Workshop Spotlight:  Join us for our new Job Club, Thursdays starting July 2 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm!  Each week offers a guest employer or speaker from the community, as well as giveaways!  This week we will have Blain Sepos from Parksville Qualicum Beach Tourism joining us.  See this week’s hot sheet for registration details!

Tell us about your business/organization and what makes you stand out as an employer? 

Tigh-Na Mara Seaside Spa, Resort, and Conference Centre is a one-of-a-kind vacation destination nestled within the forest and oceanfront along Resort Drive in Parksville, BC. The Resort features 192 handcrafted log guestrooms, 2 restaurants, 3 kilometres of sandy beach, and the award-winning Grotto Spa; its most recent title being the #1 Spa in Canada by Spas of America.

Although our resort setting is beautiful, rustic, and unique, our biggest pride is in the warmth and closeness of our team. Happy team members make a happy resort, and we have launched many initiatives and work closely with our employees to ensure that. Some brief examples are that staff enjoy both company and community wide discounts, preferred pricing with Helijet and Harbour Air, complimentary access to the gym, sauna, and pool house, internal cash incentives, staff meals, team building excursions, summer bonuses and much, much more. We treat our team like family and encourage them to explore their potential within our many doors.

How many employees do you have? 

Currently we have 300 employees, and that number is steadily increasing as we head into the summer months. Our main departments include Front Office, Housekeeping, Sales & Marketing, Maintenance, Spa, Food & Beverage, Gift Shop, and Accounting.

What do you look for in a new employee? 

At Tigh-Na-Mara we are very proud of our work culture and recognize that skills can be taught, but attitude is the most important feature we look for. It is not uncommon for us to receive positive guest reviews commenting on the warmth and sincerity of the staff resort-wide that all take pride in making our guests feel at home during their stay. We have many opportunities for a positive attitude and a willingness to learn!

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for your organization? 

 Come check us out! Get a feel for our beautiful resort and the staff running it! Bonus if you’re able to enjoy a spa day or delicious meal while you’re at it!

1. Ensure Tigh-Na-Mara is the right fit for you.  The hiring process is not only about the organization but about the individuals that make it up. We want you to start out with success, so ask questions to fully understand the expectations and to ensure our resort is the right fit for you! Start with what is important to you; Day shift, night shift, working front facing with guests, or behind the scenes in private, and we are happy to help you find the right department.
2. Apply!  Visit our website to see our current opportunities, or email human.resources@tigh-na-mara.com to inquire.
3. Ask yourself: Are you ready to be part of a team?  We pride ourselves at looking at everybody as member for our team no matter what department. A team mindset means we look out for the resort and each other as a whole and are conscious of how our actions affect everyone on board. We have a lot of fun!

Do you anticipate hiring in the next 6 months?  If so, for what types of positions? 

Absolutely! We generally are always hiring meaning that we are always open to receiving applications and performing interviews. No matter the season there is always lots happening at our resort! Currently we are focused on building our Housekeeping team; perks being an additional dollar per hour during the summer, daytime shifts, and getting to spend lots of time outdoors on our beautiful property!

What is the best way for someone to apply if they are interested in working for your organization?

Venture over to our Careers page on our website or email human.recources@tigh-na-mara.com . Please mention in that application that you heard about us from reading this article!

 

Looking to spruce up your cover letter?  Here are some top tips that can help:

• Research the organization to learn more about them and why you would like to work for them specifically, and include in your letter
• Follow instructions…include any answers to questions not addressed in your resume (i.e. amount of hours you can work, available shifts, salary, etc.)
• Only include qualifications, education, etc. that are relevant to the position you are applying for
• Match your skills to the organization’s needs, coming up with specific examples of occasions when you have used these skills successfully (i.e. accomplishment statements)
• Your cover letter should be neat, brief/concise, well written and error free, on no more than one page
• It should be branded to match your resume and reference sheet (matching letterhead, font style and sizes)
• Use a business letter format: left-blocked/aligned style (no indents at beginning of paragraphs), typical margin size is 1” around in order to have enough “white space”, and the font should be consistent with your resume and other marketing documents
• Personalize each letter, addressing each to a specific individual (which may require that you contact the organization to get the name and title of the appropriate person). Do not use “To Whom It May Concern”.  If getting a specific name is not possible, here are some examples you might consider:
  • Hiring Manager, Personnel Manager, Human Resources, Hiring Team
• Capitalize the first letter of each word in a job title (e.g. Long Term Care Aide)
• Use a professional tone
• Avoid overusing the word “I” (aim for approximately 5 or less per letter, or 2 or less per paragraph…this is harder than it sounds!)
• Use keywords, as well as action words and adjectives
• If using a Broadcast/Inquiry letter, let them know you will follow-up
• Do not rely on spellcheck…proofread it a few times, read it aloud, and have someone else proofread it
• Save your document with a file name that the employer (and you!) will easily be able to identify with and file/locate (e.g. John Smith – Cover Letter – 123 Company)
• Keep a copy of every letter you send as part of your job search file (examples: hard copy, email saved in a Job Search folder in your mail program, or electronic copy in your document files)

Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce held their Business Achievement Awards.  See this week’s hot sheet for the winning companies and more!