Career Blog
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Competition among talented candidates is fierce, so being qualified is not enough to get a job. You need to know how to sell yourself in three pages: two (maximum) for the CV and one for the cover letter. While the CV lists your skills and experience, the cover letter creates a link between you and the recruiter. It complements your CV and humanizes your application. In fact, it is your trump card: it allows you to stand out when your CV is not enough. Here are five questions you should ask yourself before you start writing your cover letter.
Question 1: Who am I?
To answer this question, you need to know your skill set, your area of expertise and what you are good at. In addition, you need to understand the logic behind your path (where you are going, and why). Finally, you need to make a list of your skills and qualities.
Question 2: What are my strengths?
Identify your strengths, that is, the elements that set you apart from other candidates. These are the qualities and abilities that stand out whenever someone speaks well of you. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would you say?
Question 3: Why did I choose this organization?
You need to ask yourself why you chose this employer, specifically. Think about your shared values and what you can bring to each other.
Question 4: Why did I choose this position?
Define why you chose this position. Where does it fit into your career path or the achievement of your goals? You should also be able to list the reasons why you feel you are the best person to excel in the role.
Question 5: Are these elements already included in my CV?
The cover letter acts as a complement to your resume; it is not a duplicate of your resume. To get a clear understanding of what a cover letter is, essentially, (and what it is not!), schedule a cover letter critique with the Career Centre‘s Professional Development Coordinator from Career Launch or check out the Career Centre’s cover letter page.
Now that you have all the tools to get started on the writing, get started!
Sources:
5 questions à se poser quand on rédige une lettre de motivation
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Do you feel like everyone has a job except you? Have all your friends already gotten internships and CO‑OP placements? Have you been pouring your heart and soul into your job search, without any result? We often find ourselves asking these questions when we don’t hear back from a large chunk of employers. It can be discouraging… but there must be some sort of justification, right? After all, in our eyes, we are all skilled and talented candidates. Nonetheless, here are a few reasons employers may not be responding…
Reason #1: Your application is not tailored to the job description
Are you using the same cover letter and resumé for all your applications? Whether it’s your overall application, cover letter, or resumé, you must tailor them all. Today, applications are often screened by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). These systems match specific keywords from the job’s description to your application. If flagged by an ATS, your application is then reviewed by a Hiring Manager. In short, avoid the “copy/paste” approach: instead, submit tailored, key‑word-optimized applications.
Reason #2: You are not being proactive.
Have you been passively “downloading” applications? Or have you been: 1) posting on LinkedIn your professional story and success; 2) eagerly following up with your interviewers; 3) strategically networking with employers by either attending their events or interacting with their social media to stay abreast of industry trends? Those are just a few examples of what you should do to become visible to potential employers and gain a competitive advantage over the other hundreds of candidates.
Reason #3: “It’s Not You, It’s Them.”
Commonly heard in romantic relationships, the “It’s not you. It’s me.” also applies to job hunting! Very often, rejection is not about you, specifically. It’s business. With a plethora of applicants applying for a limited number of positions, you can’t possibly expect to get the first job you applied for. There may be someone more qualified; your application may fall into the wrong hands; there may be unconscious hiring bias. Whatever factor it may be, remember you are not alone in this process and that you must learn from your mistakes and try again.
We can all agree that job searching is about constantly learning to deal with rejection and trying our hardest not to take it personally. However, if you’re not hearing back from employers: remember to tailor your applications, search for jobs proactively, and don’t take every rejection personally!
Need some extra help? The professionals at the Telfer Career Centre can coach you on how to search for a job, build your resumé, hone your interview techniques, and so much more. Book your individual appointment now on Career Launch.
Now go and impress those employers!
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Are you confused about what to write in that little box called “Summary” (the About section) on your LinkedIn profile?
Well recently, I was too. However, after attending several Telfer events and doing some research in my spare time, I was able to fill that little box and finally complete my LinkedIn profile. I know it is easy to skip the summary, but it is one of the easiest things you can do. Most importantly, it significantly improves people’s first impression of you.
With the summary, you get the chance to introduce yourself in your own words and better display your personality. Readers will believe whatever you write! Now, this does NOT mean that you should lie...
Here are a few tips which can help you write an impactful summary!
- Your summary should be unique! Do not copy your friend’s or family member’s summaries. Mention some unique traits that set you apart from others, as well as some of your strongest skills.
- Talk about your goals and career aspirations! Employers are looking for individuals who have goals, who are striving towards something. Setting goals provides you with both long-term and short-term motivation, and aids in the further development of time management and organizational skills.
- Add in a short description of your experience and current role! Talk about what you excel at and back it up with some of your past accomplishments. This lets employers know if you would be a good fit and/or are qualified for the job.
