March 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

Watch Out for Job Scams

A few weeks ago, I received an email – an anonymous message offering a job which seemed temptingly simple and attainable. Too good to be true.

While online free classifieds sites such as Craigslist and Kijiji can be good sources of jobs, scammers are known for using them to get the attention (and money) of unsuspecting job seekers. Recently, Global News reported on a scam where a candidate applied to a Craigslist job posting, was interviewed online and offered the job. Superficially, this seems reasonable; however, the fact that the position offered $20 an hour for data entry from home should have been the first clue that this was fake (again, too good to be true). The bigger clue of trouble was the fact that the candidate received a cheque from the company for a large amount, which he was told to use to purchase equipment to do the job. The cheque bounced and the candidate was forced to use his own money to repay the debt.

The lesson: if you are expected to hand over money to get the job, whether you are buying materials, equipment or paying some kind of fee, don’t; you are most likely being scammed.

Red flags to look out for.

The job offer arrives via email, despite you never having applied for the job
It’s too good to be true: salary is too high for very simple duties
The hiring process is too easy: you have not met the employer/there is no interview/the employer doesn’t conduct a background or reference check
The potential employer wants your credit card or other information
There’s no address or other employees
The employer wants you to purchase equipment or materials
The employer asks for a recruiter’s fee

Bottom line?

Be suspicious. Ask questions. Be assertive. Don’t let your desperation blind you from seeing the warning signs that a scammer might be trying to part you from your money or your personal information.

If you think you’ve been scammed, keep your records (emails, voice mails etc) and call the police to report it immediately.

March 23, 2015 1 Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Working with Industry Recruiters

Dear Joanna,

I am an internationally trained accountant, with lots of experience and expertise, who is looking for a better job and career growth. I would like to work with recruiters and placement agencies in my field.I have heard mixed reports on the helpfulness of these types of companies. I really don’t understand how they operate.

Please could you explain how I can work effectively with recruiters in my field?

Signed: Recruiter Resistance

Dear Resistance,

To help answer your question, we consulted Raffi Toughlouian, Vice President – Branch Manager at Robert Half International, who is a leader in his field with more than 10 years of experience, focusing on the financial and business industries. To clarify some of the confusion around the role of recruiters in the job search process, Toughlouian always educates his candidates from the get-go on what they can expect.

He provides these tips on how to work effectively with recruiters:

1. Understand the business.

Recruiting firms may be known as placement/outplacement firms, search firms, temp agencies (for temporary work), or recruiting/consulting firms. The staff may be called recruiters or head hunters. They commonly field offers of work for many occupations, including office work, architecture, financial services, accounting, nursing, child care, creative, information technology, engineering and executive positions. Fee structures vary for different companies – but in all cases, a recruiter is paid by the employer.

Importantly, the recruiting firm should not charge you for the work they do on your behalf. Remember that the recruiter is working for the employer.

2. Be ready. Recruiting firms work quickly.

If the recruiter feels your resume and social media profiles meet the qualifications of their client (i.e. the employer), you will be invited in to be interviewed and potentially tested for work that is technical or office related. This is usually done before the interview with the prospective employer.

3. Do your research.

Often, successful recruiters specialize in one particular profession/area of expertise and are subject matter experts in those fields. Therefore, job seekers should identify companies and positions they are specifically qualified for and seek out recruiters who work with them. This is especially true for upper management roles, as companies searching to fill these positions typically rely on an established relationship with a recruiter or recruiting firm.

Keep in mind that you have the right to register with more than one search firm.

4. Build a partnership.

When working with a recruiter, you are developing an important professional relationship. There has to be mutual respect between the candidate and the recruiter for this to be successful. If you are invited in for an interview and testing, you will be working with a recruiter, or a few recruiters, who are responsible for your file. Employers hire candidates who not only have the technical skills required to do the job, but candidates who they feel have a professional outlook that is compatible with the business culture. Same applies to recruiters.

Follow up with them. They are your gatekeeper to your future boss. Be honest, state your employment conditions, salary expectations and what your goals are for your next role.

5. Be flexible — consider permanent, part-time, contract or temporary assignments.

Refer to my case above: after you apply for jobs on the staffing agency’s site, follow up with the recruiter assigned to the job (usually at the bottom of the job posting) with a phone call to make sure he or she received your resume and application.

Joanna

February 23, 2015 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Disclosing your Disability in the Job Interview

Dear Joanna,

I am a person with a hidden disability. Due to my mental health illness, I have a few gaps in my resume and work history. I am eager to return to the working world in my field of marketing and communications.

