Résumés, Cover Letters, and Thank You Letters
Résumé Writing
The résumé is an indispensable marketing tool for any job candidate. It is a written summary of who you are and should draw attention to your strengths and skills. A résumé should be a purposeful, concise and organized summary of the experience that you have as you relate to the available position.
Steps to Develop a Résumé
- Step 1: Templates. Choose a template for your program (ALD, KHE, YCS). A template will give you the general structure and sections of your résumé.
- Step 2: Content Development. Develop and input your résumé content using concise, descriptive, action-oriented language. The tools in this section will help you develop content and language to help your Rrésumé to stand out from the crowd.
- Step 3: Editing Checklist. Employ the Résumé Checklist to help edit your résumé. The Checklist contains guidelines to your basic formatting questions.
- Step 4: CS Review. E-mail your résumé to Career Services for review.
Step 1: Sample Résumés and Templates
The résumés below are intended for use as examples only. You should revise and strengthen the content to individualize it.
KHE Samples/Templates:
- Athletic Training Résumé
- General Kinesiology Résumé
- Health Promotion and Fitness Résumé
- Sport Management Résumé
Teacher Certification Samples/Templates:
NOTE: Teacher certification students should not diverge from these section headings and order of headings. Recruiters consistently tell job applicants that this is what they want to see.
- EC-6 ESL Generalist
- EC-6 Bilingual Generalist
- EC-12 Applied Movement Science
- EC-12 Special Education
YCS Sample/Template:
- Youth & Community Studies Résumé
- YCS students may also benefit by developing résumé from KHE or Teacher Certification samples.
Step 2: Content Development
Create a positive impression by using Content Development that is action-oriented, detailed, and quantified. Recruiters do not want to see generic language in your résumé. The above document provides formulas and self-directed questions that will help you create a persuasive and concise summary of your qualifications and achievements.
Action Verbs
Action verbs express achievements or something a person does in a concise and persuasive manner because they inherently carry meaning and are easier for readers to understand.
In your résumé, employ action verbs in the simple present or simple past tense to communicate your point quickly and effectively. Avoid non-action verbs such as: to do, to be, to get, to have, to know, and to use (utilize).
This Action Verbs document provides examples on how to use action verbs and an extensive list to help you diversify and individualize your résumé language.
Step 3: Résumé Checklist and Editing
Use this checklist to help you edit and refine your résumé. We cover basic information such as font size, margins, résumé legnth and much more. You are required to complete the checklist before submitting your résumé to Career Services for review.
Step 4: Career Services Review
Career Services can review your résumé up to two times. The more work you put into your résumé the more you will get out of this review.
E-mail: careerservices@austin.utexas.edu.
Cover Letters
The cover letter is a document introducing you, your skills, and your reason for contacting the potential employer. It is submitted with the résumé. A good cover letter will encourage a review of your résumé and is an effective tool to demonstrate your writing and communication ability.
A cover letter should always include a résumé and be addressed to a specific person. In general, cover letters should be one page in length consisting of three to four paragraphs that follow this basic format.
How To Write a Cover Letter provides basic information and content guidance. Use this document in conjunction with the samples below.
Sample Cover Letters
The cover letters below are intended for use as examples only.
Thank You Letters
Thank you letters, whether they are mailed or e-mailed, are essential in making you stand out from the crowd because many job seekers omit this step. They also provide the opportunity to remind the interviewer of your value, qualifications, and interest in the position.
How To Write a Thank You Letter provides guidance about the content and structure of a thank you letter. Use this document in conjunction with the samples below.
Sample Thank You Letters
These thank you letters are intended for use as examples only.