- Keep your summary short and sweet! Hiring managers do not have the time – or the patience – to read long paragraphs for each person. Only add key details that will make you stand out. When you get the interview, you can further elaborate!
- Lastly, have a call to action! Tell them what you want them to do and how they can get in touch with you.
With everything happening virtually these days, your LinkedIn profile might very well be the first thing HR managers and hiring recruiters will see when looking for candidates online. Therefore, your summary can be a determining factor in your job search.
Trust me: put some time and effort into it, because I promise, it will be worth it!
Need to talk to an expert? Book a Writing a Compelling LinkedIn Summary appointment with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch.
Resources:
20 Superb LinkedIn Summary Examples (+Writing Guide)
13 Creative LinkedIn Summary Examples & How to Write Your Own
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For some of you, it may have been a little while since you have updated your resumé. Now that the fall term has begun, what better way to prepare for your job search than to add all the current, relevant information on your resumé. With many Career Centre employer events coming up, make sure your resumé is ready for potential opportunities by following these few simple steps.
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Include your most recent experiences
This past summer, some of you may have held an internship, a summer job, completed a CO-OP term, learned a new skill, completed a certification, gained a new interest, volunteered, etc. This is all valuable information to add to your resumé. When adding your newest experiences to your resumé, filter through the older information that perhaps is no longer relevant.
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Use keywords from the posting
With the rise in use of applicant tracking systems (ATS) by employers, many qualified candidates are not receiving the job interviews that they deserve. Although your experience and skills make you a great fit for a position, recruiters may never get to see it due to ATS not being able to capture certain keywords on your resumé. Therefore, make sure to edit your resumé based on the posting and include the keywords mentioned in the qualifications section.
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Include action verbs
When drafting a description for roles you have held, certain guidelines apply. Every skill statement (bullet point) should start with powerful, past-tense action verbs. You want to suggest that you led a project ? Start with verbs such as “coordinated”, “planned”, or “oversaw”. You want to highlight something you accomplished in your role? Use verbs like “achieved”, “generated”, or “maximized”. There are many informative articles online that can help you find the best action verbs to impress recruiters.
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Add measurable achievements
When adding new information, make sure to include measurable results. What does this mean? To highlight your customer service skills, instead of mentioning that you “answered all customer inquiries in a timely manner”, mention that you “responded to a high volume of customer inquiries within a 24 hour period, providing each customer with appropriate advice and solutions”. Quantifying your responsibilities will allow prospective recruiters to better understand what you can bring to the table.
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Edit the content (peer review committee, resumé critique at the Career Centre, etc.)
With every update/change comes proofreading. After reading over your resumé, have a few of your friends read it over to make sure that you did not miss any spelling mistakes, formatting errors, etc. If you think your resumé is all up to date, book a Resumé Critique appointment with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Career Centre through Career Launch.
REMINDER: A resumé is a working document. You can always brainstorm ways to improve it by updating any relevant information.
Good luck with your fall resumé update!
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Many think that keeping all the information to showcase all their experience on their resumé is a good strategy to impress recruiters. In fact, it only makes it harder for hiring managers to find exactly what they need. While it is important to provide a good amount of relevant information about yourself, it is equally important to stand out quickly in a tall stack of resumés. Here is a little tip: hiring managers much prefer a resumé that is easy to read. Here are a few tips on how to declutter your resumé.
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Take out any irrelevant or short jobs
If your temporary jobs showcase the necessary skills required for your target job, then keep them on your resumé. You don’t want to seem like a job hopper or like you are not able to commit to a position for too long. If a position you had is completely irrelevant to what you are applying for, it’s taking up unnecessary space on your resumé and it should be taken out.
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You don’t always need an objective
In the past, objectives were a staple part of resumés, and it was one of the first things hiring managers would look at. Today, it can be seen as unnecessary, because your objective is made explicit in your cover letter. Instead, you can choose to replace the objective with a summary of your qualifications. If you decide to put a professional objective, however, make sure it is concise, yet detailed, and tailored to the posting.
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Don’t get too personal
Your resumé shouldn’t include details about your personal life such as your full address (city and province should be enough), your previous salary, new salary expectations, why you were terminated or laid off from a previous position, and don’t include photos either. It’s unnecessary, and if your resumé happens to get into the wrong hands, it could create further issues for you down the line.
Getting just the right amount of information on your resumé to find a job can be tricky. Hopefully, these tips will help you save space on your resumé, so you will have room for what’s necessary. When in doubt, don’t hesitate to book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Professional Development Coordinator through Career Launch.
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Job hunting can be overwhelming, stressful, frustrating, and even disappointing, especially after being rejected several times. We’ve ALL been there: you are not alone, far from it, and many other students will inevitably face rejection. Here are the five most common causes of rejection and hacks to optimize your chances of being selected.
