August 26, 2019 5 Comments

How to Write Your Professional Bio

Whether you are looking for a new job, networking with colleagues, or giving a presentation, there will be many times throughout your professional life where you’ll be asked to “briefly introduce yourself.”

However, finding those few words to describe yourself isn’t an easy task. The challenge is to describe your professional skills, accomplishments, and personality in simple, yet compelling terms that will catch the attention of those who might be in a position to help you with your career goals. Your bio shouldn’t be just be a list of job experiences; that’s what your resume is for. Instead, it should show the person behind the accomplishments. [Read more…]

August 12, 2019 2 Comments

Top 5 Resources for Quality Training Courses in Toronto

People gathered around drawings symbolizing skills and ideas

Keeping your skills up-to-date is vital to every job seeker. Whether you are a newcomer to Canada, recently lost your job, a mature worker, trying to overcome a gap in your resume, or changing careers, enhancing your skills is a worthwhile investment of your time.

You may want to brush up on your programming or computer knowledge, language skills, management or any number of other skills that could improve your chances of being selected for an interview.

Finding training courses that are credible, affordable, and accessible isn’t an easy task. While Googling “courses in Toronto” will give you pages and pages of results, it can be difficult to determine which of these courses are worth your time (and money).

Here is our selection of quality resources to learn new skills and boost your employability.

1. The City of Toronto:

The City’s workshops and training programs are available to all Toronto residents – many at little or no cost.

Recipients of Ontario Works benefits may qualify for a variety of employment-related training programs in areas such as:

Administration
Industrial Skills
Travel and Tourism
Retail
Food Services
and more

The City also offers a training series for Community Frontline Workers who work with vulnerable youth. Workshops include Employment for Youth with Criminal Records, Conflict Resolution & De-escalation, and Outreach with MVP Youth.

Tip: Not in Toronto? Check your own city’s website for training courses and other educational opportunities.

2. Public School Boards:

Many public school boards offer adult education opportunities including Literacy and Language Training, Computer Skills, Personal Support Worker training, and other workshops for licensed professionals:

3. Public Libraries:

Across all locations, the Toronto Public Library offers training classes that can be accessed either in person or online:

TPL also offers free to access lynda.com – a leading online learning platform that helps anyone learn business, software, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals.

Tip: Markham residents can find JVS Toronto Employment Skills workshops at a variety of library locations. Check out our online calendar for more information.

4. Private Colleges:

Many Private Colleges offer a wide range of Continuing Education opportunities. However, for some job seekers, these classes can be prohibitively expensive. And for those who work full-time or have family obligations, attending in-person classes can be next to impossible.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of opportunities to study online which allows for greater flexibility and often lower (or no) costs. Some excellent online training sources include:

5. Public Universities and Colleges:

Publicly funded post-secondary schools also offer a wide range of Continuing Education opportunities both in-person and online; many of which are quite affordable. In addition, through Continuing Education departments at colleges and universities, job seekers can earn certificates in their area of study that will demonstrate their expertise when applying to jobs.

Whether you are looking for a certificate or just a few specific courses, check out the websites of Toronto’s colleges or universities for their continuing education course listings:

Humber
George Brown
Centennial
Seneca
York University
University of Toronto
Ryerson
Online courses are available at Ontario Learn and Canadian Virtual University Consortium

Tip: Whatever education or training you choose to pursue, remember to add your new skills to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Happy learning!

July 15, 2019 1 Comment

How to Write Emails That Get Noticed

Laptop displaying an enlarged New Email notification

For job seekers, email is still the most popular way to sent a resume for a job opening, ask for an information interview, or network with a potential employer. According to researchers at Carleton University, working people send and receive an average of 111 work-related emails a day. It’s no surprise that job seekers struggle to get their emails noticed amongst the volume of messages in an employers’ inbox.

What can you do to increase the chance that prospective employers read your email? Here are a few tips from our experts.

Consider each part of your message.

Subject line: Pay attention to what you write in the subject line. It should clearly summarize the main point of the email, such as, Application for Accounting Manager – Jane Smith or, Seeking information about real estate industry.

Most importantly, Hello is not a helpful subject heading!

Opening: Get to the point quickly. Introduce yourself by telling the reader only what they really need to know such as mentioning who referred you to the employer. Ensure you have an email signature set up to avoid the need to mention your name. More about that below.

Body: Be clear about why you are writing to the recipient up front. Keep it simple and focused. The reader is much more likely to respond if they know, at a glance, why you’re reaching out to them.

Closing: End with the details of what you are asking for such as dates, deadlines or the next steps. Make sure the reader knows exactly what’s they need to do.

Sign Off: Your closing line can vary depending on the formality of the email and the relationship between the sender and recipient:

Sincerely is formal and used in the business world, especially when communicating with new contacts.
Best regards/Regards is less formal and implies that the sender and recipient know each other in a business context.
Warm Regards/All the best/Have a good day is less formal, but might still suitable for a more casual/familiar business relationship.

Signature: Create a professional signature for your emails. Include your name, occupation, phone number and a link to your LinkedIn profile or your online portfolio/website, if applicable.

Email Dos and Don’ts.

Do keep the email short.

Focus the key points and convey key information. Each paragraph should be no more than three to five sentences. Don’t make the reader work too hard trying to figure out what you want.

Avoid phrases such as, I am writing this email to inform you that…, or In response to your job posting of January 15^th… Use the subject line is for this.

Do keep your resume easy-to-read.

Use italics, bold or highlighting sparingly. It can look messy and not all email applications are set up to read such complex formats.

