As the premier provider of resume services in Calgary, I have encountered thousands of resumes and cover letters over the years.  As a former executive recruiter and employment agency owner, I can tell within a matter of seconds what each job seeker is doing well with their resume/cover letter, and what they're not doing well!  In this blog, I'll focus on giving some cover letter tips for professionals in the Calgary area.

For almost every job, a cover letter is an essential part of the application. Effectively constructing your cover letter can open the door to the interview. As an experienced recruiter, former staffing agency owner, and career marketing consultant, I can attest to numerous examples of cover letters that fast track an application to the "No, thank you!" file.

Although I customize the structure, tone, and content of each letter to suit my resume client’s needs and overall objectives, I’ve put together a general overview for you should you need a basic ‘how to’ when drafting your own cover letter. 

Too many letters are, quite honestly, as waste of a perfectly good piece of paper.  They’re often long, boring, fail to communicate jobseeker value, and fail to address the needs of the role.  When I was recruiting, I was often staggered by the number of cover letters that left me wondering “So, why are you applying for this role?”.  That should NEVER happen.  Yet it did, continuously and from job seekers at all levels across all industries. 

Purpose

What’s the point of having or using a cover letter?

Well, if the hiring company ask for one, it represents another opportunity to SELL yourself into the role. So, there are two reasons for having a cover letter 1) if the company asks for one, you give them what they want, and 2) you get another wonderful opportunity to differentiate yourself from the chasing pack of hounds looking to snaffle that role from under your nose.

Sounds obvious, doesn’t it?  So why do 95% of cover letters fail to sell the job seeker into a role?

So, we know the purpose of the letter – SELL yourself into the job.  Avoid the cookie cutter introductions and faux deference to the company that you were taught in college. I’ve seen so many of these things it’s comical – I immediately know you’re copying a template letter given to you by a college career advisor, and they’re generally uninspiring.

I remember one cover letter in particular sent in application to a gaming (gambling) company.  The opening stanza followed the standard college career advisor template, and in this case the job seeker pledged to do all they could to support the company in their quest to “uphold their mission to ensure responsible gaming”.  The job seeker was applying for an accounting role.

Clearly, the job seeker had gone to the company website, saw that blurb about responsible gaming and slapped it into the cover letter.  That’s what these templates look like, isn’t it?  There a space underneath the opening line for you to add in a little ditty like that!  Please don’t.

The cover letter is a one-page document.  Never, ever more than that. Don’t resist..I can already hear a small number of you trying to make a case for a 2-pager – DON’T DO IT.  When I received 2-page cover letters, a little thought crept into my mind that this was borderline rude.  I kid you not.  Maybe that’s just me!

So, it’s a one-page document and real estate space is limited.  There’s no room for waffle.  No room for platitudes, or inane chatter copied and pasted from the target company’s mission statement.

The letter must be concise, highly-focused, high-impact, and leave the reader in no doubt that you have the skills and experience needed to this role.  In addition, they should understand that you are able to ADD VALUE.  If you’re super strategic about it, you can also seek to eliminate any potential objections to your application in there. 

For the meantime though, here are a few pointers.

Appearance and Format

Help your cover letter to stand out by keeping it clean, simple, and professional. Above all, carefully proofread, so it is free of grammatical and spelling errors. Self-editing is not trustworthy, so enlist help from a friend or family member. Double-check the spelling of the company's name and person to whom you are addressing the letter.

Follow standard business formatting guidelines, as seen in this image. For a digital version, format your cover letter and resume as a PDF. For a hard copy, consider using unique paper stock and custom letterhead. 

Tone and Structure

The tone should be positive, direct, and professional; it should also be free of quips and idioms. Moreover, write to a person, not an entire organization. Focus the letter on how you will add value to the company, not your skills and experience. Three to four paragraphs is an appropriate length. 

First paragraph: Introduce yourself and discuss why you want the job. Briefly mention your most relevant experience and emphasize why the company or the job interests you and more importantly for the target audience, what you would be able to do for them. Be specific! 

