Community Employment Resource Centre
What’s inside?
ö
CERC Client Gets Assessed
through www.careerjoy.com
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How to Prepare for a Layoff
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Free Personalized Job Search at
CERC
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Interview Strategies
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Quote of the Month
ö Upcoming
Information Sessions
ö Winners
ö
Websites of Interest
Individualized Employment
Services
Laid off and looking for work? Re-entering the job market?
Or perhaps you’re contemplating a career change? Whatever your situation may
be, taking an intelligent approach to finding the job you want and were made
for may just be one of the smartest things you’ve ever done. Knowing what
you’re passionate about, understanding your strengths and identifying what
occupations exist that can incorporate both are the keys to finding the right
job for you.
For
those of you looking for a more local solution, Watton Employment Services
is available to help you. There you can access employment planning, work
placement, on-the-job training, testing, The Job Finding Club, individualized
job search assistance, labour market adjustment, case management and vocational
counselling. Specifically, the Job Finding Club is a great resource which
builds effective job search strategies, helps you access the ‘hidden job
market’, and paves the way to a successful job search.
You
can also access their General Aptitude Test Battery, which determines
appropriate career and training paths for each individual.You can contact
Watton Employment Services at 905-372-1901.
For
another alternative, CareerjoyTM is a career coaching company
owned and developed by head coach Alan Keirns. Alan and his coaching staff can
assist in your search for the right job for you. You may be familiar with
Alan’s voice on CBC Radio’s “Ontario Today”, taking listener calls and offering
sound career advice. He’s heard the last Tuesday of every month.
Careerjoy’sTM
web site is loaded with great information and articles providing fantastic
advice for your job search, how to handle layoffs, resume writing, interview
skills and much more. You can read about the
various career services offered and which one may be best suited to your
needs. There is also a free career tele-workshop consultation session you can
sign up for, held each Wednesday at noon. This is a group session allowing
individuals to share and discuss their current situation with Alan and each
other. Callers can be as involved in the conversation as they wish, sharing as
much as they are comfortable with or
gain insight and direction just by listening in.
If
you’re still not sure CareerjoyTM offers you the boost you need
to successfully get back into the job
market or the career you want, you can call or email them all your questions.
They also offer a $99 personal consultation session. During the hour session,
you will discuss your past work history and experiences and focus on your motivations,
personality type, natural talents and abilities to begin to establish a much
clearer under-standing of your current career situation. You can reach them at
www.careerjoy.com.
How to Prepare for a Layoff
With
today’s economy, no one is immune to a layoff. In a recent article from the
Globe and Mail (January 30th), Katharine Burrell, a professional who
was caught off guard with a layoff identified some of the preparations that
could be made ahead of time:
¨
Eliminate credit card debt: review spending activities prior to the layoff. Cut back
spending so that credit card debt can be eliminated. Question every expense.
Track every penny you spend for a few weeks – you’ll be surprised where your
money is going!
¨
Build a war chest:
calculate how much is needed to live on every month and build a reserve fund of
cash to support yourself. This fund can be increased after the credit cards
have been paid off or if the layoff is postponed.
¨
Prepare for the worst:
your resume should be updated every six months. It is much easier to come up
with achievements in recent memory. Keep copies of performance reviews and keep
in touch with important contacts – they will become good networking sources for
you to find future work if necessary.
¨
Decide what you really want: a layoff can become a blessing in disguise if you were
unhappy in your previous work. Take the time to identify what you would really
like to be doing for your work life. (CHOICES is an excellent program available
at CERC to help you identify your skills and interests). Go back in time to
your 10 year old self and remember what you wanted to be when you grew up.
Often in a layoff, there are programs available for retraining. Make this an
opportunity!
Job Search Information Sessions
Limited
time offer!! CERC has begun offering free Job Search Information Sessions to
our clients. Clients can sit down with our staff member, Kelly, who will guide
them through a personal review of the following:
v
Resumes and cover letters
v
Interview Skills
v
Networking
v
Internet job search
You can go through a mock-interview, get feedback on your
interviewing style, receive one-on-one attention and personalized assistance in
the areas that may be limiting your job search success. For a limited time,
please call Kelly to schedule your information session.
Interview Strategies
Interviewing
can be very stressful! Wanting to succeed and present the right image can put a
lot of pressure on you. Here are some
tips to help you:
¨
Rehearse.
Practice in front of a mirror or your friends.
¨
Be punctual. It’s
better to arrive early than late. Take traffic and parking into consideration
and be sure to leave yourself extra time.
¨
Consider the position
when deciding what to wear. If you are unsure, dress professionally. Do not
wear strong perfumes or colognes.
¨
Arrive to an interview alone. If you are coming with someone, have them wait in the
car.
¨
Relax.
Minimize your stress by walking around the block and breathing deeply. Act comfortable, even if you are not feeling
that way.
¨
Be confident.
Don’t be shy about your achievements and skills. Remember to give specific examples
of when you demonstrated your experience and skills.
¨
Come prepared with
an extra copy of your resume and references.
¨
Offer a solid handshake, firm and dry!
¨
If the question is unclear,
don’t be afraid to clarify. You
don’t want to waste your time by answering a question that you aren’t clear
about.
¨
Understand the job description and qualifications before the interview. Know what they
are looking for so you can relate your skills to them.
¨
Look the interviewer in the eye. This conveys confidence.
¨
Be aware of your body language. If you are feeling negative or defensive, it may come
through in how you are presenting yourself.
¨
Be honest. Do
not lie about your experiences or yourself.
¨
Be prepared to relate your personal experience to
the position. Consider ahead of time your
previous experiences and how they may relate to this new position.
¨
Do not talk negatively about a previous or current employer.
¨
Find out when a response is expected. You can also ask that they call you even if you do not
get the position. Be sure to send out a thank-you letter within a couple of
days of the interview. Ask the interviewer for a business card in order to get
their address.
This information was taken from Canada Prospects
2003-2004 magazine.
Quote of the Month
Mickey
Rooney says:
“Ain’t
no sense worrying. If you have no control over something, ain’t no sense
worrying about it – you have no control over it anyway. If you do have control,
why worry? So either way, there ain’t no sense worrying.”
Free Information Sessions
¨
Computer
Basics
March 3rd
¨
Know Your
Resources:
March 10th
¨
Automated
Resumes:
March 17th
¨
Choices:
March 24th
Time: 2:00–3:30 pm at
Port
Hope CERC
To register call 905-885-2372
* Limited space available*
And The Winners Are…
The winners for our wellness packages are:
¨
Brenda Pape
(Port Hope)
¨
Robert Hacala
(Cobourg)
Congratulations!
Websites Of
Interest
www.watton.ca