Dear Joanna,
I’m almost finished working on my resume and cover letter with my Employment Counsellor at JVS Toronto. I’m following the professional branding approach with my documents.What is the best way for me to write the headers so that it looks professional and can get noticed by the hiring managers?
Signed: Header to Header (H2)
Job seekers often tell me that they find Twitter to be the most intimidating of all the popular social media platforms. Maybe it is because of those awful career ending mistakes we hear about. Maybe it’s just difficult to figure out how to use, and being such a public tool, new users (especially job seekers) are nervous to make a mistake on it.
Twitter is, however, a very popular platform for employers, and as such is an important place for job seekers to be. It’s also a pretty good source of jobs — many employers choose to advertise their positions on Twitter. Employers will also look for you on Twitter, in hopes to learn more about you and figure out whether you are social media savvy enough to not potentially embarrass yourself or them online in the future.
When you sign up for Twitter, make sure that you consider the following elements:
It’s actually really easy to start using Twitter — you can start by reading and following, rather than contributing anything. Twitter offers some good advice to new members, telling them that:
reading Tweets and discovering new information whenever you check in on your Twitter timeline is where you’ll find the most value on Twitter (…) the real magic of Twitter lies in absorbing real-time information that matters to you.
Other excellent advice on following, tweeting and developing a voice on Twitter is offered on their Help pages.
Once your profile is set up, as a job seekers you should focus on:
Start off by searching for and following companies, professional associations and people who are relevant to your work. Read their tweets, and try to learn about how they use Twitter and what opportunities you might have to engage with them.
Slowly begin to engage with potential employers by retweeting, responding to their questions and tweeting them appropriately. Challenge yourself to not just retweet — try to develop an authentic personal voice which is thoughtful and pleasant. You can allow yourself to engage and comment on non-work related topics (such as sports events, arts or culture), but make sure to keep it polite and light.
To find relevant job leads, use Twitter’s search bar. Use a search that combines the word “job”, a job title, and location: e.g. “job+marketing+Toronto”. Do that search regularly. Identify target companies and follow them for future postings. Some companies actually have a Twitter account that is dedicated to employment, such as the City of Toronto’s @CityTOjobs.
Engage with individuals on Twitter and try to find ways to meet in person to network, by messaging them directly (called DM) for information interviews or other in person opportunities. Your goal is to develop the kind of rapport which can lead to people recommending/referring you for jobs or information interviews.
Twitter can be a very effective tool for branding, networking and getting job leads. Use it daily (for 30 minutes or so); gather information, share information and offer your expertise to others. Also, keep in mind that employers are likely to check out your profile to assess your personal style, social media skill level and your professional network, when considering your for jobs.
Dear Joanna,
I am actively looking for work on countless social media sites. It’s also helping me build my professional network and keep current in my field. I have not posted my photo and I am worried about my privacy and confidentiality. How do I handle my fear of this important job search and career tool?
Signed: Social media phobic (SMP)
Dear SMP
Practising safe social media networking is the way around your concerns. Here are some suggestions from University of Chicago’s IT Services page in order to avoid unwanted attention as well as protect yourself from the “danger of having a false sense of anonymity and security.”
Be aware of who can see your pictures and comments. Think about the possible reactions of your potential employers, parents and relatives before posting. Always remember to look at the background of a picture too. Everything you write or post is permanent. Even if you can delete your account, anyone on the Internet can easily download or print the information or save it to a computer. Think carefully before posting your personal information (phone number, email address, home address, name and age). The web can make a strong first impression. Untag unwanted material from others, such as on Facebook. Use Google to search your name on a regular basis. Make sure there is nothing online that you don’t want others to see.
All sites have this option to help you with confidentiality issues. Secure your personal information. Make your personal content on your Facebook profile viewable to friends only, and not to everyone in your network.
Identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you. This is known as social engineering.
Many social networking sites allow you to download third-party applications that let you do more with your personal page. Criminals sometimes use these applications in order to steal your personal information. To download and use third-party applications safely, take the same safety precautions that you take with any other program or file you download from the Web.
