Hello to my followers. I hope you are well today as we move coser to the holiday season. With the holiday season comes stress. Stress can be our worst enemy especially in long line ups either at the post office or at the mall.
That got me to thinking that those that are out of work will around the holidays will most likely be even more stressed. I urge you to take time out and destress. I also suggest that when you are out on your shopping excursions that you be mindful of how you treat others. You never know who the sales clerk you are getting frustrated at is related to.
When you are on a job search, please be respectful at all times to everyone you come into contact with. That includes online contact. Before you post anything on your blog, facebook page or twitter account, think if what you are posting is professional or not. Ask yourself that quesiton before you post to be on the safe side. I have heard of cases where people have either been fired on not been hired because of their online image or even just a simple post that wasn't appropriate.
When you go for lunch, be nice to the sandwhich artist at Subway. When you take a taxi, say thank you and smile politely. Remember to leave enough of a tip. When you are in the line up to mail your greeting cards, make a new friend. You never know who this new friend could be or what they do until you ask!
More people will be out and about than ever right now doing similar things that you need to do. Take this opportunity to meet strangers by the art of small talk. That stranger could be your potential boss or someone who knows of an opportunity you can apply for. It is amazing how much job searching really impacts all seasons and every aspect of life.
Thank you to all my followers for tuning in today. Happy searching!
Kindly,
Anrea
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Dressing Professionally In Snow
Hello Followers!
For those of you who live in Winnipeg, I hope you managed to get around today with our first big dump of snow for the season.
I was thinking, with snow comes the winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, gloves etc. It makes me wonder if people who are on career searches keep in mind that they need to dress professionally even with their outer wear when going on interviews. Wearing huge witner boots for example with a hat with a pom pom on the top may not be the wisest choice to ensure you make that killer first impression.
For interviews, I ask that you please think of your outfit to include outer wear. Don't wear the power suit and kill the look with Sorels. Both men and woman are able to invest in a nice wool or leather coat. I know they are costly and you probably don't have the funds right now if you are looking for work. However, being resourceful is always handy. I suggest that if you find the item you like, see if the store has layawy options. With Christmas around the corner, add it to your wish list. There are also stores like the Clothes Closet, Redeemed, Value Village that are excellent options to keep you professional looking and warm this winter. They may be second hand clothing, but most of the clothing is in great condition. Why not even take a trip across the line. My friend went to Fargo last weekend and was bragging how many great deals she found.
Try to find a professional pair of gloves that match a hat and scarf. This will tell the employer that you care about your appearance and took the time and it also makes you look more together and organized. With the winter comes the wind. I don't know about you, but I always have watery eyes in the wind. On interviews, I always take tissue with me so I don't have tears running down my face in front of the receptionist. If you can, arrive a few minutes early to go to the batheroom to fix yourself up. I always reapply a bit of lipstick, comb my hair and take my jacket off in the bathroom so it is draped over my arm as I walk in to where the interview will take place.
Interviewing is a bit more challenging in the winter no question. There is nothing like arriving to a potential employer huffing and puffing with red rosy cheecks.
Hopefully, you will also remember to check where your references are for the winter months as well. Touch base with them and find out when they will be going on their winter holiday. Maybe some of them have turned into snow birds and are gone to Arizona for six months out of the year. If you are asked to present references, the employer will appreciate it if you have insight on how to get a hold of your references if they are having difficulties reaching them. It saves them time after all and speeds up the process of you landing that job!
There, are a few tips I can offer the career searching individual as winter is upon us. One thing to take notice is that around the Christmas months, the career sections in the paper are pretty dismal. Don't be discouraged. I know it can get you down and be frustrating. Sometimes, you may wonder why you even bothered buyiing a Saturday's paper. My advice to you to combat this is creative networking! Get out to as many social functions as you can over the Christmas Party season and make those contacts.
Get your phone ringing with interviews and make sure to buy professional winter out wear. Here is the online address for the Clothes Closet and Redeemed.
http://www.swfic.org/closet.html
http://redeemed.ca/
Good luck and happy searching! Stay warm and look great.
Kindly,
Anrea
For those of you who live in Winnipeg, I hope you managed to get around today with our first big dump of snow for the season.
I was thinking, with snow comes the winter coats, boots, hats, scarves, gloves etc. It makes me wonder if people who are on career searches keep in mind that they need to dress professionally even with their outer wear when going on interviews. Wearing huge witner boots for example with a hat with a pom pom on the top may not be the wisest choice to ensure you make that killer first impression.
