Get ready for the Hiring Fair!

Explore job opportunities at the upcoming Hiring Fair, hosted by the Career Centre on Friday, April 11, from 12:00pm to 3:30pm at the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 49, 146 Hirst Avenue W, Parksville. We are planning for 30+ employers this year, providing a unique opportunity for job seekers to engage directly with businesses actively hiring. Stay tuned and keep checking back for additions to the list of employers attending in 2025!

To maximize your success at the job fair and in your job search overall, consider the following steps:

Step 1: Participate in a Preparing for the Hiring Fair workshop. Acquire networking strategies to ensure success during face-to-face interactions with employers. Gain insights into necessary preparations before, during, and after the Hiring Fair.

Step 2: Dress professionally for success, as you would to attend a job interview. If you require interview attire, schedule an appointment with an employment consultant at the Career Centre for assistance.

Step 3: Research the list of registered employers beforehand. Get a competitive edge by researching businesses of interest, understanding their work culture and values. Prepare a set of questions to engage employers during the Hiring Fair.

Step 4: Bring multiple copies of your resume. Organize a folder with a list of target employers, several copies of your resume, cover letters (specifically addressed to certain employers), and letters of reference if available. Be ready to distribute extra resumes to employers not initially on your list. If you need assistance creating or updating your resumes, be sure to attend the Career Centre’s Resumes and Cover Letters Workshop prior to the Hiring Fair.

Step 5: Prepare for impromptu interviews. Craft a one-minute “presentation statement” highlighting your qualifications to effectively market yourself to potential employers. Attend workshops such as Branding “YOU” and Acing the Interview for additional insights.

Step 6: Network actively. Practice a polished greeting with eye contact to make a positive first impression. The Hiring Fair provides a valuable opportunity to connect with employers and fellow job seekers who can contribute to advancing your career.

Step 7: Collect contact information. Record the names and contact details of individuals and companies of interest or ask for business cards to facilitate follow-up.

Step 8: Send thank-you notes. Stay ahead of the competition by sending thank-you notes or emails to your preferred employers the following day. Ensure professionalism in your communication, avoiding jargon, abbreviations, or spelling mistakes.

The Career Centre’s Hiring Fair is a complimentary event for job seekers to engage with local employers. For details on upcoming workshops or to register, please call 250.248.3205.

We eagerly anticipate your presence on April 11 at the Hiring Fair from 12:00pm to 3:30pm!

The Powerful Positive Influence of Volunteering

Volunteering is an incredibly valuable experience that offers a wide range of benefits, both professionally and personally. By dedicating your time and skills to various causes, you open doors to new career opportunities and gain firsthand insight into different industries.

Whether you’re working in education, healthcare, the arts, or environmental conservation, volunteering provides practical experience that can be added to your resume, showcasing your initiative, passion, and work ethic to potential employers. In addition to career exploration, volunteering fosters personal growth by helping you develop essential skills. You might find yourself enhancing your leadership abilities as you take on new responsibilities, or improving your communication and teamwork skills while working with diverse groups of people. Volunteering can also challenge you to think critically and solve problems in real-world situations, expanding your problem-solving abilities.

Beyond the skills gained, volunteering also allows you to give back to your community, creating a sense of fulfillment and purpose. The relationships you build while volunteering can lead to long-lasting personal and professional connections. Whether you’re meeting mentors, like-minded individuals, or people with shared passions, these networks can open doors to future opportunities.

Ultimately, volunteering is a win-win: you contribute to causes that matter to you while growing both personally and professionally.

Maximize Your Job Search with Our Comprehensive Workshop Suite and Additional Workshops

Looking to boost your job search? Our “Job Search Workshop Suite” is designed to help you seamlessly integrate various job search strategies and skills over a 3-day course. By attending each workshop session, you’ll connect the dots between different aspects of the job search process, enhancing your overall effectiveness. Plus, we offer a range of additional workshops to complement and enhance your job search and career discovery journey.

Workshop Suite Overview:

Beyond the Postings (Job Search)
Discover how to tap into the 80% of jobs not advertised publicly. Learn to research labour market information and identify key local economic trends to find hidden job opportunities.
Participants say:
“Excellent! Great facilitator and guest speaker.”
“My next step will be using the information learned in this workshop to help me find employment.”

Resumes and Cover Letters
Master the art of crafting a resume and cover letter that make your skills and qualifications stand out. Gain insights into effective interviewing techniques in relation to your resume to ace your interviews and secure a job offer.
Participants say:
“I found this workshop to be very, very helpful.”
“I finished my resume and the help I received was over and above my expectations!”
“The instructor was very friendly and made me feel comfortable. I’m glad I attended.”

Job Search Strategies
Learn targeted job search strategies and how to use local labour market information to your advantage.

Interviews
Develop essential interviewing skills, from preparation to follow-up. Practice with mock interviews and get feedback to improve your performance.
Participants say:
“The instructor was great and always responded very knowledgeably to difficult questions.”
“This workshop opened my eyes to what I have to do to prepare for interviews.”

Wage Subsidy
Explore the Wage Subsidy Program to get on-the-job training while employers receive financial assistance. Call us at 250.248.3205 to see if you qualify.

Additional Workshops:

Personality Dimensions
Identify your work interests, strengths, and values to find occupations that align with your personality and career goals.
Participants say:
“Fun workshop!”
“Good information to take into every angle of life.”

Hot Leads
Kick-start your week with fresh job leads and strategies that local job seekers are finding effective.
Participants say:
“Hot Leads was very informative. I met some really great people, received some good tips and tricks, as well as leads from other attendees.”
“Well worth the time, plus it gave me hope meeting others and later hearing of their success in securing a job through a lead.”

Self Employment
Explore whether self-employment is right for you and learn about resources to support your business idea. Pre-register to receive the virtual session link.

Career Exploration
Understand yourself and use career decision-making techniques to find a career that suits you. Must meet with an Employment Consultant first.

By engaging in these workshops, you will build a comprehensive job search skillset and increase your chances of finding the right job.

Don’t miss out – register for our Job Search Workshops today!

Career Planning Tools Available to Job Seekers

Whether you are embarking on your first career plan or looking for a change after years in the workforce, Career Planning Tools have something for everyone to provide information on the opportunities that await! There are a variety of tools to guide your search, each providing information through different formats.

Career Discovery Quizzes: Not sure where to start? Take some time to complete the 6 different quizzes to gain insight into your abilities, work preferences and interests and how those all relate to various careers. There are also personality quizzes that will provide insight into multiple intelligences, learning styles and work values. All of these quizzes combined will aide in providing direction for your career search.

Career Trek Videos:  Check out the 184 videos showcasing careers all over the province. Each video is a snap shot of a day in the life the career, along with labour market information about job growth, salary, education required and key skills that are essential for the profession. These key skills are the same skills identified from the Career Discovery Quizzes.

Career Transition Tool: Use this tool to search your current career type to see what other career choices utilize transferable skills and similar education. For each career transition option, the details regarding education, salary and growth outlook are also included.

Career Profiles: A-Z career search or search by keyword to access and explore the 500 career profiles to find job expectations, education requirements, salary and more.

High Opportunity Occupations: These are occupations that are expected to continue to grow in the next 10 years. The search be conducted by region, education level, occupational interest and desired wage.

All of these tools are available here: https://www.workbc.ca/plan-career/explore-careers

If you are interested in exploring careers in person, contact our front desk to find out more about working with one of our Employment Consultants and our Career Exploration workshop series offered in our office: 250.248.3205.