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How to Dress for Success

By Interviewing

Dressing for an interview can be just as important as the experiences on your resume. Which is why today we’re covering the in-and-outs of dressing for success.

In the year of 2018, freedom of expression and self-expression through fashion is encouraged, but when it comes to interviewing, some guidelines can help you to get ahead.

Menswear

Ladieswear

Before talking outfits, we need to take a step back to the essentials. Hygiene. A well groomed and maintained hygiene can go a long way. A clean manner will leave a solid first impression before you are able to get a single word out.

Hygiene is also an essential and will leave a positive impression on your interviewers and may even give you a bit of an upper hand in a highly competitive job market. Not that you need to be a fashion stylist to land the job but this is your opportunity to be seen as a the chic, sophisticated, modern boss that you are.

Some Necessities

  • Maintained and well-groomed facial hair
  • Collared shirt (tucked in preferred)
  • Dress pants
  • Dress shoes

Optional

  • Blazer
  • Tie, tie clip

General Tips!

  • Dress for the weather! If it is extremely hot outside, then maybe ditch the blazer and opt out of a white shirt.
  • Iron your clothes, no one like a wrinkly candidate (It comes off as unprofessional and messy)
  • Take a shower to be fresh, but avoid heavy cologne because you interviewer may be allergic to scents
  • Take a notebook and pen for notes, and a copy of your resume and cover letter (just in case)
  • Do your research on the company norms (if everyone dresses casual everyday then it’s a bad idea to go in a full suit, opt for a business casual outfit.)

Some Necessities

  • Hair is clean and maintained neatly
  • Business casual statement dress (work appropriate)
  • Blazer paired with blouses/dress/button downs
  • Dress pants or skirts
  • Peep-toe shoes, flats, heels with moderate height
  • Classic black dress with tights/nylons

Optional

  • Light tasteful jewelry such as a watch, simple earrings
  • A clear lip-gloss to highlight your natural features

General Tips!

  • Avoid low cut tops, short dresses, see through clothing
  • Avoid excessive perfume and heavy scents
  • Avoid heavy distracting makeup and opt for a more natural soft look
  • Dress for the weather, throw an extra blazer in your bag if it gets chilly in the office where you are interviewing
ATS

13 Ways to Beat (ATS) Applicant Tracking Systems

By Job search tips

In the modern job market, applicant tracking systems (ATS) have become an essential part of the hiring process. These systems help employers streamline recruitment by sorting through a large volume of resumes. That’s great for employers.

What about job seekers?

Learning to optimize your resume for ATS can significantly increase your chances of getting an interview.

How does ATS work?

When scanning a resume, ATS looks for basic information like contact details, job titles and education history. It also looks for keywords that come directly from the job posting. Resumes that show minimum qualifications for a role are sent to recruiters and hiring managers for the next step. Meanwhile, resumes that fall below the threshold simply get rejected.

What’s an ATS Resume? 

An ATS-friendly resume should be easy to read and understood by an ATS. It includes relevant keywords and phrases that are specific to the job opening. By writing your resume with the software in mind, you increase the likelihood of it being seen by a hiring manager.

Why optimize my resume for ATS?

97% of Fortune 500 companies use ATS for hiring. ATS screens your resume and stores it in a searchable format. Recruiters use ATS to search for potential candidates based on specific criteria, including keywords.

75% of job applications fail the ATS. Your resume will be disqualified if it lacks relevant keywords or is formatted poorly for the ATS.

That’s why it’s crucial to optimize your resume to the job description and use relevant keywords to increase your chances of making it through the initial screening. Here is how to convert your resume to an ATS-friendly format.

1- Pay Attention to Job Titles

Applicant tracking systems rely heavily on standardized job titles to categorize and compare candidates.

Use common job titles that closely match your roles and responsibilities to ensure your resume aligns with the ATS. This increases the likelihood of your resume being properly parsed and ranked by the system.

2- Tailor Your Resume for Each Application

One of the most crucial strategies to beat the ATS is tailoring your resume for each job application. ATS software is designed to scan resumes for specific keywords and phrases related to the job description. Speak the language of the industry. Familiarize yourself with relevant jargon and incorporate it judiciously into your resume.

Therefore, customizing your resume to align with the particular requirements of each position can increase the likelihood of your resume passing through the system and reaching the hands of the hiring manager.

3- Optimize Your Resume Format

ATS algorithms may struggle to read complex or highly stylized resume formats. A clean and simple format to improve your resume’s readability is the way to go! Stick to standard fonts and use a chronological order for your work experience. 

A straightforward format enhances the chances of the ATS accurately parsing your information. Here is an example of an ATS-friendly resume format.

4- Don’t use Headers or Footers

Leave your header and footer blank in your resume. An ATS may not recognize the content you place in your header and footer, so place your contact information and your name in the body of the page.

