Today, you will complete peer review for the third project. Your final draft is due by 11:55 PM on Tuesday, 7/28.

Readings for July 27

For today’s session, review the following, as necessary:

• Editing and Proofreading tips and skim Appendix B of Markel.
• FAQs on the Google Drive system.

Work for July 27

• Complete the peer review activities (full instructions):
  • Post drafts for Project 3 in the forums by 9:00 AM today.
  • Respond to two students in the forums by 11:55 PM tonight.
  • Revise your Project 3 based on the feedback.

• Post the share link to your drafts in the forums by 9 AM on Monday.
• Respond to two students in the forums by 11:55 PM on Monday.
• Revise your Project based on the feedback and turn in your project by 11:55 PM on Tuesday.

Posting Your Drafts for Project 3

1. Follow the instructions in Step 1 of How do I use Google Drive for peer review? to set up sharing permissions for your documents. You need to share your draft with “Anyone with the link” or “People at Virginia Tech with the link” so that we can read your work.
2. Go to your topic in the Project 3: Job Application Materials board in the forums. You’ll use the same topic where you posted basic information about your field.
3. Share the link to your job application materials in Google Docs (or wherever they are). You can follow these instructions to make your link in the forum post clickable.
4. Add a brief note that tells readers what job application project you are completing, so that they don’t have to read up your thread to find that information.
5. If you have any specific concerns that you want your readers to consider, add a note on that as well.
6. Be sure to Preview your forum post to make sure everything shows up the way you want it to, and then Submit your message.

Replying to Project 3 Drafts

Next, you will reply to the posts of some of your classmates:

1. Review the instructions in Step 2 of How do I use Google Drive for peer review? to learn how to use the Comment features in Google Drive.

2. Go to the Project 3: Job Application Materials board in the forums, and read the drafts of at least two of your classmates and add a reply with advice and encouragement (more below).
   • Find one post that no other student has replied to (so that we can be sure everyone gets a reply).
   • Find a second post that has only one other student reply.

3. Use the link your classmate provided to go to his or her project and do the following:

   • Check the title and any headings in the document, and add a comment to tell your classmate if it is clear and effective.
   • If you notice any spelling errors, punctuation errors, or typos, mark them as you read, but please focus more on the content rather than editing.
   • Add comments on the content of the draft.
     • If your classmate used Google Drive, you can add comments on the document. Otherwise, just write your comments in the forum reply.
     • Comment on at least three things your classmate does well and at least three things that your classmate could improve on. It’s fine to include more than the minimum number of comments. Refer to the ideas from the readings as appropriate.

4. Go back to the forums and add a reply to your classmate’s topic and add an overall comment in the forums that sums up what you thought of the job application materials and gives your classmate some encouragement.

Reviewing the Comments You Received

Once you have finished adding comments to your classmates’ projects, return to your own draft, read the comments that your classmates have given you, and add replies as appropriate. For instance, you might thank your partner for catching an error, ask your partner for more detail on feedback you don’t understand, or share a revision and ask your partner if it is an improvement. Your goal is to reply by 11:55 PM Monday night so that your classmate can use the information to revise.

Today you will explore some additional information about your job application materials.

Readings for July 24

For today’s session, please read the following, as appropriate for the materials you are writing for Project 3:

• Tips for Job-App Materials slide presentation

• For LinkedIn:
  • 5 Essential Tips for a KILLER LinkedIn Summary
  • Your LinkedIn Profile Summary: How to Distinguish Yourself from Your Company
  • How To Improve Your LinkedIn Background Summary
  • How To Make Your LinkedIn Headline Stand Out
  • LinkedIn Cheat Sheet: 5 Tips For A Professional Profile
  • LinkedIn: What To Include In Your Work History
• For a resume:
  • Resume Objectives (from VT Career Services)
  • Resumes and vitae guide (from VT Career Services)
  • Resumes 101: Swap a Stale Objective for a Fresh Branding Statement
  • Resume Tips (from VT HR)
  • Avoid the Top 10 Resume Mistakes

• If you are writing both a resume and a LinkedIn profile:
  • 7 Ways Your Résumé and LinkedIn Profile Should Differ
  • Resumes vs. LinkedIn Profiles: What You Should Know
  • Your resume vs. your LinkedIn profile

Work for July 24

• Continue working on your project. I will reply to your proposal by midnight Mountain time on Friday (2 AM, Eastern). You will post a share link (or other link as appropriate) to your project on Monday for peer review. Your project is due on Tuesday.

Reminders

• Complete the Reading Quiz on Chapter 10 by 11:55 PM on Friday, July 24.

• By Friday, July 24, reply to at least one of the topics below (in the Projects 3: Job Application Materials forum):

  • Improving Networking Advice
  • Letter of Appreciation
  • CAM Technician Application Letter
  • CAM Technician Résumé
  • Analyzing Corey’s Résumé
  • Job Application Infographics

• If you have any questions about the assignments, go to the forums and post them in the Questions about Projects 3: Job App Materials thread.

