Tag Archives: resume

Career help: Alberta

Posted by Daria on

I have spent many hours on the Internet looking for the correct resources. I have looked at the staffing agencies, various books, blogs and sites… My desire to better myself and other work spaces led me to people who are in charge of helping Albertans to find jobs (of their dreams?). There are people out there that spend money on research and various publications in order to keep the unemployment at its lowest. 

I would like to recommend,  familiar to many, site www.alis.gov.ab.ca. I think that it is very helpful for  Career Planning, Education, Jobs questions… I mean I did learn about this site when I was in High School, taking Career and Life Management Course. I am still not sure that I have learned too much from the course itself, but the resources were there, except when you are in Grade 10 you care very little about real job and thus real income. 

So the point is if you want to get help check out  www.alis.gov.ab.ca

Career Information Hotline was superb and I did use e-Resumé Review Service (https://alis.alberta.ca//ep/eps/hotline/resume.html). You can also submit your resume on-line and it will get read, edited, and sent back to you with very helpful remarks. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home! It is always good to get other people to suggest new ways to improve things.  

You can also view their Publications, most of which are available in the PDF format. Many of the publications are for Employees as well as Employers. Great resources for small offices, big companies, career sites, and for you and me at home!

I had looked at many of their publications. Here! a couple to start:

1. Creating a New Future: The job-loss workbook   

 excellent little workbook, cheesy graphics, all about managing change with a positive spin, Q&A re: Employment Insurance, Dealing with the loss (job-loss), Tips and Tools to help with coping and hoping, Developing a new Plan, plus Resources info. Good pencil and paper excercise for the new jobless.

2. Advanced Techniques for Work Search (the best one!!!)

104 pages of work excercise, helps to identify your own work skills, help with resume and cover letter, interviews, awesome for just sitting down and re-examining your self and work even better than just aimlessly searching the net for tips. very glad that this book is available to people.
There are many other publications on that site… go check some of them out. Let me know what you think! I hope this information was useful!

 

Staffing agencies experiment: Bowen, works?

Posted by Daria on

About a month ago I’ve started working on my social experiment and at the same time waiting for the positive results… I have been to a few screening interviews. My last S.A.E. was with Bowen. I came in with a lot of expectations and a lot of hope for a better future. I did think that their office was conveniently located on the 7th Avenue, easily locatable and accessible by the Calgary Transit.

When I walked into the office, I was offered a coffee/tea and had a chance to sign in and have a look around. After a short wait I was introduced to my recruitment specialist and we had a short and straight to the point interview…  Turns out that there are very few jobs available. End of summer is a very slow season, because those who have jobs- end up going on vacations, while our resumes collect dust. Others, who do not have jobs- make sure that those piles grow bigger and the competition gets harder!

I did learn a lot about my resume, however. I have changed my resume yet again and I hope it will help me to find an administrative job of my dreams. :) I know I say that a lot, but how else does one stay positive!?

Overall, I felt that Bowen had a more personal touch, but nothing has come out of it just yet… 

S: Service

(plus) Good. Pleasant atmosphere. Very personal. They have a great site and a Bowen Blog that has some great tips on employment.

(minus) Results of the computer tests I took were not explained at all… How does one improve?

A: Attitude

Positive, but a bit dull. It might have been dull due to the rainy day.

E: Employment

No offers yet.

Staffing agencies:experiment update

Posted by Daria on

Good news for me today. I have just received an email from the staffing agency. Guess which one it was? Yes, the one that was recommended to me my MR. DM in his post comment. I got an email form www.BowenWorks.ca The email provided information on how to register with their staffing agency and welcoming me to do just that! I will be going there next week Monday or Tuesday. I am very excited and curious to see what type of registration process and interviews they have. So far they have caught my attention because of their well planned site and the speed with which they responded to my request. Top S.A.E. so far.

Do you have any suggestions on what to wear and how to act? Are there KEY words and POINTS I need to bring up during my first interview and registration? Are you aware of any TRICKS that will make me stand out?

Little jobs: detailed

Posted by Daria on

In a previous post I have given my readers a short list of jobs that help with my professional and personal development. What I am trying to show is that even with the work gap on my resume I was constantly working on improving myself. Today, I would like to describe what each of those little jobs had to offer me in return for my time.

