Once you've found the right fit (and understand what the company requires for an application), it's time to put the final touches on your application materials, including:
Step 3: Create and submit applications
Create a Resume
Your resume shows employers you've prepared for the job or internship you want. You'll make two resumes — an 'everything' resume, and a 'tailored' resume. The first can be multiple pages and includes all of your experiences and skills. The second is a one-page document containing only the information that fits a specific role and company. You'll use the everything resume to create a new, tailored resume for each application.
Create a resume, step by step:
At the top of your resume should be your full name, prominently displayed. Underneath, add your email, phone number and location (city, state) and add the URL to your portfolio or LinkedIn profile.
This section is usually near the top. It includes:
- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- Full degree name (e.g., Bachelor of Arts)
- List majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, or specializations
- Expected graduation month and year
- GPA (only if 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale)
The format will look like this:
Education
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art
Concentration in Graphic Design
May 20xx | GPA: 3.7/4.0
Employers often review this section to identify your technical or specialized abilities. Transferable skills like communication and teamwork should be demonstrated in your accomplishment statements, rather than listed here.
Language Skills
For non-government employers, use the following descriptors:
- Conversational: Able to speak the language.
- Proficient: Able to read, write, and speak the language well.
- Fluent: Able to read, write, and speak the language at a near-native level. Be prepared to interview and work in the language.
For government jobs, if you've completed language proficiency testing, use Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) skill-level descriptions.
Computer Skills
Include software and tools you've used in your coursework or jobs, especially those listed in job descriptions. Specify your skill level where applicable. Tailor this to the expectations of your target industry.
Lab Skills
List techniques, equipment, procedures, and scientific software you are proficient in.
Experience blocks make up the bulk of your resume. Because an employer's first-glance at your resume might be less than 10 seconds, experience block headings should be descriptive and attention-grabbing, like ‘Graphic Design Experience’ or ‘Customer Service Experience,’ instead of just ‘Experience.’
Experience blocks include:
- Specific heading
- Organization name and location (city, state)
- Dates of involvement (month, year)
- Position title
- 2-5 accomplishment statements
You might have multiple experiences under one headings. Experience blocks can be a mix of jobs, internships, research experience, volunteer or leadership experience, study abroad, coursework, and student clubs or groups.
For the following optional experience blocks, you might include:
- Honors & Awards: Scholarships, awards, or honor societies and briefly explain why you received them
- Coursework: Classes relevant to the position and projects, research, group work, industry knowledge, or skills gained
- Study Abroad: Emphasize development of language skills, cultural sensitivity, adaptability, communication, and perseverance
- Research: Explain what you were researching by answering 'how' and 'why' for each of your skills
An accomplishment statement is a concise, descriptive sentence that highlights your achievements and skills. To phrase your experience in the form of an accomplishment statement, use the formula skill verb + how + why.
When writing accomplishment statements, you will:
- Use first-person verb tenses (e.g., plan, manage) but do not use pronouns (I, me, my, our).
- Use present tense for current roles and past tense for previous roles.
- Describe how you demonstrated the skill (What did you do? Who did you work with?).
- Explain the result or purpose (What did you accomplish? Who benefited?).
After drafting a resume, you need to review it and ensure it's formatted correctly. Review your resume to make sure:
- There are no spelling errors, and no abbreviations other than GPA
- The same formatting is used throughout (fonts, font sizes, spacing, colors, etc.)
- Personal information isn't included — no birth dates, street addresses, ethnicity, or other non-relevant information
- References aren't included – employers will request these
Write a cover letter
A cover letter allows you to show your interest and enthusiasm for the position and company, while highlighting skills and experiences especially relevant to the position. It demonstrates your written communication skills, and strengthens your chances of securing an interview.
Write a cover letter, step by step:
- Add the header from your resume so your documents match
- Left-align the text and use double spaces between paragraphs
- Address the cover letter to a specific person, if possible. If not, stick with ‘hiring manager’ or ‘hiring committee’
- Briefly state why you’re writing
- Mention the specific job title and how you heard about the opening
- If you have a personal connection to the organization, mention that person’s name
- What is something unique about this organization that appeals to you? Share why you want to work there.
- State why you believe you are a good fit for the role
- State how your industry-specific skills, education, or experience match the requirements of the position
- Use an example that provides specific examples of industry-specific skills, strengths, and accomplishments, without repeating your resume word for word
- Mention how your example will help the employer (so make sure your example is results-oriented and ties to the job description)
- Refer to the enclosed resume and provide your phone number and email address
- Express your appreciation for the employer’s time and consideration
- Be humble – express appreciation for the employer’s time and consideration but don’t assume you’ll get an interview
- Close the letter with "Sincerely," followed by your full name
- Proofread your cover letter and drop by the Career Studio to have a peer coach look over it
- Save the file as a PDF and include your name in the file, like Smith_Katherine-Cover Letter.pdf
Need some inspiration?
Build a portfolio
Portfolios are an essential way for creative and media professionals, such as writers, videographers, artists, interior designers, marketers, and others, to showcase their work. A curated portfolio is a crucial way to establish credibility and make a strong first impression when applying for internships, jobs, and other professional experiences.
Build a portfolio, step by step:
What do you want your portfolio to achieve? Are you applying for an experiential learning experience, internship, or job? Are you seeking freelance clients or applying for a scholarship? Understanding your purpose will help you decide which projects to highlight.
Overall, your portfolio should represent you, the type of person you are, and tell your professional story. It can show your aesthetic and brand identity, but it should be tailored with your audience in mind, just as you would with a resume. Ask yourself:
- What are they looking for in a successful candidate?
- What portfolio pieces fit best for the application?
- What represents me as a creator? What am I known for?
- What is my process? Why and how do I do my work?