Avoid generalizations such as, "… because your company is a leader in XX industry…" or "…I want to work with a quality organization…" 

Second paragraph: Next, discuss how your unique experience, skills, and attributes will add value to the company. Look for clues about what to highlight in the job posting. For example, if an employer asks for an outgoing personality, mention you enjoy working closely with clients, because of xyz reason. If the job requires specific technical skills, mention your certifications and summarize your experience with those skills.

Third paragraph: Depending on your style and the job, you might want to include a third paragraph or a short list of bullet points to highlight specific examples that substantiate key points in the second paragraph. Share specific examples that are not included on your resume or CV. Be prepared to discuss these examples in detail during an interview.

Conclusion: Graciously close by thanking the reader for his or her time. Always include when and how to contact you, and insert a statement such as "I look forward to speaking with you in person about this position."

I have been writing high impact resumes & cover letters for Calgary's top professionals for over a decade.  If you're looking for resume services in Calgary, get in touch!

 Originally released Sept. 30th 2014 - http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/ken-docherty-awarded-international-master-level-resume-writing-certification---becomes-only-cmrw-in-canada-515725481.html 

KEN DOCHERTY AWARDED INTERNATIONAL MASTER-LEVEL RESUME WRITING CERTIFICATION – BECOMES THE ONLY CMRW IN CANADA

Ken Docherty, Owner, Docherty Career Management Inc., has been awarded international certification as a Certified Master Resume Writer (CMRW) by Career Directors International (CDI). This Master-Level certification is the pinnacle level of competency for CDI, and is the industry's oldest and most prestigious master-level resume credential. Ken is the only Certified Master Resume Writer in Canada.

To attain the credential and become recognized as one of the world’s elite resume writers, Ken had to demonstrate his superior knowledge and experience in contemporary resume writing through an intensive examination of his professional writing. Ken was assessed on his broad range of industry knowledge and expertise in the areas of strategy, branding, advanced visual appeal, and contextual narrative. Recognition as a CMRW sets Ken Docherty apart from the competition and distinguishes the high caliber of his credentials in assisting clientele with professional resume services. 

Docherty Career Management Inc. offers expert resume writing and career coaching services to entry-level through executive clientele in the global marketplace. Ken’s expertise is in empowering clients to navigate the complexities of job search and emerge as successful candidates. To learn more about the services offered, visit www.expertresumewriter.ca for more information.

CDI is an international association that provides proactive resources and assistance to empower its members to apply world’s best practice in career development, resume writing and job search.

Long gone are the days when you chose a career path and worked the same job for thirty or more years. The new normal is that you will likely work for several employers and in several capacities. Although changing industries is easier than it was for previous generations, your career will fare better if you take deliberate steps to ease the shock of the transition.

Give Yourself Permission to Dream

Change can be frightening, especially if you have invested years in your current industry. On the other hand, change also brings exciting new opportunities and can be your chance to become the person you wish to be deep down inside, which can be a dream come true. Focus on the running possibilities through your mind, rather than worrying about the unknown or your ability to earn a competitive income. 

For many of my clients who utilize my professional resume services in Calgary, the decision to move to a new industry is a matter of practicality. However, people who choose to move because they dream of invigorating opportunities tend to experience a more fulfilling transition. 

Research the Industry

Although it is perfectly normal to feel apprehensive when changing industries, it is less intimidating when you know what to expect in terms of pay, advancement opportunities and overall prospects for growth. Here in Alberta, one of your best resources is the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS).

Leading up to the transition, be sure to keep informed of the latest developments in your new industry by monitoring the news and industry insiders. Setting up Google alerts and subscribing to interesting columns and RSS feeds can help you in this effort, as will following industry thought leaders on social media.

Assess Your Skill Sets

Your first objective is to identify which skill sets will be most valuable in your new industry. Soft skills such as leadership, communication and technological savvy are often at the top of this list. A close second would be universal business skills such as finance and budgeting, project management, regulation, and human resources expertise.

Defining the industry-specific skills you need is the next step. Recruiters, contacts within the industry, and the ALIS can help you identify which competencies to develop in order to ease the transition.

Create a Roadmap

Transitions can take up to five years to complete, and it is surprisingly easy to lose track of your progress. A specific, achievable roadmap with defined benchmarks is one of the most effective means to keep your spirits high and your motivation strong. 

