Although it may not seem like an easy task to articulate
your skills onto your resume or cover letter, there are a few very effective
ways to translate your skills on your job search documents. Today, we will
discuss a few tips on how to create effective statements that highlight your
skills and keep you competitive in your job search.
Instead of simply listing duties and responsibilities of an
experience on your resume or cover letter, we suggest asking yourself a series
of questions to help formulate more impactful statements. These questions
include:
- What was the Challenge? What did you do? What tasks were you involved in?
- What Action did you take? What steps did you take to complete a task or challenge?
- What was the Result? What was the outcome(s) of the completed challenge/task?
Putting these questions into a statement form is what we
call CAR statements or Achievement Statements. These are key to creating a
standout resume and cover letter. We recommend that your statements start with
the result, using past tense action vers, to create the most impact with
employers. Here are a few good examples:
- Provided front line service to customers ensuring all questions and inquiries were handled in a timely manner
- Created a positive work environment by communicating with stakeholders in an effective manner and resolving conflicts independently
- Increased company sales by 10% by providing a high level of customer service skills and demonstrating extensive knowledge of merchandise to clients
- Initiated and launched a campus-wide campaign for the Niagara Food Bank, collecting and delivering 2000 pounds of non-perishable goods to local families
Another tip for translating is to emphasize skills that are
sought after by employers. These skills demonstrate the ability of employees to
stay in and progress in the workplace. Examples include:
- Positive attitude
- Communication skills
- Teamwork/collaboration
- Strong work ethic
- Interpersonal/relationship-building
- Adaptability
Using these skills in action:
- Increased team morale by maintaining a positive attitude while transitioning to a work-from-home environment
- Created an online HR database within a tight deadline by maintaining a strong work ethic and utilizing detailed organizational skills
- Ensured volunteers had a positive experience throughout the event by using key relationship building and inter-personal skills
We hope that you find these tips as helpful as they have
been to us. Please reach out to career@brocku.ca
with any questions or concerns you may have in reference to articulating your
skills and experiences on your job search documents. We would be happy to assist you in your
efforts to stand out in your job search!