• When I’ll reply to any questions: I am in Salt Lake City for the rest of this week, at a digital scrapbooking conference. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Mountain time. I will reply earlier when possible.

Readings for July 23

For today’s session, please review the following:

• Assignment for Project 3: Job Application Materials
• Project 3: Evaluation Section (what you propose for assessing your work)

Work for July 23

• Today you will post your plans for Project 3:

  1. Go to the Projects 3: Job Application Materials forum.
  2. Create a New Topic, and use a subject line that includes your name (or nickname) and your career/field. I would create “Traci, college writing instructor.” Be specific with your career/field. For example, don’t say, “Computer Science,” if you could say, “Android Game Development.”
  3. Create sections with headings in your post:
     • Background Research
     • Proposed Tasks
     • Evaluation
       • Average Work ( a C project)
       • Above-Average Work (a B project)
       • Excellent Work (an A project)
     • (Optional) Questions/Concerns
  4. In the body of your message, propose the materials that you will create for Project 3. Include the following information:
  • Background Research: Where did you look? What did you find out?
  • Proposed Tasks: what will you create for Project 3? (See “Proposed Programs” on p. 283–286 of Markel for help with this section.)
  • Evaluation: How should I evaluate your job application materials? What are the three levels you can work toward for this project? (See the evaluation techniques page and p. 289 of Markel for help with this section.)
  • Questions/Concerns: If you have any questions or concerns about your specific project, you can add this section to ask your questions.
  5. Reply to a classmate’s post, offering suggestions and encouragement. Choose a post that no one else has replied to so that we can be sure everyone gets a response.
  6. (Optional) Write a second reply to someone else. Use the career info in the subject line to find someone in a field similar to your own if you can. Again, offer suggestions and encouragement.
  7. Assume that your proposal will be approved and continue work on your project. You need to have a rough draft ready to share on Monday.
  8. Check back later this week for my comments and approval of your project. There may be occasional adjustments that you need to make. I should have responses to you by midnight Mountain time on Friday (That’s 2 AM, Blacksburg time).

Reminders

• Complete the Reading Quiz on Chapter 10 by 11:55 PM on Friday, July 24.

• By Friday, July 24, reply to at least one of the topics below (in the Projects 3: Job Application Materials forum):

  • Improving Networking Advice
  • Letter of Appreciation
  • CAM Technician Application Letter
  • CAM Technician Résumé
  • Analyzing Corey’s Résumé
  • Job Application Infographics

• If you have any questions about the assignments, go to the forums and post them in the Questions about Projects 3: Job App Materials thread.

• When I’ll reply to any questions: I am in Salt Lake City for the rest of this week, at a digital scrapbooking conference. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Mountain time. I will reply earlier when possible.

Readings for July 22

• Project 3: Job Application Materials
• Project 3: Evaluation Section (what you propose for assessing your work)
• Additional resources for Project 3 (like info on LinkedIn).
• VT Career Planning Guide: Writing Resumes, pp. 33 to 59
• Information on résumés and cover letters and Chapter 10 of Markel.

Work for July 22

• Complete the Reading Quiz on Chapter 10 by 11:55 PM on Friday, July 24.

• Begin work on Project 3. Take time today to explore the various resources on job application materials listed in the readings so that you can make an informed decision about what you will propose. You will propose your project in the forums tomorrow.

• By Friday, July 24, reply to at least one of the topics below (in the Projects 3: Job Application Materials forum):
  • Improving Networking Advice
  • Letter of Appreciation
  • CAM Technician Application Letter
  • CAM Technician Résumé
  • Analyzing Corey’s Résumé
  • Job Application Infographics

• If you have any questions about the assignments, go to the forums and post them in the Questions about Projects 3: Job App Materials thread.

• When I’ll reply to any questions: I am in Salt Lake City for the rest of this week, at a digital scrapbooking conference. I am in sessions during the day. Look for replies after 9 PM Mountain time. I will reply earlier when possible.

• a job posting and the résumé and cover letter you would use to apply for the job
• an internship announcement and the materials you would use to apply for the internship
• a scholarship announcement and the materials you would use to apply for that scholarship
• a before image (PDF) of your LinkedIn profile and a link to your revised LinkedIn profile
• before images of several online profiles (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) and then links to your newly cleaned up profiles
• the link to a website you have built as a portfolio, which provides info about yourself and your accomplishments
• the link to your GitHub repository with descriptions and well-documented code for projects you have done
• the link to your Academia.edu profile, which provides info on your education and projects you have done
• the link to a YouTube video that gives a guided tour of some work that you have done or presentations you have given

Do whatever makes sense for your field and career goals. You can combine and rearrange things as well. For example, I had some students in the past who cleaned up their existing online profiles and then created a LinkedIn profile to build a professional online persona.

This project is your chance to work on documents that you can use now and in the future. I’ve had students, for instance, who told me that their in-major advisors or advisors at Career Services kept telling them they needed to set up profiles on LinkedIn, but they never had time. They used this project to get that work done.

