About to graduate? Now what?

You have spent the last four (or more) years in post-secondary waiting for this day.  You have handed in your last paper, written your last exam, and went to your last university party.  Now what?  While leaving school has been your goal for four years, now that it is here, do you have a plan?  Do you have a job, or are you going to start looking?  Are you going to go back to school?  Are you going to travel before you settle down?  While these are all options, the majority of graduates want to get out into the “real world” and start making money.  While making your “plan”, here are some things that you need to take into consideration (at the very least).

• Where will you live? This may or may not be an easy decision.  If your lease is up in May, or you were in residence, you may need to move home  with mom and dad while you decide your next steps.  Or, you may chose to stick around where you are now and try to find something in the area. Your third choice is to move to a new city altogether.  Whatever your choice, make sure you do your research and prepare yourself for the consequences.
• Start saving up. Even though you may have to work another summer serving in a restaurant or lifeguarding at the pool, these kinds of jobs still make money, which will help you save up enough money to move out, or move away.
• Allow yourself time for a thorough job search. Although you may be making good money at the pool or the bar, remember that you still need to give yourself time to search for a job.  You spent four years in school (not to mention thousands of dollars) to earn your degree, so you probably want to be doing more with your life.
• Make sure your resume is up to date. You need to have an updated, error free resume.  Also remember that you need to update it and change it for EVERY job you apply for.
• Have an interview outfit (or two). You need to have at least one interview outfit.  It needs to be something you are comfortable in, that fits you and you feel confident wearing.  Always have a back-up in mind in case something happens to the first (spills, rips, etc), or you get called in for a second interview.
• Practice your interview skills. You need to be ready at all times for an interview.  You need to know what to do before, during and after.  Your career centre will have lots of great information for you.  However, if you are no longer in the same city as your school, check out their website.
• Build your network. Join your alumni association, join professional organizations and attend networking events.  The more people you know, the easier it will be to find a job!

Transferable skills – Now a HUGE part of your job search

There was a time when having a degree was enough to get you a job with a decent salary.  This is no longer the case.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but seems that an undergraduate degree has become a dime a dozen.  You need to have a little extra something to stand out from the thousands of others who are applying for the same jobs you are.

Almost every student has worked before, whether it was a part time job while in school (university or even high school), a summer job, a co-op/internship or even volunteer work.  Use these past experiences to your advantage!  Almost every sector looks for job skills that transfer over from one job to another, including jobs in fields such as accounting and IT.  Traditionally these kinds of positions did not require skills such as communication or people skills, but employers are now looking for more than just technical knowledge, and it is becoming more important to have the whole package.

No matter what kinds of positions you are applying for, sit down and think about all of the jobs you have ever had.  Even if you are not including them on your resume, think abut the tasks you completed and what you did day to day. Also, remember what school taught you…research, writing, editing, presentations, group work, etc, etc.  These are GREAT skills that many employers look for.  You are probable more qualified than you think you are!

Here are just some of the skills that hiring managers look for in candidate for almost any position:

• communication skills (actually probably one of THE most important skills to have!)
• customer service/working with others
• presentation skills
• problem solving
• leadership
• writing skills (again, very important in many fields)
• computer applications
• time management
• multi-tasking
• organization

Twitter your way to a new job

The traditional job search as we knew it no longer exists.  With the internet changing the way we do just about everything — banking, shopping, dating, interacting with others, etc, etc — it should come as no surprise that finding a job has moved this way as well.  While there are MANY different social networking sites available, such as Facebook and Linked In, Twitter has taken over as the new and exciting kid on the block.  Job searching has even moved to Twitter.    Check out www.twitterjobsearch.com for a “tweeted” list of jobs.

Here are a few reasons why you should start using Twitter for your job search:

• Networking. A great place to meet new people and expand your network.
  
• Follow industry leaders.  This gives you a chance to “talk” to the leaders in your field.  Chances are you wouldn’t have this opportunity at any other time, so take advantage of it!
• Meet recruiters. Almost everyone is on Twitter, including recruiters and head hunters.
• Link to Facebook, Linked In or your personal blog. You can link your tweets to other forms of social media to further build your brand.

