Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Unfort for me there are no urban planning jobs around at the mo - I know - I scan regularly . .

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Carrie, am so glad you have this job. No going home missy *wags finger* :D

Myself, every job I've got in Van I've got through word of mouth. Still had to interview, but actually finding the work was through friends. The first job I got I actually got through friends I made on the interwebz in Van before I moved. :ohmy:

Right now I'm looking for work in Sept and through another mum at my kid's swimming class, I've found a possibility, a company that is expanding and looking for new people. Totally random but as we'd hit it off anyway, and she's going back to work, I was like "hey, I want to work with you".

HTH.

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Have you tried working at the kids school - volunteer - then add to resume = working at XXX School - this then gets you references and a track record.

Also try the organisation that you girls do after school - Community Centres here always need help - again track record. Friend signed up to help a charity and at the end of the event the director hired her to work in their company. No officail paperwork but had demostrated the admin skill in the charity.

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

YES !! Next time I suggest walking your dog near the urban planning offices ;)

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Job hunting seems to be very tough right now. Lots of applicants are chasing fewer jobs in my area.

Networking gets mentioned a lot but can have limitations when jobs are hard to come by. OH is currently active in a local seminar group in which 50% of attendees are new-to-Canada jobhunters trying to "network" and another 25% are local jobhunters doing the same thing, though some of the latter already have jobs or contracts. That said, networking can really help you when you have a contract who either has recruited for positions you're applying for or is working for the organisation you have an interview with. In the first category people can look over your resume before you submit it to help to refine and target the skills required with some authority (regarding what they would look for) and provide you with concrete feedback. In the second category you can get help on interview format and corporate culture.

Regarding dumbing down, you may just have think about it if you don't just get lucky. When I was applying for jobs I made many applications for positions for which I was well (i.e. over) qualified and did not get a sniff of interest. The first factor that works against you is that the hirer thinks you'll get bored and leave when something better comes along (doesn't everybody!! I just need to earn some cash to pay the rent and out food on the table) and is difficult to overcome without lying/dumbing down the resume. I was overqualified for my first Canadian job but I got lucky. This is how the second luck factor comes in. You need somebody in charge of the hiring who sees the advantages in getting more than they were expecting. This is down to pure luck (that's certainly how I got lucky). Remember, "B"s hire "C"s. This may be management training mumbo-jumbo but there is more than a grain of truth in it. Sadly there are plenty of "B"s out there who feel threatened by "better" applicants and fewer people who want to hire somebody to engage with, learn from and mentor. You have to find an "A" to hire an "A".

If the economy is bad in your area, don't waste time applying for jobs you are definitely not qualified for. You won't get past screening. If you are marginal, give it a go but definitely target your resume for each application so the person doing the first pass yes/no required skills/experience scan can see clearly that you meet the minimum requirements. The person doing the first screen might have allocated about a minute to review each application package if they are on the receiving end of 100+ applications. I know somebody who got a job with the bare minimum of required experience and qualifications even in the current market so don't give up.

The advice about getting your child into part-time child care was also a great one if you can afford it. It will give you some peace to focus on finding a job. I generally spent 30-50 hours preparing for each interview (2.5/3 success rate - got 3 offers but one was for a different position than I interviewed for). That does not include application preparation time.

Try not to take things personally and keep your spirits up by coming up with alternative plans. Good luck.

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

I did try loitering at Burnaby City Hall planning department when I went to get the dog licences - but the security man gave me an odd look!!

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Its just a local University, not a full-size University like UBC or U of Alberta etc.

Just a small local college with a fancy name when the province reclassified it as a University last year.

I am working with the campus job office people, they are somewhat helpful but the same as most career centres, just not enough jobs in the area in the low end, unskilled department and high unemployment, 12% last I read.

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

I have done everything to seek employment....I am so frustrated.(no wise cracks please).

Emails, phone calls, meetings, cold calling, agencies, websites and NETWORKING . A VP from a huge construction company on Friday told me that I am more qualified than most of his Engineers, however they would consider someone 1st who has Canadian experience. He said that there is a lot of Engineers out of work at the minute and they would consider them before me.

I have now applied for shop work. admin work and sales and still have not been successful as yet. I have a library of cover letters and resumes for all the job opportunities.

So to all the people who have posts well done. To all the people who are still looking good luck.:thumbsup:

I am climbing the walls here.....

Hi Bells. How is going.

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

Hi KJM - oh the fun life of a part time bakery person!!! its ok - its getting me out!

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

I would love to play with all that yeast.

Lucky for me I have a good friend who makes sure that I get out.:)

Re: Looking for work - aargh!!
 

I need one too - but Gibson is doing a grand job!!

No yeast tho -all bloody pre prepared frozen stuff!!~ :(