As the new year gets underway, many may be contemplating a career change or feeling a degree of urgency to get hired.
According to Abigail Gonzalez-Kube, program manager with Rocky View and Wheatland Employment Services (RVWES), this time of year often sees an influx of people embarking on a job search.
“Year after year, right after Christmas, that’s when we see clients come in trying to do a little bit of a transition, or they feel they’re underemployed,” she said.
Gonzalez-Kube and RVWES career advisor Wendy Smith have several tips for job hunters. Before even beginning the search, Gonzalez-Kube said, it is important to decide what type of career or industry you are interested in, and what non-negotiables you have around transportation, physical requirements or schedule. This allows you to narrow your job search, write effective resumes and cover letters, and focus your efforts.
When it comes to preparing a resume, Smith said, replace the “Objective” section with a “Professional Profile” – a statement that defines who you are in context to the job you are applying for. This helps employers put you in mind for the role you are seeking, she said.
Resumes should be professional-looking and succinct, Gonzalez-Kube added, and should avoid any gaps in job history.
Many of the same tips apply to cover letters. Smith suggests what she called a “disruptive cover letter” that starts by outlining what about the company appeals to you, and highlighting those same qualities in yourself as a candidate.
“You’re saying, ‘You’re awesome, I’m awesome. This is how we’re awesome together,’” she said.
According to Smith, many people will spend a day looking at job postings on job sites like indeed.com or workopolis.com and then send the same resume out several times. Unfortunately, this may not be the best approach.
“The number one thing I think people could be doing is to have a resume ready, but to target it to every job ad, which means its going to take longer – it could take maybe an hour per job application,” she said. “Targeting their skills on their resume to meet the job ad is the best way to get the attention of the employer.”
Specifically, she said, job seekers should respond directly, point by point, to whatever qualifications are listed in a job posting. Companies and job sites both use algorithms to scan the resumes of applicants, so the words that appear in the posting should also be included in a resume.
“If you have an untargeted resume, often your resume doesn’t even leave indeed.com, because it’s scanning, looking for those listed skills,” Smith said.
When applying online or creating an online job profile, she said, make sure every field is filled out and every step has been completed. Some job sites won’t pass along a resume from an incomplete profile.
Gonzalez-Kube added RVWES offers several resources to help job seekers at its locations in Airdrie, Cochrane and Strathmore. All its services – including appointments with career advisors, mock interviews, workshops and resume development or critiques – are free and government-funded.
“We know it’s difficult looking for a job, and a lot of people are in a position that they didn’t choose to be looking for a job,” Smith said. “Coming here for that extra support can really be beneficial.”