For interviews, I ask that you please think of your outfit to include outer wear. Don't wear the power suit and kill the look with Sorels. Both men and woman are able to invest in a nice wool or leather coat. I know they are costly and you probably don't have the funds right now if you are looking for work. However, being resourceful is always handy. I suggest that if you find the item you like, see if the store has layawy options. With Christmas around the corner, add it to your wish list. There are also stores like the Clothes Closet, Redeemed, Value Village that are excellent options to keep you professional looking and warm this winter. They may be second hand clothing, but most of the clothing is in great condition. Why not even take a trip across the line. My friend went to Fargo last weekend and was bragging how many great deals she found.
Try to find a professional pair of gloves that match a hat and scarf. This will tell the employer that you care about your appearance and took the time and it also makes you look more together and organized. With the winter comes the wind. I don't know about you, but I always have watery eyes in the wind. On interviews, I always take tissue with me so I don't have tears running down my face in front of the receptionist. If you can, arrive a few minutes early to go to the batheroom to fix yourself up. I always reapply a bit of lipstick, comb my hair and take my jacket off in the bathroom so it is draped over my arm as I walk in to where the interview will take place.
Interviewing is a bit more challenging in the winter no question. There is nothing like arriving to a potential employer huffing and puffing with red rosy cheecks.
Hopefully, you will also remember to check where your references are for the winter months as well. Touch base with them and find out when they will be going on their winter holiday. Maybe some of them have turned into snow birds and are gone to Arizona for six months out of the year. If you are asked to present references, the employer will appreciate it if you have insight on how to get a hold of your references if they are having difficulties reaching them. It saves them time after all and speeds up the process of you landing that job!
There, are a few tips I can offer the career searching individual as winter is upon us. One thing to take notice is that around the Christmas months, the career sections in the paper are pretty dismal. Don't be discouraged. I know it can get you down and be frustrating. Sometimes, you may wonder why you even bothered buyiing a Saturday's paper. My advice to you to combat this is creative networking! Get out to as many social functions as you can over the Christmas Party season and make those contacts.
Get your phone ringing with interviews and make sure to buy professional winter out wear. Here is the online address for the Clothes Closet and Redeemed.
http://www.swfic.org/closet.html
http://redeemed.ca/
Good luck and happy searching! Stay warm and look great.
Kindly,
Anrea
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Power of Open Ended Questions
Hello to you, my wonderfully charming followers. I hope you had a nice weekend. I was supposed to blog on Friday but I didn't. I aplogize to you for that. I did attempt to write but I had a horrible dose of the writer's blog block. I just didn't want to write for the sake of writing. I wanted to ensure I had something to say. My topic came to me just now and I do believe it is an interesting one that we can all mull over.
Think back in your lives when you first started learning about open ended questions. Open ended questions are those that do not stimulate a yes or no answer. Think about how you converse with your family and friends. Think about how you ask questions to foster two way communication with people in your lives.
When was it for you? For me, it was working retail for close to a decade. In all customer service training I had, I was always told to use open ended questions to start conversations with customers. In retail these questions are called probing questions. Examples of some probing questions are, "Who are you shopping for today."
Now that I am taking a jounalism couse in the Creaive Communicaons program a Red River college, We have been told to use open ended questioning in our interview process.
When you are on job searches and in an interview, open ended questions will be asked. "Tell me about a time when," is a good example of an open ended interview question.
It i good to create the questions that you will ask your potential employer in the open ended style as well. This way you are encouraging two way communicaion, look interested in the company and allow yourself the oppotunity to stand out from the rest as this technique will build rapport.
Before you head out to your next inteview, I suggest that you think of a few open ended questions to ask. Once you get used to thinking in open ended questions, they will pop of your tongue!
Good luck and happy questioning!
Think back in your lives when you first started learning about open ended questions. Open ended questions are those that do not stimulate a yes or no answer. Think about how you converse with your family and friends. Think about how you ask questions to foster two way communication with people in your lives.
When was it for you? For me, it was working retail for close to a decade. In all customer service training I had, I was always told to use open ended questions to start conversations with customers. In retail these questions are called probing questions. Examples of some probing questions are, "Who are you shopping for today."
Now that I am taking a jounalism couse in the Creaive Communicaons program a Red River college, We have been told to use open ended questioning in our interview process.
When you are on job searches and in an interview, open ended questions will be asked. "Tell me about a time when," is a good example of an open ended interview question.
It i good to create the questions that you will ask your potential employer in the open ended style as well. This way you are encouraging two way communicaion, look interested in the company and allow yourself the oppotunity to stand out from the rest as this technique will build rapport.
