Tag: job skills

Students often ask me about how to write a cover letter, so I thought I’d compile some tips & info:

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has great resources about the cover letter writing process. Scroll halfway down the page to get to them.
• Advice and sample letters from the Career Center at Virgina Tech
• Clemson’s own Michelin Career Center has resources on resume writing. You can also make an appointment to have your resume critiqued.

A word of advice for students:

• don’t ask professors how to write a cover letter. There’s so much information out there, show me you can teach yourself. You’ll ask me later to write a recommendation letter, and all I’ll be able to think about is how you couldn’t figure out something as simple as how to write a cover letter…
• it’s OK to make an appointment and ask a trusted professor to look over your letter.
• do make an appointment with Career Services and ask them to critique your resume and cover letter. They’re much more tuned in to the market than professors.

For faculty: here’s a guide on how to write a letter of recommendation.