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How to Set Yourself and Your Resume Apart From the Rest

In the current job market, you may be wondering what you can do to stand apart from the other applicants in the pile (or inbox) of resumes.

Lauren Gardner, the head of global talent acquisition at Microsoft, has years of experience reviewing resumes and knows what employers are looking for.

Ultimately, employers want a good fit for their team, so they are interested in you as a person. They also want to know that you have what it takes and are willing to become a part of their team and organization. This entails being open to learning, growing, and developing as an employee and as a person.

Your resume should show that you are motivated to learn and grow, or that you are open to developing new skills. This can be achieved by describing what new strengths or lessons you have gained from a past job and ensuring keywords related to learning and growing are utilized in your resume.

If you have been at the same job for many years, you can still demonstrate constant learning and growth. You can describe how you have been a part of different projects or initiatives, worked with different teams and or departments, joined committees or taken on more responsibilities during the span of your employment.

For more in-depth details, check out the interview with Lauren Gardner where she shares that employers are looking for “Learn-it-alls”, not “Know-it-alls”:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/22/microsofts-head-of-recruiting-on-the-nopoint1-resume-red-flag-to-avoid.html?utm_content=Intl&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0JqDdIjdB3EWyy10GqFc_l_k6BjdT57Uf4nNIkaPUGOG4BA3IF8F_CzsY#Echobox=1650639586

Job Shadowing

Are you looking for a new career but unclear on the direction you would like to go? Are you wanting to pursue post-secondary education but not sure what career appeals to you? Job shadowing can be an excellent way to learn about a professional’s day-to-day responsibilities and decide whether their career appeals to you and aligns with your values and beliefs. It can also provide valuable opportunities to network with professionals in your chosen field.

A job shadowing experience allows you to explore a specific career of interest by observing an employee perform their work duties at their place of employment. The experience should provide realistic career information that will help you in making a career choice.

Job shadowing can provide enough information about this position of interest to alleviate the fear of the unknown and gain a bigger picture of the requirements for the position. For example, I had a client who loved to spend time with seniors; she enjoyed listening to their stories and asking questions, organizing arts and crafts, and helping them with chores. She was positive that being a Health Care Aide would be the perfect position for her! She met with a Health Care Aide at a senior’s facility, shadowed her for the day, and realized there were some aspects of the job she was not comfortable doing. One day of job shadowing helped with her career decision. This client is still in the helping field but in a position more suited to her skills and preferences.

Tips for a Successful Experience

Before you arrive for your job-shadowing experience, be clear on all the details. Be sure to confirm a time to arrive; location; what to wear and anything else you may need to bring, and ask what the COVID 19 protocol is within the organization and follow all required procedures.

Do your research! Know as much about the company as possible. Jot down some notes and questions to ask. This will create a good impression; it will show initiative and help you learn more from the experience. At the end of the day, thank everyone for their time, maintain eye contact, and ask for their business cards. Sending them a personal thank you or email after you have completed shadowing can make a strong final impression.

You might have had a great job shadowing experience but realized that this is not the career for you. Stay positive and professional! You have learned so much and made some great contacts in the process.

 

The Hiring Fair returns and local employers are looking for you! Plan on attending the Career Centre’s 2022 Hiring Fair, Thursday April 7th from 12:30pm-3:30pm at the Qualicum & District Curling Club, 644 Memorial Ave. in Qualicum Beach and keep on reading for tips to make sure you arrive prepared!

Find out which employers are currently registered: https://www.careercentre.org/hiring-fair/

Below are eight tips for success as you prepare for the Career Fair!

Step 1: Attend the ‘How to Prepare for a Hiring Fair’ workshop. Learn networking strategies so you can feel confident when you meet face-to-face with employers. Understand what you need to prepare in advance, to plan your strategy during the event and have a plan for follow-up after the Hiring Fair. Register for a session here: https://www.careercentre.org/workshops-events/

Step 2: Dress for Success. This is no different than attending a job interview at an employer’s place of business, so you need to dress appropriately, Business Casual is the standard: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-business-casual-attire-2061168

Step 3: Research Registered Employers. You can get a step ahead of the competition by consulting the list of companies attending the fair and doing some research on each of the employers that interest you. Check the employer’s website and pay attention to the organization’s values and mission statement; you can find out a lot about a company by doing research online and come prepared with a list of questions to ask.  Did you know there are over 65 employer profiles on the Employer of the Month section of our website?

Step 4: Bring Several Copies of Your Resume. Bring a folder with you containing a list of the employers you want to meet with and several copies of your resume, cover letter (addressed to each specific employer) and your references (although it is more appropriate to provide these following an interview – but you could be offered an on-the-spot interview). Be prepared to hand out additional resumes to employers not on your list.   (There are over 50 employers in the room!) If you need assistance with creating/updating your resume be sure to attend the Career Centre’s Resumes and Cover Letters workshop prior to the Hiring Fair.

Step 5: Be Prepared for an Interview. You may have two to five minutes with an employer so come prepared to market yourself, knowing what you would like to say helps you make the most of your time. Developing a one-minute “elevator speech” to highlight your qualifications is a great idea. For more information on marketing yourself, consider the Career Centre’s Branding “YOU” and/or Acing the Interview workshops.

Step 6: Network! Network! Network! Practice making eye contact as you speak with the employers to assist in making a good first impression. Although you may be nervous, a Hiring Fair is a great opportunity to connect with employers and practice – so try to push yourself to connect with as many people as you can.

Step 7: Collect Contact Information. Write down the name of the person and company you are interested in and their contact information or make sure to get a business card from them. This will support you with Step 8.

Step 8: Send a Thank-you Note. Stay ahead of your competition by sending a thank you note or an e-mail to your employers of choice the next day. If you do this via e-mail, make sure it is in proper business language; no jargon, abbreviations or spelling mistakes.

A reminder the Career Centre’s Hiring Fair is a free event for job seekers to connect with local employers. For information on upcoming workshops or to register, call 250-248-3205. We look forward to seeing you on April 7^th!