Resume and Cover Letter Writing for Graduates

How Recruiters Scan Graduate Applications

Recruiters skim the top third first: name, role target, degree, and two to three keyworded strengths. Make it scannable with clear headings, white space, and a concise value statement.

How Recruiters Scan Graduate Applications

Many employers use applicant tracking systems. Keep formatting simple, avoid text boxes or columns, use standard section labels, and mirror job description keywords naturally to pass automated screening without losing readability.

Format that favors clarity

Use a clean reverse-chronological format, 10–12 point font, consistent dates, and action verbs. Lead with education now, then move experience up as internships and projects grow in relevance.

Quantify achievements, even in school

Numbers give credibility. Mention dataset sizes, engagement rates, budget saved, attendance increased, or turnaround times shortened. Translate classroom outcomes into measurable results that hiring managers can visualize quickly and trust.

Projects and campus leadership as proof

Capstone projects, labs, hackathons, and society roles demonstrate initiative. Summarize problem, approach, tools, and result. Add a link when possible and invite readers to explore concise portfolios or code repositories.

Writing Cover Letters that Add Missing Context

Start by naming a business challenge drawn from the job description or recent news. Then connect a relevant project or internship outcome, showing you understand stakes and can contribute value quickly.

Writing Cover Letters that Add Missing Context

Select two role requirements and map them to concrete experiences, tools, or outcomes. Replace generic enthusiasm with precise proof, letting your personality show through concise, authentic, confident language.

Tailoring Efficiently for Each Application

Keep a document listing bullets grouped by skill, tool, and impact. When tailoring, pull the most relevant items, keeping strong verbs and quantification, while aligning terminology with the specific posting.

Tailoring Efficiently for Each Application

Highlight recurring nouns and phrases from the job ad and weave them into your bullets and letter sentences. Avoid awkward stuffing; prioritize clarity and authentic evidence that genuinely matches your experience.

Showcasing Skills and Your Online Presence

Write a headline that reflects your target role and key tools. Add a concise About section, featured projects, and skills endorsed by classmates or mentors. Use a friendly photo and custom URL.

Showcasing Skills and Your Online Presence

Include links to Behance, GitHub, Kaggle, Medium, or personal sites. Label them clearly and ensure public content showcases your best, recent work. Keep readme files inviting, concise, and easy to navigate.

Avoiding Common Early-Career Mistakes

Replace responsibility-only bullets with outcome-focused statements. Add metrics, scope, and tools used. Recruiters infer potential from results, so show what changed because you were there, not just what you did.

Avoiding Common Early-Career Mistakes

Complex templates can break in ATS and distract readers. Choose simple layouts, consistent spacing, accessible colors, and web-safe fonts. Let strong content deliver personality rather than heavy graphics or decorative elements.

Turning Documents into Interview Momentum

Build STAR stories from bullets

Expand each strong bullet into a Situation, Task, Action, Result narrative. Practice stating the result first. Invite feedback from peers, then trim to crisp, confident, conversational delivery under one minute.

Anticipate objections in your letter

If you lack direct experience, proactively address the gap with adjacent skills, tools, and proof of learning speed. This builds trust and prevents interviewers from lingering on concerns instead of your strengths.

Prepare a leave-behind version

Bring a neatly printed resume tailored to the role and a short project summary page. Handing them over at the right moment reinforces key points and gives interviewers helpful material to reference later.