SASKATOON CAREER AND AREA JOB/CAREER FAIRS

SASKATOON CAREER AND AREA JOB/CAREER FAIRS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW and SOON

CANADIAN TIRE (CONFEDERATION PARK) 

Oct 28, 2013 - 9:30 am to 2:30 pm

DOLLARAMA (520 Central Street West, WARMAN) 

Nov 4, 5, 6 & 7, 2013 - 9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Career Expo/Job Fairs DOs and DON'Ts

by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D.

Here are the keys for students and job-seekers to successfully navigating a career or job fair. Follow these simple rules and guidelines and you should achieve success in this important strategic tool of job-hunting.

• Do have a specific strategy for maximizing your time at the event. And don't bother spending time with recruiters from companies that do not interest you.


• Do pre-register for the event, and do attempt to get the list of attending companies before the career fair.


• Don't eliminate companies because they are recruiting for positions outside your field; take the time to network with the recruiter and get the name of a hiring manager for your particular career field.


• Do attempt to research basic information about each company you hope to interview with at the job fair. A common career fair question from recruiters is, "Why do you want to work for our company?"


• Don't just drop your resume on the recruiter's table and walk off.


• Do prepare a one-minute "commercial" that focuses on the unique benefits you can offer the employer -- a version of your elevator speech. And do be prepared for common interview questions.


• Do be prepared to talk about your work experiences, skills, and abilities. And for college students, do be prepared for a question about your GPA by some recruiters. (And do use the GPA -- overall, college, major -- that makes you look the strongest.)


• Don't be afraid or intimidated by the recruiter; he or she is there to do a job -- to meet and screen potential candidates.


• Do have a few questions prepared for each recruiter, but don't ask questions that any good job-seeker should already know, such as "What does your company do?" Do check out these Questions to Ask at Career and Job Fairs.


• Do say the recruiter's name several times during your conversation, even if you have to keep glancing at the recruiter's nametag. And do get a business card (or at least contact information) from each recruiter.


• Don't forget to eliminate such bad habits as playing with your hair, chewing gum, fidgeting, rocking from side-to-side, acting distracted, rubbing your nose, etc.


• Do remember all the keys to successful interviewing, including a firm handshake, a warm smile, eye contact, and a strong voice.
• Don't use filler words such as "um", "like", "you know."


• Do bring enough copies of your resume to the career fair. And do bring different versions of your resume if you are searching for different types of jobs.


• Do take advantage of the time you have to build rapport with each recruiter, but don't monopolize their time.


• Don't ever just walk up to a booth and interrupt a current conversation; wait your turn and be polite.


• Do dress professionally -- conservative is always the safe choice. (Do read our article, When Job-Hunting: Dress for Success.) And do wear comfortable shoes.


• Don't waste the opportunity to network, not only with the recruiters, but with fellow job-seekers and other professionals in attendance at the career fair.


• Don't ever say anything negative to the recruiter about your college or previous jobs, companies, or supervisors.


• Do be sure to ask about the hiring process of each company, but don't ask too many questions about salaries, vacation time, and other benefits.


• Do take the initiative and ask about the next step in the process. And do be prepared to follow-up all job leads.


• Do be sure to follow-up with each recruiter. Some experts say to call and leave a message on their voicemail right after the job fair, but at a minimum you should send each recruiter a thank you letter. (Do read this sample career fair thank you letter.)

Mind The Gap

"Mind the Gap" is a warning to train passengers to take caution while crossing the gap between the train door and the station platform. It was introduced in 1969 on the London Underground. 

One red flag that really stands out to employers on a resume is a significant gap - or several gaps - between positions.   You can almost hear people thinking as they scan through, “What happened here in 2009?”

Though you could bemoan the fact that the world is cruel for not focusing on all the amazing things you have done in your life instead of focusing on the gap(s), you are better off taking a more positive approach and deftly handling those red flags before you send out your resume: 

• Take classes, 
• Do volunteer work, or
• Take a stopgap job.

Fudge but don't falsify. There are subtle ways job hunters can de-emphasize the amount of time between jobs.  Denoting each period of employment in years instead of months, for example, a job that lasted from 2008 to 2009 will look better than working from July 2008 to February 2009.

Don't make excuses. Once you get your foot in the door, don't focus on why you were out of work or out of luck. Rather, focus on the new skills you acquired, projects you worked on or opportunities you created.  

Give yourself a break. Keep in mind that most of us have been layoff, been terminated or have had children.