Do watch your grammar.

Emails may be more conversational than other forms of correspondence, but try to maintain a professional tone. It is acceptable to use contractions such as I’ll, it’ll, we’ll, but avoid common “text” abbreviations such as plz, lol, thx, etc. And don’t use ALL CAPS or excessive exclamation marks!!!!!!

Don’t make jokes.

Jokes are don’t always read as intended. Written correspondence doesn’t convey sarcasm or tone well, so you might be misunderstood and end up looking unprofessional.

Do be polite.

If you are asking for assistance with your job search, remember to be courteous. Here are some terms you can use to make a request in a professional manner:

I am writing to request…
I wonder if I could…
I was wondering if…
Would it be possible to…

Remember to say thank you and express your appreciation. Never underestimate the power of gratitude!

Proof read your email before you send it.

Never send an email too hastily. Take time to proofread your message keeping the above tips in mind. Make sure that any relevant documentation is attached to your message before sending.

A well-written email that is thoughtful, spell-checked, and professional can go a long way when presenting yourself to a potential employer.

July 11, 2019 3 Comments

Your First Weeks in Canada

Moving to a new country can be both an exciting and challenging experience. In this webinar, “Your First Weeks in Canada”, our program partners NextStop Canada will talk about the important things to do once you land in the country.

This webinar explores:

Important Documents
Newcomer Services
Housing
Transportation
Community Resources

[Read more…]

July 2, 2019 2 Comments

Lost Your Job? Here’s six steps to get you back to work

Sad man thinking while seated at a table with a pad of paper and cup of coffee

Finding yourself out of work can be a devastating experience. Unemployment is widely acknowledged as a significant stressor that directly affects physical and mental health. The Canadian Association for Mental Health states, “Unemployment can be, and often is, a shock to your whole system. You can experience some of the same feelings and stresses that you would if you were seriously injured, going through a divorce, or mourning the loss of a loved one.” As with other traumatic events, we rarely expect to be out of work and are often unprepared and overwhelmed by the road ahead. Common reactions when facing unemployment vary. You may find yourself struggling with denial, anger, and sadness, which can lead to avoidance and a sense of isolation.

Preparation will help you to overcome these emotions and return to the workforce as soon as possible.

Six Steps in Taking Control

Take stock of your finances.

Figure out how long you can afford to go without a new source of income and develop a plan. Many job seekers have had to compromise their choice of jobs when they found themselves strapped for cash. Ask yourself, “What can I do if I don’t have a job by my target date?” Consider what compromises you can make to speed up landing a job. This can include adjusting your job search to include a few types of positions, locations, and salary range.

Once you receive your Record of Employment, apply for Employment Insurance as soon as possible. Service Canada states, “If you delay filing your claim for benefits for more than four weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits.” When applying for Employment Insurance using the online service, you will need your employment start and end dates.

Keep in mind that finding a job often takes longer than expected.

Establish your goals.

Though you may not have been expecting it, this is an opportunity to reassess your employment goals. You may want to learn about other industries, consider a career change, or potentially go back to school.

If you wish to stay in your current industry, make a list of companies you would be interested in working at. Start with a minimum of five and focus your efforts there. LinkedIn company pages are a great tool that provides job seekers with access to detailed in-depth information about potential employers.

Revise your resume.

Update your resume with your work history details, and highlight the skills and experience most relevant to your employment goals. Search job postings online for the keywords and skills employers are looking for and include them in your resume. For those with long careers, include the last 10 years of employment with focus on key responsibilities and accomplishments.

Seek out free employment centres, such as JVS Toronto Employment Source, to help you with resume preparation, interview techniques and other job search tools. If you’re resume updating skills are rusty, try our free online resume writing clinic.

Update or learn new skills.

After updating your resume and looking at job postings, you may find that your skills are out of date, or you’ve come across a software program you don’t know that would open up other opportunities. You may want to brush up on your product or service knowledge, presentation skills or any number of other skills that could improve your chances of being selected for an interview.

Adding or enhancing skills is a worthwhile investment of your time. There are many resources offered online, such as Lynda.com with courses in software development, business, design, websites and more. Also check out the Continuing Education programs offered at your college or looks for classes at your local community centre or library that are low cost or free.

Reconnect with your network.

Job loss is something more and more people are facing in today’s economic climate. You are not alone in needing to find work. Reach out to your social and professional circles for job search tips and leads. Use social media to reconnect with friends, former colleagues or classmates during your job search. Not only will you gain information, identify skills you may need to improve and other resources, these connections will help with feelings of isolation often associated to those facing unemployment.

Consider making new connections by volunteering or attending industry or professional association events. You’ll meet people, hear about opportunities, and if volunteering, gain references and new work experiences to add to your resume. Use social media to make these connections.

Keep in mind that most jobs aren’t formally advertised. Employers use their trusted networks to find candidates for vacant positions.

Don’t do it alone.

All Employment Ontario-funded employment centres have free resource areas that provide those looking for work with computers, telephones, faxes and photocopiers, including JVS Toronto’s nine Employment Source locations. Conducting your job search in an employment centre like this reduces loneliness and provides you with direct access to various employment specialists, workshops and other services, all for free!

A little planning and effort can go a long way towards making the best of your situation and staying in control of a process, which can otherwise be daunting.

For those readers living in Toronto or York Region who need job search support, contact JVS Toronto at 416-787-1151 or at services@jvstoronto.org to access our free job search workshops, hiring events, and career exploration programs.