How much time is appropriate for a career advisor to spend helping a job seeker find the right job for them?
I don’t know the right answer because it varies from person to person; I do know that one hour a week isn’t enough for many. Unfortunately, as a career advisor who works for a non-profit organization depends on precarious funding, that is all that is available.
It is important to stress that a career advisor’s role isn’t simply to find our job seekers a job. We want to find a job they want, that is a good fit, and that helps them take the next steps in their employment journey.
To do a better job helping and counseling my job seekers, I needed something to help, I needed a tool they could use on their own, to help them help themselves.
That tool, a playbook, needed to be adaptable, to build on the skills I was sharing, and to be a collaborative effort to include my job seekers’ thoughts, wants, and needs. I wanted their help to help me make the most of the time we had together and for the time between meetings so they could help themselves.
This is that tool, the constantly evolving Job Seeker’s Playbook.
- What is your SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific) goal to accomplish this week: _______________________________________
“Of course, the overarching goal is to find the right job; however, finding that right job is dependent on a series of steps and goals. For this week, pick a goal that meets all of the SMART guidelines such as: applying for 5 jobs this week or doing 5 cold calls.”
- How much time are you devoting to job search? (Try for 5 days/week)
Monday ____ Tuesday ___ Wed ___ Thurs ____ Friday ____ Sat ___ Sun ____ Total: _____ (1-5 hrs/week – good start; 6-10 hrs/week – strong commitment; 11-15+ hrs/week – great effort!)
“The time spent with a career advisor counts, the time spent searching for jobs counts, tailoring a cover letter, tailoring a resume, doing “cold calls,” following up, working on micro-credentials, and networking. The more effort, the more quality time, then the more opportunities.
- How many jobs have you applied to this week: ____ Did you use a cover letter for each?
Monday ____ Tuesday ___ Wed ___ Thurs ____ Friday ____ Sat ___ Sun ____ Total: _____
(1 – good start; 2-5 better; 5-10 strong effort; 11+ excellent work)
“I strongly recommend using a tailored cover letter for every job you apply to stand out with employers.” Remember a job advertisement represents who would be hired if the employer could build the perfect applicant, seldom is the perfect applicant ever available when an employer goes to market. If you have most of the skills required, take a chance; you might be the best person available. Every job you try for is a good learning experience.”
- How many people did you network with today (Try for 5 days/week): ____ Include people you talk to/text/email about adding skills and/or jobs.
Monday ____ Tuesday ___ Wed ___ Thurs ____ Friday ____ Sat ___ Sun _____ Total: _____
(1 – good start; 2-5 better; 5-10 strong effort; 10+ excellent work)
“Everyone you know should know you are looking for work. Ask for references, ask people if they know someone looking for someone like you. If the situation was reversed, you would help the people you know who care, who try hard, and who deserve a break.”
- What micro-credentials are you working on this week, and are they listed on your resume?
______________________________________________________________________________
“The person who is always trying to improve themselves and their skills is valuable to employers. It has never been easier to find courses, certificates, and experiences. Local libraries offer courses, Adult Learning Centres are tremendous resources, and YouTube and other online sources are at your fingertips. Many are free and funding may be available for those that are not.”
- Whether your resume, cover letter, interview questions, or follow-up; remember the key to success is always to remember to focus on “solving the employer’s problem.”
“Having interviewed hundreds of people in my career, those who focused their attention on solving the employer’s problem have a distinct advantage and will stand out.”
- Online Search for Jobs: We suggest searching sites on alternate days setting up automatic alerts where possible, and uploading your ATS (easily scanable) resume.
- Google.ca
- Indeed Canada
- Connect2Jobs
- Employment Sites on Facebook
- Glassdoor
- Visit organizational-specific sites such as your local Chamber of Commerce, Municipal, and company websites or social media for potential job openings.
- Job Bank Canada
- YMCA Job Board
- Check for upcoming job fairs and/or employment events/open houses.
- Check the days you searched (try for 5 days/week): (It is not necessary to check every site every day)
Monday ____ Tuesday ___ Wed ___ Thurs ____ Friday ____ Sat ____ Sun ___
“The websites available in your community will vary; these are the ones I use in the towns and areas where I work. No one source has 100% of the jobs; I recommend, checking the best ones M-W-F and the others on T-Thurs.”
- Review Job Requirements
- Go through job postings to see if there are any skills you are missing.
- Include the time spent learning or practicing a skill you need for your job search in your job search totals.
- Explore free resources on Coursera, Contact North, your local Adult Learning Centre, your local Library, and LinkedIn Learning.
“It is not necessary to have all of the skills requested until they are a “required” skill; reviewing job ads is a great way to identify skills to add through courses and online tutorials such as Excel, PowerPoint, etc.”
- Create and submit Applications.
- Apply to jobs relevant to your skills and interests.
- Use a cover letter to stand out and tailor your application by reshuffling resume skills to match the job advertisement.
“Take the job advertisement and copy it into your word processor, eliminate everything that doesn’t have anything to do with the “core” skills the employer is seeking, and use their words to build your cover letter.” Change the order of your skills on your resume to match the core skills they are seeking. You shouldn’t remove any skills; just change the sequence.”
