Jonah Samuel 2/3/21
Resume and Cover Letter Peer Review:
Reviewing: David A Agbato
Questions:
What is your first impression of the potential candidate based on the overall appearance of the submitted materials? Explain in detail.
My first impression of David was that he is very organized and punctual. He is able to convey his ideas and experiences in an understanding and cohesive manner. For example, within the experiences portion of the resume, he clearly describes what he has done but also provides insight into how It aided himself as well, in only a few words. However, this can be a negative in some ways because he only includes limited information throughout both his resume and cover letter. Specifically, in his resume he doesn’t mention things like awards and accolades, or even high school activities or clubs. Additionally, through his emphasis in medical related clubs and activities mentioned in both the cover letter and resume, he does seem passionate about this job posting.
RESUME
Is the resume neat and organized? Explain.
The resume is very neat and organized. There is appropriate spacing, it is concise and precise, and every section contains subsections/bullet points in a positive way which elaborate ideas and provides details.
Are all of the entries listed in reverse chronological order? Yes or No
No, the entries are not in reverse chronological order. This should be changed, especially in the experiences section.
Is there a heading for each section? Yes or No
Yes, every section does have a clear heading. However, for education, it might be beneficial to indicate high school versus college.
Is the contact information clear and easy to find? Yes or No
Yes, it is located at the top of the resume. I would suggest making it larger in font. Does the education section seem complete? Yes or No
Yes, the education seems complete in that it includes both highs school and college education. However, it might be beneficial to also add a college gpa.
Does the work and/or volunteer section seem complete? Yes or No
Yes, this section contains multiple experiences and is detailed.
What is missing or what can be improved? List 3 suggestions for this resume: 1. Add an awards/accolades section.
2. Increase the font size in some areas.
3. Fix capitalization and punctuation.
What is the best feature of this resume? Why? Explain:
The best feature of this resume is the experiences section. This is because this portion is detailed, relevant, and varied. In reading this section, I can get an incredibly good understanding of what you have done at these experiences and what you were able to learn. The bullet points also make it highly organized.
COVER LETTER
Does the letter look like it belongs in a set with the resume? For example, is it in the same font, size, style? Explain.
Yes, the letter looks like it belongs with the resume. Both articles are times new roman and the same font size. Also, it flows very well when moving from resume to cover letter due to a similar style. Is the header in the proper format? Yes or No
No, I am not entirely sure. I believe that the header should be in the center of the document and contain an address as well as contact information, of the writer. David only includes his address. However, his header when writing the information of the recipient of the letter seems to be accurate. Does the letter include: Date Y or N / Salutation Y or N / Signature Y or N
Date: N, Salutation Y, Signature Y
How is the tone of the letter? Too casual? Too robotic? Explain:
The tone of the letter is formal but also passionate. David expresses his interest in the field using words such as “love” and “looking forward” but remains concise, punctual, and respectful. It perfectly portrays the tone at which a cover letter should be written.
Does the applicant reference the job and company in the opening sentences? Y or N Yes, he immediately does this.
Does it seem like the applicant did some research on the company? Does he/she seem to know what the company does or what the job entails? Y or N Explain:
Yes, it seems that David did research on the company/job. This is because he describes skills that he has that might be useful in this position. However, he does not go into detail about NYU Langone and the orthopedic surgeon he is writing too.
Does the applicant write clearly and use their experience and interests to inform the letter? Y or N Explain:
Yes, the writing is clear. Also, David describes his qualifications for this new job by describing his past experiences and acquired skills. Additionally, by stating his passion for the medical field and his current school situation he further emphasizes his passion and interest in this area. Does the applicant seem to respond to the job posting or is the letter generic? Explain:
The applicant did not include a link to the job posting that is visible. However, his letter does not seem generic in that he includes his experiences, interests, and goes deeper into explanations. However, he can improve the wording to make it more appealing.
Would you hire this candidate for the job? Y or N Explain and give suggestions for improvement: I would hire David for the job. He is clearly interested in the field and has past experiences to support this. However, there are some things he could add to improve his writing and representation. This includes better word choice in the cover letter and supplying details about this job company (NYU) and the person he is writing too. This would better indicate his care for what he is applying too.
