Ways for Youth to Stay Productive During COVID-19

If you are in high school, university or college you are probably wondering what the future holds for you in terms of employment. Many students had jobs lined up for the summer to help pay for next semester’s tuition or complete a practicum. Now, there may be some unexpected challenges along the way and what happens after COVID-19? The unknown can be scary, but try to stay positive as this will pass!  And remember, you are not alone! What do you have control over now that will help you to move forward when the COVID-19 is over?

Here are some tips to keep you busy and remain positive!

• Find a Career Advisor. They are likely to offer assistance remotely and will help in finding employment options and opportunities. They also may be able to help with any concerns you have with COVID 19.
• How will you spend your time? Now is a good time to plan for your future. Do some research on careers and think about what is of interest to you. Consider finding a free career assessment tool online, such as: https://www.workbc.ca/blueprintbuilder.
• Continue to learn. Most schools have moved into online instruction. Ask your instructor for help if you are struggling, or see if are there any other courses you can take to boost your grades up.
• Stay healthy. Ensure you follow guidelines set by the Provincial Government. Your physical and mental well-being is important. Stay connected with friends, family and peers. Supporting each other through this difficult time is important. Cheer out your window for the front line workers every night at 7:00 pm, sing “Oh Canada” every Sunday at noon.  Here is a list of resources to help you stay healthy both physically and mentally: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html
• Help others. During this crisis, people need help. You can volunteer with an organization, help a neighbour with getting groceries, cut their lawn, or walk their dog. Oceanside Volunteer Association is always looking for people to help out. For a list of volunteer positions in the Oceanside area: https://www.oceansidevolunteer.org/volunteer-opportunities.

When the pandemic is lifted and you apply for your next job, the employer may ask “What did you do during COVID-19?”  What will you say?

Remember Dr. Bonnie Henry’s words, “Be kind. Stay calm and stay safe. This is not forever this is just for now.”

For information on Federal Student Aid: https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/covid-19-trudeau-offers-9-billion-to-students-facing-joblessness-over-pandemic

 

Staying Active in Your Job Search During COVID-19

You have been in job search mode, but now are isolating at home and unsure how to proceed. Sound familiar? Here are some strategies to help keep you active and productive.

While it’s true that the pandemic has left some companies with hiring freezes, staff reductions, layoffs or closures, other sectors are ramping up their recruiting in an attempt to fill vital positions. You may be surprised at how large the list of essential services is: https://bit.ly/2JqgkY7. Start by researching the sectors of interest, then types of companies on the list. Next research and target local companies within the industry.

Once you find companies of interest, be sure to research their websites and check out their social media pages. These can usually be found as icons at the bottom of a company website or on their contact page. Consider including a paragraph in your cover letter, about why you are interested in working for their company specifically, including information that will prove your research efforts, interest and enthusiasm to the employer.

Ensure that your resume, cover letter and any other marketing documents are customized and personalized to each company and/or position. These are living, breathing documents and not meant to be static, generic, or used for multiple companies. Want to exude professionalism? Brand all your documents (including your reference contact list) by using the same font style, font content/title sizes, and letterhead across all. Avoid the use of headers and footers, which are unreadable by many applicant tracking systems (ATS).

While networking by phone and email is still a top way to find employment, be sure to have job alerts created on all your preferred job boards (e.g. CareerCentre.org, WorkBC.ca, Indeed.ca, WowJobs.ca, Glassdoor.ca, Google) for the various job titles of interest. This way you are spending less job search time surfing job boards (let’s say 20%) and more time with specific, customized job search activities (80%).

When in doubt, reach out! Stay connected to your WorkBC Employment Consultant for support. Our team is working by phone, email and virtually to serve you during this time.

Stay safe and be well,

Brenda
Employer Services Coordinator

Networking, Business Cards & Social Media

Okay. So you’ve just come back from a networking event, like a hiring fair, and have a pile of business cards you’ve collected from all the people you’ve interacted with. Now what?

In the past, we might have input the information into our computer or phone’s contacts and emailed everyone a follow-up letter. While this is a great idea, once the initial follow-up email has been sent, that’s where it may end for a number of your contacts. Let’s face it, life is busy and out of sight means out of mind.

A more current method is to first conduct a search for your new contacts on any social media sites you use: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. (Personally, I check LinkedIn first, as that’s my “go to” professional site.) From there, if the contact has a profile page, I can research further about their experience, company information, and other links prior to writing my follow-up email.

When requesting to add them to your network, be sure to write a personalized message within the body of your request. A pet peeve of many is receiving LinkedIn requests that use the generic request sentence without a reason as to why you’re connecting. Be creative and personalize your message instead!

Once connected, it’s easier to keep consistent communication with everyone and keep top of mind with your network. You can message them, or when you see their posts, you can comment, like, or share, and keep the dialogue going.  Also, while you’re networking online, don’t forget you may want to connect with people of interest in relevant groups you participate in.

Happy networking!

Brenda

Employer Services Coordinator

The Volunteer Connection

Often volunteerism and employment, including job search, tend to fall into two separate categories in most people’s minds, and for many there isn’t time to engage in both simultaneously. However, for job seekers, and also those who are underemployed or precariously employed, volunteering can lead to actual employment. Indeed, volunteering can even lead to a dream job.

When we consider working for free, or volunteering, we tend to make placement choices based on interests, passions and a sense of ethical responsibility. There are so many great options, including working with vulnerable populations, animals, or environmental protection. Volunteering, for most people, is about giving back and/or community engagement in a way that really resonates with who we are and what drives us. What many don’t realize is that volunteering is also a powerful assessment tool, particularly if we are considering actual employment in a specific area, and especially if we are planning to invest time and money via education in order to work in said area. For example, having a love for animals generally motivates people to train in the field. However, there are likely aspects of a job working with animals that animal lovers may find difficult or even impossible, such as euthanasia.

Investing a few hours of volunteer time to ensure a particular career choice is a solid fit is well worth it, especially as the cost of post-secondary training is expensive. The cost of being in an unsustainable job, with stress and subsequent job loss is immeasurably high. By volunteering you get the information you need to assess whether or not a career in that field is a good fit, and you also get to give back in a way that is tangible and significant. It’s a win/win!

All altruism aside, perhaps one of the most beneficial aspects of volunteering is that it often leads to actual employment, and/or contributes to hands-on experience in your employment target. Many volunteer positions offer free training and all of this makes your resume significantly stronger and more effective. Volunteering also provides an excellent venue for marketing your skills/abilities, as well as networking to other potential employers. It’s a “boots on the ground” approach to your job search that cannot be understated! For more information about the benefits of volunteering, as well as resources for finding awesome volunteer opportunities, check out: https://www.workbc.ca/WorkBC-Blog/Read-WorkBC-s-Blog/Three-Benefits-of-Volunteering.aspx.

For local opportunities to volunteer check out Oceanside Volunteer Association.