Before you head out to your next inteview, I suggest that you think of a few open ended questions to ask. Once you get used to thinking in open ended questions, they will pop of your tongue!
Good luck and happy questioning!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Creative Networking
Hello my fantabulous followers. I hope you are enjoying the exceptionally nice weather for November. For those of you who are working, you will probably wish you had the day off!
For those of you who are not working, enjoy today and get outside. That is one thing I forgot to do when I was unemployed. I was so worried about finding a job or finding the new direction my life would take that I forgot to appreciate the free time I had. I wouldn't allow myself to enjoy this time because I was too determined to get back on track. When I wasn't determined, I was usually depressed and moped all day.
I remember what I did get a high out of was creative networking. I remember that I cold called people that I thouht would be able to help me with my career search. I cold called Bob Silver who since 1980 he has been the President of Western Glove Works, a Winnipeg based private company involved in the manufacturing and merchandising of casual apparel and co-owner and director of Western Glove Works and Warehouse One (a Winnipeg based retail clothing chain).
How this came to be was, Mr. Silver was saying a speech about the power of a university education and that there is no reason why anyone with a UofW degree couldn't succeed. We were both at a fundraising dinner for The University of Winnipeg. I was very inspired by his speech but jaded at the same time. I am a University of Winnipeg graduate twice over with an undergraduate degree from the main campus along with a management diploma from the division of continuing education. I listened to his words and thought, why am I struggling and unemployed when I have done all the right things.
I decided to cold call Bob Silver and ask him that very question. I remember this vividly. My hands were trembling when I dialed the numbers on the phone. I knew what I wanted to say but I wasn't sure how the words would come out. I thought I would get a gatekeeper but I didn't, he answered the phone. I took a deep breath and introduced myself. I informed him that I was at the dinner he spoke at and was inspired by his speech and hoped his words were true. I told him that it wasn't true for me at this stage in my life and was wonering if he would be interested in meeting for coffee to assist me on my career search. Low and behold, Mr. Silver agreed. I met him at Western Glove and brought my resume with me. He looked it over and we had a nice chat.
I wanted to share this story with you because this is what I call creative networking. This will happen to you on your career search if you are open to it. When you are out at events, be aware of what people are giving speeches, mark down their names, titles, parts of their speech you liked or didn't like. Afterwards, google them and find their contact information. Research where they work so you know a bit about their background. Try to make a connection between you and the person you are wanting to cold call. When you are successful at that, try to think about what you are going to say before you dial or email. Have the points in front of you before you make contact. Don't do what I did and risk it.
I promise you, that if you do this on your career search, you will get a high from it and impress yourself. It feels great when you make contacts that you never thought were possible. You have to make these possible.
You also practice your cold calling skills and keep them fresh by doing this exercise. In my opinion, creative networking is another tactic to use to tap into the hidden job market. Next time you are at a luncheon, or a fundraising dinner, bring a pad of paper with you and write important names and points down that interest or inspire you. Put your investigative hat on and you never know who you will end up meeting! This is how to make your career search exciting.
Take care,
Anrea
For those of you who are not working, enjoy today and get outside. That is one thing I forgot to do when I was unemployed. I was so worried about finding a job or finding the new direction my life would take that I forgot to appreciate the free time I had. I wouldn't allow myself to enjoy this time because I was too determined to get back on track. When I wasn't determined, I was usually depressed and moped all day.
I remember what I did get a high out of was creative networking. I remember that I cold called people that I thouht would be able to help me with my career search. I cold called Bob Silver who since 1980 he has been the President of Western Glove Works, a Winnipeg based private company involved in the manufacturing and merchandising of casual apparel and co-owner and director of Western Glove Works and Warehouse One (a Winnipeg based retail clothing chain).
How this came to be was, Mr. Silver was saying a speech about the power of a university education and that there is no reason why anyone with a UofW degree couldn't succeed. We were both at a fundraising dinner for The University of Winnipeg. I was very inspired by his speech but jaded at the same time. I am a University of Winnipeg graduate twice over with an undergraduate degree from the main campus along with a management diploma from the division of continuing education. I listened to his words and thought, why am I struggling and unemployed when I have done all the right things.
I decided to cold call Bob Silver and ask him that very question. I remember this vividly. My hands were trembling when I dialed the numbers on the phone. I knew what I wanted to say but I wasn't sure how the words would come out. I thought I would get a gatekeeper but I didn't, he answered the phone. I took a deep breath and introduced myself. I informed him that I was at the dinner he spoke at and was inspired by his speech and hoped his words were true. I told him that it wasn't true for me at this stage in my life and was wonering if he would be interested in meeting for coffee to assist me on my career search. Low and behold, Mr. Silver agreed. I met him at Western Glove and brought my resume with me. He looked it over and we had a nice chat.
