Holiday Job Searching -- Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Thinking about taking a break from your job search? Think again. December is not all about vacations and holiday shopping. The truth is, plenty of businesses don't stop their hiring processes to spread holiday cheer-- and many businesses are doing peak sales and need the extra staff. If you're job hunting, this is a most wonderful time of the year.

Short-term Retail Positions

There are plenty of short-term retail positions created during the holidays. This is not just working a booth at the mall. Plenty of retailers are adding cashiers to handle the increase in customers, and adding floor managers to deal with the new stock. Deliver drivers are needed. Any of these positions could lead to more work, and all add experience to your resume.

Competition for Positions

Because so many job seekers stop their search during December, this means less competition for you. At this time of year, recruiters see a fraction of the resumes and applications they usually get, and many of those candidates are hard to get a hold of. Step up your job search. Answer your phone. You just might be the best candidate for the job.

Winter Seasonal Work

Many positions for winter seasonal work are hiring now. Recruiters would like to have these positions filled and ready to start for January. If you're a summer seasonal worker, now is a great time to look for winter work for year-long income.

Be Positive

Holiday stress can cause many job seekers to become frustrated, depressed and give up their job searching. Stay positive. Recruiters are just as stressed about the holidays. A positive attitude will make a great impression. It might just get you the job.

Give and Ye Shall Receive

At this time of year, there are plenty of volunteer organizations looking for extra hands. Volunteering your time puts you in a great networking position, while also adding skills and experience to your resume.

Keep up a positive attitude and work hard to job search this holiday season. Even a short-term position can work into something more come January when vacation season starts.

[A word of warning: Do be mindful of job scams. Grinches don't slow down for the holidays.]

We can help! Come on over to our office. We don't slow down for the holidays, either. See our holiday hours. If you're job searching, our experienced employment counsellors can help. You don't have to job search alone.

More articles on job searching during the holidays:

5 Reasons to Continue Your Job Search over the Holidays

Holiday Job Searching

How to Job Search over the Holidays

Job Hunting During the Holidays

Hear what employers are saying!!!

November 16. Attend presentations starting at 10:00 which include Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, Sunderland Co-operative/Oakwood Ag. Centre/Lindsay Petroleum, City of Kawartha Lakes - Agricultural Development Officer and Bob Mark New Hollland. Find out different types of occupations in this sector such as labourers, administration, human resources, sales, management, apprenticeships and many more.

Join us again, November 17 and hear labour market information from Ontario Provincial Police, Kawartha Guard Services, Corrections Canada, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Find out different occupations in each of these sectors. Learn how to apply to these positions and find out what employers like to see in an application.

Light refreshments provided.
Enter a draw to win a free laptop.

Meals Served Around Town

Community Care Greet and Eat
Every Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. Tickets $7.00 each
Call 705-324-7323 or 705-878-8261

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

Sunday dinners no charge
2nd and 4th Sunday of each month
Call 705-324-4842 for more information

Soup Kitchen
11:30 to 12:30 pm
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Call 705-324-4842 for more information

Nov. 14 - 17 - Bringing Employers to You!

Light Refreshments Provided
Draw for a FREE laptop.
Don't be disappointed, call to reserve your spot (705) 328-0180.

Career Week at VCCS

VCCS is hosting Career Week November 14 - 17, 2011. We will be covering topics on Green Jobs on Monday November 14, Community Services on Tuesday November 15, 2011, Employment in Agriculture on Wednesday, November 16, 2011 and on Thursday, November 17, 2011 Emergency Services. Each day we will have agencies and employers talk on each topic. Click here for more information.

Small Business Week - October 17 - 21, 2011

Come visit VCCS Employment Services' table at MP Barry Devolin's Lead Off to Small Business Week on Monday October 17, 2011. Located at the Lindsay Fairgrounds, 354 Angeline Street South, Lindsay, from 4:00 - 9:00p.m. No registration is necessary and everyone is welcome!

