Looking for work – need help

[Barbossa]

I thought I’d reach out to the Micechat community for some help and maybe some words of wisdom. Perhaps some fellow Micechatters are in the same situation as I am and can benefit from this thread. Quite simply I’m looking for work and having difficulty doing so (thanks in part to the recession).

Here’s my story…
I graduated from high school back in ’97. In the fall of that same year I went straight to college. In ’02 I graduated with a diploma in Electronics Engineering Technology. I tried looking for work with my EET diploma, but I still felt my post secondary education needed to be supported/boosted by perhaps some more education, so I went back to school and in ’05 I graduated with a diploma in Business Administration focused on Marketing. So, now I had two diplomas, but I still felt I needed a higher level of education. I decided to do an additional two years and get my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration which I completed in ’07, thus ending a ten year run in post secondary studies.

So, I graduated from college for a third time. Now what? Look for work obviously. So the résumé distribution began. During the summer, fall and winter of ’07, many résumés got distributed but unfortunately, I hardly got any calls for interviews. Then finally, at the end of February ’08, I landed a job with a local high-tech company as a production manager, based on my tech and business educational background. I started the second week of March. I got into the role without any difficulty. Then, at the end of April, our boss called a bunch of us into the lunch room and gave us the bad news. Not enough sales were being made and he had to layoff six of us (just a side note, this was not a big company, with only about 30 people working there). This happened before the main recession stuff started happening which was at the end of August. And so, I was out on the street looking for work again.

Since the end of last April when I got laid-off, I’ve only had three interviews to date. I’ve sent out countless résumés and cover letters, and attended a number of job and career fairs here in Kelowna and in Calgary. I sought the help of case managers and job agencies. I check my e-mail’s inbox everyday for responses, and other than some spam, there’s nothing. Yes, it definitely is difficult to find work right now with what’s going on in the world. So, I was wondering if some of you Micechatters may have some words of wisdom to give, or maybe if some of you have some stories to share in your job/career hunts. I do feel that my résumé is set up ok as I’ve redone it a bunch of times. But I do have a bunch of questions with regards to cover letters, callbacks (follow-up calls), and interviews:



The Cover Letter

• What should be excluded from a cover letter?
• Should I mention that I am unemployed?
• How long should the cover letter be? I try to keep mine to one page with three or four paragraphs.
• Any other suggestions?

Callbacks (follow-up calls, to ask about the status of a certain position)

• When is a good time to do them? Before a job posting closes or after a posting closes?
• What in particular should I ask and should I not ask?
• What’s the best time of day to do callbacks?

Interviews

• When asked about career goals, what's the best way to answer this question?
• With limited experience, what's the best way how to prepare for a behavioural interview?

As for my career goals, I’d like to work in marketing, management, or human resources. Or, another option is if I could somehow combine my electronics education with my business background. I have interest in working in the public sector (as that seems to be the safest area right now). I do have some educational goals such as finishing my human resource diploma and getting CHRP certification. I also would like to pursue a Master’s degree in Business Administration in the future. And, I was also considering getting a teaching certificate. Unfortunately, these educational goals are on hold right now due to a lack of funds.

I welcome any comments, tips, and advice, anything that would help me in finding and securing a job and finally putting an end to my unemployed status. Perhaps some of you that work in similar areas that I want to get into can offer some advice. Thanks in advance fellow Micechatters.

PS: Here's the current unemployment situation in Kelowna and the surrounding region so you know what I'm up against. In February of this year it was reported that in the Thompson-Okanagan region of British Columbia (that would be the interior region that stretches from Kamloops down to the US border and includes Kelowna), there are over 19,000 people looking for work . Ya, it's pretty bad here, and yes I am willing to relocate. I do like Calgary and would like to settle there.

[Moonliner]

I was in a similar situation quite a few years back.

I went down to the local library (this was pre-Internet) and checked out papers from every major city in the country. I then did a count of jobs in my area of expertise and set that against population to find the city with the most jobs per capita in the nation. The next day I went there, found a job in two days and have lived here for 20 years.

Consider wideing your net. Use the Internet to find the same information. Go where the jobs are. No matter how far away that is.

[tassie]

I have no hints or tips, but just want to wish you luck!!

[Snow_White_Raven]

I have no tips or hints either. I have been looking for a job and living off of unemployment for the last 6 months. So yeah I am definitely no help at all. Good luck though. I think we all need a little luck on our side these days.

