Back to the Basics ....

Recently at a staff meeting we discussed the progress of participants in our 3 day workshop for youth aiming to obtain placements with the help of the Ontario Governments new Youth Employment Fund. During the 3 day workshop, participants gain a variety of skills, but the focus is on confidence building so that they can TALK to employers about their skills and interest in working. I was taken aback when a staff member working with employers stated “We don’t need the resumes!”.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in perfecting our resume that we forget how important it is to be able to verbally present our skills and passion to employers. We talk about how important networking is and how effective hidden job market strategies, like cold calling are, but job searching without a resume seems foreign to us. It’s easy to forget the basics and fall into the pattern of thought that says no longer can we walk into a business and get a job ‘the old fashioned way’, by simply talking to the employer.

Effective job searching includes using different strategies. Spend some job search time rehearsing your ‘pitch’ for an employer you’d really like to work for, focusing on why you’d like to work there and how you could benefit the company. Have a personal business card to hand out so that you can leave your contact information and give it a shot!

A counsellor would be happy to help you develop your ‘pitch’, hit the pavement and be ready to wow some employers! 

THROW THOSE RESUME RULES OUT THE WINDOW! 

Recently while facilitating an Orientation workshop here at VCCS my group got side tracked by an interesting yet not new debate….what are the rules for resumes? Two young clients in the group with impressive education were frustrated because they were feeling ignored by retail and food service employers. Their goal for the time being was an entry level part time position, and even though they were including customer service skills on their resume they felt that they were being told they were overqualified and ignored because of their education …``But we can’t lie and not include our education on our resume`` they said to me.

I think it is important for us to remember that there are no rules, only guidelines when it comes to resumes. The key is to make sure that every word is substantive and relative to the readers (employers) needs. That way no matter what the format, font, bullets, length etc., it is the information that gets you a call. 

Don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try something new…personally, I love looking on pintrest.com for creative resume ideas and formats.

Does the local coffee shop need to see on your resume that you have a degree in Bio-engineering?  Ask yourself if that information is relevant to their hiring needs.

Always remember that your resume is a ‘living document’ and can change as frequently as you like. 

Come in and speak to an employment counsellor if you would like to have your resume reviewed and help with your job search! 

How Soft Skills Influence our Job Search and Our Employment

How Soft Skills Influence our Job Search and Our Employment

Soft skills are a very elusive qualification as a job seeker and an employee.  The interesting thing is that employers are looking for them, so it seems we should explore them to see how they influence not only the job search process but the process of retention once you obtain that job.

Soft skills are un-measurable, meaning that they do not come in a form of abstract evidence.  They require the use of language and past experiences to emphasize how they exist and the value that they may possess.  Some examples of soft skills include, leadership skills, collaborative, positive work attitude, willingness to learn, excellent communication and interpersonal skills.  All things being equal, employers will look at the measurable qualities/or hard skills such as certificates, diplomas, degrees,  computer and technical skills but when it comes right down to making a decision between two candidates, the employer will select the one who presents soft skills that fit best  with their work culture.

Some of these soft skills that influence you getting a job include;

Positive attitude-influencing customers and co-workers in a positive, light hearted way.  Creating a culture of positive energy; anything is possible environment.

Ability to multitask- open to taking on new tasks; not prejudging whether a task is menial or important- “just doing it” in order to keep the work process flowing.

Approachable/Good Communicator- this is showing an interest in listening to others; expressing an interest in others; being approachable and helpful.

Goal oriented/Independent-this is an interesting soft skill in that an employer isn’t looking for a lone ranger, more someone who can resolve things independently, set objectives and carry them out.

How the soft skills come together….

Capturing soft skills on a resume can be a challenge. The place to fully demonstrate these soft skills is during an interview and a common VCCS technique is through the “prove it process”. The “prove it process” is an exercise that our counsellors use to show how past employment and volunteer scenarios demonstrate our variety of soft skills.  For example, telling the employer about a time when you demonstrated good communication skills.  We all have them whether it is motivating a child to get ready for school; encouraging a customer to purchase a specific service or facilitating a training workshop at a local college.

