Finding work can be one of the most difficult and frightening things you will do. There are many challenges that you will face in your search for employment. Our Employment Services are here to help.
Our Employment Counsellor (EC) will work with you one on one to equip you with the tools to find work. Our employment services will help you build a resume/CV and cover letter, the basic building blocks to getting employed. Next the EC will show you where to find job opportunities. Finally you will learn how to prepare for an interview, including a practice interview.
Work Ability
Employment Services can also mean getting a work placement at a participating employer. The Government of New Brunswick currently offers a program called Work Ability. Work Ability is a program used as an incentive for businesses to hire Newcomers and others who face challenges in getting work. This twelve week program allows an employer to hire a Newcomer who has no Canadian work experience. The program pays the wages of the new employee for up to 12 weeks at minimum wage – the employer is encouraged to “bump” up the wage to be more competitive. Work Ability is a win-win situation. The new employee gets the experience and knowledge of working in a Canadian work environment and the employer gets to see first hand the quality of the individual with little cost or risk. Candidates for this program must meet certain criteria such as possessing a Work Permit and having Permanent Residence status (go to the Citizenship Immigration Canada web-site for more information www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp ).
Opportunities Abound
Did you know that most jobs are not publicly advertised. Those who look for opportunity where none is published have the greatest chance of getting that job – see chart
Strategy refers to the method that the job seeker uses to get employment.
% of Jobs is the percentage of available jobs advertised and unadvertised
% of Job Seekers is the percentage of Job Seekers who use the specific Strategy.
Strategy % of Jobs % of Job Seekers
1.Advertised Jobs 13% 69%
(newspapers, job banks)
2. Head Hunters/ 14% 27%
Employment Agencies
3. Networking 36% 5%
4. Introduction Meetings 37% 3%
(percentages are approximate)
If there are 100 jobs available and there are 100 seekers then in Strategy 1 there are 69 seekers competing for 13 jobs! Conversely in Strategy 4 there are 3 Seekers competing for 37 Jobs!
Why doesn’t everyone use Networking and Introduction Meetings to look for work? Well these Strategies can be intimidating and difficult. One thing to keep in mind is that finding employment is work. Your full-time job should be trying to find work. Employers are not looking for someone who is waiting to get a job, but they are looking for people who are working to get a job.
Once again, our Employment Counsellor can set you up to get the skills and expertise you need to effectively Network and Introduce yourself to potential employers. Those who use these strategies find the work best suited for them and at better pay.
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