YOUR ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR JOB-SEARCH AND
BUSINESS START-UP HELP IN MONTREAL.
You, Your C.V. and the Optical Reader
So you're looking for employment and don't know quite where to start.
If this is a repetition of what is for you the familiar routine of climbing the ladder, you won't be interested in the suggestions below, but if changing jobs is an unfamiliar and frightening event, then perhaps some tips from one who has participated in the employment of many people at all levels might be of some help.
-
Perhaps this is your first job and your curriculum vitae looks a little thin with only academic stuff on it.
- Perhaps your job has been phased out after long and faithful service with your present employer.
- Perhaps you want to test what opportunities are out there.
- Perhaps your present employer has been extremely successful in the past, but has not kept up with new technology and you don't want to hang around to witness his transformation into a dinosaur.
In any event, you are on the move.
The first thing that you have to know is that every workplace has a different climate.
The new hiree must meet the physical and educational requirements of the job as well as the necessary experience. Dozens of applicants may meet all these requirements, but the one who is hired will be the one who seems to best fit the environment, the social climate, or culture, of the enterprise. This is an intuitive thing that is decided on subconsciously by a prospective employer. You may very well be the candidate who will best fit into the new environment, but no one may ever know until they actually get to meet you in person, because that is the nature of this seldom talked about, but critical part of the job-seeking process. Therefore your first step should be to take an inventory of friends and acquaintances, people working in the field in which you wish to apply, and explore the possibility of giving a prospective employer the opportunity of getting to know you personally or indirectly, before receiving your curriculum vitae. This does not give you an invincible advantage, but merely ensures that you won't be eliminated in advance.
Unless you expect to be hired by your favourite uncle who is also your godfather, you must not simply submit your updated curriculum vitae
The electronic age has modified the rules for curricula vitae, so if you haven't had to job-hunt in the past few years, you may not be aware of these changes and might be able to use some hints.
Today fewer people remain with one employer over their working lifetime. This has increased the number of applicants for each vacant position.
Other phenomena affecting the number of applicants seeking employment are technology, downsizing, automation. Except for highly specialized jobs, many unemployed people with skills only vaguely matching those required by a given position apply, hoping to charm the prospective employer in an interview. Of course they never reach that stage because their curriculum vitae will be discarded upon reading. This is unfortunately inevitable.
But you are a viable candidate with the skills, education and experience that your target employer is looking for, and you want to avoid the discarding of your curriculum vitae that has not been read carefully. This may happen if you are not aware that the reader may not be human, but an optical character reader, searching for key words indicating your eligibility. As the number of candidates increases, as the tendency increases to contract out the first cut to professionals, more optical character readers are used to eliminate all candidates who do not meet minimum requirements, as well as all those who are not skilled in preparing curricula vitae meeting the criteria for this process. Some guidelines might therefore be useful.
Content of Résumé
Résumés seen by a computer should all be in the same format - ASCII Text - this means that all of the résumés will have the same look. Sounds boring, but that is way computers must be to find the human they need for the job. Therefore, it is not necessary nor possible to make your résumé stand out above the others in terms of appearance. Make sure your important facts are not lost in a sexy look. [Put your creative, artistic talents to work in your personal web page, but be sure the C.V. is straight forward factual ASCII Text Résumé available for downloading.]
If no one reads the résumé, it doesn’t matter what you’ve said or how well you’ve said it.
Remember that an optical character reader has little interest in past skills, but is looking mainly for the current skills demanded by the position.
- The optical character reader has no interest whatever in your leisure activities and sports.
- A list of references or a statement that they are available takes up space and is meaningless at this point. If you are actually asked for such a list, you may be confident that you have advanced in the employment process.
- In listing positions occupied, avoid obscure titles in favour of such recognizable NOUNS as:
For example:- GENERAL MANAGER,
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER, CEO, RETAIL MANAGER, VICE PRESIDENT - PUBLIC RELATIONS, DEPARTMENT HEAD,GENERAL MANAGER, MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS,PHYSICIST....
- Action verbs, such as achieved, evaluated, eliminated, generated, simplified, wrote, identified …should BEGIN each accomplishment statement.
<- See words to the Left.
When describing your accomplishments, the use of action verbs
can make the difference between a statement that attracts
attention and one that seems commonplace and uninteresting.
- Avoid pronouns such as "I, we, my employer" which confuse the OCR.
- The key-word résumé must be written in such a manner as to describe adequately the candidate's characteristics and industry specific experience. One idea is to
create a block or one paragraph incorporating your skill sets near the top of your résumé. Typical words to include will be: Administration, Analysis, Correspondence,
Customer Relations, Dictation, Itineraries, Meeting Planning,
Creative Reports, Development, Total Quality Management.
When employers (their computers) are searching a database, they will use key words. You should do the same. The more often you present your skill sets throughout your résumé, the greater your chances are that your résumé will go to the top of the list that the employer will be viewing.
-
If you are concerned that you will be discriminated against because of age (i.e. too old?), Do Not include your age. However, if you don't, people will try and guess, using the date of your first job. One way this can be overcome is to say on the C.V. that only the last 10 or 15 years of employment are included.
Résumé Format
Remember that a machine will do the first reading, so
- Your name should appear centred at the top of the page and by itself,
- followed by address and E-mail address
- Use white high quality paper only. The document should be uncluttered but not fancy.
- A serif, Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Courier font (any other font will not scan in properly), size 12 or larger, is recommended. Do NOT use a font larger than 20.
- SPELL CORRECTLY.
- Left justify the entire document.
- Minimize hard returns.
- Do not use columns, tables or graphs of any kind.
