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Writer's pictureCaitlin Baird

tips for your cover letter and resume

Remember that the DropBox has written guides and examples for both cover letters and resumes.


Cover Letter


goal

to entice the reader to a. look at your resume and b. call you for an interview


include

  • a sense of your personality

  • language (diction, syntax) that feels natural to you - try to write in your own voice

  • concrete, tangible facts - achievements are more useful than nebulous task lists (example: "I capably assisted 60+ customers per 5 hour shift" is more meaningful than "I worked in a fast-paced environment")

  • language appropriate for the position you want (example: are you a leader, a supervisor, a manager, an educator?)

  • jargon ie language used in your field (but only if you can use it comfortably, confidently, and correctly!)

  • humility about your achievements

  • specific details about your work/volunteer history

  • specific details about your education and certifications

  • your RELEVANT interests (example: if you are going to work with children, your background in painting or piano may be an asset when leading creative lessons) - remember to briefly explain ("pitch") the interest as useful

  • why you'll be good at this position specifically (example: if you are going to be an accountant, you may want to talk about accuracy and computer literacy; if you are going to be a social worker, you might talk about your ability to diffuse conflict)

  • your familiarity with the company, if true

  • your philosophy as a professional in your field, if relevant

  • ways you will contribute in your specific role (example: as your instructor, I don't contribute to administrative or financial goals for the college, but I do contribute to individual student success, the college's GPA, and the reputation of our graduates)

  • why you want this role specifically instead of a different job - focus on the daily experience and the desired outcomes

  • availability

  • explanation of gaps in employment/education (example: "Returning to work after raising my two children, I am pursuing the job I always wanted" or "My background in nursing and passion for literacy lead me to pivot career paths into Education Assistance")

exclude

  • abstractions

  • businessy language if you aren't going for a business/admin position

  • obvious or nebulous job responsibilities

  • irrelevant personal background

  • irrelevant professional history

  • pompous self compliments

  • boring, rote phrases

  • template language

Resume


goal

to provide an easily legible fact sheet about your professional experience, education, and qualifications


include

  • the basic facts of experiences mentioned in the cover letter

  • the basic facts are: position/level of study; subject of study; company/institution/school; location; dates

  • all relevant work experiences, including volunteer

  • all relevant education including certificates and workshops

  • your MOST IMPRESSIVE stats only - you don't want to exclude yourself

  • GPA if over 3.8 (or if required)

  • typing speed average if over 55WPM - check the typing speeds standard for your industry

  • specific software literacy (example: Sage, Quickbooks, Word, Excel, PhotoShop...)

  • languages in which you are fluent - can specify spoken vs written - can include computer languages

  • your graduation dates - if you are still a student, put the projected date so recruiters know you aren't planning on being a student for years

  • achievements and awards

exclude

  • your references - put them on a separate page

  • your high school education - if you have been graduated for over 10 years and/or have postsecondary education to list, it is assumed you graduated high school

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