How to grow your network to get a job by Miriam Salpeter

It’s gotten to the point where “job seeker” can be a synonym for “discouraged.” How are you supposed to overcome the competition to get a job? Especially if it’s been a long time since you’ve had to look for a position, you have a lot of obstacles to overcome. You know it’s futile to sit around and bemoan how tough it is to land a job; it’s up to you to act.

Read more here.

No Canadian experience, no job. No job, no Canadian experience.

What is Canadian Experience?

The odd interview question is an obstacle that thousands of immigrants and newcomers face each year. What employers mean>>>

Newcomers face unique job search challenges By Kyla Frankowski

This is the fourth part in a series of columns to offer job search tips and advice, written by Lutherwood staff. Lutherwood is a local agency that offers employment support as well as a range of other services which are accessed by more than 20,000 people annually in Waterloo Region and Wellington County.

Newcomers to Canada often face many challenges when looking for work that fits their past experience.

These challenges can include differing work environments, qualification requirements and workplace cultures, as well as a lack of a social network.

However, there are some basic steps you can take to ensure you are on the right track.

If you are new to Canada and looking for work, you need to know how your skills and previous occupation fit into the Canadian labour market. So your first step is to find out which Canadian occupation best matches your experience and skills.

Recently, I worked with an individual who held the title of electrical engineer in his native country.

But when we reviewed his skills and work experience, we discovered that he better matched the occupation of industrial millwright here in Canada. Knowing this, we were able to focus his job search efforts.

The second step is to learn what skills and experience Canadian employers are looking for, review your own skills and experience, and identify any gaps.

To determine Canadian employers’ needs, you should review job postings, talk to employers and talk to people working in your field.

Ideally, you should try and connect with someone who has been successful getting work in your profession so that you can learn what worked or didn’t work for them.

Now that you know what type of job you are looking for and any skill and experience gaps you need to fill, the third step is to create a plan to fill those gaps.

There are many options for upgrading skills and increasing experience, including programs designed specifically for newcomers to Canada. These options include mentoring with someone working in your field, accessing apprenticeship opportunities and enrolling in English-language or job-skill upgrading courses.

Once the gaps are filled, you are in a position to work on your resumé, prepare yourself for interviews and find employers who are hiring in your field.

Finally, build a network. Finding work in today’s economy is difficult enough without trying to do it on your own. A network is a group of people who know you, know what kind of work you are looking for and will help you.

Try to include people who have successfully adapted to the Canadian workplace and culture as well as people working in your field and industry of interest. Find out what job opportunities they know about and who they know that can help you with your job search.

I strongly advise speaking with someone at a local government-funded employment services agency.

Employment advisors can help you focus your job search, identify skill and experience gaps, help you access employment programs, identify training and financial assistance opportunities such as Second Career, and give you guidance on preparing for your job search.

Adapting your professional skills and experience to fit within a new country is challenging.

But with a bit of time, dedication and support, you may be surprised at how quickly you can find the work you are looking for.

• • •

Kyla Frankowski, an employment advisor at Lutherwood, has more than eight years of experience offering employment services. She works primarily with newcomers to Canadain the Job Search Workshop program. For more information, visit www.lutherwood.ca/employment.

What Happens When You Don't Get What You Want? by Alan Kearns

You have been training for 15 years of your life. You have won a Gold medal in the Sydney Olympics & a sliver at the Beijing. You have just had a great swim, are in 15th place coming out of the water...things are going swimmingly. You are running your race, according to your game plan. You get up on your bike & start out of the gate, for the second part of your race. You're feeling fresh & exicted; you even have the wind at your back. You race your bike up the hill & get ready to put your foot into your shoes.

You hit a speed bump. You crash & wipe out; your Olympic race is over. You watch the winner complete the race & receive the gold medal, as you sit in the medical tent.

Speed Bumps.

For Simon Whitfield, this speed bump meant the messy ending to a terrific Olympic career. He shared, "I hit the speed bump just as I went to put my shoe on, I think. I hit on a funny angle and ended up crowd surfing, which is good for concerts and not so good for sport events." Everyone has them at some point in their lives, a time when your life veers off of your own game plan. From getting laid-off, a frustrating job search, not being chosen for aleadership role, or not being accepted into the program you were hoping to enter. 