Should I disclose my disability to an employer in my application and job interview and how should I do this?

Signed: Difficulty in Disclosure (DD)

Dear DD,

I found an excellent post based on the work of Gandolfo, Gold and Jordan on this topic. It points out that one of the most challenging aspects of dealing with an invisible disability is deciding when, or even whether, you should disclose, identifying and giving details about your disability to a stranger in a job interview. There are pros and cons of disclosing during the job interview and the authors offer some information and suggestions to help you make that decision:

1. The risks of disclosing.

Analyzing the risk factors from the employer’s point of view is critical. If you disclose, you take a chance that you may not be hired, and that you may be labelled and face discrimination. Remember that unless your disability could put you or someone else at risk on the job, it is a matter of personal choice whether you tell an employer about it. If safety is an issue, you’ll need to disclose your disability at an appropriate time. Think through these questions:

If you do decide to disclose, will this information help or hurt your chances of getting or keeping the job?
How will the interviewer react?
If you have your disability under control, is there a reason to disclose?
Do your coping strategies allow you to meet the job requirements?
If you know you can’t perform some of the duties of the job description because of your disability, would disclosure help you get the job?

2. Benefits of disclosing.

If a company is federally regulated (like the banks, telecom and transportation), they will have employment equity requirements. These firms are interested in diversity. They seek to recruit and hire candidates with disabilities. Therefore, it might be a good opportunity to disclose that you have a disability (don’t mention what it is!) in an application, cover letter and/or the interview. Sometimes employers value your openness and how you overcome your disability.

I recommend engaging in-depth research on the company and employer in advance before making a decision to disclose. Also, remember that you may benefit from the accommodations that the employer could provide once they know. Information interviews, networking and finding a mentor in your field are strategies to learn as much as you can about the company and its culture.

3. Look for employers who focus on your abilities and potential.

Make sure your skills and experience are a good match for the role and that the work meets your needs. For example, if you like to work from home sometimes, apply to companies and organizations that offer this possibility. Figure out what you need to succeed at a job.

4. You can always disclose later.

In an interview, if you don’t disclose your disability, the employer won’t know that you need accommodations. Once the job is offered, you can discuss accommodations with the employer; make sure you are clear and reasonable about the accommodations that you require to be the best employee possible.

5. Disclose during the job interview.

Be concise and prepared to explain the gaps in your resume whether or not you decide to disclose. For example, you can say something like: “for the last three years, I’ve been dealing with a medical issue, but it’s under control now and I’m ready to work.” Legally, the interviewer can only ask questions about your disability that relate directly to the requirements of the job (such as how much weight you can lift, or whether you can stand on your feet all day). However, according to Canadian and Ontario employment law, it is illegal to ask candidates about their disabilities.

Joanna

February 16, 2015 Leave a Comment

How Looking for a Job is Like Looking for Love

Close up of a person holding a red heart

A few years ago, I had the privilege of speaking with Dan Ariely, author and Duke University Professor of Psychology and Behavioural Economics, at the launch of one of his many books examining irrationality and market forces. In the book, he had discussed the struggles that people face when they use online dating sites. It got me thinking about the parallels between the struggles of job seekers to find work and those of single people looking for love, and the fact that we have still not succeeded in creating effective systems to link job seekers to job openings (or single people to each other). As Dr Ariely signed my copy of his book, I asked him about this. He was aware of these parallels, and referred me to the work of Nobel Prize winners Peter Diamond, Dale Mortensen and Christopher Pissarides (an excellent read, if you’re an employment theory geek).

In a later book (which is really worth reading), The Upside of Irrationality, Ariely summed up the challenges facing users of online dating sites:

The fundamental problem is that online dating sites treat their users as searchable goods, as though they were digital cameras that can be fully described by a few attributes such as megapixels, lens aperture, and memory size. But in reality, if prospective romantic partners could possibly be considered as “products,” they would be closer to what economists call “experience goods.” Like dining experiences, perfumes, and art, people can’t be anatomized easily and effectively in the way that these dating Web sites imply.

So we know that while we know that there are jobs and suitable job seekers out there, somehow it’s exceedingly difficult for them to meet; the question is, what does work?

