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In our December 17 blog – https://bit.ly/2WAJSaP – we discussed preparing for the interview. It’s great to do mock interviews and stand in front of the mirror to practice like you were in front of the hiring personnel. It’s also important to focus your efforts on your opportunities in the process and how you will avoid missteps.

In this article, we delve further into how to increase your prospects of success in job interviews.

For example, how you capitalize on time allotted for your questions is important. Not having any questions to ask the interviewer is a lost opportunity to learn about the work culture or training possibilities.

Of course, there are also questions not to ask, which are highlighted in the links below, along with pointers on potential errors that can occur.

Staff at The Work Place in Grande Prairie can guide eligible unemployed or underemployed clients (visit www.gpworkplace.ca for details) on how to prepare and make a great impression at the interview.

They can also assist you with your job search tools and ensure you’re using all the resources available to you, including accessing potential training opportunities (see contact details below). Your strategies may include updating or acquiring new skills.

The bottom line is to be prepared to answer questions from the interview panel as thoroughly as possible with good examples of when you’ve demonstrated your skills. Think of interviews as learning opportunities. You definitely want to be offered a job if the position speaks to you and the situation is the right fit for you, now and in the future. However, interviews may also be the time to learn that the job or the workplace is not for you.

Check out these links for further advice to increase your chances in your next interview.

http://careerimpressions.ca/blog/2018/10/how-to-confidently-close-an-interview/#sthash.kMjIpBTo.Ku8WgeUQ.dpbs

https://www.businessinsider.com/question-never-ask-job-interview-2018-2

http://careerimpressions.ca/blog/2018/09/easily-avoidable-interview-mistakes/#sthash.fCaxpynr.oWjUVFDv.dpbs

If you want more help with your job search at no cost, contact us at 780-539-5477. You can send enquiries to info@gpworkplace.ca. Our office is located at #105, 9840-97^th Ave., Grande Prairie.

We also help employers find qualified candidates.

In today’s world of recruiting companies and Applicant Tracking Systems, are cover letters still required?

Some surveys suggest only about 50 per cent of hiring personnel read cover letters.  The resume truly is the document everyone is interested in and some managers say that’s where they get all their information. Others, however, say they won’t even look at a resume without a cover letter.

It’s best to continue including a cover letter as part of your job search tools, unless a specific company tells you it won’t be needed.

If you’re unemployed or underemployed, staff at The Work Place in Grande Prairie can help eligible individuals fine tune resumes and cover letters – visit www.gpworkplace.ca for details. Our staff ensure clients are using all the tools available to them, including accessing potential training opportunities (see contact details below). Updating or acquiring new skills may be part of your job search plan.

While it’s recommended you continue to prepare cover letters, it’s also important that you make yours stand out – just as you would a resume – focus on relevant information and use it as an opportunity to profile accomplishments and strengths.

Make sure your cover letter contains key words from the job description you’re applying to and you have a consistent header to your resume. Keep it short and engaging so that the reader can’t wait to check out your resume.

As well, if you’re applying through an online job platform, such as Indeed, remember that you still have the opportunity to include a cover letter, e.g. in the “message to the employer” section.

Here’s an article with some tips on how to modernize your cover letter: http://careerimpressions.ca/blog/2018/09/do-employers-read-cover-letters/#sthash.STFSpwig.bnYnSDCz.dpbs

This video is another great resource:

If you want more help with your job search at no cost, contact us at 780-539-5477. You can send enquiries to info@gpworkplace.ca. Our office is located at #105, 9840-97^th Ave., Grande Prairie.

We also help employers find qualified candidates.

Seeking employment is just like anything else in our fast-paced world – you need to keep abreast of the trends and tools. If you haven’t looked for a job recently – whether because of circumstances or choice – relying on methods you used to find positions in the past, may leave you frustrated.

If you’re unemployed or underemployed, staff at The Work Place in Grande Prairie will help you fine tune your resume and ensure you’re using all the tools available to you, including accessing potential training opportunities (see contact details below). Your tactics may include updating or acquiring new skills.

Unless you have just had your resume professionally prepared, yours will likely need a refresh. The one you’re using may have outmoded phrases like “references available upon request” or “a strong leader” and be chock-full of dated, irrelevant information.

In the past, people used vague details to demonstrate a fit to the job. Employers and human resources professionals now look for examples of how you put your skills to work to assist the employer – how you made a difference in the workplace through tangible results or process improvements to create efficiencies.

With the evolution of Applicant Tracking Systems, you need to ensure your resume contains key words in the job description.

You may also not be using LinkedIn effectively as a networking, job search and portal for relevant articles in your field.

When some people begin pursuing a new job, they turn to their stack of business cards. While you want to stay connected with contacts new and old, LinkedIn is there to find potential new colleagues and will ensure you have the latest details on your current network.

This article provides some ideas on how to invest your job search time effectively: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/job-hunting-first-time-years-how-spend-your-wisely-virginia-1f/

Find that next job can be frustrating. If your search for new employment is taking longer than anticipated, check out this article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reasons-why-your-job-search-taking-longer-than-erin-kennedy/

Here’s an article with tips on how to avoid recruiters from ignoring you: https://www.fastcompany.com/40489349/7-things-that-will-drive-recruiters-away-from-you

If you want more help with your job search at no cost, contact us at 780-539-5477. You can send enquiries to info@gpworkplace.ca. Our office is located at #105, 9840-97^th Ave., Grande Prairie.

We also help employers find qualified candidates.