BCjobs Blog

Temporary jobs have become very common in today’s world. Some people work temp jobs in between permanent ones, while others choose temp work for the long-term because they enjoy the flexibility and diversity it can offer. Either way, there are two important reasons to showcase these positions effectively on your resume – you want potential employers to see how valuable that experience was, but you don’t want to be seen as a job-hopper.

It has been a tough couple of years for BC job seekers. The downturn resulted in an unstable job market with many wishful workers unemployed or underemployed in part time or temporary roles. The past year has seen moderate growth and employers are hopeful that this trend will continue through 2011. So why is now a good time to find a job you might ask?

Resume writing has finally reached the point where almost all professional resume writers, and many job-seekers, realize the futility of old-fashioned objective statements like the following:
OBJECTIVE: To secure a full-time position with opportunities for advancement in a nonprofit organization that prides itself on excellent public service.
Telling the reader what you want instead of what you have to offer was a failed formula from the start. Now common practice is to use a headline at the top of your resume followed by a profile paragraph.

Past employment experience is usually the most significant section of a resume, and therefore it’s important not to leave the reader guessing. Most job-seekers like to “zoom in” by describing duties and responsibilities, highlighting achievements, and listing awards and formal recognition. There is nothing wrong with that (achievements are particularly essential on a resume). However, it’s equally important to “zoom out” and look at the big picture of each position.

If you are applying for an advertised job, what important qualifications are they looking for? If you meet those requirements, those will be your key selling features. However, if you are targeting employers that haven’t advertised any positions, then you have to decide what you think will be most important to them.

I’ve been following a recent discussion on an email list about the need for cover letters, and it’s caused me to think about the evolution of cover letters and resumes. Here is what I see. Most resumes are at least 2 pages long (although I believe 95% of them should be shorter than they are), and so we are accustomed to seeing a summary section in the top half of the first page. This profile usually highlights the candidate’s key qualifications for the job they are targeting.

What do you think: faced with a choice, will an employer choose to hire a generalist or an expert? Interesting question, and I know that people are confused by which strategy is better, and which one works. I know because I see hundreds of resumes in my business and at job fairs, and most are very general. Let’s analyze the choices.

Does your résumé have the punch it needs to help you stand out? Is your cover letter well-written and convincing? Are you conveying professionalism in the e-mails you write to recruiters or hiring managers?

Writing a cover letter can sometimes be a bit confusing. You simply don’t know what information to add, what to exclude and how exactly to tell your story. For many, this leads to some cover letter mistakes.

When you attend a business meeting, you probably don’t use the wrong fork or slurp wine from fine glassware. Just as it’s important to have good table manners at a luncheon, it’s essential that you mind your e-mail manners in the workplace.