A researcher for a US television station was recently looking for an American who couldn’t find work in the U.S. and decided to look abroad – particularly Ontario, Canada. Specifics of the request were:

“The person could have been unemployed or unable to keep a full time permanent job in the U.S. or could have either gotten a job offer from a Canadian employer while still in the U.S. or left the U.S. for Canada and successfully found employment.”

The researcher’s request coincided with a recentNAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) meeting in Washington of “The Three Amigos” (a name that fondly refers to the Presidents of United States & Mexico, and the Prime Minister of Canada).

NAFTA is an international agreement to facilitate freer trading relationships among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a region of more than 400 million people. This agreement came into effect on January 1, 1994, and as a result, it became necessary to loosen immigration and trade restrictions among the countries.

What follows is a synopsis of NAFTA, as it relates to the movement of skilled labour. The article is for information purposes only and is not a discussion of the commercial or political merits of the agreement. Its intent is to shine a spotlight on a little known aspect of the Agreement that could be beneficial to professionals from member countries.

How NAFTA Impacts Job Hunting

Under NAFTA, certain professionals from Canada, Mexico, and the United States can gain quicker, easier temporary entry to conduct investment or business activities if they are employees of a company that does business for an employer in these countries.

Businesspeople and professionals may be admitted if they have:

• Proof of citizenship of a NAFTA country
• Evidence that the proposed business activity is international and that the businessperson does not seek to enter the host state’s labour market
• Profession is on the NAFTA list
• Position requires a NAFTA professional
• Applicant is to work in a prearranged full-time or part-time job, for a Canadian, Mexican, or U.S. employer

While these professionals must comply with each country’s existing regulations on temporary entry immigration requirements, they are exempt from the job-validation process by their respective immigration departments, or in the case of Canada, Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC).

Where are the potential windows of opportunity for employment?

1. The region is home to approximately 444 million people, with over $1 trillion in trilateral trade, and that trade includes the trading of skilled labour.
2. The unemployment rate in all three countries averages 6.6% (United States 7.4%, Canada 7.2% and Mexico 5.1%).
3. There’s a considerable skills shortage in the region, and as Canada and the US face an aging population, Mexico will continue to be an important source of immigrants.
4. Every year, over 150,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages. This may or may not include professionals employed through the NAFTA stream.

There are over 60 professions where job opportunities may exist as a result of NAFTA. Among these are accountants, architects, economists, engineers, teachers, management consultant, pharmacists, dieticians, and registered nurses. (The full list of professions can be found at the link below titled “Cross Border Movement of Business Persons.”) Of course, these individuals must satisfy the minimum credential requirements for the proposed occupation and have the necessary professional license, certification, accreditation, or registration applicable to the practice of their profession.

Having said all of that, it is important to note that, in Canada, unless the profession is a specialized one, or there is a severe shortage of people to fill particular positions, obtaining a job offer for a permanent position is not as easy as it appears, with or without NAFTA. However, that should not prevent professionals from exploring other opportunities if their job search south of the border is proving unsuccessful.

As noted earlier, this article is for information purposes only, and not intended to offer legal advice. Readers should visit the information links, below, for specific requirements and seek legal advice before making a decision.

For More Information:

• North American Free Trade Agreement – NAFTA duties, benefits
• Cross Border Movement of Business Persons
• Special Business (Citizenship & Immigration Canada)
• Jobs Not Requiring a Work Permit

About this author…

A Certified Career Management Coach, Daisy Wright is Author of “No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Success Guide for New Immigrants.”  She is also the founder of The Wright Career Solution, where she assists executives, managers, and other job-seeking professionals with their resumes, cover letters, social media profiles, and interview preparation. Daisy can be found blogging at Career Musings, hanging around in CareerTips2Go Cafe as the resident “Coach-on-Call,” or tweeting as @CareerTips2Go and @NoCdnExperience.

The post NAFTA and Job Search in Canada appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Federal Skilled Worker Program Rules

Beginning in early May, 2013, new applicants to Canada will be assessed under the new Federal Skilled Worker Program (FWSP).

This will be based on the skills needed, who is best suited to fill the gaps, and who has the potential to succeed.

While it might not be welcome news for those who are here and still struggling to find suitable employment, it is a step in the right direction for future immigrants and employers.

Two main areas that have seen significant changes are language proficiency and education.

The government has reduced the number of points for education and has increased points for language proficiency. One study shows that “87% of employers see inadequate skills in English (or French) as barriers getting in the way of internationally educated professionals finding suitable employment.” (See Compas survey link below).

As such, language proficiency is now the top priority.

With respect to educational assessment, the new Educational Credential Assessment process will now be mandatory and will be based on Canadian standards.

This is a departure from the norm when applicants were assessed based on the educational standards of their home countries. Therefore, if the credential is not assessed as being on par with its Canadian counterpart, the applicant won’t be accepted. This process also curbs incidences of fraud.

