Resumes and Cover Letters
Writing resumes and cover letters can be a daunting task. How do I write the perfect one? What if I don’t have a lot of experience? What if everyone else’s is better than mine? How do I stand out to employers?
Rest assured – you can make a great resume! There is no such thing as the perfect resume, and great resumes are assembled over time. Some resumes, however, are better than others. Aim to portray your experience as succinctly and professionally as you can. If you feel confident about how you are representing yourself and your experience, you will be more confident sharing it with employers.
See below for more tips, templates, and useful links to help you craft your resume and cover letters!
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
The resume is a snapshot of you – a quick, brief synopsis of your work experience, education, and involvement. The cover letter is a chance to introduce yourself and tell a story about why you are the best candidate and share a highlight from your resume. Check out these useful resources to help guide your resumes and cover letters.
Resume Checklist
This downloadable pdf document gives a checklist of the essentials to put on your resume. Click to download.
Cover Letter Tips
This downloadable pdf document gives you tips on how to write a cover letter and make it your own! Click to download.
Quick Tips
- Always have someone look over your resume before you submit – their objective perspective will see things you miss and can help you refine your communication.
- Always submit a PDF of your resume. Word documents often change formatting when moving between Windows and Apple products.
- Convince the reviewer to continue reading your resume by starting with your most relevant experience at the top (this might be your education, or it might be a previous role).
If you feel you lack experience, start by seeing what types of work you might be interested in, and move toward those areas of interest – you’re not committed to them forever! You’re just exploring. Start by connecting with people in your immediate network (extended family, friends, friends’ parents, or others) who might have a similar role or could offer insight.
Consider finding part-time work in a professional setting, and even a volunteer opportunity. This can be everything from working in a department on campus to data entry in an office off-campus, a paid or volunteer internship, or other experience in line with your studies. You’re at the beginning of your career journey, so it is OK to focus on gaining a wide variety of experiences rather than having the exact right thing.
