CVs, Resumés and Cover Letters
Prepare a Resumé or a CV?
When you apply for a job, note carefully whether the employer requests a curriculum vitae (CV) or a resumé (also called a résumé or resume.)
In some countries, a resumé and a CV are the same thing - a document listing your qualifications for employment. In other countries, however, a resumé often has a more free-form organizational style and is used for seeking employment in private companies, but a CV is more standardized in format and is used for seeking positions in academic or educational institutions. For example, a resumé may begin with a statement about your personal goal(s) and then list your most significant accomplishments and/or skills in order of significance; a CV, however, often includes more complete lists of data, such as educational institutions attended, degrees received, positions held, professional affiliations, publications authored, etc.
How to Write a Resumé/CV and a Cover Letter
JobStar: Sample Resumés & Cover Letters
Job Hunter's Bible: JobHuntersBible.com
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
Resumé Workshop - This resumé workshop provides detailed explanations, as well step-by-step processes, for creating an effective resumé.Resumé Design - This handout offers advice making informed design choices in creating a resumé. We also have a sample resumé that uses these design principles available in the media section above.
Resumés 1: Introduction to Resumés - Before beginning to write your resumé, it is a good idea to understand what you are writing, why you are writing it, and what is expected as you write it. This basic introduction will aid both new resumé writers and those who may have forgotten certain details about resumé writing.Resumés 2: Resumé Sections - When writing a resumé, you need to understand the specific needs of each section. This resource, with information about contact information, education, and work experience sections, will help explain what each section requires.
Resumés 3: When to Use Two Pages or More - You have probably heard the saying, "Keep your resumé to a page." Although this is true for most cases, many employers are accepting longer resumés...in certain instances. Use this resource to gain more understanding about what constitutes the page length of a resumé.Writing the Curriculum Vitae - This handout provides an overview of strategies for writing an effective curriculum vitae. This topic is particularly important for graduate students who are entering the academic job market for the first time.
Example Employment Documents - These annotated employment documents provide examples of resumés, CVs, and cover letters for a variety of disciplines.Cover Letters 1: Quick Tips - This page provides a guide to writing cover letters. Here you will find brief answers and lists of what you should include in a cover letter, how to order and format such a letter, and what to do before sending it out.
Cover Letters 2: Preparing to Write a Cover Letter - Before you start to write a cover letter, you should gather information about yourself, the company, and the job. This page will help you learn what kind of information to find, where to find it, and how and why to use that information to "sell yourself" in a cover letter.Cover Letters 3: Writing Your Cover Letter - This resource offers a series of short documents that walks you through the creation of a cover letter.
Letters Concerning Employment - This section covers writing additional correspondence beyond cover letters including reference requests, interview follow-up letters, inquiry letters, acceptance and rejection letters, request for further negotiations letters and thank you letters.Academic Cover Letters - When you're applying for a faculty position with a college or university, the cover letter is your first chance to make a strong impression as a promising researcher and teacher.
Personalized Help
We are here to help you in any way we can, and that includes helping you to proofread and edit your resumé/CV and your cover letter. If you'd like, you can even role-play an interview with us, and we will provide you with feedback.
First, please read some of the online tips listed above. Next, spend a few hours writing your resumé/CV and cover letter. Then, e-mail them to us and request an appointment to see us.