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Resources Centre

Résumé Workshops

Résumé Workshop – Resources Centre – 2002

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUC INTRODUCTION. TION................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... ................................. .......................3 ........3 THE RÉSUMÉ................. RÉSUMÉ................................... .................................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................... ............................... .............44 STRUCTURIN STRUCTURING G YOUR RÉSUMÉ............. RÉSUMÉ............................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................6 ...............6 SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS STATEMENTS...............................................13 SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS ANALYSIS......................................................14 WHAT SHOULD BE OMITTED FROM YOUR RÉSUMÉ...........................................................16 RÉSUMÉ RÉSUMÉ FORMATS.. FORMATS.................... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... .................................... ..............................................1 ............................166 REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ.....................................................................................17 SAMPLE - REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ.................................................................18 FUNCTIONA FUNCTIONAL L RÉSUMÉ......... RÉSUMÉ........................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................... ..................................................27 ................................27 SAMPLE - FUNCTIONAL RÉSUMÉ...............................................................................................28 ELECTRONIC RÉSUMÉ TECHNOLOGY.....................................................................................33 SAMPLE - ELECTRONIC RÉSUMÉ...............................................................................................34 FUNCTION FUNCTION VERBS................ VERBS.................................. ..................................... ..................................... .................................... .................................................. ................................ ..36 ..36 DO THESE WORDS DESCRIBE YOU?..........................................................................................37 RÉSUMÉ RÉSUMÉ CHECKLIST CHECKLIST................ .................................. ..................................... ..................................... .................................... ............................................ .......................... ..49 ..49 RÉSUMÉ RÉSUMÉ POSTING. POSTING................... .................................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................... ...............................50 .............50 REFERENCE REFERENCES............... S.................................. ..................................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... .......................................... .............................51 ......51 SAMPLE SAMPLE REFERENC REFERENCE E PAGE................. PAGE................................... .................................... ..................................... ..................................... .................................53 ...............53 THE WHEN AND WHY OF LETTER WRITING..........................................................................55 TIPS FOR WRITING COVER LETTERS.......................................................................................56 TIPS FOR WRITING THANK YOU LETTERS.............................................................................57 EDITING EDITING YOUR WORK................. WORK................................... .................................... .................................... ..................................... ............................................58 .........................58 COVER COVER LETTER SAMPLE........... SAMPLE............................. ..................................... ..................................... .................................... ............................................59 ..........................59 THANK THANK YOU LETTER LETTER SAMPLE........... SAMPLE............................. .................................... .................................... ..................................... ...................................63 ................63 ASSESS ASSESS YOURSELF.... YOURSELF...................... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... .................................... .................................................69 ...............................69 LIST YOUR SUCCESS / NAME YOUR SUCCESS........................................................................71 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY YOUR SUCCESS STORIES......................................73 DEVELOP SUCCESS STORIES INTO P/SAR STORIES.............................................................74 SAMPLES OF ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS..................................................................76 ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS............................................................................................77 DENTIFY DENTIFY YOUR SKILLS......... SKILLS........................... ..................................... ..................................... .................................... .................................... ...............................80 .............80























DENTIFY YOUR SKILLSINTRODUCTION SKILLSINTRODUCTION Welcome to the “Résumé Workshop”. This workshop workshop and document, the “Résumé”, “Résumé”, aim to guide you towards writing writing and promoting your competencies. competencies. Herein, Herein, you will find information information regarding regarding the résumés, résumés, references, references, cover letters and thank you letters. A “Self-Assessment” section is also added to help you structure your accomplishments and identify your strengths. Let’s keep in mind what a career development expert1 says: “The person who gets hired is not necessarily the most qualified person for the job, but the one who knows the most about how to get hired.” The résumé is a key element of the career development process. To prepare a résumé, one needs to take stock of his professional life and career, identifying skills and achievements. In doing so, knowledge about oneself is improved and dealing with interview questions such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What are your strengths” becomes much easier. The career development process is a continuous exercise that involves the employees’ evolution, as well as the organization’s evolution The “Resources Centre” offers services reflecting the evolving company-employee relationship. We also invite you to visit Growing@Bell Growing@Bell.. This on-line program provides employees with access to continuous career development skills enhancement. Growing@Bell is designed to provide tools to help you identify and develop your full potential and take ownership of your career. We hope that this document and workshop will help you promote your competencies and develop your full potential. May you have a fulfilling career!























THE RÉSUMÉ What a Résumé Is. A résumé is a means of making yourself visible as a valuable asset to a prospective business unit or employer. In this sense, it is a personal advertisement in which you persuasively present your capabilities and aspirations with the goal of influencing the decision to interview. The following is a general overview of what an effective résumé should be and do to effectively market you:

A résumé should be clear, concise, and visually appealing to the reader. It should be well written and immediately attract the reader. By this we mean it should be visually inviting: well organized, easy to follow, with short paragraphs and good use of space and placement on the page. We will discuss appearance in more details further on in this section.

