Prepared by Internships and Career Services | 1 Guide to Résumés & Cover Letters Résumé Checklist 2 10 Best Fonts For Your Resume 4 Action Verbs 5 What Do Employers Want? 6 Resume Templates and Examples 8 Cover Letter 101 17 Cover Letter Formats and Examples 18 Job Search Resources 25 Career Development Plan 27
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Guide to Résumés & Cover Letters · Resume Templates and Examples 8 Cover Letter 101 17 Cover Letter Formats and Examples 18 Job Search Resources 25 Career Development Plan 27 .
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Prepared by Internships and Career Services | 1
Guide to Résumés & Cover Letters Résumé Checklist 2 10 Best Fonts For Your Resume 4 Action Verbs 5 What Do Employers Want? 6 Resume Templates and Examples 8 Cover Letter 101 17 Cover Letter Formats and Examples 18 Job Search Resources 25 Career Development Plan 27
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Résumé Checklist
Your résumé should meet these minimum content and formatting requirements before you begin submitting applications.
Content Checklist
□ First and last name (middle name is optional)
□ Phone number (include only one phone number)
□ Email address (include only one email address)
□ City, state and zip code (full street address is optional)
□ Education (in reverse chronological order)
______ Name of college (i.e., Menlo College) ______ Major and Concentration/Option ______ GPA (only include if 3.0 or higher) ______ Expected graduation month and year ______ List of relevant coursework ______ Academic honors (e.g., scholarships, awards, Dean’s List, etc.) ______ (High school is optional - not recommended for upperclassmen)
□ Academic Projects (optional): Include name of course, name of project, and 1-2 bullet points
□ Work Experience (in reverse chronological order)
______ Company Name ______ Job Title ______ Dates of Employment ______ City and State ______ All bullet points are written in Implied First Person (i.e., no personal pronouns) ______ All bullet points start with an Action Verb (only past and present tenses allowed)
□ Team Sports / Students Clubs (if applicable)
□ Volunteering and Community Engagement (optional, but encouraged)
□ Hard / Technical Skills (Find skills related to your major @ Chegg CareerMatch:
□ Consistent use of font styles/effects (i.e., bold, italics, underline, Small Caps, all caps)
______ All section headers are same font style/effect ______ All job titles are same font style/effect ______ All company names are same font style/effect
□ Dates of employment are evenly aligned and identically formatted
□ Bullet points are evenly aligned
□ Margins are evenly spaced (.25”-1.00”)
Résumé Taboos Your résumé should not include:
□ Photos or images
□ Personal details (e.g., date of birth, place of birth, age, height, weight, political or religious
affiliation, sex or gender)
□ Names and contact information of current or former supervisors or professional references
□ The phrase ‘References Available Upon Request’
□ Reasons for leaving former employers
□ Salary information (unless specifically requested by employer)
Created Critiqued D Delegated Demonstrated Designed Developed Devised Diagnosed Directed Dispatched Drafted E Edited Educated Enabled Encouraged Engineered Enlisted Established Evaluated Examined Executed Expedited Explained Extracted F Fabricated Facilitated Familiarized Fashioned Forecasted Formulated Founded G Generated Guided I Identified Illustrated
Implemented Improved Increased Influenced Informed Initiated Inspected Instituted Instructed Integrated Interpreted Interviewed Introduced Invented Investigated L/M Lectured Maintained Managed Marketed Mediated Moderated Monitored Motivated N Negotiated O Operated Organized Originated Overhauled Oversaw P Performed Persuaded Planned Prioritized Processed Produced Programmed
Projected Promoted Publicized Purchased R Recommended Reconciled Recorded Recruited Referred Rehabilitated Remodeled Repair Represented Researched Retrieved Reviewed Revitalized S Scheduled Screened Set goals Shaped Solved Specified Spoke Stimulated Strengthened Summarized Supervised Surveyed Systematized T Tabulated Trained Translated U/V/W Upgraded Validated Wrote
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What Do Employers Value? These charts show what experiences, attributes, and skills employers most value in a candidate.