Below is a summary of the new selection criteria:

1. Language Proficiency.

Language proficiency in either French or English – Canada’s two official languages – is now the most important factor on the eligibility scale. Studies have shown that inadequate language skills severely influences the ability of a new immigrant to find suitable employment. Applicants will now have to demonstrate they meet the minimum language criteria as specified in the Canadian Language Benchmark.

2. Age.

The government has now determined that the younger the applicant, the better he or she will be able to integrate into the labour market, and the longer they will remain. This means, applicants up to age 35 will be awarded the maximum 12 points, with a decrease in points awarded from age 35 to 46. No points will be awarded to anyone over 46 years old.

3. Education.

The government will be designating certain organizations to conduct a mandatory assessments of an applicant’s foreign credentials to ensure they are equivalent to the Canadian standard, and not those of the applicant’s home country.

4. Work Experience.

According to Citizenship & Immigration Canada, an applicant’s years of foreign work experience is not a good predictor of success in the Canadian labour market, so they have reduced the number of points from 21 to 15, while putting more emphasis on the number of years of experience required in order to get full points.

5. Arranged Employment.

A valid job offer benefits both employer and applicant. If the employer can demonstrate, through a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) issued by Human Resources Development Canada (HRSDC), that they have tried to find a qualified Canadian to fill a role, but could not, they will be eligible to source and bring a qualified worker to Canada. The applicant benefits as he or she will receive a work permit allowing him or her to start working immediately while their application for permanent residency is being processed.

Moving to Canada, particularly for foreign educated professionals, has not been easy partly because the Canadian Government originally placed more emphasis on individuals with advanced education rather than on areas for which there are skills gaps. This new policy is a departure from that norm and is designed to ensure that applicants who arrive will be ready to start filling the skills shortage the country faces. It also makes it less frustrating for potential applicants as they will know upfront whether or not they will fit in and thrive in the Canadian labour market or if they should remain where they are.

For more information:

• Citizenship & Immigration Canada
• Compas Research survey

About this author…

A Certified Career Management Coach, Daisy Wright is Author of “No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Success Guide for New Immigrants.”  She is also the founder of The Wright Career Solution, where she assists executives, managers, and other job-seeking professionals with their resumes, cover letters, social media profiles, and interview preparation. Daisy can be found blogging at Career Musings, hanging around in CareerTips2Go Cafe as the resident “Coach-on-Call,” or tweeting as @CareerTips2Go and @NoCdnExperience.

The post Moving to Canada? The New Canadian Immigration Rules appeared first on Job-Hunt.

SIN = Social Insurance Number

Before anyone can legally begin working in Canada, it is necessary to provide one’s Social Insurance Number (SIN), a unique nine-digit number issued by the Canadian Federal Government to an individual. It is used to identify that person for employment, government benefit programs and/or services, and taxation purposes. This number cannot be used legally by another person.

If someone is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident to Canada, or a temporary resident (with a work permit), he or she will need a Social Insurance Number (SIN). The Canadian SIN is similar to the Social Security Number used in the United States. It must be provided when applying for benefits and services from the government.

When a SIN Card Is Required

The Social Insurance Number plays an important role in the employment sphere. Without the number, the government would not be able to keep a record of a person’s deductible earnings – income tax, Employment Insurance (EI), or Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Neither will the government be able to verify whether someone qualifies for and is eligible to receive certain benefits.

A newcomer to Canada, for example, would not be able to open a bank account without providing a SIN.

Each individual must provide a SIN to the following:

• An employer, and the income-tax office
• Financial institutions where you are earning interest or income
• Employment Insurance (EI) benefit office
• Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) or a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
• Canada Child Tax Benefit (if one has children)
• Social-assistance benefits
• Workers Compensation benefits

When a SIN Card Is Not Required

While the above is mandatory, there are situations when one is not obligated to provide a SIN or show the card, such as:

• Proof of identity (except for government services)
• Completing a job application prior to a job offer
• Renting a property
• Negotiating a lease
• Completing a credit card application
• Cashing a cheque
• Renting a car
• Applying to university or college
• Completing some banking transactions (mortgage, line of credit, loan), or
• Completing a medical questionnaire

Some private-sector organizations may ask for the SIN, and although this practice is strongly discouraged, it is not illegal.

Basic Precautions

Since the Social Insurance Number is unique to each person, you should protect it from theft and fraud. Here are some basic precautions:

• Do not make it a habit to carry around your SIN card with you. It’s better to memorize your number and keep the card in a safe place at home.
• Do not use your SIN as a form of identification, as you will be putting your personal information at risk.
• Do not provide your SIN over the telephone unless you are the one who initiated the call.

Source of SIN Cards

Service Canada is the federal government agency that oversees the issuance of the Social Insurance Number. For detailed information about the card click on this link: ServiceCanada.gc.ca.

About this author…

A Certified Career Management Coach, Daisy Wright is Author of “No Canadian Experience, Eh? A Career Success Guide for New Immigrants.”  She is also the founder of The Wright Career Solution, where she assists executives, managers, and other job-seeking professionals with their resumes, cover letters, social media profiles, and interview preparation. Daisy can be found blogging at Career Musings, hanging around in CareerTips2Go Cafe as the resident “Coach-on-Call,” or tweeting as @CareerTips2Go and @NoCdnExperience.