Quote of the Week Dr. Seuss

Nov 6 is Take our Kids to Work Day

Take Our Kids to Work Program

Research suggests that today’s students will have multiple careers over the span of their working years. They will need to master both new technologies and complex social and organizational systems.  They will also need to be prepared with the educational tools and experiences that will be necessary to succeed in tomorrow's workplace.

Take Our Kids to Work™ is The Learning Partnership’s signature program, now in it's 19th year, provides Grade nine students with the opportunity to experience and learn about the world of work as they begin to explore possible career paths.

More than 250,000 Grade nine students and at least 75,000 businesses and organizations nationwide participate in Take Our Kids to Work day annually. The Learning Partnership began running this program in 1994 in Ontario and it has since grown into a national program that reaches students in all provinces and territories across the country.

Take Our Kids to Work Day - November 6, 2013

Take Our Kids to Work™ Employer registration is now open 

Canada's Outstanding Employer Awards

On the first Wednesday of November every year.  The Learning Partnership holds Take Our Kids to Work™ day, where more than 200,000 Grade nine, Senior 1 (Manitoba) and Secondary III (Quebec) students spend the day in the workplace of a parent, relative, or friend. In 2013 Take Our Kids to Work day falls on Wednesday, November 6.

Benefits of Take Our Kids to Work

For students, It’s an opportunity to:
 Understand the importance of staying in school by learning first-hand what skills are required in today’s workplace.
 Start exploring career options in a practical way and gain a better understanding of just how many career choices are open to them.
 Develop an appreciation for their parents’ careers and roles in supporting their families.

For parents, it’s preparing your child for the future. You can:
 Participate in a shared experience with your child.
 Begin a career dialogue based on actual experiences.
 Enrich your child’s experience with discussions before, during and after the workplace visit.  

Employer Visit - the Bay

 Employer Visit @

for all interested job seekers

Day: Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Time: 10 am
Location: the Bay, Midtown Plaza, Saskatoon

If you plan on attending please RSVP Darron at: DTaylor@ywcasaskatoon.com

the Bay is currently seeking candidates for the following positions:

• Gift Registry
• Seasonal Sales Associate
• Visual Presentation Specialist
• Fragrance Advisor
• Major Home Fashion Consultant
• Merchandise Movement
• Seasonal Merchandise Movement Associates

Employer Visits are a chance for job seekers to get one-on-one contact with employers that are looking to hire immediately. It is open to everyone and costs nothing to participate however it is asked that all those who attend bring a copy of their resume.

Quote of the Week Jim Rohn

Motivation

Motivation is our reason for doing things; it helps us achieve those things in life that we want or need. The best motivation is intrinsic – it comes from within ourselves . The opposite is extrinsic motivation which is when we are “told” something is worth doing by someone else so we should be interested, or motivated, to do it. While this type of motivation is not all bad, it is generally not as long lasting as intrinsic motivation when we already believe, or feel, that  something is worth doing for our own reasons.

Other people can help us with our motivation by encouraging us. Support is very important in achieving goals so find people who can do this for you. They may be friends, family, co-workers, fellow students, clergy, resource coaches, social workers etc. You can also be part of someone else’s support network if they need you.

Investing time, money and energy in ourselves as we make positive changes in our life is worth the fear of change! Learn how to overcome challenges to become a stronger, more capable and self-sufficient person and you will find your intrinsic ability to become motivated increases! Build a support network and work towards achieving your dreams! You can do it!

Thanksgiving

The YWCA Saskatoon

Employment and Learning Centre 

will be closed

Monday October 14, 2013

for

Thanksgiving.

We will reopen

8:30 am

Tuesday October 15, 2013.

Quote of the Week John Maxwell

Fire Prevention Week 2013 will be observed from Sunday, October 6th through to Saturday, October 12th.

Fire Prevention Week 2013 will be observed from Sunday, October 6th through to Saturday, October 12th.

Fire Prevention Week 2013 will be observed from Sunday, October 6th through to Saturday, October 12th.

Meet & Greet Home Depot

Meet & Greet 

Wednesday October 9^th 

11 am

 3^rd Floor Boardroom 

Community Services Village 

510 25^th Street, Saskatoon

Meet & Greets are a chance for job seekers to get one-on-one contact with employers looking for employees in various. 

The Meet & Greet is open to everyone and costs nothing to participate however it is asked that all those who attend bring a copy of their resume.

Fire Prevention Week 2013 will be observed from Sunday, October 6th through to Saturday, October 12th.

Common Nonverbal Mistakes Made at a Job Interview (Source LinkedIn)

This graphic was made after surveying 2,000 bosses. 
You could also call it, “How to Interview” or “What NOT to Do During an Interview.” Source: LinkedIn.

Quote of the Week Norman Vincent Peale