Employers hire the people who have the skills required for the position, are motivated to do the work, and fit the company’s corporate culture. Your resume should not only demonstrate that you have the skills required to do the job, but also that you have the so-called ‘soft skills’ needed to work well within the organization.

Employers Care About Soft Skills Too
Work ethic; leadership; ability to work independently or with a team; adaptability; organizational skills; the capacity to mentor; self confidence and effective verbal and written communication. Research the companies you want to work for and find out what skills and attributes they value.

A Few Ways To Do This Are:

• READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION. We can’t stress this enough!
• Visit the company website and read sections such as; Corporate Culture; About Us; Press Release; History; and Investor Relations.
• If you know someone who works there, ask them for insights on what attributes are valued.
• If possible, speak with the hiring manager and request an information session.

Find A Way To Stand Out
Take the time for a little self-reflection before you touch your fingers to the keyboard. Looking back on your past work experience, education, and life experience can provide you with the details needed to write a resume that gets your foot in the door. Think about the accomplishments you’ve made that an employer will want to know about.

While requirements will vary depending on the position and the individual hiring manager, most HR professionals will agree that if you can elaborate on some of the following, you’ll be ahead of the game.

• In your work, what made you stand out from the crowd? How did you do your job better than anyone else?
• How did you take ownership of your job? Did you treat the company as if it was your own?
• How did you show initiative and exceed the expectations of your employer?
• Were you promoted? How often?
• How did you improve the company you worked for?
• Have you received any awards or been acknowledged by your clients, employer or peers in any way?
• Were you able to meet or exceed company targets or quotas?
• Did you have strong annual reviews?

Show Measurable Results
Your executive summary, education and experience should all be written to indicate measurable results. Show how you contributed to past employers, organizations or teams to increase their overall efficiency, profitability or productivity.

Here are some examples of statements that quantify results:

• Increased plant productivity by 20% over a one year period.
• Decreased inventory loss/spoilage by 10% within 5 months.
• Increased overall company sales by 30% within 6 months of employment.
• Developed an automated e-mail program in 12 hours that saved 10 hours of administration weekly.
• Decreased our employee turnover by 4% in the 1st year of managing the HR department.

Promoting yourself can be one of the hardest things to do, but don’t downplay your accomplishments. If you are having trouble finding measurable results to describe some of your successes, try reviewing old performance reviews, references or letters from satisfied customers. If you can’t find any accolades there, speak with your past employers, clients, and colleagues to ask them for feedback. If they have positive feedback for you, get permission to quote them and/or ask for a reference.

Remember, when you write your resume, there is no room for modesty. This could be your one shot at getting the job you want, so brag a little! Be honest and upfront about your past experience, but make sure to highlight your strengths and paint the right picture for the employers reading your resume.

Related to Write a Winning Resume:

• Resume Headlines That Work
• Should You Put Hobbies on Your Resume?
• How Your Resume Can Earn You More Money

The post Winning Resumes appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

If you’ve got a gap in your employment history, you’re not alone. It’s common for job seekers to leave the workforce because of a disability, illness, baby, education, or even a challenging job search. However, some employers fear a gap in your work history signals that you’re unreliable or likely to quit your new job soon. As a job seeker, you need to help employers feel confident about hiring you.

Here’s how.

Managing employment gaps on your resume
If you were out of work for a few months, you can write your resume with years instead of months and years.

For longer gaps, consider:

• Using a combination resume or functional resume to take the emphasis off your years of work. (If you use a chronological resume, you’ll draw too much attention to dates.)
• Leaving out some jobs. A gap early in your career can sometimes be camouflaged by leaving out the jobs that came before it.
• Limiting your experience. If you had a gap in employment many years ago, consider limiting your resume to the past 10 or 15 years.
• Listing other experiences. Include paid and unpaid freelance, consulting, casual and contract work. Provide your job title, organization, work description, and dates. You can also include these experiences in your profile and under “key accomplishments”.

