Vancouver, a tough job market? Statistics say otherwise

Posted on 10. Oct, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
11 comments

Talk to any job seeker, or go to any expat forum, and the consensus will be that Toronto has plenty of work opportunities – whereas Vancouver, while lovely, can be a tough place to find a job.

That’s what I believed myself for years, because I had heard it so often, it had to be true, right?

Guess what? Much to my surprise, the statistics actually say otherwise.

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R̩sum̩ clich̩s РJust say no!

Posted on 30. Sep, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
4 comments

The #1 problem expats run into when they write their résumé is that they don’t quite know what to say, and how to say it.

They worry that their English may not be perfect. They worry that their writing may sound quaint, or not professional enough.

So they do what every logical person would do: they get one of those “2857 résumés so impressive they’ll make grown men cry” books. And they load up on clichés.

The kiss of death

Clichés are the kiss of death for a résumé.

Seriously. Your résumé may not make grown men cry, but if it sounds like something straight out of Dilbert, it will certainly make recruiters laugh. Or at the very least roll their eyes and discard your application.

How can you tell?

But how do you know if you’re using clichés? How can you even tell them apart from normal everyday phrases?

Here’s a handy list of words to avoid in a résumé. [I love this article - the author doesn't mince words, and the videos are pretty great too.]

A few choice quotes:

- Old, boring, hackneyed words and phrases make your resume look as interesting as cheap wallpaper.

- Multi-tasker – this has often come to mean that a person can do a lot of things at once, but most of them incorrectly.

- Detail-focused, team-oriented, results-driven, highly motivated, no-nonsense manager. That manager wastes too much time writing adjectives.

Need I say more? Arm yourself with your favourite red pen, and get ready to edit that résumé of yours!

Was this post helpful? Do you need more personalized resume writing advice? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one consultation.

Emmanuelle

Image by Jean Jullien

It’s not just about knowing people…

Posted on 16. Sep, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
0 comments

It’s all well and good to make contacts…

… but if people don’t have a crystal-clear idea of what you do, how are they ever going to remember you next time they hear about a suitable opening?

Without a good “elevator speech”, your networking efforts aren’t going to do you much good.

Simply mentioning what industry you work in – or what your last position was – isn’t enough. You need to give a clear (and preferably memorable) explanation of what your skills are, and what you can bring to a local company.

A few pointers:

For maximum impact, keep your pitch short. One or two sentences is a perfect length.

Give people talking points – something to talk about when they want to refer you. Don’t leave it up to them to decide what story they will tell about you!

If you’re stuck…

Having a hard time coming up with a convincing one-liner? Here are a few tips:

• Identify your strongest skill set, and focus on what you can do for your future employer;
• Try to come up with a catchy or unusual phrase – for example, today I met a Vegetarian SEO Expert. I’m not likely to forget about him anytime soon.
• If you need step-by-step instructions, let me recommend – once again – the excellent Brag! by Peggy Klaus. This book is guaranteed to give you at least a couple of important insights into elevator speeches, personal branding, and promoting yourself. A must-read for everyone!

Was this post helpful? Do you need more personalized networking advice? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one consultation.

Emmanuelle

Image by stefano principato, via Flickr Creative Commons

Getting known: a couple more tips

Posted on 10. Sep, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
3 comments

Since the prospect of getting to know the right people in a new city can be daunting, here are a few more tips that will help you make useful contacts in Vancouver:

- 5 tips to start off on the right foot

- Feeling at home: build your networks online

- How to find the best job opportunities through your contacts

And because this is the best book I’ve ever read about non-slimy networking, I would highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Dig your well before you’re thirsty by Harvey Mckay.

If you have any misgivings about networking at all, this brilliant little book will teach you how to make useful contacts that you can feel good about. Now that’s certainly something worth reading about!

Was this post helpful? Do you need more personalized networking advice? Contact me to schedule a one-on-one consultation.

Emmanuelle

Image by bending light, via Flickr Creative Commons

Getting hired: it’s all about who you know…

Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
3 comments

When It comes to getting hired in Vancouver, it’s all about who you know – or perhaps more accurately, about who knows you.

The reason is simple: most jobs never make it to Monster.com or the help wanted ads.
Remember how we said Canadians want to hire people they know, like and trust?

Well, rather than place an ad, most employers will first ask their staff if they know someone who’d like to apply. In some companies, employees even get a bonus for referring a new hire.

The obvious downside is that if no one knows you, no one is going to refer you. And that’s how better-connected newcomers go on to be gainfully employed after a few weeks, when you’re still sitting at home sending dozens of applications and getting nowhere fast.

Depressing? Not really. It’s never too late to start making connections. Sure, some people are natural-born networkers, but you can still make useful contacts even if you don’t see yourself as an extrovert extraordinaire.

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3 job search tactics that don’t work (and a magic formula that does)

Posted on 26. Aug, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
3 comments

You’ve been in Vancouver for a number of weeks – or months – and it’s time for you to get a job.

But no matter how many résumés you send out, you’re not getting anywhere. No one’s calling you back. You’re beginning to wonder if you’ll ever be able to find a decent job in this city.

Here’s the good news: No, you haven’t suddenly become unemployable. You’re going to find that job.

But first, you need to stop relying on 3 common job search tactics that just don’t work here.

Then I’ll show you the magic formula that will get you hired.

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The 7 commandments of Canadian résumés

Posted on 23. Aug, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Working Abroad
7 comments

Having to rewrite your résumé is never fun, and it’s hard work – especially when you cannot find relevant advice to guide you.

If you’re trying to rewrite your résumé to Canadian standards, you may have noticed that most books and websites are in fact aimed at US job seekers. There’s little Canadian-specific advice available, and much of it is too general or obvious to be truly helpful. At least that’s what I and many of my friends have experienced over the years.

Since expats often ask me to proofread and edit résumés, I have compiled a list of 7 writing tips to help you write an effective Canadian résumé without spending yet another sleepless night toiling over the darned thing!

So if you want to cut to the chase, check your résumé against this list and see how it scores:

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Starting A Business Abroad: How To Create A Solid Contingency Plan

Posted on 13. Jan, 2010 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Working Abroad
1 comment

We’ve already talked about contingency plans when discussing why you’re going to succeed and how to choose the right business structure. Today we’re going to go into further detail, so that by the end of this post, you’ll be able to easily create your own plan and never have to worry about it anymore.

Simply put, your contingency plan tells you what to do when things go wrong. It’s not about preventing things from going wrong – it’s about coming up with a strategy to deal with big bumps in the road, as efficiently and as painlessly as possible.

What to plan for

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