July 9, 2018 2 Comments

Dealing with change and stress in an uncertain world

While some people might claim to enjoy unpredictability, many (probably most) of us find it exhausting, stressful and even overwhelming. The old expression that says that “there are two certainties in life: death and taxes” leaves out the most frequent, unpredictable and arguably most stress-inducing inevitability in life: change. As with death and taxes, the challenge isn’t so much that we will have to face inevitable transitions in our lives, as much as how we deal with them.

Change is a consistent challenge throughout our working lives, whether we are dealing with job loss, making career decisions, looking for work, starting a new job or career, or just dealing with changes in the workplace (a new boss, different duties or a new software program to master). Mostly, when changes happen, most of us somehow find strength and keep going, facing and handling the new challenges. But every now and then, the stress overwhelms and we begin to doubt our ability to face life’s demands and move forward effectively.

The world of work has become an increasingly stressful place, with an increasing number of people working in less secure positions, often for lower pay. Many people are handling multiple responsibilities on the job and are often expected to work long hours, for which they are not always properly paid or recognized. Job search also seems more challenging, with candidates competing with a large number of talented potential hires. Of course, having 24/7 access to news and opinions in social and other media, many of which seem to thrive on drama and gloom, does not help stress either. It is hard to keep a sense of perspective when you are surrounded by negative reports on the economy and job market, inevitably making you feel that you are not competitive enough: too old, too young, insufficiently skilled or experienced, having too much experience, facing discrimination for your ethnicity, race, gender, abilities, country of origin, language, and so many other factors.

Over my 25 years of counselling and coaching people as they face job and career changes, I have discovered that there isn’t one way that works for everyone to handle such stress. If you have ever sought support online, from friends or even professionals, you might have found that even though people have lots of advice, there often isn’t much that applies to you specifically. You might have even started to wonder whether there is something terribly wrong with you, since everyone else seems to be coping better than you. Judging from others’ Facebook updates and what you observe, most people you know seem might seem happier, more confident and satisfied with their lives. The thing is that appearances often hide the truth: no one is coping quite as well as it seems on the surface — everyone has their moments of weakness, terror and doubt, often much more commonly than it appears.

The question, then, is what might work to help you move forward past the stress that comes with life’s changes. Here are some of the more successful techniques that my clients have tried:

Get support.

Reach out for supports from others, whether they are friends or family. Don’t be shy about asking for help from those around you who are willing and able to provide an ear, some support, guidance or even more. Call people up and invite them out for a cup of coffee. Sometimes just the act of sharing your concerns and saying them out loud will give you a new perspective or motivate you to move forward. By reaching out to others, you may be gifting someone with an opportunity to take on a helpful role that they always wanted.

Get advice and help from professionals.

Remember that organisations such as JVS Toronto exist to provide services and expertise that might help you achieve your career or work goals. There are also many online resources that might help you tweak a resume or find a new way of looking for work (subscribe to the JVS Blog for a guide with resume writing and other tips). If stress is beginning to overwhelm you and is affecting your ability to function day-to-day, go see your Doctor — they might have some resources that could help, and could refer you as needed. Some physicians even offer psychotherapy as part of their publicly funded services (such as OHIP in Ontario).

Change things up.

Mark Twain was right when he said that “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you always got.” Perhaps you need a new routine or a different way of meeting your goals. If job search is your challenge, try volunteering, taking a course to update your skills, or seeking out new strategies to find work. If you’ve been staying home a lot, make an effort to get out – join an interest group, or if you’re not spending enough time focusing on job search, set aside a few times a week to go the library or local resource centre to do some focused work without the distractions of home.

Take care of your physical health.

Consider taking up some simple activities, such as a brisk walk around your neighbourhood with a friend, swimming or joining a class in the local community centre. The benefits of exercise go well beyond simple physical fitness – there is evidence that exercise is an effective way to handle stress or depression, with Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Michael Craig Miller recommending that it’s helpful to even “start with five minutes a day of walking or any activity you enjoy. Soon, five minutes of activity will become 10, and 10 will become 15.”

Give yourself a break.