Handling interview questions

Think about your employment gap before employers do. You’ll be in a better position to handle employers’ questions if you note any relevant skills and accomplishments gained during your gap, such as:

• taking courses
• volunteering
• freelancing
• contracting
• caring for family

Avoid bluffing, using white lies or stretching the truth – employers often verify employment information. More importantly, experienced recruiters and hiring managers know the tricks job seekers use and they’re likely to ask you for start and end dates for any positions you held. But, if you’re actually made it to an interview, keep in mind that your skills and experiences must have twigged interest – briefly answer the employer’s question, emphasize your commitment to your career, and ask if the position they have is suitable for a committed person like yourself.

Related to Explaining a Gap:

• Quitting Your Job
• Could you become a consultant?
• Exaggerating Qualifications

The post Explaining A Gap In Your Employment History appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

You’ve probably heard a million times that employers only spend 30 seconds looking at your resume. Help get their attention by writing a targeted objective!

Know as a career objective or professional objective, this section of your resume comes right after your personal contact information. It’s one of the first things an employer sees. So, if you write an objective that shows a clear link between the job and your skills, you’ll help employers see you as a viable candidate.

Your career objective should state your desired position and the employers’ needs. It should include job- and skill-related ‘action words’. It should also include the kind of employer you seek and the skills you want to apply.

Don’t say what you want to gain from the employer or the position. You want to keep the employer focused on what you can do for them.

Below, you can read some sample objectives:

• Research responsibility in the software architecture area of a growing financial services software company.
• Entry-level management information systems position requiring skill in systems analysis, design and research.
• Marketing assistant in the product marketing area of a large consumer goods company seeking a team player with attention to detail and strong organizational skills.

Make sure your objective matches what you say in your resume. Try to customize your resume for every job.

Related to Resume Writing:

• Resume Headlines That Work
• Should You Put Hobbies on Your Resume?
• The Do’s & Don’ts of Resume Formatting

The post Writing Your Resume Objective appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

To capture the attention of hiring managers, candidates often use a career profile on their resumes. Also known as a professional profile or simply a “profile”, a career profile summarizes your work, education and other relevant experiences. It appears below the resume objective, acting as an advertisement for all that follows.

By explaining who you are and what you’ve done for employers, your career profile helps establish you as an achiever who creates real value.

Use short, precise statements that explain who you are, what abilities you offer, and what you’ve contributed in other roles.

Example career profile

MBA with 15 years of experience in business-to-business software sales to Fortune 500 companies.

Experienced solution sales professional, with a proven track record for turning around sales for aging products, cutting sales cycle lengths, and growing revenues by an average 35 percent.

Grew territory sales by 135 percent by introducing new sales methodology which cut sales cycle length by 97 days and boosted lead conversion rate by 28 percent. Able to work in English, Mandarin and French.

Stick to powerful statements that focus on what you’re done for employers. Use numbers and refer to finances wherever possible. And don’t feel bound to use complete sentences. Effective phrases include:

• boosted sales
• increased productivity
• cut costs
• saved $X per year
• reduced inventory shrinkage
• implemented new procedures/policies
• reduced employee turnover
• grew profits
• turned around
• met and exceeded goals

Avoid using empty words and puffery. If you focus on establishing the value you create, so will the people reading your resume.

Is your resume ready? Sign up for job alerts so you don’t miss out on your perfect job opportunity.

Related to Writing a resume career profile:

• Writing a Compelling Cover Letter
• Writing Your Resume Objective
• The Do’s & Don’ts of Resume Formatting

The post Writing a Resume Career Profile appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

In some instances, the law reveals that the severance formula can’t be enforced. For example, this happens when the formula provides for notice (or pay in lieu) at a level that does not meet the statutory minimums in the applicable employment standards legislation. It also happens when significant changes to the employment relationship have occurred since the contract was signed.

A third instance which can make an employment contract unenforceable is when the agreement itself can be said to be unconscionable. This happens when there has been an inequality of bargaining power. In other words, the stronger party has used its bargaining power to achieve an advantage over the other, so the resulting agreement which is substantially unfair to the weaker party.

But just because the terms of a contract may be onerous to one party or the other is not a basis for concluding the agreement is unconscionable. In fact, a recent B.C. Supreme Court decision tackled such a scenario.

