Resumes & Cover Letters
A resume is a document that presents your education, experience, and qualifications in a clear, concise, and compelling way, and shows potential employers how these are the best fit for their needs. Whenever you send a resume or application to a potential employer, you must include a cover letter if the employer requests it. This is essentially your sales pitch. It should introduce you to the employer, highlight your most important experiences or qualifications, and make a clear connection between your skills and the position or workplace.
Resumes
Your resume is, in a very real sense, an advertisement of you. Like all good advertisements, it should communicate essential information within seconds. Most importantly, your resume should win you an interview.
Each resume that you send to an employer must be tailored to that specific job. You must deconstruct the advertisement or posting, research the company, and make some educated guesses to determine exactly what employers want. Translate your experience into their language, even using the exact words in the job description. Present yourself in their terms. For more tips, please consider the documents below.
Resume Tips (PDF)
Resume Examples
First Year and Sophomore Resume / Cover Letter Samples (PDF)
Resume Help
To get one-on-one advice and assistance writing your resume, come to Career Services and work with one of our staff members during Walk-In hours.
The following Web sites also provide further resources for writing a resume although we recommend coming in for a 15 minute walk-in first:
CollegeGrad.com
Fern Selesnick Consulting
JobStar
Jobweb
Quintessential Careers
WetFeet
Cover Letters
Crafting Cover Letters (PDF)
As with your resume, your cover letter should explicitly translate your skills and experiences into the employer’s needs and language.
Your cover letters should:
- Be formal but reflect your personality, attitude, motivation, and enthusiasm
- State the purpose of the letter
- Be tailored to the specific position
- Demonstrate your knowledge of the company or organization and your enthusiasm for the job
- Using short narrative examples, show how your skills and experience are an excellent match for the position
- Highlight key points, but not replicate your resume
- Show your strong writing skills
- Spark employers’ interest in you and encourage them to read your resume
Cover Letter Help
As with resumes, you may also seek one-on-one advice and assistance with cover letters. Come to Career Services and work with one of our staff members during Walk-In hours.
The following Web sites provide further resources on writing cover letters as well as some samples although we recommend coming in for a 15 minute walk-in first:
CollegeGrad.com
JobStar.com
Jobweb.com
Quintessential Careers
WetFeet