The post The Canadian SIN Card – You Can’t Job Search without It (in Canada) appeared first on Job-Hunt.

A modern day job search requires you to develop a familiarity with modern job search procedures. You will also need to hone your skills in research, marketing, writing and interpersonal communication to stand out in your quest for new employment. Learn and master these new job search procedures and decrease your time looking for your next new role.

Build a Positive Online Identity

Having an online identity is your responsibility. Don’t leave it to chance.

It’s more than likely that someone is going to search for your name online before you get a phone call, interview or job offer.

Start by searching for your name online and see what appears on the first page of search results.

Your LinkedIn profile will usually be listed here so make sure it is complete.

LinkedIn isn’t the only place a potential employer will look. If you have other active social networking accounts such as Facebook or Twitter, those often appear on the first page of Google search results too which makes them fair game for an employer to check out.

The key to a positive online identity is to know what someone will find when searching for your name online and making sure that these results positively reflect who you are professionally. As some people say, the internet is your resume.

When you take steps to monitor and improve your online presence, you help a potential employer discover the best information available.

For more information, read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Personal Online Reputation Management.

Get The Inside Scoop

Reach out and talk with people who work inside the companies you want to work for. Don’t wait to see a job posting before taking this important step. It isn’t unusual for organizations to start searching for the right candidate before advertising a job.

Even when a job posting is available, it may not fully convey the needs and wants of a company. Research the company thoroughly and talk to current and past employees before you submit your resume. Here’s why. The information you gain from your research and conversations will provide you with more insight which will result in revisions and updates to your resume. You might choose to include more relevant examples of success stories in your documentation.

For more information, read Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Company Research.

Generic Is Out, Customization Is In

Every resume you send and every cover letter you write must specifically address the requirements of the job you are applying to. Human Resources and recruiters use applicant tracking systems to search for critical skills and technology. If your resume doesn’t contain the key words a recruiter is looking for, your application won’t show up, and you’ll be overlooked.

Read Resume Keyword Success Secrets for more information on how to customize your resume with the right keywords.

Always Get Referred

Referred candidates are the top source of external hires. Therefore, one of the most important steps you can take before you apply to any job is to talk with someone who works for the company.

When speaking with the company insider, you can inquire about the style of leadership, company culture, and specific requirements for the job. Even more importantly, your purpose in making contact with an employee is to secure a referral.

Ask if you can use their name when applying or if they would be willing to forward your resume to the hiring manager. Many companies offer their employees referral bonuses, which means referring you could potentially result in extra money for them.

You can learn more about how to be a referred candidate — Shortcut to a New Job: Tap an Insider and Get “Sourced” to Get Hired.

Master LinkedIn

In order to get the most from LinkedIn, you will want to do more than upload your resume and wait. Your connections should match your real-life network.

Grow your network and always customize your invitation to connect. This is most easily done from the desktop version by clicking on the connect button only on the person’s profile.

Update your status daily by sharing articles and information related to your career in order to stay fresh and in front of your network. And don’t forget to fill in every relevant section of your LinkedIn profile. But don’t stop there.

To really stand out and differentiate yourself from the other average job seekers, treat your LinkedIn profile like an online portfolio. Embed files, images and links to samples of your work within your profile. This embedded information provides proof you can do the work and makes your profile more interesting to read. You can even use LinkedIn to write a blog post about your experience in the industry or occupation to accentuate your knowledge and experience.

Improve the power of your resume using LinkedIn, read 10 Elements of an Effective LinkedIn Profile and Social Proof: LinkedIn to Your Resume.

Persistence Pays

With so much to do and minimal resources, recruiters and hiring managers need a little nudging. Never assume your application was received. If you haven’t heard from the employer after applying, contact the appropriate person to find out the timeline for filling the role and the status of your application.

It’s important to read communication from employers carefully, and follow instructions. If you had an interview, be sure to ask about the timeframe and next steps in the interview process to help you gauge the timing of your follow-up. When you persistently follow-up, you let the company know you are interested in the opportunity. You also demonstrate your professionalism and tenacity, qualities that employers also value.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post Master These 6 Essential New Job Search Procedures appeared first on Job-Hunt.

When organizations get dozens, even hundreds, of applicants for each job opening, it’s hard to get noticed even if you’re a perfect fit.

Important Considerations

Being unique in some way, doing something attention-grabbing, or getting creative is one way to rise to the top. Taking the idea too far, however, can hurt more than it helps.

What is the culture of your field or industry?

Someone putting their picture with a “Hire Me!” appeal on a billboard will get a very different reaction from potential employers if they are pursuing a position as a Funeral Director rather than a job in advertising.

Many fields are characterized by certain levels of professionalism and decorum. When someone does something so far outside the norm it will certainly get noticed and grab people’s attention. However, it is also likely to create more of a negative impression than a positive one.

Pursuing a role in a more creative environment may call for more drastic stunts. It’s important to have a good understanding of the limits in your profession.

What do they really want to see?

