Job Search Assistance Program | Return to Work & Rehab Consulting Services

Posts Tagged ‘Job Search Assistance Program’

Committed To Helping Clients With Their Returns To Work

Posted May 12, 2015 by Victor Andres

When you’ve been away from the work force for a considerable amount of time, returning to work is not often the first thing on your mind. Suffering an injury or enduring an illness comes with many physical limitations. Naturally, returning to a state of better health and strength is the primary concern. However, once a full recovery has been successfully achieved, an individual generally needs to begin thinking about returning to work.

In many cases, this entails looking for an entirely new job. And, as you can imagine, for those that have not been working for a long time, the entire process can be a harrowing one. One of the first steps, of course, entails refurbishing a resumé. And although there is often nothing new to add to a resumé once a person is able to return to the workforce following a long layoff, it’s important that all relevant information is updated.

Then comes the job search! This too, can be a difficult process. Determining the line of work one is interested in and discovering if there are available positions in that field can also be an arduous task. And, of course, once a person has selected the jobs that he or she wishes to apply for, preparation for those all important job interviews is necessary. Independence Incorporated is committed to helping clients throughout the entire process.

Firstly, we offer Resumé Preparation services that assist clients with completing accurate, up-to-date and interest-worthy resumés. Our experienced vocational staff works diligently to provide both thorough resumé development skills and appropriate cover letter creation. In many cases, a cover letter is read before a resumé, so it needs just as much attention. Our team is well aware that impressing a would-be employer requires a great first impression.

Secondly, our Job Search Assistance Program serves those who have settled on some realistic occupational choices. The program takes into account the specific needs and talents of each individual client. It may include regular client meetings to establish responsibilities during the job search process and a daily review of classified employment ads in newspapers, employment centres and on the internet.

Finally, we offer Interview Coaching. For those who have experienced long layoffs from work, it is often difficult to recall the best ways to conduct one’s self during a job interview. Taking into account such details as dress code, knowing what questions to ask, showing up early and doing research on the employer is all very important. Our team provides a review of effective interview strategies to help to diminish the anxiety that many job seekers may have.

It can be argued that the job interview process is the most important step in securing new employment. This step, of course, puts a person face-to-face with his or her would-be employer. Making a strong impression is imperative in landing the position. On Monster.com, Doug Hardy writes that “even if you have less than a day before your job interview, you can outshine the competition with a little interview preparation.”

Finding a new job after a long layoff from work doesn’t have to feel like Mission: Impossible. As mentioned, Independence Incorporated is committed to helping its clients with every step necessary to both locate and secure ideal career opportunities. For more information about our Resumé Preparation services, Job Search Assistance Program and Interview Coaching, please don’t hesitate to call Independence Incorporated at 204-478-6644 or email info@indep.ca.

6 Tips For Finding The Right Job For You

Posted March 31, 2015 by Victor Andres

There was once a time when a person would begin a career and retire from it approximately 40 or 50 years later. Today, we live in a world where career changes happen a whole lot more often. In some cases, career transitions become necessities in order to address the changes that may be occurring in our personal lives. A long term illness or injury is certainly a reason that many people use to consider moving from one career to another.

If the time for change becomes necessary due to one’s physical limitations, it’s important to consider what they are before looking for a new job. At Independence Incorporated, we offer a Job Search Assistance Program that is tailored to the needs of each individual client. The program includes regular client meetings to establish responsibilities and obligations, résumé preparation and a daily review of offline and online classified employment ads.

Here are six tips for finding the right job for you:

1. Focus your job search. Locating the ideal job for you begins with knowing exactly what it is you are interested in doing. With online listings being so prevalent these days, narrowing your search by using specific key words in search engines should help you to locate the opportunities that best suit your needs and skill set. “Narrowing your search criteria will help you focus your job search and will give you more relevant job listings to review and less non-relevant job listings to weed through,” writes Alison Doyle on About.com.

2. Seek to develop new skills. Perhaps, you’re looking to completely change your career path. If so, some new training may be in order. You’re never too old to learn new tricks! Mary Eileen Williams of The Huffington Post recommends that you take a class at a community college or senior centre. “You will not only gain the necessary knowledge (you can add this to your résumé),” she writes, but “you will also be able to network with your fellow students and the instructor.”

