Job Search

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Finding a Job

• Job Search
• Cover Letters
• Resumes
• Interviews
• Thank You Note

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Signs of the Times 1999 vs. 2012

• Job seekers did not trust email to deliver a
  resume
• snail mail/fax was used to deliver resumes to
  employers.
• Resumes were stored on 3.5 inch disks.
• Paper resumes were toted to interviews.
• E-mail is now the way to go have a professional
  e-mail address and file naming system (ie.
  that_stoned_guy_at_hotmail.com)
• Store your resume on a thumb drive.
• Bring a paper resume to interviews.

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Then 1999

• Common joke in 1999 due to hot market
• job candidates merely had to be breathing to be
  employed.
• Reasons for market
• dot-com bubble
• instant stock-option millionaires everywhere
• CEOs in twenties especially in start-up
  companies
• dream world for job seekers with employers
  practically bidding for candidates

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Now 2009-2012

• one of the most competitive job
  markets ever.
• job seeker must be very competitive in what you
  can do.
• specify what you can do dont be humble.
• make sure your skills are current to meet the job
  market needs of today.

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(No Transcript)
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Expectations vs. Reality

• Survey of 25-29 year olds
  (Global News, October 2011)

Expectations Reality
Make 90,000 with university degree starting out. Make 32,000 with university degree starting out.
73 felt they will own their home in 10 years. 42 of all people are home owners.
1st generation with lower living standard than their parents. 1st generation with lower living standard than their parents.
80 expect to do better than actual reality. 80 expect to do better than actual reality.
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Province October 21, 2011
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What BC Employers Want (Business
Council of BC Survey)

• 1. Communication Skills
• 2. Positive Attitude
• 3. Flexible and Adaptable
• 4. Set High Performance Standards
• 5. Good Work Ethic
• 6. Accepts Responsibility
• 7. Productive
• 8. Honest and Reliable
• 9. Willingness to Keep on Learning
• 10. Ability to Analyze and Evaluate

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The Job Search.Ways to Find a Job

• Online job search (internet)
• Newspaper Classified Ads (old school)
• Cold calls contact potential employers
• Mass mailing of resumes
• Networking (Ex. Volunteering, Work experience,
  School Apprenticeship, Internships)
• Job or Career Fairs

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Job Search Online

• www.jobbank.gc.ca job search or student job
  search
• www.canada.com classifieds, working, Vancouver,
  find a job
• www.jobsetc.ca job search
• www.monster.ca find jobs, job search

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• The Job Ad Assignment
• Find a job that you are presently qualified to
  do no surgeons or pilots please.
• Print it off and save it to school account.
• An appropriate job must have
• job description and duties
• requirements
• be part time and local
• address of the store
• contact name (if no contact name, use either Mr.
  John Smith or Mrs. Jane Smith

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Function of a Cover Letter

• Cover letter (CL) explains how previous work or
  educational experience will help a company.
• Tailor each CL to job /company being applied for.
• A persuasive sales letter.
• Explains you are the best person for
  the job.

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• Top Ten Tips
• for
• Cover Letters

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• Before writing the cover letter, the applicant
  should
• Highlight key words, specific qualifications in
  the job ad.
• Research the employer and the specific position.
• Try and match key words in the ad to your
  qualifications.

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• Begin CL with a hook.
• Applicant needs to ensure the readers attention
  is grabbed immediately.
• In the body, give reasons and examples how you
  can help their company through your
  qualifications.
• Add examples that highlight
  leadership skills, initiative,
  problem
  solving skills and
  team work.

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• Give relevant evidence and measurable
  achievements (ie. Awards, etc.)
• End with a request for an interview. Provide
  clear contact details.
• CL should be roughly 3-4 paragraphs long no
  more than a page.
• Write the CL with a word processor and use a
  spell and grammar checker.

