Peer Review of Mitchell Prost’s Application Package

Memorandum

Reviewer: Rodrigo Samayoa
Author: Mitchell Prost
Application Package: Residence Life Coordinator

Dear Mitchell,

Thank you for submitting your application package for peer review. You can find my feedback below. I hope you find it helpful.

Initial Impression

I am very much impressed by the application package and how well it matches the attached job description. The application does a good job at checking off the different skills and requirements listed in the job description in a clear and organized manner.

Resume Formatting and Organization

• The resume is well organized and formatted.
• Every section of the resume has a clear purpose and is easy to find as the reader skims through it.
• The paragraph spacing, indentation and margin, make it easy to read
• Adding a contact information section can make it easier for the employer to find the best way to reach out for an interview or further documentation. Currently only the email is listed and employers may wish to phone prospective applicants.

Objective

The objective is short, clear and to the point.

Education

• The job description places a preference on applicants with an educational background in business administration. The cover letter mentions a designation for Certified Associate Project Manager (CAPM). Adding this to the education section of the resume, in addition to the bachelor’s degree, can help demonstrate an administrative and management background. Alternatively, bringing the Certifications section higher up can help emphasize this designation.
• Adding an expected date of graduation is useful for the employer to know when they can expect the applicant to be able to start full time.

Employment

• The employment listed in this section is very relevant to the job description and does a good job at demonstrating the level of preparedness for the role.
• Adding more detail for some of the listed tasks help the reader understand what the task involved and how it relates to the job description. The following tasks could use more detail:
  • “Assist with task list completion for all residence areas.”
  • “Lead team programming for a targeted audience of over 500 residents.”
• The very first qualification in the job description reads: “Excellent knowledge of suicide intervention, health & safety, first aid, and dispute resolution practices.”
• While the resume makes mention of “respon[ing] to crisis situations in residence,” more detail can be useful to paint a picture of your skills in this area. What kinds of crises? How frequent? What skills were needed to respond to the crises?

Leadership

• The list of community involvement and awards is very impressive
• Are there any that need to be emphasized for the reader? If so, bringing these up to the top can help the reader process these and make sure they are not lost in the long list.

Certifications

• See note above about education. The CAPM designation may be relevant for an employer looking for a background in business. Bringing this section up or combining it with the education section can help put emphasis in the CAPM designation.

References

• Adding one or two references by default can help speed up the employment process and show the reader the applicant is ready and committed for the position.

Cover Letter

• The cover letter does a good job at listing previous experience and how the experience is relevant to the job description.
• The cover letter is an opportunity for the applicant to not only show how they are qualified for the job, but also why they want this specific job. Showing excitement for this specific position and describing why you are applying in the first paragraph is important for the employer to know how serious the applicant is for this role.
• The employer could be reading the cover letter separately from the resume, which makes it important to include contact information in the cover letter as well. This can be done as a letterhead or adding it above the address to the employer.

Reference Letters

• These letters are short and respectful.
• All of the references are addressed to people working in Residence Life. Is there a different reference who can speak to a different quality? Maybe someone at the AMS who can be a reference for leadership? Or a professor at the Project Management Institute who can be a reference for project management? Having a diversity of references can help paint a more well-rounded picture of the applicant.

Grammar and style

• Outstanding job proofreading of the resume and cover letter. There are no obvious typos that I can see.
• In terms of style, removing clutter words can make the document more readable:
  • “I have had the privilege to be quite involved with Residence Life at UBC and am looking to continue this professionally.”
  • In this role, I additionally oversaw a team of eight part-time Residence Advisors.
  • I have additionally worked as an Administrative Assistant for several of the Residence Life Managers at UBC.
• The cover letter contains multiple sentences that begin with “I have” and “I had.” Changing the sentence openers and structure can make the cover letter feel less repetitive.

Conclusion

Overall this is an outstanding application. It really shows you have the qualifications for the job and will surely at least get you an interview.

Best of luck with the application! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the feedback above.

Link to application package.