resumes and cover letters quizlet

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Lumen Learning and Linda Bruce Hill

“The most important tool you have on a résumé is language.” – Jay Samit

A résumé is a “selfie” for business purposes. It is a written picture of who you are—it’s a marketing tool, a selling tool, and a promotion of you as an ideal candidate for any job you may be interested in.

The word résumé comes from the French word résumé , which means “a summary.” Leonardo da Vinci is credited with writing one of the first known résumés, although it was more of a letter that outlined his credentials for a potential employer, Ludovico Sforza. The résumé got da Vinci the job, though, and Sforza became a longtime patron of da Vinci and later commissioned him to paint The Last Supper .

Résumés and cover letters work together to represent you in the most positive light to prospective employers. With a well-composed résumé and cover letter, you stand out—which may get you an interview and then a good shot at landing a job.

In this section, we discuss résumés and cover letters as key components of your career development tool kit. We explore some of the many ways you can design and develop them for the greatest impact in your job search.

Your Résumé: Purpose and Contents

Your résumé is an inventory of your education, work experience, job-related skills, accomplishments, volunteer history, internships, residencies, and/or more. It’s a professional autobiography in outline form to give the person who reads it a quick, general idea of who you are, and what skills, abilities, and experiences you have to offer. With a better idea of who you are, prospective employers can see how well you might contribute to their workplace.

As a college student or recent graduate, though, you may be unsure about what to put in your résumé, especially if you don’t have much employment history. Still, employers don’t expect recent grads to have significant work experience. And even with little work experience, you may still have a host of worthy accomplishments to include. It’s all in how you present yourself.

Watch the video most appropriate for your career stage. Please note, there are templates (See Career Toolbox) available within the course that correspond to the advice in these videos.

For Career Launchers or students who need basic information on “How to Format a Resume” (5 min.30 seconds)

Experienced Career Changers and Advancers: 6 Steps to Creating a Great Resume for 2020 (Starts at 1.28 if you want to start there. Then the video is 6 minutes, 99 seconds)

Elements of Your Successful R ésumé

Perhaps the hardest part of writing a résumé is figuring out what format to use to organize and present your information in the most effective way. There is no correct format, per se, but most résumés follow one of the four formats below. Which format do you think will best represent your qualifications?

• Reverse chronological résumé : A reverse chronological résumé (sometimes also simply called a chronological résumé) lists your job experiences in reverse chronological order—that is, starting with the most recent job and working backward toward your first job. It includes starting and ending dates. Also included is a brief description of the work duties you performed for each job, and highlights of your formal education. The reverse chronological résumé may be the most common and perhaps the most conservative résumé format. It is most suitable for demonstrating a solid work history, and growth and development in your skills. It may not suit you if you are light on skills in the area you are applying to, or if you’ve changed employers frequently, or if you are looking for your first job.
• Functional résumé : A functional résumé is organized around your talents, skills, and abilities (more so than work duties and job titles, as with the reverse chronological résumé). It emphasizes specific professional capabilities, like what you have done or what you can do. Specific dates may be included but are not emphasized. So if you are a career launcher with little or no actual work experience, the functional résumé may be a good format for you. It can also be useful when you are seeking work in a field that differs from what you have done in the past. It’s also well suited for people in unconventional careers.
• Hybrid or Combination résumé : The hybrid résumé is a format reflecting both the functional and chronological approaches. It’s also called a combination résumé. It highlights relevant skills, but it still provides information about your work experience. With a hybrid résumé, you may list your job skills as most prominent and then follow with a chronological (or reverse chronological) list of employers. This résumé format is most effective when your specific skills and job experience need to be emphasized.
• Video, infographic, and website résumé : Other formats you may wish to consider are the video résumé, the infographic résumé, or even a website résumé. These formats may be most suitable for people in multimedia and creative careers. Certainly with the expansive use of technology today, a job seeker might at least try to create a media-enhanced résumé. But the paper-based, traditional résumé is by far the most commonly used—in fact, some human resource departments may not permit submission of any format other than paper based.

An important note about formatting is that, initially, employers may spend only a few seconds reviewing each résumé—especially if there is a big stack of them or they seem tedious to read. That’s why it’s important to choose your format carefully so it will stand out and make the first cut.

Résumé Contents and Structure

For many people, the process of writing a résumé is daunting. After all, you are taking a lot of information and condensing it into a very concise form that needs to be both eye-catching and easy to read. Don’t be scared off, though! Developing a good résumé can be fun, rewarding, and easier than you think if you follow a few basic guidelines.

Contents and Components To Include

• Your contact information : name, town and state, phone number, professional email address (make sure this is some version of your name, nothing odd or personal).
•   A summary statement: 2-3 sentences describing you in relation to the position.  This statement should describe who you are and what you are great at.
• A summary of your skills : 6-8 skills you have gained in your field. Make sure you adapt this section for each job and use only skills that you have that are specifically mentioned in the job ad.
• Work experience : depending on the résumé format you choose, you may list your most recent job first; include the title of the position, employer’s name, location, employment dates (beginning, ending); Working for a family business is valid work experience and should definitely be on a resume.
• Volunteer experience: can be listed in terms of hours completed or months/years involved. Use the same format as that used to list work experience.
• Education and training : formal and informal experiences matter; include academic degrees, professional development, certificates, internships, etc.

