Informational Interviews!

Are you searching for a new career but need help figuring out where to start? In addition to contacting your local WorkBC Centre for assistance, you could broaden your job horizon by conducting Informational Interviews.

What is an Informational Interview?

Informational interviews are when the job seeker (you), interviews the person who would typically conduct the job interview. Informational Interviews are usually less formal than job interviews and are more of a conversation you guide with your questions. Perhaps there is an organization that aligns with your passion or values, but you are unsure if your skills fit any of the roles they are recruiting for. An Informational Interview can be a great tool to learn about the necessary skills before you apply. Or, perhaps you are considering switching to a new industry and your knowledge about the type of jobs available is limited. In either of these situations, an Informational Interview can be a great way to get your foot in the door at an organization you are interested in learning more about as you conduct your full job search.

 How to get an Informational Interview?

You can phone and ask if it is possible to meet briefly with the employer (or hiring manager). Be sure to share with them that the purpose of your request is to learn more about the organization and the different employment opportunities available. Likewise, if you are shopping at a business that interests you, and they have a “Help Wanted” sign posted, this can be excellent time to inquire if someone might be available to chat about what it is like to work there. An Informational Interview of this kind may even lead to an on-the-spot job interview!  In either situation, be sure you have your questions prepared and that you have a way to record a few notes during the interview.

Should I bring a list of questions to an Informational Interview?

YES! As mentioned above, bring a written list of at least three relevant questions to ask about working in the industry, or that are specific to the organization. This step not only shows you are eager and motivated, but also demonstrates you are organized and a critical thinker!

Example Questions to ask in an Informational Interview:    

Your questions will need to tailored to suit the person you are meeting with. For example, if the person you are meeting with currently holds a similar position you are interested in, you would ask, “What do you like most about your work?”  However, if the person you are meeting with is from the HR department, you would ask “What do most people who work here say they like about their work?”

The following questions are suggestions for when you meeting with someone who currently works in the occupation you are inquiring about:

• What do you like best about the type of work you do?
• What do you like the least about the type of work you do?
• What kinds of problems do you deal with?
• What do you perceive the organization’s culture to be? What type of person do you think bests fits this culture?
• What type of training opportunities are offered to employees in this industry?
• What are your main responsibilities as a…?
• What is a typical day (or week) like for you?

Most importantly, one of your questions should be “Are you hiring?” If the position is advertised, then there is no need to ask. However, if there are no current postings, be sure to ask about their hiring plans as you conclude the interview. Lastly, be sure to ask if they have any feedback or suggestions and show your gratitude for the time they spent with you.

Informational Interviews are great as they are low-pressure, less formal than a job interview, and the conversation can showcase your interest in the organization/industry, presenting an opportunity to let them know you are serious in your job search.  As well, an informational interview may encourage them to consider how your current skills might be a potential fit for future opportunities!

Keep in touch – we’d love to hear about your next Informational Interview experience!

 

September is Disability Employment month in British Columbia, and the Career Centre is celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce, as well as the employers and communities that support their success. More than a half million British Columbians live with some form of disability including physical, mental and emotional.

Some barriers people with disabilities may face in the workplace include discrimination during the recruitment process, lack of disability awareness on the part of the employer, and an unwillingness to provide reasonable accommodations.  During the hiring process employers are obligated to avoid inappropriate lines of questioning and to provide reasonable accommodation such as providing written materials in accessible formats and ensuring that all aspects of the application process can be held in accessible locations. Employers could hold false beliefs that employees with disabilities are less productive with lower capacity, costly, and harder to dismiss for underperformance. The fact is that people with disabilities represent a highly-skilled yet under-utilized pool of individuals that could supply the workforce demand that exists today. According to the Job Accommodation Network 57% of employees with disabilities cost their organizations nothing to accommodate with the majority of requests being for flexible work hours, requests for job redesign and requests for additional training.  According to Statistics Canada, the most frequently required workplace accommodation was flexible work schedules in the form of modified hours or days, or reduced work hours.

