Career Blog
So you want to get a job but don’t know where to start? Well, the first step is simple. You just have to make a résumé! Now, tossing all of your skills and experience onto a document is easy, but nicely formatting everything is the real challenge. Here are some general tips to make the process easier.
- Keep it short and succinct. If you have less than 5 years of experience, your résumé could very well fit on one page. Write in bullet points with size 11 or 12 font in Arial or Times New Roman. The margins should be set to a minimum of 0.5 inches.
- Keep it formal. Do not use personal pronouns. When discussing previous positions, use the past tense. When describing your current position, use the present tense. Use bold, italics, and underlining formatting to nicely organize everything.
- Keep the content relevant. Refrain from using jargon and obscure acronyms. Hiring managers should understand what you are referring to. Focus on your skills and past experiences that are most relevant with regard to the posting. Don’t hesitate to elaborate on your accomplishments!
- PROOFREAD YOURSELF AND GET SOME PEERS TO EDIT YOU. No matter how well you did in your English class or how much time you spent working on your résumé, make sure to proofread it! Get a friend to peer edit it as well because they might see something that you missed. There is no shame in asking for help. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Are you wondering how I know so much about formatting résumés?
I simply researched during my spare time and I attended Telfer’s Rock Your Résumés event! If you were not able to attend, don’t fret!
Here is, in essence, what the experts I have met had to say.
- Create your own personal “letterhead” and use this for your cover letter as well. Include your name, phone number, and email address. Make sure your email address and voicemail message are professional. If you are still using something like chocolatepanda(...)@hotmail.com as your email address, make a new one that includes your first and last name.
- If you have a high GPA (over 7.0), feel free to list it. You may also list any awards and scholarships you have received in the past.
- Avoid acronyms. Human resources managers will not know what everything stands for, so make their job easier and write it all out. Avoid clichés and generic statements. Try to set yourself apart from others by making your resumé unique to yourself.
Many recruiters glance at a resumé for around 6 seconds. Only if it is eye-catching will they decide to read through it. Therefore, I suggest putting your best effort forward.
Always remember, first impressions matter!
Be sure to check out Career Launch for more events that will help you achieve your dream job!
Reference:
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!
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.
So, you’ve been applying to numerous jobs, all of which you truly believe you are qualified for. Then why haven’t you been getting any positive feedback from employers? Chances are your resumé needs an upgrade! Here are a few simple ways to make sure your resumé impresses employers.
Spice it up!
Employers often receive hundreds of resumés for one single job posting. As you can imagine, going through them can get boring. By adding some colour to your resumé and choosing a simple, yet professional-looking design, you will stand out from your competitors. Nothing too crazy, as fancy formatting can get in the way of applicant tracking systems (ATS). You’re simply adding a dash of your personality into your resumé. If you need a good resumé template that will work with ATS and wow recruiters, check out the various resumé templates offered on the Telfer Career Centre website.
Add variety
Another great way to upgrade your resumé is to add athletic, extracurricular and volunteer activities that show employers you are a well-rounded person. Were you an assistant coach on a sports team? A Telfer club executive? A fundraiser for a non-profit organization? These activities are all worth mentioning on your resumé, especially if you did them for a long period of time. They allow employers to get a glimpse of your loyalty, determination, and work ethic. Not sure how to present them on your resumé? Book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Keep it up to date
If you truly want to update your resumé, make sure it stays up to date: nobody wants to know about the science project that got you first place in back in 9th grade (although, it is indeed a great achievement, good job!) You can only go back so far on your resumé and so by making sure everything included is relevant and worth mentioning, it will definitely help narrow things down for you.
Keep it concise
Although we would all like to display the many great things that we have accomplished over the years on our resumé, we need to make sure not to go overboard. It has been found that employers only spend six to seven seconds reviewing a resumé. Hence the importance of a short and concise resumé! To receive the best tips on how to make your resumé as impactful as possible, book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Career Counsellor at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Good luck, and if you ever need anything at all,
the Telfer Career Centre is always here to help!
