technology

Resume, cover letter, job interview, career, public relations, project management, Pencil Skirts & Punctuation, Laine Jaremey

Canadians can now Google their ways to new jobs

Last year I reported on one of Google’s new search features for people seeking a new job: Google for Jobs. At the time, this tool was being piloted in the U.S., while Canadians were awaiting a launch within our borders.

Google’s job search functionality is now available in Canada.

What’s it like? For the purposes of this post, I did a quick search of communications jobs in my area, and really liked what I saw. The search results loaded quickly and were easy to review. I liked that there were tags listed across the navigation bar at the top of the page to filter the results, and the option to turn on email alerts for new postings under the search terms. Check out what the results looked like below.

Resume, cover letter, job interview, career, public relations, project management, Pencil Skirts & Punctuation, Laine Jaremey

Not stopping there, on April 26, Google announced a $1 million investment into a new platform, called the Employment Pathway Platform (EPP), which will provide even more search capabilities for Canadians looking for jobs. It will search based on commute distance, ability to work from home, industry, title and time commitment. What’s also cool is that this new platform will be the result of a partnership with Toronto’s MaRS innovation hub, and my company is located in the MaRS Centre (pictured below).

MaRS Centre West Tower

Once it launches, the new platform’s users can obtain a skills assessment, find jobs that match with current abilities and skills, and get information on courses that can help users build their skill sets.

This technology will help job searchers adapt to how the workplace is evolving. From automation to artificial intelligence, jobs today are changing at a rapid pace, and will continue to in the future.

This means that workers (including me!) must be open to continual learning and training opportunities to stay efficient, effective and competitive in the workplace. In fact, according to Inc.com, 91 per cent of the respondents of one survey said that the most successful employees are the ones who can adapt to the changing workplace.

Fortunately, the EPP will “pull together data skills and training options from multiple sources and then analyze a user’s existing skills and employment preferences against this.” Having data that will contribute to skills-building is definitely a perk for users of the future service.

The new platform that will result from the Google/MaRS partnership and investment is expected to launch next year. I’m excited to hear more about the new platform as things move ahead.

Do you think you’ll try the new platform once it’s available?

Image credits: Reuters; Erin Sugar.

Resume, cover letter, job interview, career, public relations, project management, Pencil Skirts & Punctuation, Laine Jaremey
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Can a strong personal brand help you land a job?

I’ve recently posted about the importance of cultivating your personal brand. ICYMI, your personal brand is the image or impression that you can establish about yourself in the minds of others so that they can easily identify what makes you unique, and what you’re considered the go-to expert or resource on. This group includes colleagues, contacts in your network, your employer or potential employers.

Brand 4 JPEGWhile I know that personal brands are important, I’m always on the lookout for new research and information. I recently came across a CBC Radio Spark episode that revealed that personal brands aren’t the ultimate predictor of career success.

The episode featured an interview with anthropologist Ilana Gershon of the University of Chicago. Gershon wrote a new book called Down and Out in the New Economy. In the interview, she explained that a shift in the relationship between employer and employee has resulted in the way that we present ourselves as “businesses” in the job search.

“We are imagining ourselves as a bundle of skills, of assets… that we’re constantly having to manage, and we’re also supposed to be continually enhancing them.”

Ilana Gershon

Gershon studied how people find work in today’s job market. I was surprised to hear that although job searchers are routinely told to work on their personal brands, Gershon found no evidence this was effective with hiring managers.

What made a difference? Sixty-one per cent of people got jobs through workplace ties and references.

Note that this study was conducted across many different industries. In certain industries (for example, PR and communications), personal brands may hold more clout and be a worthwhile investment of your time. Further, your personal brand may make an impact with others in an organization, beyond only the hiring manager.

What can we take away from this finding? Your personal brand is important. But it’s not necessarily going to be the deciding factor that gets you hired.

This confirms that there are other items to consider. For example, your connections, years of experience, skillset, understanding of the industry, education and designations play a role. Your portfolio, resume, references and interview skills are critical as well.

So, it’s beneficial to be well-balanced. Spend time thinking about and cultivating your personal brand in a way that works for you. But, also invest in the other elements of your professional and job search skills.

How do you stand out in the crowd of job seekers?

Image credits: Pixabay.com; cbc.ca (Ilana Gershon).

Resume, cover letter, job interview, career, public relations, project management, Pencil Skirts & Punctuation, Laine Jaremey

Google your way to a new job

If you’re like me, you use Google to find out pretty much everything you want to know. But, Google probably hasn’t been your go-to for one of the most important types of searches you can do – a job search.

Well, there’s good news! Google has created Google for Jobs, which is a new product that can help people of all skill and experience levels find jobs.

Announced by Google in May, Google for Jobs will provide a new search feature that collects and organizes millions of jobs from all over the internet, making them easier to find.

I thought it was interesting that job search results can be refined, allowing the user to learn more about the specific qualities of jobs. For example, you can find jobs with full or part-time work, accessibility or public transit nearby.

Google for Jobs is being launched in the US first. Launches in other global regions – hopefully including Canada – will follow.

Will you try using Google for Jobs when it’s available in Canada?

Image credit: Google.

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How to create a digital leave-behind of the work in your portfolio

Are hardcopies passe

In many industries, such as communications, journalism and graphic design, it is helpful to bring a portfolio of work samples with you to job interviews. Potential employers can review your portfolio to gain an understanding of your skills, experience and talents.

If you have a portfolio, is yours still in hardcopy format, such as in a book or binder? Or, have you created an electronic version of your portfolio? Learn more about digital and hardcopy versions of portfolios here.

Bringing “leave-behind” is a way to provide your top, most relevant work samples to a potential employer so that they can review the samples in more detail after the meeting. Preparing a leave-behind in advance and having it ready to share can also demonstrate how on-the-ball you are.

Leave-behinds are traditionally hardcopies. But if you have a digital portfolio, you might want to consider using a digital version of the leave-behind too. An example is using an inexpensive USB stick to house PDFs of your best, most-relevant work samples. Have it ready to hand over at the meeting. Label it with your name, but don’t expect to get the USB stick back! Or, you can compile the PDFs using a free online file-sharing service like Dropbox, and then email the link to the potential employer promptly after the meeting.

Would you create a digital leave-behind of your work samples? Share in the comments.

Image credit: Pixabay.com.