www.udel.edu/CSC
Guide to Writing Resumes, LinkedIn Profiles & Cover Letters
A resume is a marketing tool and an extension of your professional brand. An effective resume
showcases your experience, achievements and strengths, relating them to a specific position by using
key words and highlighting relevant experiences. There are several different types of resume formats
you can choose to use. Some common types include: paragraph format, bulleted format and a
related/other experience resume.
Remember, there is no one “correct” resume for you to use - the best resume is the one that clearly and
effectively communicates your skills, abilities, and future potential. The primary purpose of a resume is
to obtain an interview.
Name
Address | City, State Zip | Phone: (123) 456-7891 | E-mail: bluehen@udel.edu
Objective/Profile: This section is optional, but needs to be specific and relate to the position to which
you are applying. Examples can be located here on the Career Services website.
Education:
This section should consist of your full degree name, followed by your anticipated graduation date. Your
high school should no longer be included on your resume after freshman year.
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Bachelor of Arts, Major, May 2016
GPA: Include if above a 3.0; Dean’s List, Fall 2012-Spring 2013
Experience:
This section can, and in many cases should, be broken into various sections such as Related Experience
and Additional Experience. An experience section includes a variety of experiences such as relevant
volunteer experiences, internships, co-ops, employment and research. The demographic information,
including the place where you had the experience, location, your title and dates of the experience need
to be included, coupled with descriptions of your achievements, skills and abilities.
Descriptions should begin with an action verb. A list of action verbs can be located here on the Career
Services website. Under each experience, you will want to use a combination of the following items
when describing your experiences: quantify, qualify and provide an outcome, background or purpose.
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Descriptions should include keywords and transferrable skills, which are highlighted in the job
description and should be strategically placed in your resume. Key words are used to narrow and screen
applicant pools. Use Tagcrowd.com to help generate key words for a specific job description. Examples
of transferrable skills can be located here on the Career Services website.
University of Delaware, Career Services Center, Newark, DE
Student Assistant, August 2013 – Present
 Communicated with students and staff to provide quality career services at a university with
17,000+ undergraduate students.
 Provided peer-to-peer support for students who needed help with developing resumes,
contributing to their professional and career development.
Activities/Affiliations:
Activities refer to your ongoing association with organizations or events. This should not include a one
day event or walk in which you participated, but were not involved in planning. You will want to include
the name of the organization, the dates of your work with that organization and any leadership roles
you assumed.
Public Relations Student Society of America, Fall 2012 – Present
 Secretary (2013) – Maintained detailed records for an organization with 40 members.
Skills:
In your skills section, you will want to focus on “hard” skills, rather than “soft” skills. Hard skills are
computer skills, language skills and technical skills.
Computer: Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office: Publisher, Word, PowerPoint
Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vine
Language: Spanish (fluent), French (spoken proficiency)
Optional Sections on your Resume:
Related Experience, Honors/Awards, Interests, Related Projects, Publications
LinkedIn Profile:
5 Rules for your LinkedIn Profile: *Source: LinkedIn.com
1. Your Profile should contain a professional photo.
2. Use the headline space effectively – include your area of interest or study.
3. Create a summary that will stand out – use keywords that relate to your industry of interest and
include general information on the type of positions you are seeking.
4. Include all relevant experiences – leadership, volunteer experiences, internships, shadowing
opportunities.
5. Get recommended! Ask for recommendations from professors and supervisors.
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Blue Hen Career Network
401 Academy St, Newark, DE 19716 I 302-831-1231 I udcareers@udel.edu
Updated: 9/18/13
www.udel.edu/CSC
Other LinkedIn To-Do Items:
1. Join Groups – Blue Hen Career Network
2. Conduct an advanced search for UD alumni working at organizations or in industries of interest.
3. Follow companies and organizations of interest to keep track of current events and openings.
Sample LinkedIn Student Profile:
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Blue Hen Career Network
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Updated: 9/18/13
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Cover Letters:
A cover letter should be specific for every position to which you apply. As a general rule of thumb, a
cover letter should be sent with all applications, unless the description specifically states “No cover
letters, please.”
A cover letter should be limited to one page and should be addressed to a specific person. (This might
involve research on the company’s website and/or a phone call to the reception desk.) You should avoid
the salutation “To whom it may concern.” All salutations should end with a colon, rather than a comma.
In addition, paragraphs should be aligned to the left with a hard enter between paragraphs – remember
this is a business letter. Your cover letter should be one page, and you should sign the end of the letter
(electronically or otherwise).
Cover letters can be sent via e-mail and guidelines for doing so can be referenced here. Below is an
outline of a sample cover letter. Please note that this is bulleted because it is an outline and should be
written in paragraph format.
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Updated: 9/18/13
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Name
Address | City, State Zip | Phone: (123) 456-7891 | E-mail: bluehen@udel.edu
August 4, 2013
Ms. Jennifer Smith
Recruiting Manager, Auto Engineers
12 Smith Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Dear Ms. Smith:
Paragraph 1




Sentence 1 – If you know someone in the organization, or were told about the position by someone who is
connected to the organization, this should be stated first. (e.g., Bob Smith recommended that I contact you
regarding the internship at XYZ Corp.)
Sentence 2 (If you do not have a connection to the organization, this will become your first sentence.) – A
sentence about the characteristics that best qualify you for the position. (e.g., I am a Mechanical Engineering
student at the University of Delaware with internship experience at General Motors and leadership experience
as the President of the Society of Automotive Engineers.)
Sentence 3 (If not stated in your introduction sentence) – How did you hear about the position? (e.g., I saw the
internship posted on the University of Delaware’s Blue Hen Career Network.)
Sentence 4 – Thesis – Provide a preview of what you will be discussing in the rest of your cover letter, based
on key skills addressed in the job description (e.g., I believe that my AutoCAD and leadership skills, coupled
with my interest in automotive engineering, make me an exceptional candidate for this position.)
Paragraph 2 (3-4 sentences)
 Expand upon the skills you mentioned in your thesis sentence. (From the above example, the candidate would
expand upon AutoCAD skills and leadership experiences. The candidate would reference instances in which
he/she utilized these skills.)
Paragraph 3 (2-3 sentences)
 Why are you interested in this organization? In your thesis sentence, you will mention your interest in the
organization, but will need to expand upon your interest in this paragraph.
o Remember to show that you have researched the organization and don’t make generalizations. (e.g.,
I understand that XYZ Corp does work in ____ areas, which directly aligns with my interests. As a
student at the University of Delaware, I researched ____ issue and took classes in ____.)
Paragraph 4 (3-4 sentences)
 Indicate that you have enclosed your resume and restate your contact information.
 Don’t forget to thank the employer for his/her time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Signature
Your Name
Enclosure: Resume
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Updated: 9/18/13