A résumé should begin with a very specific career objective. Put yourself in the place of the reader. If you were assessing a hundred résumés for one position, finding an applicant whose career objective matched your needs and requirements would save you valuable time.

A résumé should contain a brief summary statement, which supports the career objective and highlights your special skills and demonstrated competencies. Regard Regardles lesss of the partic particula ularr format format you select select,, chronol chronologi ogical cal or functi functional onal,, you yourr summar summary y statement should describe your experience, strengths, and accomplishments, clearly reinforcing and relating back to your stated career objective. Communicate what you have contributed in the past and will contribute in the future.

A résumé should be targeted to a specific audience. Successful advertisers know their market and target their communications specifically to that audience. Your résumé should do the same. Unless you are changing industries or careers, you know your target audience and how to speak their language. If you are aiming to enter a business unit or a new industry, you may need to research first before finalizing your résumé.

A résumé should be reflective of the individual behind the words. Preparing Preparing a résumé résumé is a self-evalu self-evaluative ative process, which forces you to think about yourself, yourself, your career career,, and you yourr aspir aspirati ations ons.. It afford affordss the opp opport ortuni unity ty to clarif clarify, y, identi identify, fy, organi organize, ze, and eventually highlight those competencies, which are truly unique to you.























A résumé represents the basis of the interview. Writing a résumé is a methodical task and is required to prepare for the interview. Answering interview questions such as “Tell me about yourself” or “What are your strengths” without preparing the résumé is quite a challenging task. Writing your résumé will help you develop a new perspective about your work/career and gain more confidence for the interview and in life in general.

What a Résumé Is Not. It is also helpful to clarify what a résumé is not meant to accomplish.

A résumé is not an autobiography. Although it is difficult for most of us to capture our professional career history in one or two pages, that is exactly what the job ahead entails. As a result, many details of your professional career will necessarily fall away in the process of elimination. You will be forced to make difficult choices throughout the process of preparing and writing your résumé. Certainly, the choices should not be any harder (or any easier) than many decisions you have made during your professional career. We don't promise that the task ahead is easy. It will take time, effort, and probably several drafts before you have a finished product.

A résumé is not the only medium of communication. Though a résumé is vital in most phases of your search, it is only one component of your total marketing communication effort. For example, a résumé can never and should not be used as

a substitute for personal contact and networking.

While we help you make good use of the sample résumés and wise words provided here, your résumé should be a document with which you are comfortable.























STRUCTURING YOUR RÉSUMÉ Structuring your résumé involves deciding how your résumé will look and read. We will discuss all of these issues in detail in this section, beginning first with the physical presentation of your résumé.

Length There is no standard résumé length, although there will always be much discussion as to what is the most practical. While length is clearly a serious consideration, it is more important that a résu résumé mé be info inform rmat ativ ive, e, clea clear, r, conc concis ise, e, and and visu visual ally ly appea appeali ling. ng. For some some,, that that can can be accomplished in two pages; exceptionally, three pages p ages is the solution.

Appearance A résumé, which is not aesthetically pleasing, may not get read. It would be nice to believe that content is always considered to be more important than form. However, in truth it is very easy to discard a résumé, which is unattractive, especially when a formidable stack of a hundred or more others is in front of the interviewer.

To make your résumé visually appealing: •

Use paragrap paragraphs hs that that are concis concise, e, well spaced, and positio positioned ned on the the page, set off off with with bullets bullets,, underlining, or titles when appropriate. Give your résumé "air" make good use of white space by using sensible margins and indenting. • Use Use a pape paperr stoc stock k that that conn connot otes es qual qualit ity y and and prof profes essi sion onal alis ism. m. Pape Paperr colo colour ur shou should ld be conservative, such as white, off-white, ivory, or beige. Letterhead and envelopes should match your résumé in colour and typeface for a smooth, professional presentation.

Language Obviously, your résumé should read as well as it looks. Just as your résumé needs to be visually inviting, what you say has to attract the reader quickly. The average résumé must make its impression in 20 to 30 seconds. After passing the visual attraction hurdle, the language of your résumé has about 15 seconds to grab hold of and captivate the reader. Here are some basic guidelines: • Use language that is specific, clear, positive, exciting and personal. Avoid first person references. • Use action action words. words. Descri Describe be you yourr accomp accomplis lishme hments nts and compet competenci encies es using using powerfu powerful, l, action-oriented words. A sample listing of action verbs is included at the end of this section. Use past tense to describe all accomplishments. acco mplishments. • Support your career objective throughout. Emphasize the demonstrated competencies, accomplishments, and experiences which are relevant to your career objective.

























