Writing a Successful Resume and Cover Letter

What Is a Resume? A resume is a tool you can use to market yourself to potential employers. It is a collection of your skills, accomplishments, education, work history, and activities. Your resume should give employers a quick overview of your potential contributions to the workplace. It’s often their first impression of you.

What Is a Cover Letter? A cover letter is an introduction letter stating your interest in a job and explains why you are sending your resume. It tells the employer how you learned about the job opening, and it convinces him or her to look at your resume.

Resume Tips for Success:

  • Before you start writing your resume, think about what you have learned and accomplished. What are/were you involved in? What skills are you learning/did you learn? What fields are you trained in? Having these things in mind will make the resume-writing process easier and faster.
  • There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all resume. Pick the resume template that best showcases your experience and talent.
  • Chronological and functional/skills resumes are the two most popular types of resumes.
  • A chronological resume is most popular for individuals just entering the workforce. It showcases all aspects of your abilities and why you are the best candidate for the job in your field.
  • A functional/skills resume works best if your skill set doesn’t exactly match up with the job for which you are applying. This resume focuses on the flexibility of your skills and how they apply to the position you are seeking.
  • “Increased sales in sporting goods department by 15 percent over 4-week span” sounds a lot better than “Helped customers in sporting goods department.” For your experience section, focus on specific achievements rather than just job descriptions.
  • In your relevant skills section, talk about skills that you enjoy using. If you know how to use a specific word processing program but absolutely hate using it, leave it off your resume.
  • PROOFREAD! Don’t rely on spell check because it might not catch misused words like “four” instead of “for,” or even worst, the program might ever change the spelling of a company name. Be sure to share it with your CTS counselor for review.
  • Your resume is your first impression with an employer. A neat and well-organized resume reflects a neat and well-organized person.
  • Try to keep your resume to one page. The average employer looks at a resume for only 15 to 30 seconds, so it has to be memorable.

Cover Letter Tips for Success:

  • In your cover letter, be sure to provide any information requested in the job advertisement that might not be included in your resume.
  • Do your research. Show the employer that you know about the company.
  • In your cover letter, note that the resume is enclosed or attached.
  • Check to see how the employer would like to receive resumes and/or applications. Some prefer email over hard copies.

Resume and Cover Letter Resources:

  • Get tips on writing a successful resume and cover letter.
  • Look at free resume and cover letter samples.
  • Search Frequently Asked Questions for first-time resume writers.