There are a lot of platforms to choose from — Weebly, Wix, Wordpress and Carrd all offer free versions. Behance, Coroflot and Dribbble are all social media platforms that act as portfolios and have job boards. Each will have pros and cons, so don’t be afraid to explore multiple before choosing one right for you.
You won’t be displaying every single project you’ve ever done, but selecting projects that highlight your best work, align with your audience, and display your range of skills and capabilities. Your portfolio might include photos, videos, art, writing and other pieces. If your work doesn’t feel quite right, don’t be afraid to create something new to add to your portfolio.
When choosing work to include, consider:
- Does it demonstrate skills and expertise needed for the role or industry?
- Can I explain my process for this piece in a compelling way?
- Is it consistent with the quality of my work and my brand?
The work you create is part of your story, and you should be able to talk about it. Doing this on your portfolio is great practice for an interview. For every piece you include, provide context for it that helps demonstrate your creative process and problem-solving skills. Ask yourself:
- What was the project’s purpose? What was the challenge?
- What was the process? Explain the steps you took, from ideation to creation.
- What was the impact? When possible, include outcomes or feedback that shows the effectiveness of your work. This demonstrates your technical skills and your ability to think strategically.
Your portfolio should be easy to navigate — employers take about 55 seconds to decide if they want to interview someone when reviewing the applicant’s resume and portfolio together. Break your content into clear sections or categories (usually by project type or medium) and use intuitive headings.
For example, a website navigation might include:
- About: A few paragraphs about your professional journey, values, and what drives your process. This helps potential employers or clients learn more about you.
- Descriptive headings: Use intuitive headings that easily describe what the user will be looking at. For example a graphic designer might have design, illustration and photography as categories but an interior designer might use retail, residential, and industrial.
- Contact: Provide up to date contact information, and if applicable, links to LinkedIn and other social media. This makes it easy for interested parties to get in touch with you.
When you feel like your portfolio is in a good spot, you’ll want to proofread and give it a good review. Check it for:
- Professionalism: Does your portfolio give an employer a sense of what type of work you’re capable of producing? The presentation and language of your portfolio should be consistent with the professional expectations of your targeted industry. To get a better sense of your industry’s standards, schedule a career chat with someone currently working in your targeted field.
- Accessibility: Did you follow accessibility standards? How are you sharing the link with employers? Think about how you might share your portfolio with employers and how employers might want to access your previous work. Via your LinkedIn? Via your resume? Via a website?
- Tailoring: Is your portfolio tailored to your industry and audience? Each industry values different skills, styles, and formats, so customizing your portfolio can significantly enhance your chances of making a strong impression.
Each industry values different skills, styles, and formats, so customizing your portfolio is essential to making a strong impression. A graphic design portfolio might highlight visual creativity and software proficiency, while a fine arts portfolio could include an artist statement and a diverse body of work. Make sure your portfolio aligns with your industry by seeking feedback from career coaches, faculty, or alumni working in your field.
When you’re ready to release it out into the world, you can add your portfolio to your LinkedIn and other social media, resume, Handshake profile, and more. Show your audience you have what it takes!
Know that your portfolio, like a resume, is never truly complete. You will want to regularly update and tailor it as your passions, projects, and skills change.
Let faculty and alumni be your guide
Use these portfolios from the College of Arts and Sciences community as examples.
Make a demo reel
On-screen and off-screen professionals in video-focused industries, like actors, game designers, advertisers, producers, and editors, use demo reels to land work. These 60-90 second videos emphasize your unique, creative voice and help convince employers you’re the person they want to hire.
Make a demo reel, step by step:
The best demo reels show what you can do, and who you are. It’s a tool for emphasizing your creative voice and your skills.
Ask yourself:
- Does my work reflect my creative efforts? Professionals can often identify if the material was the product of a class exercise, so leave it out.
- Are you proud of your work? Your reel is a first impression, so make it a good one! Only include projects you want people to see and that you can defend.
- Do you have enough content? Reels are only 60-90 seconds long and should be kept brief. If you think a clip isn't your best work, leave it out. You can always edit it later as you create more work. Being involved in student groups and student media will give countless opportunities to develop 'real-world' work to include in demo reels and portfolios.
- Do you need a soundtrack? While not always necessary, soundtracks can add to the impact of your reels. Don't use copyrighted music.
There are two basic types of demo reels — collage and sample.
Collage reels feature many short clips with quick pacing, set to music. These often work best for spot, commercial, or short-form work.
Sample reels have longer segments (maybe 15 seconds) that show a technique or specific theme. These are usually best for narrative, documentary, or journalistic projects.
Regardless of which option you choose, your goal is to engage your audience. Grab their attention and lead with your strongest work.
You'll start and end your reel with your basic contact information: name, email, and website. The rest of your reel is about showing your skills and telling your story. Things to consider:
- Before-and-after clips can be useful for colorists, audio engineers, and other professionals.
- Sequential shots, 3D models, and composites can be created to showcase your editing skills.
- If your reel contains acting, choose moments with the most genuine performances.
- Timing and editing are essential. If used, consider how the clips align with the music's beat.
While you're putting the pieces of your reel together, consider what context to provide. You can do this with lower-thirds or by adding it in the corner of the frame. Label your own involvement and credit others where it's due. If you have worked for major corporations or networks, you can also note this. You can also include software or tools you used. All of this gives your audience a better sense of your abilities.
Edit it all together! When you're done, give it a good review. Check for spelling, audio, and technical errors. Seek feedback from career coaches, faculty, or alumni working in your field and use their feedback to improve your reel. You should update your reel as your skills improve and your body of work grows.
Publish your reel online so you have a link to easily send to employers. You can use YouTube, Vimeo, or Dribbble, or embed it on your portfolio website or social media profiles.