Cause #1: A keyword searching algorithm is screening applications
Most job postings today have an algorithm that screens applications. Your resumé may simply lack the keywords the algorithm is looking!
Hack: Book a resumé tailoring appointment with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch to learn which keywords are important to include for a specific application.
Cause #2: You submitted your application rather late
Sometimes we come across a job posting that has been posted weeks ago. If the application period is near, the hiring manager may have already given more consideration to earlier applications.
Hack: Make sure you have a solid generic resumé that you can tailor in no time when you stumble across a posting nearing its application deadline. And of course, be proactive in your job search to avoid that!
Cause #3: You may not fit the employer’s favourite profile
As students, we simply may not have acquired all the skills needed for a specific job.
Hack: Focus on jobs that match your current skills AND make sure to highlight your transferable skills that the hiring manager is looking to fill. To get a better sense of the positions that might be a good fit for you, book an appointment with the Career Counsellor at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch.
Cause #4: You have not done enough networking
As we learn at Telfer, networking is a KEY factor of success in your job search. Your chances of landing an interview will be higher if the recruiter can put a face to your name in a pile of applications.
Hack: Use networking tools such as LinkedIn and attend networking events hosted by the Telfer Career Centre! Even better: book an appointment with a Relationship Managers at the Career Centre to discuss networking strategies suited to your aspirations.
Cause #5: You have not customized your application sufficiently
Employers are looking for applicants who are a great fit for their organization and the position. That is why you should ALWAYS tailor your resumé and cover letter for the job to which you are applying for.
Hack: Read you cover letter out loud and ask yourself: Is it clear that I have read and understood the job posting AND that I’m passionate about the employer’s mission and the position itself? If not, go back to the drawing board. To learn the best cover letter tailoring tips, book an appointment for a cover letter critique with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre.
The next time you apply for a job remember these tips to help you stand out from the applicant pool!
Good luck with your future job search!
Sources:
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With the quick development of worldwide communications, the importance of an elegant and effective LinkedIn profile can’t be denied. A huge number of experts are tapping daily into the platform to find competitors, openings, new customers, and business opportunities.
Perhaps you have been ignoring it for some time. Perhaps you are a LinkedIn “beginner” who doesn’t have the slightest idea where to begin. Whatever is your current level of proficiency with LinkedIn, check out the following advice to make the most of your profile. Do you have all you require to succeed?
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Use your profile for self-promotion
Don’t see it as a fill-in form. It is far more than just a Web resumé, as it is expected to be seen publicly by employers.
Do remember that we each have a unique professional brand to promote.
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Pick a professional-looking photo
Try not to upload selfies or photos where you wear sunglasses… in the car. You get the point.
Do not make it excessively casual and stay away from unattractive backgrounds.
Do choose a photo where you look professional and where the background is not distracting.
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Specify your career plans
Try to incorporate a professional objective on your profile.
Do explain your Career Interests. This way, your profile will gain visibility on recruiters’ radar. You can also choose the Actively Applying status for employers to see that you are open for new opportunities.
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Make your headline unique
Don’t just outline your present positions: add some flavour!
Do mix commonly used position titles with your interests and objectives.
Finally, don’t forget that the Telfer Career Centre offers workshops focusing on LinkedIn. To know when and where, check out the Calendar of Events. You can also book an appointment with a Career Centre specialist to know how to build and strengthen your LinkedIn profile.
For more information, please check this link below:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dos-donts-successful-high-impact-linkedin-profile-galyna-daniel/
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The cover letter carries huge importance in a candidate’s job application as it represents a useful tool in understanding not only how a specific individual meets the requirements of the job, but also what unique skills and abilities they can bring that set them apart from other candidates. That is why you must remember to TAILOR your cover letter to the specific organization and position. These next five steps can aid in this process.
1. Take time to research
Research the employer. This means learning about their mission, vision, and values; products and services offered; history; community engagement; etc. It is important to gather some background knowledge and to showcase that knowledge in your cover letter. This shows the recruiter that you took the time to learn about them and that you are interested in the position. This can even be done by talking to current employees at that organization, if you know any, or to individuals who hold a similar position.
2. Consider your audience
The audience of your cover letter is the individual who will be reading it, and this is who you address the cover letter to. Their name should be included in the job posting; however, if it is not, calling or emailing the employer directly is another way to get this information. LinkedIn is useful in finding out how to address this individual by determining whether to us “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Miss”, or “Ms”. Don’t forget, if you find the name of the person to address the cover letter to, use “Yours sincerely” to close; otherwise, use “Yours faithfully”. Taking the time to know your audience shows your investment in the position and can be key to setting yourself apart from other candidates.
3. Stay abreast of industry trends
Learn about current industry trends that that organization could be affected by and refer to them in your cover letter. This can be done through reading official industry publications or seeing on LinkedIn what stories the organization or their employees have been posting. Showing this extra knowledge is further evidence of your investment in the position and the organization.
4. Analyze the key skills required
The most important skills required for candidates are listed in the job description of the job posting. Listing all skills in your cover letter that you possess, but that are irrelevant to the job, wastes the reader’s time. Use the keywords in the job description when showcasing how you can demonstrate these skills now and in the future thanks to your past work or volunteer experiences.
5. Refer to the organization’s vision and values
Use the information gathered in step 1 and relate to it throughout your cover letter. This means personally tying the information to you by, for example, stating that you share in their values or that you want to be a part of fulfilling their mission as you also see it as important. To set yourself apart from other candidates, it is important to orient the letter to the specific company you are applying to.
Finally, be sure to Review your cover letter multiple times for grammatical or spelling errors. Book an appointment with a Career Centre professional through Career Launch next time you are applying for a job and they can be a second set of eyes to review your cover letter for anything that could have been missed.
Source: https://www.cv-library.co.uk/career-advice/cover-letters/how-to-tailor-your-cover-letter/
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We can all agree that our first impression on a recruiter can be decisive. We look for a job, find an interesting posting, and boom, we apply, often without knowing if our resumé will help or impair our results. But what if we were making mistakes without realizing it…
To discover if your resumé IQ is optimal – and maximize your chances to land a job – follow the three next steps BEFORE you submit your next application!
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Update your content
A document containing inaccurate information shows a lack of interest for the position, which negatively impacts the recruiter’s decision. Think about it: an old phone number or email address will instantly deter employers. Furthermore, remember that your resumé must be tailored for your coveted position. If you are looking for an entry-level, business‑analysis position, and that you only have experience as a cashier or as a city pool lifeguard, you should highlight your transferable skills. And while you’re at it, take time to eliminate all typos, which create an unflattering image.
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Have your resumé reviewed by your peers or a PROFESSIONAL
Small details make all the difference in the world, so make sure that your resumé is impeccable in terms of both form and content. To do so, reach out to an advisor. Your resumé should be easy to read, accurate and thorough. Keep in mind that recruiters can review hundreds of resumés for each posting. In a pile of unremarquable, less-than-appealing resumés, yours will stand out.
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Choose the appropriate format
When it comes to resumé-building techniques, it is naturally difficult to generalize. Truth be said, there is no such thing as THE perfect resumé. Submit yours to various advisors or recruiters, and you will invariably get different opinions. However, there are some rules that everyone seems to agree with. First, the content must be relevant. Recruiters need to find the information they need easily and rapidly instead of drowning in a sea of superfluous information. Secondly, the content must be presented in a logical order. Your professional experience, for example, should appear in reversed chronological order (starting with the most recent experience). Finally, make sure to have separate sections: education, professional experience, etc.
I hope these three steps will help you boost your resumé IQ. Don’t forget: your resumé acts as your “combat weapon” in the recruitment process. However, it is also a double-edged sword, as it can either help or impair your job-search efforts.
Don’t hesitate to book an appointment with a professional from the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch to have your resumé reviewed and improve your resumé IQ.
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When creating your resume, there are so many appropriate skills you could include. It’s only natural that a few things will be overlooked. Here are 6 crucial skills that too many candidates forget to include.
Skill no 1: attention to detail
When you’re on the job, you need to follow instructions to complete your work in a timely and efficient manner. Attention to detail is important in any role, as it indicates that you can catch little mistakes or faults in any project you undertake.
Skill no 2: emotional intelligence (EI)
Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage one’s emotions as well as the emotions of others. In a work environment, EI helps you to remain level-headed in good and bad times and make important decisions rationally.
Skill no 3: willingness to learn and eagerness to grow
Whether you’re sending your first or 10th job application, your willingness to learn and eagerness to grow are still crucial, as you will always need to master new skills or new ways to perform a task. They show that you wish to expand your skill set and evolve as a person. And don’t forget: recruiters are often looking for candidates that WANT to flourish into better and more well‑rounded professionals.
Skill no 4: critical thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think rationally and thoughtfully through any problem. It showcases that you can examine the task at hand and pinpoint the best possible steps to complete it or design a new, more effective action plan.
Skill no 5: flexibility
In today ever-evolving work environment, flexibility is paramount. Your resumé should demonstrate that you can adapt to any situation: competing, fast-approaching deadlines, a sudden lockdown, a transition to a virtual environment, or a change in the way you must perform your daily tasks!
Skill no 6: teamwork abilities
Did you know a surprising number of candidates still forget to include this! Your resumé should show that you can collaborate efficiently and get along with your colleagues, in collective projects as well as in daily office tasks.
To conclude, it is pretty easy to forget one or two things on your resumé whether it is a valuable skill or a relevant volunteer experience. If you want to double-check with an expert, book an appointment with a Career Centre professional through Career Launch!
