Like many people during COVID-19 and the isolation of staying in my home bubble, I have watched too many Netflix shows, and re-watched too many old movies. So last week I changed tactics and looked at my dusty bookshelves.
As I dusted off each book and tried to decide to either keep the book or donate it to the Little Free Library or Free Book-Sharing Box down the road from where I live, I came across a classic: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. Originally published in 1989, it is a business standard for anyone who seeks insight into how to adapt to change and how to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Flipping through the pages, I realized that Covey’s wisdom is still relevant in 2020 and his book still bursts with inspirational quotes including:

“The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.”

“The key is not to prioritize what is on your schedule,
but to schedule your priorities.”

“You have spent years of your life learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak. But what about listening?”

This third quote is the one that grabbed my attention. During COVID-19 and the reopening of Ontario in 3 stages, it is important that job seekers listen to what is happening to the economy and local workplace. The daily news can sound pessimistic however while waiting for our new normal to begin, there are still many habits to review including the following two.

1. Be proactive

Job seekers can take control of employment preparation by dusting off resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles. Success still equals preparation for the opportunity. The summer of 2020 might be the best time to prepare the practical items that are still needed and often neglected. For example, do you have 3 local references? Are you ready for a job interview using a video conferencing platform such as Zoom? Are you prepared for networking online by introducing yourself with a new elevator pitch or 30-second commercial?

2. Begin with the end in mind

A job search should have a clear destination. Covey encourages using imagination to develop a vision of who you want to become. Self-awareness is empowering and once found, you can live your life the way you want instead of based on the standards or preferences of others. It might require some re-scripting which is recognizing the ineffective scripts that have been written for you possibly by your parents, teachers or friends. Try changing those scripts by writing new ones that are built on your own values.

For example, I was encouraged to study music, theatre, literature and performance, and was told that success was defined by an applauding audience. I enjoyed this first career however, I did not want to be an entrepreneur which is what an artist is. After reading Covey’s book, I seized what I wanted which was to be an employee who used creative resourcefulness for an audience that did not applaud with a standing ovation but showed appreciation with written or verbal words of thanks.

It might be time to dust off your classic business books and to use the inspiration of the past to move forward into a new future. If you want to speak with a Career Specialist about how to do this, contact us.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

When the challenge of COVID-19 and social distancing presented itself in March of 2020, our Care for Newcomer (CNC) Project was left unsure as to how they could continue to serve our community. This was a challenge they had never faced.

Feedback from parents indicated that they found themselves at a loss with no school, children home all day unable to go outside, along with many other factors.  Upon examining these factors, it was determined there was a need for virtual assistance which CNC was determined to provide.

The CNC team created a master list of all clients who had utilized CNC services over the past two years and reached out to them via phone and email offering Achēv’s support.

As the first SPO in Ontario to deliver CNC virtual services, it was determined that our mandate would be to provide socialization for the children, educational concepts and reinforcement, creative exploration and a much-needed break for parents. One of the first endeavours was to organize the distribution of craft kits to our client’s homes. Parents emailed their requests and CNC prepared 67 customized kits for the children basing the contents of kits on age-appropriate games and crafts.  Staff delivered 67 kits to Brampton, Burlington, Malton, Milton, Mississauga, and Oakville over a 3-day period in the first week of June.  The feedback was positive, instantaneous, and it was truly amazing how very appreciative both children and parents were to receive the craft kits from CNC/ACHĒV!

The CNC team also collaborated and developed a bi-weekly calendar of virtual activities for children kicking it off with a home-made sock puppet show written and performed by CNC staff. It was delivered on May 22^nd and approximately 100 clients registered for this first and very successful event. Children’s activities take place on ZOOM every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon and range from crafts and games to dancing, music, and even story time written by CNC staff. Registrations so far are close to 40 for each event. Many more innovative ideas are being explored every day and the team is excited to bring them to fruition.

Feedback has been extremely encouraging and the team is excited to continue building this virtual concept during this challenging time!

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

This is a good question, but a problem that is easy to overcome. The good news is that everyone is trying to stay healthy by staying in and self-isolating, but making face-to-face or in-person connections has become difficult if you are looking for work. The truth is, companies are still hiring and networking and meetings can still be done virtually. Here are 10 ways to make start to make the best use of your time while at home:

1. Use LinkedIn to Introduce yourself to employers

2. Call up your references and reconnect about what you have been up to

3. Reach out to friends and family by the phone or email

4. Polish up your LinkedIn profile so potential employers can find you

5. Learn how to set up a virtual meeting using Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp or Facetime

6. Develop an email campaign to let employers know you are available

7. Spend time doing your research on the companies you want to work with

8. Make a list of informational interview questions

9. Write a value statement and email to employers

10. Offer to help someone else – you never know how it will come back to help you

Don’t let the Pandemic put a stop to your networking efforts. If you continue to make those important connections, you will be far ahead of the competition to get that job of your dreams.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

A career counsellor is the sous chef of the employment world. They help you prepare, gather your tools and market yourself well so employers will see your value.