Include education and certifications, necessary connections, and financial preparations, and attach an estimated timeline to achieve each benchmark you define. Timelines should be negotiable, as you must allow for unexpected obstacles. Remember to acknowledge success when you achieve your benchmarks!

Be Positive, Confident, and Open-Minded

No matter how well you research and prepare, you will encounter surprises along the way. Keeping an open mind will help you manage interruptions and reinforce your confidence. The transition is a journey to enjoy, so maintain a positive outlook every step of the way. As I remind many of my clients, you have found success in your current industry, and you will do it again. 

If you would like help preparing your resume for transition, please consider me your personal resume writer in Calgary.

As a certified professional resume writer, former executive recruiter, and recruitment consultancy owner, I understand the value that work experience on a resume can confer upon graduates seeking entry-level roles within their chosen profession upon graduation.  

In spite of a recent CBC documentary highlighting the plight of many graduates, unemployed or underemployed with mountains of debt, I still receive requests for resume assistance from undergrads with zero work experience. Usually, the reason given for the lack of work experience on their resume is that they wanted to focus on their studies, or that they received advice from an elder that working in the usual coffee houses or restaurants is beneath them and wouldn’t look good on a resume.

Nothing could be further from the truth. To be clear, having no work entries on your resume at the time of graduation will put you at a severe disadvantage when competing with thousands of other applicants for your entry level role. An employer respects the drive and determination shown by graduates who can demonstrate an ability to balance their academic studies with regular part-time employment. It looks good on your resume.

A recent client who worked at a well-known coffee house gained experience of working in a customer-facing role in a highly-dynamic working environment. He had responsibility for delivering outstanding customer service, supervising junior staff members, enforcing corporate policies and procedures, adhering to safe workplace practices, opening and closing the store, processing orders, handling cash, and producing daily operational reports for management. He even won an award for outstanding customer service. Not working during your studies is not an option. If I were reviewing resumes with a view to recruiting graduates, I’d exclusively seek out candidates with work experience on their resume.  

 

As part of the information discovery process, I usually ask clients to bring along to our meeting any additional information they feel is useful, relevant or in some other way important. Last month, one of my clients produced an old "questionnaire" they had been asked to fill our by a resume writing firm about 8 years ago.

The first thing that struck me about the document was how impersonal it all was. Stock questions, soliciting the inevitable stock answers, strengths, weaknesses, lists - endless lists of attributes to circle. What i was looking at, was a template to build a template.

The end result, the resume, was as bland and uninspiring as you'd expect from such a process. I was amazed by the blatant listing of attributes throughout the cover letter and resume without any supporting narrative to put the clients skills in context.

 Here's a section from the cover letter;

 "I am a great communicator, can multi-task, give and take orders, have listening skills, organizational skills, planning skills, speak french and have good computer skills". 

The above extract is absolutely meaningless without context. It looks like every other D.I.Y. cover letter project out there and was clearly lifted verbatim from the questionnaire and deposited unceremoniously into the cover letter.

Is that what you really want from a process and service charged with the responsibility of demonstrating your unique qualities to a prospective hiring manager? Templates are for the masses - let everyone else use them.Tags: professional resume consultant Calgary.

Did you know employers frequently research candidates prior to choosing who is worthy of an interview? Research often extends past LinkedIn and reach into Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and any other information to be found on the Internet. If you are going to invest in the services of a certified professional resume writer in Calgary, then also invest a bit of time in optimizing your online presence. 

In this day and age, employers are likely to google your name to access and assess your online activity. Tweets, Facebook/google+/YouTube video/forum comments can form part of the job candidate acceptance review. What do your comments say about you? How will they be perceived by a prospective employer? Are they conciliatory, antagonistic, confrontational, emotional, intelligent, logical, irrational, mean, or uplifting? Whether you like it or not, your online activity in all its forms is now a core component of your personal brand. 

The social media scene can no longer be seen as a playground for reckless abandon where you're free to say whatever you want and to whom. There can be consequences, and they could very well negatively impact your career. Assess your own activity before an employer does and try to have unprofessional content removed from google permanently. Take great care with your posts and comments. If you're smart about it, you can use social media to build a very positive image of yourself across multiple platforms.

Do you have a presence?

