MAXIMIZING RESUMES, COVER LETTERS, AND INTERVIEWS IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS
As many of you begin the application process for practicum, summer internships, the post-graduation search, and beyond, read below for a quick guide on how to leverage your resume, cover letter, and interview to present yourself in a compelling, yet consistent way.
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| What is the Difference between a Resume, Cover Letter, and an Interview?
Resumes = The Snapshot 📸
A resume is a document that provides a summary of your education, experience, skills, and accomplishments and often serves as the first impression to the employer. It is designed to showcase your qualifications and used by employers to assess suitability for a specific role.
Cover Letters = The Movie Trailer 🎥
A cover letter is a document that complements the resume without duplicating information. It serves as a way to introduce yourself, express your interest in a specific position and/or organization, and highlight key qualifications and experiences that would make you effective for the role to which you are applying.
Interviews = The Live Audition 🎬
An interview is a conversation between you and a potential employer. Its primary purpose is to have an opportunity for you and the employer to delve deeper into your qualifications and experiences and assess mutual fit.
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Resume, Cover Letter, and Interview EssentialsDo your Homework 📝Explore the agency’s website, social media, and online presence to get a thorough sense of their initiatives, mission, vision, values, and organizational culture.
- Resume: Edit your resume to include only the most relevant qualifications and experience based on your research.
- Cover Letter: Demonstrate your genuine interest in the agency by describing how your background aligns with the organization's values and goals.
- Example: “My interest in this position stems from my work as an advocate with a deep desire to serve LGBTQ+ youth and I would be eager to translate my three years of experience with this population to serve an agency whose core values of service and social justice align with my own.”
- Interview: Set yourself apart from other candidates by showcasing your knowledge about their work in your responses.
- Example: “I saw in your mission statement that you want to expand opportunities for social services, arts, and health care programs. In my last placement, I was able to oversee the youth arts program and I think my experience would be a great asset to this role, but I would also love to expand my experience by specializing in the population that this agency serves.”
Tailor to the Role 🧩Highlight the most relevant skills, experiences, and keywords related to the specific role to clearly articulate how your background aligns with its requirements.
- Resume: Ensure that you include keywords and skills throughout your resume that are important to the employer and/or most relevant to the role.
- Example: “Provided weekly individual counseling sessions for LGBTQ youth ages 14-22 using person-centered, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and psychodynamic approaches.”
- Cover Letter: Customize each cover letter to address the specific requirements of the role and explain how your skills and experiences match what the employer is looking for.
- Example: “Facilitating groups and managing crises at my previous placement has helped me develop into an effective mediator, which will be crucial to the success of this role.”
- Interview: Speak to how you will address the agency’s needs by consistently connecting and applying each response back to the role.
- Example: “I saw in the description that this role will be working to build a new outreach program and I would be ready to support with community engagement. In my last role, I was able to coordinate events and manage communications and I think my strength in establishing rapport would really be valued at this agency.”
Optimize the Power Trio 💡Your resume, cover letter, and interview should holistically create a synergistic narrative that maintains consistency and authenticity. But remember to leverage these tools in different ways to make the most of the application process.
- Resume: Instead of just listing responsibilities, use this document to highlight the impact you've had and skills you have gained in previous experiences. Quantify your achievements and add outcomes where possible.
- Example: “Offered optimal customer service over the phone and in person, interacting with 25-50 students, administrators, parents, and other visitors per day.”
- Cover Letter: Use the cover letter to convey enthusiasm and expand on aspects that may not be evident in your resume by providing concrete examples of situations where you demonstrated key competencies. This is also an opportunity to paint a clear picture for the employer of the value you would bring to the role.
- Interview: The interview is your chance to go into detail about your experiences, showcase your personality, and establish a more personal connection to present a fuller and more cohesive story for the employer. Engage in conversation by showing how you can be a solution to their needs, clarifying any information, and asking thoughtful questions, all with the goal of ensuring mutual fit.
- Example: “The most challenging, but rewarding part of my current role has been learning how to establish a deep rapport with diverse clients through my own unique approach, which is a skill I’m excited to bring to this role. What would you say are some of the rewards and challenges of this role?”
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