[Dustysage]

Dusty's 10 ten tips for getting a job and becoming the expert must-have employee that everyone will want:

1- Number one tip - Networking. You are doing the right thing by posting here. You never know who might be in a position to help you.

2- You should also post on boards and blogs which pertain to your field of study.

3- Get as many certificates and as much specialized training as you can while you are out of work. Instructors and classmates can also be a great link to finding a job.

4- Consult and work for yourself while you are looking for full-time.

5- Post on Craigslist and watch the wanted listings there as well.

6- Contact all of the small companies in your field and offer your work as part-time contract or full-time. Let them know that you are happy to have them try you out on a project basis while they evaluate you.

7- Send your resume to recruiters, but don't count on them in this economy.

8- Become an expert in your field. Through blogging, writing white papers and articles, you will become an expert that others will turn to and increase your own worth at the same time.

9) Cheer up, don't let the hunt get you down, stay positive and confident. No one wants to hire someone who seems defeated.

10) You will survive this and find a good job. But you'll need to look beyond the regular resume distribution route that people have followed for years. Monster and Career Builder just don't cut it these days.

Cheers, head up, and good luck!

-Dusty

[ThatGuyChris]

Every job i've had has been through people I knew. Id have a friend who worked somewhere and said hey you should apply and i'll give you a recommendation... or one time i had someone who knew me tell their employer i'd be a good person to work there and the manager called and asked me to come in for an interview the next day.

I'd say get to know people. Talk to everyone you can. You'd be surprised how many connections you can make just by talking.

[Barbossa]

I got a piece of good news, last Thursday I got a call for an interview! The interview is later this week with Canada Post. It's for a supervisory position I applied for a few weeks ago. It is a term position, but the posting didn't say how long of a term, but if it gets my foot in the door I'll be happy. I was happy to get the interview, but I'm not celebrating yet - not until I get a job.

Recently I also tried Club Penguin (yes Disney's Club Penguin) since their head office is here in town. I haven't heard back from them yet. It was a business related positon that I applied for and something I'd be very interested in doing.

Moonliner - thanks for that tip. I might try what you did.

Dustysage - your tips are great. I'll try some of those too.

ThatGuyChris - Thanks for your tip too.

I think my biggest weakness is networking. Mainly because my networking channels seem to be very limited right now. I have tried getting help from various job hunting agencies and case managers, but the ones that are here locally just seem to be no help at all unfortunately.

We'll see what happens at this interview coming up.

I was thinking about turning this thread into maybe a little bit of a Blog thread and reporting on my progress. Others can chime in too if you are in a similar situation. Let's help each other out!

[whitealexander]

prayers and hardwork is my only advice.. you'll find it soon..

[NatdRat]

Good luck on the interview. Hope you get the job!

[BFJen]

I feel for you Barbossa - My brother-in-law is in Vancouver and is in the same situation. He had a great job as a safety supervisor with a construction company and was laid off the week my sister found out she was pregnant. He has been getting a lot of interviews through his rugby club, but nothing solid yet.

Anyway, good luck!

[Orcinus]

I've been looking for a job for two months. I figured it would be easy me being a college kid I thought I could find work at a grocery store or a Walmart but heck I'm still looking. So I don't know what advice to offer you.

[flynnibus]

My guess is your lack of experience is hurting you. Job history is more important then diplomas (depending on the type of work). Diplomas are generally just door openers or how to get past 'check points' they aren't going to get you the job itself.

I wouldn't waste a lot of time worrying about cover letters. It's a formality that you can offer something up beyond your resume content.. but people don't care about the letter anymore IMO.

I wouldn't mention unemployed unless you are asked - and you will be because your resume will have a gap. When there are gaps, they will ask why or what you were doing then.

How does your education look on your CV? If it looks obvious you were in school for ten years.. that's probably a big turn off too. Why would I hire a career student with no work experience?

I'd also ask if you believe you are interviewing for the right level of jobs? Having a BA with some diplomas but no work experience would still put you at an entry level position around where I am. It's marketable experience as it applies to the job you are applying for that gets you out of the stack and into an interview.

I'd focus on building work experience in the field you want and show progression within a role/company.

What I look for in resumes when going through the sort is..
- directly applicable job experience
- specific responsibilities listed
- job history that shows progression and ambition

When hiring a role that is typically a junior, right out of school role - it's more of a
- type of education
- personality that shows in letter/CV
- any specific education/background that aligns with the job's responsibilities

[Dustysage]

Don't allow gaps on your resume. There are always ways to keep busy, even if it doesn't bring much income.

