November 18, 2019 Leave a Comment

Could Failure be the Secret to a Successful Job Search?

Worried guy covering mouth by hand while looking at laptop display and understanding that dangerous virus attacked his computer

Failure isn’t just a bump on the road to success — it can be a prerequisite. A recent study followed professionals over the course of decades and found that those who experienced setbacks early on in their careers were not only successful later, but they were actually more successful than those who had an easier time: “early career setback appears to cause a performance improvement among those who persevere.”

What factors make some successful while others struggle?

Of course, not every failure will automatically lead to success. The study found that simply trying again isn’t going to make you better at the task: “what matters is how people fail, how they respond to failure and where those failures lead.” Trying again only works if you learn from your previous mistakes. Successful people are able to critically review their failures, learn from them, and quickly change their actions accordingly.

The ability to act swiftly was identified as a key predictor of future success. People who wait too long between attempts at a task were less likely to be successful at achieving their goal. The faster you fail and move on, the better your chances of success.

What can job seekers learn from this?

We know that for every job posting, only one candidate will be hired and those who apply and are rejected may experience a sense of failure. Every job seeker knows that the search for employment can be challenging and finding a new job rarely happens quickly. Unfortunately, disappointment is inevitable but there are things you can do to build your resiliency.

Expect to fail.
Don’t expect to find your next job immediately. Recognizing that it is a process that can take time might allow you to bounce back more quickly when setbacks happen. Be prepared to reevaluate and adjust your job search as needed.

Be ready to learn from it.
If you are sending out multiple resumes and not getting responses or are struggling to get past the first interview, ask yourself the following questions:

There are many opportunities to get feedback on your resume, LinkedIn profile, or job search strategy. An organization such as JVS Toronto, which offers a range of job search support, can give you objective and knowledgeable feedback on all aspects of your job search.

You may also consider asking someone in your network — especially professionals in your field — about what you could be doing better or ask an employer for feedback on your performance after an interview. The goal is to be able to reflect on and evaluate your job search. Be open to new ways of doing things and be ready to pivot quickly if you are unsuccessful.

Don’t take it personally.
An unanswered email or a rejected job application does not reflect your worth as a person or a professional. Think of these setbacks to be stepping stones to better things. Be willing to talk about your struggles openly… even in job interviews. Remember employers want to know more than just your career history. They want to know who you are as a person. Don’t avoid talking about the struggles you might have had. If you can frame it in terms of what you learned from failure and how you adapted, you might be able to make a positive impression.

Remember, failure isn’t just something to overcome. It is actually a necessary step on the road to success. So confidently face your failures, learn from them, and being willing to try a different approach. Practice makes perfect.

October 28, 2019 2 Comments

How to Apply for an Internal Position in your Company

Excited by good news motivated colleagues celebrating corporate

Imagine you are happily working at your job when you receive an email from your HR department notifying you of an exciting new job opening at your company. The position matches your skills and experience, and most importantly, aligns with your long term career goals.

You are interested in applying for the position but worried about risking your current employment. Will your manager be supportive? Will they think you’re unhappy in your current role? If you apply for the new role and don’t get it, will it negatively impact your working relationships?

Employers will often send out internal job postings to announce open positions and encourage current employees to apply. By doing so, employers create a workplace where employees feel they have the opportunities for career growth – one of the five most significant factors that employees want from their employer – thus contributing to employee retention and engagement. After all, it’s more beneficial for a company to promote from within rather than spend the time and effort recruiting external candidates.

If an internal job posting gives you the chance to grow your skills and experience, here’s how to apply without risking your current job.

Approach your manager.

Not all companies require employees to notify their managers when applying for an internal position. In fact, most require the manager be notified only if the employee is selected for an interview. Whether or not you are required to tell you manager, it is best if they find out from you in order to maintain a positive working relationship.

If you have a supportive relationship with your manager, speak with them about the possibility of an internal move before the opportunity arises. Your current boss is be a valuable source of advice on the matter. If you have a tense or unsupportive relationship with your manager, make sure to follow your company’s protocol and inform them when you are required to do so.

If a position has become available before you have had a chance to broach the subject with your manager, ask to meet with them privately and share your interest in the position. Make sure they understand that your desire to apply is not about leaving your current role, but rather the opportunity to work at something new that is more inline with your carer goals and your future within the organization.

Seek information and advice.

Consider who in the company might be a good source of advice and information. For example, colleagues who have successfully gone through the internal application process may be able to coach you through the experience.

