August 27, 2015 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Safe social media practices

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.”

Do not post inappropriate material.

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.

Always use the strongest privacy account settings.

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.

Be selective about who you accept as a friend on a social network.

Identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you. This is known as social engineering.

Be careful about installing extras on your site and delete unused widgets.

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.

Choose your social network carefully and only use sites with clearly stated terms of use.

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,

Joanna

August 20, 2015 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Lying on the resume

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,

Joanna

August 17, 2015 Leave a Comment

Job Seekers: Pay Attention to What You Post on Social Media

Reviewing your social media profile may be just as important (if not a whole lot more) than preparing a good resume, picking an interview outfit or preparing your interview questions. Your social media presence can directly influence your employment prospects, and can impact on whether employers will find you, and whether they will consider you a good match to the job and the company when they do come across you in their search for candidates.

According to Jobvite, a leading recruiting platform for the social web, employers turn to social media to find, assess and recruit candidates, and they pay close attention to what they see online about potential employees.

Think about your online presence:

If a potential employer searched for you online — do you know what they might find?
Are you present on more than one platform? Facebook? LinkedIn? Instagram? Twitter?
What do your platform choices say about you?
Do you appear as someone who knows how to use the platforms appropriately and effectively?
Do employers learn valuable and impressive information about you when they find you online?

July 6, 2015 2 Comments

Ask the Employment Specialist: The benefits of volunteering

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:

Gain related professional experience.

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.

Build and Leverage Your Professional Network.

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.

Help others and help yourself.

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.

Bridge the gaps in your resume.

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.

June 29, 2015 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Education is not enough to get you a job

Dear Joanna,

I’m new to Canada. I’m an internationally educated professional, with over 10 years’ experience in business and have started to look for work. I am highly educated with a MBA from my home country as well as a bachelor of commerce. Will my degrees get me a job? Should I go back to school here and earn more degrees?

Signed: Beyond Education (BE)

Dear BE,

Based on the feedback from employers as well as employment counsellors and job developers with whom I work, just because you are educated, doesn’t mean you are qualified for the job. The more intense the competition, the more your actual hands-on experience in the working world is valued. Unless you are focused on finding work in academia, the typical employer wants to hire people who have relevant experience and who can “hit the ground running” with as little learning curve as possible. Also, employers will often prioritize a person they know and like over credentials.

Here is some advice to consider:

1. Be flexible with your career goal.

Don’t be too fixated on landing a job “in your field”, to start. The world is full of possibilities in the business field (marketing, sales, operations, accounting, customer service, finance, to name a few). Research different ways in which you can use all the transferable skills you learned at school.

2. Identify your strengths/aptitudes.

You chose to pursue academia, which implies you that you have an aptitude for researching, analyzing data, critical thinking, writing, interviewing and more. These are essential skills required in hundreds of rewarding (and lucrative) careers. Find out what you are good at and consider finding an opportunity to volunteer in an organization which needs someone with your current skill set. This will help you confirm your strengths, gain experience, keep your resume fresh and keep your skills current, in addition to possibly securing a reference.

3. Continue learning.

You have been a successful student. This is a big accomplishment. Your learning doesn’t stop. It is only the beginning. Continue your education. Think about part-time, online and other options, both at community college and university levels.

4. Manage your expectations.

Research and identify the occupations with the skills shortages (here’s an interesting article). Your university education was never intended to land you a job. It was intended to make you a more complete thinker. It was intended to teach you how to absorb complex information and make reasoned arguments. It was intended to teach you how to learn. Those are skills that you’ll use in any field of work.

5. Build your professional network.

Use social media, especially LinkedIn, to research and connect with people in your field. Learn your business here in Canada. Participate in professional development and training opportunities through your association, volunteering, social media sources, trade shows and alumni groups through your university. Some activities may be at no cost. Your challenge from here on is to find what you’re good at, and keep getting better and better at it. Find a mentoring program for newcomers to connect you with a mentor in your field (JVS Toronto’s TRIEC Mentoring Partnership is an example)

Hope this helps. Welcome to Canada and good luck with building your career in your new home.

Ask the Employment Specialist: Lying on the resume

Joanna

Ask the Employment Specialist: The benefits of volunteering

Gain related professional experience.

Build and Leverage Your Professional Network.

Help others and help yourself.

Bridge the gaps in your resume.

Ask the Employment Specialist: Education is not enough to get you a job

1. Be flexible with your career goal.

2. Identify your strengths/aptitudes.

3. Continue learning.

4. Manage your expectations.

5. Build your professional network.

Joanna

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