Be strategic by focusing on fit, advises NAIT expert
A job search is not a lottery, says Dawn Dayman, a NAIT academic adviser and career counsellor with more than three decades of experience. Maybe buying piles of tickets will boost your odds of hitting a jackpot, but passing out reams of generic resumés and cover letters isn’t likely to win over potential employers.
“It's more about connection and fit,” says Dayman, who helps guide students and alumni toward landing positions that suit their skills and will benefit those who hire them. “Be more strategic.”
Here’s what that means when crafting the perfect resumé and cover letter – the value of which should be judged by quality, not quantity.
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Spend your six seconds wisely
That’s how much attention Dayman says your resumé will receive, on average, as a human resource department makes its first pass through the pile, which can grow to around 250 applicants for postings by large companies.
A clean layout may save your document from joining the discards. Avoid columns, borders, text boxes and images, which will confuse AI resumé scanners, says Dayman. Then, whatever format you choose, focus on being consistent with font sizes, indents, bullets and so on, making the reading easy on HR staff.
“Help them in those six seconds to find what they're looking for.”
Keep it short
Be concise, too. “Canadian resumés should never be more than two pages,” says Dayman. “People try telling their whole history, and that's not necessary.”
Work backward from the position posting, she adds. Start with a summary, no more than five or six points, of qualifications that are tailored to the job, showing how you meet or exceed needs.
Then, stick to about 10 years of job history. You don’t need to include every job you've had, but try to show a solid work history without large gaps. If you do choose to include an unrelated job, forego listing duties for a point or two that show how you contributed or a special project you took on.
Avoid topics including marital status, religion and other personal facts. Hobbies are optional, and best kept to what's germane to the job or that may spark a positive conversation.
Context is key
“On a lot of resumés people will have the same skills,” says Dayman. Forget about providing that check-box list of overused qualities and characteristics.
Instead, place your skills in the context of how they have served previous employers. Sure, you have great communication skills, but what’s an example of the value they’ve brought to a previous organization?
Share that accomplishment in no more than a sentence (remember: six seconds).
Tap your references – later
Another way to shorten a resumé is to omit references unless they’re asked for. “Save them for the interview,” says Dayman.
When you get that invitation, she adds, let those advocates know you have a meeting scheduled – they may be getting a call.
Cover new material
It’s true that the HR department is probably not going to pore over your cover letter, says Dayman. But that’s no reason not to write one. Coupled with a resumé, it’s part of the one-two punch behind the knock-out job application.
While your resumé is about showcasing qualifications, “the cover letter should be more about motivation and connection,” says Dayman. That’s important to a hiring manager, who will have a say in selecting interview candidates.
The cover letter can't be longer than a page and it should be formatted as a business letter, including the date and full company mailing address. Use it to explain how you found out about the job and company, and what’s drawing you to both. Without repeating your resumé, make the case for why you’re a fit. If you have a gap in your work history, explain it, adding a positive spin.
Bring the letter to a close by expressing your interest in an interview and suggesting the best way to connect. You can also clarify your availability if necessary.
Don’t be tempted to leave the writing to generative AI, says Dayman. “[The letter] might sound great, but then you show up and you're not the same person.”
See it from their side
If there’s one thought that should inform your application, let it be this: “Companies don't want to hire somebody who wants a job,” says Dayman. “They want to hire someone who wants to help them.”
Demonstrate your value, not your need.
Be ready to work at getting work – and to keep at it
It’s easy to get your hopes up for a particular position, says Dayman, but make sure you’re continuing to investigate other carefully chosen opportunities at the same time.
“Don't just wait for that one response. Just keep going.”
Stay organized as you do, she adds. Keep record of where you applied, when, and the resumé and cover letter you submitted.
And, rather than relying on luck, keep refining those documents for the new opportunities you discover. “That's your first sample of what you can do,” says Dayman. “So make it good.”