Important Dates

• July 27 Rough Drafts for Peer Feedback, due by 9:00 AM
• July 28: Project 3 due by 11:55 PM
• July 30: Grace period ends at 11:55 PM

Goals

learn the characteristics of job application materials that are typical for your field

identify ethical/intercultural and global issues that can come into play when preparing job application materials

create something that is immediately useful outside this course, whether in a job you have now or in your job search

The Project Assignment

You will explore the kinds of documents you need in order to apply for a job, an internship, or a scholarship. You’ll propose what you want to write (anything goes—a traditional resume, a personal website, a LinkedIn profile, a GitHub repository, etc.). Based on your findings, you will create the job application materials that you need, whatever they may be.

Step-by-Step Details

Step 1: Conduct your research. You probably know a bit about what you will need to gather for a job application after you graduate. For Project 3, you will build on that knowledge by researching what someone in your field needs to develop. Research the job application expectations for your field using the information in the textbook, your experience from internships and other jobs in your field, and the details from the Virginia Tech Career Planning Guide (available online or in print from Career Services on the Blacksburg Campus).

You can also rely on discussions with colleagues where you have worked, advice from faculty in your major, and information from other students and alumni. Review position listings for your field as well in order to see the kinds of material companies ask for. Look at the kinds of materials that are specifically requested as well as the kinds of resources companies often consult.

Step 2: Choose the focus for your project. Based on your research, you should choose a broad focus for your job application materials. Some (not all) possible options are the following:

• Find a job posting you want to apply for and write the materials it requires.
• Find a internship posting you want to apply for and write the materials it requires.
• Find a scholarship you want to apply for and write the materials it requires.
• Create a personal website that provides a portfolio of your work and basic biography or resume.
• Clean up your online presence online and establish profiles in places that will help you network or get a job (like Academia.edu, LinkedIn or GitHub).

Additional examples are also available. I encourage you to choose whatever project is most helpful to you. Take advantage of this assignment to get something done you’ve been putting off or to get ahead on (or add to) your job search.

Step 3: Propose your project. Write a short, informal proposal in the forums that tells us about the materials you will create for Project 3. I will provide more details on your proposal on Thursday. If you want to work ahead, you can use the information in Markel on writing proposals to guide you. Be sure you tell us about (1) your proposed tasks, that is what you will create for Project 3 (see p. 283–286 of Markel) and the evaluation techniques (see p. 289 of Markel) your propose for your project (You need to outlines three levels of work: Average Work ( a C project), Above-Average Work (a B project), and Excellent Work (an A project).

Step 4: Complete the work you have proposed for Project 4. Create whatever job application materials you have proposed, working to meet whatever grade goals you have set for yourself.

You will post the Google Share link to your drafts for peer review by 9 AM on Monday, July 27. If you are working on another site (for instance, LinkedIn), you will need to set the page so that we can all read it and share the link to that site. Use the advice you receive from your readers to revise before the due date. There are no rewrites or revisions after work is graded.

Step 5: Complete the transmittal memo.
A transmittal memo is like a cover letter for your project. It tells me whatever information I need to know to understand the work you did on your project.

You will write a short transmittal memo that gives me the Share link (or other links) to your job application materials and explains the decisions you made for Project 3. More details on this memo will be included in the post for the due date (July 28). Be sure that you follow the instructions, include the relevant information, and proofread your memo. If you skip this memo, you lower your grade on the project.

Step 6: Submit your work in Scholar.
When you are finished with the project, you will submit your transmittal memo in the Assignment tool on Scholar with the Google Share link to your table. Details on how to submit your work will be included in the post for the due date (July 28).

What Goes in Your Evaluation Section
Your proposal should outline the evaluation techniques (see p. 289 of Markel) for your project, giving me three levels:

• Average Work ( a C project)
• Above-Average Work (a B project)
• Excellent Work (an A project)

Example 1

If I were going to work on my LinkedIn profile for Project 3, I might outline these expectations in the evaluation section of my proposal:

• Average Work (a C project): clean up my Facebook and Twitter profiles and set up a LinkedIn profile with basic information.
• Above-Average Work (a B project): complete the C project and fill out the LinkedIn profile completely.
• Excellent work (an A project): complete the B project and add an attention-grabbing summary section to the LinkedIn profile as well as arrange the information on the profile so the most important information is in the first screen or two on the page.

Example 2

If I were going to work on my an online presence and portfolio as a communications major for Project 3, I might explain something like this:

• Average work (a C project): create a short video portfolio that employers can use to view my on-camera anchor talent.
• Above-average work (a B project): complete the C project and create a website on which to host the video. Use design elements to organize the website.
• Excellent work (an A project): complete the B project and add a resume to the website. Update the resume so that it is current and accurate.

• Job Hunting Online with Jolie Miller

• Up and Running with LinkedIn with Brad Batesole

• Job Search Strategies with Valerie Sutton

• Designing a Resume with Steve Harris

• Creating an Effective Resume with Mariann Siegert