career tips

From Another Perspective: The Case Against Five-Year Plans

November 12, 2018 By The Career Foundation

Five-year plans are the trendy things that blogs tell young professionals to make while plotting out their futures. Yet, they can also land a crushing blow to your soul before you even get a chance to enter the labour market. That deflated feeling you get when you look at your schedule and realize almost every hour of every day is mapped out for the next week? Five-year plans are the life-sized version of that.

The whole point of a five-year plan is to help you define and achieve your goals—be they personal or professional—but there’s still something sinister about them. It has to do with seeing everything you’re supposed to accomplish in the foreseeable future (the ideal path your life would follow in a perfect world) laid out in front of you. It also has to do with sealing and accepting your fate from the get-go, without ever giving spontaneity a chance.

Confusion, confusion, confusion

In theory, five-year plans should be most useful to young people; they’re the ones who are supposed to be the most ambitious with the most ground to gain. However, it could be argued that they do more harm than good. Few young people coming out of high school or even post-secondary education have a concrete idea of what they truly want their future to look like. And the ideas they do have are subject to change, whether they want to admit it or not. Creating a plan in such a precarious stage of life is a surefire way to end up confused and stuck to a path that may not be right for you.

For context, let’s give a real-life example. Ellie is approaching her mid-twenties and is currently in university part-time. She had previously been full-time but switched three years ago because, in her words, life got in the way. “While planning is important, you can never plan for life to happen,” says Ellie.

Ellie had a five-year plan when she graduated high school. According to that plan, she should have earned her degree, entered teacher’s college, and started supply teaching in a high school by now. Instead, she’s still in school and is working five part-time jobs.

While some may contest that your five-year plan can change and grow with you, simply having that plan in mind can keep you in a specific mindset for too long. Ellie slowly realized that the goals outlined in her plan were not what she actually wanted to do, but not before wasting a lot of time pursuing them. “No one had this plan other than me,” she laments. “I was putting this stress on myself to achieve things I should have known I didn’t want anymore.”

No idea what’s happening? No problem.

Young people should be allowed to be young. They shouldn’t feel the need to funnel themselves into a specific field with specific goals right off the bat. They shouldn’t be living the formative years of their adult lives on a set, self-imposed schedule that spells out the remainder of their youth. Make a handful of five-year plans and you’ll have your life planned out until retirement, and that’s really the last thing you want when your whole life is ahead of you.

People stumble into their careers all the time, simply by exploring what they like or by pursuing the various opportunities that come their way. That’s what Ellie did in the end. “Five-year plans are pretty limiting,” she says. “They close you off to opportunities that you are unaware of, and in my opinion, you should never close yourself off. Just be ready for whatever comes at you.”

When planning for the future, Ellie believes having a flexible, less exclusive goal is better because it “allows room for you to change and grow rather than locking you into a fake thing in your mind.”

For some, five-year plans will certainly provide a welcome sense of direction and purpose. Maybe they’re supposed to be a way of reigning in the chaos or finding some order where there usually isn’t any. If you’re one of those people, that’s great! But if you don’t know exactly what you want to do, don’t feel like you need to set out a five-year plan right now. Direction isn’t a bad thing, but a long-term plan meticulously explaining how you should be living your life isn’t always the way to find it.

Sure, you can have an idea of what you want to do, but you don’t have to write it out in painful detail. That can just end up looming over you, stressing you out, and keeping you on a set path with blinders on. Allow opportunities to present themselves. Look for them, even. You’ll get to where you’re supposed to be going.

Blythe Hunter is a volunteer with The Career Foundation.

5 Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers

June 8, 2018 By The Career Foundation

When searching for the right job, you are competing against a sea of candidates. To set yourself apart from the competition, follow these five important habits.

Sell Yourself

Sell the employer on hiring you by being your own best sales representative. Oftentimes, we are taught not to boast about ourselves or our abilities. The job search is the one time when you can and should truly promote yourself.

Be convincing in the way that you present yourself and your skills. You can start by making a list of all skills, experiences, and certifications that you bring to the job.

Remember, the employer doesn’t know who you are and what you have accomplished. Be sure to share this information in a way that is relevant to your job role.

Be Visible

Show the company that you are interested in them through social media. A great way to do this is to promote the company and its activities through your own social media channels.

This includes the use of Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. It’s as simple as re-posting, sharing, or referencing a link to a corporate event, program, product, or news item on your channel(s).

