The post-secondary experience is often a journey of exploration to many, as we pursue our desires and aspirations. To achieve our goals, it’s essential to seize every opportunity that comes our way. In the workplace, this chance to hold on to an important opportunity goes hand-in-hand with the ability to produce powerful resumes and cover letters.
In the first week of February, the Chinese Language Program hosted an exclusive Professional Development workshop focusing on the crucial elements of impactful resumes and cover letters. The workshop was honored to welcome Dr. Lam, a lecturer from the Cantonese Language Program, to share her expertise on this topic of utmost significance.
Various useful topics were covered by the workshop. Most notably how to write an impactful resume and cover letter when applying to various positions.
📄 Crafting a Resume 📄
During the workshop, we explored two primary types of resumes and the contexts in which they are most effective. One of which is a chronological resume, it reveals the applicant’s educational and occupational background straightforwardly, with the most recent experiences first listed. A chronological resume is more useful with candidates that have a steady, experienced career path in their current field. On the other hand, a functional resume emphasizes the applicant’s skills and relevant experiences organized by function rather than chronology. This format is particularly beneficial for individuals who may be less experienced in their field.
Alongside the general fields of a resume, whether to include certain details or not in a resume was also discussed in depth. For instance, the main heading of the resume could include the applicant’s preferred pronouns and immigration status, but preferably not their marital status. The applicant’s preferred pronouns and immigration status can demonstrate their attitude towards the open-minded attitude regarding different pronouns in North America, and this information indicates dedication towards the location of the job that is applied for. Furthermore, the tone of the texts within the resume, that sets certain applicants apart from the crowd was also explored during the workshop. Experiences should be depicted concisely and concretely, as they serve to show one’s skills without telling.
The workshop also revealed “secret tips” for crafting successful resumes:
- Simple colors can be included in a resume for it to look more aesthetic and pleasant for audience
- If you DO add colors, consider using color schemes of the company or graduate school that you are applying for
- Include concrete facts such as verbs and numbers to highlight your achievement
📨 Writing a Persuasive Cover Letter 📨
In the world of job applications, crafting a cover letter is just as crucial as perfecting your resume, as it introduces your experiences and highlights your strengths in relation to the position you are applying to. Ultimately, the cover letter’s aim is to get you an interview and thus needs to be shaped in a way that gains attention, builds interest, and motivates action. To achieve this, Dr. Lam explained the most important consideration for a cover letter is specifying what you can provide rather than focusing on what you have done. A resume/CV provides details about past experiences, whereas the cover letter is an attempt at shaping one’s experiences to present your potential for a position.
One way to incite this is by avoiding “I” dominance, shifting your experiences to elucidate their relevance to the position:
Avoid: “I took classes in business communication and logistics.”
Do: “Classes in business communication and logistics prepared me to be an excellent team player in a management team.”
Here are some final tips Dr.Lam shared for writing a successful cover letter:
- Look up who will be reviewing your cover letter, and address them in the beginning rather than a general (To whom it may concern)
- Summarize your principal assets from education, experience, and special skills
- Avoid repeating specific data from your resume
- Discuss relevant personal traits (Are you a team player? Do you learn easily? How have you shown taking initiative?)
- Provide specific examples and qualitative data
- Refer to your resume
- Keep your letterhead professional
- Demonstrate interest and knowledge of the position
Dr. Lam also graciously introduced the website “Overleaf”. This website offers many different cover letter and resume templates that can be used. Given the plethora of available templates, this resource is extremely useful for anyone who wants a template to help start their resume and cover letter writing process! To use the templates it is recommended to learn a bit of LaTeX, a programming language that will help on “Overleaf” and in other endeavors in life.
Concluding Thoughts
The workshop provided great foundational knowledge on writing an effective resume/CV and a persuasive cover letter. Dr. Lam’s insightful understanding of the two topics helped guide attendees on the process of applying their skills and experiences in relevant methods that will benefit them in their position application process.
Participants were enthusiastic about discussing the content and structure of cover letters, sharing their own experiences applying for jobs and graduate programs. Through thoughtful contributions, everyone gained valuable guidance on how to enhance their cover letters for maximum impact.
Attendee Yunwen Liu (刘韵雯) said the following on the workshop:
“为我们介绍了不同类型的resume以及相关需要注意的点，如何在众多简历中突出自己的特色以 及问候署名等各个方面的内容，很有帮助。”
“We were introduced to different types of resumes and various points to consider: how to stand out among many resumes, as well as various aspects such as cover letter greetings and signatures, it was very helpful.”
Attendee Yanbing Chen (陈彦冰) also felt the workshop welcomed a warm and helpful environment, saying:
“气氛很好，[Zoe]老师和CLP的大家都非常热情!大家随时有问题都可以发在chat box，以便 [Zoe]老师在workshop最后做出解答。”
“The atmosphere was very nice, the CLP and Dr. Lam are all very enthusiastic! If you have any questions you can just put it in the chat box so that Dr.Lam can answer them at the end.”
We extend our gratitude to everyone who attended the workshop and to the dedicated coordinators who made it possible. A special thank you goes out to Dr. Zoe Lam (林慧雯老师), whose profound knowledge and relevant experiences empowered all our attendees with valuable tips and tricks for crafting effective resumes and persuasive cover letters.
If you’re interested in joining our next workshop, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates on future events! Follow us @UBCchinese.
Written by Jacquelene Chen and Emma Wheeler
Edited by Tonya Mo and Angelia Tu