Cover Letters & Resumes

In the U.S., submitting a cover letter when applying for internships or training positions is standard practice. Keep in mind the following when writing yours:

• Keep it short and specific to the position you are applying for.
• If you know the name of the person who will read your letter, address it personally; otherwise use ‘To Whom It May Concern’.
• Start with a short introduction. Explain why you are a good candidate and include two or three specific examples of relevant skills, experiences, and personal strengths.
• Mention that you are applying for a J-1 visa through the CIEE Internship USA or Professional Career Training USA program. If a host organization knows that it is not responsible for sponsoring your visa, they will be more likely to welcome you. (If you are a participant of the 1-Year Graduate USA Visa Program, you will have already secured your visa. Be sure to mention that.)
• Reinforce your interest in the position with a brief closing paragraph requesting a phone or virtual interview.

American-style resumes are different from CV formats used in many other countries. They vary in length and style; however, there are some guidelines you can follow:

• Shorter is better. One page should be enough.
• Tailor your resume to the position you are seeking. Try to make your experiences in other areas relevant to the prospective host organization.
• When listing your education and work experience, start with the most recent and work backward from there.
• Be sure to include any academic achievements.
• Be specific about your accomplishments in past internships or jobs. What did you learn? How did your work help improve your company’s performance?
• Carefully consider formatting. Organize the information logically. Remember that simple is almost always better. Do not use elaborate fonts.
• Do not include graphics, photographs, or icons unless specifically requested.
• Leave out personal information such as your age or marital status.

The guidelines below apply to both cover letters and resumes.

• If possible, use the standard page size of 8.5 x 11 inches.
• Unless stated otherwise, submit your resume and cover letter via email. 
• When submitting electronically, use logical filenames. Companies receive hundreds of email attachments named “resume.pdf” and “cover letter.pdf”; make it easier for them by including your name and the date in addition to the document type. For example, the filename of a cover letter for someone named Andrew Martin should be: A_Martin_Cover_Letter_2024.pdf.
• Unless a company states otherwise, send your documents as PDF files. This ensures that your original formatting will be preserved and your documents will be read as intended.
• In addition to attaching the files, paste the text of the cover letter into the body of the email.
• In both your cover letter and resume, be clear about how and when you can be reached. Make it as easy as possible for companies to contact you by phone or email if they are interested.

Review our templates to familiarize yourself with common styles of resumes and cover letters in the U.S. We have also created a sample resume and cover letter, with additional samples for three specific types of positions:

• Engineering
• Hospitality
• Marketing