Setting yourself apart in ways that emphasize the most important qualities they want to see is imperative. That will vary depending on the type of role you pursue. Certainly functional and technical skills for the role matter greatly. However, other factors are equally important. An organization isn’t just looking for job skills.

They are also looking for:

Distinguishing yourself in those areas, as well as technical and functional competence for a role, will make the difference.

How do you project the right attributes?

Research the field, the industry, and the company you are trying to pursue, and find ways that would make the most positive impact. Be creative based on what unique characteristics you have to offer to a potential employer.

Perhaps it’s –

• Being more pleasantly and professionally persistent than other applicants in finding, reaching, and talking to multiple contacts in the organization.
• Offering to contribute time and effort on a small project or initiative for free to show how you can be an asset.
• Going above and beyond in researching and finding ways you uniquely can be of value to the organization. Then, sending a concise proposal to contacts you find.
• Sending a coffee mug to someone you’ve been able to determine is the hiring manager, with your resume and a note inside asking if you could bring them coffee for the mug while you chat about the role.

Be creative, appropriate, professional, and a cut above any other applicant they will hear from.

You may get attention, but probably not the kind of attention you want, by:

• Sending your resume with glitter on it (unless the employer works with the “glitterati”)
• Sending your resume saturated with perfume (unless scent is important for that job)
• Emailing your resume with a pink flowery background (unless the business is flowers)
• Dropping off your resume dressed in a mascot costume (unless job is as a mascot job)

If those actions are inappropriate for the employer and industry, they will more likely be fodder for jokes around the company rather than a job offer for you.

Bottom Line

Think outside the box to find ways to stand out from the crowd in your job search.  But, don’t be so far outside the box that you are not taken seriously!

About the author…

Harry Urschel has over 25 years experience as an independent recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @HarryUrschel and on LinkedIn.

The post Going too Far “Outside the Box” to Attract Attention appeared first on Job-Hunt.

And, obviously, in getting the job offer.

Follow-up is one of the things job seekers often seek advice about, and one that many don’t do very well.

As an Executive Recruiter, I often coach candidates I’m working with on how they should be following up with the potential employer, yet it still often doesn’t get handled well. Here are my observations…

Disconnect Between Good Practice, Good Intentions, and Reality

The vast majority of people will tell you to send a thank you note after a job interview.

Yet only around 25% of them ever actually do it!

There’s a very large disconnect between what they say they believe, and what they actually do.

Consequently, by sending your thank you note after an interview, you distinguish yourself from the majority of other candidates.

The Positive Impact of Following Up

A very brief acknowledgement of the contact, written professionally and without typos, signing off with your contact information so they always have it handy, does nothing but make a positive impression.

As a recruiter, seeing how my clients (the employers) choose one candidate over another, the “little” things may tip the scale toward one candidate over another when both seem closely qualified.

After receiving good follow-up, hiring managers frequently tell me —

“This candidate seemed to be more interested. They sent me a thank you note, and the others didn’t.”

“This candidate was persistent, they called and followed up regularly, and were very thorough in the process.”

Rather than simply claiming important skills, you are demonstrating them:

• Your attention to detail.
• Your communications skills (grammar, spelling, email).
• Your follow-through.
• Your understanding of business etiquette.

The most “technically qualified” person is not always the person who receives the job offer. An employer wants to hire the best “complete package.”

Communication, personality, professionalism, and tenacity have as much influence in the selection process as skills.

Common Job Seeker Fears/Excuses

These are the reasons I hear most often for not following up.

•   Fear of Stalking  

  While I agree that it’s a bad idea to hound someone, I find that most job seekers believe they are a stalker LONG before the employer ever feels stalked.

  Most people are too reluctant to be persistent. Being professionally, and pleasantly persistent is key. An employer that receives a call or email from someone that is professional, respectful, brief, to the point, upbeat, and humble will not be put-off.

  Rather, much more likely to be impressed by the interest, and the way the person communicates and presents themselves. They will also notice that the candidate is different from other candidates, because the vast majority of people don’t do it.

•   Oops – I Forgot  

  A common response when I ask someone if they followed up after an interview or some other connection is for them to say they “forgot.”

  In most cases I don’t think it’s their memory that kept them from doing it, but rather that they didn’t know how to do it well, assuming — wrongly — that no follow up is better than saying something in a less than ideal way.

  While it is critical that a note has no spelling errors, terrible grammar, or slang, there are generally no magic words that need to be said. Whether it’s in a phone call or a note… brevity is a virtue.

  A simple “Thank you for your time and consideration” will make a positive impression, while no follow up makes none, leaving you lost in the majority who don’t follow up.

•   Fear of Appearing Desperate  

  The assumption made is that following up and thanking the employer for each contact makes the job seeker look “needy” somehow.

  If each call and email sounds as if you’re practically begging for the role, then I would agree that you sound desperate.

  However, if you follow up with confidence, cheerfulness, and professional determination, you create an impression of someone with resolve rather than desperation. How you do your follow up makes the difference.

