resume & cover letter presentation

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Eric Pye Career Services Advisor Alberta Accountants Unification Agency Effective Job Search Techniques RESUME AND COVER LETTER

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Slide deck about resumes and cover letters, used in job search workshops, primarily with designated accountants and accounting students but also when facilitating guest presentations for job seekers. Includes model resume and cover letter.

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Page 1: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Eric Pye

Career Services Advisor

Alberta Accountants Unification Agency

Effective Job Search Techniques

RESUME AND COVER LETTER

Page 2: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Submitted (300 applications received)

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) (30 top applications

make the electronic cut)

Recruiter Review (12 applications forwarded on)

Hiring Manager Review (6 applications kept)

Telephone Screen (3 applicants chosen)

Interview (1 job offer)

Story of a Job Application: Three Hurdles

Page 3: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Submitted (300)

ATS Scanning (30) Optimize for electronic scan

(formatting and key words)

Recruiter Review (12)

Hiring Manager Review (6)

Telephone Screening (3)

Interview and Job Offer (1)

Story of a Job Application: Hurdle #1

Page 4: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Submitted (300)

ATS Scanning (30)

Recruiter Review (12) Optimize for recruiter

evaluation (format, profile, soft skills,

job description)

Hiring Manager Review (6)

Telephone Screening (3)

Interview and Job Offer (1)

Story of a Job Application: Hurdle #2

Page 5: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Submitted (300)

ATS Scanning (30)

Recruiter Review (12)

Hiring Manager Review (6) Optimize for

technical evaluation (format,

profile, technical skills)

Telephone Screening (3)

Interview and Job Offer (1)

Story of a Job Application: Hurdle #3

Page 6: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Rank high in ATS scanning

• Create interest for Recruiter

• Create interest for Hiring Manager

• Get selected for screening or interview

• Give base for interview questions and discussion

Goal of Resume and Cover Letter

Page 7: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• ATS only understands what’s programmed

• ATS doesn’t care what your resume looks like

• ATS can be fooled by complex formatting

• ATS looks for specific information

• ATS ignores everything it doesn’t expect

• ATS only reads certain document types

Optimizing Resume for ATS

Page 8: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Both judge content and style

• Both use formatting to find information

• Recruiter looks selectively

• Both look for specific information

• Both process what they don’t expect

• Recruiter looks for soft skills, manager for technical skill

Optimizing Resume for Recruiter & Manager

Page 9: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Keep it to two pages

• Don’t use headers and footers

• Don’t format using tables or text boxes

• Don’t use full-page underlines

• Use bold text for headings and white space for section breaks

• Don’t submit as PDF or .docx older Word (.doc) is best

Resume: Appearance and Layout

Page 10: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Name at top of both pages

• Contacts on first page one line, no labels, professional email address, can add LinkedIn URL on second line

• Sans serif (Arial, Verdana, Calibri) fonts are friendly and clean

• Body text 10- or 11-point, headings 12-point

• Standard headings Profile, Experience, Education, Volunteer Work

• Don’t need to mention references

Resume: Appearance and Layout (2)

Page 11: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Resume: Appearance and Layout (3)

Juan Hernandez

123 Henry Street, Calgary, AB T4D 8R3 | 403-338-7944 | [email protected]

ca.linkedin.com/in/jhernan/

Page 12: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Avoid Objective Statements Recruiters hate them!

• Profile Your personal banner ad!

First half of first page gets 50-75% of recruiter’s attention

Intro paragraph job title, experience (duties, industries), career and education highlights

Skills technical, soft and information technology, with examples showing context and scope

Tailor profile to organization and job posting

Resume: General Content

Page 13: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Resume: General Content (2)Profile

Junior Accountant with 2 years’ progressive experience in Accounts Payable and Receivable, variance analysis, month-end reporting and customer service in the logistics and construction industries. Currently enrolled in CPA Pre-requisite Education Program, with expected designation as Chartered Professional Accountant in 2016. Key knowledge and skills include:

• Invoicing: Calculated monthly receivables of $3 million and prepared and distributed 80-120 invoices (Zeta Logisitics).

• General Ledger: Entered 40-50 transactions per day totaling $750,000 per month, including: expense reports, material and payroll costs, and equipment rentals and purchases (Omega Construction).

• Communication: Able to write professional business letters and emails, and comfortable communicating face-to-face or over the telephone with internal and external stakeholders of all levels.

• Organization and punctuality: Maintain a daily to-do list and calendar of due dates using Outlook, prioritizing work based on deadlines and project size.

• Information technology: Advanced proficiency in Excel (formulas, filters, look-ups, pivot tables) and Word. Working knowledge of Simply Accounting and Quickbooks.

Page 14: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Avoid “resume jargon” like:

• “strong communication, both written and verbal”

• “work independently or as a member of a team”

• “multi-tasking” “attention to detail” “time management”

• Put Education after Work Experience (unless new graduate)

• Consider whether education dates “age” you

• Hobbies? Volunteer experience? Other interests?

Resume: General Content (3)

Page 15: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Resume: General Content (4)Education

CPA Canada Pre-requisite Education Program Aug. 2014 – Present

Alberta Accountants Unification Agency, Calgary

• Anticipate entry to CPA Professional Education Program in early 2015, and designation as Chartered Professional Accountant in late 2016.

