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Resume Self-Analysis Instructions

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The purpose of this assignment is to apply what you have learned about rhetoric this week to your own choices as a writer.

Due Date: 12:00pm (Noon) on Monday, September 7

Write a short (Just a couple of sentences for each question is fine) rhetorical analysis of your own Imaginary Resume based on what you learned from The Rhetorical Triangle video, and turn it in on Blackboard. Specifically, answer these questions:

  1. If you were submitting this to an imaginary job, how are you trying to portray yourself? (The Speaker part of the Rhetorical Triangle) What choices did you make when writing the resume to make yourself seem that way?
  2.  If you were submitting this to an imaginary job, what are the main things you want to convey to the hiring team? (The Message part of the Rhetorical Triangle) What choices did you make when writing the resume to make sure they understand those things?
  3.  If you were submitting this to an imaginary job, what do you imagine the hiring team is like? What do you think they want to see? (The Audience part of the Rhetorical Triangle) What choices did you make when writing the resume to make it appealing to your audience?

Now, we also know you are NOT actually submitting this to an imaginary job. In addition to this imaginary rhetorical situation, you also wrote this for a REAL rhetorical situation—introducing yourself to me and the rest of the class. Answer the same questions as above, but for this situation.

4. How did you want to portray yourself to the class? What choices did you make when writing to achieve this goal?

5. What did you want US to know about you? What choices did you make when writing to achieve this goal?

6. How did you imagine us when you were writing? What did you imagine that we would want to see? What choices did you make when writing to make your imaginary resume achieve this goal?

Grading —  out of 2 points. Full credit for answering all of the questions, and 1 point for answering only some of the questions.

Imaginary Resume Instructions

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Due Date: 12:00pm (Noon) on Monday, September 7.

The purpose of this assignment is to serve both as another “Getting To Know You” activity while also giving you an opportunity to practice genre analysis and writing. The genre of Resume is one that probably many of you have already written for real.

For this assignment, I do not want your real resume. That’s too personal to ask everyone to share. Instead, we’re going to be writing Imaginary Resumes, or Dream Resumes.

Please think about the following questions. Be as creative as you want.

  1. Picture yourself at some point in the future (your choice exactly when). It can be a “realistic” future (such as a future in which the pandemic messed up everyone’s plans and significantly impacted the economy), or an idealistic future (such as a future where….none of this happened).
  2. What is your dream job to have at that point in your life? (This is the most recent job you will list on your resume)
  3. What jobs and other activities would you ideally want to do in order to make you qualified for that job? (These are the previous jobs/activities on your resume)
  4. What other skills do you have or would you ideally develop — remember, this is your dream world! Doesn’t have to feel realistic to you! —  between now and this imaginary point in the future? For example, several of you mentioned in your introductions that you speak multiple languages. You could list that. Or you can pretend that you have already learned another language beyond what you speak in real life.
  5. What imaginary job are you using this resume to apply to? The answer will shape what you include on this resume and how you organize it.
  6. What other information do you want to include on your resume?

You can use elements from your real life if you want to. You can also change/make up stuff about your past if you want to. You may want to ask, “How long does it have to be?” or “How many things do I have to list?” or “What spacing/font size/formatting do you want?” You will determine all of these based on your research into resume writing.

Remember: the content is made up, but we are still figuring out and obeying the rules of the genre. Grading will be out of 2 points: 2 points for complete, 1 point for incomplete, 0 points if you don’t turn anything in.

Please post your imaginary resume here on the course site when you are done. Use the Categories “Student Work” and “Start of Semester.”

You can post your resume by copy/pasting it into a post, or by clicking on the “Add Document” button in the editor. Which one you choose will determine some of your formatting choices, since copy/pasting Word Doc formatting into a WordPress post without changing anything can often look odd.

Getting Started

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Welcome to our course! I’ve made a video (below) to introduce myself and give an overview of the stuff we’re doing this week. A more detailed version of the same information is written underneath the video.

Goals for Our First Week

  • Get to know each other!
  • Get everyone set up with a CUNY Commons account and a Hypothes.is account (the two main tools we will use in this class)
  • Discuss the shape of our semester and course policies

Who I Am

White woman with short hair and glasses smiling at the camera. She is wearing a black shirt with a red and green plaid blazer over it

First, let me introduce myself! My name is Olivia Wood. I’m studying for my PhD in English at the CUNY Graduate Center, I teach here at John Jay, and I also work part time at the NYC College of Technology (City Tech) in Brooklyn. It is totally fine for you to just call me by my first name. Really.

I live in Washington Heights, but I’m originally from North Carolina, where the rest of my family still lives. I have a double major in English and anthropology, my master’s thesis was about people using parody Twitter accounts as a form of activism, and my PhD specialization is in LGBTQ+ writing and history.

In the Before Time (pre-coronavirus), I used to enjoy theatre, visiting my family, and going to weekly trivia nights in my neighborhood. Now, I mostly play video games and watch movies with my partner.

What To Do First

  1. Now that you know a little about me, please fill out this Getting To Know You survey so that I can start getting to know you too! Only I will be able to see your responses.
  2. Click on the “Syllabus” tab in the main menu. If you’re on your phone, look for the “Menu” button at the top and then tap it to expand the full menu. You can read the syllabus closely, or just skim it so you know what information is there. You can always look back at it later.
  3. Click on the “Course Schedule” tab and read over the calendar for our class.
  4. Explore the other tabs and links to get a sense of what else is on our site.
  5. When you’re done, please take this Syllabus “Quiz.” (Feel free to “cheat” as much as you want to find the answers. The goal is just to make sure you know some key information about our class.)

What To Do Next

  1. Watch this video on how to get set up on the CUNY Academic Commons and follow the instructions
  2. Watch this video on how to get set up on Hypothesis and follow the instructions
  3. Join our course groups on both platforms
  4. Introduce yourself to the class! (Instructions here)

Zoom “Rules”

Totally okay to keep your audio/video off, just use the chat, etc. 
Totally okay if your family members/roommates, pets, etc. are visible
Totally okay if a child you’re responsible for needs to “attend class” with us

If your environment is noisy, mute yourself when you’re not talking.
If you’re doing something you don’t want us to see/hear during class, make extra sure you are muted/video off.
Don’t be naked while your video is on

First Week Checklist

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Week 1 (Aug 26-30): Getting To Know Each Other and Getting Set Up

Getting To Know Each Other Tasks

  1. Fill out the Getting To Know You Survey (5 minutes)
  2. Post an introduction to yourself (as a comment on this post or by making your first Post on our site) (Time varies based on your choices)

    This can include whatever information you would like to share. It can be written, or it can be photos/a video, or a combination. You can include a real picture of yourself, a Bitmoji like I have on our site, or no pictures at all. It’s up to you!
  3. Post replies to your classmates to say hello! (5-10 minutes)

Getting Set Up Tasks

  1. Explore the Course Site (Time varies based on your choices)
  2. Complete the Syllabus “Quiz” (please do “cheat” and look up the answers on our site) (5-10 minutes)
  3. Watch the Setting Up Your Commons video and follow the instructions
  4. Watch the Getting Set Up on Hypothesis video and follow the instructions
  5. Join our Course Group/Site on the Commons and on Hypothesis.