Marketing & Creative Jobs in Canada Blog - Part 46

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 →

Fresh Friday Jobs Round Up – Dec 6, 2013

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Photo by Grant Hutchinson

Here are some of the freshest jobs posted on FreshGigs.ca this week that we’d like to feature:

Internal Communications Specialist

Visual Designer – FreshBooks – Toronto

Copywriter – Pink Elephant – Toronto

Web Programmer – Confidential – Markham

Design Manager – Lululemon – Vancouver

Social Media Specialist / Graphic Designer – Fashion Brand – Toronto

Marketing Manager – Yacoub Elite Search – Toronto

Project Coordinator (Freelance) – Taendam Agency – Vancouver

Digital Account Manager – TechWyse – Toronto

Marketing Advisor – City of Calgary – Calgary

E-Marketing Communications Specialist – Insight – Montreal

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 →

Hot Canadian Marketing + Creative Jobs Round Up – Nov/22/2013

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Web Designer with XE.com
Newmarket, ON

Proposal Writer / Coordinator with McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.
Vancouver Region, BC

Integrated Producer with DARE Agency
Vancouver, BC

Account Manager, Experiential Marketing with Newad
Vancouver, BC

Data Programmer – Direct Mail with RP Graphics Group
Mississauga, ON

Partner Sustainability Manager with Lululemon.com
Vancouver, BC

General Manager for Asia with Lululemon.com
Vancouver, BC

Account Supervisor with Elvis Vancouver
Vancouver, BC

Engagement Marketing Specialist with Work at Play
Vancouver, BC

Retail Graphic Designer with CCA Global Partners
Burlington, ON

How to Get a Job While Still Employed

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Maybe you have reached a point in your career where you are ready to move onto new employment. It is most ideal to look for something new while you still have the security of a paycheck and your current job to fall back on if it doesn’t work out.  But, it comes with a set of challenges – most specifically, you don’t want your current position to know you are thinking about jumping ship.

Here are a few tips, suggested by Jennifer Parris in How to Job Hunt While Still Employed, on how to search for a new position without risking the one you currently have.

Instead, emphasize why you are looking for new employment in terms of growth, using your skills to your full potential or pursuing long-term career goals.

Don’t be obvious. You really want to make sure your current boss doesn’t know about job hunting … and that requires some creative scheduling on your part. Schedule interviews before or after work, during a lunch hour or take a vacation day.

“… if you have to, take a day off and try to bundle them together. After all, if you show up to work in a three-piece suit (and your normal attire is jeans and a t-shirt), you’re going to attract some very unnecessary attention at the office,” says Parris.

Don’t tell your boss or coworkers. Assume no one can keep secrets in your workplace. No one. News that you are looking, or have even accepted another position, is likely a juicy piece of gossip and could spread like wildfire. You open yourself up to being fired or made to quit.

“Absolutely do not tell your boss–doing so will compromise your most valuable asset, namely, your current employment. As soon as the company discovers you’re looking, they will start looking for your replacement. Your job is probably toast. You’ve ‘crossed the Rubicon’ and there’s no going back,” Donald Burns, career coach and strategist, is quoted as saying in 8 Tips for Job Hunting While You’re Still Employed. Continue reading →