🧱 Foundation: Career Search

Your resume and cover letter aim to earn you an interview. Together, they introduce you, highlight your qualifications, reflect your fit with the organization, and showcase your communication skills.

Use your application to:

• Show alignment with the company’s mission and values
• Demonstrate relevant skills and experience through stories and results, not vague claims
• Reflect the tone and language of the job posting to build rapport and pass applicant tracking systems (ATS)

Avoid listing every past responsibility—focus on what’s relevant to the role, quantify results, and integrate transferable skills. Use examples from the Career Planning and Skills Employers Want modules to support your points.

Tip: Phrases like “strong communicator” fall flat without evidence. Instead, show communication skills through specific achievements or challenges you’ve handled.

Your drafted stories/examples from the Career Planning and Skills Employers Want modules provide the foundation for your cover letter and resume and interview preparation.

Employers are assessing your potential, trustworthiness, and fit. Ask yourself:

• How do I demonstrate trustworthiness?
• How do I stay accountable and motivated?
• How do I work with others, especially remotely?

All these principles apply to both your resume and cover letter.

Cover Letter

A cover letter is a formal one-page document with an introduction, body, and conclusion. It’s your chance to tell stories that demonstrate your skills, align with the company’s values, and reflect their tone.

Your letter should answer:

• Why do you want this job and company?
• Can you do the job (skills and knowledge)?
• Can you work well with others (transferable skills)?
• How do your values align with the company culture?

Basic Guidelines:

• Keep it to one page
• Avoid acronyms and abbreviations (e.g., use “I am” instead of “I’m”)
• Match the letterhead to your resume for a polished look

Resume

A strong resume combines self-awareness, clear communication, critical thinking, and strategic design.

Start by analyzing the job posting, then match your relevant skills, values, and experiences to the listed qualifications. Use concise, results-driven statements and include examples that show you can work both independently and with others.

Design matters:

• Make your resume clean, readable, and visually appealing
• Avoid templates with locked layouts, text boxes, tables, or columns—these can confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
• Customize the order of sections to suit each job and reflect your growth