Searching for Employment and Opportunities

By Stacey L. Vernooy

25-Jan-11

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Searching for work can be time consuming, exhausting and tests all your skills and abilities to set discipline and adapt to the change in income levels.

Being aware of the ‘hidden costs’ associated can be the first step in understanding the road ahead.

Introduction

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Beyond over analyzing ‘why’ you find yourself without a regular routine of work to complete, consider that you always have ‘something’ to offer, this might not be the time where that ‘something’ is in demand.

Ensure that you and your employer acted within the guidelines of the Employment Standards Act AND that you receive your ‘Record of Employment’ immediately for processing at your local Human Resources Development Centre.

Start the paperwork as soon as possible, there are often ‘delays’ in processing.

First Steps

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Looking for work is SALES. You are selling yourself.

Don’t let anyone tell you that looking for contacts, making those introductory calls or contacts through email, phone or fax doesn’t take bravery and strength.

Its hard to admit when we ‘need’ something and have to ask others for help.

Starting Out …

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Create a resume, a piece of content that tells someone what you’re good at, where your experience has been used and what you bring as an employee.

In difficult times, be flexible with your ‘objective’ but starting with your strongest features, list your ‘skills’, your ‘education’ and ‘training’ and your ‘experience’ in the order that promotes your strengths.

Small steps …

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The ‘content’, the resume … Contact Info◦ Who you are ?, how can they contact you ?

Skills Summary◦ What you can do ?, what skills you demonstrate ?, how have you

performed in the past ?, what are the highlights ? Experience

◦ Where you have worked ?

Education & Training◦ What courses have you studied ? Where have you attended programs ?

Other Activities◦ What are your hobbies and interests ?

References◦ Who can provide recommendations and provide confirmation of your

character and abilities as a person ?

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Include them. Hiring managers often receive many resumes especially when the positions have been posted openly at job banks or through recruiters. The extra time to contact you to ask for references makes you extra effort.

References are typically only contacted ‘if’ you are a serious candidate and allows you the opportunity to let them know in advance what position you are being considered and who will be contacting them.

References … included or no?

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Understanding that there can be times where your full time or consistent work experience or education was halted, consider how you spent that time and try to represent as much information as possible.

◦ Did you volunteer?◦ Did you relocate for family or personal commitments?◦ Did you work independently on developing additional

skills?◦ Did you read or study to obtain more experience?

Try to remain positive, but acknowledge there may have been challenges to overcome.

Gaps and missing information …

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Indexes, directories, lists of contacts in your associated networks.

Alumni associations, work organizations, clubs and teams of people that know what you do or can do.

Former contacts for employment that may not have been ‘hiring’ at the time, may now have opportunities.

Beyond family and friends …

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Who you know ..10 ppl

Who they know …10 ppl

Who they also know …

10 ppl

Who they also know …

10 ppl

Who they know …10 ppl

Who they also know …

10 ppl

Who they also know …

10 ppl

Who they know …10 ppl

Who they also know…

10 ppl

Who they also know…

10 ppl

Contacting others …The power of ’10’

For everyone you know or who you may have worked with at one time, there may be a small percentage that have contacts that they will share to send you out… ‘word of mouth’ as demonstrated by social

media marketing, is a powerful tool in sharing information.NOTE *** POSITIVE and NEGATIVE

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Keep a listing of all resumes sent, for ‘follow up’. Even if opportunities are low this month, next month may be better.

Try to be direct but not over-aggressive. Regular contact vs. abrupt and desperate

The Contact book …

Company name

Address Contact Phone Fax or Email

Are you hiring?

Yes or No

Date Contacte

d

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YES, use listings, they are promoting that they are ‘hiring’, but be aware, these open casting calls can also receive large volumes of applications and the most random method of narrowing the selection may end up being …

◦ ‘all resumes before 9 am or 12 noon’ ◦ ‘all resumes sent on the first day, the last day or a day in the

middle’ when the hiring manager was available to review the correspondence.

It used to be … did they like the stationary you chose and did your resume stand out among the other candidates, demonstrating something unique that you would bring as a candidate. The online world has broadened the number of candidates with similar skill sets and something inside must stand out.

The positive and negatives of postings… online and other

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Know what your time frames and expenses are and how you can respond. Response can be immediate or can take time.

Try to remain calm but source other methods of income. All skills and assets can be leveraged at this time.

Try to remain motivated …

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Business cards promoting what you do and can be easily passed to a contact to share your information and background.

Be brief, be specific, be regularly available to check contact channels, ‘voicemail’ and email.

Try to maintain in control of expenses, keeping receipts.

Methods that can work …

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Many places accept resumes but also have application forms

Ensure that your resume includes all the information requested by the application, it may not be necessary to re-complete the entire form, but a hiring manager may expect the same order of information to be clear when comparing to other applicants.

The type of work can make the difference …

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Expenses at home can increase with increased time at home. Phone bills, more meals at home but less commuting to work expenses, less lunches out, less ‘in office’ expenses. It’s a balance.

Know which stores have the better prices, where relocating might be more reasonable for housing costs.

When you begin working again, remember, a little extra food in the freezer, a little extra supply of essentials can help tie over the rough patches.

Be cautious going forward …

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Every company is different, every mix of employees to managers to staff can create a custom combination of issues.

Be prepared, do your best, and at the end of the day, find people that appreciate you, not just your work. Find work that can be paid.

“You can’t ‘retire’ from family”

S. L. Vernooy 2005

Good Luck !!!

What worked before, what didn’t…

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Thank you

Questions, Comments … any concerns