Chapter 31: Cover Letter and Resume
Graciela Martinez and Elizabeth Shaker
The Cover Letter
A cover letter is a professional business letter that accompanies your resume and introduces yourself to the employer. It states the position you are applying for and your interest in the job and the company. It is designed to hook the reader and spark their interest in reading your resume.
Your cover letter should be engaging, informative, and show your command of the written word. It should flow easily from a reader’s perspective, making the connection between the opportunity and your ability to succeed if given the chance. The tone should be compelling. You should be excited about the opportunity and you should be confident of your ability to succeed (even if you truly lack the confidence).
The format of your cover letter should involve three basic parts:
- The Introduction: The introductory paragraph, states the position you are applying for, how you heard about it, and why you are interested in the position. If someone referred you for the position, mention their name. The goal is to hook the employer and motivate them to want to review your resume and invite you for an interview!
- The Body: Paragraphs 2-3 give actual examples of your success in areas that support what the employer is looking for in the position. This is where you link your skills and abilities with the job description.
- The Closing: the final paragraph shows enthusiasm for working for the company. Request an interview to further discuss the position and state that you will call within a week to follow-up. Thank the employer for their time and consideration.
The body of the cover letter is the most important part. To help you craft a strong body, it is important to match your qualifications with those the employer is looking for. To help you do this, you will need to study the job description in great detail. Extract the main functions, tasks, and desired qualifications from the job description and give examples from your past work experience to illustrate how you are a good fit.
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
The following video features Aimee Bateman, founder of Careercake.com, who explains how you can create an incredible cover letter. You can download a transcript of the video here.
Table 31.1 – Cover Letter Resources
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Website |
Description |
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Student Cover Letter Samples (from About Careers) |
This site contains sample student/recent graduate cover letters (especially for high school students and college students and graduates seeking employment) as well as cover letter templates, writing tips, formats and templates, email cover letter examples, and examples by type of applicant |
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How to Write Cover Letters (from CollegeGrad) |
This site contains resources about the reality of cover letters, using a cover letter, the worst use of the cover letter, the testimonial cover letter technique, and a cover letter checklist |
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This site contains articles, experts, jobs, and more: get all the professional insights you need on LinkedIn |
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Cover Letters (from the Yale Office of Career Strategy) |
This site includes specifications for the cover letter framework (introductory paragraph, middle paragraph, concluding paragraph), as well as format and style |
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The Career Center provides assistance with career counseling, internship assistance and the job search process. Meet with a an expert for professional feedback on your resume. |
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Sample Cover Letter Template
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Activity 31.1: Creating My Cover Letter |
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Now that we have reviewed the importance of a cover letter, it is time for you to develop your cover letter. Find a job or internship announcement you would be interested in applying for and craft your cover letter for this particular job/internship opportunity. Make your cover letter personal and specific to the job/internship announcement and make sure it hooks the employer Use the cover letter tools listed in the Cover Letter Resources table above to help you create your cover letter. Save your document as a PDF file. Follow instructions from your instructor on how to submit your work. |
Developing a Strong Resume
Marketing Focus
Your resume is a marketing document that sells your candidacy. It provides an outline of your educational background, your work experience, and the key skills you have acquired. Your resume should be marketed in a format that is pleasing to read, efficient in its use of the English language, and so concise that it fits on one page. Once you have approximately ten years of experience, it is more acceptable to have a two-page resume, but until then, you should adhere to a one-page document. Recruiters can frown on the audacity of a college student with a two-page resume. Whether you are not sure you can fill a one-page resume, or whether you think it’s not possible to fit your information to only one page, this section will help you get to your goal: an exceptional, one-page resume.
The following video is an animated look at why résumés are so important. You can read a transcript of the video here.38
Quality, Clarity, and Accuracy
Your resume is the most critical component, or cornerstone, of your marketing campaign and it must meet two important criteria:
- Your resume must be written in a clear and concise manner so the reader can quickly grasp what you offer as a candidate. Most seasoned recruiters scan a resume in about seven to ten seconds, but do not let that short review time throw you. Recruiters have an eye for the key things to look for in a resume, so a lot of care should be put into its construction. That construction should highlight the following features:
- Your strengths
- Your responsibilities
- Your accomplishments
- Your resume must be completely error-free. A resume represents you when you are not there. Recruiters look for reasons to reduce the number of resumes to review, so one error can be all that is needed to discard your resume and your candidacy. This is true in both good and bad economies, so take great care to guarantee 100 percent accuracy. Proofread your resume several times, use spell check, and ask someone who is exceptional at proofreading to review it. Always assume that an error lurks somewhere in your resume and review it and review it and review it until you find that error! Resumes often have the following common errors:
- Misspellings (Spell check does not catch every misspelled word; meat will not be corrected if you meant to write meet.)
