Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 19Community • Entertainment !.Features *Religion *Family -*More SECTION W�men at Work Conference =Ea BY WILLIAM THOMAS Job searchin is By Shelley McPhee Haist Remember the scene from the movies where a young girl goes to the big city in search of a wonderful, new career? She spots a Help Wanted sign in the window, presents it to the drug store owner, is im- mediately hired for the job, and, goes on to live happily ever after. That situation may be suitable for after- noon matinee movie fare, but it does not realistically portray job searching in the 1980s. Kim Coulter, a career counsellor for Womanpower in London says, "We're not born with the knowledge to job search. It's a skill, it's something you learn. It's impor- tant not to be hard on yourself. Job sear- ching can be discouraging, but you're going to be rejected, that's part of job search. A group of women, from all walks of life and interests, took part in a job search seminar held as part of the Women At Work Conference in Goderich recently. The half-day seminar was led by Ms: Coulter from Womanpower, a career counselling centre for women. Woman- power operates in London as an outreach project funded by Employment and Im- migration Canada. It has been running for more than 12 years and provides free voca- tional counselling and career resources, rather, than direct job placement. Womanpower offers group counselling on self-assessment, resume writing, job inter- views, job search and non-traditional jobs and training. All of these aspects come into play in job searching. Tom Jackson, author and Manpower con- sultant, says, "It's not the best qualified people who get the best jobs,, it's those who are the most skilled job seekers." Job searching in the 1980s has gone beyond the limits of using a bit of luck to get a job, and the "who you know" connections. Today, job searching requires education and training, experience and time. As one woman participating in the seminar noted, "Job searching can be a fulltime job. "You almost need to quit your present job to look for another." Ms. Coulter, outlined a three phase plan as part of the job search strategy. Preparing For The Job Search Phase one of the plan looks at self- assessment and initial preparation for job searching. Self-assessment addresses four major points - know yourself and what you want: learn to communicate information about yourself; identify barriers in your job search; have your resume prepared. "Your self-assessment means being clear about what you have to offer," Ms. Coulter said. "Know what you have to offer, be prepared and communicate this to your employer." Perhaps one of the most difficult exer- cises in this phase in communicating per- sonal strengths, achievements and goals to another person, in this case an interviewer. Ms. Coulter emphasised, "You must learn to talk about your positive skills in a positive way without feeling like you're bragging or feeling embarrassment. onference focus 1 Sheater, a local woman's theatre group took part in the Women At Work Conference held in Goderich. The participatory play invited conference participants to resolve conflicts within the script. Here Sharon Dietz of Lucknow (standing\ and Beth Jantzi off Hensall (right) took part in d. scene with Judy McMichael and Valerie Wilton. The Women A'i Work Conference explored issues relating to women working in Hnron County. (Shelley McPhee-Haist photo) re-inforced by a keener sense of self- with people helping people." job assessment and self -presentation. Many Ms. Coulter also suggests sear - barriers can be overcome by attitude, adap- chers can network amongst themselves, by tability and compromise, with yourself and building a suport group of people that can with the employer. Ms. Coulter said, "You share information, help prepare and com- must be clear on this and what your needs pare resumes and give each other moral are. You can't change your age, you can't support. change your family circumstance. If you Contacting Employers feel that these are hurting your, chances of How many times have you encountered getting a job, you'll feel that way as soon as the illusive boss - the employee' who never you walk through the door and into the inter- returns his phone calls, the department view. But, you can change your attitude and head who is never in his office? How many you can work to prove your . employer times have you sent resumes. to large wrong." businesses only to find that -resume never As an example, Ms. Coulter suggests tell- gets to the right people a�}d-ends in the ing the job interview something like this, back of some fxlu g cabal t "I'm competent, willing to work and I hope How do you contact anemployer, and You don't think my age will interfere." make a lasting, mpositive impression? Self -presentation is perhaps one of the Telephone contact is okay, as long as you most