A guide for new job seekers for youth and newcomers to the workplace

2010·9.1 MB·English

by  Alberta. Alberta Employment and Immigration

Catalogue Item # 755290
This publication is available to view or order online at © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 Government of Alberta,
alis.alberta.ca/publications. Copies can also be ordered Alberta Employment and Immigration
from the Learning Resources Centre by telephone at
This material may be used, reproduced, stored or
780-427-5775 or by fax at 780-422-9750.
transmitted for non-commercial purposes. However,
Crown copyright is to be acknowledged. It is not to be
Career Practitioners used, reproduced, stored or transmitted for commercial
A Guide for New Job Seekers (formerly the Job Seekers purposes without written permission from the
Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and
Handbook) is for people who are looking for their first
job or who have been away from the workforce for a long Immigration. This publication is not for resale unless
licensed with Government of Alberta, Alberta
time. It provides job seekers the basics about finding a
job and helps them to: Employment and Immigration. Every reasonable effort
has been made to identify the owners of copyright
• identify their employability skills
material reproduced in this publication and to comply
• explore the tools used to find work — job applications, with Canadian copyright law. The publisher would
resumes, cover letters and portfolios
welcome any information regarding errors or omissions.
• explore the skills used to find work — networking,
Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and
information interviewing and interview skills
Immigration publications may contain or reference
• identify ways to stay positive and handle rejection publications, trademark, patent or copyright held by third
• connect with further information and resources.
parties ("third party material"), identified with a credit to
the source. This does not grant the user a licence or right
Check out the publication Advanced Techniques for Work
to that third party material. Users who wish to reproduce
Search for job seekers with experience and/or post-
any third party material in this publication should seek
secondary education. This publication provides
permission from that third party.
information and exercises on identifying skills, using the
Internet for job search, resume development, Information in this publication was accurate, to the
information interviewing and preparing for an interview. best of our knowledge, at the time of printing. However,
legislation, labour market information, websites and
Also, check out the many job search tip articles on the
programs are subject to change, and we encourage
ALIS website at alis.alberta.ca. Here you will find articles
you to confirm with additional sources of information
covering topics such as portfolios, resumes and cover
when making career, education, employment and
letters, job application forms, preparing for an interview
business decisions.
and much more.
The Province of Alberta is w orking in partnership with the
For copyright information, contact:
Government of Canada to provide employment support
Alberta Employment and Immigration programs and services. These benefits and measures are
Career and Workplace Resources funded, in whole or in part, by the Government of Canada
Telephone: [phone] from the Employment Insurance Account.
Fax: [phone]
ISBN 978-0-7785-7318-0
Email: [email protected]
02/2002 - 75M 12/2005 - 75M
01/2003 - 75M 07/2007 - 75M
07/2004 - 75M 01/2010 - 1 10M
All photos in this booklet are for illustrative purposes
only. They are not actual photos of any individuals
mentioned.
Table of Contents
Read This First 2
1. Getting Started 3
Getting Organized 3
What Employers Want and You Have 4
Finding Out Where Your Skills Are Needed 9
2. Finding Work 12
Ways to Find Work 12
Networking and Information Interviewing 13
Contacting Employers Directly 15
Your Personal Work Search Plan 19
3. Marketing Your Skills 20
Portfolios 20
Resumes 22
Cover Letters 3 1
Examples: Tracey, Brad and Ann 32
Application Forms 47
Interviews 50
4. Going The Distance 57
Handling Rejection 57
Staying Positive 58
Looking Ahead 60
Where To Get More Help 61
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
The best jobs don't
necessarily go to the most
qualified applicants; tney go
r THIS FIRST to the best job seekers.
m
i
IS THIS THE BOOK FOR YOU? • Consider the possibility of a ccepting temporary or
part-time work, or doing project work on a contract
A Guide for New Job Seekers is a basic, step-by- step basis. It will give you a chance to show employers
guide to help you find entry-level work. It will answer what you can do. Later, if y our employer creates a
your questions about the complete job search process.
