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Personal Advancement

Writing a winning resume takes homework

Summer vacation is still months away, so you've got plenty of time to craft a winning resume or dust off the old one, right? Depends if you want a resume that lands you an interview or one that lands in the recycling bin without a second glance, career counsellors advise.

LINDA WHITE

[ 2006-01-25 ]

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PAISLEY
Durham/UOIT

"We encourage our students to hit the ground running in January for their summer job search," says Kristi Kerford, manager of the Career Centre at Trent University in Peterborough.

Don't know where to start? "Look at sample resumes and make a list of accomplishments you're proud of. Use information from that list to create your resume," Kerford says. "Ask a parent, friend or teacher for suggestions."

A well-written resume should begin with your "Career Objective," followed by a "Summary of Skills" or "Highlights of Qualifications." That section should feature three to five skills and can be a blend of both hard and soft skills. Applying for a camp counsellor position? Highlight experience working with children or completion of a relevant course, as well as personality traits such as creativity and patience.

The next section -- "Relevant Experience" (once known as "Work History" or "Volunteer Experience") -- can include work, volunteer and extra-curricular experience. Take a look at the learning outcomes of courses you've completed, advises Angie Paisley, career advisor at Durham College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa.

"What tangible things can you bring to an employer?" she asks. "What did you learn through volunteer experiences that are mandatory in high school? We seem to place value on work that is paid, not on work that isn't and we have to get out of that mindset."

Have you taken a leadership role in a school club? "If you've been a treasurer, you may have drafted budgets, communicated that information to the club and helped allocate funds," Paisley says. "If you've helped with a fundraiser, you may have liaised with your student association, produced promotional pieces using a computer and posted information on the website using HTML."

Recognize the value of targeting your resume to an employer or industry sector. "That advice scares many students because they wonder how much work that's going to involve," Kerford says. But you can often meet that objective simply by reformatting the order in which your information is presented.

Take advantage of resume writing workshops and critiquing services at your campus employment centre. "Your resume should be concise, persuasive and extremely well written," Kerford says.

Wondering if your resume will make it to the top of the pile if printed on coloured paper? "The general rule is to err on the side of conservative," Kerford says. "Consider your reader. If you're applying for a marketing position you can be more creative than if you're applying for a position at a bank. Remember, it's more important what you say about yourself."

Worried about getting everything onto one page? "If you can get all your information onto one page, that's great, but it's better to have an employer look at a resume that is well laid out," Paisley says. "I do caution people not to go any more than two pages."

Finally, consider your resume as part of a "marketing package" that also includes a cover letter and an introductory statement that sums up your skills and career goals. "You might use your introduction over the phone, in an e-mail or at a job fair," Kerford says. "It's not meant to be memorized, but it should come quickly to you."

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