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Starting your career: resume and cover letter tips

Category: Student Success

Written by: Shayla Simon, Coordinator, Work Integrated and Experiential Learning

Two individuals sit at a desk in a library. One person is assisting the other by showing them something on an iPad.

Whether you’re a new graduate entering the industry or a student looking to put your hands-on learning experience on paper, having a quality resume and cover letter will help you grab the attention of new employers.

Check out these resume tips to learn easy ways to make your resume and cover letter stand out from the rest:

Use your resume real estate wisely

With limited space to share all your experience, it’s important to cut the clutter and keep your points concise. Using clear and consistent formatting, such as bullet points, helps enhance the visual appeal of your documents.

Remove irrelevant information like hobbies, photos and graphs. Make the most of the valuable space by following the margins and using appropriate font size.

Focus on relevant experience

If you’re new to the workforce and don’t have much experience under your belt, consider adding relevant skills from a work placement, school project or volunteer experience to help round out the main part of your resume.

Ditch the objective statement

An objective statement tells the recruiter what they already know – your objective is to be hired for the job.

Instead, replace it with a profile summary that’s listed directly under your contact information. A profile summary emphasizes your qualifications for that particular job.

Highlight accomplishments instead of job duties

Rather than stating your role, list the achievements you’ve accomplished. If you’ve increased company sales by 30% for the past 3 months, list that. Resist the urge to copy your job description directly to your resume. Employers care more about accomplishments than day-to-day responsibilities.

Keep the basics in mind

Lastly, don’t ignore the basics. Make sure your contact information is prominent and current. Spending hours perfecting a resume is a waste of time if your contact details are incorrect.

If you’re in a creative field, consider adding a link to your online portfolio. If you’re in a more traditional field, consider adding a link to your LinkedIn profile.

Looking for more tips?

If you want more tips on creating a resume and cover letter that will help you get noticed, visit the following links to learn more:

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