Students with resumes

Resumes and Cover Letters

Your resume showcases your goals, strengths, accomplishments; it’s a personal document that reflects who you are professionally, so the only person who can write your resume is you.

The Guide to Career Planning (PDF) can help “de-mystify” the resume-writing and job search processes to make them easier to understand.

Each resume that you send out should be accompanied by a customized cover letter.  The Guide to Career Planning also has cover letter and thank you letter information and samples.

Here are some CHSS Resume Samples (PDF) to give you some ideas on formatting the resume; how to write bullet points using “action verbs.”

Reference List

Another element in the job search toolbox is the Reference List.  This list is not included when you submit a resume.  This list is presented, usually after an interview, if the employer asks, “Do you have references?”

Always be sure to ask permission of the people you want to use as references.  It is also a good idea to provide them with a copy of your resume.