Résumés resemble snowflakes in as much as no two are alike. Although you can benefit from giving yours a stamp of individuality, you will do well to steer clear of personal details that might elicit a negative response. It is advisable to omit any confidential information or details that could make you vulnerable to discrimination, for instance. Your résumé will likely be viewed by a number of employees in an organization, including human resource personnel, managers, administrative staff, etc. By aiming to please all reviewers, you gain maximum advantage.

• Do not mention your age, gender, height or weight.
• Do not include your social security number.
• Do not mention religious beliefs or political affiliations, unless they are relevant to the position.
• Do not include a photograph of yourself or a physical description.
• Do not mention health issues.
• Do not use first-person references (I, me).
• Do not include wage/salary expectations.
• Do not use acronyms and be sparing with abbreviations. Only use abbreviations when necessary for solving spacing issues and only if the meaning of the word is still clear.
• Proofread carefully—absolutely no spelling mistakes are acceptable.

Top Ten Tips for a Successful Résumé

• Aim to make a résumé that is 1 full page or 2 full pages long on letter-size paper.  Don’t have 1 and a 1/3rd or 1 and a 1/2 pages long.  If you are more entry level, one full page is more appropriate.  Edit until you have an appropriate mix of text and white space.
• Make it visually appealing, but forego graphics and columns or other types of formatting that will not work well with applicant tracking software (ATS).
• Use action verbs and phrases. Be sure to start each bullet with an action verb. Use THE SAME verbs the job ad uses, even if the one you are using means the same thing.
• Proofread carefully to eliminate any spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typographical errors.  Have at least two other people look at it.  If that is not possible, try reading it backwards. Reading it backwards allows for your brain to fully take in each word instead of filling in what you know you meant to write.
• Include highlights of your relevant qualifications or skills to attract an employer’s attention. Once again, be sure to include those mentioned in the job ad.
• Make your resume future-focused and job-specific.  Know what door you are trying to open with the resume and craft it with that in mind.
• If you have more than one employment target then consider having multiple customized resume versions.
• Use a resume scanning software program (available in the course) to test your resume against the job ad before you apply. Shoot for a score of at least 80%
• Customize, customize, customize!  Remember, you HAVE to have at least a 70 percent match with the action verbs and descriptors in the job ad in order get past the applicant tracking software (ATS) software.
• Keep refining and reworking your résumé; it’s an ongoing project. Your resume is never finished!

Remember that your résumé is your professional profile. It will hold you in the most professional and positive light, and it’s designed to be a quick and easy way for a prospective employer to evaluate what you might bring to a job. When written and formatted attractively, creatively, and legibly, your résumé is what will get your foot in the door. You can be proud of your accomplishments, even if they don’t seem numerous. Let your résumé reflect your personal pride and professionalism. A resume is also a “living document” and will change as your experiences and skills change.

Your Cover Letter

A cover letter is a letter of introduction, usually 3–4 paragraphs in length, that you submit with your résumé. It’s a way of introducing yourself to a potential employer and explaining why you are suited for a position. Employers look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as an initial method of screening out applicants who may who lack necessary basic skills, or who may not be sufficiently interested in the position.

Often an employer will request or require that a cover letter be included in the materials an applicant submits. There are also occasions when you might submit a cover letter uninvited (also called a letter of interest). For example, if you are initiating an inquiry about possible work or asking someone to send you information or provide other assistance.

With each résumé you send out, always include a cover letter specifically addressing your purposes.

Characteristics of an Effective Cover Letter

Cover letters should accomplish the following:

• Get the attention of the prospective employer in 3-4 paragraphs – be succinct!
• Set you apart from any possible competition by showing your unique voice, writing ability, attention to detail and knowledge of the company.
• Identify the position you are interested in and how you learned about the position or company.
• Answer the employers question of “Why is this person interested in this particular job at this particular company?”
• Present highlights of your skills and accomplishments that are directly relevant to the employer’s stated needs in the job ad.
• Express genuine interest in the company. Do research online include something about them in the second paragraph. The mission statement is a great place to see what they value!
• Visually match the resume.  Same header, font style, etc
• Be addressed to a specific person whenever possible.

Video: How to Write An AMAXING Cover Letter in 2022 – TOP Cover Letter Tips with EXAMPLES

Licenses and Attributions

CC licensed content, Original:

• College Success. Authored by: Linda Bruce. Provided by: Lumen Learning. Located at: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/collegesuccess-lumen/chapter/resumes-and-cover-letters/   License: CC BY: Attribution.
• Edited and adapted by Jan Coville

All rights reserved content:

• How to Format a Resume Fast, created by Heather Austin.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzomFlIAPHc&feature=emb_logo license: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.
• The Key to a Winning Resume, created by Heather Austin. Located at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iwCzT2P7vw&feature=emb_logo License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.
• How to Write an Amazing Cover Letter in 2022 – Top Cover Letter Tips With Examples, created by: Heather Austin. Located at: https://youtu.be/mxOli8laZos . License: All Rights Reserved. License Terms: Standard YouTube License.