Working part time: I think this is the most obvious choice for many people. It is usually easy to find a part time job. I found one only a few weeks after I have left the office. Bigger corporations also take a long time to get you started. Nevertheless, I have found myself working for Starbucks. It had partly to do with my love of their coffee and to some degree I always wanted to try being a barista. I’ve enjoyed working at fast speed and with a constant smile on my face… The time went by very fast, especially those 5am morning shifts, and my mind had a chance to relax. After a few weeks I felt like I have learned a ton of new stuff and making drinks became a no-thought-involved-mechanical process. Simplicity of that particular job made me feel that I was adding happiness to a day of every customer. Who doesn’ t want a cup of tea or coffee before their busy day in the office? I was once one of those people: working downtown and getting excited about my coffee break every single day. The location of the coffee shop also made it very convenient for my break to be short and to the point! Working at Starbucks was a refreshing experience. I have re-learned how to be a valuable member of the team. I also got to experience how other people run business, how they supervise, what type of feedback they give, and in what ways they try to create a healthier, more efficient work environment. Although I can not share any of  that secret Starbucks information with the readers, I myself learned a lot from my part-time work experience. The biggest lesson learned: I am a very ambitious person, with or without tasty lattes

Researching social media: This was lots of fun. Great way to learn about myself, other people, search for resources, books, and opinions of others. Plus, it keeps me in the loop of current events and community involvement. There are so many different ways to connect with people. Some of the ones I got to learn anout: Blogs, Micro-blogging: Twitter, Social Networking: Facebook and LinkedIn, Photosharing: Flicker, Videosharing: Youtube… and many others! Learning about Calgary’s networks was a plus, too. Biggest benefits for me: keeping in touch with my creative side, sharpening my PR skills, and increasing my typing speed via constant practice!

Education *taking university courses*: I guess this needs the least information; I had more free time so I chose to use it! Now I am only 4 courses away from getting my degree. I have done a lot of research on what other upgrading courses were available to me, but chose to finish my university education first. My plan is to be done by the end of this year, or as soon as it is humanly/monetary possible for me. It is always a good idea to see what other options are available. I have found many courses that I would love to take at Mount Royal College. You can visit  their site at http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/ContinuingEducation/index.htm. In 2007 I have takes two courses in order to explore what I like. One was from Mount Royal College and the other from University of Calgary, but both as a part of non-credit course work. Lesson learned: setting goals and priorities, as well as budgeting.

2007

Introduction to Residential Decorating at Mount Royal College

Interior Design: A career!  at University of Calgary

Event organization: I have been participating, strongly, in organizing two wedding events. My organizational skills are very good, as I have discovered through this process. In the future I might even consider becoming an event coordinator. Planning a big event can be stressful, but it pays off at the end. This event was planned for about 100 people, with a sit down dinner, dance, and included anything from planning out a seating chart and had written invitations to flower arrangements and looking for proper space, place, catering companies… so on and so forth…  

  • Helping others with job search/translation/documents
  • Miscellaneous errands 
  • Unpaid work
  • Personal shopping 
  • Babysitting

My little jobs: with a big impact

Posted by Daria on

I have participated in many little jobs, as I’ve mentioned in my previous post, and I feel that all those activities will pay off in the future. I have been researching many of my own interests, new activities, and multiple opportunities to volunteer. I have also had the time to look back and reflect on what I have already done in the past. People get so caught up in the moment that other moments from the past tend to fade away. 

So what little jobs am I talking about it? Here is a short list of jobs that help with my professional development:

  • Working a part time job
  • Researching social media
  • Education: taking more university courses
  • Event organization
  • Helping others with job search/translation/documents
  • Miscellaneous errands 
  • Unpaid work
  • Personal shopping 
  • Babysitting

 Plus a list of jobs that help with personal development:

  • Creative writing
  • Art lessons and photography
  • Blog creation
  • Cooking lessons
  • Sports and other physical activities

The above mentioned little jobs are suitable for a nice mention on my resume, and if it would not be a matter of time and readability, they would. There is no such limit on this blog and my next few posts will describe each of  those positive outcomes!