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The four steps to finding your career path (Part 1)

Finsih LineWhat if I told you there was a fool-proof way to build yourself a career that made you feel happy, successful and fulfilled? It took me 10 years to find my own career direction, but I’m going to show you how to find yours in a matter of weeks!

I’m the Marketing guy at JVS Toronto and do everything from graphic design to online marketing. But I actually started my career in the civil engineering industry. I want to share with you how I went from hating my job to finding a career path that makes me feel happy and fulfilled.

I realize that my long journey to the right career isn’t unique. My marketing job puts me in touch with a lot of jobseekers, and I’ve noticed that people who are unhappy in their careers all follow a path similar to mine. It doesn’t matter what work you do – engineering, accounting, administration, technology or business − the process of finding a career path suited to your strengths and preferences is always the same.

I’ve broken this process down into four lessons. Follow them and get a huge head start in finding a satisfying and successful career!

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Behind the scenes of creating a job posting

Dear employment specialist2Dear Joanna,

The job descriptions that I have been applying to for a Business Analyst position in IT are so confusing to me. The list of qualifications, skills, requirements and “must-haves” for some of seems like these jobs are impossible for any human being to fulfill or perhaps the recruiters have someone in mind already?

Can you explain to me how the recruiters write these job descriptions?

Signed: Confused BA (CBA)

Dear CBA,

The process of crafting a job posting is best described by expert ‘diversity and inclusion’ and recruitment leader, Anita Sampson Binder, who is Vice President of Recruitment Strategy and Delivery at ARES Staffing Solutions, a leading IT and technical recruitment firm. She applies four steps in the process when working with the hiring manager (her “client”) to develop the content of the position:

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Canada InfoNet can lead to jobs within a few days of arrival: A program graduate tells you how

Airplane, view from airport terminalToday, we are sharing an amazing story about Canada InfoNet participant, Ravikesh, who landed a job just four days after arriving in Canada.  Through our blog, we will share celebratory stories like Ravikesh’s success story and much more to keep you motivated through your pre-arrival job preparation process.

Canada InfoNet graduate, Ravikesh, an Automotive Design Engineer, joined the program in January 2016 diligently working through the program modules, guided by his Employment Counsellor, Farah. Ravikesh arrived in Mississauga, Ontario and within four days of arriving has secured a job as an Automotive Design Engineer as a result of his pre-arrival job search preparation!

Ravikesh shares his success story with us in a recent interview:

How has pre-arrival program helped ease your transition into Canada?

I got to know detailed information about Canadian job market from Pre-arrival programs like Canada InfoNet & Planning for Canada*. Canada InfoNet helped me to modify my resume to suit the Canadian job market. Also, I received many resources to build my strategy to search for jobs in my field.

*Note: Planning for Canada is the referral partner of Canada InfoNet

What aspects of the program did you find particularly helpful?

The entire program was very helpful! What I liked most are the resume building and employment counselling aspects.

What did you think would be your biggest challenges before arriving in Canada?

(Ravikesh laughed) Landing in an unknown country itself is the biggest challenge all immigrants face. To survive in a new country anyone needs to have a job, and especially in their own field. This was my biggest challenge to find a job in my field that matches my qualifications and experience.

 What do you feel about the challenges post-arrival?

Since I was prepared for the job market here – from information I had received from pre-arrival programs (including Canada InfoNet – it was not a big surprise for me! Everything was smooth since I was already aware about what to do and what not to do.

What are the various strategies you used that helped you find your job?

  1. Making a Canadian-style Resume
  2. Networking on LinkedIn
  3. Job search on (online) job boards like Indeed.ca and Workopolis.com

Any pre-arrival job search tips that you would like to share with other Canada InfoNet participants who are looking to immigrate soon to Canada?

Yes! (Employment) Counsellors in the pre-arrival programs are knowledgeable and experienced – so take advice or information shared in the program seriously. I would suggest that you also focus on resume (creation) and LinkedIn networking.

Would you recommend Canada InfoNet to others? Why?

Definitely! This is very helpful for any newcomer like me!

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Ask the Employment Specialist: Why employers hate functional resumes

Drawing of a typewriter with the words "Dear Employment Specialist"Dear Joanna

I’m an accounting clerk with less than a year of work experience with strong accounting software skills. I’ve prepared a functional resume recommended by the employment counsellor due to my lack of relevant professional experience.

I have applied for tons of jobs. I know that I am qualified for the position. But have not received one interview! Could the functional resume be the problem?

Signed: Extinct Format (EF)

Dear EF

In an interview, Raffi Toughlouian, VP at IFG – International Financial Group, a leading financial recruitment firm, as well as renowned recruiter and Subject Matter Expert (SME) in this field over the past 13 years, confirms that the functional resume is generally not preferred by most recruiters for the following reasons:
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Answering a Tough Interview Question: “What is your biggest weakness?”

Question + idea = answer

“Tell me about your biggest weakness,” I recently asked a job-seeking client in a practice interview to help her prepare for her upcoming job interview for an administrative position. She smiled confidently, and gave me a predictable answer, one often heard from job seekers and which I call “the perfectionist answer”: “When I am given a task, I work very hard at getting it completed, and will not stop until it is perfectly done.” “So,” I said, taking a devil’s advocate role, “are you saying that you get really stressed out about it and that you compromise all other work to get it done?” She straightened up uncomfortably, looked me in the eye, and answered “No. Of course not! I always make sure all my work gets done.” “So, how then, is it a weakness? I would love to hire someone who sets high standards for themselves.“, I challenged her gently. Looking confused and mildly annoyed, she struggled to answer my challenge satisfactorily, eventually looking at me imploringly, “What do I say, then? What do I say that won’t make me look bad?”

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