Resume and Cover Letter

Essentials for
International Students

The Ins and Outs of Writing a

Dynamite Resume
and Cover Letter

Stanford University
Career Development Center
 Keep in mind that prospective
employers will spend less than 30
seconds reviewing your resume. You
must keep it clear, concise, and
focused on the information that will
sell you best.
Resumes! Resumes! Resumes! Editors of Career Press
 What is a Resume

A resume is a brief summary of

the qualifications and skills you
have gained from
EVERYWHERE in your
background that relate to the
position/career you are
interested in.
 Sections of a Resume

Heading
Objective
Education
Experience
Other Sections
 Heading
Ima Student
Present Address: Permanent Address:
123 North A Street 456 No Place Like Home
Stanford, CA 94305 Anywhere, MO 99988
(650)497-1111 (234)123-4567
imastudent@leland.stanford.edu

IMA Student
Present: 123 North A Street Stanford, CA 94305 (650)497-1111
Permanent: 456 No Place Like Home Anywhere, MO 99988 (234)123-4567
imastudent@leland.stanford.edu

Ima Student
123 North A Street
Stanford, CA 94305
(650)497-1111
imastudent@leland.stanford.edu
 Heading
Includes:
Present address (where you live, not work)
Permanent address (optional)
Phone number/Cell phone number
Email address
Web site (if applicable)

Do NOT include:
Date of Birth
Gender
Marital Status
Citizenship
Photo
 Objective
Optional
at a glance indicates to hiring
manager the type of position you are
seeking
Can state:
specific position you are seeking
skills you wish to use on the job
the field or organization type you wish
to be employed by
a combination of all of the above
 Sample Objectives

Position stated:
Seeking a position as a business
analyst.
Position as an engineering summer
intern.
Position and interest areas stated:
Seeking a position as an electrical
engineer in research and design.
Position as an editorial assistant in
magazine publishing.
Skills and organization type stated:
A summer internship preparing in the
biotechnology industry.
To apply decision and systems analysis
to strategic planning in business
development.
 Education
Include:
School name, with city and state or
country
Degree you will achieve
Date of graduation or expected
graduation
Pertinent coursework titles (3-5)
Minors, concentrations, areas of focus
Short course programs, certificates,
study abroad
GPA (optional)
High School (optional after
Sophomore year)
 Education
Stanford University, Stanford, CA
M.S., Electrical Engineering expected June 20XX
GPA 3.5
Pune Institute of Computer Technology, Pune, India June 20XX
B.S.E., Computer Engineering (First Class)
Coursework: Software Engineering, Advanced Computer Architecture, Artificial
Intelligence, Database System Principles, Operating Systems, Microprocessor-
based Devices.
OR
Master of Arts, International Policy Studies
Stanford University, Stanford, CA. expected 9/XX
Course works include economics, statistics, international politics, and game
theory analysis.

Licence (Bachelors Degree), International Relations and Action Abroad,

with Honors
La Sorbonne University, Paris, France 6/XX
Area of concentration: Business world / Regional specialization: Asia
 Experience Section
Experience is:
paid jobs
internships
volunteer experiences
leadership or teamwork in student organizations
special academic projects/research
Include in description:
Title
Organization name & location (city,state)
Dates of involvement
Description of responsibilities- action verbs
Verifiable accomplishments
Reverse Chronological order -most recent
information first
Include information from the last five years (10
years if extensive work experience in between
schooling)
 Examples

9/98 - present Teaching Assistant, English Dept., Stanford University, Stanford, CA

Led group of 12 students through course curriculum.
Read and graded papers
Met with student individually to problem solve course work.

Libellule Magazine, Advertising Manager & Writer, Paris, France 4/02 8/04
Managed advertisement business development for this Franco-Chinese magazine.
Developed client network, signed contracts with Cognacs Rmy Martin and France
Telecom. Translated Chinese articles into French. Wrote French articles for culture
section.
 Sample List of Action Verbs

arbitrated controlled explained managed

achieved created focused negotiated
advanced decreased identified promoted
advised defined improved processed
analyzed designed initiated reduced
authored developed innovated researched
coached directed interpreted supervised
conducted established led taught
 Other Sections
Leadership/ Accomplishments
Teamwork Honors/Awards
Activities Additional
Community Information
Service Computer Skills
Activities Language Skills
Stanford Professional
Affiliations
Projects
Hobbies
 Raphael Toulouse
659 Escondido Road, Apt. 16E, Stanford CA 94305
(650) 555-9243 rtoulouse@stanford.edu

EDUCATION
9/XX-6/XX Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Master of Arts, International Policy Studies
Course work includes: economics, statistics, international politics, and game theory analysis.

20XX La Sorbonne University, Paris, France.

Magistre(Masters degree), International Relations and Action Abroad, with Honors. Area of concentration: Business

20XX Panthon-Assas University, Paris, France

Licence(Bachelors degree), Law, with Honors. Area of concentration: International Law

EXPERIENCE
4/XX -9/XX Advertising Manager & Writer, Libellule Magazine, Paris, France
Managed advertisement business development for Franco-Chinese magazine. Developed client network, signed contracts with
Cognacs Rmy Martin and France Telecom. Translated Chinese articles into French. Wrote French articles for culture section.