important aspects of a job interview. It find the boss in, as long as you haven't is here that the employer makes his first caught him offguard, on a bad day, or at a judgement. busy time. As well, a best effort interview made on Correspondence is okay, as long as you're behalf of the job searcher help relieve any assured that your resume gets to the right feelings of rejection that may occur. Ms. department head, that it doesn't end up in a Coulter said, "Doing your best makes you pile of unanswered mail, in the filing feel that you've done everything you could. cabinet, or, even in the garbage pail. Personal power won't guarantee you a job, The best way to make contact with an but it will make you feel that you did the best employer is by seeing him in person. you could " "Putting a face to a name makes an im- -- it gives you T Find Jobs pression. It shows inititative and . V gives � She noted that many women have been How o raised to believe that self -promotion is Phase two of the job search plan looks at a chance to see the organization, Ms. wrong, that it is unattractive and the labor market, the availability of work Coullttersonal contact communicates r said. "'unqualified. and where to find the jobs. Many people are reluctant to evaluate Basically there are five main resources at friendliness and interest. And, it's harder themselves and communicate both their hand to help in the job search., Jobs for ple.to say no when you meet them in strengths and weakness in a face-to-face found through word of mouth, throughperson. situation with another person. However in newspaper ads, from the Canada Employ- Ms. Coulter does not suggest making an an interview situation, many employers will ment Centre, by cold doemploymenttact with unexpected visit on an employer. She says test your ability to communicate by asking businesses and by privatethat the telephone can be used as an effec- questions like "Would you tell me a little agencies. tive tool to set up an appointment with an about the jobs you have held, how they were Two of the five sources, word of mouth employer. Then, at the time of the inter - obtained and why you left?" Interviews and cold contact, account from more than 75 view, also present your resume. may also present more challenging quer- per cent of job search success. Who to contact? Ms. Coulter said that. ' tions like - "What is your major weakness?" The "hidden job market" provides an many job searchers make the mistake of Interviewers may also ask questions that ongoing daily source of employment oppor- dealing directly with personnel depart- . you may not be comfortable with, questions tunities, most of which are filled by word of in particular which infringe on personal mouth and by direct contact from people ments only. She suggests, as many Pe tike privacy - such as marital status,dependents, who are seeking work. within the company "Contact possible, age, sex, race, religion, social insurance "Newspapers and the Canada Employ- manager and the employees. Seek contact number. While it is illegal to ask these ques- ment Centre can help,"Ms. Coulter explain- n theperson who has authorizationSeeontcontact tions that does not mean that employers will ed, "but it's your responsibility to be active- with theyoMak® surehoyourthe h gets o the to not ask them in interviews. Ms. Coulter sug- ly looking by seeking out companies, by han- hiregests, "Be prepared for these kind of ques- ding out resumes, by talking to people and right person." The Resume tions and answer without saying `it's none of by following up on resumes." Resume writing is a topic in itself that is your business,' or blurting out your' entire Ms. Coulter urges job seekers to "get your studied at gth in counselling ing sel .tha at personal life." name and your face in front of them again" Womanpower. She suggests answering these by posing in meeting with employers. questions to interviewer, asking, for in- She further suggests doing some Ms. Coulter said, "The employer -wants to . stance,g know about your education, experiences, how the employer thinks that homework in preparation for job searching, ' marital status or age would effect job by seeking out information onthe why Search, toou want book, your skills." sthe performance. , - businesses who you plan to contact, On - The way you handle yourself in an inter- ing yourself fully aware of the employment tario Women's Directorate says the resume , view is as important as the information You possibilities and the operation of the should n,cludeork personal identiif estand present on your resume. Ms. Coulter business. career stresses, "know what you have to offer, be "Reading anti talking to people is a good interests t rests ( and rreferences upon rs or goals pprepared and communicate this to your way to begin your job search," Ms. Coulter Of foremost importance, "the resume is 99 noted. P is the world- s a circus Have