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BCjobs Blog

Job Search Advice

October 13th, 2010

Dress for Success..the Modern Way

Dress for Success..the Modern Way

DRESS FOR SUCCESS… what does it mean? These days those three little words seem to cause more confusion than ever. Appropriate dress used to be determined by the industry or profession. Now it also varies from business to business. It’s up to each company to determine it’s own standards for professional dress. Unfortunately today, not every company does.

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October 7th, 2010

The death of the Canadian dream? Not necessarily…

The death of the Canadian dream? Not necessarily...

In a National Post article by Andrew Mayeda, he discusses the challenges faced by the Millennials — those born after 1980 — in finding a job in today’s economy. Specifically he profiles an individual with a master’s degree in international affairs and volunteer experience working abroad for non-profit organizations. At 27 she is finding it challenging to find full-time employment and has been forced to take a contract job.

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October 5th, 2010

Five Statistics That Matter for Your Job Search

Five Statistics That Matter for Your Job Search

Each year for the past nine years CareerXroads has conducted a survey about the sources of new hires. The most recent survey (full report available here) solicited source of hire stats for 43 large companies, who collectively filled 176,000 positions in 2009. While the sample size is small, and arguments can and have been made about the accuracy and applicability of the statistics, the survey results are nevertheless revealing, and have some important implications for how jobseekers invest their job hunt energy.

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September 10th, 2010

Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey

Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey

Today Statistics Canada released its monthly Labour Force Survey and the results are slightly more positive than economists had anticipated. There were 35,800 jobs created in August and the unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a percentage point to 8.1%, due to higher participation in the labour market. The Canadian job market has now regained nearly all of the jobs lost during the recession, however, the unemployment rate is roughly 2 per cent higher than it was prior to the start of the decline. This may be partly…

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August 24th, 2010

Just How Many Jobs Are You Missing Out On?

Just How Many Jobs Are You Missing Out On?

I recently nagged a client to get her LinkedIn profile fully up and running. She emailed me the other day to say that she got an email from a recruiter within 2 days of doing it. A new survey explains why.

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July 28th, 2010

Your Job Search Elevator Pitch – Communicate Your Value in these 7 Easy Steps

Your Job Search Elevator Pitch - Communicate Your Value in these 7 Easy Steps

Imagine you’ve walked into a networking event only to meet a potential employer you’ve been dying to snag an interview with. This is your chance. You need to make a good impression, and quickly. But you’re not sure what to say.

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July 28th, 2010

Can you sue an employer?

Can you sue an employer?

Recently, someone asked me whether they could sue their employer after they were dismissed and the employer provided them with a good reference on LinkedIn. The short answer is: not really. But, like all things legal, it depends.

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June 28th, 2010

For Your Reference

For Your Reference

A strong resume and interview may place job seekers in the running for a position, but a new survey from OfficeTeam finds the results of a reference check can be the real deal maker — or breaker.

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June 28th, 2010

Networking for Work – Six Degrees of Separation

Networking for Work - Six Degrees of Separation

Many people are daunted by the prospect of establishing a new relationship, or leveraging an existing one, as a career strategy. Not all are born communicators, not all are outgoing by nature. No matter how awkward or painful your initial attempts, there are compelling reasons to begin practicing networking.

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June 28th, 2010

Dress UP!

Dress UP!

This past month, there’s been a lot of online chatter about corporate dress codes and what (or what not) to wear to work. (Surely initiated by the recent, salacious news that Citigroup is being sued by a former employee who claims she was fired for dressing too provocatively- details here). It reminds me of a message my late uncle passed on to me early in my professional career.

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