Bottom Line

As you go through your job search… making networking contacts and introduction calls, sending resumes, applying online, going to interviews and making other connections… how well do you follow up? Be polite, professional, and consistent. You will see the difference in your results!

More About Interview Follow Up

• Guide to Writing Interview Thank You Notes
• Email Thank You Do’s and Don’ts
• 7 Costly Interview Thank You Note Mistakes
• Turning Rejection into Opportunity with a Thank You Note
• Should You Ask for Feedback After a Job Rejection?

About the author…

Harry Urschel has over 25 years experience as an independent recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @HarryUrschel and on LinkedIn.

The post How to Avoid Common Mistakes in Your Job Search Follow-Up appeared first on Job-Hunt.

This may be new to you or may have changed since you last traveled this road.

What you do need is a map to guide you towards your next job.

A successful job search doesn’t start and end with a polished resume (yes, that is an important piece).

A successful job search means that you are making the best and most informed decisions about your actions.

Top Four Reasons You Need A Map:

1. The job market is competitive (Approximately 5 job seekers for every job).
2. Employers have opted to be extremely selective, searching for exactly the right match.
3. Reactive job search is depressing.
4. Focus, structure, and accountability typically aren’t built into many job searches.

You can’t afford to wing it. Starting off on the right foot will decrease your time in search, and isn’t that what you really want?

Step 1: Assessment

The process and planning begins with knowing yourself. Often, going through this self assessment is painful, frustrating and confusing. Trudge forward and answer the difficult questions. This foundation of self-knowledge early in the process can drive you forward at greater speeds, with greater success. Why? Because you are motivated, you are passionate (or at least excited), and you have a specific focus.

Step 2: Research/Information Gathering

When you rush into your job search without knowing where to look, what you want to do, or what’s happening in your industry, it is sort of like heading up a mountain without knowing the trails. Conducting research will provide you with information that will make the hike easier and more focused. It will allow you to present yourself more convincingly as a potential solution.

Step 3: Presenting Yourself

You wouldn’t attempt to climb a mountain without the proper gear, would you? It will be so much clearer to you, having done some research, how you will position yourself and to whom.

Employers don’t want just a warm body in a seat. They want someone who will solve their specific problems.

Besides your resume, you’ll want an interesting verbal pitch to introduce yourself, which you should be doing a lot.

Your online presence is part of this too. Do you have an online presence? LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or website/blog? The phrase you hear associated with this component of your search is “personal branding.” It is a form of reputation management.

This is the gear you will need for your climb.

Step 4: Project Management

Are you setting weekly goals? Are you tapping into all the job search methods? There is so much more to do, sometimes it feels like looking for a job is a full time job!

Being pro-active and having a plan creates purpose and forward movement. You won’t reach the top of the mountain without taking action.

Step 5: Interview strategies

There’s an old saying, “We don’t know what we don’t know.” However, that shouldn’t be the case for you. Prepare for those interviews!

You want to know as much as possible about the company, the people, and their hiring process before going on the interview.

Do you dread being asked certain questions in an interview? Interviewing is a skill and with some practice you can increase your level of competence and confidence.

Mountaineers practice hiking for months in preparation for their “big climb.” You should, too.

Step 6: Project Update

The process continues past the activities of interviewing, networking, contacting recruiters, direct company contact and, must I say it, applying for jobs online.

You will want to evaluate what is working for you and what isn’t. This will allow you to make changes or continue to focus on the areas where you’ve been successful.

You’ll want to be objective.

You’ll also want quantitative measurements, such as:

• X networking meetings netted Y more meetings and Z interviews.
• X online job postings translated into Y interview.
• X recruiter conversations turned into Y interview.
• X interviews, Y second interviews, Z job offers.

Bottom Line:

Are you treating your job search as a full time job? Are you making the best choices on how you are spending your time? I believe strongly in this 6 step process. The heavy emphasis up front on assessment and research can make all the difference in the world. This allows you to discover or uncover what you really want to do next. Following these steps should provide structure and accountability to an otherwise hap-hazard approach. Whether you are just starting your search or re-starting your search, I hope this map helps you navigate and proactively manage your adventure.

About the author…

Hannah Morgan, Job-Hunt’s Social Media Job Search Expert, maximizes her own personal branding and online visibility using social media platforms. She is a job search strategist and founder of CareerSherpa.net. Selected by LinkedIn as a “Top Voice for Job Search and Careers,” follow Hannah on LinkedIn. Also, follow and connect with Hannah on Twitter (@careersherpa) and Facebook (Career Sherpa). To read more articles on how to use social media for job search, visit her site: Careersherpa.net.
More about this author…

The post 6 Steps: Pulling Together Your Job Search Gear appeared first on Job-Hunt.

There are many reasons why employees are dissatisfied with their jobs:

Perhaps the work environment was unfair — rigid rules were enforced with no exceptions, except for a favored few.

Maybe, the company lacked integrity — employees didn’t trust management and vice versa.

Maybe rigid management rules blocked your ability to see your children’s events. Or, you weren’t given the autonomy necessary to do your job well.

These are examples of how your values and those of the workplace do not match.

