Hints on preparing your submission in response to a job advertisement for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources prepared by Chris Davies.

Your application package should contain 3 parts as follows:

 Part 1 – Introductory letter

• Identifying the competition number you are applying for and a paragraph that indicates, in general terms, why you are interested in this specific position (natural progression, part of career plan, first step… whatever you feel is appropriate).
• Put your name, address, email address and fax number if you have one on the first page of your letter
• Telephone number where you can be reached during the day and one for after regular work hours

Part 2 – Statement of qualifications (the most important step)

• Detail the scope and level of how your skills, knowledge and experience related to each of the qualifications stated in the job ad. The qualifications are used as selection criteria by the interview panel.

Hint: type all the qualifications as found on the job ad – then beneath each qualification state (in bullet points) how your skills, knowledge and experience relate to the qualifications. You can also include non-work related experience, e.g. school, volunteer, etc. It is important to illustrate the depth/level and scope of your skills/knowledge.

Example:

1. Sound working knowledge of pertinent legislation, policies, procedures, directives, and guidelines related to Crown land and to resource management and Crown land acquisition and disposition.

•  Describe/list your skills, knowledge and experience as they relate to the above qualification (selection criteria). Remember that you should include all your experience even though they may not be MNR related. Showing that your skills and knowledge have expanded overtime with increasing responsibility is important.

2. Demonstrated technical skills, experience and knowledge of ecological sustainability and resource management principles and practices.

•  Describe/list your skills, knowledge and experience as they relate to the above qualification (selection criteria).
•  You would then continue with the remaining qualifications as listed in the job ad.

Hint – You may find that a particular example you use relates to more than 1 qualification – if this is the best example to illustrate this requirement, feel free to use it but keep in mind that if you use the same example for all of the required qualifications, this may be perceived as a “narrow” experience.

Part 3 – Resume/C.V.

• Here is where you attach the standard resume/CV, which includes personal information, education, work history, hobbies, etc. Make sure your resume/CV is up to date! if you attach a statement of qualification, your resume/CV should highlight and provide additional detail on the key points made in your statement of qualification.

The Peterborough Workers’ Action Centre is a worker-based organization committed to improving the lives and working conditions of people in low-wage and unstable employment. We want to make sure that all workers have a voice at work and are treated with dignity and fairness.*

The Peterborough Workers’ Action Centre presents:

[Not] Working in Peterborough: A Call to Action

The purpose of the evening is to highlight the building of a Workers Action Centre in Peterborough and raise awareness around issues facing workers in Peterborough such as how the EI system is failing workers and their families.

February 12, 2013, 6 PM to 9 PM at the Peterborough Public Library (345 Aylmer St. N.)

The agenda for the evening will be as follows:

6:00 to 6:25 Welcome from Marion Burton

• Introduction to the local Workers’ Action Committee
• Overview of tonight’s events
• Themes for the evening:
  • This is the start of a campaign to build a Workers Action Centre in Peterborough and raise awareness around issues facing workers in Peterborough
  • How the EI system is failing workers and their families

6:25 to 6:30 Melinda Rees (Peterborough Community Legal Centre) introduces
Armine Yalnizyan

6:30 to 7:25 Keynote Speaker Armine Yalnizyan, Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives: How the dismantling of EI has hurt workers and the economy

7:25 to 7:30 Paul Brown (Peterborough and District United Way) introduces Deena Ladd

7:30 to 8:00 Presentation by Deena Ladd, Workers’ Action Centre – Toronto

• Brief history of Toronto’s W.A.C.
• Organizing a W.A.C. in Peterborough – first steps

8:00 to 8:10 Michael VanDerHerberg (New Canadians Centre) introduces the breakout sessions

8:10 to 8:40 Break Out Sessions with Audience (W.A.C. Facilitators)

• What problems have you experienced as a worker in Peterborough?
• Were you able to get help?
• What services do you think people need to address their employment issues?
• What would you like to the next session to be about?

8:40 to 8:50 Report back from each group
8:50 to 9:00 Wrap and Evaluation/ Date of Next Meeting

This is a FREE event. Light Refreshments will be available for the evening presentation.

Sponsors: New Canadians Centre, Peterborough and District Labour Council, Peterborough and District United Way, Peterborough Careers, Peterborough City and County Health Unit, Peterborough Community Legal Centre, Peterborough Social Planning Council and others.  

*Credit given to the Workers’ Action Centre of Toronto for the above statement (http://www.workersactioncentre.org/about-us)

I spent the first year of University on Campus. I rarely left to go anywhere other than class. In the years since I have learned that this really slowed the process of becoming familiar with a city as vibrant as Peterborough. I am initially from Ottawa and was unsure how I would fit into the small metropolis of Peterborough, if you can call it that.

