Think of your résumé and cover letter as your personal marketing materials. They highlight how your strengths and skills fit the job and needs of the organization. The resources below can help you build skills to write effective résumés and cover letters.
What to Put in a Résumé
Brainstorm Your Experiences and Skills
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Résumé Brainstorming Guide (presentation)
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Résumé Brainstorm Template (handout)
Draft Your Professional Brand
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Professional Development Plan Template (worksheet) Use this template to plan what you will do each semester to explore your major and career.
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Professional Brand Template and Scoring Rubric (worksheets) Use the professional brand template to start building your professional brand in your major. Then, use the rubric to see how you can continue to advance your brand.
Parts of the Résumé, Samples and Accomplishment Statements
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College Résumé Writing Guide (presentation)
Sample College Résumé with Scoring Rubric
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The College Résumé Annotated Sample (handout)
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The College Résumé Rubric (handout) - Use this to evaluate how you can improve your résumé.
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Customize your Résumé Guide (presentation)
- Cover Letter Template (handout)
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College Cover Letter Samples (handout)
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How to Tailor a Cover Letter (presentation)
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College Cover Letter Rubric (handout) - Use this to evaluate how you can improve your cover letter.
Résumé and Letter Builder
We provide a free online résumé and letter builder called Skills First. This AI-augmented résumé builder helps you create modern, keyword-optimized résumés. You can also submit your résumé to get feedback from our career peer advisors.
Additional Support

To get quick feedback on your documents, attend a 15-minute drop-in appointment. For help with how to write and improve your documents, sign up for a group appointment with our career advisors. Schedule an appointment with a career advisor.
We offer workshops throughout the year to help you build your skills in writing professional résumés and cover letters. Sign up for workshops on the Career Center calendar.
Employers host events where you can learn more about what they prefer to see in a résumé and cover letter. Sign up for employer events using Cal State LA Handshake.