Our Top 5 Resume Writing Tips

Whether you're unhappy with your job but curious what is out there, it's always good to know what the market is like. That's why our third workshop of the year  focused on resumes! We've been waiting for this event to happen for so long. With a cool boardroom to work in at Workplace One hosted by Kathryn Torangeau, People and Culture Manager at Wave and former recruiter at Randstad Canada, she steered us through the ins-and-outs of the modern job hunt. The night could not have gone better! For those of your who couldn't make out on a rainy November night, here are the top 5 resume writing tips from our workshop to help you keep your resume fresh. You never know when an opportunity will strike!

1. Identify your motivation

Why are you looking for a job? No, seriously. Almost everyone wants to make money, but identify what your other goals are when looking at job postings. Do you want to develop specific skills or gain certain experience? Knowing what you really want will help you to tailor your resume but also find the right job for you.

2. Use job search tools

Online job searching tools have become pretty common but which ones will bring you the best opportunities? Here's our short list.

• Monster - One of the giants! It includes jobs from Canada and the U.S. which employers post directly.
• Workopolis - Based in Canada, this is another big site which employers will creating listings on.
• Indeed - Definitely the most popular right now. Indeed is an aggregator which means all the postings on it are pulled from other websites, making it a great way to search widely in one place.
• LinkedIn - You have an account anyway (and if you don't, get one!) and because HR reps and recruiters spend a lot of time checking out candidates on LinkedIn they post their jobs on their too. Good news - LinkedIn is smart so the more you fill out your profile the more likely it is to find jobs that match and bring them to you.

3. Decipher the job description

Really pay attention to the job posting you want to apply to. Print it out or make a copy of it in Word then go through and highlight any repeated words. Skills or tasks which are repeated 2+ times are a sure sign that this is what the hiring manager is really looking for. Make sure you use those same words in your resume (always being truthful!), recruiters don't care if you use the same words back at them. In fact, mirroring someone's speech patterns or body language often builds rapport and people don't mind it as much as you think they do. Make sure you balance it though, you still have to be yourself - don't just copy and paste.

4. Write a brand statement

When you Google resume templates or look for guides on how to write resumes you may come across a section called the "Objective." It's a statement at the top which usually says you are seeking such and such a job in field x, y, or z. The problem is this isn't adding any value to your resume and  you're starting off with telling the hiring manager something that they already know. Instead, start off your resume with something that differentiates you: a brand statement. A brand statement is a short summary 1-2 sentences long which highlights what value you are offering an employer while showing your personality. It should be your go-to answer when someone asks you to describe what you do.

5. Stay away from cliches

Team player. Go-getter. Innovative. Self-starter. These are all words that we know hiring managers want to hear but the problem is they have been way overused. Think about how you would define what you're describing yourself as and then spell it out. Suddenly, what you can do is a lot clearer. For example, what does it actually mean to be a team player? It means you're likely someone who listens, gives and receives feedback well, collaborates with others and doesn't put themselves before the team. Doesn't that sound more interesting than a "team player"?

What are some of your tips to keep your resume fresh?

Catherine is a storyteller, communications specialist, and blogger. When she isn't corporately communicating she is spreading her love of Canlit through her blog Hot Pepper Latte or lifting weights so she can read big books for longer periods of time. You can follow her online @cat_vendryes

Diversity In The Workplace : Ask Afrodite Cruz

According to Statistics Canada, by 2017, the number of visible minorities in Canada is expected to double and account for approximately 20% of Canada’s population. Diversity in the workplace is seen as a major challenge especially for women and minorities. We sat down with Afrodite Cruz, currently the Recruitment, Placement and Employer Relations Officer for the Master of Management of Innovation (MMI) program at the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus and discussed in depth her role and challenges she has overcome in the workplace. 

What are your responsibilities at the University of Toronto?

Currently I work with the Master of Management of Innovation Program at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.  This is a program that helps science and engineering students bridge the gap between science and business.  I oversee recruitment, employer relations as well as career counseling and professional development in this role.  We have a mandatory internship component in the MMI and part of my job also includes preparing students for this internship and working with companies to create jobs for my students.