Workplace “Core Values” Impact Your Job Satisfaction

An employer’s “core values” for the workplace are the principles that are the foundation of how an organization works. They impact how the business runs — how decisions are made, who is promoted, how customers/clients are treated, and much more.

How important are workplace core values?

Statistics show that workplace values are more important for job satisfaction than salary, unless earning a high salary is your main core value.

Surprised? A Harvard Business Review article supports this statement:

“One of the most striking results we’ve found is that, across all income levels, the top predictor of workplace satisfaction is not pay: It is the culture and values of the organization, followed closely by the quality of senior leadership and the career opportunities at the company. Among the six workplace factors we examined, compensation and benefits were consistently rated among the least important factors of workplace happiness.”

This brings to question how you ensure that you take a job which meets your core values.

Learn an Employer’s Core Values Before Accepting a Job Offer

Here are four ways to discover the core values employers support, from worse to best.

4. Ask in the interview

This is the worst way to determine the company’s core values, as it may be too late.

(It’s always best going into an interview with your eyes wide open.) You can ask the recruiter during the telephone interview.

However, the recruiter might not know much about the company’s values, especially if they’re an agency recruiter (not on site). A corporate recruiter would have a better idea of the company’s values, although not as accurate as a hiring manager’s.

You may be able to ask the question, “Can you tell me a little bit about the company’s core values?” during the interview. But more likely you’d ask this question at the last phase of the interview when they ask if you have any questions for them.

If this is your only opportunity, ask a question such as: “What are (Company X’s) top three core values?” This is a question that will challenge the interviewers and indicate that you’re serious about working for the company.

3. Comb through company reviews on a site like Glassdoor.com

While many job seekers live and die by Glassdoor.com company reviews, I’m somewhat skeptical.

My thought is that disgruntled current or former employees won’t speak objectively about their present or past companies. And, reportedly, some employers have launched paid campaigns to encourage positive reviews.

However, there could be value in this site’s reviews if the they are consistent; if most of them are positive or negative.

I looked at two companies, one a nationally known monolith and the other a largish company local to Boston. Dell EMC had a whopping 4.3K reviews and a 76% “Recommend to a friend” rating. In terms of pros and cons, work-life balance was the top value mentioned: 507 applauded the work-life balance, whereas 107 trashed the work/life balance.

The other company, Kronos, also did consistently well. Of the 1.3K employees who posted a review, 81% would recommend this company to a friend. Not surprisingly work-life balance was the number one value: 239 favored it; 45 employees saw it as a con.

2. Find someone on LinkedIn who can speak about the company

LinkedIn can be a great tool for finding people who work for your target companies; or better yet, who worked for your target companies.

It’s important to know how to locate people at said companies. You’re going to get very familiar with LinkedIn’s All Filters feature for searching LinkedIn.

Using LinkedIn’s All Filters:

1. Click in the Search bar at the top of most pages.
2. Choose People.
3. Click on All Filters.
4. Type in the company name.
5. Select second degree connection.
6. Select Current or Past companies.
7. Choose location.
8. Scroll down to enter the title of the person you would like to approach.

Second degree connection who currently works for your target company

If you are a Premium account member, use one of your five free Inmails to message someone who shares a common connection with you.

You may mention in the first line:

“Hello Susan, you and I are connected with John Schmidt, who encouraged me to reach out to you….”

What if you don’t have a premium account? A couple of options:

• Check the contact information on the member’s profile to see if you can send an email to them outside of LinkedIn. Or…
• You’ll have to send an invitation to connect for quick action.

Proceed as you would if you had a premium account in terms of the message you send. Indicate you share a common connection who will vouch for you.

Second degree connection who USED to work for your target company

Job seekers often don’t think of reaching out to someone on LinkedIn who worked for their target companies in the past. I tell my workshop attendees that these people can be their best online source of information, as they will most likely provide the truth.

Former employees have nothing to lose.

Again, if you don’t have a premium account and have to send an email (if possible) or an invitation to connect, it’s best to mention a common connection. Be sure the common connection you mention is amenable to vouching for you. There are many connections who will vouch for me, but there are some who (I hate to admit) I hardly know.

1. Have a “mole” in the company who will tell you honestly about the company’s values

This is the best way to discover the values your potential employer supports.

The person/people you ask, via LinkedIn or in person, are on site and experience the company’s core values daily. They can provide intricate details, whereas Glassdoor.com and current and former employees on LinkedIn might not be as willing to go into details.

I recall applying for a job that was posted by an employer I was considering working for. I knew someone within the organization who was very open about the company’s culture. She described an environment where management was so abusive toward their employees that people were quitting. Needless to say, I didn’t apply for the job.

Another benefit of having a mole inside the company is the possibility of being referred for the job by that mole, increasing your probability of being hired.

The Bottom Line on Avoiding Toxic Work Environments

Your workplace core values are not to be ignored when applying for positions. They can make the difference between being happy or unhappy. An exercise I have my workshop attendees do is write down their top five values, not an easy task for many. Then. I have them narrow it down to three and finally one. Can you identify your top value? I bet it’s not salary.