Career Decision Making for Adults (v3) Copyright © by Lumen Learning and Linda Bruce Hill is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Resumes and Cover Letters

Résumés and cover letters.

The most important tool you have on a résumé is language. —Jay Samit, digital media innovator

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Define the purpose and contents of a résumé
• Identify characteristics of an effective résumé
• Identify characteristics of an effective cover letter

Purpose of Résumés and Cover Letters

A résumé is a “selfie” for business purposes. It is a written picture of who you are—it’s a marketing tool, a selling tool, and a promotion of you as an ideal candidate for any job you may be interested in.

The word résumé comes from the French word résumé , which means “a summary.” Leonardo da Vinci is credited with writing one of the first known résumés, although it was more of a letter that outlined his credentials for a potential employer, Ludovico Sforza. The résumé got da Vinci the job, though, and Sforza became a longtime patron of da Vinci and later commissioned him to paint The Last Supper .

Résumés and cover letters work together to represent you in the brightest light to prospective employers. With a well-composed résumé and cover letter, you stand out—which may get you an interview and then a good shot at landing a job.

In this section we discuss résumés and cover letters as key components of your career development tool kit. We explore some of the many ways you can design and develop them for the greatest impact in your job search.

Your Résumé: Purpose and Contents

Your résumé is an inventory of your education, work experience, job-related skills, accomplishments, volunteer history, internships, residencies, and/or more. It’s a professional autobiography in outline form to give the person who reads it a quick, general idea of who you are. With a better idea of who your are, prospective employers can see how well you might contribute to their workplace.

As a college student or recent graduate, though, you may be unsure about what to put in your résumé, especially if you don’t have much employment history. Still, employers don’t expect recent grads to have significant work experience. And even with little work experience, you may still have a host of worthy accomplishments to include. It’s all in how you present yourself.

Elements of Your Successful R ésumé

Perhaps the hardest part of writing a résumé is figuring out what format to use to organize and present your information in the most effective way. There is no correct format, per se, but most résumés follow one of the four formats below. Which format appeals to you the most?

• Reverse chronological résumé : A reverse chronological résumé (sometimes also simply called a chronological résumé) lists your job experiences in reverse chronological order—that is, starting with the most recent job and working backward toward your first job. It includes starting and ending dates. Also included is a brief description of the work duties you performed for each job, and highlights of your formal education. The reverse chronological résumé may be the most common and perhaps the most conservative résumé format. It is most suitable for demonstrating a solid work history, and growth and development in your skills. It may not suit you if you are light on skills in the area you are applying to, or if you’ve changed employers frequently, or if you are looking for your first job.  Reverse Chronological Résumé Examples
• Functional résumé : A functional résumé is organized around your talents, skills, and abilities (more so than work duties and job titles, as with the reverse chronological résumé). It emphasizes specific professional capabilities, like what you have done or what you can do. Specific dates may be included but are not as important. So if you are a new graduate entering your field with little or no actual work experience, the functional résumé may be a good format for you. It can also be useful when you are seeking work in a field that differs from what you have done in the past. It’s also well suited for people in unconventional careers. Functional Résumé Examples
• Hybrid résumé : The hybrid résumé is a format reflecting both the functional and chronological approaches. It’s also called a combination résumé. It highlights relevant skills, but it still provides information about your work experience. With a hybrid résumé, you may list your job skills as most prominent and then follow with a chronological (or reverse chronological) list of employers. This résumé format is most effective when your specific skills and job experience need to be emphasized.  Hybrid Résumé Examples
• Video, infographic, and Web-site résumé : Other formats you may wish to consider are the video résumé, the infographic résumé, or even a Web-site résumé. These formats may be most suitable for people in multimedia and creative careers. Certainly with the expansive use of technology today, a job seeker might at least try to create a media-enhanced résumé. But the paper-based, traditional résumé is by far the most commonly used—in fact, some human resource departments may not permit submission of any format other than paper based. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-creating-a-video-resume-2064219  Video Resume;  Infographic Résumé Examples ; Web-Site Résumé Examples

An important note about formatting is that, initially, employers may spend only a few seconds reviewing each résumé—especially if there is a big stack of them or they seem tedious to read. That’s why it’s important to choose your format carefully so it will stand out and make the first cut.

Writing Effective Résumés

For many people, the process of writing a résumé is daunting. After all, you are taking a lot of information and condensing it into a very concise form that needs to be both eye-catching and easy to read. Don’t be scared off, though! Developing a good résumé can be fun, rewarding, and easier than you think if you follow a few basic guidelines. In the following video, a résumé-writing expert describes some keys to success.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=O5eVMaPZWmM%3Fenablejsapi%3D1

Contents and Components To Include

• Your contact information : name, address, phone number, professional email address
• A summary of your skills : 5–10 skills you have gained in your field; you can list hard skills as well as soft skills. Hard skills include proficiency in foreign language, computer programming, or coding. Soft skills include communication skills, leadership skills, or problem-solving.
• Work experience : depending on the résumé format you choose, you may list your most recent job first; include the title of the position, employer’s name, location, employment dates (beginning, ending)
• Volunteer experience
• Education and training : formal and informal experiences matter; include academic degrees, professional development, certificates, internships, etc.
• References statement (optional): “References available upon request” is a standard phrase used on résumés, although it is often implied
• Other sections : may include a job objective, a brief profile, a branding statement, a summary statement, additional accomplishments, and any other related experiences

Résumés resemble snowflakes in as much as no two are alike. Although you can benefit from giving yours a stamp of individuality, you will do well to steer clear of personal details that might elicit a negative response. It is advisable to omit any confidential information or details that could make you vulnerable to discrimination, for instance. Your résumé will likely be viewed by a number of employees in an organization, including human resource personnel, managers, administrative staff, etc. By aiming to please all reviewers, you gain maximum advantage.

