There’s no denying that the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on the Canadian job market. Some industries and organizations completely froze their hiring efforts in the spring of 2020 and are only recently starting to look for candidates again. Other industries have thrived during the pandemic, leading to an increased demand for talented professionals to support rapidly expanding sectors. That means that if you’re searching for a job in 2021, there are plenty of vacancies available if you look in the right place and take the right approach.
By reading our ultimate guide you’ll learn how to find a job that suits your skills, and how to get hired using proven job-seeking techniques. Let’s get started so you can kick off your job search as soon as possible!
Where to look for jobs
Finding available jobs might seem like a straightforward task, but to find a position that fits your need and goals, you need to know exactly where to look. If you’re job searching in Canada, here are our top 5 recommended places to search:
Online job boards
Online job boards are your best friend when looking for employment. They have a wide variety of positions available across different industries, and often give salary and detailed requirement information so you can narrow your search down to be even more specific.
One of the most popular job boards in Canada is Adecco’s frequently updated job search page. Not only can you filter your search by location and industry for better results, but the Adecco team can even help prepare you for your job interview and offer support throughout the search and hiring process. Another leading job board is Indeed, which publishes a massive variety of positions all over the country. Indeed also shows employee reviews so that you know whether a company has a good track record with things like work culture, benefits and job security.
Your network
Who you know can often be just as important as what you know, so don’t forget to tap into your professional network when looking for a job. Asking former coworkers or managers is a great place to start, as they may know of a job opening in their current organization or another company. If you have a particularly good relationship with someone who works at a company with open positions, they might be able to recommend you to their manager or a recruiter in the HR department.
And if you don’t know how to get started with networking, check out our guide to virtual networking here.
LinkedIn
Most people have a LinkedIn profile these days, but not everybody knows how to effectively find a job using it. First things first, make sure your contacts know that you’re looking for employment by posting your resume and some information about the kind of position you’re looking for. This might lead to a job offer from someone in your LinkedIn contact list, or they could pass it on to someone else who’s hiring.
After you’ve done that, use the LinkedIn search function to look for available jobs that match your skills and experience. You can apply for most jobs through the platform in just a few minutes, while other vacancies might ask you to email them your resume and cover letter.
Company websites
If you know of a company that has a good reputation as an employer or is a leader in your industry, checking out the company website can be one of the best ways to find your dream job. Once you’re on their website, go to the menu at the top or bottom of the page and look for the “careers” or “work with us” section. They should have a list of current job vacancies or an email address that you can send your resume to for future consideration.
Social media
Social media is for more than just looking at funny videos and chatting with friends — it’s also an amazing way to find employment! Companies often post job vacancies on their social media accounts, so if you follow your favourite local organizations on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, you could be one of the first to find out about their latest job openings.
There are also plenty of local job vacancy groups on Facebook where recruiters post positions that they need to urgently fill. To find one of these groups, try searching “jobs in” followed by the name of your city or province.
How to find a job fast
Knowing where to look for jobs is only half the battle. Next, you need to know how to do it effectively. It’s important that you know exactly what kind of position to look for. If you have no experience or qualifications in engineering, for example, then you probably shouldn’t be looking for engineering positions.
Think about the jobs you’ve had in the past and consider applying to positions where your professional work experience will be relevant and attractive to recruiters. If you’ve had two or three previous jobs as an office clerk, searching for office and admin positions is a great place to start. You can also make a list of skills that you have to better understand which kind of jobs you should apply for where you’ll be a top candidate. If you’re qualified to drive a forklift, then aim to apply for jobs where that skill is highly valued. These can include warehouse jobs, logistics positions or vacancies at manufacturing companies to name just a few!
Your own professional goals are also important when searching for work, so think about your ideal career path, the kind of work you want to do, and whether the job that you’re applying for is aligned with that. During the ongoing pandemic, many people consider working from home a must when looking for employment, so that may also be an aspect to take into account during your job search.
Resume tips that will get you hired
Another powerful way of speeding up your job search and increasing your chances of getting hired is to have a well-written resume to send to recruiters. Here are the main points that you should include in your resume:
- Your name and contact information
- Work experience
- Education
- Soft Skills and hard skills
- Professional certifications
- Achievements and awards
- Additional sections (community involvement, volunteering, languages, etc.)
Remember to always keep your resume up to date, and tailor it to each job that you’re applying for. That means reading the job description and looking for keywords that the recruiter is looking for in applicant resumes. For example, if you see that an employer is looking for strong communication, creative, and other interpersonal skills, then talk about these soft skills on your resume (only if you really do have these skills!).
If you’re unsure how to get started on writing your resume, use our Resume Builder tool and have a professional-looking one ready in no time!
How to get hired: acing the interview
Job interviews in 2021 are a little different than they were a couple of years ago. That’s because they’re almost exclusively done virtually, and this is likely to be the case until it’s safe for offices to open up again.
Before your virtual job interview, you’ll probably be contacted by phone so that a recruiter can ask you a few general questions and schedule the next step in the interview process. To prepare yourself for a virtual interview, you need to anticipate common questions that the hiring manager is likely to ask you so that you’re not caught off guard. You should also prepare yourself for any personality questions that might come up in the interview so that you come across as confident and sure of your professional career path.
Virtual job interviews might seem more informal than in-person interviews, but it’s important that you dress formally, check that your computer and internet connection are working, and put extra effort into showcasing good communication. Remember that your recruiter will only be seeing you through a computer screen, so being friendly, enthusiastic and polite are great ways to compensate for that.
You made it to the end of our complete 2021 guide to getting hired! If you implement these tips, you’ll have a much better chance of finding your dream job this year. For more expert insights, check out the rest of our blog where we upload the best job search advice regularly!