Representatives from various agencies will be on hand such as Business Development Canada, Farm Credit Canada, OMAFRA, Export Development Canada, Revenue Canada, Service Ontario, Community Futures Development Corporation, Service Canada, City of KL Economic Development, Kawartha Lakes Small Business Enterprise Centre and many more.

5:00p.m. - Special Presentation: Small Business
7:00 p.m. - Specical Presentation: Futures for farmers

Small Business Week - Oct. 17 - 21, 2011

On Thursday October 20th from 5:30 - 7:00, Mark Mason, Barrister and Solicitor, Hicks Morley will present a FREE workshop on Employment Law and What Employers Need to Know at VCCS Employment Services.

Mark will cover the following topics:

• What should be in a personnel file


• Dealing with difficult employees


• Performance Appraisals


• Managing contract and part time employees


• Liability Issues training and due diligence


• Question and Answer period

Space is limited. Please call 705-328-0180 to reserve your spot.

For more information visit our website at http://careerservices.org/

Student & Youth Services: How VCCS Can Get You Hired

Whether you're in school or not, if you're under 21, VCCS Employment Services has many services and great people who can get you hired.

Have a job in mind? We can help. Our employment counsellors are trained experts with the knowledge and years of experience that can take your resume and cover letter from good to great. They can help you prepare for the toughest interview questions. Come in and see our employment counsellors before you fill out that application or send that resume.

Trying to find work? We can help. If you don't already have a job in mind, and are having trouble finding job vacancies for youth/students, come in and view our job board. Our resource room counsellors and job developers have their fingers on the pulse of the local employment sector. If there's work out there, we know about it. Many jobs are not advertised in the paper. We can help you access the hidden job market. You don't have to take the first job you find. We can work with you to find the opportunity that's right for you. Stop by our resource room today.

Not sure what you're looking for? We can help with that, too. Our counsellors are available to discuss options with you. They also put on workshops to help you figure out where you're going in life and what careers are suited for you. Come in and make an appointment today.

Staying Motivated While Job Searching

Job searching is a difficult task, made all the more grueling by the very personal nature in which you are being evaluated for each job. Every "no" feels like it's aimed at you, and after a collection of rejections you might start to feel like you'll never get a job. Finding the motivation to keep job searching becomes a chore in itself. Here are a few tips to help you keep up your job-search confidence.

First, review your accomplishments every day. Employers are looking for people with positive, enthusiastic attitudes to enhance their businesses. They're not going to want to hire droopy, depressed people who are afraid to talk about themselves. Read over your resume, look through your certificates, and keep a notebook of your best accomplishments. Whenever you remember something you've done that makes you feel proud, jot it down in the notebook. Review these accomplishments before sending a cover letter and before attending an interview. A positive attitude can be felt even in a cover letter. Remember to wear a smile!

Find a support group. A group setting not only increases your list of contacts, but the group setting can provide you with new job search ideas and stories of job search success. A group can be a great source of inspiration. Sometimes when job searching you feel like you're all alone. The first thing you'll find in a support group is that you're not alone. Here at VCCS Employment Services, we run workshops each month. These are great opportunities to find others who are job searching just like you.

If a support group isn't your thing, find a motivational partner. This is someone you can talk to about your job search, proofread your cover letter, commiserate with you and celebrate your success. Find someone who will hold you accountable for your job search and won't let you give up even when it gets hard. This person could also be job searching, and you could lean on each other for support. If you're having trouble finding someone, come to VCCS Employment Services and talk to our counsellors. There's a whole team of job-search cheerleaders here for you.

Perseverance. The hit movie The Help is based on a book by Kathryn Stockett. Kathryn's book was rejected by literary agents 60 times. What if she'd given up after 8 rejections? Or 23? Or even 40? After all, 40 rejections would be pretty hard to take. Finding an agent is no different from finding a job. What if in your job search I told you that you would get the 47th job you applied for-- would you quit after applying for 15 jobs? After 26? Probably not. The right job is out there. You have to keep applying to find it. Try this: for every "no" you get, send out 3 more resumes. Keep looking for opportunities, keep applying.

