Resume and Cover Letter Style Guide

RESUME

COVER LETTER

REFERENCE PAGE

STYLE GUIDE

Use this guide to write professional, business-related

resumes, cover letters, and reference pages that

create a strong first impression

RESUME INTRODUCTION

A RESUME is a tailored document designed to market your skills and

qualifications as they directly relate to a specific job opening.

The purpose of your resume is to land an interview!

HERE ARE SOME KEY STEPS TO GET YOU STARTED:

• CREATE – Use this style guide and template to create a

professional, targeted resume that creates a strong first

impression. Do NOT use templates or examples from online

resources as these may not be compatible with Applicant

Tracking Systems (ATS).

• USE THE NUMBERED RESUME plus the link to the resume

template to assist you in this creation process.

• REVIEW – Make an appointment with a Poole College of

Management Career Coach to review your resume and discuss

your job search strategies. Drop-in hours are also available

with Peer Career Coaches for resume reviews in the Career

Center.

• POST – Once you have leveraged these resume writing

resources to create a plain text Word document that is ATS

compatible, upload a PDF of your resume to ePACK.

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services

LET’S GET STARTED

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THE SAMPLE RESUME ON PAGE 4 OF

THIS GUIDE AND THIS RESUME TEMPLATE

Below you will find a link to Sarah Jones’ resume. You may use this as

a template to craft your own resume. It has been properly formatted

and provides you with examples of resume content.

Download the Resume Template

WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR ON A RESUME

Based on the National Association of Colleges and Employers’

(NACE) Job Outlook survey, employers are looking beyond degrees

and GPAs on resumes. Here are the key attributes to include on your

resume that will get you noticed!

• Collaboration and Teamwork Skills

• Problem-Solving Skills

• Analytical/Quantitative Skills

• Verbal and Written Communication Skills

• Initiative and Leadership

• Flexibility/Adaptability

• Strong Work Ethic

• Computer and Technical Skills

• Organizational Skills and Attention to Detail

• Creativity

• Entrepreneurial Skills

• Foreign Language Skills

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Resume By Numbers ...................................4

Resume Content Guidelines .............................5

Resume Power Verbs ...................................6

Resume Evaluation Form ................................7

Cover Letter Style Guide ................................8

Reference Page Guidelines ..............................11

poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services | Poole College of Management Career Center | Poole College of Management

RESUME BY NUMBERS

Sarah Jones

[email protected] | 919-555-1234 | Linkedin.com/in/sarahjones | Raleigh, NC

OBJECTIVE

Seeking a part-time position or internship in marketing or sales. Strengths include strong organizational,

communication, and design skills. Enjoy a collaborative environment where I can contribute to furthering

organizational goals.

EDUCATION

North Carolina State University (NC State), Raleigh, NC Graduation: May 2025

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Concentration in Marketing GPA: 3.0

Relevant Courses: Marketing Research, Branding, Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communications

Study Abroad: Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain Summer 2023

• Lived with host family, studied international marketing and nance, and traveled throughout Spain

SKILLS

Computer: Intermediate Microsoft Word, Advanced PowerPoint, Acrobat Illustrator, basic Canva Pro

Foreign Languages: Intermediate Spanish (four semesters of study)

MARKETING PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Branding Project, Marketing Research Class: Redesigned company logo and digital marketing

materials using Adobe Illustrator. Received A+ on project for creativity, attention to detail, and problem

solving.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Server/Hostess, Southwest Steakhouse, Durham, NC August 2020 – Present

• Provide excellent customer service and ne dining experience for approximately 100 guests per day,

managing over $7,500 daily. Managed take-out process during COVID-19.

• Successfully market and upsell menu items, increasing revenue by 15%.

Child Care Provider, Cary, NC May 2018 – August 2020

• Supervised 3 children, ages 2-7, three times a week, providing meals, recreational activities, and

homework assistance.

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Assistant Treasurer, American Marketing Association, NC State August 2022 – Present

• Collaborate with Treasurer to manage a budget of $5,000 and allocate funds as appropriate.

• Monitor reconciliation process and implement improved nancial reporting processes.

COMMUNITY SERVICE & INVOLVEMENT

Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, NC State May 2023

• Collaborated with a team of three to raise over $4,500 to support Habitat for Humanity in Wake

County.

Captain, Intramural Soccer, NC State Fall Semester 2022

• Organized players, nalized roster, and acted as team liaison to University Intramural Sports.

• Helped lead team to university-wide championship.

① The header should include

your name, phone number,

email address, personalized

link to LinkedIn profile, and

the city and state where you

live. If you are an interna-

tional student and would

like your English name

included, format using

parentheses: Wei (English

name) Chen.

