________

3. List items you think your resume should always include:

a.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. List items you think your resume should never include:

a.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

d.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

e.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use the Web sites  on Resume Writing to compare your responses (above) to what one online employment agency has to say about resumes. JobStar: Resumes

Resume Writing 

5. Why is it important to write a cover letter to send with your resume?

a.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. What are the goals of your cover letter?

a.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Use the Web sites (below) on how to Write a Great Cover Letter to compare your responses (above) to what one Online resume consultant has to say about Cover Letters.

Writing a Great Cover Letter

7. Use a search engine to locate websites with sample cover letters or websites on how to write cover letters, or visit the sites listed below. After reading the suggestions about cover letter preparation, and examining sample cover letters, prepare your own cover letter.

Eleven Tips for Winning Cover Letters
http://www.msstate.edu/Dept/Coop/interview/cover.html

Key Points for a Cover letter & Sample Cover Letter
http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~pmm1/ccs3.html

Use a search engine to locate web sites with sample resumes or websites on how to write resumes, or visit the sites listed below. After reading the suggestions about resume preparation, examining sample resumes, and incorporating the set of criteria that you and your teacher discussed, prepare your own resume.

JobStar: Resumes
http://jobsmart.org/tools/resume/index.htm

Preparing Your Resume for the Internet
http://www.rileyguide.com/eresume.html

8. After drafting your cover letter and resume, use the grammar and spell check on your word processor. Next, work with your group to conduct a peer review of cover letters and resumes.

9. Complete the an interactive Resume form online.
Yahoo