Résumés and Cover Letters

• Potential employers may require you to submit your résumé on paper or online as an electronic file.  Save it on a flash drive and in your e-mail account so that you may print or send it whenever you need to.
• Customize your résumé to emphasize accomplishments relevant to a specific position.  Save these different versions.
• Be honest, but highlight your strengths.
• If you have never written a résumé before, look at sample résumés for job seekers in your field to get an idea of what's expected of you.  Consult the books and websites listed on this page or do a web search for resume samples [your field or desired job], e.g., Google search for resume samples sales, Google search for resume samples early childhood, or Google search for resume samples cna.

Format:

• Use a common, clear font (article about résumé fonts) such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Arial, or Calibri.
• Stick to black text in a legible size, generally 10-12 pt.
• Leave reasonable margins and other white space on the page.
• Place your full name (middle name or initial optional) at the top of the page.  You may want to use a slightly larger font size here.

Do not:

• Include irrelevant personal information: age, marital status, parental status, country of origin, religious or political affiliations, etc.
• Use "I."  Incomplete sentences are customary in résumés.
  For example: Tutored college students in biology and chemistry.
• Include photos or decorative graphics.
• Use a personal, informal e-mail address (e.g., one with your nickname, hobbies, or birth year).  Create a professional-sounding account that includes your name.

Do:

• Check spelling and grammar.  Recruiters and hiring managers may discard résumés with errors, regardless of the candidates' other assets.