I wanted to share this story with you because this is what I call creative networking. This will happen to you on your career search if you are open to it. When you are out at events, be aware of what people are giving speeches, mark down their names, titles, parts of their speech you liked or didn't like. Afterwards, google them and find their contact information. Research where they work so you know a bit about their background. Try to make a connection between you and the person you are wanting to cold call. When you are successful at that, try to think about what you are going to say before you dial or email. Have the points in front of you before you make contact. Don't do what I did and risk it.
I promise you, that if you do this on your career search, you will get a high from it and impress yourself. It feels great when you make contacts that you never thought were possible. You have to make these possible.
You also practice your cold calling skills and keep them fresh by doing this exercise. In my opinion, creative networking is another tactic to use to tap into the hidden job market. Next time you are at a luncheon, or a fundraising dinner, bring a pad of paper with you and write important names and points down that interest or inspire you. Put your investigative hat on and you never know who you will end up meeting! This is how to make your career search exciting.
Take care,
Anrea
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Transition Tips
Hello my wonderful followers. I hope you all had a great week. Thank you for checking in with my blog and spending your valuable time with me. I thought of an organization that I wanted to inform you about today. Some of you will probably have heard of it or even utilized the programs and services they offer already When I was unemployed, I went through their programs and really enjoyed them.
Tho organization I am discussing today is the Winnipeg Transition Centre. They offer an Employment Assistance Resource Service known as EARS. This program is funded by Employment Manitoba and can help you find work for free if you are unemployed. I found the staff at the Winnipeg Transition Centre to be very positive and informed. The Employment Councillors there make your job search an uplifting experience.
A funded workshop with trained facilitators help you with your transition provding you with training exercises that really get to know your strength and weaknesses. Free interview coaching and job search skills are also provided. I participated in a one week workshop and really enjoyed the interview coaching aspect. What was really useful was that they video taped you while you were on a mock interview. After the interview, you watched how you presented yourself. I found this exercise to be very insightful. At times, I was shy to see the footage but I knew it would only help me better my interview skills.
In the workshop, you also learned about resume writing and how to tap into the hidden job market. The Centre says that 85% of jobs are not advertised. According to WTC, the term “Hidden Job Market” refers to the jobs that are never advertised. Advertised jobs, such as those listed in newspapers, job search sites such as workopolis.com and job boards such as the Government of Canada job bank, only account for about 15% of all the jobs available at any given time. The other 85% are “hidden."
WTC also provides self marketing skills training. With how important networking is to be competitive these days, this is such a necessary skill.
WTC is located at 1836 Main Street and their phone number is 338-3899. Please check them out online at http://www.winnipegtransitioncentre.com/ . You may not need their services now but you never know. You can also help someone who is unemployed by sharing this information with them.
Have a wonderful remainder of the week!
Kindly,
Anrea
Tho organization I am discussing today is the Winnipeg Transition Centre. They offer an Employment Assistance Resource Service known as EARS. This program is funded by Employment Manitoba and can help you find work for free if you are unemployed. I found the staff at the Winnipeg Transition Centre to be very positive and informed. The Employment Councillors there make your job search an uplifting experience.
A funded workshop with trained facilitators help you with your transition provding you with training exercises that really get to know your strength and weaknesses. Free interview coaching and job search skills are also provided. I participated in a one week workshop and really enjoyed the interview coaching aspect. What was really useful was that they video taped you while you were on a mock interview. After the interview, you watched how you presented yourself. I found this exercise to be very insightful. At times, I was shy to see the footage but I knew it would only help me better my interview skills.
In the workshop, you also learned about resume writing and how to tap into the hidden job market. The Centre says that 85% of jobs are not advertised. According to WTC, the term “Hidden Job Market” refers to the jobs that are never advertised. Advertised jobs, such as those listed in newspapers, job search sites such as workopolis.com and job boards such as the Government of Canada job bank, only account for about 15% of all the jobs available at any given time. The other 85% are “hidden."
WTC also provides self marketing skills training. With how important networking is to be competitive these days, this is such a necessary skill.
WTC is located at 1836 Main Street and their phone number is 338-3899. Please check them out online at http://www.winnipegtransitioncentre.com/ . You may not need their services now but you never know. You can also help someone who is unemployed by sharing this information with them.
Have a wonderful remainder of the week!
Kindly,
Anrea
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