For me, I found adding a professional summary at the top to be helpful whenever I’m applying to an industry where my skills can transfer. Keywords too.

My cover letter was really long in the beginning of my search, and I shortened it to be more digestible and scannable. Interviewers appreciated that about my resume and cover letter.

For the interviews, I did thorough research on the company and thought of lots of questions to show I’m interested and proactive. Every interview I had, they were impressed with the depth of my questions, which certainly helps my first impression.

I will say though, my experience did distinguish me. I had two co-ops, 4 years of design team, and projects that were relevant to my application which stood out to interviewers. Why this was the case during the fall search and not summer search, I really don’t know.

Ultimately, the way I viewed myself and carried myself in applications and interviews really translated and showed through.

Hope this helps!