Volunteer. This is also a great way to increase the number of people you know, and establish more connections, grow your support network. It also increases your employable skills, giving you something relevant to add to your resume. Come in to VCCS Employment Services and look over the many volunteer opportunities posted on our bulletin board, or have a look at Fourinfo.com. The right one is there for you.

Remember you are your own life manager. How would you say your manager is doing? Are you happy with your current job prospects? Would you manage someone else's career direction this way? Probably not. Probably you would be encouraging, supportive, and not take any excuses to quit! Remember: you are worth the same effort! If you're having trouble remembering this, go back up to the top of this post and start following the tips. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies. Be your own best friend.

Sometimes finding a job really is about who you know. Talk to your family, friends and neighbours. Let them know you're job searching. They might have heard of an opportunity that's right for you. This also helps you establish a support group, a network of motivational partners. Look for work opportunities everywhere.

Above all else, don't give up.

...

Read more about Kathryn Stockett's inspiring story of perseverance: More magazine

Photo credits: perseverance

Community Open House Day - Sept. 21, 2011

September 21, 2011
9:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Drop in or call to register today (705) 328-0180
Community Services Available to YOU
9:00 Literacy Ontario Central South - Brenda Graham
10:00 Ontario Works - Donna Jokinen
10:30 Job Quest - Kim Godwin
11:00 A Place Called Home - Lorrie Polito
1:30 Service Canada - Claudia Humber
3:00 Credit Counselling Service of Peterborough - Nancy Jackson
4:00 Four County Crisis Centre - Andrew Hodson, Melanie Graham

Descriptive Verbs

Sometimes when composing resumes and covering letters we get 'word locked' and can't think of a proper word to use. We are hoping these descriptions of verbs will help you.

10 Twitter accounts to follow for job searching in Kawartha Lakes

1) @WorkCabin – Founder, WorkCabin.ca, Canada’s Environmental Jobs Site | I’m a boots-on-the-ground conservationist. The forest is my second home (really, I’m not kidding)
This is an excellent site for anyone looking for environmental, conservation, and outdoor jobs anywhere in Canada. Ontario is expanding rapidly in the eco-jobs industries. New jobs are posted daily as soon as Work Cabin receives them.

2) @advantageKL – Come for a visit and learn about the advantages of operating a business while living in Kawartha Lakes! We’re here to help.http://www.advantagekawarthalakes.com
These folks are at the forefront of bringing businesses to the City of Kawartha Lakes. Follow them for news of coming businesses and you’ll get a heads-up on where the jobs will be.

3) @MonsterCareers – Monster.com tweet career advice, job-seeking tips, and more – voiced by Monster’s senior editor, Charles Purdy.
Although jobs aren’t posted here like they are on Monster.com and Monster.ca, there are great job search tips posted daily. This site is American.

4) @OnlineResume – Helping Job Seekers overcome the obstacles in resume writing and job seeking online
Again, no postings, but more great job search tips. Some tips are presented with humour. This site is American.

5) @WorkforceDB – The Workforce Development Board is a community based independent not-for-profit corporation funded by MTCU, Industry and other funding sources.
This is a great local resource for employment information, as well as job postings via our CERP job board for the City of Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough and Cobourg areas.

6) @MunicipalJobs – Canada’s premier Municipal Job Board, hosted by Municipal World, now tweeting job postings from across Canada #jobs Also follow our Editor @MWEditor
Jobs are posted almost daily, but are from across Canada. This is a great resource for those with a university education, who don’t mind relocating.

7) @kawarthajobs – Only jobs in the City of the Kawartha Lakes will be posted here
These jobs are all local, posted daily, and sourced from Kijiji. If you are going to check out these jobs, please do a little homework and be careful.

8) @ptbojobs – Daily job postings for Peterborough, ON. Kyle Richtig, certified Job Search Coach and Résumé Writing Coach, currently works for Northern Lights Canada. http://www.kylerichtig.com
Daily postings of jobs in Peterborough, including Kijiji postings (again, do the research and be careful with Kijiji postings).

9) @vccsemployment – Your one-stop employment service in the City of Kawartha Lakes!
Our official Twitter. Updated as often as possible with what’s happening at VCCS.

