Resume and cover letter studio

Learn the shape of a clean document, then build one. Downloads happen in your browser — HTML, plain text, or Print to save a PDF on your device. Sign in if you also want a copy on your account.

A clean resume

One page, unless you have a long career

If you have under ten years of work, one page is the clean default. Two pages are fine for senior people with real scope — not for stretching internships.

Lead with the job you want, not the job you had

Put a short headline under your name (“Warehouse operations coordinator”), not an objective paragraph about being a “team player.”

Bullets are evidence

Start with a verb. Prefer a number: volume, time, money, error rate, people trained. “Helped with shipping” is a task. “Cut late outbound orders from 9% to 3%” is a result.

Match the posting’s language once

If they ask for inventory variance, write inventory variance — once, honestly. Keyword stuffing reads as spam to humans and to ATS software.

Skip decoration

No photo on a U.S. resume (it can hurt ATS parsing and invites bias). No skill bars, no icons, no “References available upon request.” Contact, work, education, skills.

File format

PDF from Print is the usual send. Keep an HTML or text copy on your device. Never email your resume from a public computer and leave it in the drafts.

A clean cover letter

Three short movements

Why this role. Proof you can do it (one or two facts). A calm close. A cover letter is not a memoir and not a resume in paragraph form.

Name the company and the job

“I am applying to the operations coordinator role at Example Company because…” proves you did not mail-merge fifty employers.

One story, not five

Pick the single result that maps to their posting. Explain the mess you walked into, what you changed, and what moved.

No desperation, no flattery

Skip “I would be honored to be part of your world-class family.” Write like a colleague who already does this work.

Keep it under 350 words

If they asked for no letter, do not send one. If they asked for one, one page is already too long for most.