1. Register online at:

2. COMP SCI / SFWR ENG 3I03 January 2016
We’re Here To Help! Engineering Co-op & Career Services (ECCS)
COMP SCI / SFWR ENG 3I03
January 2016
“We customize the strategy to you”

3. Your Presenters Arlene Fajutrao Dosen Jesse Sahota Daniel Picone
Manager, ECCS
Jesse Sahota
Career Development and Relationship Manager, ECCS
Daniel Picone

4. Agenda Cover Letter & Resume Do’s and Don’ts Dissecting a Job Posting
Branding Yourself

5. Engineering Co-op & Career Services
A joint venture between the McMaster Engineering Society (MES) and the Faculty of Engineering
Connects students with employers
Provides career planning tools and resources
Provides opportunities for students to gain employment experience

6. Cover Letter – Do’s Research the company and show genuine interest
Ex. IBM – “I am very interested in working for a company that is one of the industry leaders in advanced information technologies and consistently innovating software and microelectronics.”
Embed phrases from the job requirements and responsibilities in your cover letter
Ex. “While participating in the DeltaHacks II hackathon, I worked cohesively with my team of 7 and utilized strong interpersonal skills resulting in a 2nd place finish in the competition.

7. Cover Letter – Don’ts DON’T sell yourself short
Ex. You are a member of PhaseOne, a First Robotics mentor, work part-time at Best Buy, however on your cover letter you only highlight your programming skills.
DON’T use vague statements. Be specific!
Ex. Through my volunteer experiences and extracurricular activities, I have improved my interpersonal skills.
Where did you volunteer? What was your role?
Which extracurricular activity? What was your role?

8. Resume – Do’s
Embed job requirements in your work/volunteer/extracurricular experiences
Food Basics
Developed excellent organizational skills and interpersonal skills while stocking the produce section and answering customer inquiries
Use accomplishment statements
Personal tutor
Improved student academic performance by 10-15%
Student Leadership Conference Coordinator
Increased event attendance by 30 people from the previous year by increasing online marketing (LinkedIn and Twitter)
Bold key words for to emphasize skills and accomplishments

9. Resume – Don’ts
DON’T focus on the day-to-day tasks when describing an experience
Ex. Tim Hortons
Served baked goods to customers
Strengthened my verbal communication skills by welcoming up to 100 customers on a daily basis
DON’T use large blocks of text
Difficult for employers to browse through
Use bullet points

10. Building a Personal Brand!
Some key references:
Idealist Careers: Personal Branding 101
Social Media Examiner: How to Use Social Media to Build Your Personal Brand
The Interview Guys: Personal Branding for Job Seekers 101
Entrepreneur: The 4 Essentials to Building Your Brand on Social Media

11. Your Personal Brand Online – Why is it important?
Personal branding is another form of networking – it can attract new opportunities and help establish credibility
Personal branding can strengthen an organization or cause you are passionate about – you can use your brand to build awareness
Hiring organizations are already looking for you online and may perceive it as a red flag if they can’t find you

12. Building Your Personal Brand
Determine what you want your brand to be
Do a brand audit (LinkedIn; Pinterest; Instagram; Twitter; Facebook)
Mold your online presence to showcase your brand
Introduce a bit of your personality
Be active!
1. What is a personal brand statement? 1-2 sentences answering what you are the best at (your value); who you serve (target audience) and how you do it uniquely. It summarizes your unique promise of value.
What value your provide (what problem you solve) / What differentiates you from other people in your area of expertise
How you do it uniquely (your unique selling points)
Whom you do it for (your target audience)
2. Do a brand audit (use free Twitter tools; Klout; Google Analytics to see areas where you have influence); make yourself memorable by using a consistent look and feel on all platforms
3. Make sure your social network profiles are up to date with work information and skills sets

13. Register on the McMaster Engineering Alumni website
Linkedin
Seminar
Discover some quick and easy action steps to elevate your personal brand using LinkedIn
Whether you are looking for a job now, or want to set yourself up for a great job in the future, you will come away with some great tips for making your profile stand out
You will also find out how the most progressive companies use LinkedIn to recruit, so you can customize your profile to match the kinds of companies you want to work for!
Wed. Feb. 1, 2017
6:30 pm
Location: TBA
Register on the McMaster Engineering Alumni website

14. CIBC Hall (3rd Floor Student Centre)
Alumni will share their experiences about academics, study skills, day-to-day issues, career planning, networking and professional development
They were students too! They understand student goals and concerns, and will be happy to address any questions that students have
Over 120 alumni will be present!
TONIGHT!
7:00 pm
CIBC Hall (3rd Floor Student Centre)
No need to register

15. Take Home Points
Be active! You need to be looking for a position 4 to 6 months before your co-op work term begins
Always apply with TAILORED documents
Your online presence is a direct representation of you  Brand yourself!
If you need any help come see us as soon as possible

16. Contact Us
In Person: Come by the ECCS Office in JHE A214 between 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Online: Book an appointment on OSCARplus
Phone: ext