Speed Bumps Hurt.

I thought of not just the physical pain that Simon was in, including a broken collar bone & a severe laceration to his foot, requiring stitches. I also thought of the emotional pain not only for Simon, but for all the other people in his life that were supporting him. "My breakdown moment was seeing my wife because I know how much Jennie puts into this and we're a team and she's put in so much sacrifice being at home a lot alone." 

Speed Bumps Can Teach.

Simon shared "It was hard to see my daughter upset, my wife upset and I was pretty upset. That means it means something doesn't it?"

1. We all hit speed bumps in our careers - it's not personal, it is part being a professional.

2. Take stock, deal with the reality of the situation, accept it, AND learn from it.

3. Start a new goal as soon as possible.

Speed Bumps Can Heal.

Simon stated "I don't know that I ever dreamed of four Olympics, two medals and flag bearer, I'm absolutely blown away by the whole thing."

When I first read his quote, I was stunned. I reread the quote to make sure that I had understood it correctly. Now THAT is a high performance athlete. It was obviously not the Olympic experience, that Simon was anticipating. I was so impressed by his forward looking perspective - from disaster to moving forward in less than 24 hours.

We have all had crash and burn experiences in our careers, but it's our response to these issues that is the key. Well done Simon, we are proud of you! You have represented Canada well & have been a great example, to those of us who desire to reach our full potential. 

  

Looking for help with your personal brand? Looking to become a more effective leader? Who's your career coach? Need help with a professional resume, job search, and interview preparation? Invest in yourself & get the edge in this competitive job market. Take a small step and book an initial coaching session.

CareerClass | Webinar - Get the Right Career, Right Now! Invest 1 hour of your time to help identify the right work situation. Join me Thursday, August 15 12-1 P.M. ET. Take control ofyour career, all from the comfort & convenience of your own desk.  

Click to register.

Giving my best, along the road with you!

Alan  

P.S. Looking for help with your job search? The 90-Day Job Search Program can help you identify the right career fit for you. Click for more details.    

  

P.P.S. Looking for career or leadership support in Ottawa? We have a terrific team to help you reach your potential & advance in your career. Click here to get started. 

New video teaches you how to influence the interview..

NLP Virtual Tour Starts Here….

It’s here…the highly anticipated book “the 73 rules for Influencing the Interview – using Psychology, NLP and Hypnotic Persuasion Techniques” is being released on Friday 13th July by MX Publishing. To celebrate the release of this new paperback book, that is predicated to go global, the author Chris Delaney is promoting the book through a Virtual Tour.

Times are hard for job hunters with on average over 300 applicants applying for each individual position. Job hunters have it even harder with competition for jobs coming from across the globe, due to the worldwide recession. To win job offers in these competitive times, you need tostand out in job interviews, you need to add value to the employer and you need to learn how to influence the interview.

Employment king is releasing a new powerful book designed to blow away your interview competition, but be warned some of these techniques are dark and dangerous. The 73 Rules of Influencing the Interview – using NLP, Psychology and Hypnotic Persuasion Techniques has been designed to give you the upper hand in your next job interview.

* Guest post by the author

* YouTube video on one of the 73 rules

* Competition for a free copy of the book

To your success!

News You Can Use - Personal networks and the economic adjustment of immigrants by Derrick Thomas

In searching for explanations as to why recent immigrants are having more difficulty adjusting to the Canadian economy than did their predecessors, researchers have looked at aspects of human capital such as language ability, literacy, education and work experience. A factor that has not often been considered is the social capital of immigrants—that is, the personal networks that they are able to mobilize in their economic interests. Read more. 

Personal Branding Secrets Revealed by David Perry

Audio CD: “Personal Branding Secrets Revealed“

From David Perry - Co-author, Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0

Co-Creator, “The Guerrilla Job Search System”
- the content was designed to help job hunters but you'll benefit from the marketing concepts if you're looking for new clients, or just want to change areas of your life you're not a 100% happy with.  Here's the link to the download: http://www.gm4jh.com/free/gift-personal-branding-secrets-revealed-audio-cd/  

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters

"Time isn't money. Time is everything." - Dr. Bernie Siegel


Want to find a job faster?

You can, if you use your time better.