John Finlan was hired by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers as its Chief Information Officer in 1999. When they hired him, Ritchie Bros. provided Mr. Finlan with an employment contract containing a clause calling for notice of termination equivalent to that set out in BC’s Employment Standards Act.

Mr. Finlan was surprised by the requirement to sign a contract, but was given time to review the contract at home before signing it. Ultimately, he provided the signed contract to Ritchie Bros. before starting employment with them.

Roughly five years later, Ritchie Bros. terminated Mr. Finlan’s employment. He sued for wrongful dismissal, claiming pay in lieu of notice according to the common law of employment. The basis for his claim was his view that the severance clause in the employment contract was unconscionable and, therefore, unenforceable.

The Court then restated the elements which must be present in order to find that a contractual term is unconscionable:

• there must be an inequality of bargaining power between the parties
• the stronger party must have used its bargaining advantage; and
• the result must be an agreement which is substantially unfair to the weaker party.

It is crucial to remember that these three elements of unconscionable agreements are conjunctive – they must all exist for the agreement to be unconscionable.

The Court determined the agreement between Mr. Finlan and Ritchie Bros. was not unconscionable. It noted he was an experienced IT manager familiar with the industry, he was not in a vulnerable position when he accepted employment: any pressure he might have felt to sign the contract didn’t originate with Ritchie Bros., and they did not in any way coerce him to signing the contract.

Notably, the Court stated that it is not the employer’s obligation to point out the strengths and weaknesses of each contractual term in the contract of employment. It is sufficient if the employee has time to review the contract on his own, in the absence of any influence from the prospective employer, and has the opportunity to seek out advice about the implications of the contract.

The Court concluded that the terms of the contract were clear and unambiguous, Mr. Finlan signed the contract with full knowledge of what was being offered, and he did so without any form of pressure from Ritchie Bros. As a result, Mr. Finlan’s claim for damages under the common law was dismissed.

However, this case brings up an interesting side-note. Notwithstanding the clause in Mr. Finlan’s contract calling for only five weeks pay in lieu of notice, Ritchie Bros. actually offered (and paid) Mr. Finlan six months’ salary upon termination of his employment.

Even this gratuitous payment wasn’t enough to dissuade Mr. Finlan from suing (and claiming Ritchie Bros. had treated him with bad faith!). It just goes to show that, sometimes, even treating people with civility, courteousness and professionalism isn’t enough.

Read also:

• Managing The Risk of Constructive Dismissal
• When is a Quit Not a Quit?
• Severance packages: – What’’s Fair?

The post Onerous Terms Not Necessarily Unconscionable appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Start off on the right foot. Before even an offer of employment is extended, it is essential for hiring managers to have done their homework. Has a 360 degree reference check been conducted with the candidate’s former supervisor, co-workers and subordinates? For external-facing jobs, how about former clients, suppliers or business partners? It is also important that technical skills are assessed, so depending on the role, consider testing software, typing or data entry proficiency. Finally, have multiple individuals from the department meet the future hire during the final stage of interviews to ensure there is good chemistry amongst team members.

Get it in writing. Formal probationary periods are only valid if they are written into the employee contract upon hire. You will not be able to go back and issue a probationary period in a couple months’ time should the employee not be working out. At that point, they would have the same rights as permanent employees, including multiple warnings and work plans created prior to dismissal. Most probationary periods are either three or six months long with regular progress reviews at intervals throughout the duration. As the employer you will be able to ensure that that what was promised during the interview is delivered and likewise, the employee can assess if the organization is a fit.

Set clear goals and expectations. Provide new employees with measurable goals  and expectations for the first few weeks and months of employment. By monitoring and reviewing progress on a regular basis, you will be better informed of the employee’s strengths and weaknesses and able to provide relevant training and mentorship. Providing praise and constructive feedback will also help motivate the employee and will allow both parties to get the most out of the arrangement.

Document. Document. Document. During your review meetings, it is important that you maintain thorough employee progress reports for your records, as well as for the employee’s personal files. Compile notes from each session including what was discussed, action items and any areas for improvement. This is especially important should you later dismiss the employee as it provides a paper trail for any potential future recourse.

