This blog post was written by Paul Hubahib, the Manager of Employment and Community Programs at the Mississauga YMCA Employment Centre.
No matter what job you're applying for, writing a cover letter and resume is always tough. How do you write a cover letter without sounding cheesy? What if you don't have enough experience to add to a resume? What if you have too much experience?
I help people of all ages write and review cover letters and resumes every day, and I always give out the same advice, which I will share below. Give this a quick read the next time you apply for a job.
Cover Letters
Many people ask me if cover letters are really necessary -- do they really get you noticed? Depending on who you ask, there is still a definite need to have a cover letter when you are job searching. A well-written cover letter will showcase your communication skills, as well as fill the gaps in your resume. Cover letters allow you to personalize your message to the employer about why they should hire you. Here are my five favourite tips for writing cover letters:
1. Remember the reader – Write your cover letter to pique the interest of the person reading it. Remember it may not be the hiring manager who takes a first look at it. Human Resources may scan it for buzz words that are included in the job posting.
2. Be Specific about your qualifications – look at the job description and choose four or five words that relate to your skills and use them in the body of your cover letter.
3. Keep it short – Your cover letter should not exceed one page. Many employers won't even look at an application if the cover letter is longer than one page.
4. Show a personal connection – Talk about why this job interests you and how this field fits your skill set.
5. Personalize - Cover letters should never be addressed “to whom it may concern." Make sure you know that name of the hiring manager.
Resumes
Your resume is the one and only chance to get an employer to notice you. Many statistics show that on average, an employer will only spend about 10 seconds on a resume. Here are my five favourite tips to ensure that your resume makes a good first impression:
1. 10 seconds - You only have about 10 seconds to impress employers, so make them count. Ensure your resume is concise, structured and very specific to the role you are applying for.
2. Add links - Add links to your past employers' websites, or any of your work that can be found online. This allows your prospective employer to both better understand your past career experience and gauge your skill set.
3). Incorporate keywords – The job description is a treasure trove of words you can work with. Just makes sure they are relatable to your skills. Make your resume a set of accomplishment statements (e.g. "I wrote X number of reports," "under my leadership, our team accomplished X goals.")
4. Stop at two pages – Your resume should never be more than two pages long.
5. Your resume is not a laundry list – Your resume is not the place to list all your accomplishments and training/skills. Remember you are marketing your specific skills that will fit the job you are applying for.
No matter what job you're applying for, writing a cover letter and resume is always tough. How do you write a cover letter without sounding cheesy? What if you don't have enough experience to add to a resume? What if you have too much experience?
I help people of all ages write and review cover letters and resumes every day, and I always give out the same advice, which I will share below. Give this a quick read the next time you apply for a job.
Cover Letters
Many people ask me if cover letters are really necessary -- do they really get you noticed? Depending on who you ask, there is still a definite need to have a cover letter when you are job searching. A well-written cover letter will showcase your communication skills, as well as fill the gaps in your resume. Cover letters allow you to personalize your message to the employer about why they should hire you. Here are my five favourite tips for writing cover letters:
1. Remember the reader – Write your cover letter to pique the interest of the person reading it. Remember it may not be the hiring manager who takes a first look at it. Human Resources may scan it for buzz words that are included in the job posting.
2. Be Specific about your qualifications – look at the job description and choose four or five words that relate to your skills and use them in the body of your cover letter.
3. Keep it short – Your cover letter should not exceed one page. Many employers won't even look at an application if the cover letter is longer than one page.
4. Show a personal connection – Talk about why this job interests you and how this field fits your skill set.
5. Personalize - Cover letters should never be addressed “to whom it may concern." Make sure you know that name of the hiring manager.
Resumes
Your resume is the one and only chance to get an employer to notice you. Many statistics show that on average, an employer will only spend about 10 seconds on a resume. Here are my five favourite tips to ensure that your resume makes a good first impression:
1. 10 seconds - You only have about 10 seconds to impress employers, so make them count. Ensure your resume is concise, structured and very specific to the role you are applying for.
2. Add links - Add links to your past employers' websites, or any of your work that can be found online. This allows your prospective employer to both better understand your past career experience and gauge your skill set.
3). Incorporate keywords – The job description is a treasure trove of words you can work with. Just makes sure they are relatable to your skills. Make your resume a set of accomplishment statements (e.g. "I wrote X number of reports," "under my leadership, our team accomplished X goals.")
4. Stop at two pages – Your resume should never be more than two pages long.
5. Your resume is not a laundry list – Your resume is not the place to list all your accomplishments and training/skills. Remember you are marketing your specific skills that will fit the job you are applying for.