You will also need to gather references from colleagues and managers. If possible, discretely reach out to the person who is acting the position you want and ask for tips or even a referral. And, of course, your manager can be an excellent source of support as well as a possible reference.

Apply for the position.

Treat this as you would any job application. The job posting should explain the application process. Make sure to follow it exactly as described.

Update your resume with your current position as outlined in the original job description and highlight what you have accomplished while in the role. Don’t assume that the hiring manager knows exactly what you do and how well you do it. Pay attention to any transferable skills that may be useful in the new role.

When writing your cover letter, show appreciation for your current employment in addition to your interest in the new position. You want to show enthusiasm for the new job but also your desire to stay in your current role if you are not selected.

Lastly, review your LinkedIn profile and make sure it is up-to-date and professional. If you’re not connected already, invite some of your colleagues and managers into your network.

Prepare for the interview.

Like the application process, prepare for the job interview as you would any other.

Be ready to talk about yourself, your current position, and other aspects of your professional background that your interviewers might not know about. Stay positive and enthusiastic, and outline your professional goals as they relate to this new position.
Think about your weaknesses and strengths. It may be harder to discuss these with the people work with, so prepare your answers ahead of time. Be prepared to speak about how you are handing your weaknesses in your current role and discuss them with your manager before the interview. They may be able to help you identify and demonstrate your strengths.
Identify examples that demonstrate your various skills. Demonstrate your knowledge and proficiency in the job, as well as those personal characteristics that are valued in the company. Consider including your ability to learn quickly and your enthusiasm about adapting to a new team and new duties.
Familiarize yourself with the new job you are applying to. Make sure you are aware of the department and its work.
Remember to send a thank-you email. Thank the interviewers for their time and consideration. Reiterate your enthusiasm about the position and the company as a whole.

And be prepared for any outcome.

If you get the job, ensure that your work is ready to be transferred to a new person but don’t let it interfere with your productivity. As you prepare to leave your current role, continue to do your job as you always have.

Prepare yourself for the possibility that you might not get the job. If that happens, avoid recriminations or hard feelings. Often someone else might get the position for reasons that are beyond your control.

Ask for feedback from the interviewers about how you performed during the entire application process. This will demonstrate that you are open to critique and will give you an opportunity to learn something new about yourself.

October 14, 2019 Leave a Comment

Make the Most of Your Exit Interview

Business people shaking hands in a meeting room

Maybe you’ve handed in your resignation letter or maybe your contract is almost over. However, it happened, your job is officially coming to an end. This is the time when your employer may invite you to an exit interview.

An exit interview is a closing meeting between an employer and the employee leaving the organization (either voluntarily or through termination). It is an opportunity for employers to gain feedback from exiting employees in order to evaluate the company’s practices, retain employees and reduce turnover, and improve the organization.

What to expect in an Exit Interview

While it might be unnerving to meet with your soon-to-be previous employer and you may be tempted to decline, don’t turn down the invitation. Since you are leaving the position, you have nothing to lose and plenty to gain! It helps to be prepared to fully maximize the opportunity and end the employment relationship in a positive note.

If the interview was initiated by the employer, then they set the agenda. Be ready to answer questions such as:

Your reasons for leaving (if you resigned)
Your feedback, both positive and negative, in terms of:
- Duties and challenges of the position
- Working relationships with colleagues and managers
What skills and qualifications does the position require
Offer suggestions for the new hire that will replace you
Your availability to support the new hire

Do your best to answer the questions as honestly, constructively and as tactfully as you can. Employers who conduct exit interviews genuinely want to learn from your experience, so don’t be shy about offering helpful feedback. Your opinions might benefit the colleagues you are leaving behind.

At the end of the interview, make sure to thank your employer for the opportunity to give your feedback and for any you received in return. Offer your gratitude for the employment experience.

What you can gain from an Exit Interview

Many employees dislike exit interviews, describing the experience as awkward or uncomfortable and without any benefit for the employee who is leaving. However, you may be surprised how useful exit interviews can be.

1. Reference Letters and Networking Contacts:

Assuming that the job ended on relatively collegial terms, exit interviews are a chance to secure a strong reference. It’s a simple as asking who would be available to provide a reference for you.

Keep in touch with your colleagues and supervisors, especially those who you want to keep as networking contacts. Make sure you connect on Linkedin. Job hunting is an unpredictable process and you never know when you may learn about a new employment opportunity from former supervisor or co-worker.