LinkedIn is the most popular network for professionals; however, it is prudent to have an alternate personal profile to supplement this. Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ are the most popular networks, each with its own set of benefits. Regardless of whether your profile is personal or professional, most recruiters prefer to see your real name, not a modified version, or even more off-putting, an alias. 

Activity levels are another point recruiters often consider. Showing a healthy level of activity will help to improve your position in their assessment. Excessive activity such posting an update every few minutes can be a turnoff, while one post a year can make you appear disengaged. 

Industry and profession also play a role in the level of your engagement with social media and in a recruiter's assessment. For example, a recruiter usually expects a candidate applying to a marketing agency to be more active than a person applying for an actuary position. 

Do you demonstrate tact?

Consider the tone, diction, and style of your posts and comments. Ask yourself these questions before you post:

· Do your posts and comments enhance your professional image?

· If you speak the way you write on social media, would you be able to keep your job?

If you answer "yes" to both, then you are on the right track with your social media. If you say "no" or feel a twinge of doubt, then you need to take action immediately to clean up your social presence. Comb through posts and comments and delete anything that could turn off a recruiter. Privacy settings are not a trustworthy safeguard to protect against online indiscretions.

Are your profile pictures and photos appropriate?

Headshots are by far the best profile image for a professional in search of a new position. Photographs, both those posted by you and those where friends have tagged you, also deserve scrutiny. Consider taking down images that present a less-than-professional you. These could include pictures of social occasions, wedding pictures, family portraits (it might not be wise to inadvertently reveal your family or marital status), and poor quality snapshots of the mundane.

Mind your P's and Q's

Although you might hear conflicting information about how to manage social profiles, the key point to remember is that anything you post on the Internet can come back and rear its head. The best practice is to post and say things you would not mind your boss repeating to the team during a meeting. 

As your professional resume writer in Calgary, I can also help you develop your LinkedIn profiles to enhance your standing in the job market.

Classic job hunting revolves around the traditional method of responding to an ad, then getting an interview and job offer. However, if you have unique qualifications or seek a bigger role, it might not be the most effective approach. Although as a professional resume writer in Calgary, I believe that a professional resume can certainly give you an advantage over your peers in securing an interview, there are steps you can take to market yourself into the perfect opportunity.

Develop Specific Goals and a Targeted List of Employers

Turn the tables on your job search outlining your goals and determining the companies that best suit your interests, values, and personality. Clearly define what you want in your next position, perhaps even going so far as to map out your dream career path. Remember to set goals that are within reason.

Research which companies offer the opportunity you desire and share your interests and values. A bit like a marriage, employment relationships built on shared interests and values tend to last longer and be more fulfilling than those that are not.

As you define your goals, think about which of your attributes and skills will help you achieve them. These are what will help you add value to a company and should be what you focus on marketing to your future employer. As a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) in Calgary, I can help you define your goals and strongest attributes and highlight them in a way that makes sense to an employer. 

Connect with People at the Company

Employees of your targeted company can be a surprisingly effective way to open the door to your next role. They can be an excellent resource about company culture, as well as niches you might be able to fill. Ultimately, current employees are your best opportunity to get a referral. Vendors, consultants and community partners can also be helpful in your efforts to connect with a company. 

If it is a local company, try to find ways to meet "insiders" in person. A few ideas to consider:

· If the company sponsors charity events, volunteer to help.

· Find out where the employees go after work and attempt to make friends, remembering to present a positive, professional image as you socialize.

· Contact the company and request the opportunity to do a job shadow.

· Seek out employees on LinkedIn and try to arrange a coffee date or a cocktail after interacting online.

Obtain a Referral or Make a Cold Call

If your effort to connect with company insiders proves fruitful, ask for a referral when you learn of a job opening or ask for an introduction to the boss. Even if there is no job opening, meeting a hiring manager can plant seeds that might grow into a future job offer.

Cold calling is an alternative if you cannot build the connections you need to get a referral. Relationships can take several months to a few years to build, whereas cold calling has the potential to get you in the door immediately. Referrals tend to be the most effective, but cold calling can be quite memorable for a hiring manager because it is not customary for a candidate to be so direct. 