② All dates should be right

aligned. Set margins to

a minimum of 0.5" and

a maximum of 1" for the

entire document.

③ Begin with your most recent

educational experience.

Include the degree you

expect to earn or have

earned, your major, your

minor (if you have one),

university, city, state, date of

graduation, and GPA if 3.0+.

Add relevant coursework.

④ List all experience in reverse

chronological order. Include

title, name of organization,

location, and dates for each

position.

⑤ Use Power Verbs on

page 6. To construct an

effective bullet point, use

the following formula:

power verb + specific,

detailed information +

result or accomplishment.

Emphasize skills, abilities,

and accomplishments

appropriate to the position

for which you are applying.

⑥ Section headers should be

named to accurately reflect

content. For example, if

you have not listed any

involvement in this section,

do not include the word

“INVOLVEMENT” in the

heading. Simply label this

heading “COMMUNITY

SERVICE”.

①

②

③

④

⑤

⑥

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services

RESUME CONTENT GUIDELINES

RESUME CONTENT

GUIDELINES

SECTIONS BASICS SUGGESTIONS

Contact Information:

• Name, phone number, city and state, and

email address should be at the top of the

page.

• Include personalized link to LinkedIn

profile.

• Voicemail is instrumental in your job

search. Be sure your outgoing message is

business appropriate. Sample: “This is Sarah

Jones. I cannot come to the phone right

now, but if you will leave your name, phone

number, and a message, I will call you back

as soon as possible. Thank you for calling.”

Objective (optional):

• Demonstrate to an employer that you are

targeted in your internship/job search. Be

specific. An objective that is too general will

almost certainly not help you and could in

fact work against you.

• Always include an objective if you are

attending career fairs or other networking

events

• Use the job description to highlight key

qualifications and skills that match yours.

• This section should include the job you want

and how you are qualified.

③ Education:

• Begin with your most recent educational

experience. Include the degree you expect to

earn or have earned, your major, your minor

(if you have one), university, city, state, date

of graduation, and GPA if 3.0+.

• Add relevant coursework.

• You may include your major GPA if it is

higher than your cumulative GPA.

• List any study abroad or other colleges

attended.

Honors:

• Include academic honors such as

scholarships and honor societies.

• These may be listed under a separate

heading or as a subsection under Education.

④ Experience:

• List employment or internship experience

in reverse chronological order.

• Include title, name of organization,

location, and dates for each position.

• Emphasize skills, abilities, and

accomplishments appropriate to the position

for which you are applying.

• Use phrases beginning with action verbs

rather than sentences.

• Avoid the use of personal pronouns in your

bulleted statements.

• No need to restrict this category to paid

experience. Include all relevant experience

whether you received compensation or not.

• You may wish to separate this section

into “Relevant Experience” and “Other

Experience.”

Skills:

• Foreign languages, computer skills, and

other relevant skills should be included.

• List level of fluency/proficiency with

languages/computer skills. (Do not

overstate your competence.)

Leadership

Experience:

• List college-related activities including

student government, fraternities/sororities,

student clubs, etc. not mentioned elsewhere.

• Format this section like the Experience

section.

• Be sure to note offices held, committee

involvement for college or other organi-

zations, and accomplishments.

Community Service

& Involvement:

• List volunteer and community organizations

and activities and how you were involved.

• If the setting is religious or political, you

may want to use generic descriptions.

Reprinted with permission from East Carolina University’s Career Success Guide.

poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services | Poole College of Management Career Center | Poole College of Management

