To assist you in the process, we have crafted some samples of resumes and cover letters for
you to use as guides to help craft the winning combination of documents.
Visit the samples at
– Members – Professional Resources
.
They are listed under Cover Letters & Resumes.
(Please remember that even if you follow these examples it does not guarantee that you will land a job
interview. These samples are only meant to be viewed as helpful suggestions.)
COVER LETTER
Introductory Paragraph
• Find a name to send the letter to and
address accordingly; Try to avoid ad-
dressing your cover letter to the general
surgery or human resources department.
• Use the first paragraph of the cover
letter to introduce yourself. State the
position you are applying for and how
you heard about the position.
• Research the facility and include some
of the knowledge you learned about the
place in the letter. For example: I have
read about your new DaVinci system,
or I have heard all about your specialty
procedures that are performed at your
facility.
• Name drop if you can. Does your Aunt
Sally work there also or you know some-
one working at the facility?
Main Paragraph
• Address your strengths and
weaknesses. Since students have
no experience, state that you
have performed clinicals at that
facility, or give a listing of the
facilities you have performed your
clinicals at.
• State the number of cases you’re
scrubbed in on as well as some of
the specialties you’re participated
in. There’s no need to tell about
all of them of or give too many
details or the resume is useless.
Keep them wanting more.
• If you’ve attended a state assembly
meeting or national conference, or
any other in-services or meeting,
make note of it here.
• And, most importantly, if you are
already certified, state it here.
Closing Paragraph
• Offer a sincere thank you for their
time, and give a time frame when
you will follow-up with them.
Paper Tips
• Put the resume and cover letter on
off-white, beige or pale gray paper.
This will help make it stand out
from others on the desk.
• Stay away from hard-to-read fonts
or bright colors.
Things to Remember
• Spell check. Have a friend or
family member read through your
cover letter and resume to make
sure your statements read OK.
• If you are applying to multiple fa-
cilities or job positions, make sure
to change the information in your
cover letter to reflect each facility.
H
ave
C
over
L
etter
S
uccess…
and
L
and
T
hat
I
nterview
We all hear how a strong cover letter and resume can make a good impression on the job recruiter
and land an interview. But crafting a strong cover letter and resume can be challenging. How
should it be formatted? What should I highlight? How much information should I give?
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