Starting
      early
      may
      be
      the
     
     
      summer
      job
      solution
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ST.
      CATHARINES
      (CUP)--
     
     
      by
      Julie
      Wilson
     
     
      0,
      you’re
      thinking
      about
      employment
     
     
      S
      for
      the
      summer,
      right?
      Well,
      with
      snow
     
     
      still
      on
      the
      ground
      and
      my
      grandmoth-
     
     
      er’s
      tree
      still
      standing
      in
      the
      living
      room
      it’s
      that
     
     
      time
      again.
      Although
      walking
      into
      a
      place
      of
     
     
      employment
      and
      simply
      asking
      for
      an
      applica-
     
     
      tion
      is
      not
      enough.
      Presentation
      is
      very
      impor-
     
     
      tant.
      In
      these
      hard
      times
      employers
      have
      the
     
     
      pick
      of
      the
      crop
      so
      here
      are
      some
      hints
      to
      put
      you
     
     
      in
      the
      ring
      with
      others
      who
      would
      like
      the
      same
     
     
      job
      as
      you.
     
    

    
     
      A
      good
      resume
      is
      an
      essential
      first
      step.
      It
     
     
      should
      be
      printed
      on
      good-quality
      paper
      and
      the
     
     
      color
      appropriate
      to
      both
      the
      company
      and
      the
     
     
      position
      sought.
      Is
      the
      layout
      professional,
      cat-
     
     
      egories
      well
      spaced,
      margins
      adequate,
      and
      key
     
     
      points
      standing
      out?
      The
      writing
      should
      be
     
     
      concise
      and
      free
      of
      grammatical,
      spelling
      and
     
     
      typographical
      errors.
      The
      type
      of
      position
      you
     
     
      are
      seeking
      should
      be
      emphasized.
      Use
      action
     
     
      verbs
      to
      describe
      your
      skills.
      Does
      it
      stress
     
     
      accomplishments
      over
      job
      duties,
      utilizing
      solid
     
     
      figures
      where
      applicable?
      Omit
      irrelevant
      per-
     
     
      sonal
      data,
      e.g.
      date
      of
      birth,
      marital
      status.
     
     
      Provide
      telephone
      numbers
      for
      messages.
      Con-
     
     
      sider
      whether
      or
      not
      the
      chosen
      format
      best
      suits
     
     
      your
      background,
      personality
      and
      employment
     
     
      goal?
     
    

    
     
      How
      well
      do
      you
      make
      your
      resume
      concise
     
     
      and
      appealing
      to
      an
      employer?
     
    

    
     
      Content:
      Always
      include
      complete
      identifi-
     
     
      cation,
      education
      and
      work
      experience.
     
    

    
     
      Identification:
      List
      in
      reverse
      chronological
     
     
      order
      starting
      with
      the
      most
      recent
      University-
     
     
      include
      name,
      location,
      dates
      of
      attendance,
     
     
      degree
      obtained
      and
      area
      of
      major,
      relevant
     
     
      Courses
      (optional),
      grades
      (
      if
      B
      average
      or
     
     
      above),
      and
      any
      academic
      awards.
      High
      school-
     
     
      include
      name,
      location,
      dates
      of
      attendance,
     
     
      diploma
      awarded,
      grades
      (if
      b
      average
      or
      above),
     
     
      any
      academic
      awards.
      Also
      include
      specific
     
     
      skills
      (optional):
      foreign
      languages,
      computers
     
     
      skills,
      etc.
     
    

    
     
      Work
      Experience:
      Record
      all
      work
      experi-
     
     
      ‘nce
      (volunteer
      and
      field
      placements
      as
      well).
     
     
      List
      all
      the
      organization’s
      names,
      the
      location,
     
     
      the
      dates
      employed,
      the
      title
      of
      the
      position,
      the
     
     
      ‘kills
      you
      developed
      and
      any
      specific
      accom-
     
     
      Dlishments.
      Use
      action
      verbs
      to
      describe
      your
     
     
      ‘kills
      (e.g.
      planned,
      organized,
      developed).
      List
     
     
      *xperience
      indicating
      leadership
      potential,
      or-
     
     
      8anizational
      abilities,
      communication
      skills,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      creativity
      and
      teamwork
      which
      are
      of
      particular
     
     
      interest
      to
      employers.
     
