Resume and Cover Letter Reflection

Through both my resume and cover letter, I demonstrated the different aspects of the presentation of self. I wanted to achieve my personal goal of getting a job. I also wanted to present a consistent and positive view of myself through the information I provided in my resume and cover letter. I also wanted to conform to social norms by putting what is socially expected on my resume and cover letter. Using the different parts of the presentation of self, I will examine how I displayed them when working on my resume and cover letter.

Defining the Situation

  • By defining the situation, people identify what is expected of them and others in any given situation. While working on both my resume and cover letter, I was able to define the situation as creating professional resources for me to use when pursuing a job or internship. I was able to identify what is expected to be included in a resume and cover letter and apply that to my own.

The Importance of the Situated Identity

  • A situated identity can be defined as the self that can be identified by the role one is currently playing. In working on my resume and cover letter, the role I was fulfilling was on of someone looking for and applying for a job. Because I wanted to be seen as a competent applicant, I displayed what I perceive to be strong parts of my identity.

Creating the Impressions through Expressions

  • Creating impressions through expressions refers to creating impressions through sign vehicles which includes both our language as well as our body language. When working on my resume and cover letter specifically, I focused on the language I used to create an impression of myself. When deciding how I wanted to write both of them, I wanted the language I used to come off as professional, competent, and genuinely interested in what I was writing about. I did this so that the impression I gave would be one of someone capable of fulfilling the position.

Front Stage and Back Stage

  • Front stage and back stage refers to knowing the context and how you act differently in those many different contexts. When writing my resume and cover letter, I wrote it very differently than I would write something like a text message to my friend. The contexts of these two things are very different. In messaging a friend, I can be very casual and relaxed with how I act and the language I use. However, for the resume and cover letter, I had to be very professional and precise with the language I used.

Self-Awareness, Self Monitoring, and Self Disclosure

  • Self-awareness refers to focusing our attention on the self. This includes both our private self, and the public self is that part which is given away by our mannerisms and behaviors. Self monitoring is when we become more attuned to the reactions of others and adjust our behavior accordingly. Self disclosure the means by which we can regulate what others know about us. In working on my resume and cover letter, I demonstrated self-awareness, self monitoring, and self disclosure by focusing the attention of my public self to aspects which I thought would be beneficial when applying for a job. I was very specific with the information about myself that I wanted to present to potential employers.