Resume & Cover Letters

Resume Basics

Resumes highlight and capture your experience(s), education, and skill(s). Your resume acts as a first impression piece, allowing you to introduce your qualifications to the employer, and it is an important component in landing the interview.

Tips

  • Remember the following words when constructing your resume: concise, consistent and relevant. 
  • Recommended length of resumes is 1-2 pages. For most undergraduate students, we recommend one page of content. Two pages is acceptable in Education, Government, Healthcare, and Nonprofit industries, and for experienced individuals.
  • Avoid use of templates to optimize the space on your page. It is easier to start with a blank Word document, where you can add the content first, and then go back to adjust formatting and visual appeal. Reminder: Font can be as small as 10 point and margins as small as .5.
  • Use simple font styles, i.e., Cambria, Times New Roman, Garamond, Arial, and Calibri
  • Please do not use headshots or professional photos on your resume, as your resume acts as an objective document. Headshots and professional photos are more fitting on platforms such as LinkedIn and Handshake.

Resume 101

Resume Outline

List of Strong Action Verbs

Cover Letter Basics

The purpose of a cover letter is to convey motivation and passion for a position of interest. It is an opportunity for you to elaborate on your experiences and skills, as mentioned in your resume. While your resume acts as the objective piece, your cover letter can be subjective, with use of personal pronouns. Be sure to update and personalize your cover letter for each role you are applying to and remember to utilize positive and confident language.

Tips

  • Use the same font style as your resume for means of consistency.
  • Incclude up to one page of content using block style (e.g., no paragraph indents, left aligned on page).
  • Address the letter to a specific person in the organization or utilize "Dear Hiring Manager.” Please avoid use of “To Whom It May Concern.”
  • Attach the cover letter and resume as separate documents when emailing your documents and write a brief message referencing your attached materials

Cover Letter Outline

Resume Feedback

Once you have created and/or updated your resume to align with best practices, as noted above, please feel free to send your resume in for feedback. There are a few ways to accomplish this. We want to support and ensure that your resume is professionally ready for the application process. First impressions matter, so it is important to put your best foot forward.

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