Exercise 3:
Dr. Stice,
Here are some thoughts on Mr. Kenneth Bradley’s resume:
I felt Mr. Bradley’s resume was somewhat weak and too short. First, the objective or as Markel calls it, the summary, did not “highlight three or four important skills or accomplishments” (Markel, p. 398). Mr. Bradley simply states the position he is after and in my opinion, he seems like he doesn’t know what he wants as he uses the word “possibly” within the paragraph.
In the education section, he only lists the university he is attending and the dates. He does not include the degree, expected date of graduation, or list any previous schools.
Next, in the employment section, I would suggest Mr. Bradley to include accomplishments within each job in addition to all his duties at each work place. Next, I felt the resume lacked personality. Merkel suggests including “participation in community-service organizations… hobbies related to his career goals… university-sanctioned activities such as membership on a team or election to a responsible position in an academic organization” (Markel, p. 402). Lastly, in the references section, Mr. Bradley simply lists two contacts and Markel suggests including “a sentence or two describing their relationship with the person” (Markel, p. 403).
These are my recommendations.
~Joseph
Exercise 4:
Dr. Stice,
I felt the job-application letter was better than his resume. Overall, I thought it was great. I felt he selected key points to focus on and started with a strong introductory paragraph as Mr. Bradley identifies “the position he is applying for, states that he wishes to be considered, and forecasts the rest of the letter” (Markel, p. 412). Overall, Mr. Bradley used good transitions within paragraphs and wrote clearly. Mr. Bradley did not include a phone number or an enclosure notation (p. 412).
These are my thoughts on this job-application letter.
Thanks,
~Joseph