The resume - style

Make sure your resume is perfect before handing it to a potential employer.

An interview gets you a job -- but a resume gets you an interview. Remember, those who will read your resume are busy. Give them concise, easy-to-read resumes. Consider these tips when creating your resume:

• Be concise. Whatever you have to say about yourself, do it on ONE page.
• Limit yourself to things you've done well. You're trying to sell yourself; be factual, but be selective.
• Use short sentences. Show potential employers that you can communicate clearly.
• Use past tense to describe past work experience and activities. Use present tense to describe the things you're doing right now.
• Start sentences with active words such as created, organized, initiated, designed or supervised, instead of using "I."
• Find a critic. Have someone you trust look over your resume - preferably more than one person. Have them look for grammatical and spelling errors, and ask for suggestions for improvement.
• Send out only a perfect resume - no smudges, coffee stains or faulty printing. A perfect resume may not make you a shoo-in for the interview, but a sloppy resume won't even get you in the door.

The resume - content

A resume should account for all your assets. Your resume will be unique to your qualities and experiences, but there are a few "must haves." These include:

• Indentifying information: your name, address, e-mail address and phone number.
• Education: name of the school, dates you attended, the school's location, the degreee you earned (or will be granted) and your major. GPA is optional.
• Experience: for each job you've held: the name and location of the company or institution, your position title, month and year you started and left, and a description of your duties and responsibilities.
• Activities: school or community activities. You don't need to list everything; pick a few things that you are proud of or that tell a little more about you.
• References: names of three people who know you well and will speak well about you and your work. Past professors and employers make good references. List name, title, work address, phone number and e-mail address. Check with potential references before listing them.
• The above sections are essential. If you have room, you might include academic and professional honors, coursework that says more about your abilities, and special skills you possess.

The cover letter

When you contact a company to apply for a job, to request information about job opportunities, or to find out more about an industry or a profession, you need a cover letter. This is the first thing that a potential employer will read. Compared with the resume, the cover letter gives you more freedom to be yourself, but it still calls for a professional tone and should follow a business-letter format. Be sure that your letter answers the following questions:

• Why are you writing? Explain who you are, your interests and your career goals. Be direct about what you want. Avoid "I am writing because..." and get to the point.
• Why are you writing to that particular institution or company? Sell yourself. Be specific about your accomplishments, but don't hype. Create an image of yourself performing the company's tasks using skills that are highlighted in your resume.
• When will the company hear from you again? Be aggressive, yet polite. Instead of "I hope to hear from you...," write "I will call next week for an interview."
• What else? The cover letter should be brief and to the point. Let the resume speak for itself. You can introduce its highlights, but don't repeat it verbatim.

The follow-up

Follow-up contact is essential in your search for a job or internship. Be persistent but polite. Call the people you've contacted about a week after the interview. If they're not in, don't leave a message for them to call you back. Just keep trying. When you do reach them, make sure they received you letter or resume and repeat your interest in their company or institution.

And finally, don't forget your manners. Send a typed thank-you letter after a job or informational interview, after accepting a job offer, or to withdraw from consideration. This follow-up contact can reinforce a good interview, or help repair your image after a not-so-good one.