•

•

• •

Use words efficiently. Use the minimum number of words to convey exactly what you want to say. Edit and edit again to whittle your sentences and paragraphs to the shortest, clearest, most powerful point possible. Eliminate all weak or unnecessary words and sentences. Write to your target audience. Use industry jargon only if you are sure your reader will understand it. If you are entering a new career or a new business unit, or if there is any doubt as to whether the reader will understand un derstand what you are saying, leave the jargon out. Ensure accuracy. Proofread over and over again to be sure there are no errors in spelling or grammar. One misspelled word can overwhelm all of your accomplishments. Use facts and figures to emphasize your demonstrated competencies. How much money did you save the company? What percentage of the market did you capture? How many employees did you supervise?

Content There are basic content elements that should be included in a résumé, regardless of the format chosen. These are: • Heading

Your name, address, postal code, home telephone number, and email address. If you have a daytime telephone number that you know will be answered properly, it should also be included. • Obj Objecti ective ve

A clear, brief career objective is the key to your résumé since everything else you include will be in support of it. No successful marketer would run an advertisement which did not prominently feature what the product is and what it can do. Similarly, in marketing terms, you are the product. It is important, therefore, that you be sure to include an objective which clearly states: This is who I am and this is what I want to do. From a potential employer's point of view, including an objective shows that you have focus and clarity and that you are in control of your own career. You might ask yourself: if you were responsible for filling the position suggested by the objective, would you interview this person?























While the importance of a career objective cannot be stressed strongly enough, we acknowledge that, for some, it is the most difficult component of a résumé to write. We suggest you review the “Self- Assessment” section before you actually begin your résumé, particularly examining your strengt strengths hs and compet competenc encies ies especi especiall ally y as they they relate relate to you yourr career career object objective ive.. For some, some, particularly those making career or industry changes, the objective statement requires more careful crafting. To help you generate ideas, sample objectives are included near the end of the section. • Summary

The summary statement is the first and most visible opportunity you have to emphasize and support your career objective. If the objective presents you as the product, the summary equates to how you highlight those features and benefits which distinguish you as a unique product worthy of further consideration. The summary declares: Here is why I will be good at what I want to do next. It is an opportunity to highlight your special competencies and skills, as well as the industries, functions, and scope of your experience. For the reader, it answers the question: Why should I bother reading this résumé? By definition, the summary is a statement which encapsulates your résumé in two or three wellcrafted sentences. Some people have found it easier to write the summary statement last. In this regard, it could serve as a self-test to ensure that the summary statement accurately mirrors the competencies and accomplishments you have highlighted in the experience portion of your résumé. For your guidance, we have included examples of summary statements near the end of this section.























• Expe Experi rien ence ce

Regardless of the format used, the main message under this heading is what you have done in the past and, by implication, what you can do in the future in another position. Now that you have described yourself and the features and benefits which distinguish you as a unique product in your objective and summary statements, here you substantiate or "prove" your claims by emphasizing your competencies and/or accomplishments. Your accomplishments need to pass the "so what?" test so that nothing can be read negatively. For instance, if you state that you reorganized the entire division, be sure to elaborate on why the division needed to be reorganized and how the reorganization improved it. Your competencies  "the major selling points"  need to be readily visible in the headlines or lead lines. Samples of accomplishment statements follow this section. Job titles need to be easily understood by your targeted readers and describe correctly the level and scope of your experiences. The section on formats which follows will give you specific information on how to prepare the “Experience” component to suit your résumé format. • Educ Educat atiion

Your educational background should be stated briefly in order of relevance to your objective or in revers reversee chronol chronologi ogical cal order. order. Normal Normally ly,, only only colleg collegee or univer universit sity y school schooling ing is includ included. ed. Schooling or training, which you feel is relevant to your career objective, might also be included. • Other

If rele relevan vantt to your your obje object ctiv ive, e, you you migh mightt want want to incl includ udee info inform rmat atio ion n on prof profes essi sion onal al member membershi ships, ps, publica publicati tions ons,, awards awards or honours honours,, or milita military ry servic service. e. If not releva relevant nt to you your r objective and current search, some of these may be best omitted, even though you may feel attached to them. Information on patents, licenses, or accreditation related to your voc ation should be included. If you have significant data which you feel is relevant to your career, such as a sizeable list of























• Pers Person onal al Data Data

Unless there is a specific reason to do so, personal information, such as age, marital and family status, sex, state of health, citizenship, avocations and willingness to relocate does not need to be included. For example, if your citizenship status is potentially unclear, you might want to state it. Or, if civic or community involvement is important in your field, you might want to list the types of activities in which you have participated. Personal data can include items, which are interview conversation starters or the beginning of a response response to anticipate anticipated d objections. objections. You might also include include indication indicationss of personal personal preferences, preferences, which may help match you with the company culture and like-minded people, or items, which are relevant to your objective. Unless you have a specific reason for including an item or section, it is best omitted.