If you are struggling with where to turn next to accomplish the next career objective in your life, reach out to a Career Counsellor. They provide a whole variety of solutions for you. In their briefcase of employment assistance, they offer career clarification, long and short-term goal setting, skills and interest assessments, and access to interview and employment opportunities. They can also link you to coaching and mentoring opportunities that will help you get a job or keep a job.

It’s an exciting way to approach your goals because the counsellor will help you explore ideas and identify places you might not have thought about and help you uncover the hidden skills and abilities you might not realize you have. You will want to tap into someone who knows what’s happening in the community and labour market, who has up to date information on your rights, your obligations and workplace culture. They should know all about professional accreditation, language credentials and prior learning assessments if that is what you need.

By meeting with a Career Counsellor, not only will you gain support and receive guidance, you will learn how to organize and polish your resume, answer those tough interview questions, obtain additional job search resources, participate in career exploration sessions, and gather an emotional supporter, confidante, coach and cheerleader. Find one at any of the Employment Ontario funded Employment Service sites.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

A career counsellor is the sous chef of the employment world. They help you prepare, gather your tools and market yourself well so employers will see your value.

You probably thought I made a mistake with the title of this blog.  Twenty years ago it started to be popular to encourage job seekers to think like a CEO in order to plan for the future and to become the champion of your own career. This is still something that you should do, however in 2020 it is also time to think like an SEO.

SEO means “search engine optimization”.  Many job seekers hear that it is important to have keywords on resumes, yet what are keywords? What happens to your resume when applying to a company that uses an applicant tracking system or ATS scanner to screen out candidates? The answers start with understanding how resume writing has changed.

Think of resume writing like writing a text message or the “about” section of your LinkedIn profile.  There are only a certain number of characters that are allowed. ATS scanners are the same and count characters, not words, so it is extremely important not to waste any space that could make the difference between your resume ending up in a trash bin or the “to be considered” file. For example, there is no need to put brackets around your phone number area code since this wastes two valuable character spaces.

It is also critical to recognize that your career story is arranged with keywords that an ATS scanner and then a hiring manager will be looking for.  Thus every time you apply to a job posting, you need a slightly different cover letter and resume that uses keywords that are in the job description. These include soft skills, hard skills and industry-specific words and expressions. For example, if the job posting is looking for someone with “advanced communication skills” be sure to list your language skills and how you used these abilities to help previous employers solve problems or increase sales.

Not all companies use SEO practices to screen out applications, however, almost all employers will be reading your resume for accomplishments and successes instead of tasks and responsibilities. One way to do this is to start each line with an action verb and then quantify your achievement. For example, instead of stating “Answered inquires and directed calls” you could state “Streamlined communication and time management process when responding to 50+ calls every hour by identifying problems and developing procedures to direct inquires to appropriate project teams”.

When crafting your resume think like an SEO, and when crafting your career think like a CEO. Develop the tactical and confident thinking it takes to pivot successfully in order to survive the shift that COVID-19 has created.  Surround yourself with smart people, become comfortable making well-informed decisions, and acquire resilience to continue through adversity.

To register for a resume webinar, or to connect with a Career Specialist in order to be the CEO of your career, or to learn more about how ATS scanners have changed resumes,  contact us.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

Since converting our organization to a remote delivery model our job seekers are asking us “What does this pandemic mean for me?  Our response is to listen to what the pandemic is telling us.  For those who are job searching, or are in the middle of a career transition, the pandemic could be an opportunity.

1. Weigh the Pros and Cons

Writing down the pros and cons allows you to look at them head-on, and often it’s like a light went off and the solution dawns on you right away. A pandemic can often create innovation, allow for more time to do things that time didn’t allow, change a habit or behaviour, access free or low-cost resources.

2. Brainstorm Solutions

Brainstorming is a great way to solve problems. The question you should ask yourself is “What is the problem I am trying to solve?“instead of “How can I solve this problem?”  When brainstorming about your job search, it helps if you get a variety of ideas from a selection of people that are not connected to the problem. Ask a teenager, ask a senior, ask your mother or ask a neighbour. You will be surprised at all the possible solutions and different ideas suggested that you never thought about. Those possibilities might very well be the ticket to success.