Sources
What is Indeed?
How Long Do Hiring Managers Look at a Resumé?
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.
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!
Times are evolving, and so are our ways of communicating. These new channels have also found their way into our professional life through the resume, which remains an essential part of career development. Simply put, your resumé allows employers to know who you are and what your skills are; it highlights your experience in an attractive manner. Why is it, then, that we have made it so complicated and clustered?
Over the years, multiple resumé formats have emerged, some more complex than others. Although convoluted, creative formats may seem attractive, we must remember that simpler formats also bring an array of benefits. But what exactly is a simple resume format? A simple resume format is designed to showcase your work experience, skills, and education in a neat and uncluttered fashion. Thanks to its basic style, it makes it easier for hiring managers to review your qualifications and experience.
Recruiters are looking for a clean, calming, and easy-to-read layout (remember that they might be reviewing hundreds of these). They are also looking for any reason to discard applicants (that makes the selection process easier). That means that your fancy font or inventive layout might be a deterrent for your reader, not an asset. In the short term, focus on the most important and essential information to put on your resume.
A classic, simple resumé is a direct way to say exactly what the employer wants to know. Many may find the idea of being so direct awkward, but remember that your resumé is not about what you think looks pretty, nor about what your think will stand out, nor about guessing what the employer wants from you. It is about telling the employer what you can do for them. Stop worrying so much about creating a fancy, uber-creative format, and start figuring out how to explain all the ways you have positively impacted your former employers.
Telfer job seekers, did you know that:
- More often than not, before your application reaches the desk of a recruiter, it must be flagged by what we call an applicant tracking system (ATS)?
- Therefore, it is estimated that 75% of applications are rejected even before they are seen by an actual human?
What is an ATS?
An ATS is a software that employers use to collect, sort, scan, and rank job applications based on preset criteria. It is estimated that 98 percent of Fortune 500 companies rely on ATS software to help streamline their recruitment process. ATS have become a recruitment solution for an increasing number of organizations large and small.
What does an ATS do?
In essence, an ATS scans submitted resumés for specific keywords, hence determining which applications should be seen by recruiters. It weeds out unqualified applicants (and/or insufficiently‑tailored resumés), which makes the recruitment process easier.
What does it mean for you?
If your resumé is not optimized (i.e., written and formatted) for ATS, you may be rejected as an applicant EVEN if you are perfectly qualified for the position.
What can you do about it?
According to a study from TopResume, here are the tips you should follow for an ATS-optimized resumé:
- Select the right FORMAT.
PDF is not necessarily ATS friendly. If you are asked to upload your resumé to an ATS, and “PDF” appears in the list of accepted formats, use it. Otherwise, play it safe by sticking to Word (.doc or .docx).
- Avoid putting key information in a header and/or footer.
According to the TopResume study, ATS may not always be able to identify the job seeker’s contact information. Just to be safe, avoid using headers.
- Use keywords from relevant postings!
If you are unsure which keywords you should use in your resumé, collect a sample of job postings that represent the kind of position you are looking for. With the help of a word-cloud generator, such as WordClouds or Wordle, identify the vocabulary used in the job descriptions you have selected. Then, tweak your own resumé (and cover letter) accordingly.
- If you have several years of experience in something, take advantage of it.
After your Summary of Qualifications, add an “Areas of Expertise” or Core Competencies” section where you can list 3 to 6 of your strongest competencies (use terms from the posting). Don’t forget to “sprinkle” these same words into your “Professional Experience” and/or “Education” sections to demonstrate when you used those skills.
- Avoid tables, text boxes, images, charts, and other “creative” graphics
- Stick to plain and simple bullet points
- Keep it clean and organized
As you can see, optimizing your resumé for ATS is not rocket science, but it does require some thought… and time. To receive more personal tips and tricks on how to tailor your resumé for a specific application while making it ATS-optimal, book an appointment for resumé tailoring with the Career Centre staff through Career Launch.
