Finding A JOB-My advice-My Experience as a Recruiter and Job Seeker

[HoneyBird]

Hi everyone,

Well just wanted to update my super nice thread with some more advice and updates on my job situation.

Advice:
1. If you are posting your resume on workopolis or monster, periodically delete and readd your resume. Why? From talking to other job seekers, it seems by readding or refreshing your resume periodically, it pushes up your resume to the top updates so there is more visibility. I know several people who never heard anything but when they refreshed or re-added, within a day or two recruiters were calling. So its worth a try.

2. If you find your resume is not getting attention, then you need to reword it. Seriously! I did that to mine and got more calls. Always refresh your resume month to month. A word or two can change your prospects.

3. Apply to big corporations. Why? Because they tend to have policies geared towards inclusion of minorities and women. So you may have better luck with your application if you are in that category. Just ask around what are the major corporations and go on their websites and you can that out. Applying on the corporations website is also a great idea. You might be surprised.

4. Be prepared for Testing. Every corporation does it. DO not let it faze you. BUT you need to know Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Typing. Practice Practice Practice. Especially with Excel know how to use the calculation functions, the IF function etc. There are free on line lessons for each. Google.OR take a course if you need too before you come to Canada.

5. If you are newly here, join an immigration group help association (I did not join any but its very helpful since I was in contact with many when hiring new immigrants). You get tons of advice, they will try to help you get a job and by giving some of your time to help others e.g. volunteer activities at the centre, you can get a great referral from the coordinators there. So at least you have a recommendation from someone in Canada which would improve on your credibility.

UPDATE.
Well! I will be starting work mid august. A little on that experience:
1. I applied on their website.
2. They called me for an interview. Panel interview with three persons. Behavioural questions were asked. E.g. What would you do if faced with X situation.
3. Assessment Test. Candidates selected had to do 'Testing'. It was an hour long test with four different components.
a. A badly worded employment contract to fix.
b. A mistake riddled payroll sheet to correct.
c. 10 common employee questions to answer using their company policy book.
d. Excel sheet to calculate IF functions,mode, average, total salaries etc.
ALL In One HOUR! (I was literally shaking after the test..I never did b and d before.) But I used common logic to figure it out.
4. They called all my references from my home country and in Canada.

[chinook65]

This is a great thread. Curious to learn more about what 'Canadian Experience' exactly means.

When I visited Calgary back in June, I emailed some people I found through Google to discuss potential opportunities within my profession (web design, development and television production). They invited me to their office to discuss potential opportunities when I relocate. I just followed up with them and sent my CV and cover letter and they want to meet with me when I'm in Calgary. Not sure what will come of it but I'm happy that I was able to generate some initial leads.

So, I guess the moral of my story is "You never know unless you try" . In addition to submitting resumes to monster and workopolis, connect with people via Twitter, through websites' contact pages and directories.

Hope this helps some of you!

[mrandmrsromero]

 @  Honeybird - congrats and good luck in your new job!

Another suggestion for job seekers is to create a career profile on "linkedin".  I joined about 2 months ago at the invitation of a friend.  I really had no expectations one way or the other, so I was VERY surprised when a couple of recruiters cold contacted me through that site.  Might be worth a try - you just never know!

http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_home

[Shaukat57]

HI Everyone,

I know many people despair over finding a job.

However, having secured a job in less than two weeks of applying, and having worked as a Recruiter for two months, I would like to give you guys Heads up on finding a job quickly.

1. Canadian employers do NOT care much for foreign qualifications/experience, YOU will have to start over at the bottom of your profession.

2. You are most likely to suceed at securing a temporary position than a permanent one. Thus you should focus on temporary positions, as they are more easy to hire than a permanent one.

3. Take any job position that you get. It may not be in your field-but take it. You need to build your Canadian experience.

4. Apply to temporary agencies...as many as possible. YOU need to take initative and call them every week to remind them that you are looking for a job.

5. APPLY on Craigslist. Thats how I got my first job and I am in the process of getting hopefully another one (I will know by tomorrow). Workopolis did not work for me, neither did monster.

6. Employers all have perceptions- you need to work past it. If your spouse has a canadian last name, you should take it. For example:- B. Punawatie, hubby is: Chris Smith, change your name to B. Smith. (made up examples), You will get more hits with B. Smith. Guaranteed.