Often, in my 20+ years working with job seekers, I have noticed the parallels between the strategies that work for finding work and those that might work for someone who is looking for a partner. To test this theory, I decided to do a quick online search for “how to find love”, which yielded a lovely, common sense Wikihow post that demonstrates my theory pretty well. It recommends 10 steps to help “find love”, most of which can be neatly applied to job search.

The Wikihow writer divides the 10 steps into 3 main parts:

Know Yourself
Reach Out
Make Moves

I, too, advise job seekers to:

Know themselves — assessing themselves to discover their strengths, weaknesses and assets, which they can share in resumes, LinkedIn and in information and job interviews
Put themselves out, to reach out to network contacts and potential employers
Make moves to meet employers in person

Ten steps to find love (or a job):

1. “Understand what you have to offer”.

The writer proposes asking questions about yourself. We recommend you ask questions, too, so that you can describe yourself in interviews, resumes and cover letters, including topics such as:

How would you describe yourself briefly?
What are your strengths, your weaknesses?
How would you describe your skills?

2. “Build confidence”.

Confidence is important for job search. It’s useful to understand your brand, which are the assets that make you unique and interesting to employers, and be able to talk about yourself with confidence.

3. “Know what you’re looking for in someone else”.

Just as with the search for an ideal partner, it’s important to think through what would be important in choosing the next job. Think through the kind of employer you are targeting and the nature of the job you are seeking. I highly recommend that job seekers actively target companies that they would like to work for, and develop a list of people in those companies with whom they might like to meet for information interviews.

Try to keep your expectations flexible and think beyond obvious issues such as salary and benefits, or the size of the company, such as the values of the company and the opportunities the job may offer for the future.
Identify those characteristics of a job you consider most important: what is the minimum salary you need? how important are benefits? do you want to work in a team more than on your own? how much travel would you be able to do?
Remember: keep your expectations flexible, and be prepared to reconsider, if necessary.

4. “Meet people”.

Widening your network is just as important for job seekers as it is for those searching for love. Keep these points in mind:

Don’t turn down any opportunity to meet new people. It’s a mistake to underestimate the value of people you meet to your job search. You never know who they might know.
Take up any opportunity to attend a job or information interview — you might be more impressed than you expect by a company and the opportunities it might offer you.
Be prepared to invest time in conducting information interviews — you can learn a lot and meet new networking contacts

5. “Present yourself as someone who’s available”.

While I generally don’t recommend annoying your friends on Facebook with repeated announcements of your need for work (desperation isn’t attractive), it’s a good idea to make sure that people around you know that you are looking. As the original Wikihow author says: “take measures to make sure people know you’re available and willing to take things further if the opportunity arises.”

Evaluate your appearance. When interacting with potential employers, dress like a potential employee; “project your confidence and uniqueness with clean, well-styled clothes and a pleasant expression on your face”.
When interacting with new network contacts, show interest and listen with care. Express interest and ask questions; don’t just talk about yourself.
Be genuine — be prepared to reveal your challenges and strengths in a confident and honest way.

6. “Consider online dating”

Just as with dating, there are some effective online tools for finding new opportunities. Don’t hesitate to use them. (You will find a number of them listed here.)

7. “Ask people on dates”.

When you identify the people and companies you want to target for your search, take the initiative to set up an information interview or a volunteer opportunity. Meeting people face to face, or working side by side as a volunteer is a great way to be noticed as a potential employee.

8. “Stay on the same wavelength”.

Move at the right pace — try to find the balance between coming across as motivated and enthusiastic, but not annoyingly desperate.

9. “Be vulnerable”.

When you meet with potential employers, do your best to be genuine. Be prepared to admit your weaknesses and discuss your challenges. Be realistic about your abilities. Employers often are looking for honesty and a candidate’s ability to be self-critical.

10. “Try again”.

Know when to admit that a particular job search campaign is not productive. Remember that not all job search efforts will be fruitful, no matter how far you have come in the process. Know when to cut your losses and “move on”.

Keeping motivated can be very difficult. An article in the Journal of Management quotes researchers who suggest that the most important thing a job seeker can do to find work is to stay motivated and focused — advice which could just as easily apply to those seeking love:

Just keeping motivated. You know, that’s a tough one when day in and day out, doors are slamming in your face because, you know, you’re not the only person applying for a particular job or you’re not the only person reaching out to somebody. And, I think, trying to keep a smile on your face and staying motivated that it will happen when it’s meant to happen. That’s the ticket. I think that’s the toughest thing when you’ve been out of work for a long period of time. What other rocks have you not turned over? And if you turned over every rock that you can and reached out to God knows how many people, and you’ve sent newsletters to people saying this is what I’ve done, you know; and you do your own PR, and you kind of let the world know and you network and you do everything you could possibly do, and you’re not getting anywhere and the train is not moving down the tracks, it is very tough to put one foot in front of the other and say, okay, tomorrow’s going to be a better day. That sounds just so old-fashioned or cliched but it’s true.