permanent position, you will have a b ig advantage
If you are looking for your first job, your first job in a over other applicants because the employer already
long time or your first job in Canada, this guide will
knows you. (Unless, by then you have decided to
show you how to assess your skills, target your work
continue working on a project basis because you
search, write resumes and cover letters and practice
enjoy the variety and challenge of working for
interview skills.
several employers at the same time and/or changing
But, if y ou have already been in the workforce for a projects frequently.)
long time or have post-secondary education or training Building a successful job search is like building a
in your desired field, you may be more interested in
house. If the foundation is poor, the whole structure
Advanced Techniques for Work Search. It is a guide
is weak. To build a strong work search foundation,
designed to help you improve your work search follow these steps:
strategies and is available at places listed under Where
To Get More Help at the end of this book. 1. Get started by getting organized, identifying your
skills, and deciding what types of work you are
A FEW WORDS ON THE JOB MARKET looking for (Chapter 1).
2. Find suitable work opportunities by using work
More and more employers are hiring temporary, part-
search methods that fit your circumstances and the
time and contract workers, and using computers to
kind of work you want (Chapter 2).
screen applicants. You'll have greater success finding
work if y ou keep two things in mind while you're 3. Market your skills by presenting them effectively via
looking — be current and be flexible. portfolios, resumes, cover letters and application
forms, and by talking to employers (Chapter 3).
• Use current work search methods. The most effective
work search methods take time, organization and 4. Maintain a positive attitude (Chapter 4) by:
hard work. The answer-a-few-ads-and-see-what-
• making sure your expectations are realistic
happens approach generally doesn't work very well, • learning from your experiences
if at all. To find work, you have to be willing to work
as hard at finding • taking good care of yourself
work as you would
• wrapping up your work search properly
on the job. If you Nowadays, work comes
• keeping your eyes open and planning ahead.
are currently
in many forms. It may
unemployed and If you have been looking for work for some time
not always be packaged already and are feeling discouraged, you may want to
looking for full-time
work, that means in neat little bundles read Chapter 4: Going the Distance first.
you should be Learning how to look for work is much the same as
spending 40 hours a called "jobs", so the
learning any other skill. First you learn the basics, then
week on your work
words, "work" and "jobs" you practice. The best way to use this guide is to read
search.
are used interchangeably it once, and then review each section more carefully as
you put work search strategies into practice.
throughout this book.
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
Writing a resume should
not be your first step.
Before you can write a
GETTING
really effective resume, you
need to know what skills
A job search is like any other kind of search. If you job seekers who
know what you are looking for and where to look, you do not have employers are looking for,
are more likely to find it. If your search is well macaciels s m etso s vaogiicneg which ones you have and
organized, your chances are even better. So, it m akes
or an answering where they are needed.
sense to get started by:
machine. If
1. getting organized necessary,
2. finding out what employers want and what you
arrange for a
can provide
trusted friend to take messages for you when you are
3. finding out where someone like you is needed.
away from a phone.
Whether it is a whole room or a tabletop, try to keep
Getting Organized your work search area as organized and pleasant to
return to as possible.
Getting organized means more than making sure you
have all the things you will need to find and start work
Social Insurance Number
as soon as possible. It also means using your time and
energy efficiently and effectively. To work in Canada, you must have a Social Insurance
Number (SIN). If you don't already have one, go to a
Equipment and supplies Service Canada office and apply in writing. You will
need to provide one original document that proves
If possible, find a place where you can keep all the
your identity and status in Canada, such as a Birth
things you'll need together: Certificate or Certificate of Canadian Citizenship.
• a desk or table with good lighting If the name on this document is different from the
• office supplies such as pens, paper, envelopes, stapler name you currently use, you will also need to provide
• a telephone and answering machine one original supporting document, such as a Certificate
(or voice mail service)
of Marriage or Change-of-name Certificate.
• a computer with a laser printer and access to For more information:
the Internet
• this book. • Call 1-800-206-7218 and press 3 for information
about Social Insurance Numbers.
If y ou don't have easy access to a computer or answering • Go to the Service Canada website at
machine, rent one or find out where related services are
servicecanada.gc.ca. Click on Find a Service
offered in your community. Most communities in
Canada Centre Near You.
