Transcript Cracking the “Canadian Experience”Code

Cracking
the
“Canadian
Experience”
Code
Shannon Jackson, Manpower Services
Agenda
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Thank you
What does “Canadian Experience” really mean?
Planning your job search
Your resume
The interview
Interview follow-up
Thank you
for
choosing
Canada.
The “Canadian Experience” Paradigm
 Important in occupations that are legislatively-specific;
I.e. Tax Accountants or legal professionals
 Otherwise, SHOULD NOT be a consideration
 Hiring authorities want to know that:
 a) your experience equates to the experience people gain
in a Canadian work environment
 b) you are able to communicate effectively in English
 c) you have an understanding of Canadian cultural norms,
and will “fit in” to the environment
 d) you have a local understanding of industry trends and
can contribute to the company’s “competitive knowledge”.
Your Experience = Canadian Experience
 Have your education reviewed by WES (World
Education Services)
 Highlight work experience with internationally
recognized organizations (on your resume and
interview)
 Focus on what you did; be very specific about the
tasks of your role
Communicate Effectively In English
 Employers listed communication skills as the #1 attribute that they
look for in a new hire.
 If your spoken English is lacking, access resources such as COSTI,
Skills for Change, LINC to improve.
 If your spoken English is strong, be sure to follow up all resume
submissions with a phone call.
 Understand how expressions translate into English
 MAKE ALL WRITTEN CORRESPONDANCE ERROR-FREE!
Canadian Cultural Norms
 Learned primarily through observation/experience
 Key to leaving interviewers with the impression that you
will “fit in” to their environment
 Can be learned through temporary work
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http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/canada.htm
http://www.dbic.com/guide/m1-1.html
http://workabroad.monster.com/articles/canadaguide/
http://canada.gc.ca/acanada/acPubHome.jsp?font=0&lang=eng
Planning Your Job Search
“” “Most problems that surface during the job search have a their
beginnings in decisions you avoided before you started. Poor early
planning or a lack of career focus leads to a lack-luster interview, and a
badly managed job hunt.
Its hard to be dynamic during an interview when you have only a vague idea
of why you’re there in the first place. For the same reason, it’s even
harder to get a job offer”
The Only Job Hunting Guide You’ll Ever Need
Katheryn and Ross Petras
Planning Your Search
 Research companies
 Know who you want to work for, what you want to do, and
why
 Organize your job search
 Keep a Log Book
 Know where, when, and how you sent your resume, who you
addressed it to, when and how you followed-up, to whom you
spoke, their title, and details/instructions for moving forward
 Plan your 30-second summary
Your Resume
 Three resume formats - functional, chronological, combination
 Chronological or combination resume formats preferred by most hiring
managers
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http://jobsmart.org/tools/resume/res-chro.cfm
 DO NOT include SIN, marital status, ethnicity, religion, photo, physical
health, references names/contact info, salary history or expectations, or
reasons for leaving jobs.
 1-2 pages best, include languages spoken (especially if you speak
french/english)
 Have a formatted resume for an interview/e-mail attachment submission,
have a text resume to enter into a database
Your Resume
 Contact Information
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 on EVERY page
Objective
 Be specific - tailored to the position
Personal Qualifications / Profile
 List Languages!
Employment History
Education
 Most impressive first
 Hobbies/Activities - Only if relevant
Your Resume
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Be error-free
Use keywords and/or action verbs
Emphasize skills
Be honest
Sell yourself
Stick with common headings
Summarize information
Choose positive language
Have someone in same / related field review
Avoid “Dear Sir” salutations
After You’ve Sent Your Resume...
 DO call to follow up
 DO be polite; even if you are feeling frustrated
 DO prepare your call’s purpose and objective, and be
able to state that clearly.
 “Engage the receptionist”, rather than “breaking
through the gatekeeper”
 Ask for their advise on how and how often they’d like
you to follow up - then follow that advise
Remember: As you follow-up on your resume
submission; YOU ARE MAKING A SALES CALL!
The Interview…
 Be early - 15 minutes Maximum!
 Treat the receptionist well
 Be prepared
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Review the job description
Know why you want the job
Research the company
Have questions and references ready
Practice
Dress for success
Make all correspondence error-free
Bring extra resumes
Components of a Traditional Interview...