For example, blogging in your industry not only fills a gap, but shows that you are staying up to date on your field.

You can be honest and say that while you were between jobs, you used the time to research industry trends and news and stay current on where the industry is headed.

Be prepared to show examples of your writing. Always take a portfolio of samples of your work (if possible).

Looking forward to following your progress!

[twobluestripes]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

I was in a similar situation quite a few years back.

I went down to the local library (this was pre-Internet) and checked out papers from every major city in the country. I then did a count of jobs in my area of expertise and set that against population to find the city with the most jobs per capita in the nation. The next day I went there, found a job in two days and have lived here for 20 years.

Consider wideing your net. Use the Internet to find the same information. Go where the jobs are. No matter how far away that is.

Originally Posted by Dustysage

Dusty's 10 ten tips for getting a job and becoming the expert must-have employee that everyone will want:

1- Number one tip - Networking. You are doing the right thing by posting here. You never know who might be in a position to help you.

2- You should also post on boards and blogs which pertain to your field of study.

3- Get as many certificates and as much specialized training as you can while you are out of work. Instructors and classmates can also be a great link to finding a job.

4- Consult and work for yourself while you are looking for full-time.

5- Post on Craigslist and watch the wanted listings there as well.

6- Contact all of the small companies in your field and offer your work as part-time contract or full-time. Let them know that you are happy to have them try you out on a project basis while they evaluate you.

7- Send your resume to recruiters, but don't count on them in this economy.

8- Become an expert in your field. Through blogging, writing white papers and articles, you will become an expert that others will turn to and increase your own worth at the same time.

9) Cheer up, don't let the hunt get you down, stay positive and confident. No one wants to hire someone who seems defeated.

10) You will survive this and find a good job. But you'll need to look beyond the regular resume distribution route that people have followed for years. Monster and Career Builder just don't cut it these days.

Cheers, head up, and good luck!

-Dusty

Moonliner and Dusty, I think you may have just altered the course of my future! I am saving both of these ideas to my computer for my imminent post-grad career search!!!

Barbossa, good luck with your Canada Post job! It's so hard to get a foot in the door when you've got minimal experience but lots of education. And it's kind of a bummer, because they don't know what they're missing! And it's a vicious circle when you need experience to get hired, but you can't get experience until someone hires you! Ugh!

I'm so glad you posted here, because this is such a large community with people all over the world who can share ideas and help each other out!

I'll start my networking now: I will need a full time job this summer, as my work study jobs come to an end with the semester in May. I will apply for retail and all, but everyone's applying retail and it's so hard to get a ob like that now! It'd be really wonderful if I could find a job or paid internship in the area related to my major and my interests! I am an art student with an intrest in all forms of studio art (especially sculpture and ceramics), and also am very involved in theatre. I also love costuming and sewing, which is a potential career path I will be exploring! Also, I am a math minor. I live in Orange County but would be up for a bit of a commute if the pay was enough to cover the gas. If anyone hears about anything, let me know, OK? I can keep the job longer than just the summer if they're willing to let me work part time during school next year, too!

[Snow_White_Raven]

Originally Posted by twobluestripes

Moonliner and Dusty, I think you may have just altered the course of my future! I am saving both of these ideas to my computer for my imminent post-grad career search!!!

Barbossa, good luck with your Canada Post job! It's so hard to get a foot in the door when you've got minimal experience but lots of education. And it's kind of a bummer, because they don't know what they're missing! And it's a vicious circle when you need experience to get hired, but you can't get experience until someone hires you! Ugh!

I'm so glad you posted here, because this is such a large community with people all over the world who can share ideas and help each other out!

I'll start my networking now: I will need a full time job this summer, as my work study jobs come to an end with the semester in May. I will apply for retail and all, but everyone's applying retail and it's so hard to get a ob like that now! It'd be really wonderful if I could find a job or paid internship in the area related to my major and my interests! I am an art student with an intrest in all forms of studio art (especially sculpture and ceramics), and also am very involved in theatre. I also love costuming and sewing, which is a potential career path I will be exploring! Also, I am a math minor. I live in Orange County but would be up for a bit of a commute if the pay was enough to cover the gas. If anyone hears about anything, let me know, OK? I can keep the job longer than just the summer if they're willing to let me work part time during school next year, too!

Since you live in orange county have you thought of attempting to get into the Disney College Program. I am sure its something that you would love and you do get paid while you do it.