I started visiting local businesses here and there in my second and third years while living just outside the heart of Downtown. I would go to a coffee shop here and a restaurant there, but still spent a lot of time at home.

In the beginning of my fourth year I helped make a map of Downtown to try to encourage students to go downtown and see what it is all about. Throughout the process of making this map, I was beyond convinced that Peterborough is a much more powerful and supportive business centre than I ever would have thought. The support that these businesses showed me when they knew I was a student was astounding. Being a University student and asking for businesses to sponsor you to put their logo on a map and give it to students is a daunting task. If it weren’t for the amazing business owners of Peterborough businesses, this endeavor never would have gotten off the ground.

From another angle, these businesses are very supportive of causes that are not primarily related to promoting their business. I have spoken to these owners on various occasions since making the map. I sometimes spoke to them as a student, sometimes as a Trent Business Student Association (TBSA) Vice President, and sometimes just someone who is looking for lunch. I have had nothing but good experiences dealing with these business owners and they have always helped me out when I was looking for it. I am not saying that if you go speak with a business owner they will give you money, but what I am saying is that getting to know someone on a personal level while they are making your coffee or showing you around their store goes a long way.

Dylan Hunt – Trent University Graduate

First of all, it’s not easy to find a job in Peterborough.  Anyone who tells you that there are a plethora of jobs is either an engineer (as there are a lot of engineering jobs) or slightly delusional.  But, there are jobs to be found and made.  Here are a few pointers, from my experience, as to how to find a job in this town.

1.     Talk to friends and family and ask for their advice and assistance.  Most jobs are unadvertised and come from a connection with someone you know.  If people you know are not aware that you are looking for work, how can they make that connection for you? Keep in mind not to be obnoxious about this.  Don’t post every day on Facebook and Twitter that you are sick of being unemployed.  That would drive the closest friend away from helping you.

2.     Expand your networks.  This means meeting new people and talking to them.  Find out what they do and ask them questions about their work.  Find out what they care about and encourage them in those areas.  This has a lot to do with learning how to treat other people well with respect and sincerity and not as much to do with finding a job, but the results will be in your favour when they hear of a job opportunity open up.  The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commmerce, the Greater Peterborough Area Economic Development Corporation, and many other groups host events that allow you to meet other people and talk to them.

3.     How you present your application makes a big difference.  I see a lot of resumes in my job.  Most are cookie-cutter resumes from templates that came from Microsoft 2003.  They are bad and they make you look bad.  Personalize your resume to the job ad by using the language from the job ad that matches to your skills. Google image search ‘executive resumes’ and gain an eye for formatting, design, and what layouts work well to bring out your skills and experience.  When you have the opportunity to hand a resume in, give it to the manager or owner.  Don’t give it to the staff working there.  Think about it if you were an owner of a business.  How likely are you to take a risk on interviewing someone you have never met before compared to someone that you have met? Within this heading is also an encouragement to research the employer before you meet them.  Study who they are and what they do before contacting them.

4.     Use the Internet to your advantage.  Your job search should have a small Internet component to determine the following:

a.     Who is currently hiring in my field of work?

b.    Who has employees in my field of work?

c.     How can I get in touch with these employers via phone, face-to-face, email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.?

d.    What events can I attend where I can meet people in this industry face-to-face?

I say the Internet should be a small component of your job search because if you stay at home looking for a job on the Internet, it is very likely that you will not find a job.  Some people do.  But most people find a job because they have met someone face to face.  This is generally how it works in Peterborough.

5.     Be prepared to cold call.  Whether by phone, email, Twitter, or walking into someone’s office, be prepared to make sure that they know who you are, that you are looking for work, and that you are capable.  Cold calling is an art in itself so maybe I’ll reserve this for another post.

6.     Ask for an ‘information interview’.  The purpose of information interviews is to ask employers if you can meet them face-to-face and ask industry-specific questions.  How does a particular industry operate?  What research or development are they involved in?  How does one obtain employment in their sector?  What skills and attributes are they looking for when they hire someone?  Here are some basic objectives:

a.     To have an opportunity to learn about their organization/business

b.    To ask about the different services available at their organization and in their sector

c.     To ask about how someone comes to apply for work at their organization

d.    To ask, that given your experience, how you can better prepare yourself for a position with them

To be clear, this is not a job interview.  This needs to very clear when you ask the employer so their expectation is geared towards the advice offered.  If they feel like you are asking for a job interview, they are much less likely to allow you this opportunity.  The key question, that I encourage you to ask, is the last one; how you can better prepare yourself going forward.  This information gathered, from someone connected to the industry, is very valuable and will assist you in your career path.  And… treat it like it is a job interview.

This post has been contributed by Michael VanDerHerberg, operator of this site and the Employment Services Coordinator at the New Canadians Centre.  Michael can be reached at michael@peterboroughcareers.com.