Know Yourself Before Choosing a Career

If you are at a point in your life when you feel like you should choose a career or are making a change in careers, you’ve likely been considering the importance of choosing the right career.  There are so many options out there and it can be a very difficult decision.

Some of the questions people often ask themselves include,

Should I choose a career that has room for advancement?

Should I base my decision on money?

Should I just choose something I love to do?

The truth is that no one can make your decision for you and sometimes that makes it even harder.  But if you take some time to get to know yourself and you are aware of what values are most important to you, making this decision will be a little bit easier.

Knowing yourself well is the key to making the best decision about your future career.  Most people think that they know themselves fairly well, but that is an assumption.
Have you ever really questioned who you are, what is important to you, what kind of ethical standards you have, and what values you hold?  Most of us don’t until someone pushes us into thinking about those things.  And if you’re coming right out of school, you might have some pretty big influences (like parents and teachers) that have pushed you towards a certain career (purposefully or not) that isn’t really suited to who you are.

Question Yourself

The key to really knowing who you are so that you can choose a career that you can enjoy for many years to come is asking yourself some hard questions.  They seem easy but sometimes once you start thinking about them you may discover that there’s more to your answers than you previously thought.

Here are some questions to get you started:

1. When am I happiest?  Think back over the past few years of your life and figure out what you have been doing when you were happiest.  Were you writing, working with other people, designing a website, or working with your hands?  The answer to this will give you a good start on figuring out what career you should go into.
2. What am I doing when “time flies”?  You all know what this means. There are certain things that you do that make time go by really fast.  What can you do for hours at a time and not even realize that you missed lunch?  What kinds of activities get you so involved that you don’t even realize that it was time to go home?
3. What do I want to do with my life?  This is a more general question but it is still important?  Don’t think about the career in particular but think about what you want to accomplish. Do you want to contribute towards a cleaner Earth?  Do you want to make people’s lives better?  What kind of people?  Older people? Children? Families? Business people?
4. Do I like spending my time outdoors or indoors?  This is going to affect the type of career you choose.  If you hate being under fluorescent lights, an office job obviously isn’t for you.  If bugs and weather bother you then you shouldn’t choose a career as forest ranger.
5. What can I talk about for a long time and never run out of things to say?  Whatever it is, this is a topic that you are passionate about and passion will take you a long way in any career.
6. Do I like people?  I mean, generally, are the more people that you meet that you like to be around that people you don’t?  Or do you find yourself getting annoyed with people?  Knowing whether or not you like people will help you rule out a lot of jobs.
7. How competitive am I?  Some job fields are very competitive and take a lot of work to get into a career in that field.  If you’re not a competitive person you’ll want to be sure to choose a career path that doesn’t require you to fight tooth and nail for every interview you get.
8. Am I a gypsy or a nester?  Nesters are the type of people that need to find one place to settle into and prefer to stay there for a very long time.  Gypsies like to discover new places and meet new people.  Some jobs are meant to keep you in one place where other jobs will have you travelling to new cities, states, and even countries on a regular basis.  If you’re not ready to get up and go as needed, you can rule out certain careers that require a lot of travel.
9. How much am I willing to invest in education?  Most careers require that you get at least some kind of secondary education. The question is how much time and money are you willing to invest in this part of your career path?
10. What movies and books have really touched my life and impressed me?  Movies and books don’t seem to have much to do with careers but they can tell you a lot about who you are and what you want to be when you grow up!

It can be really difficult to answer these questions about yourself because you live with yourself every day.  If you’re having a hard time answering these questions, go to your friends and family members.  The can sometimes pick up on things that you don’t notice.  They might be more aware of the fact that your face lights up after you’ve spent the day volunteering at the animal shelter or that you get particularly excited when you solve someone’s computer problem.

Get to know yourself really well and you’ll find it much easier to choose a career.

When to pay for a resume

When one wants to try and achieve something more than they are capable of doing on their own, they often seek help. That help can come in handy when something important like your resume isn’t showing you as the top quality candidate you can be for better jobs. If you feel as though your resume is lacking and isn’t providing you with the potential opportunities for gainful employment you want, it may be time to consider paying for professional resume writers.

