Cover Letter and Resume Guide

COVER LETTERS

A cover letter serves as the introduction to your resume. It is specific to each position and demonstrates interest in a particular employer or job. It should include expanded information from the resume, and should not repeat things.

Because it is often the first contact with a prospective employer, it should be concise, well-written, and demonstrate effective communication.

COVER LETTER SECTIONS

The cover letter typically consists of three parts: introduction, body, and closing. Within these three parts, include:

• why you are interested in the organization
• why the organization should be interested in you
• when and how you will contact the organization to follow up

Introduction

• Capture the reader’s interest
• Tell the reader how you learned of an opening
• If appropriate, mention the name of someone who suggested you apply for the company and/or the job opportunity

Body

• Demonstrate your ability to do the job in 1-3 paragraphs
• Promote your education, experiences, past jobs, internships, and student activities
• Use examples and tell your story
• Illustrate the skills that are related to the position
• Enhance your accomplishments with details, do not repeat what is on your resume

Closing

• Indicate next steps, including a plan to follow up with the employer
• Thank the employer for taking the time to consider your application materials
• Close the cover letter with “Sincerely” or “Respectfully”

TIPS

• Proofread
• Personalize each letter, make every attempt to address each letter to a specific individual
• Limit the cover letter to one page, be concise and compelling
• Avoid overusing the word “I”
• Vary writing style, try to offset long sentences with short ones
• Sign the cover letter
• Use a 10-12 font size
• Use paper and font that match your resume to make a consistent application package
• If including items with the cover letter such as a resume, references or writing samples, use one of the following notations below your name: Enclosure, Encl., or Enc.
• Keep a copy of every letter you send as part of your job search file

COVER LETTER SAMPLE

A cover letter accompanies a resume and other application documents. It serves as your first impression to an employer and helps you to stand out from other job seekers.

• Write the cover letter targeted to an industry, company, or job
• Determine important job requirements from the position description and customize your cover letter to highlight key skills and experiences
• Do not copy and paste information from the resume; expand on experiences, skills, and accomplishments
• Proofread, spell check, and edit the cover letter
• Make your points succinctly and concisely; do not ramble
• Do not send the same generic cover letter for all jobs

RESUMES

A resume highlights qualifications for employment including education, experience, skills, and other relevant information. The resume is used by employers to determine potential interview candidates for specific opportunities. Tailor the resume to a specific career opportunity and company. This is your chance to tell your story.

Basic types of resumes include:

• Chronological-It is the most frequently used resume by new college graduates and people with continuous employment history. Chronological resumes list information in reverse chronological order (most recent items first) and give a brief account of education and experiences.
• Functional-It focuses on an individual’s professional skills and most often is used by individuals whose education and experiences do not match career objectives. A functional resume is used when there are noticeable gaps in experience. Skills are used as headings followed by statements demonstrating accomplishments and utilization of skills.
• Combination- It is a mix of chronological and functional resumes. Combination resumes list information in reverse chronological order and focus on skills.
• Scannable-A scannable resume can be “read” by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) and scanned for keywords and specific information. Keyword searches focus on words used in the position description.

Information should be presented in the order that best supports the individual’s objective and enhances candidacy for career opportunities. Do not hesitate to create headings specific to experiences. Resumes should stand out from other applicants’ documents; do not use resume templates.

CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)

A CV is a document similar to a resume in that it provides an overview of your professional and educational experiences. The difference between the two documents primarily lies in the content and purpose. CV content may include publications, presentations, research, honors and other relevant information. A CV is typically developed for application for international jobs, graduate programs, teaching or research positions in a university or research setting. A resume is prepared for employers outside of academic settings.

SAMPLE RESUME HEADINGS

Academic Achievements

Academic Honors

Accomplishments

Activities

Additional Experience

Associations

Athletic Involvement

Awards and Distinctions

Campus Involvement

Career Goal

Career Highlights

Career Objective

Career Related Experience

Career Summary

Certifications

Classroom Experience

Coaching Experiences

College Activities

Community Involvement

Computer Experience

Computer Knowledge

Computer Skills

Credentials

Education

Education and Training

Employment

Employment Objective

Employment History

Exhibitions and Awards

Experience(s)

Extracurricular Involvement

Field Placement

Foreign Language

Highlights of Qualifications

International Experience

Internship Experience

Job History

Leadership Roles

Honors

Memberships and Activities

Military Experience

Military Service

Military Training

Objective

Professional Affiliations

Professional Experience

Professional Organizations

Related Experience

Relevant Course Work

Relevant Experience

Research Experience

Skills and Qualifications

Skill(s) Summary

Special Training

Special Awards

Special Licenses and Awards

Student Teaching Experience

Study Abroad

Summary of Qualifications

Teaching Experience

Technical Skills

Volunteer Experience

Work Experience

Work History

Workshops and Seminar

RESUME SECTIONS

Heading

• Name, mailing address, email address and phone number
• LinkedIn account information is optional

Professional Objective (Optional)

• A brief statement that tells the reader about career goals and/or expresses interest in a specific job
• Include a specific job title, company name, general occupational field, and qualifications

Education

• Universities attended and location (city and state)
• Degree(s), major(s), minor(s), academic certificate(s)
• Date of graduation (month and year)

Optional educational information may include:

• Study abroad experience (university, location, and dates)
• Cumulative and/or Major GPA (3.0 or better)
• Relevant course work
• Scholarships and academic honors

Experience

• Job title from employment, research, internship, student teaching, etc.
• Employer name and location (city and state)
• Dates of employment
• Description of responsibilities and accomplishments using action verbs

Special Skills

• Skills related to the position (typically technical and language skills) and level of proficiency

Awards and Honors

• Scholarships, academic honors (i.e. Dean’s List), and special recognitions (i.e. Employee of the Month)

Activities

• Campus and community activities including organizations, clubs, student government, athletics, and professional affiliations

References

• Reference name and title, organization, phone number, and email address
• Include references on the resume or on a separate document

Make sure you have asked each person for permission to be used as a reference.

ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS

A Good Accomplishment Statement Should Contain:

1) An action verb describing role and/or responsibilities

2) The scope of activities (i.e. size of unit managed, size of budget managed, or a number of personnel affected)

3) The results of activities, given in measurements such as, numbers/percent, amount of money, or value-added for customers

4) Specific skills gained from the experience

Tips for Writing Effective Accomplishment Statements:

• Tailor statements to company and job of interest
• Use approximately 2-5 statements for each position
• Bulleted action statements are much easier and quicker to read then paragraphs
• Use indenting where appropriate to signify points that are a subset of an accomplishment

Examples:

• Initiated advanced assembly procedures to increase production 15% by reducing turnaround time from six to five days
• Led a team of volunteers in planning, preparing, and serving a weekly meal for 90 residents at a local shelter
• Coordinated a community event for 150 individuals that resulted in $1000 collected for the New York Disaster Relief Fund

ACTION VERBS

Administrative Skills

Approve

Arrange

Catalogue

Classify

Collect

Compile

Execute

Generate

Implement

Inspect

Monitor

Operate

Organize

Prepare

Process

Purchase

Record

Retrieve

Screen

Specify

Validate

Communication Skills

Address

Arbitrate

Arrange

Author

Collaborate

Develop

Direct

Draft

Edit

Formulate

Influence

Interpret

Mediate

Moderate

Motivate

Negotiate

Persuade

Promote

Publicize

Recruit

Speak

Translate

Creative Skills

Act

Conceptualize

Create

Design

Develop

Direct

Establish

Fashion

Find

Illustrate

Initiate

Institute

Integrate

Introduce

Invent

Perform

Plan

Publish

Shape

Financial Skills

Administer

Allocate

Analyze

Appraise

Audit

Balance

Budget

Calculate

Compute

Develop

Forecast

Manage

Market

Plan

Project

Research

Helping Skills

Assist

Assess

Clarify

Coach

Counsel

Demonstrate

Educate

Facilitate

Familiarize

Guide

Refer

Represent

Service

Support

Tend

Tutor

Information Skills

Catalogue

Clarify

Classify

Compile

Compose

Convey

Copy

Correct

Define

Document

Gather

Inform

Proofread

Question

Review

Specify

Survey

Tabulate

Test

Verify

Leadership Skills

Appoint

Approve

Arrange

Assess

Assign

Authorize

Coach

Complete

Consult

Delegate

Demonstrate

Direct

Enlist

Facilitate

Head

Initiate

Launch

Motivate

Negotiate

Nominate

Preside

Start

Management Skills

Administer

Analyze

Assign

Attain

Contract

Consolidate

Coordinate

Delegate

Develop

Direct

Evaluate

Execute

Improve

Increase

Organize

Plan

Prioritize

Produce

Recommend

Review

Schedule

Strengthen

Supervise

Problem-Solving Skills

Analyze

Apply

Calculate

Compile

Consult

Correct

Create

Critique

Design

Develop

Diagnose

Discover

Dissect

Examine

Explore

Problem solve

Propose

Research

Resolve

Revise

Search

Study

Track

Troubleshoot

Research Skills

Clarify

Collect

Critique

Diagnose

Evaluate

Examine

Identify

Inspect

Interpret

Interview

Investigate

Organize

Review

Summarize

Survey

Verify

Teaching Skills

Adapt

Advise

Clarify

Coach

Communicate

Coordinate

Develop

Enable

Encourage

Evaluate

Explain

Facilitate

Guide

Inform

Initiate

Instruct

Persuade

Teamwork Skills

Accomplish

Assist

Collaborate

Coordinate

Corroborate

Encourage

Explain

Help

Share

Volunteer

Technical Skills

Assemble

Build

Calculate

Compute

Design

Devise

Engineer

Fabricate

Maintain

Operate

Overhaul

Program

Remodel

Repair

Solve

Train

Upgrade

RESUME SAMPLE

A resume is a summary of education, professional experiences, and activities. The best resumes are tailored to an industry, company, and job of interest.

• Utilize a chronological format where the most relevant information listed in sections toward the top of the document
• Keep the document concise, 1-2 pages, using 10-12 font size
• Highlight important information with bold, italics, and bullet points
• State clear and concise statements
• Utilize a professional layout with a balance of white space to text
• Proofread, spell check, and edit the resume

REFERENCE PAGE SAMPLE

A reference page is a part of the application process. References provide recommendations to potential employers about your professional experiences, skills, and work values.

• Choose references that can speak about your skills and experience positively and professionally.
• Ask a reference for permission before applying to open positions.
• Provide your references a copy of your resume and the position description.
• Submit the reference page when it is requested by the hiring manager or recruiter.
• Do NOT include “references available upon request” at the bottom of the resume.