Efficient Customer Service

Resume, References, and Cover Letter

Choose a position for which you would qualify upon graduation from college. Since you will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree, you should choose an appropriate entry-level position for a company that interests you. Produce a resume, references, and cover letter appropriate for the position. Submit your documents to the Writing Center for feedback to assure proper formatting and grammar. No proof from the Writing Center is required for this assignment.

Examine resumes to assure the following:

• Appropriate length (one page)
• Contact/identification information provided
• Appropriate heading (same as reference page and cover letter)
• Education information provided (listed before experience section unless you have substantial experience)
• Only college education is provided (no high school should be listed)
• Experience information provided
• Job descriptions (tasks) are brief, first word capitalized, no period at the end (they are not sentences)
• Job descriptions (tasks) written in appropriate language (see below)
• White space balanced on page
• List references on a separate page with same heading as resume
• Error-free

Present employment tasks written in present tense:

Examples: Prepare and create attractive merchandise displays

Greet customers

Offer efficient and courteous customer service

Past employment tasks written in past tense:

Examples: Prepared and created attractive merchandise displays

Greeted customers

Offered efficient and courteous customer service

Examine references to assure the following:

• Appropriate heading (same as resume and cover letter)
• Three references listed
• Complete contact information of each reference presented (name, title, company, address, phone, email)
• Same heading as resume and cover letter
• Error-free

Examine cover letters to assure the following:

• Appropriate heading (same as reference page and resume)
• First paragraph identifies the job and source of job information
• Qualifications for job are described in the letter
• Refer to the enclosed resume and include enclosure notation
• Ask for an interview in the last paragraph
• Provide contact information in the heading, body, or closing lines
• Appropriate format (block or modified block) and error-free
• Appropriate closing, with space to sign in blue or black ink
• Error-free
• Envelope properly addressed (not required for class assignment, but should be formatted properly for an actual job application)