Oakie the Intern Atherton, CA 94027 | (012) 345-6789 | [email protected]
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science in Business: Finance expected May 2020 Menlo College – Atherton, CA
GPA: 3.7/4.0
Relevant Coursework (*in progress): Principles of Financial Accounting, Principles of Managerial Accounting, Tax Accounting: Business*, Finance: Financial Management I, Financial Management II*, Financial Modeling
Coursework towards: Associate of Arts in Business Administration 2011 De Anza College – Cupertino, CA
EXPERIENCE
Assistant Manager 2017–Present
Jamba Juice – Menlo Park, CA
Promoted to Assistant Manager in June 2018
Helped lead team to achieve “Most Profitable Store” in Silicon Valley
Use Excel to create team member schedules and manage inventory
Assist manager with overseeing daily operations Volunteer Tutor 2016–Present East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT) – East Palo Alto, CA
Tutor students in reading skills and provide tennis instruction to strengthen their academic, athletic, and social skills
Communicate students’ progress to parents whose primary language is Spanish STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Menlo College Finance Club, Member 2017–Present
Attend and participate in club meetings and events
Proactively contribute ideas and volunteer to take on special assignments SKILLS
Bilingual in English and Spanish
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
Completed an Introduction to Financial Software Seminar (Summer 2017)
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Oakie the Intern [email protected] | Atherton, CA 94027 | 012.345.6789
PROFILE
Hardworking undergraduate student with strong communication and
time management skills and an interest in counseling.
EDUCATION MENLO COLLEGE, Atherton, CA 2020-Present Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (expected May 2020)
Relevant Coursework: Psychology of Human Motivation and Emotion,
Personality Theory, Psychological Disorders, and Statistics
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
MENLO COLLEGE, Atherton, CA 09/2017-Present Peer Counselor
Counsel students one-on-one to help resolve personal issues
Create and deliver education programs that improve students’ quality of life on campus.
WAR MEMORIAL CHILD GUIDANCE CLINIC, Bakersfield, CA 06/2016-08/2016 Art Therapy Intern
Participated in planning and supervision meetings. Created new activities and reorganized art supply center. Assisted therapists with art activities in group therapy sessions.
WORK EXPERIENCE
GAP, INC., Palo Alto, 2014-2016 Sales Associate
Awarded Employee of the Month for excellent customer service (May 2012) Designed creative new merchandise displays to increase customer traffic
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
PSYCHOLOGY CLUB 09/2017-Present Vice President
Plan and organize club meetings and events, including the annual Psych Night graduate school fair and alumni panel.
Represent the club at Student Government Association meetings.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
American Red Cross CPR, First Aid, and Safety Training; recertified 2017
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Oakie the Intern
(012) 345-6789 | [email protected] | 1000 El Camino Real, Atherton, CA 94027
Objective: To secure a junior internship with an accounting firm.
Education
Menlo College – Atherton, CA 08/2016 – Present Bachelor of Science in Business: Accounting
Expected Graduation: May 2020 with 150 units earned
Cumulative G.P.A.: 3.76/4; Major GPA: 3.9/4
Dean’s List: Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018
Relevant Coursework:
Principles of Financial Accounting Microeconomics
Principles of Managerial Accounting* Macroeconomic
Writing Course Statistics* *Currently enrolled
Professional Experience
Moss Adams – Campbell, CA 05/2018 – 08/2018 Business Assurance Intern
Performed testing and planning work for employee benefit plan audits as well as testing for
privately owned corporations.
Corresponded with clients through e-mail, phone call, and in person to discuss audit logistics
and documentation
Communicated with engagement team regarding deadlines, fieldwork schedules, and audit
logistics.
Menlo College – Atherton, CA 09/2017 – 04/2018 Finance and Accounting Tutor
Met with professors to evaluate current material and determine best way to aid students.
Coordinated with Math Center Director to prepare materials for other tutors to use.
Supervised 3 tutors, helping them get started tutoring and providing feedback and any
resources that the tutors required.
Key Skills
QuickBooks
Advanced Excel
Conversational Spanish
Activities
President, Menlo College Finance Club
Vice President, Menlo College Accounting Club
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□ Many employers will ask you to submit a cover letter (sometimes called a “Letter of
Motivation”) along with your résumé when you apply to a job or internship.
□ You should always submit a cover letter even if the employer does not specifically ask for
one. (Of course, do not submit one if the employer specifically asks you not to.)
□ Cover letters allow you to explain (in more detail than you can on your résumé) who you
are, what motivates you, why you are interested in the position, and how your skills and experience match up against the position description.
□ Think of your cover letter as a bridge between the position description and your résumé.
□ As a rule of thumb, cover letter should always be less than one page long, with no more
than five paragraphs, and written in business letter format.
□ You should use the same font type and size for your cover letter and as you do your résumé.
□ Whenever possible, address your cover letter to someone specific. Avoid vague salutations
like “To Whom It May Concern” and “Dear Sir or Madam”.