However, there are a few things to keep in mind before you begin:

• Remain professional. If you are using Twitter for your job search, be sure that you remain professional AT ALL TIMES!  Consider starting a personal Twitter account as well if you feel that your tweets may be unprofessional.
• Remember it is about building relationships. Don’t overtly ask someone for a job.  You are simply putting yourself out there to expand your network and connect with those in your field.
• Be respectful. Remember to “retweet” any posts that you find interesting, and eventually others will do the same.

My Career is now on Twitter.  Check us out!

A great way to boost your resume and get experience

Next week, April 19 – 25, is National Volunteer Week, which pays homage to the 12 million volunteers across Canada (roughly 37% of the population!).  This week also aims to encourage those who don’t volunteer to get out there and do some good in your community.   Here are some great reasons you should get out and volunteer!

• Helping those who need it. There are currently 160,000 not-for-profit organizations in Canada. Any one of these organizations would be glad to have you volunteer.  Many of these aim at helping those in need, such as your local food bank, Cancer society or humane society.
• Feel good factor. Not only does volunteering help others, but it helps you too.  There is something fulfilling about knowing that you are doing something that makes a difference.
• Boost your resume. Volunteering is a great way to get that much needed experience on your resume.  This may be especially important for students and recent grads who have little to no experience in their field.
• Make new contacts. You never know who you will meet while you are volunteering.  This could be the start of your network or just adding to it.

We are fortunate to live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  Often we take for granted the things that we have.  Take some time out of your busy schedule and give back…it will be worth it!

Going where the jobs are

Recently, while at the National Job Fair in Toronto, I was asked by numerous job seekers what kinds of advice I could give them.  After finding out a little bit about them (education level, what kind of jobs they were looking for, etc), my next question was whether or not they were willing to relocate.  The majority of them said that moving was not an option.  I was extremely surprised by this.  Don’t get me wrong, Toronto is a great city, but when Ontario has an unemployment rate of 8.7% (one of the highest in Canada), and layoffs happening daily, maybe it is time to consider moving.

Here are three places in Canada that you should consider moving to and why.

• Saskatchewan (I feel like I am this province’s #1 cheerleader, and I have never even been there, haha)
  • Unemployment rate of 4.7% (lowest in Canada)
  • Lower cost of living
  • Tuition rebate program (maximum of $20,000 over 7 years)
  • Jobs in every sector
• Manitoba
  • Unemployment rate of 5.1% (second lowest in Canada)
  • Tuition rebate program (to a maximum of $25,000 over six years)
  • Lower cost of living
• New Brunswick
  • Lower taxes
  • Lower cost of living
  • Employment available in many different sectors

To me, it’s simple…you have to go where the jobs are.  A few years ago, many people made the move to Alberta, now this has shifted to Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick.  I am not saying that moving is the only option, and of course it isn’t for everyone, but if I was faced with unemployment, I think that it would be one of the options I would seriously consider.  For some tips on moving for that new job, see “Relocating for a job” or “Moving for that new job“.

Make sure your resume gets viewed

There are hundreds of thousands of people currently out of work.  This means that competition for those few positions available is pretty fierce.  You want to make sure you are given a fair shot at every position you apply for, but how do you make sure your resume is even read?  Here are some tips to help you get ahead of the game and get your foot in the door.

• Customize. EVERY resume you send out needs to be specific to the position you are applying for.  A generic resume will get you nowhere.  Look at the job posting and try to match as many skills and qualifications as you can (while remaining honest and truthful).
• Include a summary.  Gone are the days of having a simple objective on the top of your resume.  A career summary outlines what your major competencies are.  Outline your skills and accomplishments in a bulleted list, making it easy for the hiring manager to see why you should be considered for the position.
• KEYWORDS! Pull keywords from the job posting.  If you possess these skills or qualifications, include them.
• Be functional. If you are a recent grad or are applying for jobs in a different field, you should seriously consider a functional resume.  This style puts your transferable skills up front rather than your experience (as you may not have any in the specific field).
• Transferable skills. Don’t forget about your transferable skills.  These are things that hiring managers are looking for in every sector — people skills, communication skills, leadership, working under pressure, etc.
• Results rather than actions. When writing your resume, remember to focus on results rather than simple actions.  You could say “Updated website daily” or you could say “Maintained website, increasing daily traffic by 10%.”  Which statement do you think is going to impress a hiring manager?
• Perfection! I can’t stress this enough…your resume needs to be free of spelling and grammatical errors.  You may be one of the best candidates for the position, but if you misspell a few words, your resume will most likely be tossed into the bin.

