ECE Job Search WorkshopTanya Gokhshteyn

Career Services & Co-operative Education

Winter 2013

Finishing Touches on Your Resume

Customizing Your Cover Letter

Resume & Cover Letter Quiz

1. On average, a potential employer will take between one and two minutes to read a resume for the first time.

2. It is not necessary to address your cover letter to someone specific.

3. Your resume should be one page only.

4. Your education should always come first in your resume.

5. Your resume and cover letter should look the same.

Resume & Cover Letter Quiz

6. You can use correction liquid or make handwritten changes on your resume/cover letter – it is more important to get your application in on time.

7. You do not need to know anything about a company before you apply to work for them.

8. You should not include international experience in your resume.

9. You can lie on your resume – who will know?

10. You should have someone else write your resume for you.

A resume is…

• A marketing piece to convince the employer to meet you to learn more about your strengths

• It’s an overview about your academic and professional qualifications – not about your life history

• It is presenting your skills and achievements to the employers

•To Get You The Interview

Features of a good resume

• 30 second rule• Must be consistent• Must be easy to read• Must target and sell your qualifications to a specific job

• Must be error free – absolutely no mistakes!

Basic Components

• Contact Information – appropriate voice mail & email address

• Career/Job Objective – specific, skills, what you can do for the organization

• Summary of Qualifications – # years of experience in ECE; current Canadian ECE knowledge and skills; professional memberships

• Work Experience – incl. placement; focus on your accomplishments and results rather than just listing your responsibilities

• Education – Centennial College + overseas education; GPA (scholarships); relevant courses; major projects

• Professional Development – relevant workshops, conferences, etc.

• Community Involvement – volunteer, memberships

• References – “Available Upon Request” optional; names and contact info of references on separate paper

Sample Job Posting

We are looking For A New ECE With The Following Skills:• Knowledge of the Day Nurseries Act and the Metro Criteria – educational

qualifications – ECE Certificate, First Aid, CPR• Effective behaviour management skills and strategies in relations with children,

parents and staff• Ability to work as a team member, maintaining an ongoing positive relationship

with other team members, parents and most importantly the children• Effective communication skills, written and verbal• Ability to take initiative and follow through on tasks with little direction• Flexible, enthusiastic, empathic, confident, dependable and has the ability to

respond to the various needs of the children• Can effectively participate and implement programs for the preschool children• Has the ability to develop a warm, sincere and respected relationship with the

children

Resume Sample

PAT M. SMITH1234 College Street Cell: (416) 111-9999

Toronto, ON M4C 1Z1 psmith@centennialcollege.ca

CAREER OBJECTIVE

Position as an Early Childhood Education Assistant where my practical experience, knowledge of child development, and communication abilities will be useful in maintaining a safe learning environment

Resume Sample

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Early Childhood Education Diploma from Centennial College• Two years of experience in child care positions working with infants, toddlers

and preschoolers• Skilled at assisting with development and facilitation of activities for children

and demonstrated ability to foster appropriate interaction with children through observation of cues and behaviours

• Familiar with Day Nurseries Act and Metro Criteria and how to apply in work environment for the protection and safety of children

• Sound leadership skills and strong communication abilities; fluent in English and French

• Currently certified in First Aid and CPR• Strong computer skills in MS Word, Excel and the Internet

Resume Sample

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE

Early Childhood (Field Placement) Oct. – Dec. 2012

Red Riding Hood Day Care, Toronto, ON

• Provided supervision and guidance of daily activities, field trips and special activities that facilitated children’s cognitive, social, language, physical and sensory motor development

• Prepared craft materials and assisted 18 pre-schoolers in their use for small projects, improving children’s fine motor skills

• Prepared and served nutritious meals• Assisted management in the daily administrative tasks of the facility

Resume Sample

Nanny (Part-time) Feb. 2009 – Aug. 2011

The Peterson Family, Scarborough, ON

• Supervised and cared for children ages 1, 3 and 6• Organized activities such as games and outings for children• Provided nutritious meals and snacks for children following parental input• Performed light housekeeping and cleaning duties• Kept daily log of children’s activities, behaviours and progress and

reviewed weekly with parents

Resume Sample

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Cashier (Part time) Jan. 2010 - Present

123 Sales Inc., Toronto, ON

• Answer inquiries and provide general information to customers• Perform administrative duties according to established procedures • Maintain composure and professionalism under pressure• Accurately and efficiently balance cash and receipts at end of shift• Maintain clean and tidy work area at all times

Resume Sample

EDUCATION

Early Childhood Education Diploma Sept. 2010 - Apr. 2012Centennial College, Toronto, ON

Academic Projects:•Studied age-appropriate daily routines for children•Researched Health and Study Guidelines pertaining to Early Childhood Development Centres

First Aid/CPR Certificate Apr. 2012St. John’s Ambulance, Toronto, ON

Resume Sample

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Secretary, School Council May 2009 - Present

