COMM 202tutorial 5: resume & cover letter

peer review

agenda• TA feedback• resume & cover letter peer review• action items

timelineweek 6 week 10week 7 week 9week 8

• tutorial: resumes / cover letters

• due: skills matrix final submission (6 success stories, 2 failure stories)

• tutorial: resume & cover letter peer review

• due: 2 copies of resume draft & cover letter draft & job posting

• lecture: LinkedIn / networking

• due: LinkedIn due before class

• tutorial: event networking / informational interviews

• Due: cover letter & resume due Tuesday, March 7th @ 2:00PM

• networking event on March 9th

reading break

TA feedback

resume & cover letter peer review

instructions1. write your table number on ALL of your

documents2. put your documents in a pile in the middle of the

table3. get out your marking utensils

for each new slide section, pass the document to the right

cover letter formatting• left aligned (NOT justified)• no indents on paragraphs• bullet points vs. paragraphs• 2-3 relevant skills• consistent font size• appropriate font• margin sizes• spacing between paragraphs• white space• one page

resume formatting• Titles formatted the same• Spacing is consistent• Margins are reasonable (≥1.5cm)• Phrases either ALL end in period or not• Dates

– Usually right-aligned– All have month and year, or just year– All months are abbreviated to same # of letters– Uses hyphens (–) OR dashes (-)

• Font:– Size is 10– Generally no more than two types of font

• Numbers under 10 spelled out (i.e. two vs. 2)• Bullets: same size/style, aligned• One to two pages

are the resume & cover letter consistent? header? margins? font?

addressing the cover letterDate

Contact NameTheir TitleCompanyAddressCity, Province, Postal Code

Re: Position Title

Dear [first name last name] OR Hiring Manager

These spaces are important

If unknown, this can be omitted

AVOID: “To Whom it May Concern”“Dear Sir or Madam”

Country is typically unnecessary unless applying outside of Canada

addressing the cover letter

To a non-specified committee/manager

To a specific person

signing off the cover letter

Sincerely,Your NameBCom Candidate 20XXSauder School of BusinessEnclosed or Attached: Resume

* Enclosed: physical copy* Attached: electronic copy

Written signature

optional (provide more space if

including)

Attached: Resume, Transcript

Use “Enclosed: …” only if sending application by mail

BCom Candidate 2016These spaces are important

Regards,Best,

cover letter content

cover letter opening• how do you like the hook?

• is there keen, genuine interest and/or passion for the position?

• is there a clear expression of the skills/experience matching the job posting?

• is primary or secondary research integrated (and indicates interest)?

• if name drop is used, was it well-integrated?

• hook!

cover letter opening

I want to belong to Devon Canada because its mantra “be a good neighbor” aligns with my goal of building relationships to enrich the area where I work and live. This desire, along with the skills I have gained from my previous work experiences in the Calgary energy industry, will allow me to make valuable contributions to Devon Canada’s initiatives.

cover letter skills matching• are there specific skills matched to the job description?

• do they reference specific examples that leverage experiences/qualifications?

• are the highlighted experiences specific and concise?

• do they indicate transferrable skills?

• do the results show strength or success?

• STARL format – emphasizes actions and creates links where possible

• suggested minimum of 2 skills/attributes matched

• show, don’t tell!

cover letter skills matchingI spent this past summer at Total E&P Canada, where I compiled and calculated information for numerous government payment and application documents. I had to prioritize my tasks and organize my progress as I updated versions of multiple documents, and was constantly in correspondence with external auditors and other departments. At Devon Canada, the accounting department faces numerous deadlines and supports a variety of different parties. My ability to efficiently manage multiple projects will be vital to my success.

cover letter closing• are skills reiterated in a different (not redundant!)

way?

• is sincere interest expressed?

• is there a gracious thank you and call to action • request for meeting?

• tie back to hook/intro

resume content

resume header and general• Name is preferred name with

(given name) in brackets• Phone and address are included• LinkedIn URL is personalized

• No personal pronouns (I, we, he, she)• Reasonable amount of white space:

is it easy to read?• Experiences listed in reverse chronological order

by end date

resume profile

what is it? no more than 4 line summary of what to expect in your resume

key questions:• does it match the job posting (multiple references)?• does it provide a clear, convincing link to the rest of the resume (i.e. is

there PROOF elsewhere in the document?)

what to include?• strengths, past experiences, interests, languages, technical skills

resume education

what is it? summary of your schooling journey

key questions:• is there any ambiguity with respect to the info provided?• does it match the job description?

resume education

what to include?• Bachelor of Commerce, NOT BCOMM or B.Comm• degree (write it out fully) and specialization• GPA –score/%/letter grade, indicating the school scale• no laundry lists of courses: only specific, relevant courses• key/relevant projects and awards: write in accomplishment statement form• don’t include high school stuff unless you’re still in first year!

resume experience

what is it? collection of relevant experiences – the real meat

key questions:• are experiences achievement based?• do numbers clearly quantify achievements where appropriate?• do statements have Accomplishment, Proof, Transferrable skills, and Scope of

Action?• does language indicate familiarity with industry/company? Does it match the job

description?

resume experienceRemoved ambiguity from taxation budget by correctly coding over 250 invoices, through the research of taxation legislation and analysis of archived invoices for the cost control department’s budget report

Qualitative:Reduced stress among new BCom students by providing academic support and mentorship, through the creation of individualized exam preparation schedules during one-on-one coaching sessions.

Quantitative: Doubled previous year’s number of appointments with new BCom students by creating individualized exam preparation schedules and building authentic, trust-based relationships during one-on-one coaching sessions

work experience

what to include?• reverse chronological order by end date• you can include explanation sentences of companies/experiences if

necessary • written in third person• keep it to one sentence (2 lines is best)• accomplishment statements as bullet points

resume interestswhat is it? a chance to showcase your personality & stand out

key questions:• Do the interests show personality? Are they specific? Are they relevant

to the job (not always necessary)?• Do they differentiate the candidate? Are they memorable?

what to include?• side interests & hobbies• cool personal experiences• be fun, specific, and stay appropriate

*NOTE for the candidate: Be able to speak about these interests extensively!

resume interests

overall branding• personal qualifications are well tailored to requirements of

job (clear 60-70% match)

• multiple words from job description are included in resume (5+)

• interest section shows personality and relevant and specific interests

• there is strong evidence of CAN-WANT-FIT match made

activity

who would you hire?

of the applications on your table, who has…

• who had the WOW factor?

• did they show CAN, WANT, and FIT?

• what was GOOD about their application?

• what do they need to work on?

what counts as an error?

INCORRECT INFO

IMPROPER FORMATTING

SPELLING & GRAMMAR

MISSING INFOINCORRECT

ORDERING OF INFORMATION

INCONSISTENCY

maximum error deduction is 20% PER DOCUMENT

key takeaways• no duty statements• be concise• format consistently• always stay relevant• small details matter• you do you!

how to get an “a”• ask friends for feedback

• come to OFFICE HOURS

• work through it – 20 minutes a day!

action items• sign up for office hours!

• work on your resume & cover letter over reading break!

• networking event: Thursday, March 9th from 6-8PM

• Career Peer Advising and BCC coaching appointments on COOL (also over reading break)

• LinkedIn profiles due

• Lecture after reading week Puppy of the week!