FreshGigs.ca Team | FreshGigs.ca - Part 9

Author Archives: FreshGigs.ca Team

5 Dangers to Avoid When Making Career Choices

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Whether you are new to the working world or making a new start, you might be asking yourself, what do I want to be when I grow up? Choosing a career path shouldn’t be taken lightly. There are a lot of careers out there to choose from, and here some tips on what not to do when choosing one, according to Andrew Rosen, in The 6 Worst Ways to Pick a Career.

1. Everyone says you’ll be good at it.

Sure, you got skills. But do you really have what it takes to do them for your whole career? Or do you really want to? Being able to write well is a great skill to have, but is it something you want to do all day, every day, if you choose to be a copywriter, for example?

It might not always be the most realistic, but if possible, only apply for the jobs that you know you want to do. Problem solved.

To get answers to your questions, use LinkedIn and Facebook to contact people in your industry. “Don’t hesitate to contact them and ask whether your skills would translate to the working world. You’ll be amazed at how generous most people are with their time when it comes to talking about career choices,” says Rosen.

Confused about what your skills set is? There are a plethora of tests to help you assess your skills and personality type that can help you understand your strengths and weaknesses. A few are the Myers Briggs and Career aptitude tests.

2. Picking a career for perks or pay.

When you choose a job for money, you get what you get paid for … a job. Remember, the pretty wrapping will fade with time, but the actual job duties will be there day after day. Rosen suggests making a list of pros and cons and assigning a percentage of importance to each item. If the perks are worth more than the job itself, it may be time to look elsewhere.

3. Picking a career because it will impress others.

This is a pitfall of both career newbies and career-changers. The grass is always greener. If we are honest, all of us at one point have wanted to say we worked at some super cool place. But, it really goes without saying that making a career decision based on others is not in your best interest. Continue reading →

Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver Is Back for 2014

DigitalStrategyConf2014BannerHere at FreshGigs.ca we love supporting great events across the country and the Digital Strategy Conference is definitely one of them!

Imagine the networking opportunities you’ll have being surrounded by a room full of senior managers and professionals in the digital and marketing space for 3 days.

The conference runs from April 29 to May 1, 2014 at UBC Robson Square.

You’ll also learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry from MarketingProfs, Cardinal Path, Coca-Cola, and many others.
StrategyCon2014

During this 3-day conference you will discover:

  • A method for assessing your organization’s digital maturity
  • Key signposts that will help with your planning and processes
  • Valuable insights from speakers through Q&As, breakout sessions and case studies
  • How social can be leveraged as a sales channel
  • How to create a killer content strategy
  • Proven methods for managing, measuring and evaluating digital marketing and media activity
  • How content and analytics are used to identify and close gaps along the purchase and lead generation path
  • Inside stories and lessons from other senior manager and directors just like you

Early birds save more money

Register now and receive a *double* early bird discount.

Save $300 on a 3-day pass

Save $100 on a 1-day pass
Don’t miss out! This offer ends Wednesday, January 15th.

Register here: http://www.digitalstrategyconference.com/vancouver/2014/pricing-registration

Save 25% OFF All Job Postings Starting Today

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It’s starting to feel like the holiday season. That’s why we’ve decided to offer a special 25% discount on all jobs posted between Dec 15-31. No limit, and this special is also available on our 5 job packages so you can save even more.

Our candidate pool of professionals is bigger than ever and growing significantly each and every day.
So don’t wait, post your job today and save.

PS. Pls share this special with anyone you know looking to find and hire qualified professionals in marketing, advertising, communications and design.

Negotiating Salary Expectations and Quick Tips on What To Say

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Hearing those magic words, “You’re hired!” is generally when your brain goes in party mode. Not so fast. Your job is not over, yet. You just entered the perfect zone to negotiate salary – the time when the company is anxious for you to start working but you have not yet signed on the dotted line.

Negotiation doesn’t just stop at salary — vacation, training and other company perks can also be on the table.

