Job interviews over video platforms like Skype and FaceTime have become a very common part of job hunting, as they provide the flexibility of a phone call with the benefits of meeting in person. In many ways you should treat these just like any face-to-face interview, but here are some specific tips to help you [...]
It won’t be much longer before autumn in the Canadian prairies will come to an inevitable blizzardy close, and we will don our down-filled parkas and woolly accessories. While we love a cozy mitten/toque/scarf set as much as the next person, continental climates pose unique challenges when it comes to job interviews in the winter months. Here [...]
Today’s job market is fiercely competitive and it can be hard to get noticed in a sea of applications. That said, there are some strategies you can apply to help you break through the noise and land your dream role. We spoke to our team of Recruitment Consultants to gather their 7 best ideas for improving [...]
Fresh From Our Desk: What's Hot In IT Across Western Canada, the tech boom has given IT professionals a lot of choice in where they can work. The industry is rapidly evolving, with business needs changing, new technology launching, and start-ups taking off. IT job seekers often come to us curious about the hiring trends [...]
9 out of 10 times an interviewer is going to ask you the reasons for leaving your last job, so it pays to prepare and rehearse how you’re going to answer when the question pops up [...]
At times, it is the personal touch of a cover letter that really impresses the team. Here are some of the cover letter tactics that have impressed us over the years.
Body Language To Improve Your Interviews Award-winning author, James Borg, maintains that the most accurate way to gauge feelings, attitudes and emotions is through analysis of body language. So, to convince people—especially people we are meeting for the first time—that what we are saying is really true, we cannot allow our body language to devalue [...]
Three Ways To Enhance Your Job Search Ettiquette While setbacks in the final round of interviews are gut-wrenching, the recruiter or hiring manager, when asked, will likely tell you where you could improve in the future. Such feedback, however, is a benefit of making it to the interview stage. But what about improving the earlier stages of your [...]
Over the last five years, cutting-edge tech jobs have been innovated and re-imagined at a staggering rate. In fact, North American hiring managers, who hadn’t heard of a UX designer or an e-business specialist in 2010, are now recruiting candidates who are qualified for these jobs without hesitation. As such, people who can thrive in [...]
Sometimes the competition for a job can be so intense that candidates go the extra mile to get noticed during the application and interview process. In our industry we often come across great stories about the unusual ways people have applied for jobs, here's some of our favourites: (Just remember, if you get inspired and [...]
It’s one of the first and last impressions you’ll leave with an interviewer so it’s time to revisit one of our favourite topics – The Handshake. Your handshake says a lot about you, it can exude confidence, enthusiasm, anxiety, honesty... this list goes on. So what’s your handshake saying about you? The Wet Lettuce: The [...]
When first starting the hiring process, employers typically review resumes, create a shortlist and contact applicants for interviews. It seems like an extra step, but a valuable method for expediting the process is through initial phone interviews with promising applicants. This preliminary screen by phone gives employers the opportunity to distinguish better qualified candidates and save time later on [...]
Did you know that 93% of our communication is non-verbal? This means that when you're in an interview, those prepared answers you have in your head are only 7% of the equation. This video from behavioural investigator, Vanessa Van Edwards, shares some great do's and don'ts of non-verbal communication to ace your next job interview. [...]
When it comes to salary negotiations, not all positions are created equal. However, the payoff can be considerable. In a study of new graduates it was found that those who negotiated were able to increase their starting salaries by 7.4 percent on average. While there can be a strong case to negotiate in most circumstances, [...]
We’ve all been through an interview process or two, and some of us have heard similar questions in multiple interviews. So, why do all employers ask these questions to candidates? What are they looking to get from the answers? Here are some popular interview questions broken down, and some suggestions on what interviewers are looking [...]
Behavioural interviews are becoming more and more almost all industries. Employers use the behavioural interview method in order to assess their prospective employee's potential for success by considering his or her past experiences and actions. The person conducting the behavioural interview will have already identified what skills and qualities the company seeks in an employee and will [...]
When it comes to submitting your resume to a recruiter, you have to keep in mind that we receive literally hundreds of resumes in a given month. That’s a lot of reading material! So keeping your submissions concise and engaging will get the attention you’re seeking. With that said, there is no silver bullet when [...]
Are you hoping to land that perfect job just out of college, or are you about to begin your search for new employment after years in the same job? If so, take a look at these essential skills employers are looking for in top candidates: A deep awareness and understanding of your particular field [...]
A multi-talented job seeker asked about how and if she should include her side business and blog in her resume - I graduated a year ago with a marketing degree and have been working as an Admin/Marketing assistant for the past 8 months. My employer is great but there’s not a lot of room for [...]
Do you know what makes the difference between a good and a GREAT resume? Unfortunately most people settle for 'good enough' when it comes to their resumes. But to really stand out from the pack, we dare you to settle for nothing less than greatness! Below is our breakdown of what makes a truly great [...]
A job seeker wrote in with a question about interviews - I’m a bit curious.. As recruiters you probably conduct hundreds of interviews, so it had me thinking – are there any common interview questions that people often answer badly? I consider myself a pretty good interviewee but my recent string of rejections had me [...]
You can’t get a job without experience and you can’t get experience without a job. Ever hear that saying? For new graduates looking for that first job, those words strike fear in the hearts of the unemployed. We’ve received a couple of emails lately from new grads asking for advice to help land that elusive first [...]
Over the phone, in a group, technical testing, intimidating interviewers, clueless bosses - it's an unpredictable world out there for job seekers going on interviews! But you can prepare yourself for any type of interview and interviewer with the help of this infographic put together by Interview Success Formula. They look at 5 common types of [...]
I’m nervous about a job interview I have soon. I have an eight month gap on my resume and I just know it’s going to come up. The reason for the gap is quite involved and personal; one that I really don’t feel like explaining in great depth to an interviewer. So should I just [...]
Just how much can you trust a resume or CV? This latest infograhpic based on data from The Society of Human Resource Managers shows the most common lies told by job applicants. Some Highlights: 46% of resumes submitted by job applicants have some measure of false information. 70% of college students said they would [...]
We love this infographic from Classes and Careers. It really hammers home the point that personal appearance and being prepared and confident are key to nailing the Perfect Interview! 33 per cent of bosses decide within the first 90 seconds if they will hire someone Failure to smile and having no knowledge of the company are [...]
Have you ever sat in an interview and received a question like this.. “Tell me about a time when you were particularly overwhelmed at work. What strategies did you use to deal with this pressure?” And thought to yourself.. “This question itself is overwhelming me!” The question above is a perfect example of Behavioural Interviewing and [...]
We’ve seen thousands of cover letters. THOUSANDS. The good, the bad and the oddball have all crossed our desks and regardless of profession, industry or seniority it’s probably time we all took a refresher. But just like your cover letter, there’s no need to be too wordy about it; so here’s our top Dos and Don’ts of [...]
Sometimes making the first step to grow your career is the hardest... especially if you're not sure where you want your career growth to take you. One of the most practical and useful things you can do for yourself is to line up a few Informational Interviews. Your goal here is to simply gather information [...]