3. Seek Assistance from a Professional

Ask for help from a professional.  We use professionals in all other aspects of our lives but for some reason find it difficult to get help from the “experts” when it comes to our careers and livelihood.  There is no shame in unemployment! There is no stigma attached to getting advice and admitting you may need some help. ACHĒV has trained and qualified Career Specialist is ready and happy to assist you.

We are staying at home to take care of ourselves and each other. This is the perfect time to take care of your career success too. So keep listening to the pandemic, reach out to us and let us know what it’s telling you!  We would love to hear.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

Physical distancing can equal paying attention to the news, watching Netflix movies, and looking obsessively at various fads on social media such as how to create a face mask or shield guard. It might also equal paying attention to embracing a new era of using innovative job search methods.

Even though COVID-19 has caused temporary layoffs, hiring freezes and a huge upheaval across all sectors, employers are still hiring. However, the job search methods that resulted in success just a few months ago, might not be as effective right now so it is time to find creative ways to stand out from the crowd.

Here are 3 approaches to welcome into your job search toolbox:

1. LinkedIn:

Applying to a job posting as a stranger already had very little success pre-COVID-19. Using LinkedIn was previously proven to be one of the most successful ways of securing an interview. Just a few months ago LinkedIn was not necessarily mandatory. Today it is, especially if you are aiming for remote work. If you don’t have an impressive LinkedIn profile, be sure to put this onto your “to-do” list while you are physical distancing. Start with creating a strong headline, writing an impressive “about” section and ask two of your connections to write and post recommendations about how great you are to work with. If you need to learn or review how to effectively use LinkedIn, attend an ACHĒV LinkedIn webinar

2. Video Conferencing:

The traditional techniques of networking by connecting with people in groups and or having a coffee with someone at Starbucks is no longer a possibility. Instead, it is time to learn Zoom or Skype. You will need to know these platforms for job interviews, so today instead of watching a 2-hour movie, spend 2 hours setting up a professional background in your home office area. Make sure that what a potential employer or networking contact sees behind you looks professional and well-lit. Every time you are on the camera it is still a formal interview or networking meeting, so your appearance, outfit and surroundings need to reflect this. Potential employers will be judging you visually and by what they can see around and behind you. Test out all the functionality of your video conferencing settings, including screen sharing and camera access. Be prepared to present yourself as a communications professional who can support companies to sell their services or products without any technical difficulties from your end. You need to bring the same level of enthusiasm, professionalism, and communication that you would in an in-person interview to a video conferencing platform. It is truly a new era of interviewing so be ready to Zoom or Skype.

3. Empathy:

Everyone worldwide is struggling with both personal and professional challenges because of COVID-19. Each of us has a story about how it has impacted our lives so be mindful of the fact that many companies have only recently transferred from brick and mortar offices to remote communication. Being sensitive to this global pandemic is one way to demonstrate that you are fully aware of the circumstances everyone is in. By acknowledging your understanding of these difficult times you demonstrate your emotional intelligence. This is paramount in order to be a candidate that is selected for a remote project, a delivery service job, or a frontline food service position.

Continue physical distancing and entertaining yourself with comedy and music, however also consider revising networking and outreaching approaches that make sense in our new era. You might not embrace what has happened, however, you can adopt new job search strategies that are probably here to stay.

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

For more information, or to register for a webinar, or to start one-to-one career coaching with us.

The number 5 has always been part of my life and career coaching style. I am from a family of 5 siblings, my hometown is 5 Provinces to the West (British Columbia!), and I believe in the 5 Stages of Grief and the 5 Habits of Successful People. Every job seeker who has sat beside me has heard about the “555” goal-setting method.

The 5 Stages of Grief: proposed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in 1969, this model can be used to navigate our recovery due to personal grief and for sorrow due to unemployment. The stages are denial and shock, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Right now, due to COVID19, we are all experiencing some type of grief as our world shifts into a new era. Some of us might still be in stage one. Eventually, we can all get to stage 5 to move forward. If you are experiencing grief and sorrow due to unemployment, you can get to stage 5 and move ahead with a new approach to career planning.

The 5 Habits of Successful People: created by Jack Canfield in 2016, this model can be used at any time during the job search process:

1. Believe in yourself:

resumes alone don’t get us the job. We need confidence in our transferable skills and the ability to become a remote worker, or delivery driver, or new occupation that was never on the radar before.

