Five Tips and Plus Some For Job Seekers

​Marc Belaiche, President and Owner of Torontojobs.ca shared these five tips with the Ontario Association of Career Management members and guests at last weeks dinner meeting.

1. Prepare, prepare and prepare for interviews. Interviewers are getting more savvy in their interviewing techniques. It can cost a company at least the equivalent of one years salary to hire for a new position so being able to tell a hiring manager what you are going to do for them is more important than anything else you can tell a potential employer.
   
   
2. Avoid doing things recruiters don’t like. Show up on time, know your resume inside out and backwards, know your salary expectation and indicate whether you are relocatable. Dress for the position or one level above, know your SAR stories and give quantitative results where possible.
   
   
3. Show up. Even if you have decided the position isn’t for you, go for the practice or minimally, call to cancel.
   
   
4. Know what jobs are in demand and who has the leverage. Thinking that you could do the job isn’t the same as having done the job, apply for jobs that you have experience in. Before you attend an interview, ask who will be doing the interview, their names and titles and how long the interview will be.
   
   
5. Learn how to search for jobs online; use social media to find job opportunities. Did you know that Kijiji and Craig’s List have job postings? Have a highly professional LinkedIn profile and learn how to use LinkedIn to uncover job postings.
   
   

Marc also shared that reference checks are not as prevalent today as credit and criminal checks. Know your credit rating, it is yours for the asking.

You may not be asked how much you earned in your last job, which is irrelevant to any new position, but what you are looking to earn. Be sure to know the industry standard for your qualifications, education level, experience, skills and potential.
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At the end of the day, interviewers want their candidates to be: courteous, prepared and responsive. Evaluate yourself in these three areas to ensure you are a 10 out of 10 in each category.

Post written by Colleen Clark, Career Specialist and Corporate Trainer