Career Services

Resume: Format and Content

Your resume is your personal marketing tool—it showcases your skills, experiences and unique qualities to potential employers. Especially in a competitive job market, having a standout resume is key. The goal? To craft a tailored and professional resume that grabs attention and lands you that all-important interview.

Download these helpful resources to help you write your resume:

• Resume Formatting Guidelines
• Example Resume 1
• Example Resume 2
• Action Verbs to use on your Resume

Avoid these Common Resume Errors:

• Using passive language instead of action verbs 
• Using full sentences and narrative style, instead of action-driven bullet points
• Including a picture or personal information such as marital status, sex, age or religious affiliation
• Listing all positions and activities, instead of selecting those relevant to the position
• Making it visually cluttered: be aware of white space; make it concise and quickly readable
• Forgetting to demonstrate results—quantify results where possible

Cover Letter: Format and Content

The cover letter is your introduction to a prospective employer that outlines your interest in the position and expresses why you are qualified. While your resume lists your relevant experiences, skills and accomplishments, the cover letter makes an explicit connection between your most relevant skills and the position. Each cover letter should be tailored to a specific job description and organization. Demonstrate what you know about the organization/industry and why you are a good fit. Show how you meet the required qualifications for that position by emphasizing your strongest skills. Use confident language; write in an active voice. In most circumstances limit your letter to one page. Before you begin, ask yourself these four questions:

• What is the employer looking for in a candidate?
• What skills/attributes do you have that match the skills/attributes that an employer wants?
• Why do you want to work for them?
• Why this position?

Download these helpful resources to help you write your cover letter:

• Cover Letter Template
• Example Cover Letter

The gateway to every job is performing well in the interview. A successful interview entails preparation, practice, strong performance and follow-up. It’s okay if the thought of an interview makes you nervous; it’s perfectly normal. You want to use that nervous energy to your advantage and put it toward your preparation and practice so that you can perform well.

Remember, the interview serves two purposes: 1) to evaluate you—the candidate—to make sure you’re qualified for the position, and 2) to give you the opportunity to evaluate the company and the position to make sure they’re a good fit for you. Both parties should be evaluating one another, so take the time to develop and fine-tune your interviewing skills so that you can set yourself apart from other applicants.

Tips for a Successful Interview

• Dress for success — Professional attire reinforces your image as a person who takes the interview process seriously. Your attire should be appropriate for the industry without drawing unnecessary attention from the interviewer. If you have any doubts about your interview outfit, lean toward the side of being over-dressed and more conservative. 
• Follow the lead of the interviewer — The interviewer will guide the interview, therefore, follow his or her lead. You can establish a stronger connection with your interviewer by mirroring their verbal and non-verbal language without parroting or coming across as patronizing.
• Pep yourself up — Maintain a high sense of eagerness and enthusiasm, even if the interviewer does not appear markedly excited or interested. Rather than attempting to impress the interviewer every single moment of your interview, approach the experience with the intent of having a genuine, positive exchange with the interviewer for the purpose of sharing information and ideas.
• Set yourself apart from the rest — A common interview question is, “Why should I choose you over other candidates?” Be prepared to address this question even if it is not directly posed to you. Know your selling points and support them with evidence throughout your interview.
• Determine the next steps — Inquiring about the next step in the hiring decision process demonstrates initiative and interest. Appropriate questions include, “What is the next step in the interview process?,” “Are you available in case I have further questions?,” and “When can I expect to hear from you?” Be sure to obtain a business card from each interviewer.

Practice your interviewing skills by contacting Career Development to schedule a mock interview. Here are some additional resources to help you prepare for your interview.

Commonly Asked Interview Questions

Behavioral Interview Questions

Wonsulting Interview Prep

Get more information about internships and where to find them. 

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AND

Register for STSK 1810: Major and Career Exploration during Fall Semester

This course is designed to assist students in their major and career exploration process. Activities and course assignments are interactive and reflective in nature and include self and career exploration, in-class and outside-of-class activities, use of career assessment resources, exploration of academic majors and career options. Students are encouraged to make this experience not only academic, but to assimilate the materials and experiences into meaningful life application tools.

The Career Development office has various resources and services to help you in graduate and professional school planning. In addition to exploring graduate school options and researching different schools, you can learn more about preparing your application and what you can do to become a competitive applicant. 

Helpful Resources:

Common Graduate School FAQs

Graduate School Admissions Tests

Accredited Graduate Schools

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