Your mental health also requires attention; borrow a good book from the library, watch a favourite movie or just allow yourself some “me” time. Don’t do it guiltily, otherwise you won’t reap the relaxation benefits. Think of self-care as part of what you have to do to be able to move forward in your life. Make sure to get enough sleep, which is key for focus and stress management.

As Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are (which is a very good source of advice on handling stress – look for it at your local library) makes an important point: “There are always waves on the water. Sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small, and sometimes they are almost imperceptible. The water’s waves are churned up by the winds, which come and go and vary in direction and intensity, just as do the winds of stress and change in our lives, which stir up the waves in our minds. (…) You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”
Simply put: change happens and you can’t always control that; but you can influence how you respond to it.

June 25, 2018 1 Comment

Spruce up Your LinkedIn Profile with these 5 Steps

Bank screen of laptop on wooden table with blur background of share space office cafe.

With a reported 11 million unique jobs posted on the site, LinkedIn has become a key source of opportunities for its over half a billion users. The social media platform provides users a myriad of ways to be noticed by recruiters and potential employers. And if you are going to be noticed, you need make sure that your LinkedIn profile is in as good a shape as possible, especially in these five key elements:

1. Career Headline

Your headline is the first line of text a potential employer reads on your profile. It plays a marketing role — it’s your opportunity to tell them what you want them to know about you, your professional skills and experience.

Avoid simply using your job title as your headline, and don’t use the default LinkedIn one. Use this valuable opportunity attract attention and impress the reader. Try adding some relevant descriptive keywords to your job title. You can use multiple short terms to describe yourself, combining professional and personal terms: e.g.” Administrative Assistant | Microsoft Office | Customer Service | Committed to Excellence” or “Accounting Clerk | Bookkeeper | Advanced Excel | Detail-oriented”.

2. Profile photo

LinkedIn tells us that “great profile photo (…) can get you up to 21 times more profile views”. But profile views are not enough; to make an impactful and positive impression, a photo which communicates information about the your professionalism and confidence is best. There’s no need to pay someone to take a professional photo. LinkedIn offer some good tips on taking your own “work selfie”:

The LinkedIn Guide to the Perfect #WorkSelfie from LinkedIn

3. Summary/About

Your About section is an opportunity to further introduce yourself, explain your employment history, and give potential employers an opportunity to learn what makes you unique. It can be less formal and more wordy than a resume profile — just make sure that the tone is appropriate for your industry.

You can include in your profile:
– your professional title, years of experience and expertise, e.g. “Over 10 years’ progressive HR experience working in the non-profit sector”
– relevant educational achievements and/or professional designations, e.g. “University educated and a Certified Human Resource Professional (CHRP)”
– core skills and achievements, e.g. “Skilled negotiator, having successfully handled and resolved union disputes; knowledgeable on issues regarding payroll; designed and implemented professional staff development training”
– work values and principles, e.g. “Strong commitment to inclusive non-discrimination hiring practices”
– relevant personal characteristics, e.g. “Highly energetic, enthusiastic and confident”
– knowledge such as relevant languages and computer software

For ideas on what to include, read through job postings you are planning to apply for and identify the qualifications listed by the employers. Use them as your guide — try to echo the employers’ priorities.

4. Background photo

A background photo can brighten up a profile. It shows that you’ve made an extra effort to make the profile stand out.

The ideal photo would be of you at your workplace or job – even better if it’s one of you doing your job. Remember that regardless of what photo you use, you should have permission to use the photo. If you search for an image, make sure it is labelled free for re-use. Google offers clear advice on how to find such photos.

5. Media

One of the features that distinguishes a LinkedIn profile from a resume is the ability to add links or media, such as PDFs, videos and slide shows, Word documents or images, to the summary and to each job. Use this function to share video clips or photos of you at work, slideshows that you have produced, newsletters where you were mentioned, or samples of your work.

For ideas and inspiration to spruce up your resume, use the LinkedIn search bar to find profiles of fellow professionals in your field and review their profiles; find the ones that look impressive and look at their photo, headline, summary, media and background photo, and learn what you can from them. Try something new. Remember, you can always change things up if it doesn’t feel right — no one will judge you for trying new things. That’s the advantage of social media.

