Use your English skills to apply for something that you want -- the job or internship you want this summer, job you want when you graduate, or the job you want ten years after that. Instead of a job, you might want to go to graduate school, volunteer for a charity, or get a grant from a government agency or philanthropic foundation.

As long as the application process includes a list of specific criteria, and you submit to me a cover letter that explains how well you meet those criteria, and a resume that backs up your claims, I'm willing to be flexible. (For instance, you won't need a good resume to enter a pie-eating contest. But you might need a good resume in order to request funds to start a pie-eating club in Westmoreland County. If you have the credentials, and you find a funding agency that might fund such a project, go for it.)

Read: Resumes -- Content
Read: Resumes -- Presentation
Read: Resumes -- Top 5 Problems
Read: Cover Letters -- Top 5 Tips

Submit:

1. A brief response (1/2 page) to section I.C of the Liberal Arts Curriculum, "Entreprenurial Skills Development" (page 30 of the 2004-2006 catalog).
2. Copy of an appropriate advertisement (a job listing, contest description, or other relevant entrepreneurial opportunity).
   
3. Short Answers (one page total). Consult the assigned readings, and then provide your own example for each of the following:
   1. Overselling.
   2. A revision, supporting all claims with verifiable evidence.
   3. A cover letter sentence that does not employ the "you" attidude.
   4. A revision, employing the "you" attitude.
   5. Weak verbs in a résumé sentence.
   6. A revision, employing strong verbs.
   7. Faulty parallelism.
   8. A revision, using parallel grammar.
   
   
4. Cover letter (one page).
   
5. Updated résumé (one page). (Please don't use the MS-Word default layout. Emphasize job titles or areas of expertise, rather than dates. See the "Organization" section in Resumes -- Presentation.)
   
6. Brief personal reflection (one or two pages). How do you plan to make up for weaknesses in your background, or gaps in your experience? What did you learn about yourself while completing this exercise?