Yet another option – Be your own boss!

If you are a soon-to-be or recent grad, you are probably weighing your different options — travelling, getting into the workforce, or going back to school.  One thing you may not think about is starting your own business.   Why work for someone else when you can work for yourself?  All businesses have to start somewhere, and who’s to say your great idea couldn’t end up making you millions?

Here are some great reasons to consider starting your own business:

• Government grants. Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently announced a $10 million grant to the Canadian Youth Business Foundation as part of Canada’s stimulus package.  It is estimated that by 2010, this money will help more than 900 new businesses get off the ground.
• Baby-boomers retiring. As many as 70% of small business owners are planning to retire in the next 5-10 years.  This means that there are plenty of opportunities available.
• Be your own boss. Who doesn’t want to set their own hours, answer to themselves and have the title of CEO?
• Unemployment is on the rise. You can not only create work for yourself, but a number of others as well.  Those 900 new businesses are estimated to create 5,000 new jobs!
• You’ve got the skills. As a college/university grad in 2009, you have many skills that your predecessors may not have had.  You know all about the internet and social networking, which is a HUGE benefit in today’s digital age.

While starting your own business isn’t for everyone, it is estimated that 20,000 young people have an unrealized business idea!  Do your research, see what is out there, and if you have a great idea, run with it!

What if your new job isn’t what you expected?

So…you’ve just graduated from college or university, found your dream job, confirmed an interview, aced the interview and YOU’RE HIRED. However, you are two weeks in and this dream job isn’t what you thought it would be. Maybe you are still unclear of your duties or maybe you are not being challenged enough? In the interview you said you were willing to work extra hours, but 60 hours a week!? Whatever the issue, what should you do if this new job isn’t measuring up?

Just like any problem the first thing you should do is try to work it out. It shouldn’t be a total shock is everything isn’t just as you pictured it. There are a lot of assumptions made during interviews by both the interviewer and interviewee. Expect there to be parts of the job that need to be ironed out. New employees don’t really know what to expect until they are actually working. Don’t wait too long to work out these problems. Try to find a remedy for the problems as quickly as possible.

If you find after speaking to your boss that the company is not willing to negotiate the problems, then maybe it is time to be looking for another employer. Perhaps there was another job you had interviewed for but declined because you had accepted the one you are presently in. It may not be too late to contact that employer. They may be willing to hire you if the position is not already filled.

If there are no other job offers on the table for you then try searching for a new job while you are presently employed. It is smarter to be searching for a job while there is a paycheck coming in.

To prevent a mismatch between you and a job consider this:

• Ask LOTS of questions-If you’ve received a job offer ask to visit the workplace. There you can ask questions of present employees. For example, what is the culture like here, do you feel you are treated fairly. If an employer declines your request for a visit, that could an immediate red flag.

Contract Work – A great alternative

With the unemployment rate rising by the day, there are hundreds of thousands of people looking for work as we speak.  It is becoming harder and harder for soon-to-be and recent grads to find work, with many resorting to continuing their eduction (even though they really may not want to).  One thing new grads (and all job seekers for that matter) should seriously consider is looking for a contract position, rather than just a full time gig.  Here are some pros and cons for taking on a contract position.

PROS:

• Great way to get your foot in the door. Many contracts don’t generally last for more than a year.  This is a great way to get that oh so important work experience on your resume.
• An opportunity to work for many different companies. Contract positions are a great way to test out different kinds of companies, different work environments and even types of positions.  After working at a few different contract positions, you should have a better idea of the type of environment you want to work in, as well as  what kind of company and position you ultimately strive for.
• Expanding your network. This is a great way to start expanding your network, as you are getting to know people in your industry.
• Could just be a testing period. Some times employers put new employees on a short-term contract, and once they prove themselves, they are offered a full time permanent position.

CONS:

• Office politics. Since co-workers are aware that you are only there for a short period, they may be less likely to warm up to you.
• Benefits, vacation time. Often companies do not offer these kinds of perks to contract workers.  If it is not part of the initial offer, try to work at least some kind of vacation time into your contract.
• Job hopping doesn’t look good on your resume. Having a number of positions in a short period of time may help you gain important skills, but doesn’t always look good on your resume.  Be sure to explain your large quantity of positions on your cover letter.
• Starting the job search again after only a few months. Contracts can last anywhere from three months to one year.  This means that shortly after you start, you could be looking for a new position.