2. Set goals:

planning maintains our power of focus, and distractions including the current global crisis can fade away for a few hours and be replaced with productivity. For example, set a target to complete one module of a free online course every day and before long you can add a new Certificate to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

3. Go the extra mile:

instead of the attitude of “what’s in it for me”, try the mind-set of “what you can do for others”. We are all in the COVID19 pandemic at the same time. Consider becoming a volunteer by researching: www.volunteer.ca or sparkontario.ca

4. Take action:

the world does not pay you for what you know; it pays for what you do. It is all about putting your goals and ideas into action. However, you don’t have to do this alone. An ACHĒV Career Specialist can help coach you with a personalized career action plan.

5. Practice appreciation: one daily thank you or gesture of gratitude can go a long way. For example, try reaching out to your LinkedIn connections. Maybe it’s time to write a recommendation for one of them.

The “555” Goal Setting Method:

ask yourself “Where do I want to be in 5 weeks? 5 months? 5 years?” This month, many of us have the gift of time to reflect on our career future and to prepare for the interview question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

In summary, the number 5 has many meanings. It symbolizes balance, it indicates someone who is full of energy, and it can mean freedom and change.

There is no doubt that all of us are in a cycle of change. Give yourself a new change of direction today and contact ACHĒV in the next 5 minutes if you haven’t already. We are ready to serve you virtually with career coaching, online webinars and lots more!

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

Hi Job Seeker:

Have you heard of “Book Spine Poetry”? It’s a popular and fun way to create original poems using titles written on the spines of books by stacking them into an arrangement that can be read from top to bottom.

I dusted off some old career counselling books and created the following job search poem for you. I call it “What Next: It’s Your Move”.

What next? Career Strategies for the new world of work, get life without sacrificing your career. Beyond traditional Job Development, the art of creating opportunity, the panic free job search, man’s search for meaning. It’s your move

If you have any books at home, give it a try to get your creativity flowing to see how you stack up! Keep safe and continue physical distancing!

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.

For Internationally Trained Individuals arriving in Canada, two of the main barriers to finding employment are not having “Canadian experience” or the lack of Canadian education and accreditation.

At ACHĒV, it is our mission to empower and support Internationally Trained Individuals, from both regulated and non-regulated backgrounds, to quickly re-enter the Canadian labour market. Our Career and Training Counsellors in the Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Loans Program specialize in finding the right financial support, as well as career and educational program information.

We hear it almost daily from our clients, “I’m a Doctor back home but I’m working at Amazon because I need a survival job”. It is frustrating, discouraging and stressful to feel like you have come so far in your education or career only to have pushed the reset button, and told to start from the beginning.

Our program is unique in that it provides both free one-on-one career counselling, as well as a loan to complete the training you require to succeed in your career.

When Charanjeet arrived from India with his wife, he knew that becoming a Dentist in Canada would require time and money;

“I was a little worried about finances required for future exams,” said Charanjeet. With the support of a Counsellor, Charanjeet was able to secure the funds he needed and is now a student at the University Of Toronto, Doctor of Dental Surgery program; “my loan got approved and I was able to support myself and my family during my extended examination period. I would definitely recommend this program to anybody who is eligible and is in need like I was.”

ACHĒV offers low-interest microloans of up to $15,000 through the FCR Loans Program to individuals who have:

1. Completed any education outside of Canada/have relevant Skilled Trades work experience

2. Permanent Resident, Canadian Citizen or Convention Refugee status

3. An interest in working in your previous area of employment or an alternative career

The educational loan can be used towards expenses related to your accelerating your career in Canada:

1. Living and travel expenses

2. Short-term bridging programs/ courses

3. Books/materials

4. Accreditation and

5. Association and examination fees

FCR Loans Counsellors (R-L): Laura Dantsis, Cindy Taylor, Ruwaida Al-Kubaisi

The settlement process can be extremely overwhelming especially when trying to secure a stable job that matches your skills, education and experience. Sometimes the hardest part is not knowing where or how to begin the process of job searching.

Working with a Career and Training Counsellor can help you by:

1. Assisting you in the job search process, recommending efficient job search strategies and creating a realistic action plan

2. Supporting you in creating a strong resume, cover and LinkedIn profile which highlight your strengths

3. Practising your interview skills and giving you the confidence to showcase your abilities at your next interview

Giving you tips on Networking, Canadian Labour market information, Life Skills and job retention

Achēv offers free weekly events and workshops to help you achieve your employment and career goals. Visit our Events Calendar to see all of our upcoming events.