You can even use a #hashtag that a company or organization is using through their social media. If they ‘like’ or ‘re-post’ your message, then this is a great sign that you are now visible to the company.

Even if you don’t receive a ‘like’ or ‘re-post’, rest assured that you’ll still remain on the company’s radar.

Make Friends

Network with the company through any opportunity available to the public.

Oftentimes, we don’t want to appear pushy when applying to a role. This often holds us back from reaching out to connections made, or from following up with an employer.

One effective way to connect with a company (without appearing too pushy) is to begin networking before receiving any offers. You could participate in events, conferences, seminars, launches, or other public avenues where the company is present.

Even if the company is sponsoring or exhibiting at a public event, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself. This will help you to build a relationship with individuals who work there.

When the right opportunity presents itself, reach out to your contact to let them know you’ve applied for a role. The personal connection will give you an advantage. It may even help you get selected sooner for an interview — or the job!

Know the Role

Know as much as you can about the job that you are applying for.

Knowing the role inside out means that you can effectively speak to the duties, responsibilities, and direction that has been outlined in the job description. Beyond this, you should begin to understand where the role fits within the company’s mission, vision and objectives.

Start by researching the company’s website, LinkedIn page, and any news related to the company. You can read any reviews available on the internet but be mindful that not all opinions online are reflective of company culture and work styles.

This is also a great time to learn more about your hiring manager and how your role fits within the objectives of their department or team. A simple LinkedIn search can tell you a lot about how your future manager leveraged their skills and experience towards the company’s goals and objectives.

Get Excited

Passion and enthusiasm should be expressed throughout the job search. Be sure to introduce yourself and share your passion for the role, the industry, and the services or products being offered by the company.

After your interview, reiterate your interest and enthusiasm in the work (if your feelings are genuine). This interest and enthusiasm should continue throughout any interviews, when you accept the offer, and into your role on the new job.

Follow these habits and you will become highly effective at your job search – and at securing the right role for your career!

Rohit Mehta is the Youth Job Connection Program Coordinator with The Career Foundation. He is passionate about helping people to reach their full potential through skill building, mentorship and professional development. Rohit enjoys giving back to his community by serving as a volunteer on charity boards and supporting fundraising events.

Complicated Basics: 5 Things an Employer Needs to Know About You in an Interview

March 2, 2018 By The Career Foundation

Want to know how to answer interview questions? For one, keep the word "loyalty" in mind.

No two interviews are ever the same.

You can prepare for an interview for hours or days on end, but it still won’t fully prepare you for the potential quirks or spontaneous inclinations that might cause an employer to delve deeper on any given subject. Outside of the technical specifics and vocational skill-set related to the position you’re being interviewed for, there are 5 key areas you should aim to cover while answering interview questions.

1. I Can Complete the Tasks Assigned as Needed, But Better than Others Can

To quote Canadian rock icons The Tragically Hip, “it’s a monumental big-screen kiss; it’s so deep it’s meaningless.”*

Avoid the trap of using fanciful, hyperbolic wording at all costs! Use direct specifics to answer how you will do your job. Explain what tools and programs you will use and how you will meet the requirements and goals of the position. Specific examples from the past are good, as long as you can make it relevant to the role at hand and you have a logical plan. Use key words from the job posting and reiterate that you understand what is needed to be done. As a bonus, add a simple short truth that quantifies how you can do all of this fast and accurately. If you can show (not tell) why you will never have to be told to do something twice, you’re on the right track!

2. I Am Easy To Correct and Instruct— I Am Teachable

In an era when retraining and constant learning is a part of every position, employers need to see clearly that you are easy to correct and comfortable being instructed; that you are adaptable because you are teachable. This can include both direct statements related to your education and training as well as subtle comments on taking the initiative to learn more than what your role requires. Specific examples including computer programs and additional courses and certifications are also great examples, so long as you ensure that the employer understands that you did this for your work and not simply as a means unto itself. Indicating that you like feedback and can take criticism well — along with specific examples where you happily and quickly handled additional responsibilities and change — help to solidify yourself as a teachable candidate.

3. I Am a Loyal Employee

Regardless of your future plans and ambitions, all of your interview answers concerning the future need to reflect a commitment to that company. When asked about your future don’t be the applicant who a.) names another position in a company elsewhere, b.) lists the school and program they’d like to attend, c.) shrugs their shoulders and/or d.) declares, “I WANT YOUR JOB!” The latter does indicate both gumption and long-term company interest, but it’s been done before. You’d be better suited to researching the company and knowing what its long-term interests are and how you could contribute to that. Equally advisable is matching your personal traits with the company culture, and then indicating how you see your position evolving within that culture and the changing demands of the labour market. Knowing the company’s history and complimenting it in a sincere way will also help.