RESUME POWER VERBS

Fundraising

research

analyze

strategize

program

develop

contact

inquire

inform

motivate

direct

persuade

monitor

coordinate

Public

Relations

assess

prepare

coordinate

present

negotiate

publicize

strengthen

promote

handle

participate

facilitate

troubleshoot

Accounting

record

assess

audit

prepare

maintain

forecast

calculate

estimate

figure

appraise

examine

measure

verify

Leadership

create

lead

encourage

manage

organize

compare

inspire

represent

govern

direct

advise

develop

implement

Writing

conceive

construct

craft

integrate

interpret

capture

abstract

express

inform

summarize

conclude

Craft/

Artisan

design

create

build

entertain

perform

draw

render

illustrate

compose

construct

conceive

choreograph

Innovating

create

modify

change

upgrade

improve

design

activate

restructure

establish

stimulate

implement

transform

Language

translate

interpret

lecture

converse

negotiate

compare

understand

comprehend

proficient in

fluent in

teach

tutor

Research &

Development

identify

evaluate

review

assess

compare

analyze

critique

explain

prepare

recommend

conclude

determine

Human

Resources

assess

analyze

recruit

survey

screen

interview

select

train

mediate

appraise

coordinate

align

coach

Finance

analyze

invest

budget

inventory

evaluate

appraise

construct

develop

acquire

deploy

manage

project

Analysis

assess

observe

review

dissect

interpret

discern

conceptualize

discover

infer

illuminate

clarify

quantify

qualify

conclude

Editing

review

analyze

check

compare

comment

correct

rewrite

revise

rework

amend

improve

initiate

investigate

advise

read

Consulting

troubleshoot

problem solve

assess

arrange

guide

counsel

survey

serve

contribute

motivate

train

explain

evaluate

consult

Teaching

educate

tutor

stimulate

inform

instruct

facilitate

awaken

explore

advise

counsel

entertain

Performing

create

present

interpret

act

sing

dance

perform

model

read

inspire

Program

Development

analyze

design

construct

develop

prepare

strategize

coordinate

formulate

recommend

persuade

implement

monitor

Information

appraise

analyze

inventory

structure

design

categorize

document

process

manage

program

link

coordinate

organize

Management/

Supervision

coordinate

facilitate

plan

schedule

delegate

mediate

evaluate

strategize

develop

listen

consult

monitor

manage

Design

organize

explore

formulate

sketch

draw

draft

layout

create

plan

style

pattern

build

display

Technical

conceptualize

design

troubleshoot

inspect

locate

edit

analyze

implement

construct

modify

operate

Selling

inform

educate

persuade

provide

serve

trade

vend

handle

present

sell

convince

Organizing/

Logistics

classify

organize

maintain

support

arrange

systematize

schedule

coordinate

streamline

simplify

Marketing

review

assess

survey

analyze

quantify

identify

announce

promote

advertise

advance

boost

improve

Administration

monitor

track

assess

coordinate

organize

requisition

access

receive

process

serve

furnish

Service/

Hospitality

serve

troubleshoot

present

maintain

coordinate

prepare

welcome

enhance

anticipate

Persuading

present

articulate

clarify

challenge

negotiate

inquire

reason

influence

convince

arbitrate

mediate

reconcile

Mechanical

analyze

design

construct

craft

troubleshoot

create

engineer

repair

manipulate

align

coordinate

balance

Investigating

pursue

interrogate

question

analyze

intuit

seek

probe

examine

explore

Counseling/

Healing

listen

sense

intuit

assess

analyze

align

coordinate

understand

inform

facilitate

Adapted from Virginia Tech’s Career Planning Guide.

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services

RESUME EVALUATION FORM

EVALUATE YOUR RESUME based on the following criteria:

OBJECTIVE (optional) If including an objective...

❑ Does this objective explain what type of work you want and what

makes you a good candidate?

❑ Does the objective contain how you meet the key skill requirements

specified in the job description?

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS & HONORS

❑ Do you have the correct Poole degree name listed including minors

and concentrations? Example: Bachelor of Science in Business

Administration, Marketing Concentration

❑ Does the information include your graduation date?

❑ Does your EDUCATION section provide key aspects like certifi-

cations or licenses relevant to the job?

❑ Have you included honors such as honorary memberships or

scholarships?

❑ Have you included a GPA, if 3.0 or better?

❑ Do you list your relevant coursework?

EXPERIENCE/PROJECTS WITH ACCOMPLISHMENTS

❑ For each experience, do you list a job title, company name, city, state,

and months/years worked?

❑ Have you listed relevant class projects with descriptions that relate to

the job description?

❑ Are the experiences listed important to the employer?

❑ Did you describe accomplishments for your key work experiences

that include what you did, why it was important and the results

(metrics)?

❑ Do all of your listed accomplishments clearly support your

Objective?

❑ Are accomplishments presented through the use of action verbs?

❑ Are your experiences listed in reverse chronological order with most

recent stated first?

QUALIFICATIONS

❑ Does the resume demonstrate you have the necessary qualifications

listed in the job description?

❑ Do your qualifications clearly summarize your value to an employer?

❑ Does your resume present the key strengths required to be successful

on the job?

❑ Does it demonstrate that you have the appropriate technical skills?

❑ Is the language of the resume focused on what you can do to benefit an

employer?

LANGUAGES, STUDY ABROAD & TRAVEL

❑ Have you listed languages (even beginning level) and study abroad or

international travel?

LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

❑ Have you listed relevant professional affiliations and leadership roles?