10) @SaraW_VCCS – VCCS Employment Services: We are your employment experts in the City of Kawartha Lakes. Follow @vccsemployment Find us on Facebook. http://careerservices.org
News and job information gathered daily from our community and presented for your reference, including job postings and employment-related events.

Bonus tip: Be sure to check out who these accounts are following for more great resources.

Do you have a great Twitter resource to add to this list? Mention them in the comments.

Tom Phillips on the Peterborough Area Employment Situation

Peterborough based economist Tom Phillips has written a very thoughtful and informative article on the Peterborough Employment situation. As a job seeker in the City of Kawartha Lakes and surrounding area, the suggestions Tom puts forth are of great interest.

http://www.ptbocanada.com/journal/2011/8/16/why-peterboroughs-unemployment-rate-is-so-high-in-global-con.html

Keep an eye on the main ptbocanada blog at http://www.ptbocanada.com for more articles regarding issues and topics in the Peterborough area.

We are Linked!

As your One-Stop employment service in the City of Kawartha Lakes, we have made it easier to access our web content by linking our twitter(@vccsemployment), facebook & blog sites all in one! Keep watching for more web based fun!

WHY VOLUNTEER???

Boost your career options

A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses

• 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without
• 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills
• 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills had benefited either by getting their first job, improving their salary, or being promoted

Also, if you are thinking of a career change then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new fields. If you have a passion for the arts but have career in computing then why not volunteer at your local theatre? Or if your ambitions are to be a doctor why not find out about volunteer opportunities at your local hospital – the ideal way to expand your work portfolio in your field and to gain a real insight into your chosen path.

Taken from: World Volunteer Web

Volunteering and employment-related benefits

Generally, the same groups that are most likely to volunteer to improve their job prospects are also more likely to say that volunteering increased their skills and improved their job prospects. For example, volunteers aged 15 to 24 were more likely than older volunteers to report gaining increased communication skills (82%) and interpersonal skills (77%) from their volunteer activities. However, those aged 55 to 64 were more likely than other volunteers to report gaining knowledge from their volunteer activities. Unemployed volunteers were more likely than other volunteers to report gaining communication skills. Three quarters (75%) of unemployed volunteers reported gaining communication skills, compared to 68% of employed volunteers and 66% of volunteers who were not in the labour force. Similar, but less pronounced, patterns were seen with other skills. Just under half (49%) of employed volunteers aged 15 to 24 said their volunteer activities gave them new skills that they could apply directly to their job. Additionally, almost one quarter (24%) of volunteers aged 15 to 24 said that their volunteer activities had helped them in the past to obtain employment.

Perhaps the most compelling finding regarding the effectiveness of volunteer activity in helping people to obtain employment is that 28% of unemployed volunteers (and 16% of employed volunteers) said that their volunteering had helped them obtain a job in the past and 62% of unemployed volunteers believed that it would help them to find a job in the future.

The Benefits of Volunteering, from the 2000

National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating

(NSGVP), Canada

For Volunteer Positions in City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton and surrounding areas, visit: click here FourInfo.com

Benefits for Employers of Using an Employment Agency

A non-profit employment agency can be a valuable resource for employers. If you are a business looking to hire such a service can assist in the following ways:

Determine the needs of the business
An experienced job developer will come to your work place and discuss the opportunities within your work place; the duties and tasks of the position, the skills you require to complete the tasks and duties, your organizational culture and the nuances of your business.

Create a job description
In the event that a formal job description does not exist; a job developer can develop one with the employer using a variety of resources. Labour market information is available to assist with finding suitable wages within our region to offer competitive wages.

Assist with finding suitable candidates
Through internal review of candidate’s working within the agency, the job developer can pre-screen job ready clients and discuss their attributes with the employer. External posting of the position allows the employer to access a public virtual and physical job board.

Building Relationships
As services are provided a lasting relationship develops between the employer and the job developer. Business solutions are available for the employer to access on a regular basis. Opportunities to discuss business activities come in the form of presentation or one on one business meetings.