Bonus point: avoid ATS parsing errors, customize the file name and metadata by adding relevant keywords and your full name.

5- Use Relevant Keywords Strategically

Identify key terms and phrases in the job description and incorporate them strategically into your resume to reflect your skills, experience, and qualifications. Ensure your submission mirrors the job description’s grammar, punctuation, and language style and contains ‘enough’ keywords found in the posting. If effective, a human will see your application, so keep your keyword frequency reasonable and leave out those fluffy, cliché buzzwords.

Be genuine and avoid overloading your resume with keyword stuffing, which may lead to your application being rejected.

Spell out the acronym: ATS doesn’t recognize many acronyms, so using both text versions is crucial to ensure an ATS identifies your content.

Quantify Achievements: Numbers speak louder than words. Where possible, quantify your achievements. This not only grabs human attention but also registers positively with the ATS.

6- Format Dates Correctly

Most ATS accurately parse dates in the following formats: MM/YYYY (02/2024) or Month YYYY (Feb 2024). So, ensure that you use the correct date format.

ALSO READ: Develop a Winning Mindset for Your Job Hunt

7- Label Resume Sections with Headings

It is crucial to have clear and easy-to-navigate section headings on your resume. Similarly, recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds scanning a resume. It’s essential to avoid confusing them with unconventional headings.

Do: use straightforward labels like “Experience.” or “Education.”

Don’t: use vague headings like “Things I Am Proud Of” or “What Made Me Into Who I Am.”

8- Include a Skill Section

Create a dedicated skills section in your resume that highlights key competencies related to the job

The skills section should provide a snapshot of your qualifications and increase the chances of the ATS recognizing your skills.

Insert your hard skills on the first third of the first page – these should include functions, programs, fields, languages, and any other hard skills listed in your other headings.

Bonus tip: Swap out the career objective for a hard skills summary. 

9- Add Your Education Details

Ensure your education details align with the industry standards. Some ATS are programmed to recognize specific degrees or certifications.

10- Avoid Graphics and Symbols

While a visually appealing resume can positively impact human recruiters, ATS software may struggle to interpret complex graphics and symbols. 

To beat the system, keep your resume clean and simple by avoiding unnecessary graphics, diagrams, icons, symbols, or a picture of yourself that could potentially confuse the ATS algorithms.

11- Use a Traditional Font

To ensure that your resume is easy to read by Applicant Tracking System, it’s recommended to use a traditional font such as Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Garamond and Georgia. Some ATS may automatically change unfamiliar fonts, which can alter the design of your resume. 

While the font size doesn’t affect your resume’s readability, using a 10- or 12-point font is excellent for a more professional and readable look, especially when a recruiter reviews it.

12- Save Your Resume in ATS Compatible Format

For the best chance of your resume being read by an ATS, upload it in a widely accepted format such as a Word document ‘.doc or .docx’ or a plain text file ‘.txt’. Avoid using a .pdf version.

If you’re worried the formatting won’t transfer, convert your .doc into .txt to see how it looks before submission to minimize the risk of misinterpreting or rejecting your resume due to incompatible file formats.

13- Proofread for Accuracy

Errors in your resume, such as typos or formatting issues, can negatively impact your chances of passing through the algorithms. Before submitting your application, thoroughly proofread your resume to ensure accuracy. Correct any spelling or grammatical errors, and double-check that the formatting is consistent.

Bonus tip: use Grammarly for proofreading.

Successfully navigating the applicant tracking system requires a strategic approach that combines customization, optimization, and attention to detail. By tailoring your resume for each application, strategically incorporating relevant keywords, and optimizing your resume format, you can significantly improve your chances of beating the ATS and advancing to the next stage of the hiring process.

Unwritten Rules of the Workplace

By Succeed in your Job

Your first day of work can be exciting. You tour the office, eat lunch with the team, learn about employee perks like Fun Friday, review the workplace’s written rules – and then realize these rules clash with the unwritten rules.

The unwritten rules are different at every organization. By quickly recognizing these de facto policies, you’ll acclimate to the organization quicker, giving yourself a greater opportunity of achieving success at the workplace.

An example of an unwritten rule is the daily working hours. In a typical scenario, the formal policy dictates I work 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. but it’s half past four and no one’s left. If I leave first, will my boss think I was lying when I said I was hard-working in the interview? This concept may be hard to grasp and navigate for a newcomer to Canada – or anyone new to the workforce – trying to launch a career in their new country.

The common mistake is transferring all office etiquette from your previous workplace to the current company because unwritten rules often depend on the leadership and the other ‘office influencers.’ Some open-door policies may mean “Come in whenever, or let’s go for a coffee and chat” while other interpretations are “Come in whenever, but make sure you schedule it on the calendar.” Both these CEOs boast reasonable and similar open-door policies but offer different approaches.

