Perceptions of the Ideal Cover Letter and Ideal Resume

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Apr 1987

Perceptions of the Ideal Cover Letter and Ideal Resume

Earl E. McDowell University of Minnesota

Abstract

This study surveyed recruiter, teacher, and student groups to determine the following: attitudes about cover letters and resumes, reasons to reject cover letters and resumes, the contents of the ideal cover letter and where specific information should occur in it, and the importance of various categories of the resume and contents of the ideal resume. The results indicate that 1) limited time is spent in processing cover letters and resumes; 2) the length of a cover letter and resume should be one page; 3) spelling errors, poor grammar, and poor organization are key problems in cover letters and resumes; 4) specific jobs wanted, career goals, and personal information are the most important factors of a cover letter; 5) job objectives/career goals, employment history, and educational history are the most important parts of the resume. Specific differences in attitudes among recruiters, teachers, and students are discussed in this article.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 1987-04-01
DOI: 10.2190/bk23-74u3-333q-0t86
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

Killoran (2009)

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Self-Published Web Résumés

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HAGGE (1994)

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Lorentz et al. (1993)

The Résumé: What Value is there in References?

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McDowell (1992)

A Survey of Employment Interviewing Practices for Technical Writing Positions

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Show all 7 →

CHARNEY et al. (1992)

How Writing Quality Influences Readers' Judgments of Résumés in Business and En…

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Charney et al. (1989)

The Role of Writing Quality in Effective Student Résumés

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Cites in this index (1)

Dowell et al. (1980)

Evaluation of a Bachelor's Program in Technical Communication: Results of a Que…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Also cites 3 works outside this index ↓

Mansfield C., We Hear You Mr./Ms. Business … The Resume and Cover Letter, The ABCA Bulletin, pp. 20–22, 1976.

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Wells B., Spinks N., and Hargrave J., A Survey of the Chief Officers in the 500 Largest Corporations in the U…

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10.1080/03634527909378362

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CrossRef global citation count: 18 View in citation network →