Job Search Tips

Are you ready to initiate the search for your dream job? This section will inform you of the most efficient job searching strategies and tricks, and help you decide which way to get started.

Many job searchers require professional assistance to help them in various related areas including: receiving job and interview coaching, posting resumes on different websites, and submitting resumes to recruitment firms. Contact Candace Davies, President of Canadian Resume Writing Service: candoco@telus.net or call toll-free 1-877-738-8052

unique selling pointWhen interviewing for any position, you are essentially trying to market and sell yourself as your own brand. You need to communicate to the hiring committee reasons for why you are the perfect person for the job. So in order to set yourself apart from the competition, you need to know what differentiates yourself from all the other candidates. In other words, you need to come up with your unique selling point to maximize your job offers. Here are some interesting points to consider…

internet presenceYour internet presence is an indispensable part of your 21st century job search. Not only should you be actively reaching out to recruiters and hiring authorities, but you should also be leveraging your efforts with direct networking (through LinkedIn, Facebook, Ecademy, etc.) and a strong internet presence. This combination creates an effective job search strategy that will increase your exposure to more opportunities.

If you have a website, blog, Facebook profile, or other web presence, there are two things to examine:

1. Can people find you?
2. When they do, what will they find?

Do you worry about what people might find, or not find, if they do a Google search on you? Here are some steps to ensure you sleep better at night and increase career opportunities…

elevator pitchYou may have come across the term ‘elevator pitch’ recently during your job search. Basically, this term refers to the brief sixty-second speech that people use to describe the product or service they offer to others. And while this speech may not be part of your regular discourse, it must be delivered in a very concise and compelling way, and have the necessary attracting points that will entice the interests of employers around you.

For all job seekers, it is important to learn how to create a compelling elevator speech. In order to do so, you must be familiar with the idea of professional branding and the concept of enhancing your brand to promote yourself as well as your career. More often than not, personal branding through a properly drafted elevator speech will allow you to create a good image for yourself which you can use for a successful job search. This will allow you to differentiate yourself from other applicants who may be vying for the same position. [click to continue…]

TwitterDid you know that you can actually use Twitter as an effective tool for finding jobs and other employment opportunities? There several methods you can use to make this social media platform a convenient way of finding employment opportunities and when you know what to share on Twitter, you may be surprised at the rewards you can get in terms of career growth and employment opportunities. Here’s how you can make Twitter an online tool for finding possible employment.

• The first thing you need to do is maximize your profile. You can create an online resume either in Visual CV or LinkedIn and then use the site field on your Twitter profile to link your employment history from LinkedIn or Visual CV to your Twitter account.

• If you are planning to use your Twitter account solely for the purpose of job searching, make sure that you are using a professional name. You can use your first initial and integrate it with your surname but don’t use account names like “SexyMitch” or “FootballFan181”. Names like these won’t get you anywhere.

• Make it a point to follow companies you want to work for. This will allow you to learn more about the company, business matters related to that particular company plus you can also use it as a platform to let them know of your interest in working with them. [click to continue…]

medical leaveReturning to work after a long medical leave is among the most difficult and often complicated transitions in the life of an employee. But in order to overcome all the obstacles it may present along the way, you need to create an efficient plan that will help you move your career forward and avoid being stagnated after a lengthy medical leave. Experts believe that by creating an advanced and more comprehensive plan before returning to work, you will be able to better focus on the things that can help you to adjust to your workplace and, thereby, have a better shot for career advancement.

Before you begin your medical leave, you need to discuss it with your superior so both parties can define clear expectations. Because of the Family and Medical Act, there is an allowance that is often referred to as ‘intermittent leave’ which is designed to help employees on medical or family leave have an easy and flexible way of returning to the workforce. But you also have to expect that you will face challenges once you return, such as needing to brush up on your skills or adapt to a new system that has been developed during the months you’ve been away on medical leave. [click to continue…]

job searchThe current job market is becoming so competitive that a job search is not just about applying for a job and sitting back with the hopes of being called for an interview. Individuals need to market themselves to employers as they try to beat out others for the positions they desire. The following strategies will help you acquire a job despite the competition.