 

Bachelor of Science in Accounting

University of San Antonio, Manila, Philippines

• Graduated on Dean’s Honour List.

• Degree status verified and approved by International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS).

Page 16: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Job heading Position, Organization and Dates in one line to save space. Dates right-justified.

• Brief description for unfamiliar organizations?

• Only go back 3 or 4 jobs, and no more than 10-15 years

• Present tense for current job, past tense for previous jobs

• Create base resume with all details tailor copy to job, remove irrelevant information for each application

Resume: Job Descriptions

Page 17: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Use action statements and “power verbs” Advanced Techniques (pp. 54, 55)

• Don’t use passive terms like “responsible for” and “assisted”

• Avoid “various” and “numerous;” give examples instead

• Describe skills and quantified accomplishments, not just duties (Advanced Techniques, pg. 10)

• 5-8 bullet points for current job, 4-6 bullets for previous jobs

• Maximum two lines per bullet point (split longer bullets)

Resume: Job Descriptions (2)

Page 18: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Resume: Job Descriptions (3)Experience

Accounting Clerk, Zeta Logistics, Calgary Oct. 2013 – Present

• Calculate monthly receivables of $3 million using reports from logistics coordinators and internal databases.

• Prepare and distribute 80-120 invoices per month, and liaise with external payables representatives to ensure timely payment of accounts.

• Perform variance analysis on client accounts and overall receivables, and provide updates to senior financial accountant for month-end reporting.

• Produce business letters and reports using Word and Excel on behalf of 3 senior accountants and the Accounting Manager.

• Liaise between management, accounting team members and other departments on work assignments and progress to ensure deadlines met.

Page 19: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• One page and three paragraphs

• Same format as resume (font, text size, header, margins)

• Indicate the job name and reference number in a header

• Use the recruiter’s or hiring manager’s name (Dear Mr. Smith, Dear Ms. Jones,)

• Tailor letter to the position (no cut-and-paste)

• Remember you’re selling yourself and your skills

Cover Letter: General Tips

Page 20: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Tell a story that connects you to the position and organization

• Show you’ve done your research. You could mention:

• Recently announced projects or expansions, and how the role or department might be impacted

• Corporate awards or recognition

• How your values and goals match the organization

• Name-drop: refer to people you know or have met

• Indicate your interest in applying at the end of the paragraph

Cover Letter: First Paragraph

Page 21: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

RE: Accounts Receivable Coordinator (Ref: 4732-08)

Dear Ms. Jones,

I recently had an appointment at your Chumir Medical Centre office, and was impressed with the level of customer service and care. I was treated politely by your receptionists and testing staff, and noticed a strong sense of team play between them. From this experience, I felt strongly that Calgary Lab Services would be a positive place to work; I was thus excited to find your job posting for an Accounts Receivable Coordinator on the Indeed.ca website this morning, and am enthusiastically submitting my application for the position.

Cover Letter: First Paragraph (2)START OF A LETTER TO CALGARY LAB SERVICES

Page 22: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Use modified “T-format” to describe skills and experience

• Bold text: “The job requires”

• Scores points with ATS, and focuses your letter• Helps inexperienced recruiters assess your qualifications• Copy-and-paste the top 3-5 job post requirements

• Follow with: “I offer”

• Briefly describe how you meet each requirement

Cover Letter: Second Paragraph

Page 23: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Cover Letter: Second Paragraph (2)Reviewing the job posting, I see a strong match between your requirements and my background and skills. To summarize:

• One year’s accounts receivable experience: I have been in my current role with Zeta Logistics for almost a year, with responsibility for monthly receivables of $3 million. In my previous position with Omega Construction, I oversaw both payables and receivables totaling $750,000 per month.

• Intermediate or higher skills in Microsoft Office: Two years ago I completed an intensive MS Office program, including advanced Word, Excel and Access. I use Excel, Word and Outlook intensively in my current role.

• Organized team player: In my position with Zeta Logistics, I work on a team of 4 accounting clerks supporting 3 senior accountants and the Accounting Manager, with sharing of projects and regular update meetings to ensure all work is completed accurately while meeting strict deadlines.

Page 24: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• Be positive and assertive about expectations

• Avoid humble and subservient language

• Specify best medium/time for contact

• Sign your letter

• Proof read: Check spelling. Check company, job and recruiter names. Check again.

• File applications, and record for future reference

Cover Letter: Closing Paragraph

Page 25: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

Cover Letter: Closing Paragraph (2)I look forward to meeting with you in an interview to discuss my experience and skills, and how I can contribute to accounting excellence and teamwork with Calgary Lab Services. I tend to be busy and thus unavailable to receive phone calls in the mornings, so you will find me easiest to reach between 1:30 and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

Kind regards,

Juan Hernandez

Enclosure: Resume

Page 26: Resume & Cover Letter Presentation

• “Advanced Techniques for Work Search”

https://alis.alberta.ca/pdf/cshop/advancedtechniques.pdf

• AAUA Job Search Tip Sheets

http://www.albertaaccountants.org/Services/Career-Centre/Career-Resources

• Careerealism

http://www.careerealism.com/

• “T” Cover Lettershttp://info.theladders.com/t-format-cover-letter-job-applications

Useful Publications and Online Resources