Resume and Cover Letter Guidance

These resources provide examples and tips for building solid resumes and cover letters.

What is a Resume?

A resume is a snapshot of the education, experience, and skills you have that are valuable to an employer. When crafted effectively, it becomes your ticket to securing an interview. Resumes are used to screen applicants and determine which candidates have the background most closely matching the employers' needs. It answers the questions: "have you", "can you", and "will you do the job".

Before writing a resume, you should...

Research the industry and the job to gain a comprehensive understanding of the employer's requirements
Identify key skills required for the job to effectively showcase your relevant experiences and abilities
Familiarize yourself with industry-specific terminology to communicate effectively
Stay updated on emerging trends within the industry

To craft a successful resume, you should...

Quickly and succinctly capture an employer's interest. Most employers only spend 30 seconds reviewing a resume!
Emphasize and quantify accomplishments rather than simply listing responsibilities in your past experiences. Be as specific as possible! For example: "designed and delivered 20 math tutoring lessons to a group of seven fifth and sixth graders"
Highlight transferable skills, which are skills you acquired in one context or situation that are valuable in another. Examples include: communication, teamwork, organizational, etc.
Keep a master resume. When you submit your resume for opportunities, it should be limited to two pages, but it's helpful to keep a "master resume" with all of your experiences so that you can be strategic and intentional when choosing the most relevant experiences and accomplishments that fit the opportunity.

Additional Resources

Resume Resources

Cover Letter Resources

Sample Correspondence Examples

What Should My Resume Look Like?

Apply a Consistent Format

Whatever format you choose, make sure it's consistent. Formatting should help organize the document to make it easy to read and make efficient use of the space on the page. You should use bolding to highlight relevant information and use that formatting consistently throughout each section of your document.

Read more: Resume Formatting Do's & Don'ts

Applicant Tracking Systems

Many employers, both large and small, utilize Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to initially review resumes. These computerized systems scan resumes for specific keywords and assess candidates' skills and qualifications. Before a human recruiter even sees your resume, it's likely that an ATS will have reviewed it. Therefore, aligning the language of your resume with that of the job description is crucial to ensure that your relevant skills are highlighted and stand out to the ATS.

Top 3 Tips:

Avoid templates! ATS systems are not able to read columns, tables or text boxes. Instead, use a standard Word document.
Keep formatting simple. Avoid using headers (including for contact information), footers, templates, borders, lines, symbols (bullet points are fine), or shading.
Customize resume using language from the job description. Avoid using a "one-size-fits-all" approach with applicant tracking systems. Incorporate relevant, targeted keywords and phrases for the position. Be specific — for example, use "Adobe Photoshop" instead of "image-editing software."

Read more:

Start with a New Document or Use an BU Template

Open a new Word or Google document or download one of our Resume Examples to find a template to start with.

Review What Should I Include in My Resume? section below and utilize your list of experiences. Try to group similar experiences together to see how you might organize your document into sections or use the recommended section headings below. Remember, this is a document that's completely unique to you!

What Should I Include In My Resume?

Brainstorm All Your Experiences

Before you jump right into writing your resume, take a moment to brainstorm all of your experiences to make sure you don't leave anything out.

You can include...

Experience: Paid or unpaid jobs, internships, research experience, volunteering, community service
Education: Your current degree program, high school diploma (only if < 1 year out of high school), study abroad, honors, awards, scholarships, certifications, conferences, presentations
Activities: Clubs, sports, community groups, church involvement, leadership experience
Projects: Academic projects, personal projects, publications, professional development and self-paced courses

When you're writing your resume, focus on what to include versus what to leave out—you can make those editing decisions later.

Need help getting started?

Utilize the Resume Writing Worksheet to brainstorm ideas for your resume.

Resume Sections

Contact Information: always put your city, state zip code, phone number, and a professional email address at the top of the page.
Summary: 2-4 sentences about your overall soft skills and what attributes you will bring to a company. Refrain from including what you are seeking from an employer (objective statements) and using personal pronouns.
Technical Knowledge and Skills (IT-focused): provide an overview summary of computer applications and skill proficiencies.
Education: starting with Bellevue University, list your degrees (bolded), major/minor, institution, expected date of graduation, and GPA (if above 3.75). Also include any academic honors such as Dean's List, scholarships, or honors societies.
Certifications & Training: List current and relevant certifications and training.
Professional Experience: include past 10 years of experience (jobs & internships), starting with your most recent position first. List your job title, name of the organization, location, and dates worked. Create 3-5 bullets focusing on accomplishments, responsibilities, and skills appropriate to the position you are applying for. See Quantify Your Success Section for more information on creating result-based bullets.
Volunteer Experience: include your role, name of organization, location, and dates of involvement.
Leadership & Activities: list college or high school activities including student government, fraternities/sororities, student clubs, and sports activities etc.

