Traditionally paired with a cover letter, a resume is a document used to highlight your professional experiences and skills when applying to non-academic internships or jobs.

• Used to apply to most non-academic jobs (e.g., consultant, engineer, accountant, etc.) where specific skills in a tailored document are the main reason an employer will hire you.
• Demonstrates that you have the skills and experience to succeed in an internship or job.
• If you have five years or less in your intended industry, resumes are typically one page. Exceptions may occur if your industry or unique academic and professional experience calls for two pages or more.

Often used to apply for faculty positions, grants, fellowships or research positions within an academic setting, crafting a unique curriculum vitae (CV) will help highlight your teaching skills and experiences among fellow candidates.

• Showcases your academic achievements, including the research you’ve conducted, classes you’ve taught, articles you’ve published and conferences where you have presented.
• Typically no shorter than three pages, there is no limit to the length of a CV, as long as you’re showcasing your academic achievements.
• It is customary to list your references with their full title and contact information.

1. Explore resume templates for inspiration and create your own.
2. Make a list of experiences (e.g. paid, unpaid, on-/off-campus or volunteering) and organize them by section and relevance to the position you are applying for.
3. Based on the position you are applying for decide what you would like to include (e.g. education, summary, skills, involvement, awards and more).
4. Clearly present your contact information, including, but not limited to, your LinkedIn and related portfolio site (if applicable).
5. Rank your experience based on the internship or job description, while keeping relevant information at the top.
6. Always include name of organization, your title, dates worked and locations for every position.
7. Keep descriptions succinct and emphasize your role by using clear, vivid language.
8. Switch up a few of those common words and phrases with strong, compelling action verbs.

• Take the “I” out of your resume. Instead of “I assisted staff with database management,” say “assisted with database management.”
• Quantify when possible. Numbers stand out on a resume.
• Start each description with an action verb.
• Customize your section headings. Instead of “Experience,” create custom headings to emphasize what you have done, for example, “Biotech Research Experience.”
• Remember there is no one right way to write a resume. Your experiences are as unique as you are.
• Proofread and stay consistent. Use the same font, font size and match the headers of your cover letter and resume documents.

• Print out the internship or job opportunity description.
• Highlight skills, qualifications and experiences that resonate with you.
• Enter the job description into a word cloud platform (e.g. tagcrowd.com). What are the top skills, key words or qualities they are looking for?
• Look through your resume. Do you have experiences or skills that match what is being looked for? Expand and emphasize on them by including key words from the description.
• Don’t forget to proofread!

View Templates by Industry

A cover letter accompanies the resume when submitting an internship or job application. It is an opportunity to highlight your unique experiences, skills and personality, providing an opportunity to convince an employer that you’re a good fit for the position.

• Grab the reader’s attention with a relevant accomplishment or detail that will differentiate you.
• Use the job description to write your cover letter. While reading, identify key skills and details requested.
• Use your cover letter to connect your personal story and emphasize how you can provide those requested professional skills. Focus on what you can contribute.
• Draw upon previous internships, jobs, academic work, volunteering and personal projects.

• The cover letter should be less than one page and easy to read. Avoid large blocks of text.
• Talk achievements, not duties. “Recruited 85 new members for my student organization” sounds more impressive than “responsible for the recruitment of new members.”
• Proofread and stay consistent. Use the same font, font size and match the headers of your cover letter and resume documents.

1. Print out the internship or job opportunity description.
2. Highlight skills, qualifications and experiences that resonate with you.
3. Enter the job description into a word cloud platform (e.g. tagcrowd.com). What are the top skills, key words or qualities they are looking for?
4. Look through your cover letter. Do you have experiences or skills that match what is being looked for? Expand and emphasize on them by including key words from the description.
5. Identify three to four skills from the job description to highlight and provide examples of in your cover letter.
6. Don’t forget to proofread!

Joe B. Mountaineer
123 Pleasant Street
Morgantown, WV, 26506

March 22, 2025

Kathy Smith
Vice President of Recruitment
Carahsoft Technology Corp.
1860 Michael Faraday Drive #100
Reston, VA 20190

Dear Mrs. Smith,

I am writing to you to express my interest in the entry-level Marketing Coordinator position at Carahsoft that was posted on Handshake recently. I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from West Virginia University and relocating to the Washington D.C. area during the summer. I am excited to be applying for a position at an industry-leading company.

My work experience coupled with my academic education have prepared me to succeed in this position. During my marketing internship, I motivated my team to think creatively about solutions to our clients’ needs which increased sales by 30 percent and strengthened customer relationships. As Vice President of the WVU Undergraduate Communication Association, I honed my leadership and communication skills, as well as my ability to plan and execute events. By implementing a team-based approach to event management, we operated more efficiently and increased profit margins for each fundraiser by 10 to 20 percent.

My interest in the Marketing Coordinator position at Carahsoft is very strong. Carahsoft is a desirable place to work due to its high-quality training and development programs offered, and the commitment shown to employee retention. I am looking forward to discussing the opportunity in more detail. You can reach me at (304) 123-4567 or professional.email@gmail.com. I am eager for the opportunity to share more examples of my work and discuss how my skills and interests align with the mission and goals of your organization.

Sincerely,
Joe B. Mountaineer

Your address

Today’s date

Employer’s name and title (if available), followed by the company’s name and address.

Dear [employer’s last name],

First Paragraph- Briefly state why you are writing, the specific position you’re applying for, and how you learned about the opportunity. 

• Introduce yourself.
• State the position title, job number and where you saw the ad (include date).
• Indicate if someone recommended you. Hint: general referrals come from family or friends who know someone at the prospective employer’s company.
• You should always get approval from your referral to use their name in your cover letter.

Second Paragraph: Highlight your most relevant skills, experience, and qualifications that align with the job requirements. 

• Indicate your interests – include your career interests and your interests in the specific organization.
• Identify with the product/service (personal experience with the company).
• What you read or heard about the employer – only positive things.
• Discuss opportunities to practice your profession.

Third Paragraph (or Closing) This paragraph can either delve deeper into your qualifications or express your enthusiasm for the company and the role. 

• Highlight why the employer would be interested in you.
• Some things to talk about: experience, academic credentials, honors. This is not a rehash of your resume. Include items not specifically covered in your resume.
• Key points from your resume (elaborate on them; tell a little story).
• Keep statements factual.

Fourth Paragraph, if applicable (or Closing)

• Can provide explanations for what is on their resume (example: low GPA – you worked while in school).
• Always make positive statements about your credentials.
• Don’t ever say you meet the company’s criteria – only what you can do.

Closing Paragraph: Thank the reader for their time and consideration.

• Reiterate your interest in the position/company.
• Express your eagerness to discuss the opportunity further.
• Thank the person for their time and consideration.
• Provide your contact information on how you can be reached, such as phone number and email address.

Sincerely,
Your name