Write a Resume or Cover Letter
Putting the best you on paper.
In almost every situation, these documents are the employer’s first impression of your skills and professionalism. As you craft each of these documents you are creating a personal brand for yourself that will precede your face-to-face interaction with an employer.
As you draft these documents, keep the job description at the forefront of your mind. Make sure you emphasize experiences in your resume and examples in your cover letter that are consistent with the skills the company is looking for in their next hire.
Get It Reviewed By An Expert
Monday-Thursday, 1:30-4:30pm
Resume and LinkedIn profile Walk-in hours
OPCD Office – Reynolda 230
How to Write a Resume
Impress employers before you ever shake their hand by creating a flawless resume. Market your skills and experience so your potential employer can quickly see what you could bring to their organization.
Must-dos:
- Keep your resume to one page.
- Use 10 to 12 size font in a professional style (no colors or fancy fonts).
- Include job title, organization, location, date, and a description of the skills you gained from each of your experiences in reverse chronological order.
- Make sure you’re positive and honest about your experience, skills and capabilities.
- Proofread – your punctuation, grammar and syntax must be flawless.
- Start each bullet point with an action verb. Check out our list of resume action verbs to make sure you use meaningful and descriptive verbs.
Download Resume Samples
Leadership Resume
First year and sophomore students with limited internship or leadership experience
Study Abroad
Highlights study abroad experience as well as relevant coursework
Summer Business Programs
For leadership experience or participated in the Summer Business Management Program
Lab and Research Skills
For experiences where you held multiple positions ( includes science lab & research skills)
Sports and Extracurriculars
How best to highlight extracurricular involvement like sports.
Visual Arts Experience
Focuses on experiences in the visual arts and museums
Performing Arts
Targeted to the performing arts (include 8 x 10 headshot with resume)
Fraternity Resume
How best to highlight your fraternity involvement and leadership
Sorority Resume
How best to highlight your sorority involvement and leadership.
Graduate Student Resume
Business Resume – Financial Services
Business Resume – Accounting
Business Resume – Consulting
Business Resume – Academic Project and Experience
Business Resume – Marketing
How to Write a Cover Letter
Cover Letters are another important part of impressing an employer and creating your personal brand. The best way to entice an employer to read your resume is to write a cover letter that highlights specific reasons why you would be a good fit for the position.
Must-dos:
- Address the letter to a specific person by name and title
- Match the font style and size to your resume
- Tailor your cover letter to the specific position and company
- Highlight your specific experiences or skills that match what the employer is seeking
- Focus on how you can benefit the company, not how they can benefit you