SAMPLES OF SUMMARY STATEMENTS CAREER OBJECTIVE Project Manager SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS A results-oriented professional Engineer who is energized by working in pioneering roles where creative innovation is a must. A background of developing successful small teams to achieve results. Investment decisions are driven by a sense of intrapreneurial ownership. Over a 20-year career with Bell Canada, expertise has been developed in the following areas: ∆ Plans programs and organizes resources to achieve high quality at low cost. ∆ Creates Creates small cohesi cohesive ve teams ∆ Broad knowledge of computer applications and software development ∆ Motivated by opportunities to develop innovative solutions. solutions.

CAREER OBJECTIVE Manager of Training and Professional Development SUMMARY OF STRENGTHS A change champion within the Business Market service department who designs and delivers training programs supporting business initiatives. An enthusiastic and innovative professional who seizes opportunities to apply techniques and skills through coaching others.

CAREER OBJECTIVE Administrative Clerk / Office automation SUMMARY Solid Solid experi experienc encee in office office automa automati tion, on, databa database se manage managemen mentt syste system m and custom customer er servic service. e. Bilingual, dynamic with organizational skills. Learns new responsibilities quickly. Known as a highly productive, disciplined, responsible, creative individual and team player. Key competencies:

























CAREER OBJECTIVE Administrative Assistant HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS Bilingual administrative assistant, conscientious, efficient, with the required expertise to support the business unit’s objectives, Able to perform effectively in a fast paced changing work environment. Supportive team worker, committed and responsible. Key strengths include: ∆ Listening Listening skills skills ∆ Multi Multitas taskin king g ∆ Skilled in developing customer customer loyalty, problems solving and negotiating with vendors ∆ Data entry, word processing and financial statement: typing typing 60 words/minute ∆ Revising, preparing and formatting formatting spreadsheets and offers of service ∆ Windows, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Publisher, Corel Draw, SAP

CAREER OBJECTIVE Manager PROFILE Believes high standards, strong ethics and honesty create the best working atmosphere. Has excellent communication skills and relates well to all staff levels. Enjoys challenges of analyzing and modifying deficiencies to improve production and efficiency. A flexible and quick learner who enjoys working in a team or as an individual contributor. The past 12 years have enhanced skills in:























SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS STATEMENTS Thinks independently and resolves problems quickly. Views problems in a positive way and proposes solution to streamline operations and improve working conditions. Background in business modelling and analysis, project development and creation of ad-hoc reports and graphs. Able to form an effective partnership with clients, helping them to analyze their requirements and assisting them in arriving at the best business solutions to their problems. During a career of _____ years, the following competencies were developed: Managing people, projects and schedules Producing practical, accurate and detailed work Delivering effective orientation/training sessions Motivating people to work effectively as a team Learns new systems quickly and takes initiative. Highly motivated, committed to delivering top quality service. Thrives in a high-energy environment.























SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS ANALYSIS A results-oriented professional Engineer who is energized by working in pioneering roles where creative innovation is a must. A background of developing successful small teams to achieve results. Investment decisions are driven by a sense of intrapreneurial ownership. Over a 20-year career with Bell Canada, expertise has been developed in the following areas: Plans programs and organizes resources to achieve high quality at low cost. Creates small cohesive teams Broad knowledge of computer applications and software development Motivated by opportunities to develop innovative solutions.

Job function

•

Prof Profes essi sion onal al En Engi gine neer er

Personal attributes / work style

•

Inve Invest stme ment nt dec decis isio ions ns are are dri drive ven n by a sen sense se of of intrapreneurial ownership

Special areas of expertise

•

Results or oriented

•

Pioneering ro roles

•

Creati ative inn innovation

•

Deve Develo lopi ping ng succ succes essf sful ul smal smalll team teamss

•

20-y 20-yea earr care career er wit with h Bell Bell Cana Canada da

Years of experience / entry expression























SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS WORKSHEET Job fu function

__________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

Pers Person onal al att attribut ibutes es / wor work styl tyle

____ ______ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ __ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

Specific areas of expertise

__________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________

Years of experience experience / entry expression expression

________________ _______________________ _______________ ________________ ___________ ___ __________________________________________ __________________________________________ __________________________________________























WHAT SHOULD BE OMITTED FROM YOUR RÉSUMÉ 1. Your Your present present salar salary y or salary salary requ require iremen ments ts 2. Reasons Reasons for for leavi leaving ng previ previous ous posi positio tions ns 3. Outsid Outsidee activi activitie tiess which which are not relevant relevant,, such such as social social clubs, clubs, sports sports activit activities ies,, church church or political affiliations 4. Informati Information on regarding regarding age, marital marital or family family status, status, sex, state state of health, citizens citizenship hip 5. Your our pi picture ure 6. Socia Sociall ins insur uran ance ce numbe number r 7. Do not not writ writee “Résum “Résumé” é” on the the first first page page 8. Ref References 9. It is not necessar necessary y to include include a statement statement such as "refer "references ences provided provided upon reques request." t." There There is more information on References later in this section.