7. They want to see accreditation (I have mine from UFT) and they want to see that if you are a professional, that you are pursuing the designation (I am writing my exams in May 2012). You should indicate this in your resume, and indicate that you speak english and can use computers as well.

8. I strongly advise you to take a few courses in Canada. It will build your resume. They 'trust' canadian school education. So if you can go to a reputable university. Yes, definitely do. I am gonna take some courses in September from Ryerson.

9. Don't assume that people know where your country is. I have had so  many stupid questions asked...e.g. 'wow you speak english so good..where did you learn it?' Ummmmm...I am from an english speaking country! LOL. Hence my advice above.

10. Network. Network. Network. You have to integrate as much as possible. This weekend I got 2 job referrals. One from a family person and another from someone I met yesterday at a birthday party. Both really good positions. Both of them will forward my resume recommending me. Additionally, my friend spoke to her recruiter, writing him a letter of recommendation, and he called me friday to set up an interview. So network with your neighbour. friends. every single person....let them know you are looking for a job).

11. I have found that if i apply for companies that are known or runned by people of my birth country or region, the more likely I will get called for an interview. These people know of the experience that you have put on your resume. They can identify with the schools that you have been too. Thats how i got my first job. My boss parents where originally from my country. Thus identify which companies your friends/family work in, and send in resumes. Sometimes by the name alone on the posting, you can tell the recruiter's origin.

12. Do not give up. Take what you get. Even if its temporary/part time etc. You have to start off somewhere...

13. Simplyhired.ca is a great website. They pull all the ads from all the different postings and you can customise it to search certain key words every day.

14. Sending your resume> Apply for postings as soon as it hits online. Don't both with applying for jobs that have been there for days or weeks. Those are already filled or the recruiter has found potential candidates. You need to be on the ball.

15. I have found applying early in the morning when the posting is fresh the best. If a posting is a day old. Post your resume before 8 am to ensure that your resume is atop all the other emails that were sent previously.

16. For god's sake! Do not wear Black for an interview. Dress properly. Do not chew. Smile. Look and talk like you want the job. Know something about the company. Be on time.  I came across people interviewing with shorts or wearing hats or one guy was itching all the time.

17. Do NOT talk about your health problems e.g. if you have ADHD or mental illness. OR if you left a job because you were unfit for work. This does not help you! Neither does says that you had differences with your last employer and was fired or if you had an altercation.

17.If asked about UNIONS. Please for the life of God do NOT say that you were 1. in a union or 2. that you strongly believe in unions.

18. Ensure that there are no mistakes on your resume.

19. Do not put email contacts like: BigNigga  @  hotmail.com. (yes I have seen this). Do not put a picture a picture of yourself. Do not have some stupid voicemail e.g.: There is a song on one voice mail that sounded like: 'I smoke weed and I get high'. Make sure you have a cell phone contact and voicemail. Nothing irks a recruiter more that having to call a home phone and get the answering machine. Yes I would leave a message. But by the time you call me back, I would have already book 10 interviews before you and most likely by the time you reach by me for an interview I already found the person I am looking for. AND it pisses me off when people do not have voice mail. Do you really expect the recruiter to call you a million times a day to see if you will answer? Nope. The recruiter has to book as many interviews as possible, time is money and they are not going to keep calling you. They move on to the other hundreds of resumes.

20. Do not despair. From my experience, By the time the person opens their mouth, I know if I am interested. Don't ever take anything personal. Its all about fitting into a culture. The recruiter will know. So if you wonder why even if you had the best of qualifications, its simply your personality won't fit in. Thus never take it personal. And don't bother to re apply to the company for any future positions. Recruiters have databases of all rejected candidates and once your name pops on a search, they will not bother with you.

21. Finding a job is all about being on the ball. Be prepared. Be proactive. Respond swiftly. You have no idea, but I will tell you that when there is a posting out there...hundreds of resumes come in on a daily basis. So I strongly advise sometimes that you call the company and ask if got resume and express interest. I have actually pulled those resumes out when someone reminds me that they applied or I do an on the spot telephone interview that leads to an actual interview.

Good Luck and Do not despair.

