Do’s & Don’ts
of building an effective CV & cover letter
Writing a great cover letter and CV is more than listing qualifications—for physicians, it’s the perfect chance to highlight your expertise in a way that stands out.
Do
Highlight your education, experience, leadership, licenses, and board certification
Explain any gaps of more than 3 months between experiences
Use 11 or 12 font, Times New Roman or Arial. And keep dates in a Month/Year format
Keep publications list simple with title, authors, journal, and publish date
Keep opening statement limit on CV to ½ a page; if requested by employer
Include 1-2 lines at the end of about personal hobbies and interests.
Customize cover letter to show alignment with the employer’s mission and values.
Don’t
Over-design or get too creative on cover letter or CV
Include items pre-medical school, undergraduate is acceptable
List conference attendance. However, you CAN list conference presentations
Include birth dates, social security numbers, or other personal IDs.
Include a photograph unless otherwise requested
List references unless requested beforehand
Send the same cover letter to every employer