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Take time to evaluate and then pivot.
It takes the average Canadian 16 to 20 weeks or 4 to 5 months to find a job. This time is twice as long for new immigrants. As a newcomer, you’re looking at an average of 8 to 10 months to find a job. In this current uncertain climate, the time could be tripled.
The time is cut short for highly skilled immigrants who take about six months to find a job in their chosen field.
When you set your SMART career goals, make sure the T (time bound) is realistic. If your goal was to find a job in 6 months, set time to evaluate your progress at the halfway point.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to evaluate the quality of your job search so far.
“Have I…..”
🔹Applied to all the companies on my list?
The best job search strategy is to start with a list of potential employers you want to work for based on your research. An excellent place to start is with the Best Companies list. Being new to Canada, you may not have a good sense of the best employers. Explore several resources to create your list. This will keep you organized and make it easy to evaluate your progress on the applications you’ve sent.
🔹Developed relationships with the right people?
Build relationships with the following groups of people:
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- Various professionals open to making casual connections.
- Professionals focused on growing their business network and eager to refer you to meet other people.
- Community service members focused on meeting people to grow their community service volunteers.
- Professional organizations whose members belong to the same industry or profession
- Professionals on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook
- People who work with or for your target companies.
🔹Prioritized quality over quantity of applications?
Are your applications customized, targeted and substantive? Or do you find yourself copying and pasting the same resume and cover letter and simply changing the company name and position? To produce quality applications, you should be spending 10 to 20 hours to tailor your resume and cover letter to the specific needs of the position you are applying to. Often job postings and job descriptions are generic and may not adequately convey the immediate needs of the role. Take the time to reach out to the hiring manager if their contact information is available. You can also arrange informational interviews with at least 3 to four people in the department or company to get inside information to the strengths you should highlight in your application.
🔹Explored the free job search services available to me?
There are tons of free job search and career development services available to newcomers in Canada. If you are an international student, you are immensely lucky to have a fantastic career development office such as the BCC of UBC. There are notable organizations in each province. In BC, the most successful organization is MOSAIC, YMCAgta in Toronto and many others.
🔹Identified transferable skills that I can apply to new roles or industries?
Many people are unaware of how to determine their transferable skills could apply to various roles or industries. Transferable skills are challenging to discover, so take the time to identify yours. Once you have identified your transferable skills, engage in career mapping or matching assessments to identify other career opportunities.
🔹Kept myself informed of the job or market trends?
In our post 11 mistakes, newcomers to Canada make and how to avoid them, we discuss the best ways and resources to use to stay on top of the job market. Resources such as Canada’s job bank, RobertHalf and StatisticsCanada.
🔹Set aside enough savings or income for the next few months?
According to financial experts, you should have emergency funds to cover 3 to 6 months of all your expenses. According to the IRCC, newcomers should have shown a certain amount of proof of funds to cover their living expenses while they settle in Canada. If, at your halfway point, you have mostly exhausted your finances to cover your living expenses, it is time to pivot immediately.
🔹Set a budget to invest in a professional career development service?
Depending on where you are in your emergency funding, you may want to consider investing in a professional career search service. There are many options in this space. One-on-one career coach, paid job search sites, career development classes, professional resume writer or courses to learn a new skill. You should only consider spending money if you have exhausted as many free services as possible. Sometimes putting your money where your mouth is could be the motivation you need to supercharge your progress.
If you have answered YES to most or all of the questions, it’s time to pivot and change your job search strategy.
If most of the answers are NO, then there is still room to improve the quality of your job search.
Keep your connections warm.
It may have taken you months to build some meaningful connections in your career journey. However, in a month or two, those connections can grow cold if you don’t continue to cultivate them.
Be sure to keep in touch, and take 15 to 20 minutes a week to deepen the relationship with your connections.
Once your primary goal is to make authentic lifelong connections, keeping in touch should be natural.
Here are for few tips to keep your connections warm:
🟢 Naturally grow your relationship from stranger to acquaintance to a friend by getting to know them.
🟢 Make your follow-ups more routine rather than sporadic and random.
🟢 Always strive to follow through on promises you make.
🟢 Focus on adding value and share articles, news, contacts that are in line with their interests.
🟢 Show your gratitude by thanking them for their time, guidance and mentorship.
🟢 Share your progress with them, including small wins and setbacks.
Remember, it is always awkward in the beginning, and it will become more natural with practice.
Explore alternative career pathways
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”
Robert Frost
One of the ways you can pivot is to explore alternative career pathways.
Most people limit themselves when it comes to making a career move. People naturally are drawn to known entities, thus apply to many corporate jobs.
According to Glassdoor, one corporate job attracts 250 resumes, and only 2% will receive a call for an interview.
Only applying to corporate jobs leave the odds entirely up to chance. You have the power to create more career opportunities than you realize.
Explore other options such as :
🔹Volunteering for specialized organizations or national events
🔹Working in a part-time job
🔹Setting up your own business to become a consultant or freelance worker
🔹Working for smaller organizations or startups
🔹 Starting a side hustle focused on your passion
There are more alternatives to traditional jobs that are more popular. Take the time to explore all your options.
Know when to compromise and have a plan
As the months go by in your job search, desperation will most likely set in.
It’s essential to make sure you have a set of check-in questions when considering a compromise:
🔹Have I given myself a well-deserved break to reset and self-evaluate?
🔹Have I exhausted the finances I need to keep searching for a few more months?
🔹Is this job temporary? Do I have an exit plan in the next six months?
🔹Will this job advance my career goals?
🔹Am I gaining a significant skill, experience or network that will improve my career?
🔹Am I realistic, or am I settling?
🔹Have I taken the time to explore alternative career paths?
🔹 Have I devoted all my time and energy in the best possible way?
🔹 Have I sought advice or guidance from the right people?
If most of your answers are yes, then it may be time to make a smart compromise that does not set you back in your career goals. Have a well thought out exit plan to move forward in the next six months. Or however long you have to cover your expenses.
Part of your exit plan can be making connections within the company in the role or department you are targeting. You can also work on developing the skills you need to make the next move.
A compromise in your job search makes the most sense when it gives you both financial benefits and career opportunities to advance.