You and I  each get 24 hours in a day.

How you use this precious resource largely determines your success in finding a job ... and anything else you do.

If you're unhappy with how you manage your time, why not try a different approach and manage your energy instead?

Let me explain ...

While we all get an equal amount of hours in a day, not all hours have equal value.

Some of us are morning people and perform at our peak before noon. Others are afternoon or evening people, and have more energy at those times of day.

Why not take advantage of your natural tendencies and schedule your important tasks for when you'll have the most energy?

This is like riding a horse in the direction it wants to go.

If you don't know when your hours of peak performance are, find out. Carry a small notebook or voice recorder (a smart phone has both) and record those times when you feel energized, as well as times when you feel sluggish.

Then, schedule next week's job search activities during your peak-performance times.

You will likely find that when you manage your energy effectively, the hours will take care of themselves -- you'll get more done and find work faster as a result.


Sincerely,

Kevin Donlin
Guerrilla Job Search International
http://www.gm4jh.com/
http://www.gjobsearch.com/

Do you have a career sponsor?

Do you know the difference between a career sponsor and a career mentor? Do you want to advance in your career? You are the project manager of your career, and the below articles will give you the tips on how to find a sponsor and how he/she will help you accelerate your professional growth and advancement.

Read more here.

Learn more about how to empower your Project Management career - click here.

Check also this Free Management Library

To your success!

News You Can Use - Self-Study Guide for Skilled Immigrants

Finding Talent is a training video developed by TRIEC.  It uses a storytelling approach to present the business case for hiring skilled immigrants and to demonstrate techniques which will allow companies to leverage the talents of skilled immigrants.

The Finding Talent video and self-study guide will provide you with valuable information on 

finding a job.

You will benefit from this video most if you:
- watch the whole video from beginning to end first 
- replay segments that are most interesting to you 
- talk about the video with a friend or family member
- do at least some of the optional activities included in this guide
- consult the resources to further your learning 
- seek employment-support services as you need them 
- are open to seeing things from a different point of view



Use this self-study guide to learn about the topics covered in the video. It provides an 
overview of each video scene, identifies key learning objectives, and offers optional activities for 
you to reinforce your learning.

• self-study guide for skilled immigrants who are employed or looking for work

Top 10 Ways to Get Canadian Experience

Came across this article through a LinkedIn group post, and even if it was posted in 2007, I find it full of good advice. Check it here. As well, Start Here, and don't forget... "If you keep trying, good things will come. You can do it and you will do it." 

News You Can Use - How Recruiters Read Resumes In 10 Seconds or Less

With 30 years experience as a recruiter, Brad Remillard is summarizing in the below article the resume's "must haves" or you're out!


Check it here.


Download a sample cover letter proven to work with recruiters and get your resume noticed. CLICK HERE to download yours. Over 2,000 people have done this.


Check also these FREE Resources

News You Can Use - Immigrants need Canadian style social skills

News You Can Use - The power of a simple ‘thank you’

 
"Think about this: When was the last time you wrote or received a handwritten note of thanks or even a thank-you e-mail?" read more...

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” ~ Ralph Marston

News You Can Use - A path to acceptance for immigrant professionals

“Obviously I want to find something more permanent that uses my skills,” he says, such as a job as project co-ordinator or sales or technology manager. But to do that he’s realized he has to reinvent himself for the realities of the Canadian workplace. - THE GLOBE AND MAIL


Read the article here.

The Sixth Quality: They Are Change-Masters

They don’t just accept their new environment, they embrace it.
They learn everything they can about the system and what’s required to succeed. Then they constantly adapt, even faster than their local counterparts.

Now, please take your time and go through these next five steps. Be clear and specific.