What do you do when you’re unsure?

As Marilyn vos Savant, says “To acquire wisdom, one must observe” so sit tight and watch closely for the workplace norms.

soft skills

Soft Skills Most in Demand

By Professional Development
Got every hard skill required for the position? You might be thinking that’s enough, but you’re wrong! Soft skills are as important!

Picture this: you’re in an interview, and the interviewer asks you questions to assess your behaviour, but you’re blank. You’ve never been in this situation before.

That’s how employers determine your soft skills.

Think about which ones you need to develop or improve because managers value soft skills. Often, it’s these personal attributes employers use as the tiebreaker to decide between you and the other qualified candidates.

If you’re unsure where to start or what’s most important, here are some soft skills recruiters and interviewers look for:

Read More

cover letter

Why Write a Cover Letter

By Cover Letter & Resume

Crafting an effective cover letter is a crucial step in securing your dream job. In a world where hiring managers spend an average of seven seconds per cover letter, making those moments count is essential. Here’s an in-depth look at the importance of cover letters and how they can be optimized for success:

So why write one?

In the brief time it takes a hiring manager to scan your cover letter, you have the opportunity to make a lasting impression. While your resume outlines your professional history, a cover letter complements it by showcasing the skills you’ve listed. Don’t merely reiterate your resume; instead, leverage this space to demonstrate practical applications of your skills. For instance, if you claim to possess creativity and communication skills, narrate a relevant experience that vividly illustrates these qualities.

The goal of the cover letter is to secure an interview. You must separate yourself and show why you’re more qualified than the other candidates. Consider the responsibilities of the hiring manager and answer the question:

Why should I be one of the five (out of 100) applicants who deserve another 30 minutes to demonstrate why I’m the best candidate?

What can cover letters reveal?

Your concise writing abilities, attention to detail, researching skills, reading comprehension, interest level, personality type, and creativity…essentially a lot, so you can’t use the same cover letter for each application. Customize!

Tailoring Each Cover Letter

One common mistake job seekers make is using a generic cover letter for multiple applications. However, customization is key. Each one should be tailored to the specific job you’re applying for. Highlighting misconceptions, explaining achievements, and expressing genuine interest in the company can set your letter apart from the rest. Remember, a generic cover letter may be perceived as a lack of effort, potentially jeopardizing your chances.

Unveiling Skills Beyond the Resume

A well-crafted cover letter is a window into your abilities beyond what’s listed on your resume. It reveals your concise writing skills, attention to detail, research capabilities, reading comprehension, and even your personality. This multifaceted snapshot of your abilities requires careful consideration and customization. Hiring managers appreciate candidates who take the time to showcase their unique qualities, as it reflects genuine interest and effort.

The Ultimate Goal: Securing an Interview

The primary objective is to secure an interview. In a sea of applicants, your cover letter should answer the hiring manager’s unspoken question: “Why should I choose you for a more in-depth conversation?” To achieve this, align your skills and experiences with the company’s needs. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the role, and articulate how your unique qualifications make you the ideal candidate.

Selecting the Right Cover Letter Template

Various templates are available, catering to different styles and preferences. It’s essential to choose a format that aligns with your personality and the industry you’re applying to. Whether it’s a traditional format, a narrative style, or a visually appealing design, the key is to strike a balance between professionalism and individuality. Finding the right style enhances your chances of making a memorable impact.

In conclusion, despite the brevity of their attention span, hiring managers value cover letters as a means to distinguish exceptional candidates. Use this opportunity wisely, customize each letter, and aim to secure that coveted interview. It’s not just a formality; it’s your unique voice in a competitive job market.

resume

Resume Checklist

By Cover Letter & Resume

Looking for a job can be a daunting task, but there are some things that could make the process easier and more rewarding. If you’re in the process of applying for a job, here is a resume checklist that Career Edge’s recruiters recommend doing before submitting your resumé: Read More

calendar

Best Times to Apply for Jobs

By Job search tips

Slow and steady doesn’t always the win the race.

If you see a job you’re interested in, apply quick. That doesn’t mean clicking ‘submit’ right away – it means not wasting time by waiting. If the job’s been posted for longer than four days, don’t wait any longer – apply ASAP! Make it a priority and schedule it in your calendar. If you wait, you’re wasting your time by applying later. Read More

interview questions

Questions to Ask in An Interview

By Interviewing
Picture this, you’re in an interview, and you’ve finished answering the interviewer’s (many!) questions. Then they ask you if you have any. Don’t say no to be polite! Ask questions. It shows you’re interested in the position, and you’ll learn more about the job – you may even learn something that’ll make you lose interest. Read More