COMMUNITY SERVICE, SPORTS & ACTIVITIES

❑ Do your activities demonstrate your ability to lead, be a good team

member, “give back” as a good citizen?

COMPUTER SKILLS

❑ Have you indicated your computer skills for the job and provided

your proficiency level for each?

VISUAL IMPACT

❑ Is everything on the resume important to the employer—directly or

indirectly?

❑ Have you been honest, but not overly detailed?

❑ Have you avoided excessive italics, bolding, and underlining?

❑ Does your resume look centered with sufficient white space? Make

sure content is not too dense.

Great Bullet Points = Strong Action Verb +

Specific, Detailed Information +

Result/Outcome/Accomplishment

poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services | Poole College of Management Career Center | Poole College of Management

COVER LETTER INTRODUCTION

A COVER LETTER introduces you and your resume to a prospective

employer. It focuses on your skills, experiences and key

accomplishments. An effective cover letter is targeted to a specific job

opening.

HERE ARE SOME KEY STEPS TO GET YOU STARTED:

• CREATE – Use this style guide and template to create a

professional, business-formatted cover letter that complements

your resume. Create in MS Word and save as a PDF.

• USE THE NUMBERED COVER LETTER to learn more about the

components of a cover letter and what information to include.

• REVIEW – Make an appointment with a Poole College of

Management Career Coach to review your cover letter.

Drop-in hours are also available with Peer Career Coaches for

cover letter reviews in the Career Center.

• INCLUDE your targeted cover letter with your resume when

applying to a specific job posting.

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services

COVER LETTER BY NUMBERS

Sarah Jones

sjones@ncsu.edu | 919-555-1234 | Linkedin.com/in/sarahjones | Raleigh, NC

April 14, 2023

Ms. Ima Recrute

Talent Acquisition Manager

Brand Marketing Consulting Group

245 Jobsearch Way

Raleigh, NC 27612

Dear Ms. Recrute:

**OR if you don’t know the name of the recruiter**

Brand Marketing Consulting Group

245 Jobsearch Way

Raleigh, NC 27612

Re: Marketing Intern, Job #12345

I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Intern position at Brand Marketing Consulting Group

that I saw posted on North Carolina State University’s on-line job board, ePACK. I am a sophomore at

NC State University majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. I am highly

impressed by Brand Marketing Consulting Group’s top ranking among digital marketing consulting

firms, and I would like to assist your company in achieving its organizational goals by using my branding

experience and organizational, interpersonal communication, and creative design skills.

Please note on my resume, I have experience with creating digital marketing materials and designing

company logos using Adobe Illustrator. For my Marketing Research course project, I collaborated with

the management team of a local business to reinvent their brand. Working with two other students on the

project, I took the lead on the design of the company logo and worked closely with my teammates to create

branded materials to present to the company’s marketing department. We received an A+ on the project

and were commended for creativity and attention to detail. The company is still using our brand designs

today.

In addition to my academic experiences, I have gained leadership skills by serving as Assistant Treasurer

for the American Marketing Association in the Poole College of Management and as a captain for my

intramural soccer team at NC State University. I believe my leadership skills along with my experience

in market research, digital marketing, and customer service will prove beneficial to Brand Marketing

Consulting Group.

I would very much appreciate the opportunity to schedule an interview to discuss in more detail how my

background and experience align with your Marketing Intern position. My resume is attached in pdf

format. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Regards,

Sarah Jones

① Use the exact header as on your

resume. This creates a profes-

sional, letterhead look.

② Employer Address Section:

Note the 2 options you can use:

2A - If you have the name of the

recruiter or hiring manager,

list their name and title in the

address section. Also include

a salutation such as Dear Mr.

or Ms. or Dr. followed by last

name. If you are unsure of the

gender, use the recruiter’s first

name in place of Mr. or Ms.

2B - If you are unable to

establish a contact, list only the

organization name and address

followed by a subject line with

title of position you are applying

to and/or job number.

③ Introduction: Your first

paragraph should identify

the position for which you are

applying, where you heard

about the position, and why

you are interested in the

position and company.

④ Middle: Your second

paragraph should explain

why you are qualified for the

position. Target it towards the

job description and focus on

your skills, experiences and

accomplishments as they relate

to the description. You may use

two paragraphs if needed.

⑤ Closing: Your closing

paragraph should state your

interest in scheduling an

interview to further discuss

the position and your qualifi-

cations. Thank the recruiter for

their time and consideration.

⑥ Signature: Include a profes-

sional closing salutation

followed by your signature in

either a signature style font or an

image of your actual signature

followed by your typed name.

