Cracking the “Canadian Experience”Code

Shannon Jackson, Manpower Services

Agenda 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

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 NeedKatheryn 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 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 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

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

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

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 exampleFail to speak of what THEY did

Talking too much - not on topicLose 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 ThemSome 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.cawww.manpowerprofessional.ca

Questions? e-mail me at:shannon.jackson@na.manpower.com

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

Contact people from your list; let them know you are looking; ask them if they have any referrals/suggestions of where to go.

Follow-up 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 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

Expect to see 50 or more companies; have enough resumes for everyone.

Prepare a 30-second and a 3-minute pitch

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

Ask for information about their company; then read it!! It will be helpful for your follow-up and interview.

Dress the part Go to the job fair dressed for work. It will help the recruiter envision you in a working role.

Follow-up Get a phone number from each Recruiter you meet. Call them within one week of the event to

follow-up.

Top Job Sites

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

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!