8/XX-10/XX Marketing Assistant, French-Mexican Chamber of Commerce, Mexico City, Mexico

Prepared and presented report to French motor parts manufacturer on prospects for entry into Mexican market. Persuaded
chairman of company to meet purchasing managers of Mexican car manufacturers.

8/XX - 6/XX Reporter, Magistere Newspaper, La Sorbonne University, Paris, France

Wrote and edited 15 articles for school newspaper. Contributed to team meetings with ideas for new stories.

LANGUAGES
English: Fluent (TOEFL CBT score 273/300)
French: Native
Spanish: Fluent (15 quarters of classes)
Chinese: Good working knowledge (oral and written)
Licence in Chinese (9/95-6/00) at INALCO (School of Oriental Languages), Paris, France.
German: Basic (3 quarters of classes)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Computer skills: PC, Word, Excel, Access, Stata 5.0
Extensive travel: Europe, North Africa, Central and North America, Taiwan
Interests: Tennis, mountain biking, discovering foreign cultures, playing piano, listening to jazz music
 Additional Information for
Employers
Reference List
Provided upon request
Contact information for 3-5 people who can talk
about your skills, qualities and characteristics as they
pertain to the position(s) applied for.
Provide:
name
title
address
phone number
email
years known (optional)
how known, ie. supervisor, advisor, etc. (optional)
Letters of reference or recommendation are not
needed for most positions (academic and research
positions are the exception) Provide letters only
when requested or if reference is unreachable,
otherwise provide contact information.
 Additional Information

Employers do NOT need:

(unless specifically asked for)
Copies of diplomas
Photos
Information put in folders or
other protective covers
Transcripts
 Resume List
Is my resume brief and easy to read?
Does all the information fit on one page or is my
experience extensive enough to use two pages?
Are my most relevant and impressive qualifications
easily visible?
Do I use limited amounts of bold face, italics,
CAPITAL LETTERS, and underlining to highlight
the most important parts of my resume? Did I
overdo it?
Is my resume printed on good quality bond paper?
Do I use conservative paper colors (whites, off
whites, light grays)?
Do I have a balanced use of blank spaces and
margins?
Have I had my resume critiqued by at least three
other individuals?
 Submitting Resumes by
Email or Internet
Left-aligned and no formatting
(no tabs, bold face, columns, italics, or
underlines).

Use capitals, spacing, and characters (*** or

<<< >>>) to highlight areas.

Send your resume in ASCII text (plain text)

 Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum vitae
also known as a vita or CV
used when applying for teaching
and administrative positions in
academia or for a fellowship or
grant.
for further information, see the
Curriculum Vitae and Cover
Letters handout available at the
CDC.
 CDC Resources
Same Day appointments for resume
critique
Handouts
Binder of sample resumes and cover
letters (found in the resource library)
Sample of the resources in the Career
Resource Center:
Resumes That Knock Em Dead, Yate
The Smart Womans Guide to
Resumes and Job Hunting, Kind and
Sheldon
Electronic Resume Revolution,
Kennedy
The purpose of a cover letter is to
introduce yourself and personalize
your resume.

It also serves to interest an employer

and encourage
an interview.
 In Essence, Your Cover
Letter Should:
Introduce yourself and state your objective.
Personalize your resume.
Highlight specific information about your
experience and skills that would interest a
prospective employer
Your interests
What you have done
What you can bring to the job
How to contact, e.g. Ill be in touch with
you or I will call you in two weeks
 Basic Cover Letter
Guidelines
Opening paragraph
addresses who you are and what
you want
Middle paragraph(s)
addresses why you are a good
candidate
Closing paragraph
addresses next step you will take
 Cover Letters On-Line

Keep to 3 paragraphs (shorter

than regular cover letter)
Mention how you found out
about the position, what you
are looking for, and what you
have to offer
Can attach cover letter along
with resume (when emailing) or
can put cover letter in body of
email. Ask employer for their
preference, if unsure.
 Cover Letter Tips

Collect your thoughts and write them down. Dont

evaluate.
Find out who will receive the correspondence and
use their name.
Write a draft, let it cool off overnight, then, rewrite if
necessary.
Use a strong closing (After you have had an
opportunity to review this letter, I will call you).
Avoid weak endings (I look forward to your reply.
or Please call me at your earliest convenience.)
Limit your letter to one page.
Ask for opinions, advice, feedback from friends, a
career counselor, or someone in the profession.
Business letters should look conservative.
Remember to personally sign the letter and include
your telephone number and email address.
 CDC Resources
Same day appointments
Handouts
Binder of sample resumes and cover letters
Suggested readings:
Cover Letters that Knock Em Dead,
Yate
Dynamite Cover Letters, Krannich &
Krannich
Electronic Resume Revolution,
Kennedy & Morrow
And many more. Just inquire at the
resource library.
 Questions?
Thanks for coming!!
cardinalcareers.stanford.edu
Appointments: 650-725-1789