Cover Letter
This assignment measures Module Objective 2.3, which supports Course Competency 2.
Objectives
- 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)
Overview
A cover letter explains why you want to work for one organization and connects your experience to what it needs. Write the first full draft yourself, from your resume. Gemini may then give feedback, but every change you keep is tracked and logged, and the letter must contain details only you could supply.
10 points, Process Work. About 2.5 hours.
Instructions
- Choose a real posting: the one from the Industry Job Posting discussion, a classmate’s find, or a new one. You do not have to be fully qualified.
- Follow the cover letter format in the GCC Resume and Cover Letter Guide (PDF): date, organization name and address, position, three paragraphs, closing and your name.
- Paragraph 1: the position and why you want to work for this organization; show that you researched it.
- Paragraph 2: two or three skills or experiences from your resume that answer what the posting asks for, including two details only you could supply (a project, a result, a client, a decision).
- Paragraph 3: your portfolio link and an invitation to contact you.
- Optional: ask Gemini with your Maricopa account for feedback on clarity and tone. Remove your phone number, email and street address before you paste anything into Gemini. Turn on Suggesting mode in Google Docs (or Track Changes in Word) before you change anything it suggests.
- For a model of a creative approach, watch this designer’s video cover letter (Vimeo).
Accessibility
Make the document readable by a screen reader: use real heading styles (Heading 1 and Heading 2 in Google Docs or Word, paragraph styles in InDesign), keep text contrast high, add alt text to every image or logo, and export a tagged PDF (InDesign: Create Tagged PDF; Word or Google Docs: keep document structure tags on when you save as PDF).
Submission
Upload a PDF of your letter, the Google Doc link with tracked changes visible (or a note that you made no AI-assisted changes), an AI-use log row, and a link or screenshot of the posting.
Rubric (10 points)
| Criterion | Points |
|---|---|
| Correct business-letter format and three paragraphs with a clear purpose each (Objective 2.3) | 3 |
| Letter answers two or three stated requirements of the posting (Objective 2.3) | 3 |
| Two details only the student could supply (Objective 2.3) | 2 |
| Tracked changes and AI-use log row; accessible PDF | 2 |
| Total | 10 |
Due
All times are Arizona time.
- Due in Canvas: Sunday, February 7, 12:00 p.m.
- Hard close: Monday, February 8, 12:00 p.m. Work submitted after the deadline and before the hard close loses 10%. Nothing is accepted after the hard close.