For most of us, salary negotiation feels awkward at best. But, rest easy, companies expect you to negotiate and often view your negotiation skills as part of your entire job skills package. Here are some exact words and phrases to say and to avoid to make the process easier.

  • Market value. Do your research so you know what your market value is. Find out if the company you are interviewing with publishes salary ranges for your position or research the industry to get a sense of industry-average pay. You can do this by research online and through executive recruiters and professional recruiters and professional association, according to Linda Descano, president and CEO of Citi’s Women & Co. in 3 Magic Words for Negotiating Salary.It’s common to ask for a bit more than your market value, knowing you will have some wiggle room, but do it within reason.
  • Just say no! “Yes” is a phrase to avoid when a job is initially offered. It’s not an easy economy out there, so it feels like you should just snap up any job offered, right? Wrong. Most companies expect you to negotiate and often view your negotiation skills as part of your entire job skills package. And, the dirty not-so-secret is that what a company initially offers is not everything they can give. Often, the employers have much more authority and much more to offer than what they let on, you just need to go digging, according to Victoria Pynchon, expert negotiator, What not to say When Negotiating your Salary. Continue reading →

9 Job Search Tips To Help You Land Your Dream Job

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Wondering about the makes or breaks of hiring? You are not alone. CareerBuilder recently conducted research, surveying 5,518 job seekers and 2,775 hiring managers, to asssess what candidates can expect from employers and vice versa. The results are interesting.

“Expectations and behaviors have evolved with new technologies, greater access to information and workplace environments that have become more flexible. These lessons are designed to help job seekers and employers to connect with one another more effectively,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, was quoted as saying in the article 9 Lessons For Job Seekers And Recruiters That Might Surprise You by Jacquelyn Smith.

Look for postings, but also learn how to spot language in social messaging, blogs and sites that lay out what is important to the company and the position.

As an applicant, be prepared to interview with the head honchos. You never know who you will be meeting with when you sit in the hot seat. So, practice for every interview like you are speaking to the big wigs. Because, according to CareerBuilder, 38% of employers say that they require people to interview with a CEO, CFO, COO, etc.

Make sure you are clean of “digital dirt.” CareerBuilder says that 62% of employers will search you on the Internet for additional information. Almost half will Google you, and over a quarter will find you on Facebook. Potential employers may also review your comments on Twitter, Yelp, etc. So, take our word for it – keep your online identity clean, and do it before you even start applying for jobs. Employers often search as a way to weed out applicants before an interview. Continue reading →

4 Steps to Take AFTER Your Job Interview

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While getting a job is the ultimate goal of any interview, it’s not the only good thing that you can get out of it. While you are shaking hands, answering questions and sizing up the company and potential employers, imagine all that you are learning! After an interview ends, there are several things you can do to help your career ambitions.

Read on to learn some tips on what to do when the interview is over.

Send a Thank you Letter that says the Right Things

Before we look to the next interview, let’s close out the interview you just had. Everyone knows that you should send a brief letter outlining your gratitude for the interview, but here a few brief tips on things to avoid, according to Miriam Salpeter in What Not to Say in a Thank You Letter after an Interview:

  • Don’t make it too generic or short. Mention two specifics said in the interview.
  • Don’t just say you believe your qualifications are perfect for the job. Back it up with specific proof.
  • No typos and spell the interviewer’s name correctly.
  • If there has been a delay in sending the thank you, don’t call attention to it. It makes you appear like you do not have time management skills.
  • Never send tokens of appreciation.
  • Never call to thank an interviewer for an interview.

Perform an Interview Autopsy

According to Lisa Quast, Here’s What to do After the Job Interview is Over, it’s important to write down almost everything you can remember about the interview and the event leading up to it. Just as important is to do as soon as is possible to get to most out of it.

“Most people will forget up to 73% of what we learned within one to two days of hearing it,” Quast relates.

Write down everything from the documents the interviewer requested that you have or didn’t have to the issues that came up during the discussion. Look at your daily routine leading up to the interview. Ask yourself what you would have done differently and what you thought you did well. Really get as in-depth as you can because all these things can help you prepare for your next interview.

