Be Authentic in Your Job Search

What does it really mean to be authentic? Being authentic is staying true to your own ideas, norms and values, including in the way you present yourself, interact with others and pursue your career.

Since ‘Tell me About Yourself’ is one of the top ten most commonly asked interview questions, it is really important to be prepared to answer this question truthfully.  The following are some questions to ask yourself or someone who knows you well before talking to employers.

What are your greatest assets?

What are you most passionate about?

What are your most unique and marketable skills?

What can you do better than anyone else?

What do you have a reputation for?

Now pull your answers together for a 2-3 sentence personal brand statement. Your goal is to stand out from the crowd and let people know who you are.

Recently, a Career Centre client informed me she was out with a friend and was told there was a hiring fair going on in Parksville.  She did not have time to go home to collect her resume or get changed into interview appropriate attire, so she decided she was going to ‘wing it’. She attended the hiring fair, answered the questions to the best of her ability and within 15 minutes was hired! When I asked her “why do you think you got the job”? She replied, “I love what I do and I am good at it”! She was able to be authentic with the employer and as a result got the job she really wanted.

Be Authentic! Be You!

The Career Centre offers a personal branding workshop called “Branding You”. In this workshop you learn how to create your own employment opportunities or find existing ones fast by actively networking, creating a personal brand statement and marketing your unique set of skills.

Personal Branding Tips

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/hope-relationships/201503/4-ways-be-more-authentic-person

 

 

 

 

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

Close To You opened its doors in 1991.  We are a locally owned business taking great pride in offering woman fabulous fashions from footwear to dresses and everything in-between.  We advise our clients on current styles, we share new styles and fashions, and we enjoy being a part of their busy lives.  10 years ago we added prosthesis fittings to our lingerie department.  Close To You is made up of 4 specific departments; footwear, clothing, lingerie and accessories.  Each department contributes to our success. We work in a team environment with all who work here contributing to each other’s success.  We offer significant staff discounts and sales incentives, monthly work schedules ( so you can plan your life around a part time schedule) and a wonderful group of colleagues to work with.  We’ll discover your strengths; displays, presentations, organization, and encourage you to grow with them.

How many employees do you have?

We have 11 employees.

What do you look for in a new employee?

We chiefly hire for the sales floor, our primary needs are people with a great attitude, an ability to work as part of a team and a willingness to learn.  Experience in retail sales is an asset but not an absolute requirement.

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

I would advise anyone who would like to apply for a position to know a bit about us.  Check out our website; visit the store to see if we are a fit, look at the brands we carry…is this something that you can relate to. And last but not least…know that selling is the most honorable position there is, it’s not necessarily a position you take while you are waiting for your ‘dream’ job to come along.  If you can sell, or learn to sell, there is nothing in the world that you can’t do!

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

Our primary positions are sales but we also have stock/inventory staff.  We are a growing store, we take resumes at all times and interview regularly.

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

We take resumes both in person and on line. Our preference is in person.  Include a cover letter stating why you think you would be a fit for our store.

Join 15 port-connected companies, along with their Hiring Managers and management, as they outline available and soon to be available positions at a Port Connect Networking Event, Wednesday, November 28, 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Helijet Terminal 100 Port Way, Nanaimo. This is an opportunity for people to find out more about career possibilities and connect with the right people. For more information see this week’s hot sheet.

In early 2018, The Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce and its partner, the Career Centre, identified two interrelated needs in the region:

• A lack of current and local labour market intelligence
• No clear strategy to assist the region in ensuring a healthy, balanced labour market

To address these issues, the Chamber secured funding from the Province of British Columbia to complete a Labour Market Analysis and a Labour Market Strategy. The results of the Labour Market Analysis identified a dramatic undersupply of the workers employers need. There are shortages of labour at all skill levels and in most, if not all, industrial sectors. For more details on the report see this week’s hot sheet.