What it takes to succeed in your job search

In continuation to my previous post Searching for a job in Canada, here are some additional points I have put together that you’ll find helpful in your job search.

Nail Your Resume
Even before your employer has the chance to meet you, they are going to meet your resume. And on a resume, your list of skills should include both work-related (technology, marketing, sales, projects, etc.) as well as emphasize your soft-skills (communication, presentation, team work, etc.) If you are from India, you know that soft-skills hardly matter back home. But in Canada, they are weighted heavily, over and above your work-related skills in many instances. Take the help of free resume writing services from SOPA, or your nearest public library if you are having trouble with this. Incorporate all the keywords your peers are using (on LinkedIn), and emulate their format if you can.

Spin Your Profile As A Specialist
While speaking about your work-related skills, employers in Canada expect you to be specialized. This means,

• Many years of experience doing the same thing, in a way that shows you have touched upon every aspect of the skill.
• Certifications to prove that you have advanced your knowledge in that particular field of work
• Recognition from your employer or industry to reinforce your capability
  
  To give you an example, a specialization in Digital Marketing could mean a certification from the American/Canadian Marketing Association, certifications in Google Analytics, SAS, SEO, working knowledge of marketing tools like Hubspot, Adobe, etc. with any courses you have taken in them. Make your resume look decorated with all of these.

HR Looks For Communication
When your employer/HR finally calls you for an interview, they are looking for someone who can speak fluently, AND intelligently. Despite the fact that your HR may not know your subject domain well, they will have some idea of the field. You need to convince them that you have absolutely great communication, and you are a great team player, who also has a fair understanding of marketing.

Body Language Matters
If your HR clears you, you’ll finally get to meet your hiring manager and/or their boss. #1 skill here is personality. Dress like you are getting married. Ok, that came out wrong. Dress for success! Look sharp, smell good, exude confidence and energy, and learn to be funny. Your manager has already made an opinion the moment they see you approach the handshake. Smile often.

Draw Examples From Your Experience
During your interview, you’ll be poked and prodded to answer technical as well as soft-skill based questions. The technical questions are best answered with examples. Here’s what I mean:

Q: What are your thoughts on digital transformation for banking companies?
A: I think…(say something you actually feel about it). For example, during my time with (ex-employer), we looked into some stats around banks, and studied the implications of digital transformation. While they were running xyz initiatives, there were other growth opportunities that they were missing. So my team and I, we came up with an offering………..

The point I am making is, the more examples you add, the more real and meaningful your responses look. You didn’t just answer the question, but you hit it out of the park by saying what you did about it in your previous role, and the success you had with your line of thinking.

Network Shamelessly
For all those times when you are yet to get a call/interview, network. Reach out to people in your field of work. Ask for a coffee. Don’t tell them you are looking for a job, because duh, you don’t want to look desperate. Everyone loves to give free advice. Some may be more busy, but you’ll definitely find someone to give you 15 mins of incredibly valuable advice. If they have an opening, they may even recommend you. Who knows? It’s these conversations that add value to your job search. You get better, more focused, you begin to understand what it takes to succeed.

To network effectively, go back to the basics. Learn how to make conversations. Learn how to ask intelligent questions. Learn how to start by saying hi, and asking anything else other than the weather. Prepare a well rehearsed about-me so you can impress the person you are meeting with.

Exude Confidence
The last and the most important skill you need is confidence. This comes from believing that you have done good work before and can do much better in the future. To many people, I always say, go back to your previous work experience, analyze everything you did, and see what part of your work made the most impact. You could have been a test engineer, but go back to that one moment where you identified a bug that saved your company and client a lot of hardship. Dwell on what made you look for the bug in the first place. Extract all the greatness from something so small and believe that you made a difference. This is what gives confidence. Don’t worry about the competition. Your confidence will bleed through in your interview, and your employer will feel compelled to continue the conversation. Every second more you get to talk, the more your chances at success are.

Cheers, and good luck!