As of August 1st students will be allowed to apply for work-study positions on OSCAR. In order to qualify for these positions you need to be a current student who demonstrates financial need. If you qualify for OSAP then you definitely qualify for these positions as well.
For those of you who aren’t eligible for work-study positions, do not worry because there plenty of part-time positions available as well that you can apply for. I often hear people complain about how it is virtually impossible to get a position from OSCAR and how they don’t know anyone who has ever held a position they found on our online job database.
Personally, I know a ton of people who have been successfully offered positions. As a person who has hired individuals in the past there is one thing that puts people at a disadvantage. Ironically, the resume which is supposed to sell the individual often has the opposite effect. So here are some major do’s and don’ts when it comes to applying online in OSCAR to score that super awesome work-study position you crave.
Dos
**This is super important for those in upper years and new grads** The section of your resume that focuses in on your education should take up about one-third of the page. Some people apply for positions where they have more information detailing their position at McDonalds than they do on their education. You’ve spent three to five years in university so employers know that you can cough up more than your program name, school name and your date of graduation. Mention your GPA if it’s high, what you’ve learned from courses taken, if you’ve done a thesis, etc.
Edit your resume once you have finished writing it. You have no idea how many typogrphcal errors and speling mistakes people can make. At bare minimum, have someone else take a look at it for you. It’s especially embarrassing when you have something like “Pays attention to detail” on your resume when you have silly mistakes on it. Guess you’re not that attentive after all! Also, make sure every word in your resume has its purpose. Be brief. Employers are only looking at your resume for thirty seconds, they don’t have time for fluff.
Cater your resume for each position you apply to. I find it helpful to have a section for Relevant Experience so that the employer sees how perfect of a fit you truly are for the position you seek. Also, keeping your resume 1-2 pages in length will help you stay brief. Focus in on why you’re perfect for that specific position.
Have approximately three bullet points explaining the skills you’ve derived from the positions. Some people only have one bullet point for each position but that’s a little too brief. Employers want to know that you’ll do a lot in your position.
Use action words such as Directed, organized, or established. Don’t repeat the same ones though. Avoid terms that are vague.
Put a header on each separate page of your resume. A header is the section with your name and contact information.
Don’ts
Don’t lie. Exaggerations are bad too!
A lot of companies say that they are equal opportunity employers. However, that does not mean you need to let them know that you’re a divorced 20 year old woman with a disability and five children. Employers are going to hire you based on your qualifications not based on how challenging your life is. It looks really unprofessional having private information about yourself on your resume.
Don’t forget to add dates. However, they shouldn’t be the center of attention so it’s best to leave them on the far right hand side for each position.
Don’t write “References available upon request.” Of course, they’re available upon request. Make sure that your references are kept up-to-date and that they know the positions that you’re going after. Also, make sure that they’re relevant to the position you seek.
Don’t merely state what you’ve done. That’s nice that you served people food as a waitress but you need to show what makes you different. This is your time to shine. What have you accomplished?
Don’t use personal pronouns. It takes away from your accomplishments and skill set. Get to the point.
Don’t include your high school information. I know that it looked great that you were the Student Council President back in grade 12 but you’re not anymore. There are plenty of new opportunities at McMaster that you can go after to build up your resume. Incoming first year students you’re allowed to keep your high school information for this year but after that you’re expected to have tried out some extracurricular activities at your new school.
Don’t include hobbies or interests. It seems like you’re just trying to fill up some space on your resume and it doesn’t provide much insight.
Don’t use words you don’t know the definition to or have never used in your life. You may be using it incorrectly and you’ll only look less qualified.
Conclusion
Despite having a better understanding of where you need to take your resume to bring it to the next level I’d still highly recommend coming to Career Services.
For the summer, drop-in resume critiques are for everyone from 1:30pm-4:30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If you ever need any help during the job hunting process, come visit us at Career Services. We’re open from 9am-4:30 Monday through Friday.
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