To know more about ATS, check out the following resources:
What Is an ATS? How to Write a Resumé to Beat the Bots
Studies have found that the average recruiter scans a resumé for less than 10 seconds before deciding if the applicant is a good fit for the position. When you have little time to impress a recruiter, every word on your resumé counts. That’s why it’s important that you’re making the most of it and not filling it with words and phrases that are not going to make an impact. Here are some things that you should consider eliminating.
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Objective Statement
Does your resumé still start with an objective? If it does, make this the first change to your resumé. Instead of writing bland generalizations, replace it with a professional summary or career statement that summarizes your qualifications in terms that it fits the job description and that an employer will appreciate. Moreover, writing an objective statement at the top of your resumé only takes up precious resumé space and besides, you can write about yourself in your cover letter.
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Jobs from More Than 5-10 Years Prior
Your resumé is not an autobiography of every job you have had since high school; it is a marketing tool. So, unless something you did more than 5 to 10 years ago is important for the recruiters to know about, you do not need to list every job you have had. Employers care most about what you have done recently and how that is relevant to their open position.
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Cliché or Vague Phrases
Using terms such as “result-driven” or a “team player” does not tell a potential employer much at this point. If you are not providing any context around these phrases, it is best not to include them in your resumé. Instead, use specific examples and numbers to prove that you are these things. For example, share information about a team you led and what you have accomplished.
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Full Paragraphs
Don’t write full paragraphs in your resumé. Each previous role you list should have three or four bullet points, explaining your position, responsibilities, and impact. Each point should not exceed two lines. If there is something you think is vital for a recruiter to know, save that explanation for your cover letter.
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“References Available Upon Request”
Don’t bother including this phrase or a list of your references. Recruiters know you will provide this information should they ask. And hey, deleting this line means more space for you!
Editing a resumé can be tough but it is important to remember that you need to have everything working for you on it. Your resumé should contain factual information about what you have accomplished and showcase how your experiences can help an organization achieve its goals.
If you want to receive more information, the Telfer Career Centre and its staff are available to help. You can book an appointment for a resumé critique on Career Launch or you can drop by at DMS 1100 on Thursdays for a 30-minute drop-in session with a Career Centre staff.
Source: https://skillcrush.com/2015/12/29/22-things-to-remove-from-your-resume-immediately/
When applying for a position, you are often, if not always, asked to attach a cover letter along with your resume. Many believe that this is a step of the application process that can be skipped. However, cover letters are not a pass. Far from it.
A cover letter is the best way to personalize an application. As young professionals, we apply for multiple opportunities at a time. Ideally, we should change and tailor our resumé to the position we are applying to, but overall, the changes we can make are somewhat limited. This is why the cover letter is so important: it shows the employer that you are truly interested in the position and that you have taken the time to figure out why you are the best fit for it. In addition, it gives you an opportunity to sell yourself to your employer.
Here are 4 tips that will help you create a strong cover letter.
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Don’t make it about yourself
The goal of a cover letter is not to speak about yourself, but to show that you have the skills and experience required by the employer and that you are the best fit for the position. Take the time to read the job description and identify the skills that you have that would help you deliver on those expectations.
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Don’t hesitate to sell yourself
Though a cover letter shouldn’t be focused on yourself, it doesn’t mean you should let the fear of bragging prevent you from sharing your selling points. In your cover letter, make sure to emphasize your relevant accomplishments.
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Don’t make it longer than a page
Employers do not spend a long time on each application, so it’s important that your cover letter is clear and concise. It should not be longer than one page to respect the time of the employer.
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Finish on a strong note
Don’t be passive with the ending of your cover letter. Be clear with what you would like the next steps to be. Try to be creative and find different ways of saying the often-used ‘I look forward to hearing from you’.
Next time you see the option to attach a cover letter, take the time to write a personalized cover letter using these tips!
To receive professional advice on how to craft the perfect cover letter for a specific application, don’t hesitate to book an appointment with the Career Centre team through Career Launch.