• Do not mention your age, gender, height or weight.
• Do not include your social security number.
• Do not mention religious beliefs or political affiliations, unless they are relevant to the position.
• Do not include a photograph of yourself or a physical description.
• Do not mention health issues.
• Do not use first-person references (I, me).
• Do not include wage/salary expectations.
• Do not use abbreviations.
• Proofread carefully—absolutely no spelling mistakes are acceptable.

Top Ten Tips for a Successful Résumé

• Aim to make a résumé that’s 1–2 pages long on letter-size paper.
• Make it visually appealing.
• Use action verbs and phrases. See Action Words and Phrases for Résumé Development .
• Proofread carefully to eliminate any spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typographical errors.
• Include highlights of your qualifications or skills to attract an employer’s attention.
• Craft your letter as a pitch to people in the profession you plan to work in.
• Stand out as different, courageous.
• Be positive and reflect only the truth.
• Be excited and optimistic about your job prospects!
• Keep refining and reworking your résumé; it’s an ongoing project.

Remember that your résumé is your professional profile. It will hold you in the most professional and positive light, and it’s designed to be a quick and easy way for a prospective employer to evaluate what you might bring to a job. When written and formatted attractively, creatively, and legibly, your résumé is what will get your foot in the door. You can be proud of your accomplishments, even if they don’t seem numerous. Let your résumé reflect your personal pride and professionalism.

In the following video, Résumé Tips for College Students From Employers , several college graduate recruiters summarize the most important points about crafting your résumé. You can download a transcript of the video here .

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fYavOr8Gnac%3Fenablejsapi%3D1

Résumé Writing Resources

Click here for a text-only version of the activity.

Your Résumé: It’s Like Online Dating

The following essay by Jackie Vetrano is excerpted from Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom . It’s a true-to-life story comparing job hunting to online dating. The writer’s “lessons learned” are meant to enlarge your awareness of your career goals as you attend college.

It’s Like Online Dating

Searching for a job, especially your first job, is a lot like online dating. It begins as a time commitment, gets nerve-wracking towards the middle, but ends in success and happiness if you follow the right process.

Like many single people with access to current technology, I ventured into the world of online dating. I went for coffee with potential mates who were instant no ways, some who left me scratching my head, and a few who I found a connection with.

But hang on. We are here to talk about professional development, not my love life.

Being on the job hunt is not easy. Many spend hours preparing résumés, looking at open positions, and thinking about what career path to travel. Occasionally, it is overwhelming and intimidating, but when taken one step at a time, it can be a manageable and an exciting process.

The first step of online dating is the most important: create your dating profile. Your profile is where you put your best foot forward and show off all of your attractive qualities through visuals and text. Online daters find their most flattering photos and then season the “about me” section of their profile with captivating and descriptive words to better display who they are and why other online daters should give them a shot.

Résumés follow this same logic. Your résumé should be clean, polished, and present you in your best light for future employers. Like dating profiles, they are detailed and should paint a picture for other prospective dates (or future employers) supporting why you deserve a chance at their love—an interview.

The unspoken rules of online dating profiles are very similar to the rules for writing a résumé. Whether you like it or not, your online dating profile and résumé both serve as a first impression. Profiles and résumés that are short, filled with spelling errors, or vague are usually passed over. Unless you are a supermodel and all you need is an enticing photo, your written description is very important to display who you are.

Your résumé should capture who you are, your skill set, education, past experiences, and anything else that is relevant to the job you hope to obtain. Knowing your audience is a key factor in crafting the perfect resume. Logically, if my online dating profile presented studious and quiet personality traits, I would likely start receiving messages from potential mates who are looking for someone who is seeking those traits. By taking a similar approach while writing a résumé, you can easily determine the tone, language, and highlighted skills and experiences you should feature. The tone of your résumé is dictated by the nature of the position you hope to obtain in the future. For example, hospitality jobs or positions that require you to interact with many people on a daily basis should be warm and welcoming while analytical jobs, such as accounting or research positions, should reflect an astute attention to detail. Your choice in language follows similar logic—use appropriate terms for the position you are seeking.

Unlike online dating profiles, your résumé should include your important contact information, including email address, telephone number, and mailing address. Some advise refraining from listing a mailing address, as this could create a bias due to some organizations that are looking for a new employee who is already in the area.

Unfortunately, this bias cannot be foreseen, which means you should use your best judgment when listing your contact information. If you include this contact information on your dating profile, you may have some very interesting text messages in the morning.