RÉSUMÉ FORMATS The two most commonly used and accepted résumé formats are the reverse chronological and the functional. To some degree, however, effective résumés are always a combination of both. A third style, the Electronic Résumé, is also presented and includes a sample.

























REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ The reverse chronological format is the more widely used and readily accepted. It is the format most most exper experie ienc nced ed recr recrui uite ters rs and inte interv rvie iewe wers rs expe expect ct to rece receiv ive. e. Your Your most most rece recent nt work work experience comes first and then continues con tinues backward in time. This style is used most successfully by managers and professionals who have careers comprised of an uninterrupted succession of positions and are moving in a direct path toward their current objective. In its most basic form, the reverse chronological format lists the company name (and sometimes location), dates of employment, job title, and a brief synopsis of the position with its primary responsibilities. Within the synopsis, you might want to include quantifying information, such as the fact that you had direct supervision for six managers in five departments with a total of 350 employees in four locations. However, there is a variation to this rather spartan format which can make your résumé more























SAMPLE - REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ JOE FRISBEE, C.H.R.P. 1010 Kite Avenue Faraway, Ontario L0D 8H5

Residence: (519) 894-7586 Business: (519) 259-8956 Email: [email protected]

CAREER OBJECTIVE Human Resources Consultant SUMMARY OF KEY STRENGTHS An experienced manager with staff and line management background. Team player with proven conceptual, analytical and creative abilities. Considerable experience in the telecommunications field in accounting and human resources with an emphasis on analysis, compensation, training, placement and consulting. Proficient in MS Office,PeopleSoft and SAP.























JOE FRISBEE Manager, Investment Records

Page Two 1990 - 1998

Controlled investment records for various telephone assets with investments ranging from $92 million to $3.5 billion. Directed and controlled annual inventories and evaluated details. Produced a variety of reports detailing statistical, financial and budgetary data used for internal and external purposes. Directed the compilation of the business unit operating expense budget. Championed the use of Quality Circles in the District.

Accomplishments: • •

Initia Initiated ted cost-sa cost-savin ving g mechanize mechanized d proced procedure uress in severa severall areas, areas, resultin resulting g in an annual annual savings savings of $55K. Implem Implement ented ed incenti incentives ves to reduce reduce incident incidental al absence absence;; overtime overtime decrea decreased sed from from 5% to less than 1%.























2nd SAMPLE - REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ JANE DOE 25 St-Jacques St. Montreal, Quebec H3G 4N2

Residence: (514) 435-2314 Messages: (514) 294-5402 Email: [email protected]

CAREER OBJECTIVE Sales Team Leader SUMMARY A fluently bilingual, highly motivated self-starter who combines enthusiasm with a strong work ethi ethicc to prod produce uce outst outstan andi ding ng sale saless resu result ltss and and prov provid idee exce excell llent ent custo custome merr serv servic ice. e. An experienced communicator who thrives on dealing with a variety of people and challenges.























JANE DOE ABC COMPANY INC.

Page Two 1992 - 2000

Sales Representative Maintain existing client base for the Island of Montreal (200+ clients; $720K annual sales); developing new contacts to expand market share. Provide ongoing space planning and marketing support. Represent company at various exhibitions and trade shows.

Accomplishments: •

Assign Assigned ed to rebuild rebuild poorly poorly servi serviced ced territ territory ory (only (only 20% 20% of accounts accounts had recei received ved regula regular r calls). Within three months, sales had increased by 30%.

•

As firs firstt time time Sales Sales Repr Repres esen enta tati tive ve,, succe success ssfu full lly y assu assume med d mana manage gemen mentt of larg largee terr territ itor ory, y,

























JANE DOE

Page Three

COMPANY MNO

1985 - 1988

Claims Representative Investigate automobile and residential claims submitted for payment. Communicate with parties























3rd SAMPLE - REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ JANET STEWART 25 Windermere Crescent Thornhill, Ontario L3R 1N4
























JANET STEWART Administrative Assistant – Sales and Marketing

Page Two 1990 – 1995

Typing reports and presentations using Power Point. Preparing monthly expenditures reports, spreadsheets and financial statements. Implementing new procedures for the day to day running of the office office Com icatin icatin with with vend ibl for tio pli kin























4rd SAMPLE - REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ JAMES SMITH 45 Chestnut Blvd Chapel Hill, Ontario L5A 1S5
























JAMES SMITH

Associate – Human Resource

Page Two 1995 – 1999

Explaining company’s policy to job applicants. Providing support and training to system users. Researching, analyzing, verifying and correcting data discrepancies. d iscrepancies. Preparing invoice payments.







































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































EDITING YOUR WORK Review Your Tone Hot… Abrasive? Self-centered?

Warm… Arrogant? Self-confident?

Neutral… Friendly? Pleading?

Cool… Dull?

Review Your Message • Have you you said said what you you meant meant to to say? say? • Have you you identified identified with with and connected connected with with your reader? reader? • Have you clearly clearly spelled spelled out out your purpose purpose for for writing? writing? • Have you you taken respons responsibil ibility ity for for the next next action? action?

