Module 2: Goals, Resume and Cover Letter
Weeks 2 to 4
Objectives
Module 2 objectives. By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- 2.1 Evaluate your career goals against three real postings or opportunities in your field, and describe your target job by industry, type of organization and typical workday. (Course Competency 1)
- 2.2 Produce a one-page resume in the GCC Career Services format, and revise every bullet to begin with an action verb and correct each item flagged in feedback. (Course Competency 2)
- 2.3 Write a cover letter for one real posting that connects two specific details of your own experience to its stated requirements. (Course Competency 2)
- 2.4 Locate job postings and portfolios in your field, and identify the skills, software and presentation strategies they repeat. (Course Competency 5)
- 2.5 Classify interview questions by type, and answer one behavioral question on camera with the STAR method. (Course Competency 7)
- 2.6 Explain two ways a Gemini edit improved a section of your resume and two ways it misrepresented you, comparing your original with the edited version. (Course Competency 2)
Overview
Everything in this course builds from two documents you write yourself: a statement of where you want to go, and a resume that shows what you have done. This module also starts the interview practice series, which runs through the term: six short exercises that build from a written answer to a recorded mock interview. Your instructor returns written feedback on each resume draft within five days of the deadline.
About 20.25 hours in all.
Watch
- Strong Goals and Your Reach Job (slides, PDF), with the instructor walkthrough video posted in Canvas
- Your Resume: The Career Services Format (slides, PDF), with the instructor walkthrough video posted in Canvas
- GCC Career Services Overview (YouTube)
Read
- GCC Career Services Resume and Cover Letter Guide (PDF)
- Employment Landscape Survey, the job boards and sources for your discipline
- GCC Career Services, for a free resume review
Practice
- Compare three postings for the same role and list what appears in all three.
Assessment
| Item | Group, points and time | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion: Career Services Overview | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1 hrs | Week 2, Thu Jan 28, noon |
| Personal Goals Statement | Exercises, 10 pts · about 2.5 hrs | Week 2, Thu Jan 28, noon |
| Resume 1st Draft | Process Work, 10 pts · about 3 hrs | Week 2, Sun Jan 31, noon |
| Discussion: Industry Job Posting | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1 hrs | Week 3, Thu Feb 4, noon |
| Cover Letter | Process Work, 10 pts · about 2.5 hrs | Week 3, Sun Feb 7, noon |
| Interview Practice 1: Question Types | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1.25 hrs | Week 3, Sun Feb 7, noon |
| Resume 2nd Draft | Process Work, 10 pts · about 3 hrs | Week 4, Thu Feb 11, noon |
| Discussion: Portfolio Inspiration | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1 hrs | Week 4, Thu Feb 11, noon |
| Interview Practice 2: The STAR Method | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1.5 hrs | Week 4, Sat Feb 13, noon |
| Discussion: AI Resume Experiment | Exercises, 5 pts · about 1.5 hrs | Week 4, Sat Feb 13, noon |
Critique (Discord)
The four discussions in this module run in Discord. Resume drafts and the cover letter hold your contact information, so they are submitted to Canvas only, with no Discord step. Discord: course channel invite.
Due
All times are noon, Arizona time. Each item’s page gives its Discord, due and hard-close times. Work submitted after the due time and before the hard close (noon the next day) loses 10%; nothing is accepted after the hard close.