More About Advanced Job Search

• Essential Tools for Today’s Advanced Job Search
• Publishing on LinkedIn: Gain Both Visibility and Credibility
• 10 Signs of a Toxic Workplace and Ways to Handle Workplace Issues
• Smart Answers to Job Interview Questions
• Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions
• Guide to Personal Branding with LinkedIn
• Guide to Personal SEO
• Guide to LinkedIn SEO
• Online Reputation Management

About the author…

Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career and LinkedIn trainer who leads more than 17 job search workshops at an urban career center. He also critiques LinkedIn profiles and conducts mock interviews. His greatest pleasure is helping people find rewarding careers in a competitive job market. Selected by LinkedIn as one of 10 “Top Voices for Job Search and Careers,” follow Bob on LinkedIn. Visit his blog at ThingsCareerRelated.com. Follow Bob on Twitter: @bob_mcintosh_1, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
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The post 4 Ways to Avoid a Toxic Workplace for Your Next Job appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Now, when you have a wealth of experience, the problem has reversed itself.

The challenge now becomes what to do in a job search when you are rejected, not for lack of experience but for too much experience.

Almost every problem with a troubled job search can be traced back to a resume, and this problem is no exception.

Me vs. You

You know that the customer is always right, and that whatever your job, finding out what the customer wants and giving it to them is the surest path to success. You have known this your entire adult life, yet when it comes to writing a resume, these two critical lessons fly right out of the window.

You sit down to create the most financially important document you will ever own,

You write a document that tries to capture everything you think is important and of which you are proud.

You strive to give it as much breadth as possible to widen the range of opportunities for which you might be suited.

The result is a one-size-fits-all document, and as you know from bitter personal experience, one-size-fits-all-never-fits-anyone.

Writing an old-fashioned general resume does not work. It will disappear into the resume databases and never be found because it lacks focus.

Even if you do manage to get that resume in front of a headhunter, recruiter, or hiring manager, no one likes reading resumes because they turn a brain to mush in short order.

Writing a resume without the needs of the customer firmly in mind is a recipe for disaster and a waste of everyone’s time. If your matching skills don’t jump off the page in the first 30 seconds, you are history.

The Customer-Focused Resume

The resume that works is one that focuses on what employers state in job postings as important. It delivers the information that qualifies you for this job.

Today, you don’t write a resume about all the wonderful things you can and have done. You write a resume that addresses your ability to do just the things that the employer is asking for.

Give your resume a headline, right after the contact information at the top of the first page. That headline is the Target Job Title you are pursuing.

Everything that follows the Target Job Title is focused on your skills, experiences, and ability to deliver on the requirements of that job title.

This is the story you tell, nothing more and nothing less. Do this and your resume’s performance in database searches will dramatically increase, and your matching skills will jump off the page in the first few seconds of reading.

Right-Sizing Job Titles

We seem to spend much of our lives striving for bigger and better job titles, because society attaches so much prestige to job titles. That is until age and wage discrimination sets in and the problems begin.

For example, you might face the problem of going after an individual contributor job after years of holding a management title. Just as that would give you, as a hiring manager, pause for concern, it will give potential employers the same concern.

The solution builds on the idea of focusing on required skills rather than presenting yourself as a superhero.

For instance, I have owned my company for thirty years, so I am a president, CEO or whatever over-blown title comes to mind. But with a small company of less than a dozen people, I’m also the chief cook and bottle washer. We write resumes and coach people, so I spend a lot of time doing one-on-one coaching with people all over the world, and doing webinars.

Consequently, were I to pursue a job in training, which is my professional background, I could honestly give my company name and dates of employment followed by my job title as Training Specialist or Training Manager – whatever would be closest to the target job:

KnockEmDead.com1997-Present
Global performance training company
Training Manager

I wouldn’t be lying, this would be true and defensible. It would also be infinitely more productive in a job search than:

KnockEmDead.com1997-Present
Global performance training company
CEO

I have had one or two people over the years express a concern here about references and potential problems of downgrading a job title.

Mostly references are concerned with dates of employment and leaving salary, and I have honestly never heard of a job offer being retracted because someone minimized their achievements rather than exaggerating them.

Dates & Technology

Dates of employment are also part of the “overqualified” quagmire, but there is help here too. A resume that goes back more than 20 years can begin to speak of age, big money, old dogs, and (no) new tricks. This can also make you look like a know-it-all who might be tough to manage, and no one wants to hire someone who might be a management problem.

Opinions vary on this with some career people saying not to go back more than 10 years, but that can under qualify you for many jobs. My personal persuasion is to go back no more than 20-25 years. If the resume shows 25 years of work history, the Performance Summary that follows your Target Job Title will read “20+ years’ experience.”

Not going back throughout what might be a long work history is defensible because of changes in technology. Every job in existence has changed beyond recognition in the last 20 years. Therefore, not listing experience prior to 20 years ago is defensible as being irrelevant to the skills necessary for the job. This is especially true if you are trying to keep the resume tight, succinct, and as short as the story you need to tell will allow.

