Guided Reading: Cover Letter & Resume

Julia Nollen

Application for Marketing Assistant Job: Cover Letter & Resume

Julia Nollen graduated in 2011 from the University of Delaware, where she studied English, film, art, and Web design. She then completed a Certificate in Publishing program at New York University. Nollen wrote a cover letter to accompany her resume when she applied for a marketing assistant position at Bedford/St. Martin’s, the publisher of this textbook. After introducing herself and naming the position she is applying for, Nollen summarizes her qualifications and her reasons for wanting to work for Bedford/St. Martin’s. As you read, notice how Nollen tailors her letter for the specific position and employer. Why do you think she’s chosen to mention the name of an executive editor? How does her description of projects she’s worked on shape your impression of her?

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PHOTO, WEB SITE, & JOB DESCRIPTION Julia Nollen; the Bedford/St. Martin’s “Who We Are” page; Macmillan and Bedford/St. Martin’s, Marketing Assistant Job Details (see bedfordstmartins.com, “Careers” ). Photo courtesy of Julia Nollen. Screenshots © Bedford/St. Martin’s.

JULIA NOLLEN

julianollen@000.com • 0000 Newark Drive, Newark, DE 19711 • (C) 302.555.0000 • (H) 302.555.0000

Education

Certificate in Publishing, New York University, July 2013

BA of English and Film, Interactive Media minor, University of Delaware, May 2013

Study Abroad Programs:

  • London—literature, film, political science and theater (Fall 2011)
  • Athens—art history, Greek language and literature (Summer 2010)
  • Caen—contemporary and conversational French (Winter 2010)

Related Experience

Intern, Oak Knoll Press & Books, New Castle, DE (Winter, Spring 2013)

Proofread manuscripts, designed press releases using Adobe InDesign, wrote and edited book descriptions, and cataloged rare books for sale on the Web. 360+ hours.

Intern, MSNBC.com columnist Eve Tahmincioglu, Wilmington, DE (Fall 2012)

Wrote, researched, and edited articles and videos for CareerDiva.net. Also featured on MSNBC.com, Excelle.monster.com, thedailybrainstorm.com, and others. 180+ hours.

Intern, Bright Orange Thread Web Design Studio, Lincoln University, PA (Summer 2012)

Wrote and published articles and coupons for the Web site and blog. Used Basecamp daily, wrote and posted tweets, and helped design a wireframe. 180+ hours.

Student Writer, Bedford/St. Martin’s, Boston, MA (2007–Present)

Research material for upcoming editions of Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture, attend meetings with the editor, and write and edit student essays (four published so far). 100+ hours.

Nonfiction Editor, Caesura Literary Magazine, University of Delaware (Fall 2012–May 2013)

Edit submissions, design cover and layout, advertise, and update social media sites. 30 hours.

Skills

  • Adobe Creative Suite 5 and 6 (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, InDesign, and Bridge)
  • Working knowledge of HTML
  • Practiced photographer (Nikon D5100, EOS Rebel) and published video editor (Final Cut Pro X, iMovie ’11)

Accomplishments

Published in Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture, Bedford/St. Martin’s

Published four essays on popular culture in the third, fourth, and fifth editions (2006, 2009, and 2011).

Presented research at the English Association of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Conference, West Chester (2009)

Presented “The Best of Both Worlds: Ofelia as Gender Role Revisionary in del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.”

Presented research at the National Popular Culture Association Conference (St. Louis 2010, New Orleans 2009)

Presented “One Last ‘Memo from Turner’: Gender Roles Revisioned in Performance.”

Julia Nollen, Cover Letter

What is the composer, Julia Nollen, doing?

How do I know this is a cover letter?

July 6, 2013
Karen Soeltz
Director of Marketing
Bedford/St. Martin’s
75 Arlington St.
Boston, MA 02116

Dear Ms. Soeltz:

My name is Julia Nollen, and I am writing at the suggestion of Executive Editor Ellen Thibault, who recommended I apply for the current open Marketing Assistant position at Bedford/St. Martin’s. I am currently attending New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute until July 16 but am available to interview in Boston at your convenience. I’ve been a longtime fan of Bedford’s titles and have even contributed to one of your books. Further, during a recent informational interview at your Boston office, I was impressed by the creative energy and commitment of the people working there. I’d love to be a part of that.

What interests me most about Bedford is its mission to publish educational products across several platforms. At NYU I’ve studied the publishing industry and confirmed that I want to work for a company that blends established practices and innovative technology to create the best educational tools. I’ve learned that a firm understanding of both digital and print publishing best addresses the changing currents in pedagogy; Bedford reflects this hybrid approach to content development in its mission to publish texts that stem from “where our disciplines are, where they’re going, and what they need,” as your Web site states.

While at the University of Delaware, I contributed four student essays to Bedford’s textbook Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. I was also lucky enough to gain practical editorial and marketing experience for both print and Web products by interning for three very different companies: a Web design studio (Bright Orange Thread), a freelance columnist (MSNBC.com’s Eve Tahmincioglu), and a niche publishing house (Oak Knoll Press). At all three companies, I designed press releases using Adobe InDesign; wrote persuasive copy for mailers, flyers, blog posts, and articles; and posted these materials online. My recent experience at NYU has been even more multifaceted. For the first half of the program, I was appointed Art Director of my group’s magazine and won the “Best Art Director” award by professionals, including the Editor in Chief of People. In my current appointed role as Marketing Director, my job is to develop a marketing strategy for a mock book imprint and its digital extension, including a pre- and postpublication campaign for each of our first three titles. After presenting my campaign to the VP Associate Publisher of Simon & Schuster, later today, I will devise a budget to present to a panel of marketing experts next week. From writing and designing press releases to updating book and social media sites, I want to learn as much as I can about the present publishing industry, as well as where it’s going in the future.

Whether by e-mail, by phone, or in person, I would love to find out more about the open Marketing Assistant position at Bedford and the responsibilities it entails. I’ve included my contact information at the bottom of this e-mail and attached my resume and writing samples to this e-mail. Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Julia Nollen

0000 Newark Drive

Newark, DE

19711julianollen@000.com

(C) 302.555.0000

(H) 302.555.0000

Enclosed are the following writing samples.

  1. Cover for Expresión magazine, a bimonthly arts and culture magazine that targets young Latin Americans living in the United States. My cover was awarded “Best Art Design” at New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute and was designed using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.
  2. Research paper written for a film class at the University of Delaware, titled “Reflecting on Manufactured Masculinity and Motherhood in Brett Ratner’s Red Dragon.”
  3. Book review on Shawn Achor’s The Happiness Advantage, as published on careerdiva.net, which has up to 20,000 unique visits monthly.