Career and Job Search Help Blog

More Upcoming Job Fairs for 2012, including Opening Doors to Your Future

Job fairs are a great way to network, gather information, meet employers, and cast your net to hook the right employer and job for YOU.

You might be new to Canada, a new graduate, have a disability, be looking to re-enter the job market, or to change your career. Job fairs can be exciting or intimidating. The key is to be prepared! Be confident! Be self-assured!

Come and join us Thursday, March 8, 2012 for the Career and Job Fair, Opening Doors to Your Future. The library will have a booth and we hope to see you there.

Where: North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St.

When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Exhibitors include: Canadian Tire, InCharge Canada, Paragon Security, VHA Home HealthCare, and many, many more!

For more information, call Terruce Lau at 416-392-4107

Bring copies of your resume, print and electronic versions, and be prepared to "knock the socks" off potential employers with your professionalism. This event is sponsored by TESS, the Toronto Employment & Social Services (North York district offices) and the Toronto Public Library.

But wait! There are MORE!

 

Study and Go Abroad Fairs

Sunday, March 4, 2012,  1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Constitution Hall, Room 105 - 106, North Building, 255 Front Street West

 

The Career Fair for People with Disabilites

Thursday, March 29, 2012,  10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Hilton Downtown Toronto, 145 Richmond Street West

 

Engineering-IT Career Fair  AND  Banking-Finance-Insurance Career Fair

Tuesday, April 24, 2012, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building, 222 Bremner Boulevard

 

Remember to "Dress for Success!" Be neat, tidy, and not overdressed. Whatever your age, dress appropriately--don't try to appear older or younger than you are.

Here are some hints I picked up from Do's & Don'ts, an article by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. If you want to read his article for additinal tips, click on the link.

• First impressions are important. A firm handshake and a warm smile are first steps to success.
• Dress professionally. Conservative is always a safe choice
• Bring enough copies of your resume, at least 25 for a large job fair, and different versions if looking for different types of jobs
• DON'T just drop your resume on the table and walk off--this is an opportunity to make a positive impression, show interest in the company, and stand out from the crowd. Build a rapport with the employer, but DON'T monopolize his time
• DON'T walk up to a booth and interrupt a current conversation
• Prepare to be interviewed on the spot--be able to summarize your skills and abilities in a few minutes or less
• Try and obtain a list of exhibitors. Research them beforehand so you will be prepared for such questions as, "Why do you want to work for our company?"
• Have a specific strategy for maximizing your time. Decide which employers you want to see first. You don't want to get so caught up with going to all the booths that you miss out on the ones you are really interested in
• Network with other participants--you may hear about additional job opportunities or benefit from the experiences the others had
• Follow-up after the job fair. Phone or e-mail the company representatives you met

 

                 

 

The Start of a New Year - A Good Time to Review Your Career Plan

Every year, our department reviews our yearly departmental objectives - they're either updated, dropped, or supplemented in some fashion. I personally have my own set of career objectives, although this is not required by our manager or department head. It's important to have a career plan and re-visit it on an annual basis, whether you are currently working, or looking for employment.

Things to remember:

• Set realistic goals and objectives for the year. List the steps you would take to achieve them and how you will measure your success (via quantifiable milestones).
• Have a clear direction. What is your ideal job, position, or set of responsibilities?
• Establish a professional presence on social networking tools like LinkedIn. Join groups, stay active on whatever sites you participate in. Many recruiters/potential employers will do background checks. Follow companies that you want to work for.
• Brand yourself. This is a derivative of the traditional "Job Objective" statement that I've seen appearing on the top of a cv/resume. In a short paragraph, state who you are, what audience you serve, what's unique about you.
• Stay positive! Difficult, I know, especially if you've been looking for your ideal job for awhile. Create a balance between looking for a job and taking care of your personal life. Exercise your body and mind. Eat healthily. Indulge in a passion or two!

Have a look at this and additional books:

  

So You Want to Open Your Own Restaurant? Do Your Research First!

Have you always dreamed of opening up your own restaurant but don't really know where to start?  You are definitely not alone. Expect to never have a dull moment if this is your dream - there are new and exciting challenges you'll face. The future does look bright for this industry, however a tough reality is that many (not all though!) restaurants fail within the first year - mostly due to lack of business planning. One of the most important steps of your planning is creating a business plan. There are many online resources which can help you with business plans. A restaurant entrepreneur needs to do a great deal of business research whether its a cafe, deli or Indian buffet.

The Canadian restaurant and food service industry makes a tremendous contribution to our economy. According to research from the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CFRA) the Canadian restaurant industry employs more than one million people and generates $60 billion in annual sales - accounting for 4% of the Canadian economy and apparently dining out is one of the top three tourist activities in Canada. To my surprise 64% of restaurants in Canada are independent, and 36% are chains (CFRA) - which is reassuring if you'd like to open up your own small restaurant.

I was reading an article about how to start a restaurant from entrepreneur.com which gave an interesting marketing perspective. Many entrepreneurs may strive to please 100% customers which is an unrealistic expectation - it is more feasible to focus on smaller target markets who all have different needs. Age is an easy example - you could focus on groups such as: Baby boomers, Generation X/Y, Traditionalists, etc.

For some inspiration join us next Tuesday, February 21, 2012, at North York Central Library, the Business department is hosting a program called Harlem Underground: Secrets of A Successful Urban Eatery.  Join speaker Carl Cassell, owner of the Harlem Underground, which has 2 locations in Toronto as he discusses his experiences starting and running a restaurant chain.

Also, come visit the library for some books on starting up your own restaurant :

                      

 

Thanks for reading, please feel free to share any comments!

 

 

 

Which Canadian Industries are Top Employers?

While on the topic of top employers (companies), I thought it would be interesting to check out which industries in Canada are top employers. Lo and behold, it turns out that the retail industry is the country's largest employer - employing 12% of Canada's workforce. All right - let's go shopping!

Business services such as real estate, communications, and financial services also employed just as many Canadians. Other large employers can be found in this Canada FAQ.