The SfC’s Job Search Workshop helped me in finding my first Canadian job in
many ways. The two most important parts being the resume writing and the
interview preparing parts. The job that I have just been hired for had been advertised on the company website for only two days.
So, the first step towards my success was the continuous job search, regular checking of target company’s job advertisements, networking and so.
Secondly, I matched point by point the job requirements with my technical and soft skills and I found that this job really fits with my experience and qualifications. I prepared my resume as learnt at JSW using action verbs, omitting parts of education and work experience not relevant to the job.
For some strange reason, I considered, and still consider, the most difficult part of job searching the phase that takes you to the interview, maybe because I fill more confident in my conversations when I have my partner/partners in front of me.
After a week of sending my resume, the employer contacted me for an interview.
As I learnt at SfC’s JSW I prepared myself by writing down several achievements related to the skills required and noting down answers to likely questions. I had two interviewers, one from the HR department and one manager from the department with the job vacancy.
The interview was quite short, about 20-25 minutes, the HR person asked me mainly questions connected to my transferable skills, plus the standard questions of what I know about the company and at the end my salary expectations.
Just now I realize how important it was that I prepared myself by visiting the company website for getting as much information as I could about it and by consulting Internet with regards to the salary ranges for this kind of job.
The other interviewer asked me about my work experience and, at the same time, gave me a short description of department activity and job requirements. I immediately observed that this person is very prepared in her field and I began to conduct a more technical conversation with her, trying to demonstrate that I am also well prepared.
I also observed that while I answered one of the interviewers, the other one kept looking at me, especially my first reactions to the questions. Overall, I felt very comfortable during the interview, especially in my conversation with the technical manager and after we had finished it, I felt that it went very well.
And indeed, after about one week of the interview I was again contacted, this time for offering me the job.
Thanks for your and your colleagues' help at Skills for Change.