VM-3 & VM-4 Resource Guide

Excellent general resource:

University of Pittsburgh Public Health Job Search Tool Kit

Notes from librarian, Kate Anderson:

• Look at the examples – very standard for health sciences fields
• On some of the examples, they do have an “Objectives” section – I'm not a huge fan. Having seen a lot of cv’s in my time, Objectives often read “to get this job…” (that's what the cover letter is for). “Summary” sections for cv’s tend to be more useful when you are senior person – have garnered x amount of grant dollars; have y total publications; successfully implemented z service.
• Other examples on the Pitt page have a “relevant coursework” section – that can be very useful for targeting particular internships.

Veterinary-specific resources:

• Advice from K-State CVM
  • A VetMed library favorite
  • Their example is DVM-student specific!
• Tufts University CVM
• North Carolina State University CVM
• UC Davis CVM
• AVMA Job Seeker Resources
  • A more general resource, but good to know about

Also take a look at the University Libraries Guide on Resumes/Cover Letter for more general resources, including ebooks

General Guidance:

• Kansas State University Information on VIRMP Internships
• Veterinary example for the VIRMP

Rae's Tips on Writing Letters of Intent for the Match:

• Do keep it to one page, but with reasonable fonts and margins (you don't need to include a lengthy signature block that can take up several lines)
• These letters are very different from cover letters for positions. Those cover letters stress how you are the one and only most excellent candidate for this one position. The match letter of intent focuses on what you've done so far, where you want to go with your career, and what skills you'd be bringing to the table.
• That said, your letter of intent shouldn't be so generic that it could apply to any of your classmates.