4. I Can be Creative When Needed

In terms of expressing creativity in an interview, the objective is less to do with demonstrating a genesis of pure original thought and more towards marketing your initiative, spontaneity, and interest in what the company does. Come to the interview with an idea – a pitch, if you will – that separates yourself from other applicants. A “pitch” is a small idea; a tiny business plan that would drive company profits and/or objectives. Remember that during the interview process, the employer has likely seen other candidates. Therefore, it’s likely that most candidates have come looking for a job opportunity and have spoken solely about themselves. It stands to reason that if you bring ideas that correspond with the employer’s business plan, the role you’re applying to, and the overall ‘big picture’ of what the company is looking to achieve, you’ll stand out. That’s exactly what you want. Remember that the goal is not to reinvent the wheel, but rather to demonstrate your energy, your initiative, and your ability to bring value to the employer. This is not a contest of creativity but a tool to serve yourself – to self-market your talents.

However, if you ARE hired and you DO become the company’s next Picasso, that’s fine, too.

5. I Am an Agreeable Person

Put simply: experience, education, and competence won’t help you ace the interview if you’re an irritable jerk. An employer is hiring someone they will likely see every day. They want someone they can critique and instruct without fear of moodiness, or even worse, retribution. They also want someone they can share lunch space with. A warm smile topped with genuine active listening is almost enough. Add to your pleasant demeanour the ability to avoid defensive posturing at all costs. It’s also a bonus during an interview to demonstrate your willingness to offer to help and be involved at every level as often as possible. In some interviews employers can strategically place stress tests during questions. A carefully timed yawn or a deliberate delay at the onset of an interview might be used to see how you really feel when things don’t go your way.

Jason Douglas Smith is a Training Application Coordinator with The Career Foundation, and has successfully directed clients in not only developing personalized job search strategy plans, but in circumnavigating the rigorous demands of applications for provincially-funded retraining. When not working, this self-professed Futurist can often be found reading, writing and barbecuing in his native Burlington.

Think Like a Business: Promote Yourself with a Personal Website (Guest Blog)

February 20, 2018 By The Career Foundation

Decades ago you were able to get a decently-paying job straight out of high school. If you went to college or university, you had even greater prospects. I wish that were still the case.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here. We all know that it’s harder than ever to find work. You’re up against steep requirements and fierce competition. There’s no quick fix, but there is one big truth: you need to stand out. What does Google say about you?

Have you searched for yourself on Google recently? What comes up? Is it good? (Is it bad?) Is it something that you have control over?

These are the same questions I’ve been asking small business owners for the last ten years. So many of them still don’t have a website, and they’re missing out on a ton of potential growth because of it. The same is true for the rest of us who aren’t running a business. We’re missing out on growth. The only time we promote ourselves is when we’re hunting for a new job.

But what if we thought of ourselves as more than only candidates for a position? What if we thought of ourselves as businesses? What if potential employers were our potential customers? Think of yourself as a business. There are a lot of parallels between running a small business and developing your career.

Let me explain.

Many small businesses are a single-person operation, e.g. freelance designers. They’re responsible for every aspect of their business. They do their own marketing; their own sales; their own product or service development. They’re up against stiff competition: other freelancers, larger companies, and alternative solutions.

You’re in a similar position. You’re responsible for your own career. You have to get on the radar of potential employers. You have to prove that you’re the right choice for the company. And if you land the job, you have to deliver on the work. And you’re also up against competition, e.g. new hires, outsourcing, and automation.

So what can we learn from small businesses that we can apply to our own career development?

Let’s start from the beginning.

How do businesses find new customers?

There’s a framework I’ve been working on for the last few years called Reach Teach Sell. It’s a way of thinking about how businesses find and keep their customers.

It’s seven steps, and it goes like this:

Reach your ideal customers where they already are.
Teach, entertain, inspire, or inform them to build your reputation & credibility.
Sell them something useful by understanding their goals & challenges.
Support new customers with a great onboarding experience.
Keep customers by delivering value over time.
Refer your customers to others and encourage customers to refer others to you.
Reward your customers for their loyalty and ongoing business.

