Monthly Archives: February 2012

Strategies for an effective job search in a tight economy

The economy isn’t the best that it’s ever been, but it’s also not the worst. And while the job prospects make look bleak, there are ways to turn any layoff or job loss into a career change for the better.

The first principle of finding a job is to advertise your qualifications and experience. Let employers know who you are and what you can do for them. In other words, send your resume to everyone that might need someone with your profile. There is no harm in sending your resume to even those employers who are not actively looking for people.

They may need your expertise at a later date.

Follow up the resume with a phone call to the hiring department of the company to see if the resume was received and if there is anyone that you can talk to about setting up an interview. At the very least, you might get an inside scoop on what positions are available so that you can talk to those departments directly.

Sometimes, it is worth the effort to go to the companies in person or set up appointments to talk to the head of the concerned department. Of course, this may not get you an instant job, but if you make a favorable impression on the department head, you stand a chance to be considered when they need to hire someone.

Networking is the best way to create job opportunities. Talk to everyone about your desire to find a new position. You’d be surprised how many people will be able to help you find something that works for you. Talk to friends and relatives. The more people are looking, the more able you will be to find something.

Remember, your resume is a window to your personality. So, try and make it as impressive and professional as you can. It’s a good idea to take the help of a professional resume writer or software program, and print it on high grade paper. It should be well worded, clean and readable, and should present you in a positive light.

While losing your job may have been expected, you never want to talk badly of your previous employers. In any future communications with job prospects, bring up all of the positive attributes of your prior jobs and only describe the challenges that you overcame while being employed.

The secret of finding a job is patience and perseverance. If you go about it the right way, soon you will be able to find someone who can see your worth and will hire you.

Is Personal Branding overrated?

I found this article by Josh Kaufman  the bestselling author of The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business.  to be a refreshing look at personal branding as personally I find it a bit overused.

“Branding” is, by far, the single most over-used and over-hyped business-related concept….When people say they want to “enhance their brand” or “build brand equity,” they usually mean “improve their reputation”: what people generally think about them or their company. Some examples of good reputations:

read more 

What does success mean to you?

I know many people grapple with that questions, what is success really, how do you know if you are truly successful? Here courtesy of Geoffrey James at Inc.com, are 10 questions to ask yourself.

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?

3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?

4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?

5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?

6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?

7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?

8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?

9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?

10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

Here’s the thing.  The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.

These questions force you to focus on what’s really important. Take heed of them and rest of your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.

Canadian Unemployment Increased Slightly to 7.5% in December 2011

Newly released data from Statistics Canada shows that the Canadian unemployment rate increased slightly to 7.5% in December as more individuals joined the labour market. There was an increase of 43,000 part-time jobs and 26,000 fewer full-time jobs.

The growth was seen primarily in the province of British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island while Quebec showed losses. The seasonally adjusted, unemployment rates vary from 12.8% (Newfoundland and Labrador) to 4.9% (Alberta).

Unemployment rates for all the provinces were (prior months are in parenthesis):

 

  • Newfoundland and Labrador 12.8% (13.2%)
  • Prince Edward Island 11.4% (11.1%)
  • Nova Scotia 7.8% (8.6%)
  • New Brunswick 9.4% (9.8%)
  • Quebec 8.7% (8.0%)
  • Ontario 7.7% (7.9%)
  • Manitoba 5.4% (5.5%)
  • Saskatchewan 5.2% (5.1%)
  • Alberta 4.9% (5.0%)
  • British Columbia 7.0% (7.0%)

Career Savvy Tip Of The Day

Expect Some Rejection Before You Get Hired Expecting rejection may appear self-defeating, but nobody can land a job on the first try every time! Learn to accept from the beginning that you will encounter rejection and that it should not be taken too seriously.

Did You Know?

In a survey conducted by USA Today, a third of the respondents admitted that they sometimes took sick days at work when they were not ill but merely “sick of working” or wanted to do something else. How do you think most of these people see their work in relation to their long-term goals? How much would their behaviour change if they found more daily opportunities for making progress towards their goals