you ever noticed as time goes on the world looks more and more like a circus? Well it does. I"rnean three rings can no longer confine it and fun and laughter do not define it but it's a circus out there all the same. Phineas Taylor Barnum, the man who did ore to shape America than Lincoln, claim- ed "There's a sucker born every minute." Standing steadfastly behind this conviction and slightly to the left of the flap door of his freakshow tent, Barnum spent his entire life Droving and profiting from this simple observation of life. As smart as he was, Barnum could not see the future, a time in which governments, oil companies and wealthy evangelists would use his one rule of life to underwrite their policies and platforms. Barnum made his claim to infamy around 1840 and could not possibly know the extent of its evolution to modern times. Natural b population growth has come into play with a sudden tilt of the world's axis to distort his theory. Today there is not a sucker born every minute. Actually eleven suckers are born every minute along with eight ter- rorists, two Hari Krishna, one Marxist, half a punkrocker, two professional athletes,' four computer programmers and three peo-., ple willing,to publicly humiliate themselves'; for a guest shot on T.V.'s Bloopers and Prac- tical Jokes. Being reborn does not affect the results of this survey, one way or the other. Today P.T. Barnum would be proud of us. Unfortunately he'd also be out of work, im- itation being the highest form of flattery and,;; the fastest way to destroy an original idea. Barnum laid the footings for this modern world of ours. His first venture involved the purchase and country -wide exhibition of Joyce Heath, a Negro slave reputed to be 161 years old. Enormous profits and instant notoriety obscured the fact that a post- mortem revealed the woman's actual age to be in the late 70's. Nat, he took possession; of Charles Sherwood Stratton, renamed him General Tom Thumb and took the 15 -pound 2'1" five-year-old on the road. He once of- fered Sarah Bernhardt $10,000 if he could ex- hibit her amputated leg, but never having; seen "That's Incredible" or been handled by an agent she turned him down. With his partner, James Bailey, Barnum went on to found - the "Greatest Show: On Earth", epitomizing the modern day circus. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the city where he found Tom Thumb, Barnum in his in- imitable modesty built The Barnum Museum. Though it flourished for a time, The Bar- num Museum eventually went broke. The People of Bridgeport attributed its demise to a poor economy. I don't think so. I think one night during a full moon with Halley's Comet on the cusp, the circus escaped from Barnum's museum. It just up' and walked away. It spread through America, Canada and the world, practising along the way until now, the circus is play- ing to packed houses and three -deep street! crowds everywhere. It's just out there. Onlvi now has it truly fulfilled its geographic bill- ing as the greatest show on earth. It's everywhere, it's everywhere with Barnum long forgotten. • I look at energy costs and taxes and our justice system and I see those responsible with water -squirting daisies in the their lapels shaking our hands with joy buzzers taped to their palms. I watch a session of parliament and I notice they're all wearing red bulbous noses, bouncing up and down on whoopee cushions. I see politicians and; close friends of politicians and I can't ignore their electric yellow wigs, the eyebrows that move up and down, the checkered ties cut in half, the hands in each others' pockets. The circus escaped from Barnum Museum one night and now we're stuck with it. Be there any doubters to this observation take even the slightest glimpse at Canada Post, this country's best ktfown act since Wayne and Shuster came home from the old Ed Sullivan Show. Oh the circus is out there all right, but without Barnum's three rings it's tough to pick, Clarabell out of the crowd or decide which flying Wallenda to push the net under. employer. ' Job searching can be a difficult task, br- Information may be gathered by talking an out ' inging with it more than its share of rejec- with ,other workers, or by dealing directly unpaid work experience, and personal infor- The Ontario Woman's Directorate book tions and disappointments. Ms. Coulter says with the employer. Ms. Coulter suggested, mation,that you feel relates best to the job for a ;that the average job search takes at least "Ask for aninformation and discuss what job op- suchou aa way thre at he. It semployer hould be canqui quickly To find a position that is 'right' for iyou will notesared in six ateight months. with the employer could be a good candidate take careful planning, an assertive ap- Facing barriers in the, job search and portunities may be available at their place. assess why you job,' 'Che booklet notes. proach and time. don't