Job Search, How To View It Differently ?
Sophie Page
Career management for graduate students
Service des stages et du placement
To make an appointment:
service.placement@polymtl.ca
Fall 2012
Goals:

To obtain a better understanding of the job
search strategies in order to integrate the
labor market successfully.
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Internship
Employment
To understand job search VS learning its
techniques
How will we do this:
Propose a job search
method in 5 steps
JOB SEARCH METHOD
IN 5 STEPS
Job search method in 5 steps
1. Learn about the labor market
2. Highlight your potential
3. Establish a strategy for your contact and networking
4. Apply on jobs
5. Be succesful in interviews
STEP 1
Learn About The Labor Market
1.1. Research the labor market
1.2. Understand the hiring process of companies
1.1. Research the labor market
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It will help you to:
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Know the types of jobs available in your area of expertise.
Better understand the employers needs.
Validate the tasks or responsabilities that you would like
to find in a job.
Comprehend the requirements of the labor market in your
field.
Use the same vocabulary as the employer.
How to get information

The web site www.icriq.com is a good
starting point
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Consult the Service de Placement site
http://www.polymtl.ca/sp/etudiant/liens/repertoire.php#entreprise
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Jobs sites
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http://www.polymtl.ca/sp/
http://www.indeed.ca/
http://www.academiccareers.com/
http://www.engineeringcareers.ca/
Meet professionals
1.2. Understand the hiring process of
companies
The hiring process for companies
1.
First : Manager expresses a need for
additionnal ressources:
1.
2.
Determines the ideal candidate’s
profile
Starts a research for potential
candidates
Employers recruitment practices
1. Internal (someone that I have seen at
work or from whom I received an
application.)
2. Network someone that has
been recommended (by a
contact, professor, friend, etc.).
Bonus.
3. Human
Ressources
4. Ads
(newspapers
and internet)
Characteristics of the labor market

Hidden job market
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Why the displayed offers have very
specific requirements and looking for
someone with experience?
Job Seekers’ Strategies
1. Manager
2. Networking, someone
that you know.
3. Unsolicited
Applications, Human
ressource.
4. Employment
services (La Ruche,
agence de placement,
etc.).
5. Ads in newspapers or
on Internet.
Employers recruitment practices
2. Second: The selection process of dpt.
of human resources
Receiving
the
applications
Evaluation of
resumes and
letters
(100)
(25)
Phone
interview
(15)
Interview(s)
Tests
(10)
(10)
Reference
check
Job
proposition
(2-3)
(1)
Job Posting
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Who receives the resume.
At what point are the resume and the letter read.
How much time will the human ressources dpt.
take to analyse the resume.
It’s very important to customize your resume to
fit the job and the company.
Be aware of how you can stand out from your
competition.
STEP 2
Highlight Your Potential
2. Highlight your potential

Validate your skills
What makes a person
an excellent
professional?
Draw the connections
Examine your profile!
Self-analysis exercise
Your education:
• What did you do
or learn during
your education
(diploma,
courses,
projects) that
could convince
the employer
that you are able
to do each task?
Your
experience:
• What did you
gain from all your
work experience
(job title,
responsibilities,
tasks, etc.), paid
or unpaid, that
could be
connected to this
future job?
Your
knowledge:
• Among all your
specialized,
technical,
computer and
other knowledge,
which items are
pertinent for this
job offer?
Your
personality:
• Among all your
personality
characteristics,
which are
pertinent for this
position?
Others:
• What other
experiences and
skills could be
interesting for
your profile (ex.
Professional
membership,
certification,
continuing
education, etc.)?
STEP 3
Establish A Strategy For Your
Contact And Networking
3.1. What is networking?
3.3. How and Where to network?
3.4. How to make a contact?
What is networking?
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The objective is to have a conversation
and build a rapport with someone.
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Be genuine and friendly.
Your shared interests might lead to something
interesting.
Don’t focus on the end result.
You will have to listen, to ask questions and
share information.
How and where to network
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Personal, academic and social network
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Classmates, friends, family, professor,
Neighbors, etc.
Parties, Laboratory, voluntering, conference,
departmental seminars, etc.
Job fairs and career days
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More information to come
How and where to network
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Social media
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(Twitter, facebook and LinkedIn)
Create a professionnal profil.
Follow the compagnies of interest.
Get information and do some research.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0sdTdcM2Ws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbwvK5Al0dQ&feature=related
http://learn.linkedin.com/students/step-1/
Establish a strategy for your contact
Name of
employer
Info on
employer
Person of
interest/title
Phone and
email
address
Address
Follow-up
Make a contact
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Contact the employers (Phone call, letter and
follow-up):
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Before you make any contact with the employers, it’s
important to ask yourself 3 questions:
 What does the organisation do?
 Why am I interested and motivated by this position
and this organisation?
 Among all my skills, which ones are more relevant
for this position?
How to make contact
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How to make contact with a person of
interest ?
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Version A
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I am looking for a job.
Version B
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Potential between my profile and what I know of the
company.
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How to speak with the person in charge
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Secretary
Which means to use (internet, phone, etc.)?
What is the purpose of this contact?
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Get information
Get my profile known
Fears of job seekers …
CAREER FAIRS AND SALON
DE L’EMPLOI
Use the Career Fair and the Salon de
l’emploi efficiently
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Get going, it’s time to wise-up!
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How to prepare?
1. Check
the profile of the organisations which
are present.
2. Be strategic! Establish your priorities.
3. Identify your strongest assets for the targeted
organisations and prepare your questions.
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What to say to the employer?
1.
Present yourself in 15 to 30 seconds.
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In terms of the organisation.
Demonstrate your interest and what you know about
the organisation.
Get information on the recruitment process.
Follow up after the career fair.
You were not present at the career fair…
Suggested questions to ask an employer:
I would like to work
as ... do you have
this kind of
professionals in your
company?
Any other
questions whose
answers can help
you clarify your
career choices ...
What do they do
exactly?
How should I
apply? Do you have
a name to refer
me?
What skills and
profile are you
looking for in this
type of job?
Do you have any
special needs?
STEP 4
Apply On Jobs
4. Apply on jobs
 Is
this position for me?
 Should I customize my resume?
 What is a resume?
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It’s your marketing tool!
Focus on the similarities ! Reassure the
employer!
A good resume should get the employer
attention in less then 20 secondes.
4. Apply on jobs
• Follow up.
STEP 5
Be Succesful In Interviews
5. Be succesful in interviews
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Preparation is the key to your success.
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Your self-knowledge (interests, motivations, skills,
etc.)
What you know about the position (tasks,
qualifications, requirements, etc.)
What you know about the company (expertise,
products, employees, market, etc.)
Do not see the interview as a exam but as the
occasion to exchange valuable informations.
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Book of reference: R. Fry, 101 great answers to
the toughest interview questions, Thomson Delmar
Learning, Canada, 2007.
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Web site: Jobboom, Workopolis, Monster, etc.
http://www.interviewstream.com/interviewsuite/
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Personalized advice in individual appointment and more
workshops to come ...
Conclusion
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What I have presented today is an ideal to be
achieved ... But the best job search strategy is
undoubtedly to take action!
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Despite what you hear and read, believe in your
project!
Questions?
Thank you
To reach us:
Service des stages et du placement
(B-510)
To make an appointement:
service.placement@polymtl.ca