Page A12 Thursday, August 30, 2018
The Free Press
www.thefreepress.ca
WE ARE HIRING
Is this the right job for me? If finding a job is sometimes To know if a job difficult, finding the perfect is right for you, one can be even harder. Do you must first some jobs seem interesting to know yourself. you, but you hesitate to apply for them because you’re not sure that they’re exactly right for you? To make an informed choice, you first have to know yourself and your strengths. Can you work independently? Are you persuasive? Do you have lots of initiative and are you efficient? Draw up a list of your interests — do you like writing or working with numbers? Training or management? Creativity or sports? Office work or outdoor work? Take into account other factors apart from your skills and experience to see if a job is the right one for you. For example, are you willing to relocate if necessary? Do you only want to work days? What salary would allow you to support yourself? Keep in mind that you may have to adjust or relax certain criteria. In other words, be willing to compromise.
You lack a bit of experience for the job that interests you? Try your luck anyway; the motivation you demonstrate in your cover letter may compensate. However, if you’re really not qualified for the job, don’t waste your time or the prospective employer’s. Lastly, don’t give up too quickly. Job postings rarely contain enough information for you to know for sure if the job is right for you or not. Don’t hesitate to submit your application even if you’re not totally convinced by the job description. You may be pleasantly surprised during the interview.
Does your resumé really show you off to advantage? You already know that your curriculum vitae should include your education, skills and experience. But what is the best way to present this information? It depends on your circumstances; in general, you should choose the type of CV that best highlights your strengths. Here are some tips to guide you. • A chronological resumé presents your various jobs (positions held, main functions, employer, etc.) in reverse chronological order — from the most recent to the oldest. You can use this type of resumé to showcase your professional progress, but you should avoid it if you’ve changed jobs several times over a short period or if you’ve gone a few months without working. • A functional resumé groups your accomplishments and skills into different sections, starting with the ones most pertinent to the job you want. Such a layout demonstrates quickly that you have the necessary qualities, even
if you don’t have much work experience or if you’ve held several unrelated jobs. If you are re-entering the labour market after a long break, this is a good format to use. • A combination resumé leads off with a functional-style resume of your skills and experience and then presents a reverse chronological list of the different positions you’ve held. This type of CV highlights both your accomplishments and your experience. It’s ideal for drawing attention to an important achievement dating back to a position held some years ago or if you are trying to access a similar position in a different sector. Regardless of your type of resumé, focus on action verbs, use the vocabulary of your business sector and be clear and concise. Most important of all, ask someone reliable to proofread your CV before you send it out.