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Career Readiness Workshop Series

This 4-part series is designed to assist in making sure that YOU are the best applicant, and get that job!

CRWS'23 | Zoom #1

Zoom recording of the 3/29/2023 workshop will display here as soon as it becomes available.

Use access code: 1FkNJ8*q to access Zoom presentation

Workshop 1 | Getting Started

Career Readiness Workshop Series | Week 1 Getting Started

Getting started is often the most difficult aspect of starting a new adventure - especially when it affects your career and livelihood. The BC Career Readiness Workshop Series Team is here to assist you in searching for, applying to, interviewing for, and winning that new job!

  • March 29, 2023 

  • Learning Services Lab (Room E-140)

  • Noon - 1 o'clock pm

THE JOBS ARE OUT THERE. Here are some resources to help you find them

Where to start? Books & eBooks ||| Job Hunting

Talking Points - Approaching an Organization

APPROACHES TO SECURING POSITIONS FROM WITHIN AND OUTSIDE AN ORGANIZATION

Approached to securing positions from outside an organization:

  1. Employee Referrals:  Many employers prefer candidate referrals, since they believe that employees are likely to recommend candidates that they believe will do a good job for the organization.
  2. Network Leads: People will share when they know of an open position or position that will soon be vacated that you may be well suited to fill.
  3. Recruitment Firms: There are recruitment firms retained by companies to recruit candidates for difficult to fill positions. They are paid an agreed upon fee if their candidate is hired by the company. You should NEVER be asked to pay any money to a recruiter.
  4. School Activities: Participation in an internship or externship program.
  5. Mentorship Program: There are formal mentorship program available through professional/trade organizations that pair up recent graduates and early careerist (mentee) with industry leaders (mentor). While it isn’t expected that a mentor will help his or her mentee secure a position within an organization, this could be an outcome.
  6. Job Announcements: Most professional/trade organizations allow companies to advertise their open positions directly to their members through their secured website.    
  7. Job Fairs: Schools, Chambers of Commerce, and companies will host job fairs whereby companies can meet potential candidates, share their open positions, accept resumes, allow the completion of applications, and sometimes even conduct on the spot interviews.  
  8. Social/Networking Events: Professional/Trade Organizations and Chambers of Commerce will host networking events where business representatives interface with one another and members of their organizations. These networking events can lead to job opportunities.
  9. Committee Involvement: Volunteer to serve on committees with professional/trade organizations. The key is to be an active participant on these committees. You want to build the reputation as someone who others can count on to get the job done. The relationships you build on these committees can easily result in job leads.
  10. Volunteerism: If you can afford to spend time volunteering with an organization, this can be an excellent way to enter an organization; demonstrate your skills; and establish connections that can lead to job opportunities. The key is to seek volunteer opportunities that will allow you an opportunity to demonstrate your technical and non-technical skills. 

Approaches to securing positions from within an organization:

  1. Committee Involvement: Volunteer to serve on committees within the organizations that will get you maximum exposure. The key is to be an active participant on these committees. You want to build the reputation as someone who can be counted on to get the job done. The relationships you build on these committees can easily result in job leads.
  2. First In, Last Out: When moving up within an organization, it is important to demonstrate your commitment to organizational success and ambition. You will need to set yourself apart from the competition (peers) in order to secure advancement opportunities. Being the first to work and the last to leave and highly productive when on the job will surely get you noticed by management.   
  3. Volunteer to Accept Collateral Assignments: Willingness to accept collateral assignments coupled with doing a great job executing these assignments may give you an edge when seeking promotion opportunities. 
  4. Employee Referrals:  Employees will let other employees know about open positions within their department or work section for which they believe you may be well suited, and then offer support for your candidacy. 
  5. Leadership Development (Succession Planning): Many companies offer formal leadership development programs designed to prepare certain personnel for future career opportunities within the organization. 
  6. Job Postings: Many organizations look to promote from within (merit promotion), so they will formally post open positions for internal candidates, and then if unable to find suitable candidates, they will recruit from outside the company.

When looking for career opportunities, it is best to explore multiple avenues and not limit your search to one or two approaches.