1. Do you fully understand your industry and work environment?
• What are you doing to be up-to-date with the changes in your industry?
2. Can you talk knowledgeably about your industry?
• How are you preparing yourself? 
3. Do you empathize with your employers’ challenges?
• Are you approaching the job search in the traditional/old way, or you are oriented to the needs and wants of YOUR customer, which is your prospective employer? What you must be is a solution to the needs and problems which that organization is facing. Be creative and look for the opportunity to position yourself as a solution to some need that an organization faces. Stop and relax.... breathe and imagine yourself in the realities of the company you want to work for. Creatively find ways of talking and learning from the company's employees and managers about the culture and norms of their organization - talk with their suppliers, customers and even competitors. You will be able to describe their challenges and needs as well as or better than themselves. Now, you can position yourself - your unique background, skills, education, experience and talents - in the context of their needs.
• Are you proactive and think of all you can do to shift your career or your business life forward?
• Did you conduct a targeted research to identify industries and positions of interest?
• Do you have a list of companies to focus on?
• How are you going to network your way into those companies?
• How are you going to learn about "hidden" job openings?
• Are you happy with your brand presence? Are you showing how valuable you are for decision makers?
4. How are you adapting to change?
• As a newcomer, you know "change"! How will you react to that change? Do you understand that change is opportunity? How will you take advantage of that opportunity?
5. How are you showing others how to manage change?
• You want to be a model of what's possible.

"You can't change things in THE world, but you can change things in YOUR world." ~ Jeffrey Gitomer
"Change how you see yourself and create an opportunity for others to see you differently." ~Roger Ellerton
"NLP may well be the most important vehicle for change in existence" ~ Modern Psychology Magazine

“You must welcome change as the rule but not as your ruler” ~ Denis Waitley

The Fourth Quality: They are the Best at What They Do

They are highly skilled.
They know their strength and they play from it.
They also constantly upgrade their skills.
They love to learn and grow.
They are the standards of excellence.

Now, please take your time and go through these next five steps. Be clear and specific.

1. How can you become the best in your field?
• What's important to you in your work/career/job?
• What are the expects you need to focus on? Remember... You Get What You Focus On
2. What’s your “Personal Genius”?
• I invite you to awaken your genius potential. Discover it!
3. How are you developing it?
• Practice, practice and practice. Use it! 
• "Practice so much they think you are lucky" ~ Kit Grant. Getting good at anything seldom occurs until you make the decision to get better. The old saying "practice makes perfect" is a bit misleading and should actually say, "Perfect practice makes perfect." The more you do something correctly, the better your skill level. In order to get much better, you'll usually discover it takes a bit of work — not an overbearing amount, but just doing it.
4. How are you turning your Personal Genius into a unique “Personal Value Proposition”?
• What is your brand? How you position yourself? 
5. How are you benchmarking yourself as a standard of excellence?
• You have to be able to compare with other people.

"The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said." ~ Tony Robbins

The Third Quality: They are Proud of Their Differences

They understand the power of perspective.
They call themselves out.
They relish their diversity.
They demonstrate their innovation and creativity.
They see things from an alter-nate point of view.

This quality is a critical one! Don't minimize your qualifications. Your advantage is your perspective! Bring these different points of view to your advantage. Now, please take your time and go through these next five steps. Be clear and specific.

1. Do you truly understand the challenges facing Canadian Employers?
• Read the post News You Can Use - Immigration becoming increasingly important for more info on HR realities in the Canadian workplace 
2. How are you using the power of your differences?
• Demonstrate the value that you bring.
3. How are you turning your differences into competitive advantages?
• How are you going to position yourself? 
4. How are you demonstrating your innovation and creativity?
• Realize how you can bring value.
5. How are you helping others see things from a different point of view?
• Did you think about that before?

“To understand a country, you need to be a part of it, think of its culture, think of the opportunities and challenges it will present, and also think of your contribution, because you too can help by building a ‘better you’ through your immigration process.” ~ Excerpted from Immigrant Women’s Health Promotion Project – A Guide to Prospective New Immigrants to Canada

2010 FIFA World Cup & the ‘No Canadian Experience’ Myth

Hope you are enjoying the last games in the FIFA World Cup as much as I do. This championship it was so unexpected of the direct games results as well as the aftermath... I came across this below article, which I found very creative and thoughtful through the interesting association made between IEPs and  the 2010 World Cup Soccer phenomenon happening in South Africa.

Daisy Wright is known for the passion she has for Internationally-Educated Professionals who face numerous challenges in getting that proverbial foot-in-the-door job opportunity, and that passion led to the birth of her book  No Canadian Experience, eh?


In this article, Daisy puts the spotlight on the challenges IEPs face when they begin their job search, after arriving here with great expectations. Read the entire post at Career Musings

"Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do." ~ Pele