More About Handling Unemployment in Your Job Search

• 5 Options to Fill that Unemployment Gap by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Overcoming the Unemployed Bias by recruiter Jeff Lipschultz
• Best LinkedIn Title When You Are Unemployed
• How to Leverage LinkedIn Smartly When You Are Unemployed
• Managing Employment Gaps on Your Resume
• How to Manage Resume Red Flags

About the author…

Successful careers don’t happen by accident. Professional resume writing expert Martin Yate CPC is a New York Times best-seller and the author of 17 Knock Em Dead career management books. As Dun & Bradstreet says, “He’s about the best in the business.” For FREE resume-building advice and to view Martin’s resume samples, visit the Knock Em Dead website. Join Martin on Twitter at @KnockEmDead.
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The post Resumes for the Unemployed and Overqualified appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Making a career or job mistake is, unfortunately, not unusual. Most of us make at least one major mistake in our careers, but they can be avoided!

These situations cause stress and often impact our ability to earn a reasonable income. Then, a career or job change is required much more quickly than usual, which makes the job search process more complex and stressful.

The painful too-soon job search or the wasted time and money invested in training that is not useful — and the other related awkward situations — may be avoided through wise use of informational interviews.

Done well, informational interviews — collecting good information from a variety of sources before you make an important change of career direction or move to a new job — help avoid many mistakes, and are a very good idea.

Without collecting information, successfully changing careers or finding a great new job can often be more a matter of luck than a well-reasoned move to a better future:

• Media visibility for an employer or a great website can make the employer seem like the ideal place for you to work, when they are not
• Schools can trumpet how excellent their courses are without noticing that new grads are unemployed or not employed in the field they trained for.
• Job postings can be misleading, on purpose or not.
• Recruiters can be very enthusiastic about a job that they wouldn’t want a family member to have.

So, taking the time and making the effort to do some “due dilligence” before taking the next step in your career, whether that’s a new job, a new career, or a new employer, is smart self-defense.

1. Be better informed for your next career move.

Informational interviews help you make a more-informed decision before you take that leap into a new field or in a job with a new employer. You will learn the right questions to ask to get the information you need.

Collecting relevant information is key to your career success. Once you have made the move to the new field/employer, you will probably be stuck for as long as a year before you can gracefully move on.

If that new field or employer is a bad fit for you, your perfomance may not be great which will be refelected in your performance reviews and references, making that next job search more challenging.

Taking the time to be well informed will pay dividends in the future as you, potentially, avoid bad career decisions and/or bad employers.

(To use Google to avoid bad employers, read 50 Google Searches to Avoid Layoffs and Bad Employers.)

2. Improve and expand your network.

By asking people for advice, which is really what an informational interview does, you are paying that personal a compliment, and they know it. So, this may strengthen your relationship with that person.

Since you end most interviews by asking for the name and contact information of another person to talk with, you are also expanding your network, hopefully in a direction that will benefit your career.

(For more questions to ask, read Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews.)

3. Connect with opportunities.

A better (and larger) network will typically give you an inside track to opportunities inside that network. So, if one of your network connections learns of an opportunity inside their organization that might be a good one for you, you may be contacted by them.

You could become an “employee referral” candidate, giving you the best probability of being hired and, usually, rewarding the employee who refers you receives a bonus from the employer.

(For more about employee referrals read, Shortcut to a New Job: Tap an Insider and Target Employee Referrals, the #1 Hiring Source.)

4. Gain experience and confidence doing interviews.

Whether you are starting your first real job search or your first job search in many years, the more interviewing you do, the better you will become at doing it. The experience of interviewing, particularly going to a new location and meeting new people, will become less scary as you do more of it, and survive the process.

Start these interviews with people you know, or have at least met once or twice. Then, move on to people you don’t know. This will enable you to handle the intimidate “public” aspects of the whole job interviewing process. You’ll also learn how people recover from mistakes in the interview, as well as the most effective way to communicate, to present yourself and your experience in the best light.

5. Understand the interviewing process better.

As the person conducting the interview, rather than the person being interviewed, you will gain insight into what is happening on the interviewer’s side of the process — juggling schedules, watching clocks, asking the right questions to dig out the information you need, etc. You’ll learn their concerns.

You will also learn how important it is to be well-prepared for the interview so that you will ask the right questions to receive the answers you need. You will also probably learn more about understanding body language.

More: How to Get the Most Out of an Informational Interview

Bottom Line

Done well, informational interviews will help you steer your career in the right direction, chosing the best profession, employer, and job. They are excellent when you are considering a change in direction, but can also be helpful when you are considering a new employer or a new department in a current employer.

More About Informational Interviews:

• Top 10 Tips for Successful Informational Interviews
• 70+ Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews
• Email Requests for Informational Interviews (with 5 Samples)
• The Hidden Value of Informational Interviews (from the Guide to Working with Recruiters)
• How to Make Employee Referral Programs Work for You

About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
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The post Avoid Career/Job Mistakes with Informational Interviews appeared first on Job-Hunt.