June 11, 2018 2 Comments

Get to know Google’s new Job Search Feature

Google has launched a job search feature to help users find job postings without having to leave the search engine. This function has the potential to be much more effective than using a specific website to find jobs, in that it scans for the job title throughout the internet, rather than being limited by known sources. You might even discover new, unknown sources of jobs in your field.

The best part of the function is how simple it is: just use the usual google search bar, by entering a job title and the word “job”.

Here’s how you use it:

1. Search:

Open your Google search page and enter the job title in the search. You can specify a location (e.g. “Toronto”) and/or a level (e.g. “entry level”). If you don’t specify location, it will search near your current location, within a range that you can specify. Google will searches multiple career sites such as Monster, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn and Glassdoor, as well as agency sites and others.

2. Sort through the results:

Click on the blue box to open a full page and view the search results, and sort through all the jobs. Options are available to narrow the jobs by Title, Location, Date posted, Type (e.g. full time or contract), Company type (i.e. industry) and Employer.

3. Save jobs for future reference:

Next to the job title there is an option to save a job for future reference, and return to it at a later date. You will be able to do so only if you have a Google account and are logged into it.

4. Create an Alert:

If you find that the search results are useful, you can get set up an alert system to email you whenever jobs are posted that match your criteria. (Google Alerts are useful for any topic – you may use them to be alerted whenever their own name or a subject of interest is mentioned anywhere on the internet). Alerts can be edited or cancelled as needed.

5. Apply:

Google will direct you to sites where the job posted and you can take it from there, as you would usually when you find a job online.

May 28, 2018 1 Comment

How recruiters can help you get hired

My clients often ask me how to connect with recruiters to help find a job, and whether it is worth the effort. There isn’t one simple answer to this question – it depends on the profession, the job seeker and on the demand for their skills in the job market. For some job seekers, recruiters can be very useful when looking for work.

What do recruiters do?

Recruiters work for the employer, not the job seeker. They help collect resumes, screen applicants, and conduct job interviews, either for one company or via an agency. Recruiters are most useful if you work in a field where there’s a large demand for your skills, experience and expertise — often more senior staff, who might work in larger companies. Recruiters also hire temporary staff.

There are two different types of recruiters: in-house and agency. In-house recruiters are employed by a specific company to hire employees. Agency recruiters work for an employment agency, to help multiple companies find employees; they get paid when they fill a position – often a percentage of the salary paid to the candidate.

Recruiters use multiple methods to find, connect with, and monitor potential candidates, including online job boards (such as this), recruitment agency boards (such as those listed here), company websites (such as this), as well as LinkedIn.

How do agencies work?

To get a job through an agency, applicants need to register either via a posting found on a job board such as Monster.ca or Indeed.ca, or directly on the agency’s site. If the agency is a reputable one, candidates who register will be contacted by a recruiter for a brief discussion about their eligibility for the position. Suitable candidates will get called into the agency to be interviewed and possibly skill-tested. References will be called. Candidates might be placed in full-time or temporary jobs, many starting on a temporary basis first before considering them for full time employment.

For candidates, it’s important to treat the recruitment agency interview as you would any job interview: be prepared to speak about yourself clearly, confidently and honestly, to build a trusting relationship with the recruiter. Remember that it is the recruiter’s job to represent you to an employer, so give them the information they need to do so effectively.

Candidates are not limited to only one agency. It is well worth registering with multiple agencies, to access a variety of jobs in your area. Recruiters won’t necessarily refer every candidate to a position, no matter how well qualified they may seem. Recruiters may have their own personal preferences which impact on their choices. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that candidates can’t apply for the job independently, according to some recruiters: “Sometimes a company will be more willing to hire you without the recruiter’s fee attached.”

