Prepare Effective Job Seach Documents

When you apply for a job, you will almost always send both a resume and a cover letter.

Resume
This highlights education, experience and skills relevant to the job. For assistance with the resume, visit the Resume section of this website, review the Resume Quick Reference Guide, view CDC's Virtual Resume Program, and take advantage of OptimalResume (current students only) to help create and format your document. It is also strongly recommended that students utilize CDC's Counselor-on-Call hours to have a draft reviewed by a career professional.

Cover Letter
To be effective each letter needs to be individually prepared, customized for that specific employer, and clearly indicate the type of position you seek. In your letter point out particularly relevant aspects of your background that equip you to perform the work you're seeking. This approach is most productive when you know that the organization has openings consistent with your education, professional objectives, skills and experience. The letters and resumes that present candidates most effectively and set the stage comfortably for interviews are those prepared by candidates themselves.

Utilize the Cover Letter section of this website, CDC programs, the Writing a Cover Letter Quick Reference Guide, and have a draft reviewed during Counselor on Call hours to assist you in preparing effective documents.

Additional resources for job search documents:

E-mail Etiquette: A Quick Guide to Writing a Professional E-mail
To Thank or Not to Thank
Cover Letter Rubric