Before you apply for a job it is important to consider what style of resume you are going to submit to the employer. There are a few different types of resumes to choose from:
Chronological Resume: Highlights your work history at the beginning, listing your most recent work experience first, followed by the rest of your work experience. Functional Resume: Emphasizes your skills and abilities, instead of focusing on your work history. Job seekers who may choose this style of resume include those who are changing careers or who have gaps throughout their career history. Combination Resume: Focuses on your skills and experience. These items come first on this sort of resume. This style of resume gives you the opportunity to feature the skills you have that are relevant to the job you are applying for, and also provide a chronological work history. Non-traditional Resume: Still list and highlight your skills and abilities, just in a different way. Non-traditional resumes include:
When you look at resumes you will see that some include: Objective- is a specific sentence that states your “career direction” while also highlighting you as the right person for the job you are applying to. This is what Network Services & Consulting Corporation has to say about objectives: Learn how to correctly and effectively write resume objective statements. Objection! How NOT to Start Your Resume by Kevin Donlin Well begun is half-done. But far too many resumes begin with objective statements that can only be described as ... half-baked. As a professional resume writer, I review and analyze nearly 2,000 resumes each year. And the opening objective is an area where almost everyone could use a little help with their resume. To show you what I mean, here are three example objectives from actual resumes sent to me for analysis by job seekers just like you. (My comments are in parentheses.) OBJECTIVE To obtain a responsible (as opposed to irresponsible?) and challenging (what, you don't like dull work?) position where my education and work experience will have valuable application (like finding a cure for cancer?) OBJECTIVE Seeking a position in the sales department with an opportunity for advancement (in effect, you're saying to the employer, "Give me a job where the pay is good ... and keeps getting better.") OBJECTIVE Seeking a challenging career with a progressive organization which will utilize my skills, abilities and education in management, product management, operations, purchasing and buying. (Zzzzz. You won't bore anyone into hiring you.) You can stand out from the crowd if you'll just write your objective from the employer's point of view, instead of your own. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It is. All you have to do when writing your objective is make sure it answers this question: "What's in it for me?" That's the question on every employer's mind as he or she reads your resume. Here's an example objective, to get you started: OBJECTIVE Management position in procurement where over 10 years of experience will add value to operations. Avoid such trite phrases as: "seeking a chance for advancement," or "where my skills will be utilized," or "where I can further my career." I've seen each of these on resumes that were badly hampered as a result. So, to keep your objective from being objectionable (and torpedoing your job search), put the focus where it belongs -- on the employer and their needs. www.enetsc.com/resumetips11.htm Profile-a profile section is a few sentences that tell the employer about your strengths, skills and goals related to the job you are applying for. Let’s look at the below example from The Balance: I became interested in paid work very young, the big motivator for me was money. Money to me meant independence from my parents. I quickly learned before I could even apply to a job I needed a RESUME. At the time I had no idea what a RESUME was.
What is the purpose of a resume? Under Cover Recruiter explains that the purpose of a resume is to provide a summary of your experiences, abilities, skills, as well as accomplishments. Whether you have a paper version or an electronic version, your resume is a tool for you to sell yourself to your prospective employers." After talking to parents and educators about what a RESUME is, I realized I had nothing to put on my RESUME; or so I thought. I learned I had a couple of skills and training like CPR or the baby-sitting course I completed, but it wasn’t enough skills, experience, and qualifications to get ME noticed by an employer to be selected for an interview. To fill up all the white space on my resume I started volunteering. One volunteer opportunity turned into paid work, and I also joined all kinds of clubs and programs taking place at my high-school and in in my community. By the time I was 15 lots of ink covered the page. Not only did I have work experience but I had references, a growing skill set and knowledge. I was living the teen-age dream, working a part-time job and earning an income allowed me to socialize with friends in different outings, travel, buy things, get my driver’s license and save. By the time I reached the age of 20 I had multiple paid and unpaid work experiences, developed work skills and qualifications. My RESUME had expanded, but now when I applied to jobs or came across opportunities I was really interested in I had to tailor my resume to fit the job description. Updating and refining my resume took hours some days and it was frustrating. Up-dating my resume took so much time because:
What is a transferable job skill you ask? Career Services at Princeton University defines transferable job skills as “skills you acquire and transfer to future employment settings. Common examples include interpersonal, communication, leadership and organizational skills.” Skills You Need further talks about transferable skills and claims “People usually think about their transferable skills when applying for a job or when thinking about a career change. Employers often look for people who can demonstrate a good set of transferable skills. The good news is that you already have transferable skills – you’ve developed such skills and abilities throughout your life, at school and perhaps at university, at home and in your social life, as well as through any experience in the work-place. It is often important that you can identify and give examples of the transferable skills that you have developed - this will go a long way to persuading prospective employers that you are right for the job.” Rewriting my resume sometimes became frustrating because:
