10 Resume & Cover Letter Tips

Sample Resume

Sample Cover Letter

1. Make sure you include this info in your cover letter:

  • Who you are and why you’re writing to them (be sure to mention you’re participating in the Boston University LA Internship Program in the first paragraph and that you’re looking for a SPRING, SUMMER, or FALL semester internship).
  • The specific position you’re applying for. “Any opening at Lionsgate would rock my world” doesn’t work. Pick one spot and make a case for why you’d be the best at it.
  • Why you are writing to them and what you specifically like about their company.
  • 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.
  • When you will be available for an interview. For example: “I will arrive in Los Angeles on [insert BULA Check-In date here] and can be available for an in-person meeting that week. Until then, I am available via phone, Zoom or email.”
  • Include your phone number and email address in your cover letter.

2. Keep it short! At this stage in your career, your resume should not be more than one page. Prospective employers often review as many as 2,000 applications each semester and will simply toss a resume that’s too long. Limit your cover letter to 3 paragraphs.

3. Make sure your resume and cover letter look nice. Don’t get too snazzy, but pay attention to font size (no smaller than 10 Point), make it easy to read, and keep spaces, dashes, commas, and periods consistent.

4. Research the dos and don’ts of resume writing. The BULA program will help you hunt for an internship, but you’ve got to do the legwork in professionally marketing yourself. Check out the BU Center for Career Development and CareerBuilder.

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. Send a test resume to a friend to make sure it looks the way you intended on the receiving end!

6. Remove your physical address from both your resume and cover letter. Why?

  • Safety: You never know who is going to have access to that document.
  • Location: If you continuously highlight that you’re not in LA yet, your resume might be put on the back burner.
  • Commute: Even once you get an LA-based address, you don’t want to miss out on an opportunity because your potential employer assumes you wouldn’t be willing to commute.

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, you can include that URL in the signature of your cover letter email instead of your LinkedIn. Be careful NOT to be viewed as “self-promoting” by including more than one link.

8. Unless you directed a film that got 100,000 hits on YouTube or you wrote a script that won awards, do not list your student work. If you have a project that relates to the work of the company you’re applying to, you can discuss it in your interview if there’s an organic opportunity to mention it.

9. Write like a human. Hollywood is full of personality, so be professional, but also friendly and unique. You don’t want to present yourself as overly formal. You’re likely to get your internship based on your skill set AND how personable you are to be around.

10. Say “thank you” for taking the time to read your submission!