- Errors in verb tense (Past experiences should be written in the past tense and current experiences in the current tense.)
- Grammatical errors of any kind
- Inconsistent formatting
- Inappropriate length
How to Craft the Perfect Resume
This is a trick title because there is no perfect resume. You could always choose to have a particular bullet point written in ways that are grammatically correct, are results oriented, and use action verbs, but writing a resume is not a perfect science. You could show your resume to five different recruiters and you might get five different opinions. There is no need to worry. The important thing is that it is well-written and highlights your accomplishments (no matter how big or how not so big). It’s important that the format be consistent and that you get an opinion from a professional, whether it is someone from career services, a professor, or a person who is currently working in the field in which you are most interested.
A well-written resume can do seven specific things for you and your job search:
It Represents You When You Are Not There
Your resume can be uploaded to global job boards like Monster, CareerBuilder, and others in a few minutes. It can be sent to a company’s online database with a push of a button. It can then be shared with dozens of recruiters and hiring managers without you even knowing about it. In fact, it’s a lot easier to get your resume in front of a recruiter than it is to have a physical presence in their office; therefore, make certain it’s a well-written, well-positioned document that makes an exceptional first impression.
It Quantifies Your Accomplishments
The best resume quantifies results and accomplishments clearly and easily. Here are some examples:
- If you reduced errors by 35 percent, if you increased profits by 55 percent, and if 75 percent of your customers are repeat customers, include this information clearly, succinctly, and proudly.
- If you have been a student teacher with thirty-five students in a classroom and student grades improved by 25 percent, include that as well.
- If you have worked as an administrative assistant in a dentist’s office and you are part of a marketing team that has increased new patient accounts by 10 percent last quarter, include that!
- If you worked in the school library and the number of lost books has declined by 50 percent, or if you provide guidance to approximately fifty students per day, that information should be in your resume.
Quantifying your accomplishments gives your resume readers the specific information they need to know about your abilities and to be intrigued by what you can do for them.
It Clearly States Your Abilities
Focus on the results of your actions. Being results oriented helps resume readers understand your abilities. What exactly do you do, or what have you done in the past? Your resume should answer this question very quickly. For example, if you have been responsible for opening and closing a retail store on a daily basis and for managing the register that took in approximately $5,000 worth of merchandise a day, state that clearly and concisely. If you have written three to four sports articles for your school paper every month for the past three years, include that as well.
The more you quantify your accomplishments, the more your abilities will be understood.
It Shows Your Command of the Written Word
You don’t have to be an English major to make sure that your resume is well written. Visit the career services department and inquire about resume writing workshops. Be sure to participate in them and consider scheduling a 1:1 appointment with a career counselor for additional support with your resume. Ask an older sibling who is in the workplace to review your resume before it goes into cyberspace or to a future employer. Other options include asking a teacher, professor, or perhaps someone with whom you worked with or for in the past to review your resume. Whatever the case, it is your responsibility to have a well-written resume. Remember that if it has one misspelled word, your resume could easily be dismissed, along with your candidacy. It’s critical that your resume be accurate and well written.
It Creates Talking Points for Your Future Interviews
Clearly listing your accomplishments and quantifying those accomplishments can create talking points for your future interviews. For example, perhaps your bullet point is the following:
- Responsible for the intake and outtake of approximately 1,000 books daily, ensuring that all library users are logged into the new electronic database, which has decreased the number of lost books by 80 percent in the past year.
Many individuals have to think about the results of their work. Including this detailed information in your resume actually allows you to easily talk about the value you’ve brought to previous employers. During an interview, with the preceding example in mind, you can easily talk about how you use technology to improve processes. You can discuss the team environment of the library staff and how you are all working toward decreasing the number of lost books. It shows that you have positively affected the bottom line by helping libraries hold onto books versus losing them, which results in unnecessary fees to library users.