For further information on how VCCS can assist you as an employer, please contact us at your convenience.


Resources for Employers: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/intro-eng.aspx

5 Tips for Managing the Stress of Starting a New Job

Starting a new job can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you get through the first few days.

1. Get organized, plan your day.

Spend some time the night before to plan your day. Choose your clothing, make sure it's all clean and pressed. Pack your lunch. Charge your cell phone. Pack a notebook and pen to take with you. If your job requires special tools or equipment, make sure they are in working order and ready to go.

2. Know your workplace.

You probably did some research about your new company during the job search and interview process. Now is the time for additional research. Prepare the night before by reviewing what you learned in your interview. Take another look at the company website, this time to learn the company's mission statement and philosophy. It's now your mission statement, your philosophy.

3. Know your job.

Keep a copy of the job ad, or job description, with you during the first few weeks. This will help you to learn the functions of your new role. Study the company's policies and procedures. Avoid making too many changes too soon in your new job. You want to learn the culture of your new environment before you try to change it. Don't compare your new employer to your old employer. Forget the probation period. Adjust to the rhythm of the workplace right away. You might have a 90 day probation period, but the truth is, no one needs 90 days to learn their place, and if they do, this may not be the right job for them.

4. Keep calm and carry on.

Relax. No one expects you to remember everyone's names in that first day. Be patient with yourself. You didn't learn everything about your last job in one day. You're not expected to know everything about your new job, but you are expected to be a positive contributor to the workplace.

You might want to review our post, "6 Topics to Avoid Discussing at Work".

5. Review your accomplishments.

You were hired for a reason. Keep your résumé with you during the first few days, and read it. Review your accomplishments throughout the day. Stay positive.

If your stress level is becoming too much for you to handle, visit the Canadian Mental Health Association. They can help.

Additional Reading:

* Starting a New Job: How to be Comfortable

* Four tips to overcome fear and anxiety in your new job

photo from flickr commons

How safe are you at work?

In 2010, 3.86% of all insured workers (or 154,862 total workers) were reported to be injured on the job based on statistics provided by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Reported incidents of injury are down for 2010 as in the previous year, 4.21% of workers were injured on the job 9 or 165,495 total across all insured workers in Ontario. The trend towards more stringent Health & Safety measures for employers and workers to follow has demonstrated a statistical decline in Reported incidents since 2006 when the WSIB reported an injury and illness rate of 5.38%.

It is important to note that While statistics indicate a decline in injury rates that lead to time off the job, the numbers could actually be worse because of accidents in the “underground economy” and “under-the-table paying” jobs that companies and workers never report.

Despite the push for better job safety and a decrease in injury rates, an alarming trend shows that workplace deaths have jumped 16 per cent in Ontario during the last year. A breakdown of the figures from the Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety and Insurance Board reveals that job fatalities alone climbed by 11 in the latest year or 15 per cent to 84. It is important to note that although in the last year this jump in workplace deaths is significant, overall workplace fatalities since 2006 are down from a 5 year high of 101 in that fiscal year.

Data sourced from from the Toronto Star and the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board websites (WSIB) | www.thestar.com | http://www.wsib.on.ca

Rural Workshops

Live in the surrounding areas of City of Kawartha Lakes. We have many workshops lined up to help you find that summer job. Click here for information and for the July calendar click here and here for August.

VCCS hosting Open House for Student Centre

VCCS Employment Student Centre is having their open house July 14, 2011. Click here.

July Employer Presentations

Register for our FREE employer presentations. Call 705-328-0180 or e-mail scolville@careerservices.org

Learn about employment and career opportunities.

Total Cable Inc. July 19, 2011
RCMP July 25, 2011

Can social media really help you find a job?

