Top 10 Resume & Cover Letter Tips Research

(1) Can you do the job? Have you answered each line of the job description with examples of

how you know you can assist with each task?

(2) Do you want to work for me and my company? Are you blindly applying in search of

any internship? Have you researched my company? How do we compare to our competitors?

(3) Do I like you? Do I want to work together all day, or will you annoy me? Do we have

things in common? Do you possess a sense of humor? Will you fit in with the office vibe?
5. Make sure you include this info in your cover letter:

1. 
   Who you are and why you’re writing to them (mention that you’re participating in the Boston University LA Internship Program in the first paragraph and that you’re looking for a SPRING semester internship – approximately January 9^th through April 26^th).
   
2. 
   The specific position you’re applying for. “Any opening at Lionsgate would rock my world” doesn’t work. Pick one internship title and make a case for why you’d be the best at it.
   
3. 
   Why you are writing to them and what you specifically like about their company.
   
4. 
   How your unique experience and skill set are going to make their lives easier every day.  Be specific and consider this approach from several angles. It’s more about them than you.
   
5. 
   Your availability. (i.e. “I will arrive in Los Angeles on January 7^th and can be available for an in-person meeting that week. Until then, I am available to answer questions via phone, Skype or email.”)
   
6. 
   Include your phone number, email address, and Skype name in your cover letter.
   

5. Unless directed otherwise, put your cover letter in the body of your email. The only attachment should be your resume, and it should be in PDF form to preserve formatting. Email a test resume to a friend to make sure it looks the way you intended on the receiving end!

1. 
   Safety. You never know who is going to have access to that document.
   
2. 
   Location. If you highlight that you’re not in LA yet, your resume might be overlooked.
   
3. 
   Commute. Even once you get an LA-based address, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because your potential employer assumed you wouldn’t be willing to drive far.
   

7. Include your LinkedIn URL in the signature of your cover letter email. Make absolutely certain your LinkedIn profile matches the resumes you’re sending out. If you have a website that looks AMAZING, also include that URL in the signature of your cover letter email. Be careful NOT to be viewed as “self-promoting”. You’re interning to assist and learn, not to shop your script around.