Application Procedures

Sending Your Resumes and Cover Letters

• Follow the employer’s guidelines for submitting resumes and cover letters (e.g. email or uploading to a website)
• Convert your files to PDF to preserve formatting, unless the employer specifies a different file format
• Include both your last name and the type of document (resume, writing sample, etc.) in the filename; follow any other specific guidelines required by the employer
• Identify the reason for your email in the subject line (e.g. Application for [YEAR] Summer Internship)
• Include your application materials as attachments and provide a short description of the attachments in the body of the email.
• For more information about communicating with potential employers, see OPIA’s Professionalism Guide
• Sample Email:

Follow Up

• Follow up with the employer by email or phone a few weeks after sending in your application (unless the employer specifies no phone or email inquiries)
• Don’t be too aggressive with your follow-up; balance persistence and enthusiasm about the position against overexuberance and harassment
• Send writing samples, transcripts or other materials to update your resume if the hiring process takes some time
• Calls or emails from practitioners or professors familiar with the employer are sure to impress potential employers and may land you an interview
• Sample Email: