Career Blog
Let’s face it. Although most Telfer students were hoping to land a summer job in their field of study, many spent the last few months selling clothes or serving food. Sometimes, one simply has to pay the bills or to start somewhere. If you think your last summer job or current part-time job is inconsequential with regard to your professional journey think again. Here is how you can use a seemingly mundane job as a stepping stone towards your success in the business world.
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Build your resumé
Whether you work as a server at a local pub or as a sales representative in a department store, you have the opportunity to gain one of the vital elements of a strong resumé: transferable skills. Don’t focus so much on your menial duties, but on the way you perform them and on the skills you acquire while doing so:
- Retail
Accuracy and effectiveness: handling countless transactions per shift
Interpersonal skills: dealing with A LOT of customers in a courteous manner
Problem-solving skills: bringing forth solutions for customers and coworkers - Food Service
Diplomacy: accommodating the needs of customers, politely and with a smile
Multitasking ability: performing numerous, competing tasks quickly and strategically
Teamwork ability: assisting kitchen crew and other waiting staff - Call Centre
Communication skills: communicating clearly the established script or pitch
Empathy: listening actively to customers in order to understand their concerns
Poise: staying calm and collected when dealing with difficult people - Summer Camp
Creativity: offering a memorable, educational and fun experience to all participants
Leadership: leading by example as the captain of a group and building a team spirit
Work Ethic: abiding by the established code of conduct
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Get references
You may be performing tasks that have nothing to do with accounting or management, but you are nevertheless operating in a professional environment and with other professionals that could, later one day, provide you with good lip service to help you land your dream job. If you conduct yourself in a way that befits a junior accountant or an HR manager, even as you are flipping burgers or selling sneakers, your work ethic will lead you where you want to be.
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Expand your network
We often hear that more than 80% of job opportunities are found through networking. Take time to learn more about your colleagues and supervisors and their professional journey (not on how they spend their weekends ;0), and ask them to join your LinkedIn network. The key to your first business-related professional experience might just be the person working next to you.
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Take pride
Think your modest job at a department store, burger joint or daycamp isn’t all that impressive? Remember that most hiring managers had a similar job at some point, and that they truly understand the value of that experience. Perform your duties with pride and dignity knowing that you are building a foundation for something greater.
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Grow professionally
You may have been tasked with a clear set of responsibilities, but it does not mean that you shouldn’t go above and beyond your duties to improve the life of your coworkers, the satisfaction of your customers, or the effectiveness of day-to-day operations. If you want to boost your profile as a candidate for your ideal employer, don’t settle for the strict minimum: observe, think and take action.
- A task has been neglected, but clearly needs to be done? Display leadership by asking your manager if you could tackle it.
- You noticed a few things that could be improved? Assist management by suggesting strategic solutions.
- A coworker seems overwhelmed? Show initiative by offering assistance to your team.
- You deal with delicate situations or difficult customers? Strengthen your customer‑service skills by asking to debrief with management on a regular basis.
No matter how mundane they may appear, summer jobs are more than just a way to earn extra cash: they are shaping you as a professional.
If you need advice on how to present your recent summer gig like a pro on your resumé, book an appointment with a Career Centre professional.
How do you get over 17 million people to willingly dump ice-cold water over their heads? Simple. You present it as the #IceBucketChallenge. Challenges are effective because they encourage people to step out of their comfort zones and to have fun doing so. The list of 2018 viral challenges is endless: the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, the cinnamon challenge, the hot pepper challenge and the chubby bunny challenge, just to name a few. Now, I present you with the latest and greatest challenge — the #CareerDevelopment challenge. It starts out with simple tasks, only increasing in difficulty as you move down the list and start building your confidence with each challenge met.
The following series of challenges will help you stand out from the sea of students and kick-start your career development journey!
Challenge #1: Talk to someone new
The first step to building your network is meeting new people. University is the best place to accomplish this goal because you’re surrounded by new people all the time. Whether you’re in class, at the student lounge or in line waiting for your coffee at Starbucks, you can form a new connection. Who knows? Maybe this person will be your future best friend or business partner!
Challenge #2: Create your LinkedIn profile
Most students are hesitant to create a LinkedIn profile early on in university. People tend to push it off until graduation nears, only to realize that they don’t have enough time to build a strong network on the platform. The opportunity cost of waiting until your final year to create your LinkedIn profile is enormous — imagine the number of professionals you may have met but be unable to keep in touch with!
Challenge #3: Critique your resumé
Your resumé is quite literally a reflection of you — one or two pages that summarize all of your accomplishments, activities and experiences. To put your best foot forward, you can have one of the Career Centre staff members review your resumé and provide you with valuable feedback to improve. They will help you create the best version of your CV so that you can feel confident when submitting your job applications.
Challenge #4: Go to a networking event
As a Telfer student, you have many networking events to choose from. The two largest networking events are Telfer Connects and Telfer Networks, and there are countless other smaller events taking place throughout the year. Take a look at the Telfer Career Centre Calendar to learn more about all the events taking place!
Challenge #5: Pat yourself on the back
If you’ve gotten this far in the #CareerDevelopment challenge, then you deserve a pat on the back. You’re already way ahead of the game! You’ve stepped out of your comfort zone and accomplished goals that will help you land your dream job! The next steps to take are continuing to meet new people, attending networking events and strengthening your relationships with existing connections.
Best of luck meeting these five challenges. May the odds be ever in your favour!
Are you applying for jobs and having a hard time writing your cover letter? You are not alone. Many students, myself included, find that cover letters can be very tricky to write.
While resumés help present your skills and qualifications, cover letters let you introduce yourself and your intentions when you apply to the company. Even though many students think that their resumés are more important and do not pay enough attention to their cover letters, only a good cover letter can let you stand out from the crowd. Therefore, it is important to start paying more attention to your cover letter now. Here are a few things to keep in mind.
Personalize
Your cover letter should be tailored to the position you’re applying for. Most employers want to see why you want to work for their companies and why you are a good fit. They can easily recognize when you use the same template for all of your cover letters.
It is also important that you find out the actual name of the hiring manager to address properly in the cover letter. (Hint: usually listed within the job posting, on the company’s website or LinkedIn) In the case where you could not find a specific person to address to, use a generic salutation.
Do not repeat your resumé
Your cover letter should not repeat your resumé word for word. Since you can write in full sentences, expand on the points that you’ve mentioned briefly in your resumé. Show employers what you have done in the past, and what you can bring to the position. (Show, don’t tell)
Make it ‘short and sweet’
Anything that you’ve mentioned in your cover letter should be relevant to the job posting. Keep your writing concise and interesting. A good length would be three quarters to a page long. Remember: less is more.
Proofraed
Are you thinking that the word ‘proofread’ is misspelled? Yes, yes it is. So make sure you proofread your cover letter for any spelling or grammar mistakes. A simple misspelling, formatting issue or typo can make a bad impression on the person reading your letter.
Are you still unsure about your cover letter before submitting? Book an appointment for a cover letter critique with an advisor at the Career Centre (DMS 1100).