Review Your Writing Have you: • Avoid Avoided ed clic clichés hés?? • Elimin Eliminate ated d unnecessa unnecessary ry words? words? • Varied Varied senten sentence ce length length?? • Used active active,, rather rather than than passive passive voice? • Used Used colour colourful ful verbs? verbs? • Spell-c Spell-chec hecked ked entire entire docum document ent?? • Double-checked Double-checked recipi recipient’s ent’s name, name, address address and postal postal code? code? • Remo Removed ved all all typ typos os?? • Made use use of white white space space – avoided avoided clutter? clutter?

Cold… Canned?























COVER LETTER SAMPLE April 3, 2002

[Name] [Title] [Business Unit] [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] Dear [Name]:

I am interested in working as a [name the position] for your business unit. I am an expert [name skill e.g.: analyst/programmer] with over [10] years of experience to offer you. I enclose my résumé as a first step in exploring the possibilities of employment with [your group] . My most recent experience was [be specific and name the experience/project]. I was responsible for the [list the results you produced]. In addition, [add another story that relates the critical skills]. As a [name the position] with your organization, organization, I would bring [list your key accomplishm accomplishments ents that match the critical skills e.g.: focus on quality and ease of use to your system development]. Furthermore, I work well with others and I am experienced in [list key skill e.g.: project management]. Should you wish to reach me directly, please call me at [office number], or [home number] or [email]. Sincerely,

[Name] Enclosure























2nd COVER LETTER SAMPLE [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] [Phone Number] [Email]

April 3, 2002 [Name] [Title] [Business Unit] [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] Dear [Name]:

Re: [Name Job] To help you evaluate the attached résumé, I have performed this summary report. It itemizes your requirements on the left and my skills on the right. The résumé gives you additional details of my background and experience.

Your Requirements

My Qualifications

•

Three years in telecom.

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Nearly five years experience as an internal consultant and as a project manager.

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Superior communication skills.

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Communicate well with all levels of management and current client base.

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Two Two year yearss as a di disk joc jocke key y on a cam campu puss radio.

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Ability to travel extensively

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I would welcome the opportunity for frequent overnight travel.

•

College degree preferred.

•

Working on on a Master of of Ar Arts de degree in in Mass Media and hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Media.

I believe these qualifications will fit your requirements exceptionally well. I look forward to speaking with you further to discuss my background in more detail. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Name] Enclosure























3rd COVER LETTER SAMPLE [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] [Phone Number] [Email]


Your letter of March 27 for Information Systems Manager attracted me because I have the skills and potential to fill the position. My strong planning, design and installation background would enab enable le me to make make a sign signif ific ican antt cont contri ribu buti tion on to your your team team.. Some Some high highli ligh ghts ts of my accomplishments include: •

Planning: Developed first long-range systems plan providing secure, integrated and portable systems and eliminated costly piecemeal approach to development and dependence on one vendor.

•

Installation: Established innovative «free enterprise» charge-back method for computer resources. This system provided efficient use of resources while educating users of effective utilization of comput computer er compon component entss and develo developed ped centra centrall contro controll for comput computer er servic servicee reques requests ts that that involved prioritizing requests to best serve the corporation.

•

Design: Developed on-line data collection system to accept error-free, nationwide operating unit financials as input into a corporate database. This reduced time needed to access data for corporate consolidations from 2 days to 1 hour. ho ur. Also provided training and documentation.

I will call you in the following week to discuss in more detail how my background and qualifications can be of benefit to you. In the meantime, you may reach me at (613) 367-5555 or by email at [email protected] Yours truly, [Name] Enclosure























4th COVER LETTER SAMPLE [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] [Phone Number] [Email]


Re: Senior Services Assistant Your need for a Senior Services Assistant is of high interest to me because it appears to match closely with my qualifications. With ten years experience in Operations Administration and Human Resources, I have had overal overalll respon responsib sibil ility ity for coordi coordinat nating ing and schedu schedulin ling g of train training ing and orient orientati ation on sessio sessions, ns, creation and design of training materials, as well as responsibility for communication with, and liaison to, all departments within the organization. I have have an Hono Honour urss Dipl Diplom omaa of Appl Applie ied d Arts Arts – Secr Secret etar aria iall Arts Arts,, as well well as a Perso Personn nnel el Management Certificate from the University of Calgary. I would bring to this position a strong computer background, including a variety of software pac packag kages es and and exper experie ienc ncee with with vari varied ed comp comput uter er syst system ems. s. Othe Otherr stre streng ngth thss woul would d incl include ude adaptability to learn quickly and work independently or as a team member, and enjoy taking on increased responsibilities and challenges. In anticipation of an opportunity with your business unit, I have enclosed my résumé. I will call you next week in the hope that a meeting can be arranged. Sincerely yours,

[Name]

Enclosure

























THANK YOU LETTER SAMPLE [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] [Phone Number] [Email]


Thank you for taking the time to interview me for the Communications position you have opened in your group. I enjoyed meeting with you and I am confident we could have an excellent working relationship. Especially after meeting with you, I feel my background and expertise are a very good fit for the job and its requirements. Recapping my strengths and «fit» with the position: p osition: •

My previous previous short-ter short-term m shifts shifts as Staff Writer Writer with with two suburban suburban Toronto Toronto college colleges. s.