Excellent input.
Thanks for sharing

[suzanne_m]

Wow! Terrific thread, just wanted to add something, there are illegal questions that you do not have to answer, it is your right regardless of your status in Canada. Examples, "are you married", "are you a Canadian citizen", etc

I found this link that might help:
http://careers.mcmaster.ca/tools/fyi/illegal-interview-questions/

As for credentials, I know many immigrants have worked very hard for their education and studies, and it is possible that Canada will recognize it, there is a Foreign Credentials office that might be able to help: 
http://www.credentials.gc.ca/

Be prepared to start at the bottom however, and network, network, network. References are terrific, if you do not have Canadian references, perhaps volunteer somewhere and ask to use them as a reference.

[suzanne_m]

One more suggestion that helped me, was to have different resumes for different career paths. I was laid off, and am an IT professional. I have a professional IT resume, and another one that is geared for a broader range of work, such as customer service in retail. My second resume does not highlight my IT skills as much.

Tailor your resume to the line of work you are looking for.

As well, when you are job hunting, and if you use a smartphone, send yourself a copy of your resume, so you have it in your email, and you can quickly send it to potential employers while on the go.

[Love_Young]

5. If you are newly here, join an immigration group help association (I did not join any but its very helpful since I was in contact with many when hiring new immigrants). You get tons of advice, they will try to help you get a job and by giving some of your time to help others e.g. volunteer activities at the centre, you can get a great referral from the coordinators there. So at least you have a recommendation from someone in Canada which would improve on your credibility.

I have tried to contact the newcomer program here but they have yet to contact me back. It is very frustrating. Any advice?

Another suggestion for job seekers is to create a career profile on "linkedin".  I joined about 2 months ago at the invitation of a friend.  I really had no expectations one way or the other, so I was VERY surprised when a couple of recruiters cold contacted me through that site.  Might be worth a try - you just never know!

I am not going to say that all recruitment is bad (because it isn't for the most part) but be careful of some companies out there. Some recruit immigrants and basically people off the street to take advantage of them because they think you are desperate. So always be sure to go with your gut if you feel something is off and research on the company before agreeing to anything.

[macking]

hello guys,, i am new to this thread. i applied for permanent resident this year under the category of registered nurse..I dont know if I will reach the 500 cap. If not they will return my application and I will need to apply again next year.  I dont think I can wait for another year thats why I plan to apply for a work permit..

I need your help guys,,how can I apply for a work permit here in the Philippines? I will accept any kind of work..

which is better,,

1. apply online?
2. apply at canadian embassy? or
3. apply thru agency?

please help..thank you

[CharlieD10]

I just wanted to put this in here, because lately I have been involved in some recruiting for my client.

Don't get cute with your resume.  Unless you are an executive seeking a similar position, I don't want to see a resume from you that starts "From The Desk Of (insert name here)". Really??  

Don't mass email your resume to various companies.  Yes, I realise it's probably faster to click once than send several emails, but your resume should be tailored to each potential employer, and they all don't need to know who else you are applying to.

[Mehwish9]

very wise and helpful tips.thanks for sharing.

[Monrology]

UPDATE.
Well! I will be starting work mid august. A little on that experience:
1. I applied on their website.
2. They called me for an interview. Panel interview with three persons. Behavioural questions were asked. E.g. What would you do if faced with X situation.
3. Assessment Test. Candidates selected had to do 'Testing'. It was an hour long test with four different components.
a. A badly worded employment contract to fix.
b. A mistake riddled payroll sheet to correct.
c. 10 common employee questions to answer using their company policy book.
d. Excel sheet to calculate IF functions,mode, average, total salaries etc.
ALL In One HOUR! (I was literally shaking after the test..I never did b and d before.) But I used common logic to figure it out.
4. They called all my references from my home country and in Canada.

You've got a lot of helpful tips!
My opinion and experience on looking for a job online, you need to think on where the employers will put their job postings. You need to be visible as much as possible. You need to be wherever your dream job is. You just don't post and focus on one job site because it wouldn't get you anywhere. In order to get the job you've been wanting to have and get it faster, you need to post your CV on at least 3 job sites. I would also like to share with you a blog I've recently bumped into that's got some more advice and techniques on hiring and being hired, you might find it interesting.
 

[canadiangirl78]

My husband is a construction superintendent in California and we are heading to the Toronto area. Any tips on how he can find a job?

[Fencesitter]

Great thread!

I would suggest trying to network with friends and family.  Most employers (in my experience) prefer to hire friends of current or past employees.  I know that for some this is not possible, but still worth mentioning.

FS