Let’s be real—no one likes working on their resumé. It takes a lot of time and mental energy. It’s hard trying to decide what to include and how to format it. It requires you to really think about what you’ve been doing in life so far and what you want to be doing.
Bottom line: it’s a tough job, but you have to do it.
That’s why we’re offering you Loblaw’s very own crash course: Resumé Prep 101. Utilize this advice from talent acquisition experts at Loblaw and make this tough job a little easier on yourself.
How long should my resumé be and how should I format it?
There is no secret formula for how long your resumé should be. Many students seem to think that there is a golden rule around one-page resumés. Unless a job application specifically requests a one-page resumé, throw that rule out the window. The rule of thumb to follow is that your resumé should be concise and to the point, without leaving out vital information or leaving a recruiter guessing what your job really was. Just keep in mind that recruiters like to see resumés that are no more than 2 pages.
How will I be remembered?
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your resumé either. It doesn’t have to be stuffy and boring and it should reflect your personality, as well as the culture of the organization you’re applying to. Make good use of white space, fonts, and sizing to make your resumé visually appealing and unique. You want recruiters to remember you so consider bringing a print or digital portfolio of your work for the recruiter to see at the interview. If you have an online portfolio, also consider including a link to it on your resumé or job application.
What kind of work experience should I include on my resumé? Should I include part-time work?
Of course! We can almost guarantee that any job experience you’ve had is valuable in some respect. For example, Loblaw offers tons of part-time jobs in the stores for students during the summer months and throughout the year. These roles not only help fill our need to serve customers, but they also provide students with great customer service, teamwork, problem solving, and business skills, just to name a few. Organizations like Loblaw love developing from within and are likely to look favourably upon a candidate when they see that he or she has experience at the store level.
Basically, each experience provides you with a unique set of skills that you can transfer to other roles. Our suggestion: create an unfiltered list of everything you’ve done at every job you’ve held. Write down everything from the smallest task to the biggest project. From there, pick and choose pieces from each job that are most relevant to the role that you are applying to. This exercise will also help you develop a better, bigger picture of the skills that you have picked up along the way.
I don’t have a ton of work experience. Is there anything I can supplement my resumé with?
As a student, you’re in a unique situation of having countless opportunities to take on leadership roles through extracurriculars and community involvement. Don’t underestimate the value of these experiences as they teach you as much as a paid work experience might—sometimes even more to be honest—especially when those experiences mean that you’re leading large groups of diverse students on large-scale projects and initiatives. The skills required for this are no different than those required to lead people in the “real world.”
At Loblaw, we love meeting students who are well-rounded and get involved in their communities; it means they value the same things we do. We support our colleagues in this through numerous partnerships, initiatives, and volunteer grants. We find it surprising how many students don’t make mention of things they’ve done outside the classroom and paid jobs. Just because someone wasn’t paying you to do the work, doesn’t mean it’s not valuable.
You’ve just completed Loblaw’s crash course on resumé writing. Easy stuff, right? Now comes the final exam: actually writing your resumé. When you’re ready, apply to the part-time or full-time opportunity that is best for you at loblaw.ca/careers and loblawgrad.ca.
Good luck!
Photo: phasinphoto/Thinkstock