Assign a mentor. Providing an individual with whom a new employee can share experiences, ask questions and bounce ideas off of can benefit both their professional development, as well as that of the mentor. Some workers fear reprisal if they ask questions of their manager, so having an individual in a different department or branch location with whom they can speak candidly may help their integration within the organization.

Offer training. Supporting an employee’s professional development may result in both an improvement in their work as well as a greater affiliation with the company. An educational program can be determined upon the commencement of employment or during subsequent progress meetings. Offering tuition reimbursement and time off for courses or seminars will further demonstrate your commitment to helping the employee succeed.

Make a decision early or extend. If you realize prior to the end of the probationary period that the employee is not going to work out, it is wise to terminate the employment right away. This is professional and fair as there is generally an expectation that an employee will automatically become permanent at the end of the period. If you are still not confident in their abilities at that time, you can further extend the probation, although it is wise to do so on a monthly basis. On the flip side, if you are confident that an employee will work out, you are able to change their probationary status to permanent at any time.

While it can be challenging for managers to balance their own workloads while also supporting their employees, having a tried and tested probation program will help ensure that they develop their team to their full potential. It can be challenging in the short term, however, honing these skills will certainly help long term prospects.

Related to How to Ensure a Successful Probationary Period:

• Effective mentoring – the structure of learning relationships
• When Terminating for Cause, Measure Twice and Cut Once

The post How to Ensure a Successful Probationary Period appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Drop the hobbies and include experience

Most recruiters and hiring managers spend 30 seconds reviewing a resume before they decide whether to put the person in the “yes” or “no” pile. So maximize every second by including details relevant to the job you want. Instead of padding your resume with details about scuba, travel and chess, use that space for awards, special accomplishments, money you saved your company or higher revenues that resulted from your work.

Boost a weak resume with relevant details

If you’re a student, recent grad or new to the workforce, you may not have many details to round out your resume. In these cases, it’s okay to list a few interests. However, try to choose describe your pursuits so they translate to job skills. For example:

• Varsity soccer athlete with proven team working skills and competitive flair
• Red Cross volunteer with experience using interpersonal skills in high stress medical environments
• Serious chess player with an analytical mindset

Remember, every point on your resume should help support you in targeting the job you want. For more information on resumes, see the following articles.

• How to Write a Compelling Cover Letter
• Resume Career Profile Examples
• Resume Objective Examples

The post Should You Put Hobbies on Your Resume? appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

With today’s technology, companies of all sizes can take advantage of video to showcase the unique culture within their organization.

Be real, be honest, and focus on presenting your company in an authentic way to potential applicants.

Star employees are on the hunt for more than just a J.O.B and want to work for an organization whose values and mission are in line with their worldview. Great organizations are built when like-minded people come together to work on projects they believe in. What does your organization stand for and how can you present that in a recruitment video?

Ideas for producing your recruitment video

Allow candidates into your world and give them a true feel for who they’ll be working with, what the company’s vision is and why it’s important. Try incorporating some of these ideas into your video footage:

• Add an introduction from the CEO or founder
• Conduct interviews with existing employees
• Provide tours of the office
• Show staff interacting at a company event
• Highlight benefits and perks that make your company unique

Need a little inspiration? Here’s a recent blog post that highlights some great examples of recruitment videos. It also shares links to metrics on using video to hire, and a webinar about making videos that appeal to your target candidates!

Example Recruitment Videos

Rackspace

Hubspot

Ps. Did you know you can embed YouTube Videos into your employer profile on BCjobs.ca? Please visit Starbucks and Sage Software’s links below for two more great recruitment video examples on BCjobs.ca!

Starbucks Jobs | Sage Jobs

The post How to highlight your employer brand & company values with video appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Name: Roger Hardy
Title: Founder and CEO
Company: Clearly Contacts
Years at company: 10 years
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bishops University

Clearly Contacts was founded by Roger Hardy in 2000, with a mission to save the world from overpriced vision care products. Today, Clearly Contacts has become the largest online retailer in Canada, by offering an alternative method of purchasing eyewear online, and supplying customers the same designer brands and products offered in brick-and-mortar stores for half the price.