•

My newsp newspap aper er editi editing ng backgr backgrou ound nd would would be an enor enormo mous us asset asset becaus becausee I have have the the insi inside de track on what editors are looking for.

My excellent «people skills» would enable me to fit into your congenial atmosphere, as well as work well with the media and the Bell community. Thank you again, [Name] , for your time and consideration. I will call you the week of April 15th to answer any additional questions you might have.























2nd THANK YOU LETTER SAMPLE [Address] [City, Province] [Postal Code] [Phone Number] [Email]


I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with you regarding the position of New Product Develo Developme pment nt Coordi Coordinat nator. or. I found found our meetin meeting g intere interesti sting ng and benefic beneficial ial.. Thank Thank you for acquai acquainti nting ng me so thorou thoroughl ghly y with with the goals goals and objectives objectives of you yourr busine business ss unit. unit. I was extremely impressed by the dynamic, professional and results oriented environment. As a highly highly motiva motivated ted,, experie experience nced, d, organi organized zed indivi individual dual with with strong strong interp interpers ersona onall and communication skills, I believe that I can make a valuable contribution to your organization. Thank you again for meeting with me. I look forward to hearing from you within the next few days and would welcome the opportunity to be a contributing member of your team. Yours truly,

[Name]























OUTLINE OF A COVER LETTER

_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss Person’s Name : Opening Paragraph • • •

Show Show int inter eres estt in in the the per perso son n or comp compan any. y. If you you have have res resea earc rche hed, d, sha share re you yourr findi findings ngs.. Identify Identify who who referred referred you or or how you heard heard of the the organizat organization ion or or positio position n which which was advertised.

Middle Paragraphs(s) • • •

Make Make clea clearr you yourr pur purpo pose se for for wri writi ting ng.. Make clear clear your purpose purpose for for writin writing g (if you haven’t haven’t done so so in opening opening paragraph paragraph.) .) Show the the relevance relevance of one or two of of the following following to to the organiz organization ation or to the positio position: n: • Work Experience • Interests • Education • Skills • Abilities • Technical Training

Closing Paragraph • •

•

Spell out your action: action: whenever whenever possible, possible, take respons responsibili ibility ty for for the the next step. Indicate Indicate your your willing willingness ness to meet meet with with the the employer employer and say say how how or when you you may may be contacted. You can say you will call or you can give your telephone number and hours to call. Iden Identi tify fy any any clo closu sure re att attac ache hed d to the the lette letter. r.























COVER LETTER - WORKSHEET

_______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ Dear _______________________: _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________























Self-Assessment

Not Note: e: Th This is “Sel “Selff-As Asse sess ssme ment nt”” sect sectio ion n is take taken n from from the the “Car “Caree eerr Decis Decisio ion n Work Worksh shop op”” participant’s workbook. The “Career Decision Workshop” is intended for CTEA employees (H003 workshop) and for managers (H001 workshop). You can register through ILE (Integrated Learning Environment).

























ASSESS YOURSELF THE BENEFITS? For you ⇒

puts you in the driver's seat

⇒

identifies your strengths and development areas

⇒

creates a personal skills inventory

⇒

allows you to make an informed decision

⇒

guides you to the next step in your career path

For the company ⇒

puts the right person in the right job

⇒

allows employees to use their strengths which leads to h igher performance with less effort

⇒

employees ENJOY what they are doing!

How's that for a WIN-WIN!!























PROGRESSION AND PURPOSE OF SUCCESS STORIES Progression of Success Stories

Success Stories

Purpose of Success Stories

• •

•

P/SAR Stories*

•

Proof Stories

Raise self-esteem Produce an awareness of accomplishments and achievements

Provide structure for remembering telling and writing stories

Demonstrate professional competencies, strengths and skills























LIST YOUR SUCCESS / NAME YOUR SUCCESS Purpose of the exercise: To identify ten Success Stories and attach a significant and memorable name to each story.

Benefits of the exercise: •

Memorable names enable you to recall ten significant achievements in a short period of time.

•

Significant names enable you to own and remember the story and take control over its content.

•

You experience an immediate overview of the most significant achievements of your career. These success stories resemble career markings, steppingstones and highlights.

1.

Impr Improv oved ed rela relati tion onss betw betwee een n St. St. Catharines I & R and ABM Sales S ales

Niagara

2.

Self-taught computer skills

Computer Skills

3.

Desi Design gned ed and and imp imple leme ment nted ed new new bil billi ling ng system

Bell

4.