Alberta have at least one public access computer located
in an educational institution (e.g. a high school or • Go to servicecanada.gc.ca. Using the A to Z
college), a public library, an Alberta Employment and Services Index, choose Social Insurance Number.
Immigration service centre (see
"Where To Get More Help" at the
back of this book for a list of phone
numbers) and/or other service
Looking for work
agencies. Ask around — some
agencies will also take messages for is a full-time job.
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
Putting off getting started? If so, start small.
Make a list of the things you have to do. If you
can't do anything on the list in less than a half
hour, break down the tasks on your list into
smaller "bite-size" things to do. For example,
if one of the tasks on your list is to get a Social
Insurance Number (SIN), you might break the
work involved down as follows:
• Find the nearest Service Canada Centre under What Employers
Goernment of Canada in the phone book.
Want and You Have
• Call to find out about office hours and
procedures for applying for a SIN. Employers are looking for people who:
• Figure out how to get there.
• are honest, positive, responsible, adaptable,
• Go and fill out the forms.
willing to learn and safety-conscious
• work productively in a team environment
Time management • can solve problems (in particular, problems the
employer is currently facing or will
If you are unemployed, you owe it to yourself to put face in the near future).
as much time and energy into your job search as you
The problems employers need solved may be relatively
would into working. If you are employed, your work
simple (e.g. we need someone to stuff envelopes) or
search may take longer because you have less time
extremely complex (e.g. we need a team of people to
available to devote to your job search on a daily basis.
design a space station).
Either way, drawing up a work search schedule will help
to keep you motivated and on track. Even if y ou have little or no paid work experience, you
already have some of the skills employers need. The key 1
You will use your time most efficiently if y ou:
work search success is to identify your strongest skills an<
• schedule short breaks as often as you need them to where they are needed. The following exercises will help
refresh yourself and keep up a steady pace
• make lists of things you have to do and check tasks you get started.
off as you complete them
What do you have to offer?
• do similar things at the same time (e.g. make all of
Make a few photocopies of the following checklist of
your telephone calls at one time instead of returning
employability skills and show it to people who know
to the phone to make calls several times a day)
you well and will be honest with you (family members,
• change from one type of activity to another at regular
friends, teachers, former co-workers or employers).
intervals (e.g. spend an hour making telephone calls,
Ask them to check off the statements they think apply
then go to the library to do some research before
to you. At the same time, do the exercise yourself. Ther
returning home to work on your resume).
compare what you checked off to what they checked of
If people expect you to be available to do other things and talk about why you/they checked off some items
and not others.
when you should be looking for work, talk to them
about your plans and describe your schedule. Ask for
When you are doing this exercise, check off the skills
their understanding and co-operation. at which you are competent. Competent means you an
able to perform the activity as well as most people
If your friends and family are willing to help you with
your job search, let them! They can be a big help in (e.g., check off "plan and manage time" if y ou do that <
identifying your skills, targeting your job search and twoe l lc h easc k m o osftf ap e sokipllle.) . You don't have to be an expert at
finding employment opportunities.
When you talk to others about this exercise, ask them t
check off things you do as well as most people.
Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
Ask your references to help
you with this exercise.
Personal Skills
Positive attitudes and behaviours
□ being innovative and resourceful (identifying
□ feeling good about yourself - confident that you
and suggesting different ways to get work done)
can make a positive contribution in work, school,
family and leisure situations □ accepting change and using it to your advantage
□ accepting feedback and learning from your mistakes
□ maintaining high ethical standards - dealing with
people, problems and situations honestly □ coping with uncertainty (making decisions when
you are not sure what the outcome will be)
□ giving credit where credit is due - recognizing
Learn continuously
your own and other people's good efforts
□ taking care of your health - eating a balanced □ always learning and growing
diet, getting enough rest and exercise, etc.