2. Evaluating your Skills:

Before the interview ends, make sure to ask for time to address a few questions of your own – things you really want know about. Consider asking for:

Feedback about your performance on the job
Your strengths and weaknesses
Advice about professional development that might be useful for you

If the job ended on negative terms and you’re still dealing with anger and resentment, it may not be a good idea to participate in an exit interview. Expressing your anger with an employer will only end your chances of a reference and may ruin your professional reputation. If you have a legal or human rights cause with your employer, discuss it with your union, lawyer or the Ministry of Labour; don’t handle it on your own at the exit interview.

While first impressions are powerful, so are final, lasting impressions. Ending a job on a positive and constructive note will benefit both you and the company well into the future.

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.

October 27, 2014 Leave a Comment

Grab the Attention of Employers: Five Steps to Develop a Personal Branding Strategy

In this overcrowded job market, it’s difficult to stand out and be noticed by employers. We know that for each job advertised, the vast majority who apply will not make it to the interview. There’s not a lot of consistent data about this, but an expert in the field claims in a Workopolis article that the “Top 2%” of candidates make it to the interview”.

The Workopolis article suggests that to be seriously considered for a position, job seekers could try various strategies such as selectively applying for the most suitable jobs, preparing a resume that highlights how they could “stand out on the job”, and targeting applications to a each posting (i.e. not using generic resumes and cover letters).

Explaining how you can “stand out on the job” is probably the most difficult task facing candidates. Developing a strategy to achieve this goal is described by job search experts as “personal branding.”

What is personal branding?

Personal branding represents the actions taken by job seekers to stand out and be noticed. It is the process of identifying your most important employment assets, and developing and implementing a strategy of communicating this information to employers.

Why brand yourself?

The goal of personal branding is to stand out in a crowd. It’s commonly known as a strategy used by corporations to attract customers and investors, but is just as useful for job seekers to be noticed by employers.

As a candidate, you have a unique set of skills and assets to offer employers. It is up to you to ensure that they notice you and respond to your candidacy.

How do you brand yourself?

1. Identify your job target.

Make sure that you are 100 percent clear about the jobs to which you intend to apply: know the job title(s), industry and type of company. This will help you determine which of your skills and background are the most important to focus on when describing yourself

2. Understand the needs of the employer.

Clarify the most important skills and assets needed by employers for your target job:

Scan relevant job postings online and develop a list of all the qualifications listed by employers
Network with potential employers or with successful employees in your field and ask them for insight into the most valuable assets for the job.

3. Figure out your most important assets.

Identify your unique strengths as a candidate, which may include:

“Soft” or Transferable skills: your “I am” (personal) abilities (e.g. organizational, interpersonal, teamwork)
Hard skills: your “I can” skills which you have learnt (e.g. software, languages, specific professional knowledge)
Experience/background: your “I have” assets (e.g. education, certification, particular work, relevant personal or volunteer experience, specific number of years in a field, been promoted, been awarded/recognized, dealt with certain people — such as difficult customers)
Objective: your “I would like to” statement (e.g. “my goal is to work in a company/job where I can…”)

A candidate cannot just be “good enough” for a job. You need to figure out which of your strengths are unique and which provide you with an advantage over the many other candidates vying for the position. Perhaps your biggest asset is your flexibility and willingness to start at the bottom of the ladder? Maybe you have solid experience and specific product knowledge that many do not?

4. Develop a branding statement.

Based on what you have learned from job postings, develop a clear, honest and compelling statement, which you can use to describe yourself in simple terms. Keep in mind that if you have multiple goals, you might need to develop a few different versions of your branding statement, which focus on various combinations of your assets.

Write out your statement, learn to say it with ease and confidence. Be ready to talk about it and to explain it further, if asked. You might need to share examples from your work history to demonstrate your claims about yourself; have those ready.

5. Spread the word!

Take every opportunity you can to include your branding statement (or a version of it) in your communication with employers:

Add it to your resume — in the Summary of Qualifications/Profile
Integrate it into your “tell me about yourself” or elevator pitch introduction for interviews and networking opportunities
Add it to your social media profiles, such as on your LinkedIn Summary, your Twitter or blog profiles
Integrate it into your cover letter
Steer your references to include points from your statement in their letters

Approach your branding strategy in a proactive and deliberate way. The more planful and detailed your strategy, the better you will be at making sure that you are the tree that stands out in the overwhelming forest of candidates vying for that perfect job.