Resumes and Cover Letters
An effective resume will be an essential tool no matter what your career goals are. It is critical to target your resume effectively to achieve the goal you’re seeking (e.g., on-campus employment, postgraduate job offer, graduate school admission, etc.). You want your resume to stand out and convince the reader that you are right for the opportunity they’re offering. You do this by researching the opportunity and reflecting on how your own past experiences and interests fit. The resume and cover letter can be customized in this way.
- Introduce yourself to prospective employers and motivate them to read your resume.
- State your career interests and highlight your strengths in relation to job responsibilities and/or organizations.
- Demonstrate your writing skills, professionalism, and courtesy.
- Reveal your personality and enthusiasm for the position, organization, and field.
Even if you don’t have relevant experience, focus on presenting evidence of the transferable skills that you have developed. For example, a leadership position in a student activity translates into leadership potential in an organization.
Key Modules and Templates
In the Career Development Toolkit the Resumes and Cover Letters modules offer comprehensive information including what kind of content to cover, samples, lists of action verbs, and interactive activities.
Looking for resume templates? They’re in the Career Development Toolkit.
The CVs page in the Resumes module in Canvas gives step-by-step guidance and samples.
Document Reviews
After you’ve prepared a draft using the materials in the Career Development Toolkit, have your document reviewed. Student Career Advisors and professional staff in your college career office and at Cornell Career Services in Barnes Hall are available to provide feedback on your resume or cover letter.
