Resumes | Cover Letters | CVs
Resumes, cover letters, and Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) are often an employer’s first impression of your skills and your value-added factor. As you craft each of these documents, you are creating a personal brand that will precede your face-to-face interaction with an employer.
As you draft these documents, keep the job description at the forefront of your mind. Make sure you emphasize experiences in your resume and examples in your cover letter that are consistent with the desired skills to fulfill the company's next hire.
The quality of your documents can help determine whether you get to the next step – the interview.
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The Basics of a Good Resume
There is an abundance of information about writing a good resume. There are different styles of resumes, different industry standards, and individual preferences, but no real clear-cut rules. Regardless of the design or format you choose, there are a few key guidelines you will definitely want to follow.
Relevant
Write resumes specifically for the position to which you are applying. In other words, do not mass produce your resume. Someone with no knowledge of the job you are applying for should be able to look at your resume and guess the type of role you are after.
Compelling
Your resume must effectively showcase the value you can add to an organization, as opposed to simply highlighting past duties or tasks. Ask yourself, what do I want the reader to know about me? How can I articulate my past experiences to demonstrate what I accomplished and what I have the ability to do? The goal is to quantify or qualify your contributions using impactful statements which speak to your accomplishments.
Easy-to-Read & Error Free
The average time spent screening a resume is 30 seconds. Your information on your document must be simply, logically & clearly presented and allow the reader to most easily understand your "value proposition" (the value you will bring to the organization given your skills, capabilities & experiences). You want to stand out from other candidates in a positive way.
Download Real Resume Examples
Accounting Position
Alumni applying to Porter Airlines with a unique travel section
Engineer-in-Training
PhD with international and field-specific experience
Team Leader
Undergraduate with management experience applying to retail industry
Financial Customer Service Rep
Grouping experiences by relevant skills
Microsoft Intern
Undergraduate with strong summary section
Nurse
Alumni with strong profile statement
Pharmaceutical Sales
Undergraduate< who highlights relevant skills in a unique way
Senior Scientist
Graduate student who includes past relevant experience well
Social Services Worker
Skill headings and relevant accomplishment statements done well
Software Developer
Undergraduate with no work experience markets academic experience
Technology Consultant
One-page business resume
Young Professionals Program - World Bank
PhD uses hybrid resume/ cv with unique headings
The Basics of a Good Cover Letter
People often wonder if they need to create a cover letter for every position they apply to. If indicated as a requirement, then definitely include one. You should create a cover letter that is just as strong as your resume. To create a competitive cover letter, you should:
- Address the letter to a specific person by name and title
- Match the font style and size to your resume
- Show that you have taken time to research the company and the position
- Highlight your specific experiences or skills that match what the employer is seeking - telling your story in a way that hasn’t been captured by your resume
- Focus on how you can benefit the company, not how they can benefit you
- Proofread your letter and ask someone else to read it as well. Use your cover letter as an example of your written communication skills.
Download Real Cover Letter Examples
Senior Scientist
PhD student applying to the Ontario Science Centre
Summer Internship
Undergraduate student applying to major retail outlet
Business Analyst
Undergraduate Medical Sciences student applying for summer position
Business Technology Analyst
Undergraduate student applying to Deloitte
Actuarial Program
Undergraduate student applying to Sun Life
Assistant Professor
PhD graduate applying for academic position
Engineer-in-Training
Graduate student applying to Ministry of Transportation
Team Leader
Undergraduate student applying to major retail outlet
Junior Engineer
Master's student applying to COWI
Office Assistant
Undergraduate student applying for administrative role
Quality Assurance Intern
Student applying for summer position
Sales Associate
Undergraduate student applying to part-time position
The Basics of a Good CV
Curriculum Vitae, derived from Latin and meaning “course of life”, is often referred to simply as a CV or vita. Like a resume, it is a summary of your skills, experience, and education, however, it contains more detail and is often longer than two pages. CVs are often the required documents to apply for graduate school, and scientific research and academic positions. There are no specific guidelines for how you should organize your experiences or the information you choose to include. In fact, many students today are exercising their creativity and developing their own CV styles to differentiate themselves from other candidates.
A few extra points to consider:
- The basics of resume writing still apply to your CV
- Examine CVs from individuals just above your stage of professional development
- Other countries may prefer certain formats and may require additional information
Download Real CV Examples
Academic Position
PhD highlighting research, teaching, & communication experience
Professional Position
Traditional style CV used for professional role in academia
Non-Academic Role
Two-page CV highlighting skills and academic experience
Assistant Professor
PhD highlighting field-specific experience
Master's Application
Undergraduate student applying for Master's program
Summer Field Internship
Application for academic summer internship
Summer Research Assistant
Undergrad applying for summer research position
References
Having good references can “make or break” your opportunity for a job offer or admission to grad school. Choose your references carefully, considering who can best verify your skills and qualifications. Confirm your references in advance so they’re ready when needed. References may be requested in either written or verbal form.
Here's some information on how to ask your professor for a recommendation.