It Proves Your Worth to Your Past Employers
Whenever including bullet points about past work, always tie your efforts to the bottom line. Earlier examples in this Unit included the following accomplishments:
- Reducing errors by 35 percent
- Increasing profits by 55 percent
- Boosting repeat sales to 75 percent
Information relating to a company’s bottom line is exactly what employers want to read. Highlighting results like these increases your chances of having your resume noticed.
It Demonstrates What You Can Do for Your Future Employer
Unlike financial investments, past performance is an indicator of future success, so include and quantify your past performance, and future employers will be inclined to believe you can do the same for them. They will believe it, but you have to continue supporting that belief with your exceptional networking and interviewing skills. Interviewing skills will be addressed later in this Unit. Remember, however, that your resume is introductory in nature. You want to get their attention and initiate their interest so your foot can inch ever closer to getting in their door.Resume Format
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.
- 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.
- 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. Video Resume Examples; 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.
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. In the following video, a résumé-writing expert describes some keys to success.
Contents and Components to Include
- Your contact information: full name (avoid nicknames), address, phone number, professional email address
- Objective: a brief statement sharing what you are looking for and what you have to contribute
- A summary of your skills: 5–10 skills you have gained in your field; you can list hard skills as well as soft skills (refer to the Professional Skill Building topic in this course)
- 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). Use brief bullet point statements to list your responsibilities and achievements. Use action words to start each bullet point. Refer Table1 below.
- Volunteer experience:
- Education and training: formal and informal experiences matter; include academic degrees, professional development, certificates, internships, study abroad, etc.
- References statement (optional): “References available upon request” is a standard phrase used at the end of résumés or you may take a proactive approach and create a separate document that lists your references. See sample below
- Other sections: may include, a branding statement, a summary statement, additional accomplishments, and any other related experiences such as: Computer Skills, Language Skills, Extracurricular Activities or Honors and Awards
Caution
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 Table 1 below for a list of action verbs.
- 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 cover letter as a pitch to people in the profession you plan to work in (more on cover letters in the next section)
- 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.39
You can download a transcript of the video here.
Table 31.2 – Action Words
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accelerated accomplished achieved acquired administered advised analyzed appointed approved arranged assisted assembled audited attained delegated demonstrated designed determined developed devised directed distributed drafted edited educated eliminated encouraged enhanced enlarged established evaluated examined exceeded executed |
expanded expedited extracted fabricated facilitated formulated founded generated headed helped hired identified illustrated implemented improved increased headed helped hired identified illustrated implemented improved increased initiated innovated inspected installed instructed integrated interpreted interviewed investigated |
launched maintained managed marketed mediate minimized monitored motivated negotiated obtained operated organized originated overhauled oversaw participated performed persuaded planned prepared presented prioritized processed produced programmed promoted proposed provided published recorded recruited |
regulated related remodeled reorganized repaired represented researched resolved restored restructured retrieved reviewed revised scheduled shaped solved sorted spoke streamlined summarized supervised tabulated taught trained translated trimmed upgraded utilized validated worked wrote |
On the next few pages are samples to reference to help you prepare your resume. The resume examples are from College of the Canyons’ Job Search Information & Templates page.
Sample Reverse Chronological Resume Template
Sample Reverse Chronological Resume
Sample Functional Resume Template
Sample Functional Resume
Roberta Hawley
333 West Terrace
Madison, WI 55555
E-mail: rh333@uwisconsin.edu
Cell: 917.333.5555
OBJECTIVE:
To secure an entry-level position in the health care industry, using my volunteer experience, along with my client focus, and results-oriented approach.
