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Career Planning Step 3: Prepare Application Materials

The way you present yourself may make the difference between getting lost in the shuffle and finding success. How you come across on paper is even more important, because it is that initial impression that will open the door to the next step—an interview! We've developed some guides and tools to help you polish your job-seeking image.

Resume

A resume briefly summarizes your work-related skills and accomplishments. It describes your educational background, relevant experiences, achievements, activities and interests. It should present information logically, enabling the reader to glean the facts quickly and easily. The language must be succinct, expressive and action-oriented to create the most positive effect with the least number of words.

The resume serves most often as a tool for screening job and internship applicants to determine which applicants are to be interviewed. Because it is one of the first things a potential employer sees, it is imperative that it calls attention to the most significant and positive aspects of your background. In addition, the resume can be used to inform personal contacts, and those who might recommend you, of your qualifications and experience.

Review our Resume Guide to learn more about crafting a winning resume and to view resume samples and templates.

Format

There are three basic ways to order and organize information in your resume:

Chronological
- This is the most commonly used and accepted format. Your academic, employment and extracurricular experiences are categorized as such and each entry is listed/described in reverse chronological order (most recent experience is listed first).
Chronological Cluster
- Many students find that clustering their employment, academic and extracurricular activities into thematic sections helps their resumes to look more focused. Use cluster headings when the experience you have is varied and does not necessarily support your employment objective. Thematic sections, or clusters, should relate to your objective, e.g. “Sales/Marketing Experience” or “Teaching Experience.” Within each cluster, experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order.
Functional/Combination Resume
- A functional/combination resume emphasizes the groups of skills developed through employment experiences, academic courses, and campus and community activities. Those considering career changes, people reentering the work force and students with few experiences directly related to their career area may find this a more effective format. At the bottom of the resume, provide a brief listing of the positions and places in which you acquired the skills mentioned. It is very important that the skill headings you choose relate to the position you seek.

Before sending in your resume, review our Proofreading Checklist to catch any last-minute mistakes.

Performing Arts Resume

A performer’s resume details your experience in a performing arts discipline, your abilities as a performer, and your physical characteristics. Review our Performing Arts Resume Guide.

Cover Letter

The purpose of a cover letter is to highlight your qualifications and to demonstrate interest in a position or company/organization so an interview will be arranged. A well-written cover letter can be one of the most important assets in your job campaign. Eliciting responses which result in interviews requires that each letter be written individually and tailored to the specific employer. Review our Cover Letter Guide.

Curriculum Vitae

A curriculum vita, or CV, is a comprehensive biographical statement (generally three or more pages) emphasizing professional qualifications and activities. Vitae are typically used only in higher education job searches and are often requested specifically when desired by the employer. If a vita is not specifically requested, send a resume with a notation stating that a vita (and/or references) can be sent later upon request. It is far better to start out with a one or two page resume than it is to stifle the reader’s interest by prematurely sending a long vita. Review our Curriculum Vitae (CV) Guide.

Follow-Up /Thank You Letter

It is recommended that you send a thank you letter to each interviewer within twenty-four hours following the interview. Review the following thank you letter resources:

Writing Sample

Potential employers occasionally ask for a writing sample to be included with the cover letter and resume. Unless otherwise specified by the employer, choose a writing sample from a paper that is two to five pages in length. If you wish to use a longer piece of writing, extract a two to five page section of the larger work and introduce it with a paragraph which puts the selection in context (i.e. that explains what the larger work is about and how the section you've provided fits in to that larger work). Choose a piece that you feel is well-written over a piece that covers a topic related to the job but about which you have reservations. If you have written something which relates to the job in some way (be it content or the manner of analysis) and it is of good quality, choose that piece as your sample. Remember to list your name on each page. Seek advice from a career counselor or professor when in doubt.

Teaching Philosophy

A Philosophy of Teaching Statement is a brief reflective essay concerning one’s understanding about how students learn, how instruction can best assist that learning, and actions that you take to enact such instruction. It may also include your teaching goals, your learning goals for students, and areas in which you would like to further improve your teaching abilities. Learn more by reading the Teaching Philosophy Guide.

References/Recommendation Letters

Another important document to have ready in your internship or job search is a list of references. Usually when a company is seriously considering you for a position, they will ask you to provide them with a list of references. Plan ahead to get your references in order so that you have it ready when you need them. If you are interested in setting up a credential file, which includes letters of recommendation written by faculty and/or prior employers kept for you on file, contact the Office of Career Counseling.

Who to Ask for a Reference?

You want to ask someone who is going to best able to attest to your experience. This can include former supervisors, co-workers, colleagues, customers, vendors and faculty. Do not use a person’s name as a reference unless you have their permission.

Reference List

Once a person has agreed to provide a reference for you, make sure the information you have from them is correct (check spelling of name, if they hold current job title and updated phone numbers and email addresses).
Inform your reference contact of the position you are applying for and what company you are planning to interview with.
Create a list of references on a separate sheet of paper; do not include it on your resume.
Include at least 3-4 references (this should include, name, job title, and their contact information).
Always have several copies available at an interview; employers may ask for more than one copy.

Maintain your Network of Reference Contacts

After you’ve obtained your desired position, continue to maintain contact with prior reference contacts as well as potential ones from recent or current internships/jobs.

Review an example list of references