Come in to VCCS and find out how to uncover those elusive soft skills, build interesting stories around your unique soft skills through the “prove it process”, practise articulating them in interview preparation and wow a potential employer with your insights.

Using LinkedIn to help your job search.

Social media’s influence in the job search process is here to stay. There are daily reminders about how people’s employment or potential employment has been effected by decisions they make regarding broadcasting details of their lives on the numerous social sites. The website LinkedIn is a platform that is designed to promote information that is integral to the job search process and you can stay away from some of the negative material that can sabotage good opportunities.

LinkedIn is becoming the go to tool for employers and job seekers alike within the Kawartha Lakes market. There has been an increase in demand by clients to help access LinkedIn and to use the site as part of their job search. I have helped clients update their profile, modify their security settings and job search on the site – applying directly to positions around the province. Furthermore, my co-workers also say that people are including a link to their profile on the resumes they submit. There should be little doubt that once you have submitted a resume the employer will complete an online search for you anyway; controlling what information they will see is crucial.

LinkedIn allows you to expand the depth of the information provided to employers. The layers of information available to represent your skills, experience and other aspects of your professional profile can help employers choose you when they are searching for new recruits. The profile created allows people to see your background, so the level of detail you include is important. The endorsement process reflects your level of expertise in a skill. Having a larger network can boost the number of endorsements you receive. Your use of the site frequently can also make a difference as you update information and involve yourself in the networking aspect of the site. Being a website that reflects the professional identity of users means it is easier to keep content focused on achievements and other content related to developing your skills. You don’t have to worry about “Digital Dirt” sabotaging prospective employment opportunities.

Overall, given the growth of technology in all aspects of job search LinkedIn can be a powerful tool that you have a high level of control of to help and not hinder your job search. Using it effectively can extend your job search to new areas of interest and prospects.  

Feedback for your Boss…

I was recently meeting with a client that is working casual/part-time hours. More hours were becoming available and yet the client was stunned as to why she was not being asked to step in. As we discussed, and the client shared how much she felt she was contributing at the office I began to understand what might be hindering her ability to become a full time employee. While this client’s organizational skills and attention to detail are superb, it sounded like she was constantly speaking to her supervisor about changes that she felt should be made in the office, everything from inventory placement to the way the lawn was cut outside. Whether you’re the new kid on the block or the most senior employee there is a right way to give feedback and suggestions to your boss.

Here are some tips to keep in mind;

Build the relationship first

In this case my client is a fairly new employee which makes it extremely difficult to judge how receptive your boss is to feedback. Without a good working relationship and trust your feedback will likely be impossible to receive. Get to know them – and let them get to know and trust you.

Wait to be invited to give feedback or ask to be invited

Even if you have a great relationship with your boss, rhyming off a stream of problems that you feel need to be fixed is not recommended. Ideally your boss will ask for your input and provide an environment that is safe to give feedback – so be ready to bring up your issue as well as several suggestions for a solution. If your boss is not one to ask for feedback you can ask if they would like some input. This is especially easy to do when a new project or change occurs at work; you could say something like “Would it be helpful if I gave your feedback from an employee’s perspective during this change?” or even “If you are interested I’d like to discuss some suggestions with you.” Remember that it is important to demonstrate your genuine interest in improving your service or business.

Focus on YOUR observations 

Your feedback should always focus on what you are observing at work - not what you would do if you were the boss. Frame your feedback from your own perspective -tell your boss what you have heard or observed. Example, "I've noticed that clients are annoyed with the new invoicing process...". Also remember that you need to give specifics to back up your points as well as strengthen your suggestions for improvements. 

Understanding the Hiring Process

        

A lot of people who respond to job ads are surprised when they don’t hear back from the employer right away.  It isn’t surprising that many job seekers really don’t understand the hiring cycle and the length of time it takes an employer to get to a new person hired.  In reality it might take 1 – 3 months for an employer to hire the right candidate.

