What’s in the smart jobseeker’s toolkit?
Credit to Author: Connel Valentine| Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2019 21:41:48 +0000
New to Canada? Get more job interviews with these online tools
You’ve just read a horror story online about an internationally trained professional working survival jobs, struggling to make ends meet and stuck in debt in Canada. You’re now worried your Canadian dreams will turn into a nightmare. Did you just make the biggest mistake of your life?
The decision to move Canada is not an easy one, as you leave behind the family and friends you created so many cherished memories with. You don’t want to start your life-changing journey stuck in a boring job that’s well below your skill level.
I was in your shoes just over three years ago when I made the move, surrounded by the same negativity and concern. But, with an ambitious mindset and the right tools to master a job search that works in this day and age, I secured a job in my target industry and company. It happened just two weeks after I landed. Three years and two promotions later, I surpassed the position I had back in my home country.
This article gives you the tools you need to get the life you deserve and dodge the survival job bullet. You don’t need to have a start-from-scratch mindset, if you put in the effort a true job search requires.
An interview-converting resumé
By now, you know it’s important to customize your resumé to the job description. Your competition knows this, too. So, how do you reach the top of the recruiter’s shortlist?
I was a speaker at the Canadian Immigrant Fair in Mississauga in November, where I met a new Canadian seeking a role as an HR business analyst. Her resumé had her first three years of experience and responsibilities as a recruiter. I asked her why she included this, even though it was not a requirement for a HR business analyst. She said she felt it was too important to her personally to exclude.
Remember this — your resumé does not get you the job. It gets you the job interview. A perfect resumé is not one where there is nothing left to add in. It’s when there is nothing left to take out. Use indeed.ca to scan responsibilities of your target job title in Canada and assess what to include and exclude from your resumé.
If you want assurance that your resumé will get shortlisted, use a resumé scoring tool like jobscan.co and target a score of 80 per cent and above. This is one of the most essential items in your toolkit during a job search.
As recruiters scan your resumé, they are deciding whether to call you or ignore you. Don’t distract then from that decision by including responsibilities that are not asked for in the job description. You’ll have the opportunity to speak to what you left out at the interview.
How real cover letters are written
You hear the words “cover letter” and you think: “that boring document you attach with your resumé stating your interest in the role.” This is not what a cover letter is.
A cover letter that recruiters ignore sounds like this: “I came across this role and I’m interested in applying for it. I have a master’s degree in business administration and 5+ years’ experience as a business analyst. I am hard-working, driven and self-motivated to hit the ground running. I welcome an opportunity for an interview with you.”
Understand the basic difference. The resumé explains how you are a good fit for the job. The cover letter should explain why you want the job in the first place. This is just as important to hiring managers. Do research about the company or the person reading it and personalize the cover letter with a captivating hook. Google “cover letter hooks” to learn how to start writing effective cover letters that help you stand out.
Here’s the surprise. Cover letters are also the emails you would send directly to hiring executives — yes, you can do this. Use LinkedIn or tools like hunter.io to discover the hiring executives at the company you are applying for and their email addresses. Contact them directly. Why? Because your competition is too afraid to do so. That’s reason enough!
Polish your online presence
Did you know that, according to a survey by JobVite, 87 per cent of recruiters scan your LinkedIn profile before deciding to call you? It astonishes me how jobseekers still don’t have an All-Star LinkedIn profile. Google “How to get an All-Star Profile on LinkedIn” and follow the guidelines. Invest in a great picture (selfies don’t count). Check pinterest.com to give you some great ideas for LinkedIn headshots.
If you want to take your online presence to new heights and really stand out from the crowd, create your own website like I did: connelvalentineresume.com. You don’t need to be a web designer to do this. I used a drag-and-drop tool called wix.com. If you are still technology challenged, ask your neighbour’s teenage kids to do it for you!
Network by giving gifts!
When you think of “networking,” you think about going to events, awkwardly shaking hands with strangers and handing out business cards that will end up in the trash. Why put yourself through that uncomfortable situation when you can build relationships through social media, so you can meet a familiar face at the event? As easy as it sounds, people still get the basics wrong.
I get LinkedIn connection requests with a generic greeting, and the very next message after a couple of days is an ask to refer them to a job opening they found in my organization. I ignore them all. Not because I’m a bad person. It would be unethical for me to refer my company to someone I know nothing about.
When you connect with someone, stop asking and start giving. Spend a weekend using blog aggregator tools like flipboard.com and feedly.com and Google Alerts to stay informed and gather news about your industry that is worth sharing. Create your own “gift shop” of reusable content that you freely give to your network, with your insight in the share. Not only are you offering value to them, you also demonstrate you have keen interest and knowledge in your industry.
A laser-focused networking strategy involves choosing 15 to 20 companies you’d want to work for in Canada. Use a filtered LinkedIn search to find the relevant people within that organization to connect with, using the same gift-giving strategy. A tool called jibberjobber.com can organize your job search and networking efforts.
Ignore the nay-sayers
Do you think the people who wrote those negative stories you read online put in even half the effort you have just read in this article?
If you want to end your job search, you need to speak to the people who have the power and authority to hire you as often and as frequently as possible. Machine-gunning resumés to online job boards does not do that. Follow the tools and guidelines in this article to get the job you deserve to start the life in Canada that is right for you.