What kind of challenges/advances did you see when managing the Diversity & Women's portfolio at Roman? 

During my time at Rotman, I worked on the FT MBA Recruitment and Admissions team.  Women and minorities are extremely underrepresented in business schools and Rotman was active in trying to change this.  On average, only 30% of MBA classrooms are comprised of women – this is a number that top schools worldwide are trying to increase.  While at Rotman, we partnered with the Forte Foundation, which is based in the US.  This organization helps young women learn more about career opportunities pre and post MBA and also offers generous funding and professional development opportunities.

Women very regularly put off doing an MBA and other advanced degrees because of several reasons.  These include but are not limited to high costs of education, fear of heavy studies, family responsibilities and fear of taking time off work  to return to school.  Unless we educate women about the long term benefits of proper training and mentorship and provide better funding opportunities for women to pay for school, we will not see the numbers of women pursuing advanced education rise.

Why did you choose to get into managing the Diversity & Women's portfolio?

I was very lucky to have these portfolios assigned to me.  My boss at the time noticed that these issues were of personal importance to me and asked me to advocate for them in my job.  As an immigrant, as a woman and as a mother to mixed race kids, I felt very connected to issues that relate to diversity and equality.  As someone who works in education, I feel that it is my responsibility to not just speak up about wanting change but to also influence change with my actions.  The work that I continue to do in both of these areas is very personal and plays into my professional life daily.

What's your favourite part of the job? What's your biggest challenge?

I have so many things that I love about my role at UTM!  If I had to narrow it down, I would say that aside from working with an amazingly supportive, innovative and positive team,  my favourite part of my job is seeing the change in my students from the time they apply to the MMI program to the time they graduate from it.  My students often say that what I do in a span of 12 month is magic but the truth is is that when you motivate students to see in themselves the potential that you see in them the magic is just waiting to happen.

My biggest challenge currently is a good one to  have.  This year, the MMI is a much larger program than in past years.  We have 34 students who are all very different and have very different goals.  For me, delivering personalized and meaningful career services and advice to them has been challenging – but doable!  When I get very busy and feel overwhelmed at work, I remind myself of the sacrifices the students are making when they take the time out of a hectic day to come and meet with me.  If they can focus on the big picture and make time to seek help from me, then I can make the time to ensure that they all feel important when they are with me.  In the same way that I motivate and challenge my students, they motivate and challenge me.  I  am so thankful that I have the opportunity to influence such an incredible group and I am humbled by the confidence that my students have in me.

Don't miss out our Diversity in the Workplace Panel happening October 19th and hear more from Afrodite Cruz!

Have you registered?

Entrepreneur Panel: Renish Kamal, CEO at Fidget Toys

Renish Kamal is the Founder and CEO of Fidget Toys Ltd. What was once a side project, Renish’s hard work and dedication to her work has launched her business into success, and she does not take the title of CEO or Founder lightly. She has mastered all the skills needed to run a successful business including sales and marketing, Human Resources, and Public Relations. As a Waterloo graduate with a degree in Sociology and Geography, Renish took the Business Entrepreneurship course, sparking a love for designing and creating something truly her own. Some of Renish’s volunteer experiences include working as a leadership Coach for KidsNow at junior public schools. She also gets to showcase her artistic side at various events where she creates Kolums for traditional Hindu weddings. She is also a part of an all-women’s volleyball and basketball league. A significant accomplishment in Renish’s career is following her gut and quitting her corporate job to focus on Fidget Toys. She is proud to be recognized as a dynamic, strong Tamil woman affiliated with a hardware company, and has been invited to speak on various panels as a young woman entrepreneur. A platform such as Young Women in Business is important to Renish because supporting one another is vital to the success in life. Renish also states, “Culturally, I believe I've placed a responsibility on myself to be a role model to those within the South Asian communities to follow their values and dreams and not conform to the back seat in which our culture puts us in.”