More and more social media is entering our lives, our workplaces and our homes. Enquiries to "join my network" pop into our inboxes everyday. But can social networking really help in your job search? More than ever businesses and workplaces are tweeting, linking in and setting up facebook pages as ways of marketing their services. For the job seeker this can provide a wealth of information. What is the company's social media presence, what topics are they presenting and how current are their posts. Having a good understanding of a company gives you valuable information that you can use in your job search. It can help you target who to contact for informational interviews and identify a company's mission, beliefs and values that can help you tailor your resume and coverletter. How to use social media in your job search efforts is just one way that VCCS can help you. Come in and see us to find out more.

RCMP Employer Presentation!

VCCS will be holding an employer presentation from the RCMP on July 25^th at 10am. Be sure to check out this great opportunity! You will learn about career opportunities, basic requirements, the recruiting process, cadet training pay and will be able to meet the recruiter for the Central Region! Please call 705-328-0180 or visit VCCS Employment Services at 370 Kent St. West in Lindsay to register.

3 Tips for Getting a Job in the Arts

Maybe you want to make a living as a photographer, web designer, watercolour artist, or jewellery designer, and have noticed the distinct lack of postings for those jobs in the newspaper? Maybe your résumé is filled with your day-job experiences, but doesn’t show your creative side. Maybe you just completed a college or university degree in the arts and don’t want to be stuck in an unrelated 9-to-5 job.

Here are some tips to help you transition into getting paid for your art:

1) Make One New Thing Every Day & Share It
It doesn’t have to be a big thing, but it does have to be complete. Don’t spend half the day on it, either. Just a sketch will do. Give yourself an hour, make something cool and share it.

You might think you’ll run out of ideas, but you’re wrong. Generating one new thing each day (one sketch, one hair clip, one song, one poem, one photo, etc), primes the pump on the well of creativity. One small idea will lead to bigger ideas. Your imagination will stretch and grow. Running out of ideas is a myth. You’ll soon find you have more ideas than you have time for.

One new thing each day gives you the chance to practice, practice, practice, and improve your skills. It also builds your portfolio. Think of it: you’ll have 365 new things each year. Hopefully, you’ll have improved and learned a few new skills, too.

Creating one new thing each day proves your commitment to your art. It establishes discipline.

But creating one new thing each day is only half the job. You also have to share it. Sharing your art gives you the opportunity to receive feedback, and this is vital if you expect to make a living off your art. An easy way to do this is to get a blog, post pictures of your art and share it with the world. Let your friends know what you’re doing and invite them to take a look.

Sharing is vital to art. You should always create your art to please yourself, but you need to share it, too. Showing your art transforms it. Actors know this. Dress rehearsals are notorious for being a mess, while opening night goes off without a hitch. All art requires an audience.

You can also share your art by joining a community.

2) Join a Community
There are lots of local art communities in your area. Take a look. Volunteer at the art gallery. Help out at the library’s book sale. Offer your paintings for non-profit organizations to hang on their office walls. Look for free opportunities to share your work, while getting to know more people with the same interests.

You might view other artists as competition. Don’t. Every individual is unique. No one will make the same art, even when given the same subject. Other artists are valuable resources. They might know of opportunities that are not right for them, but might be right for you. Other artists can help you learn new techniques, expand your art skills. They can give you suggestions for improvement. They can talk in the language of your art. They can commiserate, celebrate and sympathize.

Opportunities around & near Kawartha Lakes:

• http://fourinfo.cioc.ca/bresults.asp?STerms=art%2C+heritage&SType=A&CMType=L&PBID=&NUM=
• http://www.city.kawarthalakes.on.ca/residents/parks-recreation-culture/arts-culture-heritage/arts-culture

If you are really in a remote area and don’t have local art communities, you could join an online community. Here are a few to get you thinking:

• http://www.deviantart.com/
• http://500px.com/
• http://www.starvingjewelryartists.com/

3) Deadlines
“Goals are dreams with deadlines” – Diana Scharf Hunt
Deadlines are an artist’s best friends. Simply defined, deadlines are time limits. Without a deadline, you could potentially work on the same piece of art forever. Without a deadline, how do you know when to stop? How do you know if you’ve grown? Deadlines are a vital part of the artist-customer relationship. If you cannot produce a piece of art on time for a customer, then that customer will find an artist who can. Art shows and craft sales also make great deadlines— reserve a booth today!