Bottom line is that whether we are looking for love or trying to find work, human nature demands of us that we engage in certain behaviours to be successful: we need to be self-aware, be clear about our goals, to plan and implement steps to reach out and to meet others face to face. Most importantly, we need to remember that the process of meeting goals (whether it’s love or work) can take time, energy and motivation.

December 29, 2014 Leave a Comment

Find a Job in 2015: New Year’s Resolutions for Job Seekers

As we face the new year, it’s always useful to take some time to look back and evaluate, so that you can look forward and plan. The ever-changing nature of the labour market means that job seekers have to constantly ensure that they are tackling the job search process in the most up-to-date and effective way.

So, how has job search changed in recent years, and where is it headed in 2015?

The labour market is changing.

Job growth has been reported and is expected to continue in Canada in 2015, with 11 percent of companies reporting plans to hire in the new year, according to a Manpower Group Canada report.

The Manpower report found anticipated job growth in all 10 sectors of the economy, in the following order of strength:

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
Manufacturing − Durables (defined by StatsCan as products made of Wood and Metal, as well as Machinery, Computers and Electronics, Electrical Equipment, Appliances and Components, Transportation Equipment and related)
Public Administration
Construction
Transportation and Public Utilities

Weaker hiring projections were reported by employers in the following sectors:

Services
Wholesale and Retail
Education
Manufacturing − Non-durables (products such as Food, Textiles and Clothing, Paper and Printing, Petroleum and Coal, Chemicals and Plastics and Rubber)
Mining

So, if you are thinking of a career change or considering new targets for your job search, consider focusing on the areas where growth is anticipated. Remember that these sectors hire a range of professionals, including Customer Service, Administrators, Project Managers, Finance and Sales, as well as experts in each of those sectors.

Job search is more competitive.

As optimism about the job market grows, more job seekers will return to looking for work. This means greater competition. In order to be noticed and have an opportunity to be considered for employment, job seekers need to be conducting the most effective job search possible.

Be prepared for digitization of hiring. One trend in hiring is employers’ increased reliance on Electronic Tracking Systems (ATS), which processes all applications through a computerized, standardized process, favouring certain keywords.

Mobile recruiting is becoming more popular — recruiters, employers and job boards are increasingly using mobile apps. Indeed Canada is a good example; even the Government of Canada’s Job Bank has developed a mobile app for job seekers.

But, as recruiting becomes less personal, concerns have been expressed that good candidates (up to 75 percent, reportedly) are being missed by employers. Ironically, to overcome this, it may be worth resorting to old-fashioned job search methods, such as setting out to meet employers in person, rather than relying on the passive online job search used by most other job seekers. Furthermore, you would do better targeting your job search — identify your top ten list of employers and go after them directly.

Social media continues to grow.

Employers are continually working on improving their social media strategies both for marketing and recruiting, using tools such as LinkedIn and other social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube). With the increased hiring anticipated in the market, we can assume that this trend will continue, as it has consistently in previous years. Jobvite, in its annual Social Recruiting Survey, found that 73 percent of recruiters intend to engage in social recruiting. Interestingly, they found that despite the fact that most (83%) job seekers turn to Facebook , LinkedIn remains recruiters’ top tool, with 94% using it for recruiting.

Employers also reported to Jobvite that they are scouring through candidates social media profiles, looking for information about candidates’ professional experience, length of professional tenure, industry-related posts, mutual connections, specific hard skills, cultural fit, as well as examples of written/design work.

What does this mean for job seekers?

Review your social media presence — look at all your online profiles as they would be perceived through the eyes of an employer
Make sure that your LinkedIn profile includes all the relevant experience you need, as well as showcasing your connections in the field, your hard skills and samples of your work
Review other profiles such as Facebook (66% of employers will check your profile). Make sure that it presents you well — as a thoughtful and interesting potential employee. Consider sharing posts publicly that showcase your professional and community interests and involvement.

2015 is promising to be an exciting year for job seekers. Make sure to face it with a clear plan, confidence and renewed energy.

We wish all our readers a happy and successful new year, and thank you for your support.