The Resume and Cover Letter – Helpful Tips

We have created a list of short helpful tips to assist you when creating your cover letter and resume.  This list can easily be used as a checklist before you send out your information:

Resume:

• A resume should not be written in first person.
• Education and experience should both be listed with the most recent first.
• Titles of experience should be bold or underlined.
• Make sure the formatting is consistent.  The font should all be the same, with appropriate sizes.
• All bullets should be consistent.
• Spacing and tabs should be consistent.
• Remember to include all contact information (address, phone, email).
• Only list relevant information.  For example, your cooking and swimming hobbies should not be listed unless relevant to the position.
• Personal information should not be on your resume.
• Proofread your resume for grammar, punctuation and spelling errors.
• Keep your resume current.
• Your resume should be only 1 or 2 pages.
• Use bulleted sentences.
• BE HONEST!

Cover letter:

• Include a cover letter with every resume you submit.
• Your cover letter should match the formatting of your resume.
• Address your cover letter to the appropriate person, in the appropriate way.
• Do all you can to find a specific person to address your cover letter rather than “To Whom it May Concern”.
• Your cover letter should be no longer than one page.
• Include in your cover letter the reason(s) why you more than anyone else are the right candidate for the position.
• Pay close attention to grammatical errors.
• Do not use a template cover letter; instead, each cover letter should be specific and customized for the position.
• Keep your writing style professional; this is a formal letter to a prospective employer rather than an email to friends.
• BE HONEST!