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• The Cover Letter Assignment
• Using the template given, input your address
  information and the job location.
• Job location info is based on the ad that you
  found.
• Check for formatting errors, -1 mark for every
  error.
• Provide detailed information per paragraph.
• Check spelling grammar errors. -1 mark for every
  error.
• Provide specific examples of your skills and
  abilities.
• Print it off and sign (handwriting with blue
  black pen).

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• Top Ten Tips
• for
• Resumes

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Tip 1 Introduce yourself and the position.

• Tell the reader right up front
• who you are, contact info
• the kind of position youre looking for. Be
  specific.
• they will spend a few seconds with your résumé.
• Dont make them search your résumé
  for info. They wont. Theyll
  move to the
  next.

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Tip 2 Customize section headings for position.

• customizing the section headings of your résumé.
• great way to highlight the relevance of your
  résumé for the reader.

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Tip 3 Be Brief and Organized

• Brevity do not write a novel.
• Neatness appearance says that you care.
• Organization use titles and sub-titles for
  sections.
• Spacing create the impression of order.
• Reader-Friendly use bolding, font sizes,
  borders.

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Tip 4 Include only your most relevant
experiences.

• Right now, include all work experience even if
  irrelevant.
• As you work more, only keep experience on the
  resume that applies to the potential job.
• Having only most relevant work experience shows
  that youre qualified for the position.

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Tip 5 Emphasize Position vs. Company.

• Big name organizations look great on a résumé and
  are sure to impress any reader.
• If there is a relevant position at a company
  thats not a big name, consider highlighting the
  position rather than the company.

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Tip 6 Provide Key Details in Each Section

• Sections should start as follows
• Personal Information (contact info)
• Objective (mention what job you are wanting)
• Education (secondary grade or university degree)
• Work Experience Volunteer Experience (when)
• Awards or recognition (if none, eliminate this
  section)
• Interests and Hobbies (provide relevant
  interests)
• References (no family members or school friends).

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Tip 7 Use action verbs to describe your
experience.

• Use action verbs to describe
  experiences that shows the
  reader just how
  skilled you
  are.
• Instead of writing responsible
  for certain duties, explain
  exactly what those
  duties were.

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Tip 8 Sell the Résumé in a Custom Cover Letter.

• The cover letter (CL) tells the reader about
  yourself and why you are perfect for the job.
• It also tells them why you
  want to work for them in a
  detailed way.

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Tip 9 Send R CL in Separate PDF
Files.

• Using separate PDF files does two
  important things.
• 1) Reader wont have to scroll through one long
  document it saves time.
• 2) PDFs eliminate the problem of formatting
  errors present in a microsoft word document.

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Tip 10 Provide the Right Impression.

• Stress your successes.
• If you need more than one page, use it.
• Delete "References available upon request"
  phrase.
• Omit certain details
• like name of spouse/children
• your age
• height/weight
• detailed list of hobbies

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• The Resume Assignment
• Using the template given, input all your personal
  information as well as any volunteer or work
  experience that you have had.
• If you can only speak and write English,
  eliminate that section.
• Check for formatting errors, -1 mark for every
  error.
• Provide detailed information on work experience.
• Check spelling grammar errors. -1 mark for every
  error.
• Print it off.

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You snagged an interview Now What?
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How Should I Dress?

• Men
• Suit
• Shirt and tie
• Coordinate blazer and pants
• Dress shoes
• Matching socks
• Little jewelry
• Light or no cologne
• Well-groomed hair, neat

• Women
• Suit or Dress
• Coordinates skirt and blouse
• Hoisery
• Dress shoes
• Conservative jewelry and make-up
• Light or no perfume
• Well-groomed hair, neat

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Making A Good First Impression

• 1. Dress for Success
• 2. Be on Time
• 3. Smile
• 4. Be ready to shake hands
• 5. Maintain eye contact
• 6. Dont sit down until invited
• 7. Listen to the interviewer
• 8. Respond to questions appropriately
• 9. Be attentive to body language.
• 10. Avoid nervous habits.

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Typical Interview Questions
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1. Tell me about yourself.

