Learn Earn Lead

Sustainable employment is critical to independence and self-suffiency for individuals, families and the community. The YWCA Employment and Learning Centre supports individuals in this process.

We are committed to helping our clients gain increased independence and ability in pursuit of their goals. Whether the need is a single appointment to prepare a resume or longer-term counseling to gain life and work skill, we are committed to supporting individuals on their life's journey.

We offer unique services in an effort to strengthen our community one person at a time.


Monday, February 10, 2014

Social Media and the Job Search: Ten Trends - Part 1

Today we begin a ten part series of articles discussing social media & the job search.  Check out the YWCA E&L Blog every Monday morning for the next installment

 Part 1 ...

Technology has been a game-changer in the past 10 years, and you better believe it is transforming career development
by Chris Kulbaba

 In today’s war for talent, it is becoming increasingly hard to ignore the impact that technology is having on jobseekers, recruiters, businesses and the people that help them. It is very important for career professionals to be aware of these changes and, of course, to be familiar with using these tools in order to assist clients. A study by Reppler in 2011 found that over 90% of recruiters were checking potential hires through social media channels. Whether career professionals personally use the tools or not, it is important to realize the implications for business and individuals. Simply because you know what a hammer is, that does not mean that you can build a house with it now – you start small and increase your skills as you go. The best way to begin then is to understand the changes that have taken place, and how people are using these tools with impact in their jobseeking.


1. Connecting and relationship management
We often talk about the fit of employee into an organization, and that means the worker must do research first before applying for a job. Tools such as websites, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and more are an easy and free way to find people to talk to in order to determine fit. The focus of social media is that it is “social,” and many people who would not be willing to talk on the phone or through email will do so in these channels. Finding groups or forums related to an organization or a career topic is an easy way to build relationships leading to success. I had a client who was a new Canadian and wanted to be a medical affairs director, something I had no idea about. I reached out on LinkedIn and introduced him to people in Egypt, Italy, the US and Canada. He was able to connect with a few people to do information interviews and start his career journey.


Chris Kulbaba is an Employment Counselor with the London Employment Help Centre in London, ON. Chris regularly delivers webinars for Conestoga College in the CDP program, offers his services as an expert speaker, facilitator and coach on social media topics, and is creating a new career development tool “Career Card Sort” – but takes the greatest pride in being a dad and a loyal family man. You can find Chris on Twitter, LinkedIn, Skype, Facebook and at his new website/blog launching in January 2014 better-together.ca.

Posted by at