    

    
     
      Extracurricular
      activities:
      Mention
      clubs,
     
     
      professional
      associations
      to
      which
      you
      belong,
     
     
      community
      involvement,
      volunteer
      experience,
     
     
      hobbies,
      interests,
      sports
      and
      any
      elected
      posi-
     
     
      tion
      that
      you
      have
      or
      have
      held.
     
    

    
     
      References:
      The
      preferred
      format
      is
      to
      indi-
     
     
      cate
      ‘‘Available
      on
      request’’.
      If
      you
      choose
      to
     
     
      provide
      reference
      it
      is
      suggested
      that
      you
      list
     
     
      three
      people
      including
      their
      name,
      position,
     
     
      address
      and
      telephone
      number(s).
      References
     
     
      should
      be
      able
      to
      comment
      on
      areas
      such
      as
     
     
      employment
      (previous
      employer),
     
     
      academic(prof
      or
      seminar
      leader)
      and
      the
      per-
     
     
      sonal
      (family
      friend,
      clergy).
     
    

    
     
      Your
      next
      step
      is
      to
      write
      an
      effective
      cover
     
     
      letter.
      A
      good
      cover
      letter
      is
      not
      only
      an
      excel-
     
     
      lent
      indicator
      of
      your
      organizational
      skills,
      it
     
     
      should
      make
      an
      employer
      want
      to
      take
      an
      extra
     
     
      step
      and
      read
      your
      resume.
      A
      cover
      letter
      accen-
     
     
      tuates
      information
      in
      your
      resume.
     
    

    
     
      First
      paragraph:
      State
      why
      you
      are
      writing
     
     
      and
      the
      position
      or
      general
      area
      of
      work
      which
     
     
      you
      are
      interested
      in.
      Indicate
      how
      you
      learned
     
     
      about
      the
      position.
     
    

    
     
      Second
      paragraph:
      This
      section
      should
      be
     
     
      interesting
      to
      the
      reader
      by
      appealing
      to
      the
     
     
      organization’s
      needs.
      Keep
      in
      mind
      the
      qualifi-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cations
      needed
      for
      the
      position.
     
    

    
     
      Third
      paragraph:
      Talk
      about
      what
      the
      em-
     
     
      ployer
      has
      that
      is
      of
      interest
      to
      you
      and
      why
      or
     
     
      try
      to
      identify
      something
      about
      the
      company
     
     
      that
      shows
      you
      are
      familiar
      with
      their
      current
     
     
      status.
      Suggest
      how
      you
      will
      contribute
      to
      the
     
     
      company.
     
    

    
     
      Fourth
      paragraph:
      Close
      by
      requesting
      a
     
     
      personal
      interview.
     
    

    
     
      Each
      cover
      letter
      must
      be
      individually
      typed;
     
     
      do
      not
      photocopy
      or
      send
      a
      handwritten
      letter.
     
     
      Keep
      it
      to
      a
      one-page
      format.
      Try
      to
      address
     
     
      each
      employer
      by
      correct
      name
      and
      title.
      You
     
     
      can
      research
      this.
     
    

    
     
      Tell
      the
      employer
      how
      your
      skills,
      training,
     
     
      education,
      and
      qualifications
      met
      his
      or
      her
     
     
      needs.
      Your
      personality
      should
      be
      warm,
      per-
     
     
      sonable
      and
      creative
      and
      reflect
      why
      you
      should
     
     
      be
      hired.
     
    

    
     
      If
      an
      actual
      position
      is
      advertised
      with
      quali-
     
     
      fications
      listed,
      make
      sure
      your
      letter
      shows
     
     
      you
      have
      each
      one.
      Proofread
      your
      cover
      letter
     
     
      for
      spelling
      and
      grammatical
      errors.
      Do
      not
      rely
     
     
      on
      spellcheck.
     
    

    
     
      A
      good
      cover
      letter
      should
      draw
      interest
     
     
      from
      the
      reader
      to
      go
      to
      your
      resume.
      Take
      your
     
     
      time
      to
      prepare
      a
      letter
      which
      serves
      as
      a
      good
     
     
      introduction
      to
      yourself.
      @
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CONGRA
      TULATIONS
      LADIES!
     
     
      U.
      P.E.I.'s
      Lady
      Panthers
      pose
      with
      their
      recently
      won
      A.U.A.A.
      trophy.