3. Do some volunteer work. There are few things on a résumé that seem to impress employers more than the experience you have in a related work field. Especially if you are entering into an unfamiliar industry, it will pay dividends to get some experience through volunteer work. “The very act of serving others will raise your feelings of wellbeing,” believes Williams, “Even more, because you will be volunteering in a field associated with your own, your new connections are likely to lead to unexpected opportunities and liaisons.”

4. Join a job search group. It certainly can’t hurt you to be around other people who are going through the same situation as you are. This is especially true if the entire job search process is bringing you some anxiety. Joining a job search group “will go a long way to lesson any feelings of isolation you may be experiencing,” says Williams, “In addition, you will have opportunities to share job search tips, exchange leads, and provide emotional support.”

5. Target your résumé and cover letter. Once you’ve narrowed your search to the job opportunities that you feel you are best suited for, be sure to prepare a résumé that speaks to that industry. “It’s important to take the time to write targeted résumés and cover letters that specifically link your qualifications to the hiring criteria for the jobs you are applying for,” insists Doyle, “The hiring manager will be able to see, at a glance, why, and how, you are qualified for the job.” Generic résumés, she believes, aren’t likely to impress.

6. Nail the job interview. Of course, your résumé and cover letter should help you get your foot through the door. But once that happens, you don’t want to put your foot in your mouth! It’s important to research the company that is interviewing you before you meet its hiring manager. As well, “dress appropriately, practice answering and asking interview questions, and make a concerted effort to impress the interviewer with your skills, experience, confidence, and expertise,” advises Doyle.

Good luck!

Finding Perfect Fits Through Our Job Search Assistance Program

Posted December 16, 2014 by Victor Andres

Finding a job can be tough. And it’s even tougher when you haven’t been a member of the work force for some time. Naturally, when a person becomes ill or injured, it’s important for him or her to think with a “health first” attitude. So, when a person recovers, he or she may not have been thinking about working for quite a while. In many cases, people recovering from health issues have the opportunity to return to their original jobs.

And, in many other cases, recovered individuals need to seek new employment. As you can imagine, many of them have a “where do I go from here?” state of mind. And that can be expected. It makes sense that they would need some assistance with finding a new job. This is where Independence Incorporated’s “Job Search Assistance Program” comes in. It is designed to comfortably reacquaint job-seekers with the world of work.

Essentially, the program begins for our clients once realistic and reasonable occupational choices have been decided upon. It is tailored to the specific and unique needs of each individual client. This way, we know that we will be helping to put the right people in the right job positions. It’s hard enough to return to work after a long layoff as it is. The last thing anyone would want would be to begin a job that he or she is uncomfortable with.

There are a number of components to the “Job Search Assistance Program”. As you may have guessed, it begins with finding the answers to some of the more obvious questions that one would ask when it comes to beginning a job search. What lines of work are you interested in? What type of work experience do you have? What are your strongest attributes and talents? We then move on to performing some or all of the following components of the program.

Regular client meetings. By meeting with our clients on a regular basis, we are able to establish the various responsibilities and obligations we have during the job search process. The meetings include discussions about setting goals and establishing an activity log. Naturally, some of the above listed questions get answered more clearly during this step of the process. It’s all about finding our clients the right fit.

Resume preparation. As you can imagine, a major component to landing a new job position is preparing an adequate résumé. Last month, in our “6 Steps To Creating The Perfect Résumé” blog, we offered a number of great tips to help job-seekers to get it right. This component of the “Job Search Assistance Program” also includes interview coaching and network development. Our most recently posted blog, “6 Steps To Having Strong Job Interviews” is also an important read.

Daily review of classified employment ads. There’s nothing like looking for a job when you’re…looking for a job! It’s important to put in a concerted effort to locate as many employment opportunities as possible before deciding upon the ones you wish to interview for. We review newspapers and the internet for job postings but also work with a network of employment centres to help our clients find well-suited job opportunities.

At Independence Incorporated, we’re very mindful of the stress and pressure that people endure when they are out looking for work. Our efforts make it easier for clients to locate jobs that they are best suited for. A less stressful approach to job finding makes the entire process a lot more worthwhile. For more information about our Job Search Assistance Program please feel free to call us at 204-478-6644.