Maybe it will help you realize you ramble when you answer. Maybe drinking coffee prior to the interview caused jitters. Or, maybe you did not prepare enough copies of references, or didn’t bring any at all. And, you might find out that your strong at describing your job skills and should be steering interviews answers to that subject. It seems simple, but it can be an invaluable exercise.

Remember the Tough Questions

This is especially important, says Karen Flowers, in 5 Things You Need to Do After the Interview. It’s not what you say but how you say it. So, remembering those questions that tripped you up can help you prepare to handle them in the future.

Don’t Stop your Job Search

As Flowers writes, “It’s not over till it’s over. An interview does not guarantee you the job. So until you receive that phone call congratulating you for being chosen to work for the company, continue sending those resumes.”

A Sales Conference Every Professional Can Learn From

Art of Sales BannerThe Art of Sales Conference is coming to Toronto – January 28, 2014 – with an all-star line up of speakers:
Matthew Dixon, Daniel Pink, Porter Gale, Dan Roam, Stephen Shapiro and Jim Fannin.
http://www.theartof.com/sales-toronto-2014

Take advantage of this fantastic Early Bird Offer and save $100 per ticket.
FreshGigs.ca is an official partner and we’d like to share a special promo. When you register for the event use promo code: SALES32 to get your discount.

Attendees will benefit from learning the latest strategies including how to…

  • Strategically align sales and marketing
  • Collaborate and connect with customers
  • Engage prospects in a more meaningful dialogue
  • Leverage social media tools more effectively
  • Build and cultivate stronger relationships
  • Enhance sales rep productivity

More about the Art of Sales:

Interview Tips: Be Yourself because Everybody Else is Taken

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It’s a competitive world out there when it comes to jobs. It starts with a sharp and polished CV or resume, which will hopefully get you physically in the interview door. But what about the interview?

“In the best interviews, job candidates say a lot and interviewers very little – after all, the interview is about the candidate, not the interviewer,” says writer, speaker and columnist Jeff Haden in What Interviewers Wish They Could Tell Every Job Candidate.

Here are a few tips Haden suggests to get the most out of your interview time.

But most jobs have a whole set of requirements that you may not yet be aware of. Wait until those are detailed, and then tell them why you want the job.

Be likeable.

Nobody wants to be responsible for hiring the office jerk (we’ve all rued the day someone hired THAT guy). Your interviewer wants to like you, since you will be working together day in and day out. Smile, make eye contact, don’t slouch in your chair and show excitement. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Most important, don’t be who you think the interviewer wants you to be. Be yourself and make it your job to put your interviewer at ease.

“The funny thing is (and you’ve probably noticed this in your own life), is that the people who don’t try to be liked, and just put themselves out there openly, honestly and authentically are the people who are the most successful,” says Chris Nosal in his The Undercover Recruiter article, How to Stand out in your Interview. “9 times out of 10, people tell me they would hire the person they like, and will even forgo a slightly more qualified or experienced candidate.” Continue reading →

6 Things to Avoid Saying at a Job Interview

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You do your research, put together a top-notch resume, a catchy cover letter and get that call for an interview. Now is your time to shine! But as important as what you do in an interview is what you don’t do. Check out some things that are interview killers, as suggested by authors Patrick O’Brien and Susan Davis in Never Say or Do in an Interview.

Here are 6 of the most common things you should avoid saying…

1. “You are not my first choice”

Never let a company know they aren’t your top interest. Why would they hire someone who really isn’t interested?

“If you get two offers, then you can have a discussion about an employer about why they believe they are a better choice than the other company. Until then, you need to project interest in a company in a job interview with them,” explains O’Brien and Davis.

2. Leave the slang out of it.

Don’t use words such as, “awesome,” “cool” and so on. Just keep in professional. Don’t use filler words, such as “like.” Bottom line: sound like an adult.

3. “I’m a little hungover today.”

Just don’t. And for that matter, don’t go to an interview hungover. Continue reading →