Trai Traine ned d emp emplo loye yees es on new new Mer Merid idia ian n Norstar system

Kelsey’s























1. 2.

List List your your succe success ss stor stories ies from from 1 to to 10 on on the the left left hand hand colu column. mn.

Give Give each succ success ess a sign signifi ificant cant memo memorab rable le name name on the oppo opposit sitee right right colum column. n.

1.

........................................................

1.

........................................................................

2.

.........................................................................

3.

.........................................................................

4.

.........................................................................

5.

.........................................................................

6.

.........................................................................

........................................................ ........................................................

2.

........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................

3.

........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................

4.

........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................

5.

........................................................ ........................................................ ........................................................

6.

........................................................























QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU IDENTIFY YOUR SUCCESS STORIES 1. Did you suggest suggest any new new products products or programs programs for for your company company that were were put into into effect? effect? 2. Did you you institut institutee a new system system or or procedure procedure in in your company? company? 3. Did you you identify identify a problem problem in your your company company that had had been overlo overlooked? oked? 4. Were Were you you eve everr pro promo mote ted? d? 5. Did Did you you trai train n any anyon one? e? 6. Did you help help to establi establish sh any new new goals or objectives objectives for for your company? company? 7. Did you you change change in in any way way the the nature nature of of your your work? work? 8. Did you you have any any importan importantt ideas ideas that were not not put into into effect? effect? 9. Did you save save your your compan company y money money?? 10. Did you do anything anything in your position position you thought you couldn’t do? 11. Did you ever undertake undertake an assignment assignment or project that wasn’t part of your position position just because

























DEVELOP SUCCESS STORIES INTO P/SAR STORIES Definition of P/SAR: P/S. A. R.

Problem or Situation in which events occurred. Actions taken. measured Results.

Purpose of the exercise: To develop success stories based on the special accomplishments and achievements of your career and personal life; to gather specific data about each story in a structured format.

Benefits of the exercise: •

Succ

storie storie

enh

self-e self-este ste

and

duc

of achiev achiev

nts and























Name of Success:

Niagara

Problem or Situation:

When I was promoted to section manager of the installation and repair crew, there was a three week delay between the date we received an order for a PBX installation to the actual due date. There was too much overtime, and 50% of orders were late.

Describe the arena, situation or circumstances in which events occurred and why actions were taken .

Actions: Briefly organize the actions you took in logical sequence.

I interviewed each of my workers to find out their opinions with respect to the situation. I approached the sales group and the business office to look at the methods in which we received the orders.























SAMPLES OF ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS Well-developed accomplishment statements tell what you did and state the results clearly. Without results, the statement has little punch or impact on the reader.

1.

Upgrad Upgraded ed prevent preventive ive maint maintenan enance ce procedu procedures res,, which which reduced reduced equipm equipment ent down down time time and costs by one-third.

2.

Develo Developed ped channel channelss for exchang exchangee of experti expertise, se, resour resources ces and and informa informatio tion, n, which which generate generated d a co-operative team spirit.

3.

Resolved Resolved chronic chronic payment payment diffi difficulti culties es with with an account. account. Initiated Initiated new procedures procedures responsive responsive to their systems, which improved relations and resulted in an increase of advertising activity of more than 50%.























ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS Some Accomplishment Prompts: Reduced... which resulted in.... Planned, developed and implemented.... Planned, recruited staff and managed department.... Established and communicated.... Took corrective action.... resulting in.... Provided leadership in.... Conceived of.... for.... This resulted in....























P/SAR STORY Name of Success:

........................................................................................................... .

Problem or Situation: Describe the situation or circumstances associated with the events.

Actions: Briefly organize the actions you took in logical sequence .

Results:

........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................... ...........................................................................................................

























I P/SAR STORY

Name of Success:

........................................................................................................... .

Problem or Situation:

...........................................................................................................























DENTIFY YOUR SKILLS Purpose of this exercise: To analyze content of P/SAR stories according to six clusters of ten related competencies. Such an analysi analysiss clearl clearly y identi identifie fiess major major compet competenci encies es that that enhance enhance self-e self-este steem em and highli highlight ght professional skills both for resume development and marketing strategy.























Now that you have developed 10 P/SAR stories, we will analyze each of them. 1.

List List your your stori stories es acro across ss the the top top ten ten line liness of the spread spreadshe sheet. et.

2.

Place Place an X in in the squar squaree where where a skill skill cont contrib ribute utess to the the succes successs of the the story story..

3.

ShadeShade-in in up to 3 boxes boxes where where the skill skill is most most enjo enjoyed yed..

4.

Give Give 1 point point for for each each X. Give Give 3 point pointss for for each each shaded shaded box box..























IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS Name of Skills Decision making Managing Delegating

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Total























IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS (cont’d.) Name of Skills Problem solving Researching Analyzing / evaluating

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Total

Resume Workbook En

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