Quantify your Success with APR Formatted Bullets

Effective resumes use bulleted accomplishment-driven statements to describe experiences using a format called APR: Action + Project/Problem + Result. Learn to write or revise your experience descriptions using the Writing Effective Summary Bullets in APR Format step-by-step guide.

APR Bullet Point formula: Start each bullet point statement with a strong ACTION verb (i.e. ACTIVITY), followed by the PROJECT/PROBLEM, and then tell the reader the RESULT of your actions. In other words, answer the following questions: "What did you do?", "Why did you do it?", and "What was the outcome?"

Here is another way to visualize and construct bullet statements:

[ACTION VERB]

Think of skills and industry-specific competencies.

[TASK / PROJECT]

Discuss your experience using keywords and jargon based on what you know about the role.

[RESULT]

To what end or result did you do the task?

[ACCOMPLISHMENT]

What is something important, meaningful or noteworthy that came of your actions?

Oversaw

$12M annual operational budget

reducing costs

by 20% over four years

Ready to get feedback on your resume?

Review the Resume Checklist to see how your draft compares to resume best practices
Utilize the free online tool Resume Worded (https://resumeworded.com/) to evaluate your resume. This tool assesses your resume based on essential criteria that recruiters and hiring managers seek.
Submit your resume (Word document or PDF format) via email at [email protected] for a comprehensive review. Our reviews are conducted electronically, and you can expect feedback within 5 business days from submission, unless otherwise specified.
Speed Resume appointments are also available on Handshake.

Upload to Your Handshake Profile

In Handshake, the job search is a two-way street. You're 5x's more likely to be messaged by employers when you upload your resume and make it visible on your profile! View the instructions for how to upload your document to Handshake to upload the latest version of your resume and allow employers to find you when they're looking to hire.

Cover Letters

What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a written document commonly required for job and internship applications that provides more information and specific examples of the skills and experience listed on your resume.

Do I have to write one?

Is it required? If so, then yes, it is essential. Even if it's not mandatory, we highly recommend it. In a competitive job market, providing hiring managers with comprehensive information about your qualifications is crucial. Composing a cover letter enables you to convey your enthusiasm for a position or company, articulate why you'd be an excellent match, and provide concrete examples of your skills as outlined in the job description.

Read more: Finally, an Answer To: Are Cover Letters Still Necessary? from The Muse

Cover letters are highly recommended if you...

Have limited experience in a role or industry — it's crucial to illustrate how your current skill set aligns with the new opportunity.
Are making a career transition — Clearly articulate how your previous experiences relate to the current role. Avoid leaving employers to guess—explicitly communicate how your skills and experiences will benefit their organization.
If you possess strong writing abilities, leverage them to stand out! Capture the attention of hiring managers by injecting your personality or unique qualifications creatively, all while maintaining a professional tone.
Addressing an employment gap or potential questions about your fit? Confronting these concerns directly in your letter can be beneficial. Keep your explanations succinct and focused; they should complement—not overshadow—the main focus of your application.

Do I have to write a new one for every, single, application?

Yes, technically you can. However, consider this: you'll likely be applying for 2-3 different types of positions. You can craft different versions of your cover letter, each emphasizing the most relevant skills for those types of positions. Simply adjust the employer contact information and position title wherever it appears in your letter. While this approach is less impactful than tailoring a unique cover letter for each position, it's still better than sending generic letters. Customizing your letters demonstrates to employers that you're genuinely interested in the position and took the time to personalize your application.

What do I write about?

Let the job description be your compass! Consider this: a job description outlines the employer's ideal candidate. Your task is to demonstrate how closely you align with that ideal. That's why crafting a cover letter based on a job description is far easier than drafting a "general" cover letter. Your letter should highlight your most relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications, showcasing how you're the perfect fit for the role.

Pro Tip: Avoid writing a "general" cover letter.

Crafting a cover letter without a job description can feel like writing an essay without a prompt. Instead, seek out a job description for a position you genuinely want to apply for or one that aligns with the types of opportunities you're interested in. The job description serves as your guide, highlighting the skills and experiences that matter most to the employer. Focus on showcasing those relevant skills and experiences in your letter!

Get Help Writing Your Letter

Follow our Cover Letter Writing Guide with Examples
Review the Cover Letter Checklist
Read The Muse's Complete Guide to Writing a Cover Letter
Submit your Cover Letter (Word document or PDF format) via email at [email protected] for a comprehensive review. Our reviews are conducted electronically, and you can expect feedback within 5 business days from submission, unless otherwise specified.
Make an appointment on Handshake

References

To include references on your resume or not? That is the question. Read this article for industry advice on the topic: How to List References on Your Resume