This document provides an agenda and timeline for a COMM 202 tutorial on resumes and cover letters. It includes sections on TA feedback, peer reviewing resumes and cover letters, formatting guidelines, and how to address strengths and weaknesses in documents. The timeline lists assignment due dates throughout the semester. Students are instructed to exchange and provide feedback on draft resumes and cover letters according to specific criteria. Action items encourage students to sign up for office hours, work on their materials over reading break, and attend upcoming career events.
6. instructions
1. write your table number on ALL of your documents
2. put your documents in a pile in the middle of the table
3. get out your marking utensils
for each new slide section,
pass the document to the right
7. cover letter formatting
• left aligned (NOT justified)
• no indents on paragraphs
• bullet points vs. paragraphs
• 2-3 relevant skills
• consistent font size
• appropriate font
• margin sizes
• spacing between paragraphs
• white space
• one page
8. resume formatting
• Titles formatted the same
• Spacing is consistent
• Margins are reasonable (≥1.5cm)
• Phrases either ALL end in period or not
• Dates
– Usually right-aligned
– All have month and year, or just year
– All months are abbreviated to same # of letters
– Uses hyphens (–) OR dashes (-)
• Font:
– Size is 10
– Generally no more than two types of font
• Numbers under 10 spelled out (i.e. two vs. 2)
• Bullets: same size/style, aligned
• One to two pages
9. are the resume & cover letter consistent?
header? margins? font?
10. addressing the cover letter
Date
Contact Name
Their Title
Company
Address
City, Province, Postal Code
Re: Position Title
Dear [first name last name] OR Hiring Manager
These spaces are
important
If unknown, this can be
omitted
AVOID:
“To Whom it May Concern”
“Dear Sir or Madam”
Country is typically
unnecessary unless
applying outside of
Canada
11. addressing the cover letter
To a non-specified
committee/manager
To a specific person
12. signing off the cover letter
Sincerely,
Your Name
BCom Candidate 20XX
Sauder School of Business
Enclosed or Attached: Resume
* Enclosed: physical copy
* Attached: electronic copy
Written signature
optional (provide
more space if
including)
Attached: Resume, Transcript
Use “Enclosed: …” only if sending
application by mail
BCom Candidate 2016These spaces
are important
Regards,
Best,
14. cover letter opening
• how do you like the hook?
• is there keen, genuine interest and/or passion for the position?
• is there a clear expression of the skills/experience matching the job
posting?
• is primary or secondary research integrated (and indicates interest)?
• if name drop is used, was it well-integrated?
• hook!
15. cover letter opening
I want to belong to Devon Canada because its mantra “be a good
neighbor” aligns with my goal of building relationships to enrich
the area where I work and live. This desire, along with the skills I
have gained from my previous work experiences in the Calgary
energy industry, will allow me to make valuable contributions to
Devon Canada’s initiatives.
16. cover letter skills matching
• are there specific skills matched to the job description?
• do they reference specific examples that leverage experiences/qualifications?
• are the highlighted experiences specific and concise?
• do they indicate transferrable skills?
• do the results show strength or success?
• STARL format – emphasizes actions and creates links where possible
• suggested minimum of 2 skills/attributes matched
• show, don’t tell!
17. cover letter skills matching
I spent this past summer at Total E&P Canada, where I compiled and
calculated information for numerous government payment and
application documents. I had to prioritize my tasks and organize my
progress as I updated versions of multiple documents, and was
constantly in correspondence with external auditors and other
departments. At Devon Canada, the accounting department faces
numerous deadlines and supports a variety of different parties.
My ability to efficiently manage multiple projects will be vital to
my success.
18. cover letter closing
• are skills reiterated in a different (not redundant!) way?
• is sincere interest expressed?
• is there a gracious thank you and call to action
• request for meeting?
• tie back to hook/intro
20. resume header and general
• Name is preferred name with
(given name) in brackets
• Phone and address are included
• LinkedIn URL is personalized
• No personal pronouns (I, we, he, she)
• Reasonable amount of white space:
is it easy to read?
• Experiences listed in reverse chronological order
by end date
21. resume profile
what is it? no more than 4 line summary of what to expect in your resume
key questions:
• does it match the job posting (multiple references)?
• does it provide a clear, convincing link to the rest of the resume (i.e. is there
PROOF elsewhere in the document?)
what to include?
• strengths, past experiences, interests, languages, technical skills
22. resume education
what is it? summary of your schooling journey
key questions:
• is there any ambiguity with respect to the info provided?
• does it match the job description?
23. resume education
what to include?
• Bachelor of Commerce, NOT BCOMM or B.Comm
• degree (write it out fully) and specialization
• GPA –score/%/letter grade, indicating the school scale
• no laundry lists of courses: only specific, relevant courses
• key/relevant projects and awards: write in accomplishment statement form
• don’t include high school stuff unless you’re still in first year!
24. resume experience
what is it? collection of relevant experiences – the real meat
key questions:
• are experiences achievement based?
• do numbers clearly quantify achievements where appropriate?
• do statements have Accomplishment, Proof, Transferrable skills, and Scope of Action?
• does language indicate familiarity with industry/company? Does it match the job description?
25. resume experience
Removed ambiguity from taxation budget by correctly coding over 250 invoices, through the research of
taxation legislation and analysis of archived invoices for the cost control department’s budget report
Qualitative:
Reduced stress among new BCom students by providing academic support and mentorship, through
the creation of individualized exam preparation schedules during one-on-one coaching sessions.
Quantitative:
Doubled previous year’s number of appointments with new BCom students by creating individualized
exam preparation schedules and building authentic, trust-based relationships during one-on-one
coaching sessions
26. work experience
what to include?
• reverse chronological order by end date
• you can include explanation sentences of companies/experiences if necessary
• written in third person
• keep it to one sentence (2 lines is best)
• accomplishment statements as bullet points
27. resume interests
what is it? a chance to showcase your personality & stand out
key questions:
• Do the interests show personality? Are they specific? Are they relevant to the job
(not always necessary)?
• Do they differentiate the candidate? Are they memorable?
what to include?
• side interests & hobbies
• cool personal experiences
• be fun, specific, and stay appropriate
*NOTE for the candidate: Be able to speak about these interests extensively!
29. overall branding
• personal qualifications are well tailored to requirements of job
(clear 60-70% match)
• multiple words from job description are included in resume
(5+)
• interest section shows personality and relevant and specific
interests
• there is strong evidence of CAN-WANT-FIT match made
30. activity
who would you hire?
of the applications on your
table, who has…
• who had the WOW factor?
• did they show CAN, WANT, and
FIT?
• what was GOOD about their
application?
• what do they need to work on?
31. what counts as an error?
INCORRECT
INFO
IMPROPER
FORMATTING
SPELLING &
GRAMMAR
MISSING INFO
INCORRECT
ORDERING OF
INFORMATION
INCONSISTENCY
maximum error deduction is 20%
PER DOCUMENT
32. key takeaways
• no duty statements
• be concise
• format consistently
• always stay relevant
• small details matter
• you do you!
33. how to get an “a”
• ask friends for feedback
• come to OFFICE HOURS
• work through it – 20 minutes a day!
34. action items
• sign up for office hours!
• work on your resume & cover letter over reading break!
• networking event: Thursday, March 9th
from 6-8PM
• Career Peer Advising and BCC coaching
appointments on COOL (also over reading
break)
• LinkedIn profiles due
• Lecture after reading week
Puppy of the week!
Notes de l'éditeur
3 minutes / element of the cover letter
Rubric on other screen—vocalize what you need to get a 4/4
What we want to see is strong accomplishment statements