□ being aware of your personal strengths, and areas
□ managing addictions - admitting to any that need improvement or development
addictions you have, and getting help or treatment
□ setting your own learning goals instead of waiting
□ showing interest and initiative by getting involved
for someone else to tell you what you should learn
in existing activities or starting new ones
□ identifying and using learning opportunities and
Responsible sources of learning
□ planning for and achieving learning goals
□ organizing your work site - keeping your work
area neat and clean; taking care of tools, materials Work safely
and equipment
□ being aware of personal and group health and
□ planning and managing your time to achieve goals
saacfceotryd i pnrgalcyti ces and procedures, and acting
□ anticipating future financial needs, setting
financial goals and deciding how you will manage
your money (e.g. paying off credit cards at the □ managing stress - knowing the causes of personal
and professional stress, and coping with demands
end of each month; saving/investing)
and pressures
□ setting goals and priorities to balance your work
and personal life Teamwork Skills
□ following through with time and financial plans,
Work with others
and making adjustments when necessary
□ risking, when appropriate - assessing, weighing and □ getting along - demonstrating respect and caring
managing physical, emotional and financial risk about the feelings of others; being considerate
□ accepting responsibility for your actions and the □ using tact - being discrete and diplomatic,
actions of your group particularly when dealing with sensitive issues
□ being socially responsible and contributing to
□ supporting - helping others with their problems;
your community (e.g. obeying laws, volunteering)
supporting others' decisions and initiatives
Adaptable □ accepting authority - being able to work under
□ working alone or as part of a team supervision
□ respecting differences - appreciating diversity;
□ working on several tasks or projects at the
same time accepting the uniqueness of individuals
□ co-operating with others to accomplish shared goals
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
□ adapting to changing requirements and
□ clarifying the group's goals and objectives
when necessary information
□ being flexible - respecting and being open to □ keeping track of how well projects/tasks are
progressing and looking for ways to improve
others' opinions and contributions
□ stating opinions - having the confidence and
Fundamental Skills
assertiveness to say what you think
□ accepting feedback without becoming angry Communication skills
or overly defensive
□ reading - getting information from written
□ contributing by sharing information and expertise materials; following written instructions
□ leading, or supporting when appropriate, by □ reading and understanding information
motivating others to perform well presented in nonverbal formats (e.g. graphs,
charts, diagrams)
□ confronting - telling others things they may not
want to hear about their behaviour, habits, etc.
□ writing - using good grammar to write clear
Participate in projects and tasks sentences and paragraphs; being able to express
yourself/ explain things in writing
□ doing your part - working to acceptable standards
□ talking - being able to provide information
□ being timely - completing work on time to meet effectively in ordinary settings
project deadlines; arriving at meetings on time;
responding to messages reasonably quickly □ public speaking - being able to keep the
audience's attention while delivering a speech
□ determining priorities - deciding what is most
□ listening - paying attention to what other people
important and doing that first
say to understand and appreciate their points of
□ scheduling - predicting how much time tasks will view, and responding appropriately
take; setting time frames for activities
□ questioning - asking the right questions to obtain
□ initiating - taking the first step; getting things started useful information, or to help others gain insight
□ planning - developing projects or ideas through
□ explaining - being careful and clear in what you
systematic preparation, and deciding in which
tell people, so they understand quickly and easily
order and at what time events will occur
□ resolving conflicts - bringing conflicts to
□ organizing - co-ordinating the people and successful conclusions
resources necessary to put a plan into effect
□ persuading - convincing others to do what
□ coaching - providing one-to-one or small group
assistance to help others achieve a goal
you want
□ negotiating - bargaining with others to solve a
□ providing feedback - accurately describing an problem or reach an agreement
individual's work, behaviour, appearance, etc. in
□ teaching - understanding group dynamics and
a helpful and considerate way
instructing others
□ making decisions - choosing a course of action
and accepting responsibility for the consequences
□ carrying out projects/tasks from start to finish
The skills checklist is based on The
with a clear idea of what you want to achieve
Conference Board of Canada profile of
□ selecting and using appropriate tools and technology
□ reviewing how time has been used and making Employability Skills 2000+. For more
changes that will increase efficiency information, check out their website at
www. conferenceboard. ca/ education
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
□ chairing meetings - presiding over a group of □ deciding what needs to be measured or calculated
people who come together for a purpose; □ observing and recording data, using appropriate
listening, speaking, encouraging discussion, and methods, tools and technology
following an agenda
Thinking and problem-solving skills
□ sharing information by using information and
communications technologies (e.g. email, voice mail) □ assessing situations and identifying problems
□ seeking different points of view and evaluating
Information management skills
them based on facts
□ following directions - completing tasks as directed
□ recognizing that there are often several aspects
□ maintaining records of inventory, budgets or to problems (e.g. human, technical, scientific)
other information
□ investigating - gathering information in an
□ recording - using planners such as calendars and organized way to determine facts or principles
appointment books to keep track of activities
□ analyzing - breaking concepts/problems into
□ organizing information - keeping orderly records parts so each part can be examined
(e.g. files, binders of information)
□ being creative and innovative in exploring
□ filing - sorting information into an organized system
possible solutions
□ scheduling - keeping track of projects, □ using scientific, technological and mathematical
timetables, itineraries, etc.