So, how did my resume look to employers? You can see for yourself if you keep reading and click on the link below. When I am updating my resume, especially if it has been a while, I usually go to university career service websites to look at the resume examples they have posted. The reason why I use this strategy is because career service centres at universities need to keep resumes templates and styles up-to-date for graduate students who will be seeking paid employment after their program of study is completed. Basically they usually know what employers are looking for or they know the coolest new ways to highlight our skills to employers! The website I frequent most is Saint Mary’s University Career Services. They have a few different resume examples and a resume check list which I find very helpful. I encourage you to click on the link and look at the different resumes they have posted. Select one that best fits you and your experience or industry you are applying in. smu.ca/campus-life/career-services-resumes-cvs-cover-letters.html The other things you should do to create a resume that will attract the employer is:
Rewriting my resume for every new job i applied for took a great deal of time and effort, but it was all worth it in the end. Not only did my employment experiences (regardless if they are paid or not) help me get better employment opportunities, but the work I accomplished help me:
The next time you apply to a job remember to:
Be sure to check out the blog early next week- I will post an actual resume and break down all the sections with a simple explanation. So, you have met with your case manager and they suggest that you attend a workshop. What does that mean!? What will be covered? How long does a workshop last? Should you go!? To answer those questions, I have outlined some information below: 1.Anyone can attend a workshop and almost all the workshops I have attended had a small number of people (the largest was 5 people!). The largest number of people in a workshop could be 12 but that is rare! Also, all the facilitators I met were lovely people! 2. Workshops are meant to help you in your job search or help to further your employability skills. No matter what the topic is, you should be able to apply the skills to your own job search. For example, I attended a workshop on Transferable Skills and learned that the average person has over 1000 skills! Amazing! So, imagine all those skills you could put on your resume or cover letter (if it links to the job!). 3. The more you participate, the more you get from the workshop- though I know this can be daunting. Remember, if you ever want to attend a workshop and don't want to face it alone, you can contact Autism Nova Scotia and speak to our Employment Support Coordinator. 4. Most agencies have a variety of useful topics for their workshops! I attended one on Transferable Skills at one agency, Resume Writing at a different agency and, finally, How to Disclose at yet another agency! I learned something new in every single workshop so I am sure you will too! Remember to take note paper or a tablet so you can record the information you find most helpful. 5. Most agencies post what workshops they offer on their websites but if you can't find it, just ask for a calendar at the front desk (when you are at your agency job searching!) or call them. Most workshops run 3 hours with a break, although some are longer and some are shorter! If you have any questions about the workshops offered at your agencies, you can ask your case manager. If you don’t have a case manager, you can still attend workshops at any employment agency, and they best part is...they are FREE and help you to gain skills to find a job! First and foremost, seeing a case manager is FREE! All services at an Employment Agency are free which means you can see a case manager, print your resume, fax it to an employer and search for jobs without paying a dime! So, what exactly does a Case Manager do? A case manager meets 1:1 with YOU to discuss your options regarding employment. They will go through any services they feel may be of benefit to you and your job search. These could include:
If you are looking to go back to school, a case manager can also help with that! They can outline various funding options for you and they can help you to navigate the application process and the course that could be a perfect fit for you. If going back to school is not in your future, but you feel you need more support from community organizations, a case manager can refer you to these organizations for extra help in your employment job search. Have you ever felt this way:
If so, a case manager can help steer you in the right direction! If you are feeling a bit anxious about going to an employment agency to see a case manager, don’t worry! At Autism Nova Scotia, we know how daunting the employment process can be, so if you would like support at the agency, you can ask Sheila, our Employment Supports Coordinator, to accompany to you. She can help with paper work, attend meetings for as many or as few as you would like. You can contact her at [email protected] Applying to entry level jobs:
Job DescriptionTitles: collegegrad.com mentions that “The entry level title for many professions is known as a staff role. Staff Accountant, Staff Engineer and Staff Auditor are all examples of typical entry level job titles. Many jobs simply list the job without any additions (such as Senior, II, etc.), such as Programmer, Software Development Engineer, Sales Representative are examples of entry level jobs. However, these titles may or may not be entry level. For example, even with an entry level job, once the individual is in the job at least a year, the job is no longer entry level, even though the title may not have changed. So the title by itself is not always an indicator of the level of the position. Some employers will add the two words "Entry Level" to the position title for the purpose of posting externally to indicate to prospective job seekers that hiring is at the entry level. Look at the below entry level job titles, you will notice that not all of them include the words “entry level” , or “assistant” or “staff”, and are all very different even when they have the words “entry level” in it. Travel Consultant, Entry Level Position Halifax, NS Entry Level Management Trainee Location Halifax, NS Category Marketing / Product / PR Inventory Associate Location: Halifax, NS Job Code: 9822 ZIP/Postal code: B3K 4X1 Quality Analyst Kelly Services - Halifax, NS Contract Now lets look at each job description criteria (please note I took out job responsabilities): Travel Consultant, Entry Level Position Candidates must possess the following skills and qualifications:
Other information
Inventory Associate Location: Halifax, NS Job Code: 9822 ZIP/Postal code: B3K 4X1 Description WIS INTERNATIONAL has been delivering results to many of the biggest names in retailing and manufacturing for more than fifty years. With more than 200,000 physical inventory counts taken every year WIS International has become one of the largest and most trusted inventory counting and retail service providers worldwide. We have Inventory Associate positions available NOW in our Halifax office! Qualifications:
$10.70/hour with the opportunity for increases within the first six months.- pay is low because you are just starting out with this business WIS thanks all applicants in advance, but will only contact those we wish to interview. Marketing Representative – Entry Level Description:
Job Requirements We Offer
Job Requirements:
Put retail- and tell the employer how you worked with customers in retail and demonstrated excellent customer work experience, what other tasks you completed, and when you worked as a team and individually. Lets look part of a retail sample resume found at LiveCareer (www.livecareer.com ) Professional Experience Crew Member 6/1/2010 - Present TARGET Bellevue, NE
6/1/2006 - 5/1/2010 Wal-Mart Omaha, NE
The above resume expands on a retailers responsibilities and the information is presented to catch the employer’s attention. To look at the full resume example click on the website link mentioned above. Tips:
Are you just out of high school or post-secondary?
Perhaps you are looking to take your career in a new direction? Or are you returning to the labour force after being off for a long period of time? If you answered yes to any of the above questions KEEP READING! The most important advantage of accepting an entry level job is that it you enter the work force and earn a pay cheque, which leads to a bigger and better life for you! Here’s a look at what can happen when you start working, you will:
What does an entry level job mean? Basically you are at the beginning or learning stage of your chosen profession, and everyone starts here with their career and even when switching to a new one. The purpose of an entry level job is to give a job seekers an opportunity to achieve skills and increase experience to build a solid foundation for higher level jobs. Entry level work can be part-time, full-time, or contract work. Some contract work can lead into part-time or full-time permanent jobs, so don’t overlook these meaningful opportunities. They may not seem appealing on paper, but the rewards and benefits are endless and can lead to permanent work. Generally the pay for entry level work is low because you are just beginning, but some positions pay higher then minimum wage. Again, it depends on what profession you enter. Some employers may offer benefits for entry level positions, other’s may offer none and some may offer some after a probationary period. What is a probationary period you say? Wikapedia says that “a probationary period in the workplace allows a supervisor or other company manager to evaluate closely the progress and skills of the newly hired worker, determine appropriate assignments, and monitor other aspects of the employee such as honesty, reliability, and interactions with co-workers, supervisors or customers. A probationary period varies widely depending on the business, but can last anywhere from 30 days to several years.” In my own personal experience most probationary periods last from 3 to 6 months, not several years. “The probationary period also allows an employer to terminate an employee who is not doing well at their job or is otherwise deemed not suitable for a particular position or any position.” The Break Down of YOUR Work Experience: What work experience actually is, is different for every employer-the key is for you to highlight your work experience (regardless if you were paid for it or not) on your resume to make it sound like you’ll transition into the new job effortlessly. Some companies consider: Internships Coop work placements Volunteer work Course work Membership in post-secondary organizations And anything else that might help you enhance your professional skills work experience. This means if a job description states 3 years of experience, the employer will consider applicants who have never had a job before. If the job description says they want someone who has 1-3 years of work experience- then they would prefer to hire a job seekers who has held a full time job. BUT this doesn’t mean that they won’t consider or hire you! Don’t let the words on the job description intimidate you and stop you from applying to a job you can do! Just remember you need to frame your non-paid work experience in terms that make you sound like you’re the right person for the job and to get it done! Tip to Remember: If the job description says “experiences” or “work experience” be confident and apply for the job if you have the experience and skills the employer is seeking. During your job search it is important to focus on the job description, and I encourage you to visit the business website which gives you a better understanding of the company culture, work skills other employees have, and much more. If you do decide to check-out a company you are applying to or interested in, don’t email any one to ask them questions, this could impact your chances of getting an interview. Entry Level Job Part 2: Familiarizing Yourself with Entry level Job Descriptions & Words- will be posted at the end of the day Monday, June 5. |
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