10 Ways to be job ready

• 

Hi there, it’s Uylander.

In a previous blog post, I wrote about job search for immigrants and some challenges that they experience when seeking employment in their area of expertise. It may be essential to take that first job in the fast food industry while you are waiting for something better to come along. Let’s look at ten ways immigrants can be job ready and ensure they get their foot in the door.

Review resume and cover letter

The first step in being job ready is to review your resume and cover letter. Use the same template for your resume and cover letter. This will ensure consistency. Also, use the same font type for both documents. Check your resume and cover letter for spelling or grammatical errors. Ensure that both documents are attractive. Include metrics (numbers or statistics) to highlight your achievements. For instance, if you are a bookkeeper, how many new accounts were you able to get? What was the monthly revenue of all those accounts?

Interview Practice

Role play interviewing with family members. This will give you the confidence needed when you get an invitation for the interview. Sit in a quiet area and pretend that you are at an interview. To make it more realistic, you may enter the room where the “interview” will occur. The “interviewer” will ask a set of questions, and you will provide responses to these questions. In the real world, you may get different questions, but I am sure you may find one or even two questions in the interview. Do this as many times as necessary to boost your confidence.

Settlement Services

In Canada, Settlement Services help immigrants with their relocation process. Find and sign up for Settlement Services in your area. They provide assistance with settling into the new community. In addition, they provide job search advice as well as resume assistance. In some instances, they collaborate with local employers and provide training; upon successful completion of training, there may be an opportunity to be an intern at the company. This provides hands-on experience.

Sign up with an agency

There are job agencies that match employees with employers. This is an excellent way for you to continue your career. Instead of starting from scratch, you can sign up with an agency, and they will place you with an employer for a fee.

Many companies use contract workers, which are provided by agents, to fill vacant positions. This is a cheaper source of filling positions for the companies as they do not have many overhead costs (health and dental, vacation, etc.) associated with employing full-time staff.

Sometimes, these contract workers get the first pick when a vacancy occurs. This is the first step in the door of the company. You can determine whether you want to work with that company or would rather work elsewhere. You already know the organization, and they know you. It’s a win-win. In addition, you will be able to get full pay and benefits. More than anything else, it gives that much sought-after Canadian experience.

Review job search platforms

Review job search platforms to find jobs in your field. Job search engines such as Monster.ca, Indeed, and Glassdoor will tell of companies that have vacancies available. Companies usually list positions on multiple platforms.

Review the website of companies

Most companies have a Careers or Work with Us section on their websites on which they post available positions. Review these websites and see if there are any vacancies in your particular field.

Join a Professional body

If there is a professional association in your field, you can seek to join that body to learn current trends in your profession. These professional bodies also list vacancies that are available to their members. For instance, as an Associate member of CPHR, I often get listing of companies that are hiring. Some of these vacancies are only posted by the professional association.

In addition, you may attend webinars and other classes offered by the professional body/association. Remember that operations change from country to country, so being abreast of what is happening in your field would help you to land the job of your dreams.

Joining a professional body also allows one to expand their network of contacts. You get an opportunity to become visible to new people.

Job fairs

Another way to see what is available is to attend job fairs. These are usually free events that you can go to and meet new people. Some organizations do on-the-spot interviews at job fairs. There is also an opportunity to drop off a physical copy of your resume.

Volunteer

Volunteering allows you to develop skills while giving back to the community. It’s another opportunity to get your foot in the door. As it allows you to expand your network. This network may be able to recommend you for any paid position that they may be aware of. In addition, by working with you, they have first hand experience of your skills and how you work as a team member.

Evaluation of Documents

Get your foreign credentials evaluated or assessed by an evaluation body. In Canada, World Education Services or IQAS (Alberta) assesses foreign credentials. This assessment states whether your certification is equivalent to Canadian standards. Once this is done, you are one step closer to acing that interview and being job-ready.

In summary, having a professional, customized resume and cover letter will allow the immigrant to make a good first impression. Practicing interviewing with family members or friends will improve your confidence so that you can ace the actual interview. Get your foot in the door by signing up with a job agency. Volunteer with an organization so that you can expand your network as well as hone your skills. Join a professional body and attend job fairs. Lastly, get your foreign credentials assessed. These ten ways will help you to be job ready when the opportunity arises. Use the link below to share your thoughts on additional ways that the immigrant may become job ready.