Spell It Out for Employers

As you may know, a resume, cover letter and interview are three major components of the selection process. Throughout each step, it is critical to spell out your experience and skills. By withholding information based on your assumptions, the employer may not fully understand your skills and experiences based on your documents or interview responses, and you could be missing out! Taking the time to explain why your experience and skills matter will prevent you from accidentally undervaluing all you have learned and accomplished and help you to secure a great work experience! Here are some examples of assumptions students make that can negatively impact them during the selection process: 

Avoid short forms, acronyms and casual language. For example, the AWE team often sees the acronym “BA” on resumes and cover letters. Of course, we know that it stands for “Bachelor of Arts” at the University of Alberta. But “BA” could also stand for Bachelor of Administration or any number of other programs at other institutions. Do not assume that the employer is familiar with your degree program or U of A or industry-specific language. Always spell out acronyms in your work search documents to avoid confusion. 

Talk about your skills! Just mentioning that you attend the University of Alberta does not mean that the employer will fully understand the value of your degree and the transferable skills you will bring to their organization. Your education does matter and count as experience! The employer may not have any idea what your major or program entails. By taking the time to explain what you have learned and experienced in your courses, you will ensure that the employer, regardless of their level of experience, will understand your skills. This guideline also applies when you are talking about your experience in an interview. Be sure to explain all the skills you use by explicitly stating those skills in each response. 

If you have any questions about these, or any other aspects of the selection process, please book a meeting with your Work Experience Coordinator through WaitWell! If you don’t see any dates or times that work for you, contact them to ask about other possibilities.