DO’s General
DO’s Cover Letter
DO’s Resume
DON’Ts
- Make sure the email address is a valid one that you access at least once a day. Ualberta is the best address. It is professional and has your name in it. Do NOT use cute screen names or ones that are questionable. i.e. [email protected]
- Upload your cover letter and resume as ONE document. Employersget MANY applications and to search for two documents instead of one makes things easier for the employer and more of a desirablecandidate.
- Convert your cover letter and resume into a PDF document. It protects you and your documents. Word is considered an "unfinished" document, .PDF is considered "finished".
- Be creative with your cover letter and resume. If you have a design background, experiment with different formats/ layouts (see Photoshop resumes). Make sure the cover letter has some white space and looksbalanced.
- Look over the cover letter and resume carefully. Reverse the roles. Would you hire this person if it came across your desk?
DO’s Cover Letter
- Personalize your cover letter and address to employer if you can.
- Include the address of the company you are applying to.
- Use an electronic signature. If possible, scan your signature and insert into your cover letter to make it look more professional.
DO’s Resume
- Design a ‘Master’ resume including all your work experience, volunteering activities, extracurricular activities, hobbies etc. → It will help to effectively target the resume for each job.
- Align your dates to the right.
- Include personal accomplishments under section Interests/ Hobbies etc. i.e. hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, ran marathon, won national chess championship etc.
- Provide concrete examples to support each of your qualifications and skills and how you have acquired them. Quantify experiences to indicate accomplishments.
- Use action words!!
DON’Ts
- Fill the entire resume and cover letter. Too long. Leave white space. Makes it hard to read.
- Repetitive word. Looks like you have a limited vocabulary. Looks like no thought or effort was put in.
- Don’t hide gaps in your resume – be honest.
- Don’t use more than 2 fonts.
- Don’t use negative phrases.
- Don’t use overuse I, They, We.