—Jackie Ventrano,  Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

Vetrano’s essay is continued ahead in the “Cover Letters” section of this page.

Writing Effective Cover Letters

Cover letters matter. When you have to go through a pile of them, they are probably more important than the résumé itself. —woodleywonderworks

What Is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a letter of introduction, usually 3–4 paragraphs in length, that you attach to your résumé. It’s a way of introducing yourself to a potential employer and explaining why you are suited for a position. Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as an initial method of screening out applicants who may who lack necessary basic skills, or who may not be sufficiently interested in the position.

Cover Letter Examples

Often an employer will request or require that a cover letter be included in the materials an applicant submits. There are also occasions when you might submit a cover letter uninvited: for example, if you are initiating an inquiry about possible work or asking someone to send you information or provide other assistance.

With each résumé you send out, always include a cover letter specifically addressing your purposes.

Characteristics of an Effective Cover Letter

Cover letters should accomplish the following:

• Get the attention of the prospective employer
• Set you apart from any possible competition
• Identify the position you are interested in
• Specify how you learned about the position or company
• Present highlights of your skills and accomplishments
• Reflect your genuine interest
• Please the eye and ear

Cover Letter Resources

Your cover letter: it’s like online dating.

The following is another excerpt from the “It’s Like Online Dating” essay by Jackie Vetrano. Writing a cover letter may feel like a chore, but the payoff will be well worth it if you land the job you want!

It’s Like Online Dating

Sending a message—the cover letter.

After searching through dozens of profiles, online daters generally find a handful of people they can picture themselves with. There’s only one way to find out more about the person, and that’s by sending the first message.

The challenging part of the first message I send through online dating sites is determining what to say. I’ve never met these people before, but I do have access to their dating profiles filled with their hobbies, hometowns, and more. This is a perfect starting point for my message, especially if we both root for the same football team or if the other person likes to run as much as I do.

Your cover letter serves as an introduction to your future employer and should complement your résumé to create a shining first impression. It is incredibly challenging to sit in front of a blank screen trying to find a good starting point, which means you should look at the job posting and organization’s Web site for ideas about what to include.

Generally, these job postings provide a set of hard skills (such as proficiency with certain technology) and soft skills (such as public speaking, teamwork, or working in a flexible environment) required and desired for the posted position. This information provides you a list of what should be explained in your cover letter. Demonstrating your hard skills is a simple enough task by using examples or stating certifications, but describing your soft skills may require a little more thought. These soft skills can be exhibited by discussing specific examples of past experiences in previous jobs you’ve held, volunteer work, or work you’ve done in college classes.

After you have crafted your cover letter, you should send it to a few people you trust for their opinion and overall proofreading along with the job posting for their reference. It’s obvious that your cover letter should be free of spelling and grammar errors, but these trustworthy individuals will also be able to provide helpful insight about the examples you’ve used to display your soft skills.

—Jackie Vetrano,  Foundations of Academic Success: Words of Wisdom

Check Your Understanding

Which of the following formats describes a resume that focuses on specific jobs over time?

reverse chronological resume

• Nearlander resume
• Functional resume
• Outcome: Resumes and Cover Letters. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• College Success. Authored by : Linda Bruce. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of helping write a resume. Authored by : Gangplank HQ. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/9w2Wsw . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Foundations of College Success: Words of Wisdom. Authored by : Thomas C. Priester, editor. Provided by : Open SUNY Textbooks. Located at : http://textbooks.opensuny.org/foundations-of-academic-success/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Image of resume. Authored by : Flazingo Photos. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/nbAtrh . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Resumes. Authored by : David McMurrey. Located at : https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/resume.html#early_career . License : CC BY: Attribution
• Image of piles of paper on a table. Authored by : woodleywonderworks. Located at : https://flic.kr/p/5y1i36 . License : CC BY: Attribution
• WHY DO I NEED A RESUME?. Authored by : Leinard Tapat. Located at : https://youtu.be/Yc4pgOsUJfA . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Resume Tips for College Students From Employers. Authored by : Clarkson University. Located at : https://youtu.be/fYavOr8Gnac . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• 5 Steps to an Incredible Cover Letter. Authored by : Aimee Bateman. Located at : https://youtu.be/mxOli8laZos . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Resume Tutorial. Authored by : Cameron Cassidy. Located at : https://youtu.be/O5eVMaPZWmM . License : All Rights Reserved . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

• Undergraduate Students
• Masters Students
• PhD/Doctoral Students
• Postdoctoral Scholars
• Faculty & Staff
• Families & Supporters
• Prospective Students
• Explore Your Interests / Self-Assessment
• Build your Network / LinkedIn
• Search for a Job / Internship
• Create a Resume / Cover Letter
• Prepare for an Interview
• Negotiate an Offer
• Prepare for Graduate School
• Find Funding Opportunities
• Prepare for the Academic Job Market
• Search for a Job or Internship
• Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Arts & Entertainment
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• Non-Profit, Social Justice & Education
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• BIPOC Students & Scholars
• Current & Former Foster Youth
• Disabled Students & Scholars
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• Formerly Incarcerated Students & Scholars
• International Students & Scholars
• LGBTQ+ Students & Scholars
• Students & Scholars with Dependents
• Transfer Students
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Resumes & Cover Letters

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Your resume is a powerful marketing tool to land an interview. Employers typically scan a resume for 15-30 seconds, so craft a resume that is clear, concise, and demonstrates how you meet their needs.