Clearly Contacts “customer first” doctrine has helped them create some innovative tools for their customers such as their Virtual Mirror and their “Find Your Perfect Fit” tool. Often imitated, but never duplicated, they pride themselves on their innovative and creative team and the revolutionary breakthroughs they have accomplished in eyewear retail thus far.

What made you decide to start Clearly Contacts?
I saw an industry that was in desperate need of a change.  Customers were being taken advantage of and that didn’t sit right with me.  I saw that the real price of a box of contact lenses and a pair of eyeglasses was a fraction of what optical stores were charging and knew there was room for improvement.

What makes Clearly Contacts unique?
Our culture is a very large part of what we are and how we operate.  We are committed, passionate about serving customers, and we offer a value proposition that is unmatched.

What does the Clearly Contacts stand for?
Delivering incredible value to customers and making a difference in the lives of people around us.
In general, what is the number one quality Clearly Contacts looks for in potential candidates? We are looking for people who demonstrate our core values.  Hard working, innovative, team players who have a bias to action, and a “do more with less” attitude.

What advice do you have for job seekers currently looking for employment?
Look for something that aligns with your core values.  Find a place where your goals match that of the organization.

What was the best decision you made regarding your career?
Going ahead and starting Clearly Contacts when I saw an injustice.  Taking action and just doing it.

Who are your professional mentors?
Graham Westin who is humble and hard working; Oprah who is self made and who gives back; and Tony Hsieh who has taken an average group of people and make them into an exceptional team.

Any professional reading you can recommend?
Crossing the Chasm

Are you involved in any professional associations, boards/committees or charitable organizations?
Young Presidents Organization – Vancouver Chapter.
Clearly Contacts charity, the Change the View Project, which donates eyeglasses to people in need.

What is your personal business philosophy/recipe for success?
Focus relentlessly on the customer and the rest takes care of itself.

If you or someone you know would like to be featured in our ’60 Seconds With’ segment, please contact us at info@bcjobs.ca.

Related to 60 seconds with…

• Should You Consider Mentoring?
• Write a Winning Resume
• Professional Membership Societies

The post 60 Seconds With Roger Hardy – Founder and CEO Clearly Contacts appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

If social media has become part of daily life, should employers not also leverage for their employee communications? What if companies were to combine recognition programs with new media?

This idea was the topic of a recent webinar I attended entitled Recognition 3.0. It examined traditional programs, from the top down where companies have provided recognition for years of service or similar milestones. An increase of Gen Y in the workplace coupled with near-blanket adoption of social media has provided the backdrop for changes to existing practices.

With Gen X and Gen Y comprising more than 50% of the workforce, preferences have changed since the days of getting a gold watch or a plaque to hang on the wall. With more mobile workforces, there may not be any walls to hang awards. Companies offering flexible or telecommuting work options may have a large portion of their headcount working from home or even from Starbucks.

Recognition programs need to be timely, specific and meaningful, so why wait for that years of service anniversary to come around. If most employees are using social media, why not use this platform to recognize employees, showcasing them to their peers, friends and family?

The webinar featured a company that provided a social media recognition program, allowing employees to be publicly acknowledged by peers, superiors and subordinates through an intranet/social media site, but also connect with external sites to share posts and ‘like’ content with their personal networks. Employees feel motivated by the public recognition and companies concurrently receive the added exposure strengthening their employer brand. If employees are increasingly looking for the non-monetary benefits of a company, including the ability to further their career and gain recognition for their contributions, this new technology seems to be a great tool to help companies in their overall recruitment and retention efforts.

With the onslaught of mobile communications, the above recognition programs can be adopted for both iPhone and Smartphone applications, providing employers the opportunity for feedback and recognition, anytime, anywhere.

I think leveraging social media, with its popularity and permeation into every day life is an excellent decision for employers. If they can motivate their teams and improve their employer brand, while also communicating with their employees, even better. What’s your thoughts? Please share any best practices or ideas on our Facebook or Twitter pages.
Related to Employee Engagement:

• Attracting and Recruiting Gen Y
• Ideas for offering flexible work options
• Fundamental Human Requirement – Recognition

The post Employee Engagement: How Social Media is Changing Reward and Recognition Programs appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.