Resumes and Cover Letters

Always type your resume. Proof your resume and check for punctuation and correct spelling.

Include your name, address and phone number. You may include your e-mail address if you wish. Avoid using e-mail addresses that are potentially controversial or offensive.

Do not include personal data such as age, date of birth, height, weight or marital status.

If you are still enrolled in school you may want to include both your home and school contact information. As you get close to graduation you should use your permanent address.

If potential employers will be contacting you by phone, be sure that you have a professional greeting on your voice mail or answering machine.

Be honest and factual. Employers do check information.

Highlight related experience and transferable skills in a positive manner. Sell your strengths and skills.

Use 8 1/2 x 11", quality paper for your resume. Resume paper comes in a variety of styles and colors and you should choose paper that is most appropriate for your field. Use white paper if the resume may be scanned. Use lighter shade paper if employers will be making photocopies of your resume.

Be careful using font styles that may be difficult to read or that cannot be scanned.

Design the layout of your resume so that it is easy to read and does not appear crowded. Leave adequate white space on the page.

Create headings and categories that will best highlight your experiences and background. 
Examples of possible category headings.

Include an objective when you are looking at specific types of positions. Always focus the objective on what you can do for the employer, not what they can do for you. Never send out a resume with an objective that is different from the job or field you are applying to. If you are using one resume for a variety of purposes you may want to eliminate the objective altogether. Examples of objectives.

If you are a student or recent graduate, your education should be located near the top of the resume, immediately following your objective. If you do not use an objective, place the education section immediately following your name and contact information.

It isn’t necessary to list your high school education.

If you are applying for an internship, you may want to list relevant coursework.

You may include your GPA if you wish and if it will be useful for potential employers to know. Do not include a GPA below a 2.5.

Work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order with the most recent experience appearing first. Include your job title, name of the organization you worked for, city, state and dates you were employed.

Include a brief description of your work experience using action words rather than full sentences. Avoid using the word "I." Examples of action words.

Limit abbreviations to standard items such as postal codes (NH, MA, VT, ME, CT, etc.).

Use bold, capitalization, underlining, or italics to highlight sections or job titles. Be consistent with their use throughout the resume. Do not use underlining, italics or fancy fonts if your resume will be scanned by a computer or sent electronically.

You may end the resume with the line "Reference Available Upon Request" if you wish. Do not include the names of references on the resume itself. Always prepare a separate reference sheet with the names, titles, addresses and phone numbers of your references. Include your name on the reference sheet in the event it is separated from your resume, or if you provide it at the interview itself. You should have the names of at least three professional references available for employers. Professional references could include faculty, college administrators, employers, internship supervisors or others who can talk about your experiences, skills and potential. Some employers prefer to do telephone reference checks and others may ask for written letters of reference.

Design creative resumes for fields such as art or graphics.

Follow electronic format guidelines if sending your resume via the internet. Follow site guidelines if posting your resume on line.

If you post your resume on line, be sure you know who will have access to the information, how long it will remain posted, and how you can remove it from the site. Some people prefer not listing their home addresses and will use a post office box and/or cell phone or email address.

View the cover letter as a professional piece of correspondence and follow formal writing procedures.

Type your cover letter on the same kind of paper your resume is on.

Include your address on the cover letter and the date you are writing.

Send an individual letter for each application. Do not send out a form letter

When possible, always address the letter to a specific person. If you do not know who to send it to address it to the Director of Human Resources or the Internship Coordinator. Do not send it to Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom it May Concern.

You can mail the resume and cover letter in a standard size envelope (fold in thirds) or in a large manila envelope. Do not staple the resume and cover letter together.

Do not send references at this time unless the employer asks for them.

If employers ask for salary requirements, you should include this in the cover letter. It is usually recommended that you include a salary range rather than a specific amount. For example, you may state that you are looking at positions that pay in the low to mid-thirties. This leaves room for some flexibility. Many times the value of a benefit package may be just as important as the actual salary.

Research the company or organization so that you can effectively outline how your background and skills will fit with the job and their mission.

The cover letter should be one page in length and include three parts: the introduction, the body and the closing. Each should include the following:

Introduction: Explain why you are writing. Identify the position you are applying for and how you heard of the opening. You may also want to briefly outline why you are interested in the position or the organization.

Body: This should be one to two paragraphs in length and explain what skills and strengths you can bring to the job. Outline past experiences, education, or abilities that will be an asset in the position. Expand on the information your provided on your resume. Focus on your strengths not your weaknesses.

Closing: The final paragraph allows you to wrap up your thoughts and thank the employer for their consideration. Close on a positive note. It may be useful to include your phone number in this paragraph as well.

Be sure to sign your cover letter. Always keep a copy of the information you mail out to employers for future reference. This can be extremely helpful in monitoring your job search, preparing for an interview or speaking with employers by phone.

Some employers may send a notification that they received your resume and cover letter, but others may only contact those candidates they plan to interview. You may do a follow-up phone call to check on the status of the search or to verify that they have received your materials.