ways of thinking to gain and share knowledge,
□ researching - locating and gathering information, solve problems and make decisions
using appropriate technology and information □ evaluating solutions to make recommendations
systems (e.g. computers, library classification or decisions
systems, Internet search engines)
□ synthesizing - putting facts and ideas together in
□ analyzing information - breaking it down to new and creative ways; finding new ways to look
basic elements
at problems and do things
□ applying knowledge and skills from one or more □ acting on your conclusions
disciplines (e.g. arts, languages, science,
□ checking to see if a solution works, and taking
technology, math, social sciences, humanities)
opportunities to improve on it
Numerical Skills
□ counting - determining how many items there
are in a group
□ calculating - using basic arithmetic: adding,
subtracting, multiplying and dividing
□ measuring - using tools or equipment to
determine length, angle, volume or weight
□ estimating - judging the cost or size of things;
predicting the outcome of an arithmetic problem
before it is calculated; forecasting the cost of
products and services
□ budgeting - planning how you will spend money;
deciding what to buy and how much to spend, or
how to get work done the most cost- effectively
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration
Did you check off "feeling good about
yourself"? If not, employers will pick up on
your lack of confidence and doubt your
abilities too. Read Chapter 4: Going the
Distance, and talk to someone you trust.
If you ask your references to help you with this
exercise, they will be better prepared to answer Career advisors and employment counsellors
questions about you. Keep in mind that your are available to help with your work search by
references should be people in positions of authority
(e.g. supervisors, teachers, group leaders) who can phone and in person (see "Where To Get More
confirm that you did what you say you did.
Help" at the back of this book).
If you ask others to complete this exercise too, you may
find that they think you have more employability skills 1. At the top of separate pages (paper or electronic), list
than you give yourself credit for. Or, you may find that each of the employability skills you identified in the
they do not see you as having some of the skills you
"What do you have to offer?" exercise.
think you have. In either case, don't argue. Listen to their 2. Under each skill, briefly describe three situations in
reasons as objectively as you can - what you learn about
which you have used the skill.
how you are perceived by others could greatly improve
your chances of finding work and staying employed. Be specific. What needed doing and why? What did
you do? How did you contribute if it w as a teamwork
Which personal management, teamwork and
situation? Where did you do it and when? How? Name
fundamental employability skills are your strongest
the tools you used (e.g. computer programs), describe
skills? Which ones do you want to use and develop?
the types of people you consulted (e.g. teachers,
These are the skills you should focus on in the
next exercise. co-workers, experts), the tasks/steps involved, the
problems you encountered and how you dealt with
them, and what happened as a result.
Where and when have you
If you need more help identifying and describing
used your skills?
One of the most effective ways to let employers know your skills:
• Talk to someone at one of the places listed under
that you have the skills they are looking for is to
describe situations in which you have used those skills. "Where to Get More Help" at the end of this book
and ask for a copy of Advanced Techniques for
For example, describing situations in which you have
Work Search.
shown you can work well with others is much more
convincing than simply calling yourself a " team player." • Visit your local public library or book store and
check out some of their career planning and job
Employers will be even more impressed if you
search lists.
describe the positive results you have achieved. For
example, describe what happened after you took
responsibility for a task, or how other people's
behaviour changed as a result of your efforts to
motivate them. Or, tell employers about an award you
received for good attendance or a good safety record.
Better yet, show them the award or other evidence.
© Government of Alberta, Alberta Employment and Immigration