How to Build Your Resume

Reflect on your experience.

Make a list of special qualities that set you apart from other applicants. Employers will be looking for examples of:

• How your skills/experience/knowledge fit with the position/industry/organization.
• Your ability to deal with high-pressure situations.
• Willingness to assume responsibility.
• A high energy level.
• Strong interpersonal skills and initiative.

Think of specific examples of where and how each skill or attribute led to a tangible result or achievement. Include work experience, internships, volunteer activities, clubs and organizations, research projects, sports, etc. Consider the following as you get started. Have you:

• Identified and/or helped solve any problems? Instituted any new methods, systems, or procedures?
• Acquired industry-specific knowledge?
• Done something faster, better, or cheaper?
• Increased membership, participation, or sales?
• Saved your organization money or reduced waste?
• Suggested a new service, product, or project?
• Re-organized or improved an existing system?
• Refined the nature of an existing task?
• Maintained a consistently high level of performance?
• Demonstrated leadership skills and exhibited good team player skills?
• Reached out for more work or more responsibility?
• Achieved results with little or no supervision?
• Motivated others?
• Coordinated an event or project?
• Trained another person? What were the results?
• Tutored anyone? Did their grades improve?

Emphasize the Results

Show measurable results to an employer. Quantifying and qualifying your accomplishments gives prospective employers a sense of how you went about an assignment or project and the bottom-line results of your performance. Numbers speak volumes to people who make hiring decisions. Qualifying your results is also important so prospective employers can see the impact of your services. Here are a few examples of how you can turn your bullet points into powerful statements that demonstrate your accomplishments.

Instead of:  “Organized all sorority philanthropic events.” Write this:  “Organized all sorority philanthropic events which resulted in contributions of over $4000.”

Instead of:  “Served food.” Write this:  “Developed tact and diplomacy when dealing with customers in a fast-paced environment”

Instead of:  “Responsible for typing and filing.” Write this:  “Commended for efficiency and accuracy in completing office duties”

Building a Powerful Resume

Writing a stand out resume requires the perfect combination of formatting and content. Make sure your resume is easy to read, understand, and digest.

Resume Format

Name & Contact

• At top of resume, centered or justified to left or right. Name should be larger by at least 4 points.
• If you have a preferred name, include it in parentheses between your first and last.
• May include contact information on one line, separating address, phone, and email with a bullet.

Margins & Spacing

• 0.5” to 1” on all sides
• Include white space between the sections of your resume. The space should go before each section heading (not necessary after each section heading).
• Include a space between each item within each section so that it’s clear where one ends and the next begins.

Font Format

• Size: 10-12 points
• Font: Any that is easily legible (ie Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica, Times). Use the same font throughout.
• Color: Black is preferred. Color may be difficult for some to see and/or not industry-appropriate.
• Typical items to bold include Name and Headings.
• You may bold whatever content is most relevant to the position such as the university name under Education or your position title under Experience.

Tables & Text Boxes

Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan resume submissions for keywords. Avoid tables, text boxes, and other complex formatting, as they may make it difficult for the ATS to scan your resume.

Length & Paper

• 1 page for undergraduate students and recent grads. Fill the page completely.
• 2 pages may be acceptable for grad students and others with extensive relevant experience.
• When printing your resume, use 8 1/2” x 11” resume paper in white or ivory.
• Experience descriptions should be in bullet list format.
• Use bullets and avoid dashes, arrows, check boxes, or diamonds.
• List all dates along the same margin (right preferred).
• Include months and years for each experience instead of the year only or the quarter/season.
• You may format dates as numbers (09/20xx), words (September 20xx), or abbreviate (Sept. 20xx). Be consistent.

Category Headings

• Left justified (preferred) or centered.
• All caps and bold (preferred).
• May include a bottom border line. To add a line under your section headings in MS Word, go to Home > Paragraph > select the Bottom Border icon.

Resume Content: Essential Categories

Contact Information

• Name (16-18 pts), address, phone #, email, and web address (optional).
• Make sure your email address and your phone’s voicemail greeting are professional.
• Name of school, degree earned or seeking (i.e., BS, BA, MS, MA, PhD), major and minor, expected graduation date (month and year), and GPA (if required or if above 3.0).
• List highest degree first. Include study abroad. High school information should be omitted after sophomore year at the latest.
• Job title, company name, location (city, state), dates of experience, bullet points describing your actions, skills, and accomplishments.
• May include any type of experience: paid and unpaid positions, internships, military service, volunteer, leadership – anything you’ve done that’s relevant to the position you’re seeking.

Resume Content: Additional Categories

Include only those categories that best represent your qualifications for the position. The order of your resume categories should be based on the needs of the position.

Objective (Optional)

• A specific, concise, one-sentence description of the position desired.
• For a specific position, include the title and company name. For general use, omit or state the field, industry, type(s) of positions you are seeking.

