By Tan Yi Min and Lim Yik Shuan
Unemployment and joblessness among youth is becoming a burning issue as of late, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging on. Finding a job during the pandemic can be stressful. Adopting measures that manage the uncertainty and nerves of the job search is necessary. Learning how to write an impressive resume and cover letter is crucial to getting a foot in the door before securing a job interview. Therefore, it is timely that the Centre for Languages at Han Chiang University College of Communication organised a webinar entitled “Get Hired: Navigating the Resume and Cover Letter”. Dr Josephine Chan, part-time lecturer and freelance consultant, spoke at the webinar, held on Saturday, 26 June, from 2.00 pm to 3.00pm.
As students who are contemplating the transition to the workplace, we learnt many important lessons associated with the job hunting process. At the beginning of the webinar, Dr Josephine drew similarities and differences between the resume and the curriculum vitae. She emphasised that writing an effective and eye-catching resume is the main key to getting hired as it is the first step to secure a job interview. Dr Josephine also discussed the role of the curriculum vitae. It was a good chance for me to learn what the curriculum vitae is, and how it differs from the resume. The resume is shorter than the curriculum vitae. The resume is usually a summary of one’s professional accomplishments while the curriculum vitae lists the academic achievements including the publications, awards, grants and research fellowships.
Dr Josephine went on to explore the crafting of a good resume. First, choosing the right resume format is important, and the chronological format is usually the recommended version that lists our work experiences in order beginning with the most recent. Fresh-graduates could include details of their internship experiences and the projects done during your university life.
Moreover, adding our contact information and personal details on the resume is crucial. The interviewer could reach out to applicants easily to make arrangements for a job interview. Thirdly, including primary points such as our achievements, educational background and skills would be necessary. Framing accomplishments as measurable outcomes would be a more convincing advertisement of the applicant’s strengths, compared to a run-off-the-mill list of duties (‘wrote 10 press releases in a week’ versus ‘wrote press releases’).
Dr Josephine discussed the significance of accompanying the resume with an effective cover letter. First and foremost, ensuring that the email address of the applicant is professional would be a good measure (and avoid coining email addresses like ‘hotchick@gmail.com’). Next, write a strong and clear subject line which details the title of vacancy and the name of the applicant. Thirdly, use an appropriate salutation, and address the hiring manager by name as opposed to the impersonal salutation “To Whom It May Concern”. Besides, the cover letter would not be a regurgitation of the resume. Instead it communicates the applicant’s interest in the company and summarises the most relevant skills and experience. Ending the cover letter with a complimentary closing like the phrases “thank you”, “yours sincerely” and “best regards” is polite practice.
Dr Josephine concluded the session with a bang by incorporating an exciting and interactive quiz session for attendees to test their understanding of the resume and the cover letter.
As attendees of the webinar, we noted that the rest of the participants were fresh graduates or in their final year of studies. We sincerely hope that everyone has benefitted from Dr Josephine Chan’s webinar as they look to the future and persist in their preparations for entry into the 21st century workforce.
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