How to showcase skills and experience effectively on a resumé

Chelsea Marsolais is a peer facilitator with Career Studio, a new service at VIU that assists students with writing resumés and cover letters, interview skills and career exploration.

She recently helped Joe, a VIU student whose last name we agreed not to use.

Joe’s story

I was working on my resumé in the VIU cafeteria and saw a booth advertising the Career Studio, so I asked for some information and found I could go in person to reach out for help. It had been so many years since I applied for a job and I felt my resumé was very out of date. I had spent a decade and a half at one job and was having trouble presenting my skills in a way that would be readable and relatable to potential employers.

I dropped in without an appointment, and the Career Studio was very helpful. They read my resumé, gave feedback and got me signed up for an online course. I found the course helpful for reformatting my resumé and presenting my skills and experience in an attention-grabbing way.

When I re-approached the workplace I was seeking employment at with my updated resumé, I was hired! The Career Studio was a huge help. I would recommend it to anyone.

Chelsea’s side of the story

A student came in one morning for a resumé critique to get a job after years with the military. This was out of the scope of my practice, but I knew one thing – being in the military teaches you many things and there are many transferable skills. The challenging part for me in this was helping the student see that.

As we talked, Paula, our career services specialist, assisted me. She was able to send me some resources that I could share with the student and we enrolled him in the resumé and cover letter course that is free from the Career Studio. A few days later, this student emailed me to let me know that he got a job after using the course and the resources. My heart was filled with a lot of happiness to hear that. The situation was a challenge at first, but it demonstrates that no work experience is ever a waste. With the right communication, you can connect transferable skills to make the employer see you are a fit without doing the job.

Chelsea Marsolais was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. Her first job was at a summer day camp in Terrebonne, Quebec. She has worked in hospitality in Calgary and Lake Louise, Alberta, as well as in Nanaimo and Whistler, BC. Chelsea attends VIU, majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in French. She enjoys traveling and outdoor activities. Drop in to see her and the other peer facilitators in the Career Studio in Building 255, Room 204.