Centennial Public School, Toronto, ON• Take minutes at monthly school council meetings and distribute minutes

to school principal, teachers and parents in a professional and timely manner

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT• Leadership Certificate Apr. 2012• Customer Service Certificate Dec. 2010

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Things to remember…formatting tips

• Include your name, phone number and email on all pages

• Use underlining, bold and capitals to enhance certain information• Keep your resume to a maximum of two pages• Use a font size of 11 or 12

• Write short bullet-like phrases beginning with action verbs; not “responsible for”/ “duties include”

• List relevant experience and duties first• Irrelevant duties and information omitted• Spelling and grammar mistakes free; consistent formatting &

alignment• Make your name stand out at top of page – 16-18 font size

• Targeted to the job/organization with a specific objective

Resume Application Tips

By Email• Subject of email = position you are applying • Attach cover letter and resume as one MS Word document to the

email, and never copy and paste them into the body of the email• In the body of the email,

Address the employerBriefly mention the position you are applying forThank the employer for reviewing your application

Online• Change your resume’s format into plain text or ASCII format before

copying and pasting it onto the online application• Add Keyword Summary

It doesn’t stop there … Writing a Cover Letter

• Keep your letter to one page in length with at least 4 paragraphs

• Address your letter to a specific person within the organization (if you have information) – if none – could use Hiring Manager, Hiring Committee, etc.

• If no name provided or title – use Dear Sir/Madam in your salutation – do not use “To Whom It May Concern”

• Be specific about your qualifications - match requirements of job – refer to the job posting for “keywords”

• No bullets – don’t repeat your resume!• Do not start every paragraph with the word “I”

MORE TIPS FOR THE COVER LETTER

• Make sure your address, date and employer’s name and address are at the top of the letter – you can use “Header” from resume

• Your name and signature must be at the bottom of the letter• Don’t forget to talk about the company! – this is the most

important paragraph on the letter!!!!• Proofread, and have someone else proofread for grammar

and spelling mistakes, alignment & formatting – show you can write well & pay attention to the details

• Same font style and font size as resume, same margins

Four Elements

• Paragraph 1– Position, how you heard about it, date and where you saw the ad

• Paragraph 2– Skills, experience, education, achievements – short summary

• Paragraph 3– Why this organization i.e., research organization and show your knowledge of

it’s mission, history, philosophy, values, awards, etc.

• Paragraph 4– Ask for an interview - provide your contact information – thank the employer

* Be confident, show your personality, passion for the job/field, compliments from supervisors, patients, team members

Sample Cover Letter

PAT M. SMITH1234 College Street Cell: (416) 111-9999Toronto, ON M4C 1Z1 psmith@centennialcollege.ca

January 15, 2013

Mrs. Chris Brown - DirectorABC Day Care Centre3000 Lawrence Ave East Scarborough, ON M1P2V5

RE: ECA position, Ref #1098

Dear Mrs. Brown:

Sample Cover Letter

Please accept the enclosed resume for the Early Childhood Assistant position for ABC Day Care Centre, as advertised in the Toronto Star on January 13, 2013. I am very interested in this exciting employment opportunity and have enclosed my resume for your consideration.

I am a graduate from the Early Childhood Education Diploma program at Centennial College where my educational studies provided me with both hands on and theoretical experience in assessing the developmental needs of children. As part of my program, I completed a field placement as an ECE Assistant with ABC Day Care, and this position allowed me to gain excellent skills in working with infants, toddlers and pre- schoolers in a warm childcare setting. In addition, I have successfully taught children in various creative and innovative activities to develop basic motor and eye-hand coordination skills.

Sample Cover Letter

It would be a pleasure to be part of ABC Day Care Centre team. The chance

to work with qualified educators and young children in a fun, interactive and safe learning environment such as ABC Day Care Centre promotes would be a privilege.

An interview at your convenience to further discuss my qualifications and review my child care portfolio would be appreciated. I can be reached at 416-123-4567 or by e-mail at psmith@centennialcollege.ca . Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Pat Smith

Pat Smith

Encl: Resume

In Summary

Always customize your cover letter and

resume to the job and organization!

Check for grammar and spelling mistakes!

PROOFREAD! PROOFREAD!

Services Offered by Career Services

• Individual Appointments: resume, job search, interview preparation including interview practice

• Career Fairs/Employers on Campus• Online Resources via myCentennial > Student Service tab

– Place Pro - access to jobs advertised by employers – Employment Success Pack - an all-in-one online resource including

sample résumés and cover letters targeting a variety of programs, tip sheets on topics from job search and interview techniques to business etiquette and accepting job offers

– Job Vision Guide - a comprehensive and detailed job search guide

Call 416-289-5000 ext. 8121 or ext. 2241 for an appointment

www.centennialcollege.ca/employment

employmentresources@centennialcollege.ca