①

②

③

④

⑤

⑥

poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services | Poole College of Management Career Center | Poole College of Management

LET’S GET STARTED

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THIS COVER LETTER TEMPLATE

Below you will find a link to Sarah Jones’ cover letter. You may use

this as a template to craft your own cover letter. It has been properly

formatted and provides you with examples of content.

Download the Cover Letter Template

COVER LETTER TIPS

• A cover letter should accompany your resume or

application once it has been reviewed by a career coach.

• Write to a specific person, ideally the one making the

hiring decision. Do not use “To Whom It May Concern” or

“Dear Sir or Madam”.

• If you cannot obtain the recruiter’s name through ePACK,

LinkedIn, CareerShift, or other resources, use a subject line

instead. Include the job title and posting number if there is

one.

• Target your cover letter for each job/employer and avoid

using generic letters.

• In your opening paragraph, state clearly the purpose

of your letter and resume, whether you are applying to

a specific position or inquiring about opportunities,

company information, or career-related advice.

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services

REFERENCE PAGE INTRODUCTION

A REFERENCE PAGE provides a prospective employer with a list of individuals who can

speak to your character, work ethic, work experience, job skills, and other attributes

that you possess that qualify you for an internship, part-time or full-time position.

HERE ARE SOME KEY STEPS TO GET YOU STARTED:

• CHOOSING REFERENCES – Select people who know you well, who have

supervised your work (or who you have supervised or have collaborated with)

and who can effectively communicate why you are a good fit for the internship

or position—work and volunteer supervisors, faculty, coaches, advisors, work

colleagues. It is best not to include family members or friends on your list.

• GET PERMISSION – Never list a person on your reference page who has not

given permission to you first. Verify the spellings of names, titles, and contact

information. Inquire how your reference prefers to be contacted and only

include this contact information on your list. Provide the reference with a copy

of your most up-to-date resume. Be sure to thank your references for agreeing

to serve.

• SENDING REFERENCE LISTS & ALERTING REFERENCES – When you are asked

to provide references, inquire who will be contacting your references and let

your references know the name and title of the caller and the organization that

the caller represents. Give your references a brief job description of the position

you are pursuing, as well as another copy of your resume in case they misplaced

the first resume.

• WHERE TO LIST REFERENCES – Your reference page is saved as a separate

document apart from your resume or cover letter. Use the same contact header

at the top of the page as you used on your resume. Unless specifically asked,

do not send your reference page with your resume and do not list references

on your resume. Submit your reference page when requested by the employer

or offer references after an interview. If you decide that you do not want the

position, do not submit your reference list.

• THANK YOUR REFERENCES – Keep your references updated regarding your job

search. Be sure to thank them after you have secured employment. They are an

important part of your job search team.

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THIS REFERENCE PAGE TEMPLATE

Download the Reference Page Template

poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services | Poole College of Management Career Center | Poole College of Management

REFERENCES PAGE BY NUMBERS

Sarah Jones

sjones@ncsu.edu | 919-555-1234 | Linkedin.com/in/sarahjones | Raleigh, NC

REFERENCES

Mr. Franklin Robinson

Project Manager

Progress Energy

P.O. Box 151

Raleigh, NC 27612

919-781-6677

frank.smith@progress-energy.com

Relationship: Supervisor during 2022 fall internship

Dr. Carol Grace

Marketing Professor

2101 Nelson Hall, Box 654

NC State University

Raleigh, NC 27695

919-515-8886

carol_grace@ncsu.edu

Relationship: Professor during spring semester, 2023

Mr. Don Ringo

Academic Advisor

Poole College of Management Academic Advising

Office 2150 Nelson Hall, Box 8614

NC State University

Raleigh, NC 27695

919-515-5565

don_ringo@ncsu.edu

Relationship: Academic advisor, fall 2020-present

① Use the exact header as on

your resume and cover letter.

This creates a professional,

letterhead look.

② Title your page

“REFERENCES” so that

it is clearly defined for the

employer.

③ After receiving permission and

preferred contact information

from your references, list their

full name, title, name of organi-

zation, organization address,

email address, and phone

number.

④ It is always helpful to indicate

the relationship between you

and your reference. It allows

the employer to understand in

what capacity your reference

knows you and what skills,

accomplishments, attributes,

and traits the reference will be

able to speak to.

⑤ A good number of references

falls between 3-5 and

allows the employer ample

opportunity to speak to a few

people, sometimes within

a short period of time, to

assess your qualifications as a

candidate for their role.

①

②

③

④

⑤

Poole College of Management | Poole College of Management Career Center | poole.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/career-services