Be sure to give your art, whatever it may be, an audience and an opening night, then watch your art soar.

For more great ideas on getting a job in the arts, check out this video:

Nick Campbell - The Creative Gap: Becoming Better Than Most from Nick Campbell on Vimeo.

Additional Resources:

• http://www.communityartsontario.ca/
• http://canadaartsconnect.com/
• http://www.womensharingart.org/
• http://canadaartsconnect.com/2010/07/canadian-arts-jobs-from-around-the-web-mon-july-12-2010/
• http://www.artcareersinfo.com/finding-an-art-job.html
• http://www.suite101.com/content/findingwork-a1029
• http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-05-03-inside-higher-ed-arts-programs-college_n.htm

Photo Sources

1) "copper Maple Tree" by Paul Williams

2) Coloured Pencils

3) "Kennisis" by Bill Lishman

Essential Skills

Essential Skills are skills needed to carry out tasks on a daily basis to successfully function in the workforce. All nine skills are required in every job. These nine essential skills are: Reading, Document Use, Numeracy, Writing, World Communications, Working With Others, Thinking Skills, Computer Use and Continuous Learning. All nine are used in different combinations, in different applications, in every occupation.

Use these tools to:

• better understand essential skills needed for the job you are applying;
• help identify essential skills strengths and areas to consider for improvement;
• ensure you have the essential skills to get the job done; and
• make informed training and career decisions

For more information call us at 705.328.0180 or come into VCCS at 370 Kent Street, West, Whitney Town Centre, for more information.

For more information: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/progstan/essential.html

TheStar Nearly 700 federal job cuts coming at Public Works: unions

TheStar Nearly 700 federal job cuts coming at Public Works: unions

What do you think about this? the article states that the new majority Conservative government expected nearly 80, 000 public sector employees to retire over the next few years where the union heads think that number is closer to 40,000 public servants.

Comment below and let us know what you think. With the economy in recovery we are still seeing pockets of the recession and people losing work. Public Service positions were once considered very permanent and secure jobs, what do we think now?

Highlights of Qualifications

Are your “Highlights of Qualifications” reflecting your most relevant skills or are they “fluff” on your resume?

Highlights of Qualifications or Skills Summary, is an extremely important section on your resume; however most job seekers are not utilizing this opportunity to sell their best skills to an employer and place themselves ahead of the competition.

Highlights of Qualifications or Skills Summary is located near the top of the resume usually below the job objective. Unfortunately, many job seekers use this section to place generic skills which take up space and do not promote their skills adequately for the job in which they are applying. It only takes a few minutes but this section of the resume should change to reflect the position in which you are applying. When deciding what to incorporate in to the Highlights or Qualifications or Skills Summary section, ask yourself: “Am I targeting the position in which I am applying?” “Is my resume standing out from the competition?” “Will employers notice my resume?”

If you are not sure if your resume is selling your skills effectively, come into VCCS Employment Services and we can show you how to best effectively sell your skills.

Fenelon Falls Community Event

For more information click here...

9 Questions That Will Impress Your Interviewer

John Kador, Monster Contributing Writer

Based on my interviews with dozens of recruiters, human resource professionals and job coaches, here are nine of the most memorable questions candidates can ask:

1. What exactly does this company value the most, and how do you think my work for you will further these values?

2. What kinds of processes are in place to help me work collaboratively?

3. In what area could your team use a little polishing?

4. What’s the most important thing I can accomplish in the first 60 days?

5. Can you give me some examples of the most and least desirable aspects of the company’s culture?

6. Am I going to be a mentor or will I be mentored?

7. How will you judge my success? What will have happened six months from now that will demonstrate that I have met your expectations?

8. This job sounds like something I’d really like to do — is there a fit here?

9. Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position?

Use these questions as prototypes for questions based on the particulars of the position you are interviewing for. Make them your own and polish them until their shine reflects on you. Asking questions like these is not for the faint of heart but, then again, neither is succeeding in today’s competitive job market.

This article was originally published on Monster.com.