If you have a disability and are seeking employment, you may be torn on whether to disclose your disability to the prospective employer. You are not legally required to disclose your disability if you do not need accommodations, but consider your strengths and barriers and apply for a position in which you will be successful. The publication, Disclosing Your Disability – A Legal Guide for People with Disabilities in BC  produced by the Disability Alliance of BC, has great information on disclosing your disability and accommodations, including a table on the advantages and disadvantages of disclosure at various stages of your job search.  Remember, employers may ask if you are able to meet the requirements of the job, although they legally cannot ask if you have a disability in an interview.

It requires resilience and courage to apply for and sustain employment, as well as fully participate in one’s community when faced with a life-changing disability.  By focusing on what you have to offer because of the barriers you overcome, paired with the compassion, understanding and accommodation of employers, we can work together to have an inclusive community.

• Check out our workshops at the Career Centre such as “Branding You”
  https://www.careercentre.org/workshops-events/

• Want to develop your personal resilience? Check-out this helpful guide and workbook:
  https://www.workplacestrategiesformentalhealth.com/pdf/From_Surviving_to_Thriving_EN.pdf

• Other helpful resources to help you succeed:
  https://www.workbc.ca/Resources-for/People-with-Disabilities.aspx

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Adding Exercise in with Your Job Search

While you are job searching you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and in some instances, mildly to moderately depressed. One way to alleviate the symptoms of depression is to engage in some regular physical exercise and to connect with people socially. You don’t have to join a gym or an exercise group to reap the benefits. Here is a list of free activities you can do to keep yourself active and mentally well as you job search:

• After prolonged periods of sitting at a computer, lace up your runners and walk around your neighborhood.
• Walk to your local employment services centre.
• Venture down to Parksville beach and enjoy the beautiful boardwalk and meditation path.
• Feeling adventurous? Explore one of the many trails in the Oceanside area: Englishman River, Rathtrevor, Springwood trail, or Top Bridge.
• Get your heart rate up! Walk or run the stairs at the end of Doehle Avenue in Parksville.
• Sole Sisters drop in walking group offers guide trail walks, organized by the Arrowsmith Community Recreation Association. Wednesday from 10 am to 11 am.
• Ramblers Walking Group takes place each Monday at 10 am during summer months, rain or shine.
• Check out the trail that goes from Springwood School in Parksville to Coombs Market, which is great for walking, running or biking.

Remember, staying active benefits both your mental health and your job search!

How to Set Yourself and Your Resume Apart From the Rest

In the current job market, you may be wondering what you can do to stand apart from the other applicants in the pile (or inbox) of resumes.

Lauren Gardner, the head of global talent acquisition at Microsoft, has years of experience reviewing resumes and knows what employers are looking for.

Ultimately, employers want a good fit for their team, so they are interested in you as a person. They also want to know that you have what it takes and are willing to become a part of their team and organization. This entails being open to learning, growing, and developing as an employee and as a person.

Your resume should show that you are motivated to learn and grow, or that you are open to developing new skills. This can be achieved by describing what new strengths or lessons you have gained from a past job and ensuring keywords related to learning and growing are utilized in your resume.

If you have been at the same job for many years, you can still demonstrate constant learning and growth. You can describe how you have been a part of different projects or initiatives, worked with different teams and or departments, joined committees or taken on more responsibilities during the span of your employment.

For more in-depth details, check out the interview with Lauren Gardner where she shares that employers are looking for “Learn-it-alls”, not “Know-it-alls”:

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/22/microsofts-head-of-recruiting-on-the-nopoint1-resume-red-flag-to-avoid.html?utm_content=Intl&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwAR0JqDdIjdB3EWyy10GqFc_l_k6BjdT57Uf4nNIkaPUGOG4BA3IF8F_CzsY#Echobox=1650639586