• Standard interview question.
• Remember to talk about PAWS (Personal, Academic,
  Work Experience, Skills or Strengths).
• Ex. I am a grade 10 student from Pinetree
  Secondary who enjoys computer technology classes
  and Physical Education. I am a B student in all
  my classes. I have had no prior work experience,
  but volunteered on the Teddy Bear Picnic event
  this past summer. My real strengths are being
  organized and learning new skills quickly.

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2. Why do you want to work for us?

• Do some research on the company.
• Know some specific details (ex. How long they
  have operated, their new locations, their
  products, etc).
• Explain how you are a good match.
• Ex. I applied for the job at Toys Rs Us because
  my parents and I have been customers at your
  store since I was young due the vast assortment
  of lego products as well as the excellent
  service. I believe that my friendly personality
  and knowledge of childrens products would be a
  suitable match for your company.

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3. Describe your strengths.

• List about 3 things that you are good at.
• Provide specific examples that highlight
  abilities.
• Ex. As I mentioned, I am a highly organized
  individual. At school, my locker is always kept
  tidy and I use my day planner to organize all the
  activities and assignments that I have so that
  work gets completed on time and so that I am able
  to give enough time for each event.

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4. Describe your weaknesses.

• Bit of a trick question.
• Do not describe current weaknesses.
• Talk about one that you have overcome.
• Ex. I used to be shy regarding public speaking
  but I joined toast masters last year and have
  become comfortable speaking to larger groups of
  people.

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5. How would your last manager describe you?

• Keep this positive.
• If you have never worked before, say so.
• Mention what your teachers would say about you.
• Ex. My last employer would say that I always give
  my full effort on every job I have been given,
  that I am always punctual, and that I work well
  with other people.

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6. Tell me what you liked about your last
supervisor.

• If you got along with the manager, say so!
• If you didnt, then keep it positive.
• Give them credit for what they did do right.
• Ex. My supervisor was really friendly and helpful
  because even when there were huge line-ups and a
  co-worker did not show up for their shift, the
  manager would pitch in and load up the dishwasher
  to help the rest of the staff.

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7. Tell me what you didnt like about your last
supervisor.

• A bit of a trick question.
• Do not say negative things about anyone.
• Keep things positive or at the very least,
  ambiguous.
• Ex. I cant think of anything bad to say about
  my last
  manager. They were always on top of
  things and managed the
  environment
  appropriately.

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8. Where do you plan to be five years from now?

• Directed at your goals and interests.
• Answer truthfully with some specific ideas.
• Ex. I plan to be in university studying business
  because I enjoy creating clothing and fashion
  designs and one day hope to start my own business
  in this field. I recognize to run your own
  business that having a university degree in that
  field will help me be more successfully in
  pricing out the costs and charging appropriately
  for my products.

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9. How do you prioritize your day?

• Question designed to see what is important for
  you.
• Also, how do you manage your daily
  responsibilities.
• Ex. I go to school until 3 pm and then I usually
  spend 2 hours completing my homework, I do my
  daily chores around the house and whatever
  remaining time I have, I play on the computer or
  chat with my friends. I prioritize my day by
  completing the must do tasks first and allowing
  myself personal time when those are completed.

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10. How would you handle a dispute with another
employee?

• Can you self manage?
• Will you try to solve all problems yourself?
• Ex. If I had a problem with a co-worker, I would
  step back from the situation and assess if this
  was a minor annoyance or a serious problem. If it
  was a minor problem, I would talk to the employee
  and see if we could resolve the issue by talking.
  If the issue was not solved, but was minor, I
  would try to ignore it. If it was a serious
  problem, I would talk to the manager and seek
  help from them.

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11. Describe your ideal job.

• Once you mention the job, talk about the skills
  you have to really do the job well.
• These should line up with the current job.
• Ex. (applying for cashier at Wendys). I want to
  be an actor because I enjoy working with other
  people and being given direction as well as being
  able to have creative input on how my character
  is developed. Even though acting can be
  stressful, I tend to be able to work well under
  pressure.

