Finding a Job

1. Finding a Job Job Search Cover Letters Resumes Interviews Thank You Note

2. 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@hotmail.com) • Store your resume on a thumb drive. • Bring a paper resume to interviews.

3. 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

4. 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; don`t be humble. • make sure your skills are current to meet the job market needs of today.

6. Expectations vs. Reality • Survey of 25-29 year olds (Global News, October 2011)

7. Province October 21, 2011

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Top Ten Tips for Cover Letters

14. 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.

15. Begin CL with a “hook”. • Applicant needs to ensure the reader`s 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.

16. 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.

17. 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).

18. Top Ten Tips for Resumes

19. Tip #1: Introduce yourself and the position. • Tell the reader right up front: • who you are, contact info • the kind of position you’re looking for. Be specific. • they will spend a few seconds with your résumé. • Don’t make them search your résumé for info. They won`t. They’ll move to the next.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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 you’re qualified for the position.

23. 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 that’s not a big name, consider highlighting the position rather than the company.

24. 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).

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. Tip #9: Send R & CL in Separate PDF Files. • Using separate PDF files does two important things. • 1) Reader won’t have to scroll through one long document; it saves time. • 2) PDFs eliminate the problem of formatting errors present in a microsoft word document.

28. 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

29. 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.

30. You snagged an interview Now What?

31. 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

32. 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. Don`t sit down until invited 7. Listen to the interviewer 8. Respond to questions appropriately 9. Be attentive to body language. 10. Avoid nervous habits.

33. Typical Interview Questions

34. 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.

35. 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 R`s 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 children`s products would be a suitable match for your company.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 6. Tell me what you liked about your last supervisor. • If you got along with the manager, say so! • If you didn`t, 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.

40. 7. Tell me what you didn`t 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 can`t think of anything bad to say about my last manager. They were always on top of things and managed the environment appropriately.

41. 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.

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. 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 Wendy`s). 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.

45. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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 Wendy`s 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.

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.