A cover page for a resume should be formatted as a professional letter, with the cover only one page in length. The document should be aligned to the left and single-spaced, with a blank line separating each paragraph. You should usually use standard 1-inch (2.5-cm) margins, but you can use margins as small as 0.7 inch (1.8 cm) as long as they are the same on all sides. Each of these components should be placed on a separate line. Be sure to include your full name, address, phone number, and e-mail address. This will make it easy for potential employers to contact you. If you have a fax number, you should include it below your phone number and above your e-mail address. Write the date in Month, Day, Year format if you are in the United States. Most other Western countries use a Day, Month, Year format, while China and Japan use Year, Month, Day. Write out the full name of the month, rather than abbreviating by using a number. For example, rather than write 1/1/2001, you should write January 1, 2001. Leave a blank line above and below the date. Name the specific contact you are sending your resume to, along with his or her title and the address of the company. The receiver's name and title should be listed on the same line and separated by a comma. The name of the company should be written below the name of your contact, and the address of the company should be placed below that. Note that you do not need to include an e-mail address, phone number, or fax number for the company. If you do not know the name of a specific contact at the company, skip over that information. Formally address the reader with the word "Dear." You should address your letter to a specific person whenever possible. When you are unable to find a specific name, though, you can address the letter to "Dear Hiring Manager," "Dear Hiring Professionals," or "Dear Selection Committee." When you can determine the gender of the receiver, leave out his or her first name and address the receiver as "Mr." or "Ms." For example, "Dear Ms. Smith" or "Dear Mr. Johnson." If you do not know the gender of the receiver, skip the title and use his or her full name. For example, "Dear Pat Roberts." Leave a blank line before and after you address the receiver. The introduction should be brief and include your most basic, essential information.If you have had any previous contact with your reader or with the company, state that contact in your introduction. If you are a student, state the university you attend and your major. Indicate what position you are applying for as well as how or where you heard about the position. You can also mention the name of a professional or academic contact you know who has a positive connection to the reader or company. Use the body of your letter to explain how you are qualified for the position and why you would be a good addition to the company. Make sure to include a few specific examples that prove your point. Review the job ad and note any specific qualities requested by the employer. Touch on these qualities in your body paragraph. List any special projects, awards, or accomplishments that have a clear connection to the skill set requested by the employer. Write a short concluding paragraph that expresses your eagerness about the position. At this point, you can also request an interview or state that you intend to contact the reader in several weeks. You can include your phone number and e-mail address, as well, but it is not entirely necessary since this information is included in your header. Type a polite closing like "Thank you" or "Sincerely," then include your full typed name four lines below your closing. Sign your name by hand in between the closing and your typed name. Always use black ink to sign formal documents.

Summary: Keep the letter to one page. Include your contact information in the upper left corner. Write the full date below your contact information. State the name and address of the receiver. Address the receiver by name. Write an introduction. Highlight your skills in one to three body paragraphs. Briefly conclude your letter. Close the letter formally.

This is a common myth held by students. Particularly if you're a slow reader, you may find it more effective to read the beginning and end of the chapter, along with pull-outs (information placed in a box, graph, or other attention-grabbing area on the page) and anything bolded or italicized in the text. Another common mistake students make is to read their textbook once and then never look at it again. A better strategy is to practice layered reading. On your first read-through, skim the material. Determine what the main idea or goal of the text is (often signaled by the chapter title and subheadings), and mark any places that you didn't feel as though you understood well. Read headings, subheadings, and other organizational elements. Textbook authors often construct their chapters so that it is very clear what the goal of each section is. Use this to your advantage. Read for more detail in later readings. Sometimes, students will just move their eyes along the page again and again and feel like they're not getting anything from their "reading." Reading is an active process: you need to be engaged, paying attention, and thinking about what you read. While it's tempting to break out the rainbow of highlighters when you read through a chapter, avoid this temptation. Research has shown that highlighting actually can hamper your reading because you may feel tempted to highlight every single thing you feel is important without thinking critically about the ideas presented. If you must highlight, wait until you've completed your first read-through, and use the highlighter sparingly to point out only the most important ideas. It can be tempting to just read past words or elements you don't understand in an effort to "just get it done." This actually damages comprehension. If a dense textbook on Marxist economics has terms that you don't initially understand, don't just read on: stop what you're doing, look up the word, and understand it before continuing.
Summary: Understand that you do not have to read every single word. Plan to read more than once. Understand that reading is not the same as studying. Know that highlighting is not ideal for first-time reading. Understand that you may need to look things up while reading.