- Cold Calls (Only engage with cold call visits after practicing)
- Send messages or emails to people or allies in your network (former colleagues, friends, or alumni) to inquire about job opportunities or advice.
- Follow up with any leads you have had from previous networking.
- Identify key employers in your search radius, set a goal for the number of cold visits, and do your visits, following the steps and processes practiced with your career advisor.
Monday ____ Tuesday ___ Wed ___ Thurs ____ Friday ____ Sat ____ Sun ____ Total: _____
(1-3/week – it’s a good start; 4-7/week – better; 8-12 excellent work; 13+ You Rock
Look into local businesses and industries that are hiring (healthcare, manufacturing, retail, agriculture, tourism).
Visit company websites to see if they have job openings that might not be posted on job boards. Practice, ask to speak to the Manager, bring resumes and notebook/pen, ask for a business card, and follow up.
“Cold calls (in-person visits to possible employers), are the most difficult type of job search to do; however, often they are the most productive. Be persistent, and respectful, and always ask to speak to the manager, know what you are going to say and ask, ask permission to follow up, and never ask for a job, always ask to speak about “opportunities.”
- Track Your Applications. Use your spreadsheet to track which jobs you have applied for, deadlines, and follow-up dates. (Create one if you do not have one already and update daily)
“Keeping track of who and at what organization you spoke to is a missing element in many job searches. A simple spreadsheet or table will work; it can be on paper or digital and will help you stay organized.
- Follow up.
- Send a professional follow-up email or call if you have not heard back from a company in the past 5-7 days.
- Send a professional follow-up and thank-you email within 24-48 hours for each interview.
- If you do not get the job, follow up, thank the interviewer for the opportunity, ask for feedback, and as well as tell them you are still interested if circumstances change.
“Another vital element of your job search is following up with employers. Being professional, polite, and composed will increase your chances of finding employment and impressing a potential employer, even if they don’t hire you immediately.”
- Check Email & Voicemail for responses daily.
- Check your Junk/Trash file daily.
“Many computer protection programs automatically route business or organization emails to the “junk” folder, and this includes emails from employers responding to your job applications.”
- Engage with LinkedIn
- Update your LinkedIn profile if necessary (representative photo, skills, experience).
- Connect with recruiters, companies, organizations, and industry professionals.
- Post, repost, like, and share relevant content to increase your visibility.
- Follow the organizations you choose to seek employment with.
- Connect with a minimum of 5 new people each week. Connections at the start of the week ____ Connections at the end of the week ______.
“Create a “free” account on LinkedIn and use this useful tool to network, learn about potential employers, follow organizations you are interested in or working for, and through local libraries take advantage of their connections to “LinkedIn Learning,” to add micro-credentials.”
- Prepare for Interviews. (Take a notebook and pen, write down any questions you want to ask)
- Practice common interview questions.
- Spend 15-30 minutes researching the organization to find 5 things they are proud of and that they do for your community.
- Use ChatGPT or other AI to create organizational-specific interview questions.
- Take care with personal hygiene (do not underestimate the importance of this)
“Preparing and practicing for interviews is something most job seekers don’t do, and it is your greatest opportunity to stand out. Don’t memorize answers, but practice coming up with 4 key bullet points and use that to expand your answer to between 2-4 minutes on average. Keep your answers focused on “solving the employers” problem. For questions that begin with “Tell me when you …” use the STAR approach to keep focused (Situation, Task, Action, and Result.)”
- Set Time for Lessons Learned.
- To be specific, what have you done well this week, what haven’t you done as well, and what could you do differently next week?
- Celebrate small victories—getting an interview, finding a new resource, or submitting applications!
“Finding the right job for you is a “learned skill” and you will improve incrementally. Some things will go well, and others won’t; however, every step is a learning opportunity, and use every success and failure to improve.”
- What do you want to cover with your Career Advisor next week?
- Transportation.
- Transferrable skills
- How to upgrade your skills?
- What accommodations do you need?
- Supports for people who experience barriers to employment.
- Life Stabilization Needs (Shelter, food, clothing)
- References/networking/allies
- Social and Work Anxiety Levels
- Building Confidence
- Presentation/Appearance
- Soft Skills/social cuesMentorships
- Social Media presence
- Resume (ATS/Marketing)
- Cover Letter
- Interview Prep & Skills
- Job Search skills, how, where, how often.
- Hidden job market searching
- Setting the stage for success
- Procrastination
- Applying Online/Applying In-Person issues
- Important: Follow-up
- Preparing to return to work
- Accepting a Job
- Hiring Paperwork
- Orientation and onboarding.
- How to keep a job.
- How to change jobs.
- How to protect your rights
“These are many of the areas a career advisor can help a job seeker with skills and important knowledge in their job search. Often a job seeker “doesn’t know what they don’t know,” and by providing this list, a job seeker can help direct a career advisor to maximize the time available for one/one sessions.”
The job seeker’s playbook is meant to supplement the employment process for job seekers. It is a “multiplier” designed to provide you with a framework for helping yourself and to assist your career advisor help you with the skills and confidence to take the next step on your employment journey.
Good luck,
Paul.