Qualifications Summary

• List of all of your qualifications for the position (tailored to the job posting).
• Typically toward the top of the resume, after Education
• Categorize the relevant, concrete skills you possess. Categories may include: Languages, Computer, Laboratory
• List only the skills you can perform with little or no supervision. State your proficiency level with languages and programs (fluent, advanced, proficient, etc.).

Relevant Coursework/Projects

• List course titles (not numbers) of relevant courses, in order of relevance. If a lab, include (Lab) after title.
• May be listed separately or as a subsection under Education.

Honors & Awards

• Students & recent grads can include academic honors, awards and scholarships.
• May be listed separately or as a subsection under “Education”. Include date or # of quarters honors, awards, & scholarships received.
• List the research project, department/lab/organization name, dates, and description of the project, methods, & findings.
• Use same format as Experience section.

Publications

• Cite publications using the correct format for your discipline (MLA, APA, etc.). Bold your name.
• Identify if still in submitted status. May also indicate if peer-reviewed.
• List office(s) held, organization, dates, and a brief description of accomplishments * Use same format as Experience section.

Activities/Volunteer

• List membership in any clubs, sports, or community service experiences.
• May not include a description, depending upon the depth of your involvement.

Interests (Optional)

• List outside hobbies, interests and talents. * Only include those that are unique, specific,and/or require skill/dedication.

Certifications/Licenses

• List is applicable to the position or field
• Can go under Education or Skills

Do Not Include

• References should not be on your resume, but can be on a separate page.
• Personal information such as marital status, citizenship, date of birth, etc.
• Pictures or headshots should not be included on a resume (except if applying for acting/modeling positions or in countries where it is customary to include a photo).

Build Your Bullet Points

There is a formula for creating detailed, compelling bullet points. The content of each bullet point should contain the following:

What did you do? : What were your duties, responsibilities, and/or projects?

How did you do it? : Specific tools, resources, or technology (transferable skills)

Elaborate with details : How often? How many? What was the purpose? Who else was involved? (Use numbers when possible.)

What were the results? : What did you accomplish or improve? Did you meet or exceed a goal? Did you create something new? (Use numbers when possible.)

Download the “Build Your Bullet Points” worksheet here .

CV vs. Resume

A Curriculum Vitae (CV) may be requested in lieu of a resume, typically for academic, scholarly or research opportunities. For undergraduate students, the differences between a CV and a resume are limited.

Curriculum Vitae (CV) * Audience: Academics, researchers, or teachers * Goal: To obtain an academic or research position, grant, or fellowship * Structure & Format: Complete history of your academic credentials – research, teaching, awards, funding, service * Focus: Your academic achievements and your scholarly potential * Unnecessary Information: Activities not related to academic pursuits (ie., personal information, irrelevant work experience, hobbies, etc.) * Length: Flexible

• Audience: Potential employers and networking contacts
• Goal: To obtain a position in any industry outside of academia
• Structure & Format: Brief snapshot of your most relevant skills and work experience. Most relevant skills and experiences should be in the first 1/3 of the resume. Resumes are targeted specifically for the job description
• Focus: Relevant experience and demonstrated skills through accomplishments that prove you can do the job well
• Unnecessary Information: Unabridged list of publications, presentations, conferences attended, courses taught. Work or accomplishments that are not relevant to the position
• Length: 1-2 pages (One page highly recommended)

Target Your Resume to the Job

Your Skills + Their Need = Connection

• Make it easy for the employer to see your fit for the job.
• Do not assume they will “know what you mean” – be specific.
• Use action verbs to demonstrate what you have accomplished.
• Use the job posting as a guideline for targeting your resume.

Steps to Target Your Resume

• Create a great resume following the guidelines in the preceding pages of this chapter.
• Review the job description. Read the specific skills and qualifications: underline words/phrases that match your background. Read the job responsibilities: underline words/phrases that match your background. Take an inventory of your experiences: how and where have you applied these skills?
• Use the keywords from the job posting in the targeted industry (Online applications are often matched to keywords in job posting for screening out resumes)
• If the job posting is very limited, find similar jobs to use as a guide
• The cover letter will also be targeted and can elaborate your “fit”

To see a variety of sample resumes targeted to specific positions and industries, download Chapter 6 of the Career Guide at the bottom of this page.

Writing a Stand Out Cover Letter

A cover letter should communicate your strong interest in the company and your enthusiasm for the position or internship you’re applying for.

Purpose of the Cover Letter

• Brief overview of qualifications.
• Differentiate yourself from the crowd.
• Captivate the attention of the reader.
• Communicate interest in the organization.
• Convince the employer of your skills and accomplishments.

Rules for Cover Letters

• Address the employer’s “wish list”.
• Assess the employer’s needs.
• Actively promote yourself.

Focus on What You Have to Offer

• Describe how your skills, expertise, and past accomplishments can benefit the employer.
• Follow standard business letter format.
• Write clearly and concisely, and proofread your letter for spelling and grammar.
• Use the same font and paper that you used for your resume.