1. One must be able to put together a good resume and cover letter. In your resume you should include your accomplishments and skills. A good resume should speak volumes about you and above all give the hiring manager a glimpse of why he or she should hire you over the rest.

2. You should assess yourself before you apply for a particular position. Take a pen and a paper and write down what you believe are your skills, experiences and major accomplishments. Consider what you enjoy doing or think you are good at.  Do not compromise by applying for a job that you would easily get bored with or find yourself quitting after sometime when you realize that it is not fulfilling. [click to continue…]

Optimize Your Social Media Profiles with Keywords

In order to effectively optimize and enhance the visibility of your social media profiles, you need to have a good foundation of relevant keywords. This is a good way to increase your internet presence and at the same time allow you to manage your social media profiles in a more efficient manner. You can start [...]

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Points to Remember When Writing a Job Search Follow Up Letter

If you already sent your resume and cover letter and have waited for several days and still failed to receive a reply, then it is time for you to send a follow up letter. Sending a follow up letter is important because it allows you to inquire about the status of your job application and [...]

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Handling Your Job Search Moving from an Entrepreneur to Regular Employment

Working for yourself is something that many people aspire to but few are willing to take the risk it takes to build a successful business. And the fears that people have about diving headlong into entrepreneurship are not entirely unfounded – statistics show that a large percentage of businesses fail within the first year. A [...]

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Reading Inspirational Books and Watching Inspirational Movies Can Help Advance Your Job Search

Performing a job search can be very frustrating at times particularly when you are not getting the results you are expecting from your endeavor. This can be made even worse when you are at the stage of your life where you badly need to find a job and everything seems to be working against you. [...]

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10 Things to Do When Using Twitter for Your Job Search

Did you know that social networking sites can be used to do more than make new friends or reconnect with old ones? Did you know you could do more than follow your favourite artist or celebrity but also follow your professional role model? The revolution of social networks, such as twitter, has now made it [...]

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Uncovering Your Unique Value Proposition To Get a Job

A Unique Value Proposition is also known as your unique selling point which is a very important part of your job search campaign. Your Unique Value Proposition should be included in your job search strategy if you want to increase your chance of employability. Developing your unique value proposition will help you to steer your [...]

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When Your College Degree Doesn’t Match Your New Career Direction

When your college degree doesn’t match your new career direction or does not provide you with an opportunity for advancement in your professional career, you will have but a limited choice to start a course of study that can provide you with the credentials you need for your new career direction. But if you have [...]

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Focus Your Job Search by Knowing What You Want

Job hunting can be a very stressful experience and as there are plenty of concerns that a job seeker can have, focusing on the top priorities of your job search can be quite difficult. But the situation can get even worse when you are not quite sure as to what and where to focus your [...]

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How to Organize Your Job Search

Your job search can be enjoyable and successful! It takes organization and persistence. It is also valuable to have a well-focused goal. After all – searching for a job is a job in itself!!! Adding structure to your search will decrease the amount of time it takes to get the job you want. You need [...]

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Did You Know That 85% of Positions Available Are Never Advertised?

Here is a list of job search tips designed to help show the basics of accessing hidden job markets through networking, professional associations, volunteering and company/industry research. Volunteering provides wonderful opportunities to develop new skills, expand horizons and enjoy helping others in the community. Volunteering can help expand your network, strengthen your resume and give [...]

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Job Applications – How to Fill Them Out

Job applications are not substitutes for a resume, but are frequently required anyway. How you complete them is crucial to your job search. Many employers request an application for conformity reasons and to obtain a signature from the applicant. Some employers require applications because they want certain types of information

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Immigrating to Canada and Finding a Job

There are many reasons why people from all over the world wish to immigrate to Canada. Some people move to Canada for a bigger, better, and brighter future, while others wish to rejoin their family members who have settled in Canada, and others still, wish to pursue a higher education and enhance their professional skills. [...]

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