The Big 3 Possible Requirements

Resume/CV

What do you bring to the table? What skills and experiences qualify you? Hiring executives barely spend time looking at your resume, so how do you leave a lasting impression?

1. First impressions matter: having a clear and simple format makes for easy skimming.

Choose a font that is is highly readable like Sans Serif, Times New Roman or Arial with a good font size (10-12pt is recommended for normal text). Avoid paragraphs or long sentences and stick to bullet-point format, aiming for uniformity across sections.

2. Relevance over quantity: your goal is to show that you are a good fit for a position.

It is better to highlight a few experiences that directly relate to the duties that are expected in your aspired role as opposed to a comprehensive list of your accomplishments.

3. Provide context: with every experience, briefly describe the impact that you had.

Start with strong action words that explain how other people benefitted from your specific contribution, quantifying your work wherever possible. Use key words from the role description to further connect transferrable skills.

4. Proofread, proofread, proofread: errors show lack of care and detail-orientation.

Check your spelling, grammar and punctuation to avoid dismissal of your application! Have someone else who is familiar with the standards look over your resume before you submit it.

Recommendations

What do others say about you? How is your performance in a professional environment? Are you a good fit for your desired position?

1. Match the background: a great letter provides depth into your professional side.

Consider the type of position you are applying for when choosing your recommenders. If applying to a research position, have someone who can vouch for your lab skills and potential. That will benefit you much more than a classroom or character-based letter.

2. Details are your friend: a passionate letter can build much more confidence!

Choose recommenders who have had personal experiences with you that they can draw from in your letter. Someone you have worked closely with or had conversations with will be more likely to be willing to recommend you and go beyond generic statements.

3. Tell them your goals: your entire application should tell the same story.

There is nothing wrong with letting your recommenders know what you want them to highlight in your recommendation. Tell them about the kind of position you are applying for so that they can tailor their letter to it. Let them know what it means to you!

4. Tick tock: your letter has to be finished on time to be submitted!

Professionals typically have a lot going on and are not required to help you! The best you can do is ask them way in advance and provide them with all the details that they will need. You most likely will not even see your letter as most are uploaded by the recommenders, so give them good notice.

Essays / Statements

How passionate are you about the position you are applying for? How do your goals and interests align with the institution? Why should they pick you?

1. Do your research: you are trying to convince your readers that you are a great pick!

Whatever the essay prompt, your reader has a mental picture of the type of candidate they want. Be sure to highlight your qualities and skills that are needed for the job or are characteristic of the school or company. You are basically advertising yourself, so show why they need you on their team!

2. Be concise but thorough: don't waste your words on being stylistic!

Speak as a professional, getting to the point by writing with a clear purpose. Most essays will have a short word limit, so utilize the space you have! Focus on the quality of the points that you bring up in relation to the position, and try as much as possible to show and not tell! Keep in mind the big picture that you want to come out through your essay and allow that to guide you.

3. Get a second opinion: having other people review your essays is very helpful!

In addition to noticing any errors that you may have missed, they may be able to help polish your essay points. Be sure to also communicate your objective or big picture with them to see if it is brought out in a clear enough way.

4. Proofread: nothing communicates a lack of care like errors!

As with your resume and everything else you submit, be sure to submit grammatically correct work as errors could be what keeps you out of the race!