□ If you do not know to whom to address your cover letter, then address it to the CEO of the
company; or to the person in charge of the division/department that is hiring for the position; or to the person in charge of the Human Resources department. (You can usually find the names of the CEO and senior leadership on the company website or LinkedIn.)
□ Do not use the outdated titles of “Mrs.” and “Miss”. Use “Mr.” and “Ms.” only.
□ Write your cover letter in the active voice.
Active: I managed the team. Passive: The team was managed by me.
Cover Letter 101
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Cover Letter Formats and Examples
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[Your Name] [Your Street Address] [Your City, ST ZIP] [Today’s Date] [Company Name] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP] Dear [FirstName LastName], First Paragraph: State the reason for the letter, the specific position or type of work for which you are applying and the source of awareness/contact with the company (Menlo College Handshake, former supervisor, friend, official website, career fair). Include a quick introduction about your interest and/or passion for this specific position or industry. Second Paragraph: This paragraph should demonstrate your qualifications. Communicate what you can do for the organization as an employee/intern and why they should hire you. You may want to highlight particularly relevant aspects of your work experience and/or educational preparation. You can also include leadership competencies through student organization affiliations, relevant coursework and skills, volunteer experiences, or qualifications that you did not include in your résumé. Look for any overlap from the job description and highlight those areas in this paragraph. Third Paragraph: This paragraph is designed to show interest for the company. Indicate why you are interested in the position, the organization, and its products or services; refer to research you have conducted on the position and employer. Indicate how your professional and/or personal goals align with the company’s vision or mission statement (if applicable). Last Paragraph: In the final paragraph, you ask for action. Indicate your availability for an interview and flexibility as to the time and place. Thank them for the opportunity to be considered and you believe you can be a valuable asset for their team. Be positive in your attitude. Sincerely, FirstName LastName
Standard Cover Letter
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[Your Name] [Your Street Address] [Your City, ST ZIP] [Today’s Date] [Company Name] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP] Dear [FirstName LastName], I am motivated to apply for the [internship title] at [company name] because I am currently a [fourth/third/second/first-year] [major] major at Menlo College seeking to gain real world experience in the [name of company’s industry] industry. I learned of this internship through [Handshake, LinkedIn, my professor Dr. Mark Hager, etc.]. I would like to work for [company name] because … [why do you want to work for this company? Do you believe in their mission statement? Do you like the products they sell? Have you read good things about this company? Does the CEO or company culture inspire you?] I believe my experience, academic training, and personal qualities make me qualified for this opportunity. Here are a few examples of how I can be effective in this role:
What You’re Looking For What I Am Offering
[item from position description]
[item from position description]
[item from position description]
[example of relevant skill or experience]
[example of relevant skill or experience]
[example of relevant skill or experience] After reading my résumé, I hope you’ll agree that my work experience and undergraduate studies have thus far well prepared me for an internship with [Company Name]. I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you and your team in more detail. Please reach out whenever convenient to (999) 999-9999 or [email protected]. Thank you, FirstName LastName
Oakie the Intern 1000 El Camino Real Atherton, CA 94027 November 03, 2019 Equinix 1 Lagoon Drive Redwood City, CA 94065 Dear Margaret Moony. I am motivated to apply to the Finance/Project Coordinator internship at Equinix because I am currently a third-year Finance major at Menlo College seeking to gain real world experience in cloud computing and enterprise connectivity. I learned of this internship through Handshake. I would like to work for Equinix because I believe in the company’s core attributes of equality, neutrality, and internet exchange. And as the world becomes ever more interconnected, companies like Equinix are well positioned to capitalize and succeed on that trend. I believe my experience, academic training, and personal qualities make me qualified for this opportunity. Here are a few examples of how I can be effective in this role:
What You’re Looking For What I Am Offering
Coordinate meetings and taking meeting notes
Support building out training docs
Understanding of basic project life cycle
In my role as President of the Finance Club, I organize and lead monthly meetings, which includes reserving a room, preparing materials and recording minutes.
As a cashier at Mel’s Drive-in, I trained new cashiers and servers on the cash register, and helped to update the training manual after we implemented a new POS system.
I learned about the project life cycle in my Business Management 101 class, and have a good understanding of the four phases: initiation, planning, execution, and closure.