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12. How have you shown initiative?

• Talk about volunteering or clubs around the
  school that help the community.
• Ex. I am involved in the MAP club which does the
  recycling around the school where we empty all
  the blue bins and turn off all the computers so
  as to conserve energy. I also volunteered at the
  Teddy Bear Picnic because I enjoy working with
  children and families.

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13. How do you handle stress on the job?

• Talk about ways to de-stress (remove self from
  situation, take deep breaths, have realistic
  expectations of job demands and self.
• Communicate positive with others, use humor.
  Exercise, eat healthy, get lots of sleep,
  meditate or pray.
• Ex. Because I play competitive basketball, I have
  experienced a lot of stress
  especially under pressure
  situations. I find that eating
  healthy, taking deep
  breaths and realizing that I can
  only expect my best
  are all ways that I keep most
  situations in a balanced
  perspective.

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14. What skills are most needed to do this job?

• Employer is checking to see if you know what the
  job is about.
• Talk in detail about your transferable skills.
• Ex. Being a cashier at Wendys would mean that
  you would need to be friendly to the customers,
  be skilled with counting and handling money, and
  know how to use the cash register as well as
  input orders. Having worked a fundraiser for the
  MAP club at my school, I have had experience
  handling money. As well, having done many group
  projects in Planning, I have learned how to work
  well with others.

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15. Why should I hire you and not someone else?

• Show confidence and motivation with response.
• Relate your skills and abilities to job.
• Talk about unique abilities not previously
  mentioned.
• Ex. In addition to my organizational skills and
  my friendly personality, I am also able to speak
  Mandarin which definitely might be an asset in
  this community. I was also team captain on my
  grade 9 basketball team where I was responsible
  for being a leader on the team.

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16. Talk about your leadership skills.

• Talk about one of the following
• Participation in team sports or class
  discussions
• Participation in clubs or being a
  positive role model
• Help around the house.
• Ex. Being the captain of the grade 9 basketball
  team, I was asked to run the warm-up drills, be
  highly supportive and encouraging to all my
  teammates. In one instance, I asked the coach if
  he could play one of my teammates a little more
  as he was feeling discouraged and not valued.

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Illegal Questions

• Illegal questions cannot be asked and if asked
  should not be answered.
• Such questions have no relevance to the job and
  may be used to discriminate against you.
• Illegal questions may be about
• Race, religion, country of origin, marital
  status, disability.

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Some Typical Illegal Questions

• What arrangements for childcare are you able to
  make while you work?
• How old are your children?
• When did you graduate from high school?
• Are you a Canadian citizen?
• What does your wife do for a living?
• Where did you live while you were growing up?
• Will you need personal time for religious
  holidays?
• Are you comfortable working for a female boss?
• How long do you plan to work until you retire?
• Have you experienced any serious illnesses in the
  past year?

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Answering Illegal Questions

• Either tactfully avoid answering the question or
  redirect the
  conversation in a positive way.
• Ex. Q. What does your wife do for a living?
• A. I know that you are busy, so I would
  ask if we could stay focused
• on my qualifications for this
  important job. Or
• A. I dont really feel comfortable
  answering that question.

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Good Questions for You to Ask

• What is it about the company that makes you (the
  interviewer) want to stay there?
• To whom would you report?
• What type of training is required and how long is
  it?
• What would your first assignment be?
• What are the realistic chances for growth in the
  job?
• What are the skills and attributes most needed to
  get ahead in the company?
• Can you tell me how performance will be evaluated?

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• The Interview Assignment
• Review and come up with your own responses to the
  questions. You will be interviewed by a teacher
  for one of four companies, Subway, Save-on-Foods,
  Home Depot, Tim Hortons.
• Each company will have different questions. Some
  may ask illegal questions.
• Make sure you dress appropriately.

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After the Interview.

• Regardless of the outcome,
  send a thank you note.
• Shows class and sets you
  apart from
  others.
• May get you consideration
  
  for future jobs.