Early every year I often peruse the job ads and send out a few resumes, some of which actually end up in interviews. My employment pattern for the past 30 years has been part time or casual work,
and has given me a rich variety of work experiences, travel and personal friendships, from remote communities in the Canadian Arctic to brisk discussions with university students.
Just reflecting on my most recent bout of the above process, which involved two interviews and one job offer, and how things have changed in the job market.
A few hints, which may be helpful:
- Do your research on the job position and job site. Ask others who may work there about the informal relationships and/or expectations. Although you may be qualified as an electrician, welder, administrative assistant, social worker or IT consultant, the above specifics are important. It is a local office, part of a larger company, branch of government, what are the goals, aims, and ethics of the company/employer? How broad a scope does the office/company cover e.g. city, province serve? If you were a client/customer/patient coming to this facility of office, what would you be looking for? Do this role reversal!
In many job interviews, there may be a panel or more than one person interviewing and you might have different scenarios thrown at you with expectations on how would you handle them.
- Be up to date on the theory and methods of practise in your field. This does NOT mean you have to be a walking encyclopedia but if there are certain methods you commonly use, know them and how they are applied to your position!
Got caught up on this one recently, although my written skills are excellent, naming the finer points of a psycho-social assessment or mental health capacity assessment were a challenge, and did a review before my next interview.
- Consider past experience where you have been challenged either in job performance or ethics. How did you handle it or how would you? Think out of the box. E.g. if from a social worker perspective, you thought an early discharge of a patient would present a risky home situation, how would you present this to your interdisciplinary team? In relationships with co-workers, if a conflict, how would you or did you handle it? Confidentiality…do you monitor your elevator conversations?
- Criminal record checks. If in smaller communities, stopping in at the local RCMP office may be sufficient (my practise when working in Nunavut) but make certain you have two forms or original govt issued ID and find out the payment method needed. …Here is the site to check…
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr-cj/fing-empr2-eng.htm
in Edmonton abit more complicated..
http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/pics
- Portability letters. You may also need to provide a letter of portability from your previous employer, indicating dates of employment, final rate of pay, and total hours worked, and/or original educational documents for consideration of an education allowance (ie. Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree, Perioperative Course, Bachelor of Science Degree, etc.) must be provided to your manager or Human Resource Services…site for Covenant Health.. http://www.caritas.ab.ca/Home/Careers/Questions/default.htm
My experience here is find out if your union is compatible between sites, as mine was NOT in one recent situation. Thus a different wage and step level. Currently having to search all my previous employers for portability letters…abit of a pain, but with a detailed resume, it helps!
GOOD LUCK and hope the above is helpful to some of you older and perhaps younger ones in the job search
Dogs think my purpose is to provide them with digging spots!
I had a vague recollection of about 6 weeks ago, attempting some yard clean up, pruning, raking and dismantling of the Christmas lights on the cedar tree, But NO must be mistaken as just doing that TODAY!
.Oxytocin, c-section, tubes tied, several still born, two fragile newborns, tube feedings...not from work maternity coverage but at the vets ( bills not inexpensive ) but Indie cat has two kittens! our excitement Thursday night - Friday morning...grand daughter ..
.no longer living at my house but hope all goes well! —
and will post some more photos later.
all the blossoms
and spring flowers are out here...even caught this small bird...
Nanuq's coat is growing in again
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