They are in tune with what employers are looking for and definitely can help you get more notice when trying to find a job or even advancement in your current career. There are some definite advantages for those who are seeking professional resume writers, and some of those are as follows:

·         Formatting: Professional resume writers know which formats are acceptable and which ones tend to be shunned by HR. It definitely is helpful to know how to present your qualifications if you want people to read them and take them seriously.

·         Wording: A professional would know how to place the most appropriate and accurate language into your resume without using redundant wording or outdated prose.

·         Content: Professionals know how to customize a resume to make sure the most relevant and useful information is presented on your resume, rather than some long-winded speech about your hobbies or anything else employers may find as irrelevant.

These are definitely three important areas to focus on that professionals know how to fine-tune as to maximize the results for their clients.

There are also times when HR may find that a resume feels artificial, or ‘doctored,’ which can give a negative impression in their minds and will definitely end up hurting your chances of success more than helping them. A number of problems exist with professional resume writers that should be addressed below:

·         Excessive language: Sometimes professional resume writers add more than required, which can sound like superficial ‘padding’ of a resume and make it harder for the employer to read the important content

·         Formatting: There are countless ways to format a resume, and some of them provide negative consequences for prospects. This includes using exotic fonts or removing the years from your employment history.

Taken as a whole, if you feel as though your resume needs help that you cannot provide yourself, look into the services of a professional resume writer. If you feel as though a ‘basic’ resume works best, write it yourself. Regardless of your decision, make sure you look up proper resume formatting and don’t add too many irrelevant anecdotes about yourself. Good luck!

Maple Leaf Career Fair - Production Workers

These are only some of the advantages of working for one of Canada’s largest employers. Twice recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 Corporate Cultures, Maple Leaf Foods is committed to attracting, rewarding and retaining talented people who are passionate about making a positive impact in their professional and personal lives every day.

If you want to work for a top employer of choice who goes way beyond the posters on the wall and actually lives the company values, then you want to work for Maple Leaf Foods.

Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a leading Canadian food processing company committed to delivering quality food products to consumers around the world. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, the Company has operations across Canada and in the United States, the United Kingdom and Asia.

MAKE THE MOVE TO MAPLE LEAF FOODS.
DISCOVER THE MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT AWAIT YOU.

Opportunity. Excitement. Teamwork. Respect.

Career Fair
Philippine Canadian Centre of Manitoba (PCCM)
737 Keewatin Street, Winnipeg, MB
Saturday, November 1st, 2014
Saturday, December 6th, 2014
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

We are currently seeking the following permanent position to join our family in Brandon, Manitoba.

Production Workers
Relocation up to $5,000 may be available.

Entry-level production work starts with packaging/wrapping non-knife type work. The employee’s primary tasks include receiving live hogs and or kill (evisceration, hide removal, by-product processing), trimming, de-boning and other related activities/packaging and/or visual inspection, sorting, grading, scale weighing, truck loading, cleaning, operating equipment as related to above process.

Required Skills:
• Previous industrial/manufacturing plant experience is considered an asset.
• Ability to work in a wide range of environmental conditions from cool to warm and wet to dry.
• Physically fit and able to lift, push, and/or pull, weight of up to 27kg (60 lbs).
• Experience working with and committed to Good Manufacturing Practices is considered an asset.
• Experience in food manufacturing within a fast paced environment is an asset.
• Comfortable being part of a multi-cultural, unionized environment.
• Must be committed to safe work practices.
• Must have good communication and interpersonal skills and be focused on continuous improvement.
• Ensure safe and hygienic practices are applied to all tasks performed as per Company policies.

Wage:
$12.40/hour - $18.60/hour plus Production Bonus of up to
$1.00 per hour and Attendance Bonus of $1.00 per hour.