Follow-up with Grace

Keep your name top of mind by following up after a successful interaction with the company. Employees who have been gracious and hiring managers that took your cold call should be on your list of people to thank. A brief, handwritten note of gratitude on a nice thank you card is a gesture that can leave a lasting impression. 

Prepare a Personalised Cover Letter Resume

Interview opportunities can come up quickly if you have been marketing yourself to an employer! Be prepared with a brushed up resume or CV in advance, and feel free to take advantage of my professional resume services in Calgary.

For many people, a career is the pinnacle of one's life achievements, as important as family or other personal needs. While providing clients resume writing services throughout Calgary for the last several years, a few have told me about blunders that bore a heavy cost: their career. Although there are obvious ways you can destroy your career, there are subtle ways you can jeopardize your career and future that are just as damaging.

1. Misuse of Technology

Email, text messages, voicemail, and social media faithfully document and timestamp your communications, for better or for worse. To avoid jeopardizing your career at the hands of technology, keep the following free and clear of technology:

· Rants

· Frustrations

· Personal anecdotes

· Potentially offensive statements, for example, off-color jokes, political stances, religious beliefs, etc. 

2. Decline or Absence of Passion for your Work

Staying engaged in and passionate about your work will always help you get ahead and achieve the results you desire from your career. When you are engaged and passionate, you have a natural affinity to tend to details, set high standards, and push yourself and your team to exceed performance expectations. 

On the other hand, if your passion cools or disappears, the results for your career could be catastrophic. Extremely noticeable, a decline in passion on your part has potential to pull an entire workgroup into a cycle of negativity and low achievement. In severe cases, it can result in loss of business and even job loss for others in the group. 

3. Falling Behind on Trends

"Sitting on your laurels" could be another way to understand this career-jeopardizing mistake. No matter your industry, it is important to keep up with trends and developments that influence the business. Technology is one of the most important areas in which to stay current, but new concepts for operating procedures, management and HR practices, and general career development are also important to look after. There are hundreds, if not thousands of applicants who would gladly take your job. Keep up on what matters to your role, so your company does not have to look elsewhere for expertise.

4. Lose your Humility

Regardless of position, humility is a crucial trait to cultivate in the workplace. Being humble makes you easier to work with. Additionally, humility puts your mind in such a place that it is open to learning new skills and techniques. Even if you are the best at what you do, maintain your dignity and humanity by being humble and open to new ideas and unsolicited feedback. 

5. Legal Troubles

Litigation is a sticky situation, and even if the matters do not relate to your industry, they can still jeopardize your career. The process tends to destabilize emotions, which can lead to poor judgment. Should the matter relate to your industry or job, it could cause your employer to lose faith in your abilities or degrade trust in other ways. At the top of the list of legal matters to avoid are those that involve illegal substances and criminal activity.

Avoiding these five troublesome areas can help you enjoy a long, successful career in an industry you enjoy. Even if you have made mistakes, it is possible to recover and rebuild your career. As a professional resume writer servicing the Calgary market, I can help you move on from the past and find the right fit today.

 

If you think brands are the exclusive property of companies, think again. Your "personal brand" might be the difference between finding the job of your dreams, or spending years in career limbo. In order to make the most of my Calgary resume writing services, perform a little due diligence on your end to bring personal brand in alignment with your resume or CV. 

Understand the Term

Personal brand does not mean you need a logo and a colour scheme, what it means is that you are comfortable being who you are and are confident enough to share yourself boldly with the world.

Comprised largely of perceptions of who you are, a personal brand is an amalgamation of:

· Your online presence

· Track record

· Personality

· Appearance

· Interests

Understanding the state of your personal brand is as simple as running your name and province through a series of online searches. Results will be similar to those that a potential employer sees. As you analyse, put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter and look for anything that could throw up a red flag, for example, something that is inconsistent with your resume. 

Why Personal Brand Matters

Along with your resume and cover letter, various bits of information lingering in cyberspace come together to create a sketch of your personality and attributes. They result in first impressions that can determine whether you will get the opportunity to compete for a position. 

Personal brand also matters while employed, especially if you have a prominent position or work with a reputable local company. For example, if you hired me to be your resume consultant in Calgary to help you land a senior-level sales position for a local printer, you would want your personal brand to reflect your passion for print. You would not want to focus your personal brand on electronic media and marketing materials.

