22 - Wednesday, August 26, 1987 - North Shore News YOUNGS-FERRIS INTERNATIONAL VOCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE Individualized Career Testing & Educational Guidance Since 1946 Registered Psychologist 294-1754 294-1755 For more information call 3955 East Hastings St., Burnaly of You Deserve The Best! ® Executive & Professional Resumes Custom, Personal, Quality Service Career Counselling and Testing Outplacement / Relocation Assistance Corporate and Business Portfolios Confidential Local & Overseas Contacts A World of Opportunity Strategies For Success Since 1971 | (P) INTERNATIONAL CAREER SYSTEMS INC THE ODDS ARE IN YOUR FAVOR WHEN YOU USE A SPECIALIZED RECRUITER. The accounting, financial and edp fields have gotten so specialized, it takes a specialist to sort them out. Which is why Robert Half - the most ex- perienced specialist - can increase your success. At Robert Half, you work with professionals who can communicate and understand your re- quirements better. Because every hour of every working day they concentrate their energies in finding the best financial and edp professionals. You've also got the resources of the largest per- sonnel organization in the financial and edp fields, with over 100 offices on three continents. Because we understand what you want, we won’t waste your time. We're success-oriented. The odds are in your favor when you call Robert Half. SUE Re as | 404-999 Canada Place Call Now! G4T-Ke % JOB-HUNTING ESSENTIAL Positive resume yields results IN THE job-hunting game, the resume plays an essential role — and having the best possible resume can definitely increase the odds of winning a job. A positive resume contains three basic ingredients, said Robert Half, director of a Worth Amevica-wide personnel agency. Positive image, positive contribu- tion and positive appeal all com- bine to make for a top-quality. winning resume. Like the old refrain of ‘tyou've got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative,’’ resume writers accentuate the positive by carefully positioning the most im- portant features of your background first and by providing greater space for these features. To highlight positive contribu- tions, resumes should indicate in some way how the person con- tributed to the firm or company, a ot * 20 Years Experience * aided in increasing profits, helped improve customer or client rela- tionships and handled the tasks better than expected. At the end of the resume, resuine writers “toot your own horn,”’ said Half. But be careful not to appear pompous, conceited or arrogant, he added, noting there is nothing wrong with making truthful state- ments to the effect that a person: works hard, has a flair for getting things done, gets along with people and is a self-starter. If such self-acclaim seems un- natural, never forget that a resume is a sales device. ‘‘In it, you are trying to sell your most important commodity —~ you. If your resume has no sell, it is negative, causing you to compete in the employment market with a major handicap," explained Half. “Employers may consider your PLACEMENT © Permanent ® Temporary PROFESSIONAL ° Xerox 860 Word Processing * Resumes & Letters Written © Typing ® Telephone Answering FAX - TELEX - PHOTOCOPIES Computer Information Services * A FAST — CONFIDENTIAL SERVICE * CORA GRAY BUSINESS CENTRE Suite #11 - 285 17th Street West Vancouver, B.C. 926-0139 BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THAT .. WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NORTH SHORE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE “CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITY” OFFER . iN) ie failure to present yourself in’ the best possible way as a reflection upon your intelligence, your ability or your ambition.”’ Here are some of Half's most important do’s and don'ts of resume writing. * Be accurate, but not overly precise. Leave out exact dates — months and years are okay. If the employment is a long one, just use years. Too much detail is not only boring, but suggests that the can- didate overlooks the big picture in favor of minor details. * Stick to the facts. Do not ex- pound upon your personal philosophies. © Eliminate unnecessary words. Avoid the first person and com- pletely avoid the third person. Do not use the word “‘resume.’’ © Where possible, use an action word such as conceived, solved or streamlined as the first word in a sentence. Action words are positive words that portray ‘‘doing’’ and achieving. © Make the resume serve a single purpose.‘If you qualify for two types of positions — such as a controller in industry and as a public accountant -— it will be nec- essary for you to have two resumes, accenting the features of interest for the appropriate posi- tion. * Mention your interest in sports and hobbies but not to the extent that it would appear that they monopolize your time. It should not be a feature of the resume and if used should appear near the end. ® Use birthdate, not age. The major reason for this is that the birthdate does not change annual- ly, whereas the age does. e Number the second page of the resume, and put your name on the top of that page. * Don’t let the resume run over two pages long, except in special circumstances. It may be better on one sheet if it’s not too crowded. * Don’t be too unconventional in the physical make-up of the resume. IF YOU'RE FREE, WE'RE ‘FREE’... REDEEMABLE for ONE HOUR EXPERT SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELLING AT « MANAGEMENT « MARKETING * ACCOUNTING ° SALES “NO CHARGE” * PROMOTION » PERSONNEL * RESEARCH * PRICING THE NORTH SHORE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CENTRE \s a Small Business Assistance Ce! nire a ssaciatad with Capilano College. We're here to help you start a new business or improve an already existing one Call us to arrange for your conlidential counselling session. Offer valid thru Sept. 30/87 upon presentation of Coupon. Limit - one per business. NSN 26/8/87 r=NSEDC Gn a ee nr ec ee te ee ee a Suite 301, 145 W. 15th St Narth Vancouver 984-2004