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Sample Resumes and Letters

Your resume is generally your first introduction to an employer. As such, it must be written with great care and consideration. All resumes should be written with your career goals in mind. Your resume is your marketing brochure, showcasing those skills, achievements, and qualifications that relate to the type of position(s) you are pursuing. It should include specific descriptions that give the reader a solid picture of your accomplishments and capabilities. Remember, your resume is not a summary of your entire history; it is a promotional piece that is targeted toward its reader.

Please click on links to download or view sample documents.The samples are in MS Word format (each less than 35k).

Resumes

Cover Letters

Resume - Education First

Cover Letter Format

Resume - Experience First

Cover Letter - Internship

Resume - Summary Statement

Cover Letter - Skill Set Comparison

Resume - Functional

Cover Letter - Networking Meeting Request

Cover Letter Tips

Decline Letter

Content Guidelines

(Items marked with * are mandatory on all resumes.)

*Identification
Include your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Career Objective
This section should be used only when you have a clear and focused objective and you are unwilling to consider positions outside of that objective.

Summary or Professional Profile
Generally used by professionals with 4+ years of experience, this section consists of a brief paragraph or list of specific skills, accomplishments, and strengths that directly relate to your field of interest.

*Education
In reverse chronological order (beginning with Baruch), specify each college/university attended, its location (city and state), degree received, graduation date (month and year), and major. Include your GPA if it is clearly an asset.

Honors/Awards
Honors may be listed as a separate category or included in other sections. List scholarships, assistantships, academic honors, community achievements, and/or professional awards.

Projects
This section is especially useful for those with limited work experience. Include significant, relevant classroom learning experiences such as research projects, independent study, special presentations, and major papers. Explain in detail the topic, skills used, and result of your work.

Activities
Include involvement in community and campus activities/organizations. Highlight significant achievements such as committee work and leadership positions.

*Experience
List all positions in reverse chronological order. This section can include both paid and unpaid positions, or it can be divided into different categories (e.g., Professional Experience, Related Experience, Volunteer Experience) in order to prioritize your experience. For every position, include the following: employer, city, state, job title, dates of employment, and a description of your accomplishments. Focus on accomplishments that relate to the type of position(s) you are seeking.

*Skills/Additional Qualifications
These can be listed as separate categories (e.g. Computer Skills, Language Skills, Certifications, Additional Qualifications) or grouped together under one general heading. All computer and language skills should be included in your resume.

Professional Affiliations
List the names of professional organizations to which you belong, indicating leadership positions and committee work where appropriate.

Papers/Publications/Presentations
List published works and presentations when appropriate.

Interests/Additional Information
Be specific and list interests/activities to which you devote considerable time or in which you excel. List achievements that do not fit under other categories, such as financing your undergraduate education or extensive travel.

General Tips

Resumes must be one page in length! If you have trouble fitting your resume to one page, evaluate your content for relevancy and be creative with margins, font size and format.
Select and order the major content categories so that the most relevant information is placed on the top 2/3 of the page.
Use verbs to describe your achievements, depicting yourself as someone who produces: one who developed, analyzed or introduced, as opposed to one who participated in or was responsible for. Vary the vocabulary.
Use the present tense for current jobs and the past tense for previous jobs.
Emphasize skills and experience related to your field of interest and/or positions desired.
Avoid self-serving and subjective descriptions.
Include occupation or industry-specific key words.
Be achievement- and results-oriented in your position descriptions. Communicate your skills and capabilities.
Quantify achievements by citing numbers, dollars, percentages or time.
Do not include personal information such as age, health, marital status, height, weight, and religion.
Do not use the first person singular case (do not use "I").
Do not lie or exaggerate.
Add to the visual appeal of your resume by utilizing bold, italics, all caps, and/or underlining for emphasis. Use an attractive font sized between 10 and 12 points.
Proofread carefully! Errors are unacceptable. Have someone else proofread your resume as well.
Ask yourself: Have I effectively presented my skills, qualifications, and achievements? If not, what is missing? Writing your resume is a time-consuming and difficult process. Push yourself to do your best possible work.

Zicklin School Of Business

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