Now, you might be looking at that and wondering how it applies to career development. So, let’s make some tweaks:

Reach your ideal employers & colleagues where they already are.
Teach, entertain, inspire, or inform them to build your reputation & credibility.
Sell them on your ability to meet their goals & overcome their challenges.
Support your new employer & colleagues by getting up to speed on your role.
Keep your position by delivering value over time.
Refer your employers & colleagues to people and resources that help them.
Reward your colleagues for their support.

The Reach Teach Sell framework, in this case, is all about finding and keeping your ideal job. Potential colleagues and employers replace potential customers. Getting hired replaces making sales. Keeping your job replaces keeping customers coming back. (You get the idea.)

Where does the website come into play? A business website promotes the business.

Your personal website promotes you.

Reach your ideal employers and colleagues by joining online communities and participating in discussions. Showcase your projects and publish blog posts that show what you’re all about. If a potential employer likes what they see, give them a way to reach you, e.g. through a contact form.

Here’s the thing: Customers research businesses before they buy from them. Employers do the same. A personal website that covers this information is a goldmine for recruiters. It provides a level of context and depth that a cover letter and résumé never could.

In other words: Make it easy for potential employers to find you!

A personal website is a long-term investment in yourself.

Your personal website is a collection of your greatest hits. You have total control over what gets published. Even when things go wrong, you can turn those experiences into stories about what you’ve learned.

And the hits keep on coming.

If you’re early on in your career, your website will reflect that. Your content will focus on what you’re learning and doing. As you gain experience, your website starts including more advice and stories. Unlike Facebook or LinkedIn, your personal website is actually yours. You don’t have to worry about something beyond your control changing or happening to the platform.

Which leads me to the next point: how do you actually build a personal website?

It’s easy to get started. Here’s how you do it.

Building your personal website in 3 steps:

1. Register a domain name. Everything starts with your domain name. You’ll use it for your professional email address and for your website. Try to grab your full name if you can. But if you have a long name that’s often misspelled, you may want to come up with a variation or abbreviation of it. For example, my last name “McIlwain” is often misspelled. So, I’ve used the abbreviation “andymci” for years. It’s easier to remember. The annual registration cost will depend on the domain extension you choose, e.g. .COM or .NET or .CA. On average you’re looking at something around $20 to $30 per year.

2. Set up your email address. I recommend setting up an email address on your own domain name. It’s far more professional than a free @gmail.com or @outlook.com email address. And you can change your email provider without changing your address.

The cost of professional email will depend on the service you use. On average you’re looking at something in the ballpark of $5 to $10 per month for Office 365 or G Suite.

3. Set up your WordPress website. This is the final part of the personal website hat trick. I recommend WordPress because of its massive library of free plugins and themes. This gives you more flexibility than anything you’ll find on a website builder service.

The cost of web hosting varies depending on the plan you choose. For a personal website on basic hosting, expect to spend between $5 to $10 per month.

All told, you’re looking at a total investment around $250 per year. This covers your domain name, email, and website.

Keep it going.

After you’ve built up your website, you need to give people a way to find it, and a reason for them to keep coming back.

Aside: You may have heard of the term “search engine optimization”. It’s another beefy topic beyond the scope of this post. If you’d like to learn more, check out the beginners guide to SEO from Moz.

For your personal website, there are a few small actions you can take that don’t need a lot of effort:

Connect your website to your social media profiles. Link to your social media profiles from your site, then link back to your site from your profiles. This cross-linking helps other people find your website. It also gives Google a better idea of your presence on the web.

Update your site once a week. Your website isn’t a one-and-done project. It should be growing and changing all the time. Your site updates could include a new blog post, a new portfolio entry, or even a minor tweak to your site’s design. The important thing is that you get into a habit of keeping your website fresh.

Share your site updates on social media. You’ve given people a reason to visit your website by making updates. Now you need to let people know about it! Make some noise on social media. Ask for feedback and suggestions from your friends, family, and followers. You never know – their comments could spark new ideas for you to build on.

The bottom line? Your website is a valuable asset.

Think like a business and promote yourself with a personal website. For a business, a website is like an employee that works 24 hours a day for 365 days of the year. It’s helping them with sales and marketing (and more). Wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of support?

Get out there. Build your website. Control how you show up in search engines. Give potential employers an easy way to find you and learn about you. It’s one of the best investments you can make for your career.

