By Suhel Singh Randhawa
Editor, LA&PS Voices
Summer brings along many things to look forward to:; good weather, blue skies, outdoor sports, blooming gardens, and clothes that don’t weigh you down. For students, it also brings along summer job opportunities. Having a four-month break from school gives us time to work, gain experience, and develop skills, which will help us in our future endeavours.
To successfully apply for a summer job or internship, you will need a great resume and cover letter to appeal to hiring managers.
Today, I bring you some tips to improve your resume and cover letter, so that you can land the job you have your eye on.
Resume
Read the job posting carefully
By doing so, you will come to understand what the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. Match the skills and experience you can offer to what the employer is requesting and find your fit. Do not use the same resume to apply everywhere, but tailor your resume for every job.
Make it your own way
Many employers use application tracking software (ATS) to assess job applications using an algorithm. To beat the algorithm, you should design a simple resume, and avoid using pre-made templates (Canva, InDesign, etc.), lots of colours, photos, shapes, and art.
Contact information
Keep your contact information in the header of your resume to save space. Use an email address that looks professional, essentially, one that includes your full name, and lacks funny words.
Resume Introduction
Use 4-6 lines to express your qualifications for the role. Use 1 line to describe your educational experience and relevant knowledge attained through your studies, use 1-2 lines to state your hard skills, including technical expertise and software proficiency, and use 1-2 lines to mention your soft skills—especially those which are mentioned on the job posting.
Education
Use this section to make your employer aware of the skills that you have gained during your studies. State your institution, starting and graduation (can be predicted) date, your program and specializations (if any), your GPA (only add if it is B+ or higher), any awards and achievements that you earned during your studies, and any projects that you worked on.
Relevant Work Experience
Add your work experience, whether paid or unpaid, in this section to show that you have relevant experience in the field. State the title of your role, the duration of time spent in the role, the company you worked for, and what your main duties entailed.
Add other relevant experience, which is not directly related to your discipline here (paid or unpaid). This could include volunteer work or other achievements.
Cover Letter
Make sure to utilize these points to apply for Work-Study positions at York, which are open now! Click on the link below and see the wonderful jobs available for the summer or upcoming school year.
Make it your own
Customise your cover letter to fit new job postings. Generic cover letters are usually not well received, and the hiring committee may perceive it as a lack of effort from the applicant. Make sure to add the correct name of the company and manager (if the name is provided).
Read and research
A company may write about its work and achievements in the job posting and if not, they can easily be found on the internet through some research. Tie this information in to show your awareness of the company and explain how your skills would be an asset to the company.
Introduction
Connect your interest in the position to research you conducted on the company. Relate this to your own experiences, goals or beliefs, and outline 3 skills you plan to elaborate on in the body paragraphs to prove you are fit for the role. Do this in three separate sentences, to catch interest at the beginning of your cover letter.
Body paragraphs
In the body paragraphs, state the skill that you will be discussing and how you developed it, followed by a situation in which you utilised the skill, and how the said skill will help you with one of the responsibilities stated in the job posting.
Sign off
Here, summarize your body paragraphs in 1-2 sentences, followed by your availability and contact details. Following this, conclude your cover letter with a call of action for the employer to invite you to an interview. At the end, sign off using a professional phrase, such as “Sincerely” or “Regards,” and if possible, add an e-signature.
Resume & Cover Letter Workshop
Summer job season, including work/study hiring, is fast approaching and you are invited to attend an online Resume and Cover Letter writing workshop. The workshop will be led by Harriett Brempong, Career Education Coordinator, from the Experiential Education Office.
I hope that you get selected for the job that you apply for!
Date: Wednesday February 15th, 2023
Location: Online (Zoom)