Showing you are comfortable with yourself is one of the most beneficial aspects of managing your personal brand. To many recruiters, this level of confidence can be irresistible. Your personal brand can be an excellent way to share interests, opinions, and the ways you are preparing for the future. Those pieces of who you are do not normally come through on a formal resume or CV.  

Managing a Personal Brand

Define how you want the world to see you. Do you want to be known as a conservative professional who studiously gets results or do you want to be seen as a gregarious marketing professional? Each of these types of brands has different needs. 

Next, look at what is publicly visible on Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn. Each platform offers some control over how your information shows in search results. Account settings in Google and Facebook can control privacy and search engine visibility. The 'public profile' is what LinkedIn shares with search engines. Modify visibility to meet your needs, and delete content that is contrary to the image you wish to portray. Finally, update your profile pictures to display a professional headshot and proceed with a smart strategy about what to post.

Allow your personal brand to develop with you, naturally. As you learn new things and take on new interests, share your findings. Be proud of the steps you take to improve and advance, even if it is in contrast to something you did before. 

Bringing your resume in line with your personal brand is also especially important if you are in search of a new position. As a certified professional resume writer in Calgary, I can help identify how to bring your brand to life with a professional resume. Please feel free to contact me today to discuss your goals and timelines.

 

As a professional resume writer in Calgary, I often hear clients recounting incidents of office politics gone wrong. However, office politics are not always negative nor do they always have to result in job loss. Understanding how to respond and to develop a few strategies to turn the dynamic in your favour can help your experience with office politics be one that yields positive results.

Recognize That Politics Is a Necessary Dynamic

Have you ever asked your coworkers to support an idea or defended a colleague's actions to your supervisor? If so, you have engaged in office politics.

People rarely achieve consensus, even in small groups. Hence, people naturally resort to a variety of strategies to gain an advantage, achieve power, or garner support for an idea. More often than not, your response is what determines whether it is a positive or negative experience.  Office politics play a role in your success, and your ability to navigate the dynamic can be the difference between a fulfilling or frustrating career.

Build Positive Relationships

Neutrality is one of the most effective strategies to deal with workplace politics. Rather than forging alliances and taking sides, focus on building positive relationships with peers based on results and trust. Avoid building a relationship on a foundation of personality, values, and preferences, as it might result in a friendship-like a dynamic that will work against you in the future.

Abstain from Making Disparaging Remarks

Although talking down about a co-worker, boss, or company initiative might feel good for a moment, long-term it has great power to damage your reputation. In the future, somebody will use it against you in order to gain an advantage. 

In the event you find yourself in a situation where your coworkers are gossiping or blowing off steam by making disparaging remarks, try to remove yourself from the situation. If that is not an option, refuse to make negative comments and instead focus on facts. 

Listen, Agree, and Understand

Disagreements can be frustrating and occasionally lead to personal attacks. Rather than taking offence and reciprocating, listen to your co-worker and look for areas in which you can agree. Additionally, call out the personal attacks as inappropriate to alter the tone of the conversation and assume a bit of power. 

Try to see the situation through his or her eyes. Ask questions, listen actively, and validate their position by agreeing with whatever points you can without compromising yourself. Your objective should be to grasp the other party's motivations and needs. 

Compromise

Rarely will you get everything you want out of a situation when other people are involved. Be flexible and look for win-win solutions. Over time, this will earn you respect and trust, which will help you achieve your career goals.

Be the Adult in the Room

Negative office politics can result in childlike behaviour, for example, gossiping, the "mine" dynamic, and intimidation or bullying. You can discourage these behaviours and position yourself as a leader by being assertive, straightforward, and fact-based in your communications. 

Additionally, focusing on the positive and emphasizing benefits will help change the tone of a conversation and make it easier to negotiate a compromise. 

Finally, exercise a good sense of humour. Few things can break up a tense situation and ease an awkward situation like laughter. When you are successful with office politics, note the positive results and consider including them on your resume as evidence of your interpersonal skills. If you choose to hire me to be your professional resume writer in Calgary, I might be able to help you identify examples that are suitable for your resume.