Resume Assistance
Showcase Your Talent
Develop your resume writing skills to effectively showcase your education, skills, and experience and set yourself apart from other candidates. Learn how we can help refine your resume and cover letter.
Resume/CV Overview
What is the difference between a resume and a CV?
Often used interchangeably due to their similar formats, a resume and a Curriculum Vitae (CV) are two types of documents used to showcase a person’s academic and professional experience.
A resume is a one to two-page summary of your education, skills, and experience. At the same time, a CV is a longer and more detailed synopsis of your education, skills, and experience, including research, teaching, and publications.
DVM students frequently have a hybrid document with the length of a resume but some aspects of a CV.
For more information on the difference between a resume and a CV, click the link below.
DVM students frequently have a hybrid document with the length of a resume but some aspects of a CV.
General Resume/CV Tips
- Showcase your skills and experiences - make YOU stand out!
- The layout should be easy to read and the format consistent (i.e., if category titles are listed in italics and places of employment/professional experience on the following line in bold, then they should be consistent throughout the document.)
- Review the requirements for the job and tailor your document to that specific job
- Check for spelling and grammatical errors - have someone else review your documents; the more reviewers, the greater the chance you will catch those spelling errors and typos.
You should decide on your resume section headings based on your unique experiences, not forcing your experiences to fit into categories from a template.
Suggested Resume Outline
You should decide on your resume section headings based on your unique experiences, not forcing your experiences to fit into categories from a template. Below are some example section headings to see how you can organize your resume and highlight your most relevant skills and experiences.
- Make your name stand out (large and bold font; 18 - 22pt.)
- Include your phone number and email; the address is optional
- Consider adding your LinkedIn URL (a personalized and short link is recommended)
- This is optional, especially if you are including a cover letter
- Objective: You know the industry and type of position you are seeking or applying for; good to have for career fairs and conferences
- Profile: Highlights your experience and the skills that you have to offer an employer that makes you a good fit for the position and can also include goals
- Make sure you list your Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program first (list your graduation month and the year or "Class of 20__"), then list other degrees (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, etc.)
- If pertinent to the job, including any other academic experiences/professional development opportunities you participated in (i.e., study abroad, internships, externships, etc.)
- Should GPA, honors, and/or class rank be listed on your resume/CV? If these honors show an outstanding academic performance and you think they are relevant, feel free to add them. Including honors in your resume is a personal decision.
- Often listed after the Education section in bullet points
- Summary of skills gained through experience, knowledge acquired in classes/labs/clinics, computer skills, languages, certificates, licenses, training, etc.
- Section helpful when tailoring resumes to specific positions
- Relevant skills for a veterinarian résumé often include diagnosing and treating animals, performing surgical procedures, interpersonal communication, working under pressure, problem-solving, decision-making, teamwork, leadership, compassion, etc.
- Hard and soft skills are valuable for any person in the veterinary medicine field as they require hard skills to conduct complex medical procedures, but they also use soft skills to work with animals and communicate with their owners
Read more about veterinarian skills:
- A bulleted list is usually preferred as it is easier to read - recruiters and representatives receive many applications; make their job easier by making your resume easy to read!
- Paragraph format is also acceptable
- List in reverse chronological order (most recent employment/experiences first)
- Use action words to start descriptions
- List more than job duties; include accomplishments and achievements
- Present tense for present/current positions and past tense for past positions
- Add city and state, and for international experiences, list country
- List dates of experience on the right-hand side, preferably right justified
- A section where you can highlight transferable skills and that showcase a strong work ethic
- An opportunity to include things that aren't as relevant or veterinary-specific. Did you do dog walking/sitting? You could add this experience here!
- Employers like to see this!
- Include your title, club/organization name, dates, and description of your role
- Sometimes this section is omitted as it isn't as relevant to employers
- Consider including information like graduated with honors/distinction under the Education section
- Scholarships and awards related to the veterinary field or that could be meaningful to employers should be included
- Explanations or dates are not always needed; however, sometimes they can give clarification and value
- Employers get excited to see what your interests are outside of school and work
- Having a section to list what you enjoy doing outside of vet med creates great topics of conversation (i.e., during a career fair or interview!) and helps to make you memorable
- This section could also show that you care about a work/life balance as well as your well-being
- Do NOT put a reference section on your resume or "References available upon request."
- Use a separate document with the same header and format as your resume
- Employers will usually state how many references they want, but it is customary to have three to five
- Include name, title, place of employment, address (or at least City, State), phone number, and email
- ALWAYS ask your references ahead of time if you can list them. It's helpful to share your resume with them and give them knowledge of what the employer is seeking so they can highlight your skills and experiences in a meaningful way.
- Feel free to inform them if you know references are being contacted
Cover Letter Overview
What is a cover letter, and why is it important?
A cover letter (also known as a letter of intent) is critical to your job search. It introduces your resume to an employer and demonstrates your experience and skills and how they relate to the position you are applying for.
Employers want to see a concise and professional cover letter from candidates. Still, don't hesitate to be creative, show your enthusiasm, and explain why you are the perfect candidate for this position.
General Tips
- Do your homework and research the company, as well as study the position description
- Focus on the needs of the company instead of your own needs and wants
- Use specific examples and be personable
- Don't simply restate your resume; expand on it
- If the position requires qualifications not listed in your resume, address them in your cover letter
- You may use a similar cover letter for multiple jobs; however, you must change each letter to match the position for which you are applying (don't forget to change company and contact person names, dates, and position titles)
Format
- One page (3-4 paragraphs), 12 pt. font, 1" - 0.5" borders
- Always write professionally and formally - no slang or abbreviations
- If you are printing your application documents, print your cover letter on the same paper as your resume
- Always have someone proofread your cover letter before sending it
- Use the same heading as your resume, including your contact information
For more information on cover letter writing, visit the link below.
How to Address Your Cover Letter
- Address cover letters to a specific person rather than a department or a generic title and spell the name(s) correctly (i.e., search committee chair, contact person, etc.)
- If you can't find a specific person, address cover letters to what the advertisement states (i.e., Hospital Manager, Selection Committee, etc.)
- Make sure you know the gender of the person you are addressing the letter to, and, if you are not sure, use their full name (i.e., instead of "Dear Mrs. Rose Levan," say "Dear Rose Levan")
- If you know the person's title, use it in your address (ex. "Dear Dr. Levan" or "Dear Professor Levan")
The Outline
For the outline and to download the cover letter template in a Microsoft Word document, visit the Career and Professional Development Community on VetMed Hub.
You got an interview!
You submitted your application for your dream job and impressed your potential employers with your resume and cover letter, and now they want to interview you. How can you prepare?
