WHAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THE SKILLS LISTED IN THE POSTING? I have a client in Toronto who is interested in moving out of the city. She saw a job posting in St. Catherines that sounded interesting. She wanted to apply, but hesitated because she was focused on all the things she didn’t have. In a sense, she was … Read more
EMPLOYERS VALUE ATTRIBUTES It’s common for employers to say, “I can train people to do a job, but I can’t change their attitude”. What they are talking about is the attributes you bring to the position. Along with attitude, this includes your personality traits, individual characteristics, interests, temperament and values. For example, an employer can teach someone to run a … Read more
DO I NEED A PORTFOLIO? I always think of resumes as the most essential career document. If you have an up-to-date resume, you are ready when the opportunity presents itself, often with only a few tweaks required. However, the resume is only part of the entire package. You will also need easy access to a list of references, your diplomas … Read more
WHAT ARE ACTION WORDS? These are the words that have the power to create a picture of you in action. In fact, the first word of every bullet point on your resume must be an action word! It is helpful to consider that action words are verbs. This will help when you are checking the bullet points on your resume, … Read more
THE IMPORTANCE OF KEYWORDS These are industry specific words that tell the employer you fit; keywords show you understand the language of the field and occupation. Keywords and phrases can include job titles, credentials, associations, tasks and things such as tools and equipment and even employer names and place names. Because keywords are industry specific, it may take a bit … Read more
KSAO You may have run into the acronym KSAO at some point along your career path. This is a term used in Human Resources to reference Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Attributes. These are the four areas that are important to employers when they are hiring. If your resume, letters, portfolio and interviews can touch on all four of these, … Read more
GETTING ORGANIZED We have provided you with a list of documents that you can use to manage the various aspects of your career. This can include building your resume and career portfolio, preparing for an interview and asking for a promotion or salary increase. Work through this list and identify anything you have and anything you still need to gather. … Read more
REFLECTING ON PAST EXPERIENCES In our busy day-to-day lives we don’t often take time to recognize our accomplishments; we are too busy moving on to the next challenge. Developing a resume can actually be a gift, because it gives you a reason to stop and reflect back on your work, education and life experiences and take stock of your successes. … Read more
MORE SUCCESSES In this post you will find starter sentences that will help you identify the accomplishments in your career, education and personal life. You can start here or you can work through the ‘Accomplishments‘ Blog post first. You can never spend too much time considering your past accomplishments. Finish the Sentence Finish five of the following sentences: I am … Read more