Posts Tagged ‘candidate analysis’

New Job Loss Numbers - It Ain’t Pretty…

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

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So just as things were looking up with gains on the markets and overall positive momentum, the economy put a big kaibosh on it all. Job numbers just came out and it ain’t pretty. It seems like we’re breaking all the wrong kinds of records these days, with the Canadian jobless rate at an 11-year high. With major automotive and manufacturing sector companies closing their doors at record rates, the news couldn’t have been positive despite positive sentiments on “main street.”

In the States, the jobless rate reached a 25-year high at 9.7 in May - a stark reminder of how difficult it is to find employment these days. According to the US Federal Reserve, unemployment rates are said to remain “elevated” until 2011.

A more staggering statistic is that job openings fell from 2.6 million to 2.5 million last month, which means that with close to 14 million unemployed in the US, (theoretically) every applicant is competing with at least five others for that same position. According to Heidi Shierholz with Economic Policy Institute in Washington, ”Unemployed workers are facing an increasingly uphill battle in the search for work.”

So despite market gains on the major indexes in North America and Europe, job losses continue to tell the true story of how the economies are going. Analysts and pundits alike agree that even if we continue to see positive short term gain, we are not out of the woods yet. Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, told the Toronto Star that the Canadian labour market came “back to reality” in May.

“It’s hardly shocking that Canadian employment has retreated again–the job shakeout likely still has a way to go, even if the broader economy bottoms out in the coming months,” Porter says.

So where do you fit in all of this? Start by taking a free personal career assessment from the experts at ClearFit to find out what career you are a “clear fit” for. Once you’ve taken the assessment you’ll be able to view the results and use them to further your applications by providing proof of your strengths.

In addition, continue to see what’s out there and explore new opportunities by keep updated on industry trends, talking to friends and family and maintaining a positive attitude.

For more information stay tuned to this blog and feel free to email us directly at info[at]clearfit.com with any question or to set up your personal profile.

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Marketing Yourself 101 - Using Career Assessments To Your Advantage

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Many times when you’re looking for a job or thinking about your career, you’ll think “how can I make myself stand out?” or “why did the other candidate get the job and not me?”… of course if the latter is the case you might use other language that we cannot/should not use on our G-Rated blog. Sorry.

They are both valid questions, and important to address in order to learn and improve your chances of getting a job. If you’re encountering resistance and in need of some advice on how to market yourself better, here are some tips worth considering.

1. Have A Relevant , Accurate And Updated Resume
There’s nothing worse then an old, outdated resume that doesn’t really reflect your qualifications or experience. Make sure that your resume is suited for the position that you’re applying for, including facts and accomplishments that highlight why you are best qualified for a particular job. Be ready to talk about your experiences and everything that you’ve listed on your resume. Make sure that you take a free employee evaluation from ClearFit to verify your strengths.

2. Apply Only To Applicable Jobs
Don’t waste your time by applying for jobs that are completely out of your range, scope and experience level. In other words, do everyone a favour and don’t apply to a job because they sound cool. That is one way to lower your chances of ever finding the right job for you. If you’re unsure about what jobs you’d enjoy and be good at, take a career assessment from a reputable organization and uncover your true work potential.

3. Align Appropriate and Reliable References
Chances are that at one point you’ll be asked for references. Be proactive and align yourself with individuals who you know will vouch for you based on your previous work. If you’ve gotten fired from a job in the past, probably not a good idea to have that old boss be one of you references. Just saying. Also, make sure to ask your references before giving out any contact information. The last thing you want to have happen is that they are called out-of-the-blue and caught by surprise. Again, one way to quickly NOT get a job.

5. Prepare Questions To Ask
If you’ve made it into a interview scenario, you’re pretty much guaranteed some question time at the end. The answer to that should be “Yes, I do have some question about this position/company/role…” not “No, I’m good thanks.” Show an interest in the company, the position you’re applying for and the person you’re talking to. Make the person you’re talking to remember you. If you have taken an employee personality test, show the results to your potential employer - the more info, the better.

6. Dress Appropriately For The Interview
The worst thing that you can do is dress too casual. On the other hand, you can’t dress up too much. Even a construction worker will put on a nice shirt for an interview (Disclaimer: Construction workers are fantastic people, they are also great dressers - the aforementioned analogy is meant purely for demonstration purposes. Please do not write us or be offended if you work as a construction.) So, make sure that you dress appropriately for your interview.

7. Leave Your Mark
Careful, let’s not get crazy here. The idea here is that you will be remembered for the great impression you’ve made, not being the story at the water-cooler tomorrow! Make sure that when you leave the interview they’ll remember who you are. People are usually good at interpreting the results of candidate analysis, therefore - compliment those by standing out from the rest both on paper and in person.

For more information on finding the right job, taking an employee personality test to find out what jobs you’d be good at, visit ClearFit today!

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The Best Job In The World

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Really? Have you heard about this? I’m talking about what’s been dubbed the “Best Job in the World” — a six-month contract to serve as caretaker of a tropical Australian island. Really!

In times like ours, where jobs are hard to come by in the first place, this dude lucked out! No really, lucked out! Basically he gets paid to babysit some islands in the Great Barrier Reef, blog about it, take some pics and the kicker - he’s getting paid $150,000 AUD. All this and he didn’t even have to do a hiring assessment. In fact, the hiring selection process was conducted partly in Australia - for which he obviously didn’t have to pay either! This was a win-win situation for all the 16 finalists!

Though its touted as the world’s best job, it really brings up a great question, what is the best job in the world?

Depending on who you ask, you’ll probably get many different responses. Some may say that a job like our friends’ is the one - others may disagree and say that a more “fulfilling” and worthy job is much better and therefore qualifies. What it really comes down to is personal, so here are some tips on finding your perfect job:

1. Be creative - don’t just take any job for the sake of taking it. Look outside the traditional career sphere (…that rhymes), and beyond what you think you’re parents or friends would admire you for. Do what’s best for you and imagine several different careers that satisfy you.

2. Be aware - ask yourself why certain situations or types of work make you happier then others. Be sure to also be aware of the types of work that you don’t like, its just as important to be aware of those and know what you don’t enjoy doing.

3. Be patient - don’t rush into conclusions about what you’d like to do before you haven’t done it. We’ve all heard that statistic that you’ll change careers and industries at least 3-5 times during your lifetime. As long as you learn from each you’re well on your way to a satisfying career.

4. Be realistic - don’t say that you’re going to be a brain surgeon because you enjoy scrubs! Put yourself into careers and jobs that make sense and are attainable. It never hurts to dream but have your head grounded.

5. Be open - there are literally thousands of possibilities out there, so take it all in and you’ll eventually figure it out.

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