One of the main focuses at Redeemer University is to prepare students for the world after graduation. This page will lead you to resources and readings that will be helpful to you as you start your career after Redeemer such as resume assistance, cover letter crafting, and assistance with references and letters of recommendation.
A resume is your opportunity to introduce your professional self in the best way possible to your future employers. It should incorporate all relevant past work and volunteer experiences that shed light on who you are as a professional. Your resume should be neat, concise, informative, and professional in manner in order to present your best self image.
So, it is time to start building your resume. If you have limited work experience, this can be quite an easy process. However, if you have been working through multiple jobs over the last few years there are some decisions that need to be made. If you either have limited work experience or have a vast collection of previous jobs, it is always important to include only relevant work experience. For example: if you are applying for an administration job, it would not help your case to say that you had a paper route when you were in elementary school.
Once you have put your job experience on your resume, it is important to develop "Accomplishment Statements" for each work work experience. Accomplishment Statements are explanatory and concise statements that bring light to what you have actually accomplished at your previous place(s) of employment. There is a helpful PDF linked in the "Career Services Resources" box that will explain more about Accomplishment Statements and how to refine your work experience section of your resume.
As you finish up your resume it is important to closely proofread it for any spelling or grammar mistakes. It is best to get your resume proofread by 2-3 people that you trust. If a potential employer sees a small mistake it could make the difference between getting an interview or never hearing back from the company. There is a link in the "Career Services Resources" box that will lead you to a helpful resume checklist. Be sure to check it out before handing out your resume.
It is important to use a cover letter because it is your chance to explain to your potential future employer why you are the right candidate for the job and to persuade them to continue onto reading your resume. Make sure to check out the "Career Services Resources" box on the far right. It has great resources for crafting and perfecting your cover letter.
When beginning to write your cover letter it is important to write in a professional and persuasive manner in order to catch the attention of the reader. The purpose of the cover letter is to express that you can fill the organization's needs as well as to introduce yourself as the top candidate for the position.
The Job Ready Discovery Course is a free online course offered at Redeemer University through the CELC office that is focused on professional career development. The course includes modules such as "Self Reflection and Career Development", "Resume Writing" and "Your Experiences" etc.
Follow the "CELC 101" link to be brought to the course Discovery page.
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2000 by
Now in its 32nd year, this text remains one of the most popular job-hunting books. Each year the author revises the text, sometimes dramatically, in order to reflect changes in the subject matter. The 2002 edition has been rewritten in light of the Internet.
StrengthsFinder 2. 0 by
Discover your strengths and learn how to use your greatest natural talents to get the most out of your life. DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE YOUR STRENGTHS EVERY DAY? Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths. To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while the assessment helped millions discover their top five talents. Gallup then unveiled a new and improved version of its popular assessment -- StrengthsFinder 2.0 -- language of 34 themes and much more. While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this book will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.
How To Have A Great Career : find your passion, achieve your goals, love what you do by
Over the past three decades, professor Larry Smith has become something of a "career whisperer" for his students at the University of Waterloo. Each year, millions of talented college and university students graduate with little or no real sense of what their next step will be, yet they are determined not to settle for so-so careers; they are looking for great careers. Smith points out that only a few fortunate souls are born knowing exactly what they want to pursue in life. The rest of us have to stop making excuses and start asking ourselves tough questions about achieving our goals. In his straightforward, no-nonsense approach, Smith itemizes and dismisses all the usual excuses, fears and worries that people hide behind when trying to find their true direction. His unusual take on this challenging conundrum is both universal and timely, and his stunning TEDx talk on this subject has been viewed by more than six million people so far. This is the perfect book for all college graduates who are wondering where they fit into the world, or for mid-career men and women who find themselves heading down the wrong path. It won't necessarily be easy, but if you follow Smith's guidance, your career dreams can indeed come true.
References are not a necessary component of your resume, but when they are requested, you must be ready to provide a few strong references. There are a few different kinds of references such as Educational, Character, and Career focused references. All of your references should come from individuals that you trust and have a good upstanding record with them. An educational record should come from someone in authority from your educational institution. A character reference should come from someone you have a personal history with that you have known for at least five years. A career reference should come from someone like a supervisor or manager from a place of previous employment.
Letters of Recommendation can be extremely useful in explaining to your next potential employer that you are indeed the best candidate for the position. These letters will come from your curated references and give an insight into what your reference thinks about you professionally. Through the letter of recommendation, your reference can give your potential employer a list of reasons of why you are qualified and suited for the position being offered. Letters of Recommendation are usually not presented with your resume and cover letter, but rather provided when asked for by the potential employer.
Peter Turkstra Library, Redeemer University , 777 Garner Road East, Ancaster, ON, L9K 1J4, Canada Circulation Desk Telephone: 905.648.2139 ext. 4266, Email: library@redeemer.ca