EDUCATION:
University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
BS degree, expected Spring 2013
Major: health care, Minor: communications
GPA:3.8
HONORS:
- Health Care Award recipient, Wisconsin General Hospital 2011
- University of Wisconsin Student Government, elected junior class president, 2011
- Dean’s List, 2010m 2011
- Senator Smith Scholarship for Academic Excellence, 2010
- Pi Kappa Delta
- Silver Helmer National Honor Society
LEADERSHIP SKILLS:
- President health care club, 2011, member 2008-2012
- Treasurer, nutrition club, 2010, member 2009-2012
- Captain, varsity tennis team, 2009-2012 and state singles champion, 2009
HEALTH CARE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:
- Volunteer reader, Mercy General Hospital, 2007-Present
- Gift shop volunteer, Mercy General Hospital, 2009-Prenset
COMMUNITY VOUNTEER ACTIVITIES:
- Fun Run, Memorial Half Marathon, 2009-Present
- Wisconsin Cares volunteers, Coat Collection Drive, 2010
- Tennis coach, Wisconsin Special Olympics, 2008-2010
COMPUTER SKILLS
- Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Apple formats, Photoshop, and UNIX platforms
- LexisNexis and VISIO
- Programming skills C++
Sample Reference Page
References for Joe Cougar, 23450 Any Street Road Valencia, CA 91355( 661) 555-5555 Email: Joecougar@earthlink.net:
Jane Jones Supervisor, JCrew Retail Store, May 2012 – August 2012 Phone: (661) 555-5555 Email: Janejones@jcrew.org
Sarah Canyons Professor, College of the Canyons, Spring 2016 Phone: (661) 755-5555 Email: Sarah.canyons@canyons.edu
Michael James Supervisor, Publisher Today, April 2013 – May 2014 Phone: (661) 855-5555 Email: Michael.james@publisher.com
As you develop your resume, be sure to have several people review it with you. The Career Center is a great resource on campus to help you with your resume. They have experts available to assist you in creating, critiquing, and drafting your resume.
Table 31.3 – Resume Writing Resources
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Website |
Description |
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The Online Resume Builder (from My Perfect resume) |
The online résumé builder is easy to use. Choose your résumé design from the library of professional designs, insert prewritten examples, then download and print your new résumé. |
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Résumé Builder (from Live Career) |
This site offers examples and samples, templates, tips, videos, and services for résumés, cover letters, interviews, and jobs. |
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Résumé Samples for College Students and Graduates (from About Careers) |
This site offers a plethora of sample résumés for college students and graduates. Listings are by type of student and by type of job. Résumé templates are also provided. |
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JobSearch Minute Videos (from College Grad) |
This site offers multiple to-the-point one-minute videos on topics such as print résumés, video résumés, cover letters, interviewing, tough interview questions, references, job fairs, and Internet job searching. |
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42 Résumé Dos and Don’ts Every Job Seeker Should Know (from the muse) |
A comprehensive list of résumé dos and don’ts, which includes traditional rules as well as new rules to polish your résumé. |
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The Career Center provides assistance with career counseling, internship assistance and the job search process. Meet with an expert for professional feedback on your resume. |
|
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Activity 31.2: Creating My Resume |
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Compile data reflecting your professional and educational skills and accomplishments. Assess the main résumé formats and select one that meets your needs, then create a first draft of your professional résumé. Compile all needed information for your résumé, including your contact information, a summary of your skills, your work experience and volunteer experience, education and training (including your intended degree, professional development activities, certificates, internships, etc.). Optionally you may wish to include job objective, a brief profile, a branding statement, additional accomplishments, and any other related experiences. Select one of the résumé builder tools listed above in the Résumé Writing Resources table. Create your résumé, following instructions at your selected site. Save your document as a PDF file. Follow instructions from your instructor on how to submit your work.
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Licenses and Attributions:
Original content: CC BY Attribution:
Career and Life Planning – An Open Educational Resource Publication by College of the Canyons. The Cover Letter. Access for free at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kTVzQ6mKcTPEVnK_YUl6UkZLd1mn7wa4
Martinez, G., & Shaker, E. (2019). The Cover Letter. In Career and Life Planning. College of the Canyons.
Modifications: Minor edits for broader audience, renumbered tables, activities.
Footnotes:
Career/Life Planning and Personal Exploration by Lumen Learning references content by Linda Bruce (licensed under CC BY) and Foundations of College Success: Words of Wisdom by Thomas C. Priester (licensed under CC BY-NC-SA)
Career/Life Planning and Personal Exploration by Lumen Learning references content by Linda Bruce (licensed under CC BY) and Foundations of College Success: Words of Wisdom by Thomas C. Priester (licensed under CC BY-NC-SA)