Resume & Interview Tips

Resume Tips:

- Stay away from templates, employers will know plus they are very difficult to change
- Research different resume formats ( Chronological, functional, combination and find out when to use them
- Do use action verbs
- Have others read it
- Do not use the pronoun I’
- Do not use weak words
- Do not provide a job description
- Do not rely on spell check

Interview Tips:

- Know yourself and know what you want
- Know your resume and have examples
- Bring extra copies of your resume
- Research the company
- Have questions prepared
- Dress for success
- Follow up with a thank you (e-mail, thank you card, letter)

For further information on Resume and Interview Tips come in and see one of our Career Advisors. Practice makes perfect!

Electronic Resume?

Has anyone ever forgot to attach their resume to an e-mail or made a mistake in your cover letter but did not notice till later.....after you sent it? If anyone answered yes to either questions check out the links below, or come on in for a mini workshop with one of our great staff members. They can help you effectively send your resume and cover letter by e-mail.

Prepare Your Resume for Email and Online Posting - http://www.rileyguide.com/eresume.html

Resume Tips for New Graduates - http://www.gradresumes.com/blog/2007/email-attachments-when-you-send-your-resume-electronically-dos-and-no-nos.html

Top 10 Job Search Strategies

Having a hard time searching for a Job...? Try these tips!

Top 10 Job Search Strategies

1. Make a list of your knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA)
2. Define what your work goals are, remember they must be measurable
3. Searching for a job should be treated as a full time job. Create a job
tracking sheet to monitor who you have contacted and followed up with.
4. Ensure you have a clean neat resume and a reference sheet
5. Cover letter should be clean, to the point and error-free
6. Network, Network, talk to everyone see who is hiring
7. Fill out applications forms, send out cover letters and resumes
8. Prepare for interviews: know the companies you are applying to
9. Have a follow – up system: Thank you cards
10. Stay motivated..your job search with bring you victory!

Get To Know Yourself

Advice, student to students: How well do you know yourself and the skills you posses? Do you know what to offer an employer?

Your skills are broken into two different categories : Technical Skills and Personal Skills.

Technical skills are skills you learn in a past job, volunteer positions, life and school.
Example: Operating a cash register, overhauling small engines.

Personal skills (also known as transferable skills) are skills that are developed in every. These skills can be transfer from job to job.
Example: Sense of humour, organizing work.

Take some time and think about what skills you posses, and how they can benefit you when in search for a job.

Stay tune this month for Resume and Interview tips along with “Survival of the fittest”: how to survive that summer job!

Graduation Reflection.....Summer Employment

Graduation is a rite of passage, it’s a time when the world pushes forward and everyone takes a moment to stop and reminisce about their experiences and embrace their friendships they have built.

I would like to congratulate everyone for crossing the stage and taking the next step to start your career. Any question in regards to career counseling, job search, or you just want to get a jump start on your career contact us at the Career Centre (careers@loyalistc.on.ca) and we will ensure you have a successful experience.

If you are still looking for summer employment, check out the links below:
Canadian Heritage is the location for summer jobs and internships: http://www.pch.gc.ca/special/jct-ycw/index-eng.cfm

Federal Government Job Bank:
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/Intro_eng.aspx

Why Network?

Why not take the opportunity to network with some Alumni at Graduation?

Networking is the process of developing and nurturing personal and professional contacts to obtain referrals, advise, information and support. Networking provides you with contacts/feedback, allows for opportunity to gain new experiences and knowledge, meet new friends and networking can help you help others.

Networking is a part of everyday life, it happens in all sorts of ways and with all sorts of different people...whether it is face to face interaction, phone calls, to chatting with a family member or old friend…you are networking.

Food for thought: Networking is an essential component of a job search since the majority of jobs are referred by word-of-mouth…interesting eh!

So why not start at graduation?

Erin’s RYLA Experience!

Positive Choices: Powerful Outcomes!

WOW! My experience at RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) was unforgettable. This program generated high personal satisfaction, in terms of receiving the tools and skills needed for me to grow as a leader.
Last week was extremely engaging, as we were constantly faced with new and exciting challenges. I must say it was an overwhelming experience but the friendships built and the knowledge gained to be an effective leader has initiated change in my eyes. Learning the different behavior styles and their key characteristics will improve the effectiveness of my interactions with others.

OK, so now for the fun stuff. During my week at RYLA we did lots of activities. One I want to share pretty much sums up everything I learned that week. It is called Blind Polygon (I think).

So there were 27 RYLA participants we are all in a circle blindfolded in the gym. Each person had to hold onto the rope with both hands and were not allowed to remove them. We were only allowed to drag our hands up and down the rope. Our task was to create a square blindfolded! Crazy eh?! Well once we were given the go ahead to start, we soon realized the rope was tangled and this was going to be harder than we thought.

Now you are probably wondering what the point of this activity was …..well we had to use all of the skills we learned about during RYLA: communication skills which include active listening (extremely hard for some behavioural styles), team work, controlling stress levels, reaction to change, and learn how to prioritize demands. This was the most challenging task of all. I am pretty sure everyone was extremely frustrated with one another by the end of this activity but it was a perfect example to best describe our learning of the week.
So that’s pretty much it for me. This was an experience of a lifetime and Rotary also offers many other adventures like this one, (i.e. University Exchange).

If anyone wants more information see previous post or contact me via careers@loyalistc.on.ca

Get involved, you can create change in anything you do!