Before starting this project, I imagined that organizing and preparing my resume and cover letter for my future job would be a simple task. In the past, I attempted to create a resume, yet did not know what information that seemed necessary or wasn’t necessary to mention for a job company/organization to view. In this class, we were required to search for a job that fit our needs and skills. This process made building the resume and writing the cover letter much easier because it gave us a clear understanding of what each job organization were looking for from their future graphic design employees.
While researching for job ads that focused on my field of study, I came across many job ads that had similar requirements, yet different values. For instance, almost every job ad I came across asked for a portfolio to review and wanted specific skills that related to my field. In terms of skills, each job ad expects their future graphic design employees to acquire computer skills, especially in the use of computer programs such as Adobe and MS Microsoft. In terms of qualifications and/or character traits, the most common qualities were having a couple years of experience, team work with my peers, and the ability to work under pressure.
Writing the cover letter, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult than preparing the resume. Seeking for job ads certainly made this process easier, however, due to it being a completely new type of writing genre that I ever had, I wasn’t confident enough when trying to write my cover letter for my future employer. Yet, the cover letter samples that was given in class served as a helpful guide when trying to write a clear and affective cover letter.
What I learned about both genres is that the most important approach to write a successful or affective resume and cover letter is to first search for job advertisements and pick the jobs that I feel would work best for me. After this important step, I then begin to build my resume based on the job ad requirement while writing a cover letter that further explains and expresses my interest of wanting the job and my qualifications.
