MAFTI 45th Anniversary

By: GENALYN TAN

On June 21, 2023, the Manitoba Association of Filipino Teachers, Inc. will celebrate its 45th Anniversary at the Hilton Hotel recognizing a remarkable milestone- Acknowledging the significant achievements and contributions in the community over 45 years since its establishment in 1977. MAFTI is a non-profit and volunteer association whose members are teachers, new immigrants, Educational assistants, and those with related professions. MAFTI has been playing a major role in preserving and promoting the Filipino Cultural Heritage specifically the language among the Filipino-Canadians. The Gala Night will be highlighted by the presence of the founding officers and members. MAFTI is also grateful for the continued support of the community, the Province of Manitoba through the Multicultural Secretariat for the grants received to run the Heritage programs and members whose tireless efforts and commitment are priceless. Cheers to the newly elected officers and board members who put all the work to ensure a successful and meaningful event - Genalyn Tan (Immediate Past President), Maryjane Napolitano (current President), Michael Valdez (Vice-President), important step in getting hired. Let me share my tips and tricks to crafting a resume.

Keep personal info off your resume: Employers do not need to know your age, marital status, race, religion, address and social insurance number. This also includes names and contact information of potential references. That information can be provided later in the hiring process when needed.

Make sure your contact info is up-to-date: Make sure your name and contact information (email, phone, LinkedIn profile.) on your resume is up-todate and accurate so employers can get in touch with you easily. You'd be surprised how many candidates forget a phone number and only include an email. For privacy and security reasons, I recommend leaving out your address details and simply include city and province you're located in.

Tailor your resume for the job: Before submitting your resume, make sure it has been tailored to the job you’re applying for. Highlight skills, qualifications and experiences that are relevant to the position you’re applying for in order to show off your qualifications more clearly.

Focus on transferable skills: Instead of listing all your experience back home, focus on skillsets and experiences that are equivalent or transferrable into Canadian roles instead - this can give potential employers an idea of how well you could fit into their role even if they haven’t heard of the job title before.

Use action words:

Focus on using action words such as ‘achieved’, ‘managed’ , ‘developed’ etc when describing what you have done in the past which shows prospective employers that you have taken initiative rather than just being part of a team doing something great for the employer.

Keep it concise: Canadian employers and recruiters prefer resumes between 1-2 pages long. Make sure yours stays concise by focusing only on what is essential as opposed to including everything from back home. Keep career experience to the last 10 years, especially in the rapidly evolving technology sector. Ultimately, having a well-crafted resume that caters specifically towards Canadian employers will set you up for success and help them quickly understand why they should hire you! Best of luck!