Resume, Resume, Resume.

HELLO my fellow readers! 

I had Adele on the brain (who doesn't lately) and thought that this was an exciting greeting for my 2nd blogpost. Hope you got a laugh out of it. If you haven't seen Mrs. Doubtfire, then..... well just watch it.

The other greeting is from Ryan Reynolds. My shameless celebrity crush (irrelevant) but come on.

Anyways, this week has been pretty busy. I forgot to mention in my first post that I am in my second semester here at Sheridan. For those of you who think that the first couple weeks of school after Christmas break is a breeze, think again. Not to scare you or anything. ;). We were definitely warned that after the break we should be prepared to work on a large integrated group project between all classes and teachers, beginning the first day back. Aside from that, the number 1 priority (for us postgrads) is job searching. Hence the title of this post. Resume development has quickly become extremely important and essential. Job postings have already begun for Co-op, and it is our job to make sure our resumes are up to spec. Now having said that, our teachers and faculty are with us every step of the way, with several resources and people that are more than happy to help us achieve our goals for the perfect resume. That is what I love about Sheridan. We are able to have 1 on 1 meetings with career development experts here at the school so that each individual knows where they are at with their resume, and what they need to improve on. 

How am I doing with this whole "job search" thing? To be honest I was a little stressed at first, because my resume was nowhere near ready. So much more had to be fixed in regards to what I've learned this semester and the skills I have gained. Now that I have had just the smallest one on one time with one of our Co-op teachers, it's clear what needs to be done to make my resume the best it can be. It is still in fact a "working resume", but this week it will be done! My advice to anyone coming into this program would be to always update your resume each time you have learned something new, or have a new work experience. Even just jot it down in a journal, and write down what you learned from class, or a key skill you achieved. You'll be surprised at how that will help you during your resume writing. 

What I didn't realize, is the different styles of resumes that applicants use in this industry -- especially if you are in creative. It is important to set yourself apart from all other applicants by making your resume attractive in a unique, creative way. And I am not talking about work experience. We are constantly being told that we need to find a way to "sell ourselves". By this I mean visually. Going into the creative side, having your resume stand out from a sea of equally qualified individuals is essential. If you think this might be you, take some time to think about how your new creative resume will look. What is it about your personality that is unlike anyone else's? How can you visualize this in "resume" form? Our teachers have shown us a few examples of creative portfolios and resumes, and they really are impressive. I myself am not going into creative (I enjoy the account planning side) but I thought it was really interesting because I always thought all resumes were the same format. So it was cool to see. I hope to use this strategy in some way for my own, even if it is some colour changes in the font. 

Okay, I am definitely boring you (and perhaps stressing you out before you even get here). It really isn't that bad, and like I said, Sheridan has an amazing support system with all the resources you need, whenever you need them. The Career Centre is always willing to offer you their expertise in this area, even with cover letters. So don't fret. With Advertising Account Management, you have a Co-op class every week, guiding you through the process so that you are almost guaranteed to earn your Co-op position by the end of the term. All you have to do is show up, listen, engage, and be active in your job searching. 

That's all for today guys! Thanks for reading :) I promise my next post will be less about scaring you, and more about exciting you! That's what it's all about.

Sincerely, 

Ashleigh