Andy McIlwain has spent the last 10 years helping people get online through his work in web development, training workshops, and community groups. He currently wrangles technical content and special projects for the GoDaddy blog. You can find Andy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and his personal website.

Interview Etiquette (According to Our Favourite Bands & Singers)

February 2, 2018 By The Career Foundation

Close up of a microphone on a stage.

If you’re like a lot of job seekers out there, you’ve probably spent endless hours sending out your résumé and waiting (im)patiently for a call. It seems like a losing battle at times, but just as you’re about to give up, you get the call you’ve been waiting for. Congratulations! Finally, someone has taken the time to recognize your skills.

The job interview is the most crucial part of the hiring process. This is where the employer assesses you in almost every way imaginable. It’s also where most people stumble due to a lack of proper interview etiquette. Sure, answering interview questions well is important, but if you don’t use proper etiquette you likely won’t get hired … no matter how strong your answers are!

There are many resources out there to help improve your interview manners, but admittedly they aren’t very fun. Let’s liven things up a bit and look to our favourite musical artists for inspiration and advice.

Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it, strike a pose, there’s nothing to it.

Vogue – by Madonna:

Clearly, attending an interview is not a fashion show by any means. But it’s crucial to always dress your best. Remember to always dress for the job you want, not the job you have. If you’re not sure about the company’s dress code, it’s always better to overdress. No matter the position you’re interviewing for, it’s probably best to avoid wearing jeans, flip flops or running shoes … unless the employer, company or industry specifies otherwise.

I’ve never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight, I’ve never seen you shine so bright.

The Lady in Red – by Chris de Burgh

The employer will make a decision about you within five seconds of meeting you. It’s true: first impressions count. If you look messy, inappropriate or unorganized, an employer’s first thought might be that your work will be the same.

Shine bright like a diamond, shine bright like a diamond.

Diamonds – by Rihanna

We’re talking about the literal meaning, here. Big dangly jewelry, bright makeup, or neon nail polish may be appropriate accessories for a night on the town, but not for an interview. If anything, these items will be distracting to your interviewer(s). Keep it simple so the employer can keep focussed on what you have to say.

It’s too late to apologize (it’s too late!)

Apologize – by Timbaland feat. OneRepublic

Don’t be late! If you’re on time, you’re late! The right time to arrive is 10 minutes before the scheduled interview. When you’re late, you give the impression that you don’t respect the employer’s time. Map out your route in advance and do a trial run to figure out how long it will take you to get to the interview. This may seem like unnecessary work (and we agree — it’s time consuming) but this can make all the difference in the world. If you’re late, chances are you won’t get the job.

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, ’cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar!

Roar – by Katy Perry

Don’t look down and mumble during your interview. Unless you’re a child, mumbling and looking down at your shoes as if you’re in trouble isn’t particularly endearing. Not maintaining eye contact or talking too quietly indicates a lack of confidence. If an employer thinks you lack confidence in your answers and body language, they may think you will lack confidence in your work. Remember, you have been selected for the interview; therefore, the employer saw something in you that piqued their interest. They already think you can do the job – don’t deflate on them now. Stay strong, look them in the eye, and tell them why you are the best person for the job.

Ladies leave your man at home…

Jumpin’, Jumpin’ – by Destiny’s Child

Don’t bring your spouse, kids or pets to an interview. If for some reason someone needs to drive you to the interview, make sure they wait for you outside and not in the reception area. Whoever is accompanying you may not be professionally dressed, and even if they are, it’s not appropriate to bring an entourage with you.

What do you mean (oh, oh) … When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no?

What Do You Mean – by Justin Beiber

Keep your answers relevant to the question. Be concise and provide brief examples to strengthen your point. If the interviewer looks confused, you may not have answered the question. In this instance, simply ask the interviewer, “Have I answered your question?”

Interviews are both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s important to remember that as much as the employer is assessing you and your skills, you are also assessing them and the work environment. Be confident in yourself. Practice makes perfect, so recruit a friend to practice your interview techniques. Research the company prior to your interview so you come across knowledgeable and interested in the organization.

Cher, the singer. And in the event that you don’t get hired, you can always look to the almighty Cher for inspiration …

‘Cause I’m strong enough
To live without you,
Strong enough, and I quit crying
Long enough, now I’m strong enough
To know … you gotta go!

Vicki Sahar is a Senior Employment Specialist at The Career Foundation, and spends much of her time connecting job seekers with employment opportunities in the GTA. She is an avid fitness lover and frequenter of local sushi restaurants, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.