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Résumé and Cover Letter
- A résumé is usually a formal two-page summary of your skills, work experience, and education.
- A cover letter is usually a one-page letter that summarizes why you are the best person for the job and is written so that the employer will want to read your résumé for more information.
- A targeted résumé is a résumé written for a particular job.
What this means for the Older Worker
There are three things you will need to do:
- Know Yourself - know what you want and know what you have to offer.
- Know What is Out There - know what types of jobs are available and what skills, experience, and attributes are needed for these positions.
- Target Your Résumé -Targeting means creating a résumé (and other marketing tools, such as your cover letter and portfolio) specifically for a particular job or position.
The Résumé
A résumé is your main personal marketing tool. Its purpose is to get you an interview. Your goal is to have a résumé that shows the employer what you have to offer them; it's not just a record of everything you've done in the past. You have to show the potential employer how you can be of value to them and it's your job to make the connection between the skills and experience you have and the position you're applying for. Your résumé has only seconds to make a first impression. Remember, a good résumé cannot get you a job. However, a bad résumé can prevent you from getting an interview.
It is important to target your résumé to each job you apply for. This means that you may need to highlight certain skills for one job that are less important in another position. Don't expect the employer to do that for you; you've got to write a résumé that makes a clear connection between what you offer and what the employer needs. Remember that your résumé may only get a few seconds scan by the employer and if the right information doesn't 'jump out' at first glance, you've lost an opportunity to get an interview.
Targeting a résumé is something you can learn to do. At first you may feel overwhelmed by the idea of creating a new résumé for every job you apply for. You will not have to start from scratch each time. Much of the work will be rearranging or rewording information so that it speaks directly to each position. Some information may need to be added or removed depending on its value to that employer. Saving your résumés electronically will make the task of targeting much easier.
What goes into a résumé has changed a lot, even in the last ten years. As an Older Worker you may have written a résumé many years ago that was a list of all the places you worked, how long your worked their, accounting for every month and year since you left school. Today you need a résumé that clearly identifies your job-related skills, transferable skills, and personal attributes. Employers are less interested in where you have been, than in what skills and experience you offer them today. Many Older Workers find it useful to have a functional résumé which highlights skills and attributes and places the focus on what they can do rather than their age. Presenting your information this way allows you to combine your experience and skills into categories that are relevant to the position you're applying for, removing the focus on employers, positions, and dates.
Things to include in your résumé:
Once complete, read your résumé over carefully to ensure there aren't any mistakes. A mistake-free resume and cover letter shows that you pay attention to details and really care about the job for which you're applying.
Personal Identification: (Required)
The first information that employers need to see is your name, address, phone number, and email address (if you have one). Make sure your phone number is correct!
Skills:
Use this section to list all of your skills and achievements that are important to the job you are applying for. Introducing your skills to employers can make a positive impression. Keep the skills section fairly short, to the point, and targeted toward the position you're applying for.
Relevant Experience:
This heading can be used when preparing a functional résumé and include information from your work/volunteer history, education and life experiences. The purpose of this section is to highlight the most relevant experience and skills you have to offer in relation to the position you're applying for. You can divide your relevant experience into categories, such as Customer Service Experience, Administrative Experience, etc .
Education and Training:
Employers want people who are life-long learners and continue to update their skills. Include names of the schools, diplomas, or certificates obtained and any honours received. Dates should be included unless the training or education is very dated.
Work History; Work Experience:
Employers want to know where you have proven yourself in the past and acquired the experience and skills necessary to do the job. Provide positions held, company names, addresses (mailing addresses are not necessary) and dates (optional).
Volunteer Work:
You can use your Volunteer Work section of your résumé to demonstrate skills and attributes you've gained that relate to the position you're applying for. Volunteer work of any kind can impress employers, as it shows your contribution to the community and the ability to work as part of a team.
Membership in Professional Associations/Affiliations:
You may want to provide information about professional or community organizations you are affiliated with, particularly if they are related to the field in which you are seeking employment.
Interests; Activities; Hobbies:
This section can provide the potential employer with additional information about your character. Also, your interests and hobbies may be directly related to the position you're applying for.
License(s)/Certificates:
Including any special licenses or certificates you have can serve to further highlight the skills/achievements you have (different classes of driver's licenses, trade certification, WHMIS, First Aid/CPR, etc.). These can be presented under their own heading or be included in the skills/achievements section or with your training section.
References:
Identify at least three people who will act as positive references for you. You can include these at the end of your résumé or on a separate sheet of paper. If you have them on a separate sheet to make available if requested, you should end your résumé with References Available Upon Request. Appropriate references include supervisors, managers, co-workers, volunteer associates, customers, teachers, and instructors. Always ask permission before giving out someone's name as a reference and make sure their contact information is correct.
What NOT to include in your resume or cover letter:
It's not appropriate or necessary to include the following in your résumé:
- the word "Résumé" at the top of your page - it is obvious that it is a résumé
- personal information such as your Social Insurance Number, marital status, age (date of birth), gender, photos of yourself, state of health
- Past supervisor's names and phone numbers (unless you're using them for a reference)
- Reasons for leaving past jobs (be prepared to answer this question in an interview if asked)
The Cover Letter: A Necessity
The cover letter is an introduction to your résumé and tells the potential employer who you are, which position you're interested in, and makes the link between your skills and the job for which you are applying (targeting). It's important to include a cover letter with your résumé as it could determine whether your résumé even gets to the review stage. Many employers expect a cover letter and use it as a way of sorting a stack of résumés into a workable number. If you don't include a cover letter, your résumé could very well end up in the trash.
The cover letter is intended to catch the reader's attention and should project a positive tone and present you as an excellent candidate for the position. A cover letter is usually one page and should be error-free and professional looking. It is presented in one of the standard business letter formats.
Include a cover letter that contains information about why you're the perfect fit for the job and make it easy for the prospective employers to see why they should interview you.
Things to think about
- Creating a résumé that is well organized, easy to read, and targeted to the job you're applying for is a good investment in your future and gives you the best possible introduction to a prospective employer.
- Always target your résumé. Sending out general résumés rarely, if ever, gets you even a single response.
- You have skills; you have experience - use your résumé and cover letter to show this as clearly as possible.
Things to do
- When creating a résumé and cover letter, the first thing to do when you find a job ad is to go through it and make a list of all the skills the employer is looking for.
- Now make a list of all the skills you have that match the skills the employer wants.
- Write a targeted functional résumé and appropriate cover letter that highlights all the skills you offer for the position.
- If the skills are not listed in an ad, you will either know what they are because you've done similar work, or you will need to call and ask the employer what skills they are looking for. Once you have that information you will then be able to write an effective targeted résumé.
- Remember: you need to make the connections between what you offer and what the employer needs.
Resume and Cover Letter samples
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