Let me spell it out for you.  An employer has a job vacancy arise.  It is either expected or unexpected.  In reality an unexpected opening can occur when an employee suddenly informs you that they are leaving for another position.  In reality most employees are only required to give 2 weeks’ notice.  During the 2 week notice period (usually 10 business days) an employer has to deal with some basic realities.  The first steps are deciding who can take over that person’s work load in the interim and secondly deciding if that person will be replaced?

In weeks 2 - 3, the usual process is to get an ad together.  In addition the job description needs to be reviewed and updated.  Depending upon how many staff are involved in this process it can often take a few days.  Once the ad is ready, it is sent off to the newspaper and on-line job sites etc.  Postings put onto on- line sites are usually posted within 24 hours but newspaper insertions are expensive so timing is important.  Certain days of the week can get more exposure than others and there are often a variety of papers to consider.  Deadlines for desired dates may have passed.

It is common to allow a week or two for job seekers to respond to an ad.  We are now in week 4 - 5. 

By week 6 the resumes are in and someone has to go through them all and make a short list.  Keep in mind not every employer has an HR department.  There may be over 100 applicants to your position. Usually the short list is sent to a second person.  Job interviews are scheduled and interviewees contacted.

Week7 is when the interviews are held.  If you decide to interview a number of candidates the interviews can take 2 days.  If you need to do some testing prior to the interview it can take 4 days.

Week 8 can be used for 2^nd interviews or reference checking.  Often the references of the top 2 candidates are checked.  Some references are easy to contact and others may take several days to return calls.

Week 9 is often when the final decisions made.  The successful candidate is contacted.  Often they need a day or two to think it over.  If they accept, they may need to give 2 weeks’ notice to their employer.  If they decline, the employer may go to the second candidate or start over. 

If all goes well the successful employee arrives for their first day of work in week 11. 

The bottom line for job seekers is to realize that hiring takes time. Don’t put all your hopes in one position and wait for the results.   Keep networking, keep talking with employers and your key contacts.  Keep job searching until you get that call to say that you have been the successful candidate.

Steps to organizing your Job Search!

What I find really interesting about meeting many different job seekers is learning about how different people organize their job search! Some job seekers don’t organize at all which can create confusion and this can be easily transparent to an employer! It is really important to write down what jobs you applied for, the contact of the employer and if there was a job advertisement print it off because if it was found online, it won't always be readily available.

One client in specific came to a first appointment with me this week highly organized and this helps in accessing employers faster, which typically leads to finding a job faster! She came with a book outlining 5 pages of employers in her field that she was interested in contacting. Not all of these employers were necessarily hiring but this list was a good standpoint for us to cold call to ask if they would be hiring in the near future. In one day over 15 calls were made to these local employers. Out of these 15 calls we had 4 interested employers for her to meet with! If it wasn’t for the client being prepared with this list of employers we would still be researching employers to contact. This made the workload very time efficient and organized!

What I would suggest next is a tip that comes from another client. This client is exceptionally good at organizing advertised work. He comes to each appointment with a USB that has a worksheet of all the places he has applied for, the job titles and how the application was sent. In individual folders on the USB he has a copy of the job advertisement, a copy of the cover letter sent, a copy of the resume sent and sometimes even a copy of the e-mail sent and any further online correspondence. Now I understand that this can be too computer heavy for some individuals and if so, I would adopt the same method but print a copy of the job you applied for, and make copies of the resumes and cover letters sent and put them in a folder. A VCCS we have our clients fill out a job lead log to help track what you apply for and these are available in our resources room!

I would highly suggest adopting the first method of organizing the non-advertised jobs you apply to and adopt the second method of organizing the advertised jobs you apply to. Remember, these organizational skills are easily assessed by employers and the more organized you are now, the less stressful your job search will be!

If you have any questions or would like help in learning more about organizing your job search visit VCCS today!