Self-Help Packages
 

At CERC we strive to make the act of job searching as painless and easy as possible for self-directed job seekers.  To assist with this goal, we have generated some self-help packages, namely career specific, employability skills  and new businesses/employer information.  

These packages are designed to provide individuals with a sample of all the information needed to prepare a resume and cover letter for a certain type of job/career.  The contents include:
 

• typical duties
• sample ad
• guidelines on how to read an ad
• means of identifying the type of resume that is most appropriate for you
• templates for chronological and functional resumes
• sample resumes for each style
• cover letter template
• sample cover letters (for responding to an ad, cold call and networking)
• action verbs relevant to the type of job
• common mistakes in interviews
• how to answer some difficult questions
• useful websites/resources
   

At present packages are available for the following jobs/careers:
 

• Administrative

• Host/Hostess

• Production

• Construction Worker

• Carpenter

• Customer Service

• Retail

• Night Cleaner

• Cook

• Dishwasher

• Personal Support Worker

• Educational Assistant

• Restaurant Manager

• Pharmacy Technician

• Small Animal Grooming

• Tool Crib Attendant

• Wait Staff

• Security Officer

• Shipper Receiver

• Transport Driver

We are always adding to this list, so keep an eye out for any new packages that are assembled!!

Employability Skills
 

The Conference Board of Canada has identified basic skills that are common to all types of employment and career opportunities.  These are skills that an employer requires employees to possess.  The skills are divided into three main categories as follows:
 

1. Academic/Fundamental Skills
   • Communicating
   • Managing information
   • Using numbers
   • Thinking and problem solving
      
2. Personal Management Skills
   • Positive attitude and behaviour
   • Responsibility
   • Adaptability
   • Learning continuously
   • Working safely
      
3. Teamwork Skills
   • Working with others
   • Participating in projects and tasks
      

The consensus among employers is that they are having difficulty finding new employees that possess these skills.  At CERC we have compiled self-directed packages for each of the skills listed above with the intent of identifying what is involved in each individual skill and guidelines for improving any of the skills.  Specifically, the contents include:
 

• Background information about employability skills
• List that identifies what is meant by the skill label
• Checklist to assist individuals with identifying personal strengths/weaknesses in any skill area
• Exercise to help develop examples of each skill
• List of documents that can be used to demonstrate the skill at hand
• Step by step process to develop a learning contract to improve the desired skill(s)
• Useful websites and resources
   

The self-awareness list and example builder can also be used to generate statements on resumes and cover letters, as well as prepare answers for some of those difficult interview questions.   In addition, the learning contract can show an employer how you are actively intending to improve a current “weakness”.
 

Come in and let CERC help you help yourself!

Feel free to contact us if you are from out of town and we will gladly email you any of the above packages for your job search.    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.