Resumes & Cover Letters

Career Services is available to serve Penn students and alumni with resources and guidelines for preparing resumes and cover letters.

Resume Format

Decide on a format. The chronological resume is the most well known and widely used. It calls for the candidate's most recent information/experience to be listed first and then moves backward. Specific skills and responsibilities should be highlighted.

The functional or skills format places emphasis on the individual's overall skills and abilities. The work history is defined by specific examples and responsibilities. Dates and previous positions may be omitted when using this format.

Personal Heading

Always include your name, current and permanent address, and phone number (include area code). Also include a work number if you have permission to receive calls, and/or a number for messages. With today's technology, we also encourage you to list your email address. This allows the employer another method to contact you and demonstrates that you are familiar with technology. Make sure that your recorded greeting on any phone service you use is professional.

Career Objective

If you choose to include a career objective, it should be specific and give your resume focus. There is a lot of debate regarding the inclusion of the objective. Many believe it detracts from the résumé's overall appeal, and restricts the candidate's focus. Others believe it defines and provides focus for those who are clearly pursuing a particular career field. If the objective is omitted, it may be included in the cover letter, which will always be sent with the resume.

Education

Include college(s) attended, city, state, degree(s) (major/minor), academic concentration, honors, internships, leadership positions in clubs/organizations and related activities.

Career Related Experience

Employers want to review your past experience so they can determine if your talents and abilities match with their needs. Evaluate your previous responsibilities and picture how an average day is/was spent. Describe to the reader an accurate account of your workload and responsibilities, making sure to tie in skills and experiences relevant to your career objective. It is very important to show how your past experience and learned skills will contribute to your success with the potential employer. Your past work experience should emphasize the skills you have to offer.

Avoid long paragraphs. It is best to use brief statements that demonstrate action and accomplishments. Be sure to begin each statement with an action verb, being careful not to use the same verb over and over. The use of bullets (•) will help to set off your special skills and/or responsibilities. In addition, it is helpful to use numbers to show management responsibility and quantitative results.

Describe for each position:

• Job title, employer, city, state, and dates of employment (month/year). Describe tasks performed, emphasizing those requiring the highest degree of skill and judgment. Indicate specialization and any duties beyond your regular assignment.
• Scope of responsibility. Did you hold a supervisory position? How many people did you supervise? Describe the most important aspects of the position.
• Accomplishments. Outline any outstanding results that were achieved. When possible, give concrete facts and figures, rather than general information.
• Utilize words that denote action and/or responsibility when describing work performed, such as "developed," "organized," "planned," and "researched."
• Volunteer work, field experiences, internships, and practicum opportunities should be included in this category, especially if it is related to your career objective. Be sure to emphasize any/all special responsibilities, such as unit development, organization of procedure manual, or development of special projects.

Honors and Activities

• Licenses, certificates currently held.
• Honors, scholarships, awards, fellowships earned.
• Leadership positions in organizations, departments or clubs.
• Professional organization memberships and offices held.
• Publications.
• Affiliations with civic and community groups.
• Special skills such as fluency in a foreign language, computer skills, operation of business machines, etc.
• Extracurricular activities/leadership.
• Include continuing education courses and professional seminars.

References

Your best references will be those who can attest to your working skills and abilities. Make sure each reference has agreed, in advance, to write a letter or receive phone calls concerning your experiences and skills. It's a good idea to provide your references with a photocopy of your resume so they are up to date regarding your experiences.

References can be handled in a variety of ways. Currently, the most preferred method is to list on a separate sheet your reference's name, address, title, place of employment, and daytime phone number directly and if permission is given, include the home telephone number. This separate sheet should have a heading such as "References For" and then your name. The sheet should also be the same color and weight as your resume and cover letter.

Printing Tips

It is best to have your document desktop published and printed with a laser printer on quality 24-28 lb. laser paper. The color should remain as neutral as possible: bright white, off white, or light gray. There is a lot of variety in paper, so pick the color and style that fits for you. The same is true for font styles (type face) and graphics (lines and/or images), so select the style that best represents you.

Cover Letter

Effective cover letters are clear, to the point, and brief. The cover letter should convey information in three to four paragraphs that consist of the opening, the body, and the closing. Your cover letter should:
              1)  Explain the purpose of your contact,
              2)  Entice the employer to review your resume, and
              3)  Target a resume to a position or career field.

The Opening

Begin your letter by directly stating why you are writing to the employer. If you are applying for a specific position, indicate the position you would like to be considered for, and how you learned of the opening.

Example: I am writing to be considered for the Management Trainee position as listed in the April 10 issue of the Des Moines Register.

If you are writing to inquire about possible job openings, simply state why you are writing and give the employer an idea of the types of positions in which you are interested.

Example: I am pursuing potential entry-level accounting positions within the ABCD Company, and would like to be considered for any position openings.

An effective opening should get the employers interested by touching on your qualifications or skills.

Example: It is with great enthusiasm that I wish to be considered for the Admissions Counselor position as listed in the August 3 edition of the Des Moines Register. I believe my experiences in student organizations and leadership positions would be of value to you and qualify me for further consideration.

The Body

Express the strengths you possess that you believe are needed in the position for which you are applying. Direct the employer's attention to the skills, abilities, and experiences that make you the best candidate for the position. Entice the reader to look at your resume for more details of your experiences. Highlight what you can do for the company/organization. A cover letter should articulate your understanding of the position for which you are applying. This shows the reader that you did some homework.

Example: As you will see in the enclosed resume, I have six years experience in student affairs work, and I have recently completed a course on developing student leaders within small campuses. In addition, I have been an active member in various campus committees, which has provided me with the experience of teamwork and public relations. I believe my skills and experiences would be an asset to your institution.

The Closing

In closing, you should indicate that you want to meet with the employer. Take the initiative and let the employer know how and when you will contact him or her to set up an appointment. Use phrases like "get together" or "meet with you" instead of "interview" in the closing.

Example: I would like to meet with you to discuss my qualifications. I will contact your office during the week of August 10 to determine when we might get together. Thank you for your attention.

Final Points

Address the letter to a specific person. (Never use "To Whom It May Concern.") You can often find out the name and title of who does the hiring or interviewing by making a simple phone call to the employer. Keep your letter short, clear, and businesslike. Flashy or "gimmicky" letters do not impress most employers. Type the letter on a computer with a laser printer, using paper that matches your resume. Check carefully for typing, punctuation, and spelling errors.

Then sign the letter and retain a copy for your records. Be sure to follow-up as indicated in your letter.