Evaluate the site that you plan to use and make sure you understand the privacy policy. Find out if the site monitors content that people post. Read the terms of use, and make sure they can protect the actual blogs, not just the user accounts, with password protection. (Even so, it’s better to assume anyone can see it.)
As for your including a photo on your personal social networking pages, it is your choice. I would, however, recommend that you consider including a well-groomed, appropriate image of yourself on your LinkedIn page, as employers will expect to find it there.
Best of luck with your networking,
Dear Joanna,
After three interviews for a job at the bank, the recruiter checked my references, education, resume, credit and did a criminal reference check. I didn’t get the job. I was informed that the dates on my resume were inaccurate and therefore the bank could not move forward with a job offer.
Are they allowed to withhold a job offer from me because of this minor mistake?
Signed: Mega Mistake (MM)
Dear MM
Lying on your resume is a big huge mistake. Misrepresenting yourself regarding your dates and any other information can block your success. This is especially true in the financial field, which requires employees to have an extra attention to detail and superior honesty.
It’s a shame that after all that work applying for jobs and going through the interviews, you lose the job offer because you made up the dates (or any other information for that matter) and possibly ruined any other chances of getting a job with that employer.
Take it from me: it’s just not worth it.
Moving forward with your job search, consider the following advice from both myself and blogger Liz Ryan at Forbes :
On the resume, state it clearly, if dates are approximated:
If you don’t remember the dates of your work history, then I would put an asterix sign (*) next those dates of which you are unsure and write a footnote at the bottom of the resume mentioning that the dates are approximate.
Be proud of your accomplishments on your resume.
Be specific. Be honest. Follow the 3 step method as taught in the job search workshops, when describing your accomplishments: Situation, Action and Results. Don’t spend too much time on the tasks and duties; anybody in the job would have done that stuff. Employers want to know how you performed your duties, what your part was in the project and your contribution to the team and company.
Don’t exaggerate or under-play your work, education and qualifications.
Don’t make up stories on your resume. You will be called on to explain your experiences in the interview. Lying will only get you so far. And even if you get hired, chances are you will be found out eventually and your reputation will be marred.
Don’t be afraid of your boss.
Don’t be too shy or modest — claim your accomplishments and “triumphs”, that you made in front of or behind your boss’s back, says Ryan. Perhaps your boss didn’t want you working on these projects but you believed they were good for your career and professional network. Add this to your resume. No employer or boss can take away your achievements and education. It’s yours, as long as it’s true.
All the best,
Dear Employment Specialist,
I am a new immigrant and recent graduate looking for work in my field of environmental sustainability. Many employment counsellors have recommended that I volunteer as a strategy to build my career. How can I work for someone for free? I am over my head in student loans and dealing with resettlement issues.
What do you think?
Signed: Free for nothing
Dear Free
There are a tremendous amount of benefits of volunteer work in your search for employment in your field. If you didn’t have an internship or coop opportunity through your university, and lack a professional network and related work experience, volunteering can definitely help you. I am a big believer in volunteering; it’s how I got my job when I was involved in a career transition.
Here are some of the benefits you should consider:
Research and identify organizations that have legitimate volunteer departments, represent causes that are meaningful for you, and that have possible spots where you can gain work experience, learn and improve your skills and qualifications. Check out sites such as Charity Village, Volunteer Toronto, your relevant sector council or professional association as places to volunteer.
While you are volunteering, be dedicated and apply the same effort to your volunteering as you would as an employee. Always make sure your work gets done. Be as helpful as possible to others. Make an effort to have lunch with the team, and find other opportunities to start meeting other people at the company. Build a relationship with your supervisor because they may be able to refer you to a colleague for another opportunity.
Research reports that adults who volunteer may live longer and healthier lives and it increases empathy and compassion. It’s not good to isolate yourself when you are looking for work. Volunteering can help you get out of your home and get involved in positive experiences, as well as get the positive feeling that you are giving back to the community.
Add your volunteer experience to your resume and social media presence. Employers value candidates who make a difference in the community; it helps you answer the question “what are you doing right now?” It also covers the gap in your work history and keeps you busy while you are looking for paid employment.
All the best.
JVS Toronto is accredited under Imagine Canada’s national Standards Program dedicated to operational excellence.