To learn more about this and other exciting opportunities please visit our website at www.mapleleafcareers.com

Maple Leaf Foods Human Resources
6355 Richmond Avenue East
Brandon, Manitoba R7A 7M5

Job Offer Negotiation 101: 6 Easy Steps to Negotiating a Job Offer

You diligently applied to hundreds of positions, composed awesome, original cover letters for each one and attached a copy of your killer resume. Once you scored an interview (finally), you wore the perfect suit. Not too stiff, just the right amount of personal flair. You nailed the handshake, the small talk and every question and curve ball they threw out at you. You rocked it! Heck, you even remembered to send a great thank you letter.

Finally, just when you tired of waiting, they called, offered you the position and you negotiated a great deal.

Wait? What?!

Job offer negotiation? Do people do that?! I mean, sure when you are a big executive or V.P., but do normal people negotiate? Well, yes and no. They don't. BUT they should!! In fact, most HR people come ready to negotiate with you, that's their job, right?! The sad truth is that most job seekers are just so happy to get "the call", especially in this economy, that they just listen to the details and agree.
Part of the problem is that we have been trained since our teen years to write "negotiable" on job applications and to say it during interviews. You always want them to name the figure first! We know that. No one every got around to telling us what to do after that.

Until now ...

Step One: The first step to negotiating a job offer is to say the three magic words. Yes. Three! After the person on the other end of the phone offers you a position and tells you the salary and benefits that they are offering, say the magic words. Repeat after me, "Is that negotiable?" Just uttering these words will almost always get you a bump in salary. Practice them. They are harmless. In fact, the WORST you will hear is "no". But, you won't.

Think of it. Only a truly foolish HR person calls you with their best offer right at the get-go. They intentionally leave themselves room to negotiate. And, if you don't play, you are leaving free money on the table that is rightfully yours.

Believe it or not, they do not want to lose you at this point. HR would have egg on their face if they had to return to the department head or their boss and say they couldn't get you to join the company. Not to mention, it costs a company time and money to start looking again, even if they already have a stack of resumes.
Is that negotiable? Is that negotiable? Is that negotiable?

If you stop reading now, this step alone will be a big help.

Step Two: Now what? More than likely, the response to your magic words will be something along the lines of, "What did you have in mind?"

This is where you need to research ahead of time. You need to know what a realistic salary is for someone with your education and experience. You should also check out the cost of living for the area, if you are moving out of state. You should have a figure in your head or, better yet, a salary range.

Whatever number is said, even if it is your very top number, you need to add to it. 10k works for the normal joes out here. So, here's an example conversation:

HR: We'd like to offer you the xyz position at 40k annually, plus benefits A, B, C and D.
You: Is that negotiable?
HR: What did you have in mind?
You: I was thinking more along the lines of 50k.

Don't discuss the benefits yet. Work out all the salary details first. Practice saying the words and the dollar figure you want you want out loud. It really goes against our nature to negotiate salary and repeating the actual words may make it a little less awkward when the time comes.

Step Three: Are there other money issues you can discuss? If they refuse to budge on salary or don't go as far as you like, what else can you ask for money-wise? An extra percentage point in commission? Relocation money? Signing bonus? Try saying this: "I understand you don't have it in your budget right now to pay 50k. Would you be willing to increase my commission from the standard 6% to 7%?"

Step Four: Healthcare benefits are tricky. Depending on where you live and the type of organization, what is offered to one employee usually must be offered to all. You can, however, request an increase in salary in lieu of those benefits. This is beneficial in two earner families where one spouse gets great health insurance and the other just takes the cash. Not every company will allow this, but if it works better for you - ask! Be sure to do this AFTER you finished negotiating salary.

Step Five: PTO or paid time off is another great salary negotiation tips. If you didn't, or couldn't, get to the annual salary you wanted or if the healthcare package really sucks, ask for a couple extra paid days off. It doesn't cost a company too much to throw in an extra one or two and you know you'll love them. Try this: "I understand that it may not be within your budget this year to provide healthcare coverage for my entire family. Healthcare is very expensive. Would you be willing to offer me two additional vacation days annually?"

Step Six: If you still want to try your hand at negotiating this job offer, there still may be a little wiggle room. Look over your offer for miscellaneous benefits. Every company has the weird, quirky benefits exclusive just to them. Did they offer you a free gym membership? Ask if they can bump it to a family plan. Do they get discounted cell phones from a particular carrier? Make sure it extends to your spouse. Whatever it is, ask if you can bump it up somehow.

That’s it! You did it! 6 little steps to job offer negotiation. Try it. You will be surprised at the results.

The key is to practice, practice, practice. You may chose to "get back to them" and then re-negotiate more on another call, just don't go crazy and do it eight times.
You CAN do this!

Manitoba Job Fair: Interested in a Career in the Culinary Arts?

Then check out the CANAD INNS CULINARY JOB FAIR in Winnipeg, MB! Monday, November 17th 10am – 2pm Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park Thursday, November 20th 3pm – 7pm Canad Inns Destination Centre Club Regent Casino Hotel If you’re passionate about a career in culinary arts, come join our family! Our culinary and human resources team are eager to meet you! Please bring your resume or apply online at kitchenjobs@canadinns.com. Job fairs in Manitoba are a great way to find out about potential careers and jobs!

4 Things to Include on Your Resume When Switching Careers

Maybe you’ve had the same job since 1982, or maybe you’ve already realized your current career sucks.  Hey, we’re not here to judge – or to tell you to stay.  If you need a switching careers resume, you want one that will actually get you out of one door and into the other.  Help yourself get the job of your dreams – or at least a job that you kind of like a bit more than your current gig – by putting the right things on your resume.

YOUR NAME

You’re probably reading this and thinking, “Duh”, right?  Well, spend a few weeks as an HR Manager and you’ll discover that many applicants skip this crucial step.  You can’t get hired if nobody knows who you are, no matter how great your credentials are.

YOUR CONTACT INFO

Make sure your contact info is current and appropriate.  Don’t use an old address or a friend’s address.  Some employers run a background check, and it might send up a red flag if your resume’s address doesn’t match the one on your credit check.  Oh, and please, please make sure your Facebook profile is private if it’s linked to the email address that you use on your resume.  Trust us on this one.

WHY YOU WANT THE JOB

Don’t just jabber on and on about why you want a job.  Jabber on and on about why you want the job you’re applying for.  There’s a big difference.

WHY YOU’RE QUALIFIED FOR THE JOB

Great customer service skills and being friendly are important, yes – so important that nearly every resume says something about them.  Include these if they’re relevant, but also mention things specific to the position you’re applying for.  Receptionists should know how to use Microsoft Office.  Cooks should work well in a fast-paced environment with standard kitchen equipment.

3 Reasons Nursing Careers are Hot

Take an informal poll about college studies on your Facebook or Twitter, and you’ll notice many of your friends have attended, are currently attending, or will attend a program for nursing. There are several reasons that nursing careers are so popular, and some of those reasons might just appeal to you.

NURSING IS A REWARDING CAREER

Do you love helping others? Stop doing it for free. Well, don’t stop, but consider a paid career as a nurse. Nurses help diagnose and prevent medical conditions. They also help treat sick individuals. Have you ever been to the hospital? Think about how your visit went. Did you have a favorite nurse who made your stay much more tolerable? You can be that person one day.

NURSING JOBS ARE EVERYWHERE

Some careers don’t have a lot of flexibility when it comes to location. Nursing is one of the world’s most flexible careers. It’s fairly easy to find nursing jobs, no matter what state you live in or what type of hours you’re available to work. Hospitals hire nurses, clinics hire nurses, doctor’s offices hire nurses…the list goes on and on. Some nurses even work at large corporations or teach college courses. You can even work with sick children at your local school.

NURSING PAYS WELL

Some people choose careers just for the heck of it. Those people usually live with their parents, have tons of savings, or marry a wealthy spouse. The reality of the situation is that as much as many of us love our jobs, we don’t work because we want to. We work because we need the money. If you need to make more than minimum wage to provide for yourself or your family, nursing is where it’s at. Most nurses start out making at least $14 or $15 per hour, and experience nurses with college degrees often make more than $50 per hour.

"Krankenschwester Janine01". Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Krankenschwester_Janine01.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Krankenschwester_Janine01.jpg