After reading my résumé, I hope you’ll agree that my work experience and undergraduate studies have thus far well prepared me for an internship with Equinix. I look forward to discussing this opportunity with you and your team in more detail. Please reach out whenever convenient to (999) 999-9999 or [email protected]. Thank you, Oakie the Intern
Oakie the Intern 1000 El Camino Real Atherton, CA 94027 November 03, 2019 Thompson & Co.’s 1234 Encinal Ave Menlo Park, CA 94027 Dear Ms. John Johnston, It is with great interest that I am applying for Thompson & Co.’s Marketing Internship, which I found through Handshake. I am currently studying Marketing at Menlo College, and will graduate in May 2020. I am interested in further developing my knowledge of and skills in social media marketing and search engine optimization, and I have been impressed with Thompson & Co.’s success in these areas. Most recently, I interned at Benson & Associates in the Public Relations department where I was responsible for researching venues, assisting with the development of a marketing plan, and conducting outreach for a regional film festival. My greatest contribution was working with my team to increase attendance by 50% from the previous year’s event. Additionally, I have experience creating WordPress sites and have used Adobe Creative Suite extensively to help promote events and recruit members for Menlo College’s Photography Club. Over the past year, I have developed my social media writing skills by creating blog posts about amateur photography. My skills and knowledge in these areas, combined with the communications and marketing courses I have taken at Menlo College, would make me an asset to Thompson & Co. The possibility of joining Thompson & Co. is exciting because of my familiarity with your product line and your reputation as the leader in the marketing realm. The success of your new marketing campaign illustrates a progressive philosophy that would utilize my communication and social media skills. My work experience paired with my educational background and strong interpersonal skills make me a valuable asset for your team. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about my qualifications at your earliest convenience. Please contact me at (999) 999-9999 or [email protected]. Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Oakie the Intern
Oakie the Intern 1000 El Camino Real Atherton, CA 94027 November 03, 2019 Ernst & Young
560 Mission Street, #1500 San Francisco, CA 94105
Dear Ms. Nadia Knuckles, I am pleased to submit my application for a summer internship at Ernst & Young. After speaking with my classmate Joe Johnson about his internship there last summer, I am confident that I too would be an excellent candidate because of my interest in tax accounting and my goal of obtaining a C.P.A. license. Ever since I declared my Accounting major, I have been interested in working at Ernst & Young because of the company’s excellent reputation and training program for interns. Here are a few examples of my qualifications.
I have a strong work ethic. My favorite classes at Menlo College have been my accounting courses, and I currently have a 4.0 G.P.A. in my accounting major. I am on track to complete the 150 credit hours required for C.P.A. licensure.
I’m a quick learner. In addition to being proficient in Microsoft Excel, I recently completed a training course on Quick Books. I have been applying what I have learned by setting up Quick Books for my parents’ small business.
I can manage and prioritize multiple commitments. I successfully balance a full course load, a 20-hour work week at Jamba Juice, and a weekly commitment to volunteer in the community. I recently received a promotion to assistant manager at Jamba Juice because of my reliable work performance.
I am excited about the possibility of interning at Ernst & Young this summer. Thank you for your consideration. Please contact me at (999) 999-9999 or [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Oakie the Intern
Oakie the Intern 1000 El Camino Real Atherton, CA 94027 January 5, 2019 University of California, Berkeley Department of Psychology Tolman Hall #1650 Berkeley, CA 94720 Dear Dr. Richard Researcher: My academic advisor at Menlo College, Professor Mark Hager, suggested that I contact you to explore the possibility of a summer research intern position in your lab. I will graduate with a B.A. in Psychology in May 2020 and plan to apply to psychology doctoral programs next year in order to pursue my interest in researching the impact of alternative therapeutic interventions on children. Last spring I worked directly with children and clinicians in an art therapy program at Henrietta Weill Memorial Child Guidance Center in Bakersfield, CA. That internship provided me with valuable knowledge about different approaches to art therapy. I was able to see first-hand the impact that art therapy can have on children who have experienced trauma. While I enjoy working directly with clients, this experience really piqued my interest in understanding the impact of these therapeutic interventions from a research perspective. I would bring to a research internship the practical knowledge gained from my experience as an art therapy intern and a peer counselor at Menlo College. In addition, I have a solid theoretical background in psychology through the extensive coursework I have taken at Menlo College. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss internship opportunities with you. Please contact me at (999) 999-9999 or [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you, Oakie the Intern
U.S. Dept. of Labor – O*NET Online – https://www.onetonline.org/ The NY Times – How to Manage Your Career – http://bit.ly/How2ManageYourCareer The Wall St. Journal – How-to Guide: Careers – http://guides.wsj.com/careers/
1 Free access for library cardholders. Apply for one here: branch: https://smcl.bibliocommons.com/locations 2 Emphasizes companies that value diversity and inclusion 3 Specific to international students