Career Package (Due Week 6): Your career package will include the following:

The Ad: Find an advertisement for a career-based position you would like to have—and could qualify for—now or shortly. This should be a career-oriented position or internship.

Cover letter: This should be tailored to the specific ad you chose. Address the letter to the person who posted the ad and if there is no name listed, see if you can contact the company to find the name of the appropriate person. The content should not repeat what is contained in the resume—it should identify the specific job for which you are applying, highlight the qualifications that make you a good candidate for the position, and contain a request for an opportunity to be interviewed.

Résumé: Your resume is a very personal sales piece. You’ll see a variety of sample resumes online (Google, Bing, and Yahoo searches) and should play around with your own until it looks sharp and reads well. The resume should be no longer than one page—two pages are recommended only if you already have extensive professional experience in the field of your choice. Remember that a resume is always a work-in-progress and your cover letters should always be tailored to the ad. I do expect your resume and cover letter to be completely free of typos and grammatical errors, just as they must be when you send them to a prospective employer.

References: Identify three individuals who would provide positive recommendations for you. Include their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and relationship to you. This is separate from your resume but should be printed on the same paper, in the same font and style, and with the same headings or letterhead. You would not actually mail this to a potential employer unless they requested references.