Your resumé and cover letter are your own personal marketing tools. They should make you stand out from the crowd so that the employer will want to invite you in for an interview. While you may spend hours writing and refining your resumé and cover letter, the employer will only take a minute from his or her busy schedule to look at them. With this in mind, ask yourself how you can best get your message across to each potential employer.Resumés usually contain the following elements:
- contact information
- career objective
- skills and/or accomplishments
- work experience
- education
- a statement about references.
While there are many formats you can use, the functional resumé format — which focuses on skills and accomplishments rather than on work history — is most appropriate for people with limited work experience.
Even if you don't have any work experience, you can sell yourself by highlighting some of the skills and attributes you identified in your personal skills profile. (See the sample resumé for ideas on how to do this.)
If you're not sure how to write a resumé, or just want feedback, the staff at your local HRDC office or HRDC Office for Students can help you. You can talk to staff individually or attend a group information session, where you and other job seekers can learn more about writing a resumé. There are many other helpful resources — including Web sites like Canadian Careers.
Resumé Tips
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Dynamic Words | Developed Directed Established Founded Instructed Managed Operated |
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Example Resumé:
| J.P. ROY 68 Pine Street Cooksville, ON P7A 5X3 (919) 555-1234 Performance-oriented high-school student, with an excellent reputation as a responsible and hard-working achiever, seeking a retail position in the fashion industry
WORK/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE 1999-2000 Cooksville Soccer Association (Assistant Coach)
1997-2000 Carried out various odd jobs within the community
EDUCATION Cooksville Senior High School, Grade 11 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES 1999-2000 Editor of school newspaper The Cooksville Express HOBBIES AND INTERESTS Fashion design, art, skiing and swimming
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Cover letters usually have three components:
- 1st Paragraph - State your interest in the company and the job. Say how you found out about the opening or the company and why you are interested.
- 2nd Paragraph - Use this paragraph to tell the employer what you have to offer the company by highlighting one or two qualifications you think would be of greatest interest. Point out any special training or experience you have. Refer the reader to your resumé for further details. Demonstrate that you know something about the company and/or the industry.
- 3rd Paragraph - Close the letter by expressing your appreciation for the employer's time and asking him or her to contact you.
Example Cover Letter:
| 68 Pine Street Cooksville, ON P7A 5X3 June 12, 2000 Ms. Holly Peters Manager Cool Threads Clothing Store 25 Main Street Cooksville, ON A1B 2C3 Re: Application for sales clerk position Dear Ms. Peters: Your ad in the June 10 edition of The Cooksville News for a sales clerk greatly interested me, as this position is very much in line with my immediate career objective — fashion design and/or retail. I really enjoy working with people and have developed excellent communication skills as editor of our school paper and assistant coach of a junior soccer team. This combined with the fact that I am a highly motivated and conscientious worker makes a customer service position at Cool Threads a perfect fit for me. A resumé detailing my skills and work experience is attached for your review. I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to further discuss my qualifications. In the meantime, many thanks for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, (sign your name) J.P. Roy (919) 555-1234 Encl. |
There's no need to list references on your resumé — you can just indicate that they are available on request. If someone is willing to provide you with a written reference, you might want to have a few copies handy.
Application forms often have a component that asks for references — usually in relation to a past job or to someone who already works for the company and can vouch for you.
Approaching References
Always talk to your references first, if possible, and get permission to give their names and telephone numbers to an employer. If they don't seem comfortable with this, take the hint and move on to someone else. (If they don't come across as enthusiastic to you, how will they seem to an employer?)
Who You Can Ask
- Someone from your school (teachers, guidance counsellors, coaches, administrators)
- People you've worked for (babysitting, shovelling snow, delivering papers)
- Someone you've helped (as a volunteer or just as a good Samaritan)
- Someone whose opinion is respected (band elder, minister, priest)
Remember to continue to keep your reference list current and relevant — adding the names of people you've recently worked for and deleting the names of people who have left or who may have forgotten about you over time.
| Cover Letter Checklist
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