Send Your Cover Letter to a Specific Individual

• Ideally, the letter should be addressed to the person who is likely to make employment decisions. It may take some resourcefulness on your part to identify this person, but the letter will probably be better received.
• Make sure you have the correct spelling of their name and title before submitting.
• If you cannot find the name of the person the letter is addressed to, you may use a title that is specific such as “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Internship Coordinator”.
• Don’t forget to sign your letter (You can scan it and include it as a .jpg).

Cover Letter Samples

There are cover letter samples in Chapter 6 of the Career Guide and in  Firsthand .

• Resist the temptation to take a “fill-in-the-blank” approach based on the samples.
• Do not use the exact same language found in a sample. Your cover letter should be a reflection of you.
• A cover letter need not stick to a set structure or outline as long as it effectively communicates your fit for the company and position as well as your desire to work for them.

For more information on Resumes & Cover Letters, download Chapter 6 of the UCLA Career Guide .

5 AI tools for students: Use AI to help you study, summarize content, and edit papers

Ace your classes with an AI assist.

• Quizlet Q-Chat
• Google Socratic

I wish these AI tools for students were around when I was in school. Sure, AI tools can't do your homework, write your papers, or take your exams, but they can make your life a lot easier.

With AI, long book chapters can be summarized into quick, easy-to-study bullet points, classes can be recorded and transcribed so you can be laser-focused, and weirdly worded paragraphs can be revised with AI-generated text — and that's just scratching the surface of how AI can help you as a student.

The number of AI-powered services available for students can be overwhelming, so we've rounded up the 5 best AI tools for students.

Best AI tool for editing and summarizing text: Grammarly

Grammarly is easily one of the best AI tools for students because of the wide variety of tasks it can help with. 

The most obvious way Grammarly can help you is with text generation and revision suggestions for emails, cover letters, resumes, and even school assignments. The critical warning is that you should never use AI to completely write a paper from scratch, this is a homework assistant, not something doing your homework for you. Grammarly's AI features are best used as supplemental tools that can help you get started with a tough paragraph, find a new way to say something, or edit your papers after they're written.

A few lesser-known AI features Grammarly offers include summarizing big blocks of text, generating ideas for projects, adjusting your writing tone, and providing helpful writing prompts. You can even use Grammarly to help caption your Instagram posts when you're done with homework.

Grammarly's free account lets you generate text with 100 AI prompts every month, but the premium $12/month (billed annually) option can rewrite full sentences, adjust writing tone, and generate text with 1,000 AI prompts monthly.

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Best AI tool for intuitive studying: Quizlet Q-Chat

Most students are already familiar with Quizlet and its virtual sets of flashcards to help you master subjects. But to take your studying game to the next level, you need to check out its AI-powered Q-Chat tutor .

There are multiple ways Q-Chat can help you test your knowledge, including AI-generated quizzes, lessons, conversations, and fun games like two truths and a lie. You can also use Q-Chat to help you learn a new language, but Duolingo is a better AI tool for that purpose.

Quizlet lets you try out Q-Chat conversations with a free account, but to use its full features, you'll need a Quizlet Plus account for $7.99/month or $35.99/year. 

Best AI tool for recording and summarizing classes: Otter.ai

When you try to take notes and listen to your professor at the same time, you can sometimes miss important information. With Otter.ai , you can record the class, get transcripts and summaries, and put all your attention into listening to your teacher.

Otter is an incredibly helpful AI tool for students with ADHD or anyone else who finds it difficult to multitask in class and pay attention. However, it's worth noting that you should get permission from your teacher before recording them with Otter.

If you're an online student, Otter works with Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to record, transcribe, and summarize virtual classes. You can also use Otter to record meetings for group projects to easily keep track of what was talked about and what actions were assigned to everyone.

Best AI tool for explaining concepts: Google Socratic

Socratic by Google is a free AI tool available for Android and iOS that helps explain complex concepts to students with helpful visuals, AI-generated answers to questions, and links to relevant YouTube videos.

The app can help high school and university-level students with basic subjects, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, biology, chemistry, physics, history, and literature.

Socratic can solve math problems and answer questions, but it shouldn't be used to complete homework for you. Instead, it's a useful AI tool when you're stuck on a problem or you don't understand why you got an answer wrong. Socratic can show you step-by-step explanations, helping prepare you for exams.

Another free tool that can offer in-depth explanations is Bing Chat , a GPT-4-based chatbot. This tool scours the entire internet, so Bing Chat can find answers to more complex questions on various subjects compared to Socratic.

Best AI tool for researching academic papers: Consensus

Consensus is an AI search engine for research that helps students find academic papers and studies. This AI tool is best for college and late-high school students who are starting to write research papers requiring academic sources.

You can type any research question or topic into the Consensus website to find relevant sources, and each pulled source will have pre-populated citations in multiple formats for you to copy and paste into your paper. 

Consensus also paired up with Copilot to bring ChatGPT -type functionality to the service. This means you can tack on a command to your search, like "Group together pro and con cases" or "Explain for an 8-year-old." 

A free Consensus account gives you unlimited searches, unlimited AI-powered filters, and 20 AI credits every month for more powerful features, like GPT-4 Summaries, Consensus Meters, Study Snapshots, and Copilot. For unlimited use of those more powerful features, a premium subscription costs $8.99/month.

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