Connect with recruiters on LinkedIn:

Update your profile. LinkedIn reports that adding detailed work experience will result in 12x more profile views; it also makes your profile 36x more likely to be found by recruiters.
Signal your availability to recruiters. LinkedIn recently introduced an option for job seekers to quietly indicate their availability to recruiters, called Career Interests. This allows candidates to provide some basic information about their career goals to recruiters privately.
Seek them out. LinkedIn offers recruiters and job seekers an easy and effective way to connect. There are two main ways to find recruiters on this platform: Use the search bar to find people who call themselves “recruiter” – review their profile to identify whether they recruit in your field and location, conduct a job search, and look through the job postings for the name of the poster (some job postings include the name and profile of an individual poster)
Reach out and connect with the suitable recruiters. Include a brief introductory note, telling them about your employment goals.

Communicate with the recruiter:

When the recruiter accepts the connection request (and most will!), thank them for connecting with you.
In the next message, briefly introduce yourself and tell them what you want “I saw a position on your website” (share links to the job, if you have) or “I am interested in a __________ position.”
Mention if possible something you might share — like LinkedIn contacts, location or anything else, to break the ice.
Tell them what you would like them to do “Can you please pass along my resume to the person responsible for hiring XXX?” or “I recently applied for XXX and I’m trying to get a status update on my application. Would you mind checking for me?”
Keep it short and focused.
Stay in touch: Thank the recruiter for their efforts on your behalf, follow their instructions regarding the opportunities they provide you. Check in regularly; update them on your job search and availability.

While recruiters can be a source of good job opportunities, don’t rely on them exclusively to find your next job. They are only one tool in a job seekers toolkit. Do what you can to reach out and be available, but keep looking for work independently.

May 15, 2018 Leave a Comment

Volunteering Opportunities in the City

Diverse volunteers taking a selfie together

Perhaps you have given some thought to the idea that volunteering is a good way to ‘get a foot in the door’ of your favourite business, but have you considered it a way to expand your network, meet other like-minded people and boost your resume?

Right now, as summer events ramp up, cities like Toronto are brimming with seasonal events that can connect you to hundreds of other people who are interested in the same causes and activities as you. Also, if you perform well, you may just be considered the next time people are hiring for paid positions.

There are a variety of events that occur throughout the city covering cultural festivals, food and drink events, and various charity fundraisers, just to name a few.

Do you have a passion for a specific cause, or a personal connection to a particular health issue? Why not consider contacting a local organization and asking to be put on their volunteer list? You can find organizations of interest by calling 211 in Toronto, or checking out Toronto 211 online.

Volunteering is also a great way to be exposed to different type of jobs that you may not have previously considered; you might even find that you enjoy doing something that you never thought you’d be interested in before.

Here are some handy do’s and don’ts for volunteering:

Volunteer for something you think you might enjoy: If you’re going to give your time to a cause, try thinking of something that will not only look good on your resume, but is also something that you are passionate about. If you’re happy and fulfilled, it can have a profound impact on how well you do and the references you can gather.

Be punctual: Take your volunteer work as seriously as you would a job. If you show up late for your shift, potential employers will remember this and it may affect your recommendation or chances to be considered in the future.

Dress appropriately: If it’s casual and you’re going to be on your feet all day, wear comfortable shoes and clothing. If it is more formal, dress the part.

Be respectful of everyone: You never know who you’re going to meet — treat everyone as your next potential employer or colleague.

Be willing to do something you don’t enjoy: You may be asked to help with something like clean-up, or perhaps something seemingly unimportant such as inflating balloons. Remember that no one likes to do these odd jobs, but they still have to be done. Your willingness to participate in the less glamorous positions will be noted. Of course, never do something that you think may be harmful to your health or that you really cannot do.

Don’t wait until the last minute to volunteer for events, the most coveted spots are typically grabbed up quickly. Don’t let that discourage you though, there are so many positions you can apply for—just keep in mind you may not get your first choice.

Perhaps the most important advice I can offer however, is that no matter which organization you choose, have fun! You’re bound to learn something new, you’ll meet new people, possibly make new friends and you’ll definitely take something positive out of your experience.

Now here are some websites that offer links to volunteer opportunities:

Volunteer With the City — Opportunities to volunteer in City of Toronto events and programs

Volunteer Toronto — This site offers opportunities to apply to volunteer for a wide range of activities

Spark Ontario — Discover volunteering opportunities and connect with non-profit organizations in Ontario

CharityVillage — Canadian nonprofit sector’s largest and most popular online resource