 Introductions
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 Small Talk
Review of Background/Interests
 Be able to capture in one sentence WHY you want this job
Behavioral Questions
 “tell me about a specific time when you…”
Your Questions
Conclusion
 Next Step
Common Interview Challenges for IEP’s
 The receptionist
 Rapport-building small talk
 Work samples
Behavioral Based Questions
 Based on the premise that the best predictor of future
performance is past performance
 Asks for SPECIFIC examples of when you’ve used
certain skills or competencies in your previous roles
 Asks questions starting with “tell me about a time
when”, “Describe a situation when”, “Give me an
example of a time”
Behavioral Interview
Two Most Common Mistakes:
Not Specific Enough
Fail to use one example
Fail to speak of what THEY did
Talking too much - not on topic
Lose the point of the answer
Behavioral Interview
Best answer to a behavioral question:
Four Sentences:
One sentence overview of the situation
One sentence about what YOU did
One sentence detailing the result
One sentence about the benefit to the new
company
Your Questions - And You Need to Have Them
Some Questions To Ask:
 Is this a new position?
 To whom would I report?
 What type of training is offered?
 What are the growth opportunities?
 If I am your successful candidate, what are the top
three things you would want to see me
accomplish in my first 6 months / year?
Skill Assessments - A Valuable Tool for IEPs
 Enable you to prove your skills; thus “leveling the playing field”
 Should be relevant to the position
 Don’t refuse to do them
 Do ask the recruiter to discuss your scores with you
 If you have not been as successful as you would have liked, ask
if you can re-test after a period of time
Reference Etiquette
 Confirm with your references the use of their name/contact
information BEFORE providing it to the company
 Provide accurate reference contact information only at the
interview; do not include it on your resume - if references are
international, offer e-mail address, mailing address, full phone
number (including country exchange), and time zone details.
 Furnish your references with an up-to-date copy of your resume,
and with the job posting (where possible), so that they can
speak competently about your skills as they relate to the
position you’re seeking
Closing/Follow-Up
 Show positive appreciation
 Ask for the next step
 Smile and a firm handshake
 Take notes after the interview
 Thank you card
Thank you, and Good Luck in Your Search!
Be sure to check out:
www.manpower.ca
www.manpowerprofessional.ca
Questions? e-mail me at:
[email protected]
Resources
for
Finding Job
Leads
A Quick Reference Guide for Finding Jobs
Finding Job Leads...
 Networking
 Job Fairs
 The Internet
 Newspapers
 Staffing Services
Networking
 Job searching, the word “networking” seems overused but it is
for a reason; IT WORKS!
 Create a contact list (anyone you know with a job!)
 Make networking/briefing calls
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Follow-up
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Contact people from your list; let them know you are looking; ask them if they have any
referrals/suggestions of where to go.
Be sure to contact the person after you’ve been referred, and send a “thank you” to the person who
referred you.
Tell EVERYONE you are looking for work
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I have hired people I have met in the laundry room, the elevator, the grocery store line-up…
Any time you engage in a conversation with someone new, let them know you are looking for work Who knows? They may be hiring!
Job Fairs
 Bring several resumes
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Expect to see 50 or more companies; have enough resumes for everyone.
 Prepare a 30-second and a 3-minute pitch
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Be able to describe in 30 seconds: Your name, your experience, and what you are looking for.
Be able to elaborate with a recruiter who seems interested; prepare 1 - 3 minute presentation of yourself
 Gather information
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Ask for information about their company; then read it!! It will be helpful for your follow-up and interview.
 Dress the part
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Go to the job fair dressed for work. It will help the recruiter envision you in a working role.
Follow-up
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Get a phone number from each Recruiter you meet. Call them within one week of the event to follow-up.
Top Job Sites
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www.workopolis.com
www.hotjobs.ca
www.monster.ca
www.canjobs.com
www.careerclick.com(for tech positions)
www.charityvillage.ca
www.manpower.ca
www.manpowerprofessional.ca
Industry association sites
Newspapers - Career Pages
 Toronto Star - Tues/Thurs/Sat
 Great for office / customer service / management level jobs
 Toronto Sun - Wed/Sun
 Great for industrial/manufacturing/skilled trades jobs
 Globe and Mail  Executive Positions
 Hospital/Social Services
 NOW Magazine
 Non-profit organizations
Staffing Services, I.e. Manpower
 Way to make job contacts
 Temporary work focuses more on skills than fit; it can be a great way to get into a company, and
show them what you can do!
 Can lead to permanent work
 Approximately 35% of Manpower temporaries are hired by the companies Manpower sends them
to.
 Gets you into the companies you want to work for
 Manpower hires for 94% of Fortune 500 companies in North America
 Great opportunity to explore the job market, without
damaging your resume
 You get to try companies before making a permanent commitment to them.
 Skill Assessments can “level the playing field”
 validated assessments show what you can do; minimizing the Canadian Experience issue.
Advantages of Working of Manpower
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Foot-in-the-door
Free skills assessment
Free training - Global Learning Centre
Great clients - 94% of Fortune 500!
Benefits
Flexible Hours
Annual Win-A-Prize Campaigns
Referral Bonuses
No Fees!