- Do not use italics, script, underlining, graphics, bold, bullets, shading
or colour. For title or word to stand out use CAPITAL LETTERS
- Do not use tabs, lines, parentheses, compressed lines of print.
- Do not use lines or borders
- - Do not use abbreviations spell it out: Bachelor of Science not B.S.
- Do NOT leave gaps in your work history.
- Include work on special projects.
- Don't! enclose a photograph of yourself.
-(You
may bear a striking resemblance to
someone the reader doesn't like).
You have completed your concise (preferably one or two pages) curriculum vitae. Before you send it off, proofread it critically, several times. If possible, have another person proofread it too.
Your C.V. should be printed crisply on light coloured (preferably white) 8½"x11" paper of good quality.
Place it UNFOLDED in a matching 9"x12" envelope.
Do not include (attach) any certificates, transcripts, references, charts or other additional information to the back of your résumé - this will not be scanned in with your résumé. Do not include a cover sheet. Send original copies - do not mail or fax a photocopy of your résumé. You might consider preparing two versions of your résumés. The traditional market-driven résumé designed to be read by "real people" in "20 seconds or less" and the ASCII version for the computer.
The Cover Letter
Your curriculum vitae should be ACCOMPANIED BY a letter addressed to the person to whom the envelope is to be sent. Remember that if it is read, the letter will be read by a live human being, not by an optical character reader. This will be his or her first contact with you, your first opportunity to demonstrate that you will fit into the culture of the company or the unit in the company to which your are applying. Your curriculum vitae will merely indicate that you may qualify to the same degree as many other candidates, but your accompanying letter will give the first indication of any difference and may possibly advance you one step to the interview stage.
It should therefore indicate how your skills match those required, as well as your interest in and knowledge about the particular company and the field in which it operates.
The Interview
If you are fortunate enough to reach it, the interview stage is critical. You have demonstrated that along with the other interviewees, you qualify. It is now up to you to demonstrate that you are the candidate who best fits into the culture of the organization. Become familiar with the most recent annual report, published company history, recent news articles on the company and its executives and, if it has a web site, consult it. If possible, speak to people working there and ask what is important to the company, what to avoid, what unwritten taboos exist in dress, attitude, what is the compensation policy, where is the company looking for improvement.
Speak confidently but not in an arrogant or omniscient fashion. Answer all questions directly, keeping in mind what you have learned about the company. Don't monopolize the conversation, ask intelligent questions and listen to make sure that you are hearing the answers - not what you want to hear. Convey your interest in selecting them as an employer and how you believe that your skills will fit their environment.
If the topic of expected salary arises, express your confidence in arriving at fair salary compensation, providing the fit is right. Know that your competition will include the candidates who have come on personal recommendation, those with terrific curricula vitae, those who speak well but have little to back up their eloquence as well as those, alas, who are simply better qualified than you. Win or lose, consider this as an experience from which you have learned something, part of your education.
Finally, if after all this, you are not chosen, send a thank you letter, reiterating your interest in the company. Sometimes, the first choice doesn't work out and the unsuccessful candidate who leaves a gracious impression will be more likely to be contacted in the future.
Good luck.
By Herbert Bercovirz
Example of a good C.V.s
National nbc.ca
- 9/Aug/2001 CareerClick is new and improved! Check out the changes while you browse The Gazette's career ads at www.careerclick.com/generic/home.jsp.
- Several Job Hunt pgms
-
- Peggy Curran - McGill's top students star in N.Y. Law
At $80,000 U.S., starting salaries in New York are
"unmatchable," said Robin Geller, assistant dean of
McGill's law faculty, and responsible for admissions,
placement and alumni. Montreal firms offer beginners
$40,000 to $45,000 a year, while wages at the top Toronto
practices start at about $60,000. (saved)
 Job Search Database
Exec-U-Net is the premier career management information service
and career advancement networking organization EXCLUSIVELY for executives
and senior-level professionals with salaries in excess of $75,000.
Mark Berkowitz, Executive Director, will be a Wednesday Night guest soon.
 Year 2000 Y3k jobs
Prof. Gerald Ratzer shows that there are jobs here
$180.90 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO
THE GALLON ENVIRONMENT LETTER
Subscribe to "The Gallon Environment Letter" and its "Green Jobs Available"
supplement. The 4-6 page newsletters are distributed twice monthly. Send a
cheque for $180.90 a year ($169.00+ GST) and help finance the research that
delivers inside information and breaking news on environment business in
Canada and the world. Make the cheque out to Gallon Letter":
Gary T. Gallon
Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment
506 Victoria Ave.
Montreal, Quebec H3Y 2R5
Ph. (514) 369-0230
Fax (514) 369-3282
email:
"Gary T. Gallon"
Resumix.com ment to make the best Computer C.V.S
We found their graphics on this page took forever to load try below
Brain drain and unfilled jobs
Links
Inter Office Memo on jobs
Dear Nicholsons;
"Hi. I just came across your name in CareerMosaic. I thought you might be interested in a new, free service for graduates of Jesuit schools. It's called BranchOut, and you can use it to tap into the power of a network of people from the greater Jesuit-educated alumni community around the world.
It's designed to provide sophisticated tools and useful services that can help you get ahead in your career. To check it out, please go to: http://www.branchout.com. To get a better idea of how people are using the site, see below.
Regards,
Ethan Zindler (Georgetown, '95)
Director, Online Promotions
http://www.BranchOut.com
 Please
e-mail us your thoughts.
33 Rosemount Ave
Westmount Que H3Y 3G6
Canada
Copyright ©2000 Google Inc. - About - Search Tips
Send this
to a friend
|
