There
is no doubt about it-finding a great job with a top employer in Toronto is
tricky right now. Budgets are being cut, pay freezes are being implemented and
employers are expecting employees to do more with less. It is not like this
everywhere in Canada however; last month (May) the Regional Municipality of
Wood Buffalo from Alberta visited a downtown Toronto hotel to host a career
fair. Their publicity material described Fort McMurray as a “…vibrant and
exciting urban centre with an average age of 32 and an average household income
of $180000…” However Toronto does have a huge appeal to many Canadians so let’s
assess what can be done to get ahead in a difficult jobs market as we move into
the summer period when things traditionally become quiet until September.
AGENCIES
Find
the agencies that possess a proven track record in finding similar positions to
the one you are looking to secure. Look online, in trade magazines and speak to
friends and family to see who the organizations are that you should be
partnering with. Go to see them, contact them regularly without being a pest
and ask their advice.
COVER
LETTER
Produce
a customized cover letter for every application or approach, basing it not just
on the organization’s website and the job description but also on industry
developments and recent trends.
INTERVIEW
TECHNIQUE
Practice
with friends mock interviews by telephone, with two or more interviewers and
also on a one on one basis. Pay close attention to appearance, eye contact, arm
movements, smiles and handshakes. Make it more fun by filming it on your
cellphone and reviewing your performance with a critical eye afterwards. In
addition research typical questions and answers that you may ask or be asked at
interview.
RESUMES
Possess
a resume that is no more than one month out of date, and get a friend or family
member to review it after every revision.
- Is it too long?
- Does it contain enough numbers?
- How can it be eye-catching and distinctive yet still be written in a way that recruiters & people responsible for hiring like and are used to?
SOCIAL
MEDIA
Keep
on top of Facebook privacy settings as potential employers will check you out.
Make
sure that a Google search of your name only says positive things, and if it
does not (or you don’t exist) then start populating the web with interesting
and positive entries.
YouTube
clips of you at work may be very appropriate if the type of role you are
looking for involves public speaking, presentations or artistic/creative
capabilities.
LinkedIn
is becoming more and more accepted as a way to find a job so update your
profile and ensure it creates the right impression.
Follow
senior people on Twitter who own or are employed by the organizations you
aspire to work for and occasionally send them pertinent tweets about industry
news they may have missed.
Contribute
to forums and join groups in order that you develop a reputation as a mover and
shaker in the industry, and convert this interest into person to person networking
opportunities.
SPECULATIVE
APPROACHES
Sending
emails and making phone calls that arrive at the right time do genuinely result
in jobs being offered and accepted. Face to face connections to drop off
resumes without an appointment plus meeting on an informal basis for a coffee also
produce results in our experience for certain types of role as well.
Article Written By: Timothy Holden | www.torontotrainingandhr.ca
Timothy is a results-focused Human
Resources professional who has designed and delivered effective training events
in addition to providing HR support to organizations and individuals since
1995.
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