want to stumble overcoming them is an important part of the It's a good way to make contact with an for theinto the n first available Youauld job and then spend employer. You gain information, ex- It also reports, "Job seekers often assume three phase plan. b rtumty " that only executives and professional people years regretting it. Barriers "It's g ane of your qualifications, paid and Kim Coulter of Womanpower in London was one of more than half -a -dozen speakers who led workshops at the Women_ at Work Conference in Goderich. Ms. Coulter is the co-ordinator of Woman- power, a centre that offers vocational counselling and career resources for women. She led a seminar on job - searching at the conference, which was sponsored by Women Today. (Shelly McPhee-Haist photo) Each day thousands of people compete for limited job opportunities and each day employers filter through piles of resumes and job applications in search of the best person for the job. Too frequently we sell ourselves short in our job search endeavors; but, today a variety of services offer information, sup- port and guidance to aid in this ever - developing skill. B rs include a wide assortment of per- parlance, perhaps even a Jo oppo at all levels of sonal problems, prejudices and opinions. However, she warned, Its not a tricky need resumes.Today people as They includenlake of the ualif camarket, ons esexa lack front with tto get ahe employer and explain ob interview. You must be valuable asset shouldment nahave job search. iMaxim Maximize confidence, q thatusingevery tool of money, lack of transportation, ap- you're job searching and seeking your chances by information. available." pearance and fear. , "Fear,"Ms. Coulter said, "is the underly- Ms. Coulter also -strongly endorses the In short, the entire job searchprocess ing barrier for everyone. It means fear of concept of networking. Through the peoople ur means o ns using all availake blea tools, avenues and rejection, of failure. We dont like change ,you know, and the people they know, y and we fear the risk." job search may be made easier. As well, easier one, and perhaps a successful one The effects of these. obstacles include feel- networking provides excellent support and $0oOone are the days when the young woman ings of -inadequacy, depression, anger, new ideas. loneliness, intimidation. As Ms. ' Coulter "You want to know as much as ccould co ldovpicrid the Wanted Job sign nso spot. Gone the he noted, "It's pretty hard to get up for jobb Networking ggives you psychological the days whenrthe people who really searching. You may think it easier to ked benefits through the support and feedback areeeded the jobs got the jobs. your present job, or just to stay at home." you receive." noted,"Some people fear that As Ms. Coulter noted, Employers don't here are solutions. Feelings f networkingShe hmeans sin people get q job, hire ppeople they feel sorry for. They hire can be overcorrre by recognizing , g p p .. le the ihlfr... .. .. ; "A significant nificant part of your lifetime will be spent in your jobs. Unless you enjoy them, the time you spend at work can seem like an eternity. No job is perfect, but you should aim for one in which you enjoy at least some aspects of the work," it concludes. For more information on job searching, the Job Search Workbook is available from the Ontario Women's Directorate. Informa- tion is also available from your local Canada Employment Centre, from Woman- power in London, and from Women Today in Clinton, Additional recommended reading material included The Perfect Resume by Tom . Jackson, The Complete Job Search Handbook by Howard 1<igle• and What Color Is Your Parachute by Rickard Bolles....... inadequacy past successes. Lack of Co)n£r<ttgrtce can be ..but. rietworkm. ,ilio ks as -,,,t o „wq3� street , , ,. eb k can dot 010b" I'm just countryfolk from a place called Wainfleet but in the columns to come I hope to try and sort out the sword swallowers from the popcorn eaters on your behalf. That way you can determine if you're a lucky spectator getting into the show for free or one of those who should really be demanding a performance fee. -The wild animals aren't as tame as the used to be and the animal trainers may hav real bullets in their guns, but it's a circus ou there all the same. T As the "King' of Clowns — Red Skelton was fond of saying after he'd done a six minute pantomime of two seagulls havin marital difficulties: "You can't take life to seriously. Hell, nobody's getting out of i alive. CIVIC CORNER Huron County Council will meet at 10 a.m on Thursday, November 6, 1986 in the Coun cil Chambers, Court House, Goderich. Huron County Library Board will meet a 10 a.m. on Monday, November 10, 1986 in th Council Chambers, Court House, Goderich. Huron County Museum Committee will meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12, 1986 in the Council Chambers, Court House, Goderich.