Job search via the Internet

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Selling yourself: nobody ever tells you how to get those first few sales

If you have ever wondered through the business book sections in Chapters, I am sure you noticed that there is a lot of books on how to start your own business, how to write a marketing and business plan, how to find financing, etc. But there aren't too many books that teach you how to make your first few sales, if you have never done that before. Nobody ever tells you first do that, then do this, after that do that, and then send an invoice. Why? Simply because they either don't know (someone else made those first few sales before they joined the company) or because all other stuff will be very easy and virtually useless. It's not hard to start your own business, it's very easy to write business plans, it's not hard to establish your own network, nothing is really hard, except for those first few sales. The most difficult and important thing to know is how to *convince* people buy your stuff.

How, really? Despite the fact that all of us find ourselves in the position of a job seeker at least a couple of times throughout our careers, very few of us realize that getting employers to hire you is virtually the same thing as making people buy things from you (imagine selling large and expensive things, like refrigerators, for example). It might sound somewhat unpleasant, but in fact when we are looking for a job and sending our applications to employers we are *selling* ourselves (our time and skills, to be precise). From my experience, the one thing I suggest job seekers always keep in mind is that employers don't need you no matter how good you are, it is always you who needs them. The customer is always right. The labor market is still a market. You may be great, you may even be a genius, but if you can't sell yourself right, nobody will *buy* you, and you won't get a job.

If you keep this simple rule in mind all the time while you are doing your job search (I mean all the time), you will be surprised how quickly you will notice *marketing* flaws in your resume and cover letter and will be able to correct them. Send yourself an email with your job application and ask yourself a question: will I buy this person? You will no longer feel "hurt" by employers not replying to you, you will be patient and persistent, since you know that on every 100 professional and targeted applications one can expect a maximum 10% response rate, that's a response rate, not purchases, and that's for "targeted and professional" applications!  - Are you doing it in a professional and targeted way or simply clicking the 'send' and 'apply' buttons every now and then..?

Just think like a salesman and always have a consumer perspective in mind, and your job search will move on faster.

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Why newcomers do not get the jobs they want

With the exception of high-tech specialists, research scientists, and mid-level healthcare professionals (registered nurses, lab technologists, etc.), immigrant job seekers usually have a very hard time finding a job. And we are talking about any job, except perhaps entry-level retail positions or similar types of occupations. And yet so many of them are highly educated and qualified in various important fields. I personally know a few people with Master's degrees in Informatics and Economics, experienced and very educated people, who had to deliver pizza or serve coffee at Tim Horton's for a very long time before finding a job related to their field. It is a very unfortunate, yet very typical situation.

Let me try to identify the reasons for which this is happening and, hopefully, help some of them change this situation (those lucky ones who are reading this page!). This information can also be useful for Canadian-born new graduates and people undergoing a major career change, because in essence, the reasons for which all these groups of people have difficulties in landing desired jobs are essentially the same.

There are three main reasons (apart from bad luck, of course...just kidding!):

1. Wrong perspective, i.e. inability to make proper assessment of ones' own cultural and social standing
2. Wrong approach
3. Wrong presentation

The first reason is the main one, and the other two are derived from it, but I'll keep all three equal because in practice it does not matter which one comes first or second. The term "wrong" is used for convenience purposes only, and not as a cultural judgement of any sort. In this section, the term "wrong" should be interpreted as meaning "the way of doing things which won't help you get a good job in North America".

1.       Wrong perspective:

·         By "wrong" perspective I mean inability to make proper assessment of one's own cultural and social standing. What may seem obvious from an outsider's point of view is often very difficult to see when it concerns you. Newcomers to Canada and the United States, infatuated with Western democracy and social simplicity, take things at their face value and assume wrong things. Yes, it is true that Western social structure is relatively simple and more "democratic" than in other parts of the world, but it is still there! It exists and in much subtler forms than many newcomers realize. In Western society, cultural traditions do not dominate an individual, as it is the case in Asian societies, for example, but these traditions determine whether or not you will feel satisfied and "at home" and how fast this will happen. For most people, it takes on average 8-10 years, for others, those more entrepreneurial, curious and research-savvy, it takes 2-5 years (note, that this time span is very close to what's required for a citizenship in Canada and the United States).

·         Newcomers assume that since this culture is simple and free, therefore there is virtually no etiquette. This is a very easy assumption to make, especially, if you are from a country like India, where each person is constantly highly aware of things like where and at what point during the social encounter a woman can sit down if in the company of her husband's boss (this will be slightly different when in the company of his mother); when it is required to send a gift or when it is sufficient to simply drop by in person, which can be done without a warning, and say "thank you". In Western society, rules are much fewer, they are much simpler, indeed, but they exist and they are different, and they need to be learned!
 

·         So how to learn those rules and where to find the right information. If you are new to the country, you don't know too many people by definition and especially people with education and social experiences similar to yours (where would you meet these people if not at work or university?). Therefore, the only source of good information for newcomers is books and websites like this one. It is particularly good to socialize with local people, keeping in mind, however, their respective level of education and upbringing (hush-hush, did I offend anyone…I must have…Canadians get offended very easily…so much for the freedom of speech…).
 

2.       Wrong approach:

·         This problem is derived from the first one. For example, if you were a Marketing director at a large, even Western, corporation in your country, you should not be applying for similar positions as a newcomer in this country. Marketing in your country is very different from Marketing in this country. As a foreigner, you first need to learn the nitty-gritty of things here (that’s right, you’ve got to go through the initiation process, like everywhere else in the world!). Similarly, if you are an Economist, you must realize that Western economic theory and especially practical methodology is very different from the one practiced in your country. You need to experience how things are here first before you can hope to get a social standing similar to what you’ve had in your country.

·         In practical terms, if you are a newcomer, start as a volunteer in any available organization in your field (private corporations do not favour volunteers, this is due to insurance issues and possible legal implication - see, you need to know these things!). If it is not possible, volunteer in the area that is at least remotely related to your field. Go to Chapters and hit the books, it’s free. Browse through as many sections as you can. Familiarize yourself with as many things as you can. Watch the news and read newspapers from A to Z (in reality, many newcomers know very little about local politics and events, unfortunately). Be very curious and analytical, and prepare for a long cultural journey!
 

3.       Wrong presentation.

·         This is the most painful one. Why? Because there are so many more subtleties and intricacies here and because there isn't much good help easily available.

·         There are two sub-problems here: written presentation and personal presentation (notice, how I divide everything in categories and subcategories and then points? This will be one of the first important things you will learn about Western mentality).

·         In the Western culture, a job search is a very structured and ritualistic process. You need to know this (how? someone would have given you enough info to deduct this, I am sure!). Note that even Westerners who themselves were born in this society but happen to be unaware of these rituals, do not climb very far up on their country's social ladder. In order to learn the written rules, attend career seminars which are often available to newcomers free of charge. Surf the web, read books, but get to know the rules! "Written presentation rules" are few and easy to learn.

·         Personal presentation rules are trickier. There is much more to learn and things are more subtle here. Not even every Canadian or American is well "taught" in this field. But all those who have achieved a good social standing (higher salary!) are all very well "informed", indeed. They wouldn’t have been where they are, had they not been informed.

·         You need to learn about local fashions, social conduct both at work and outside work (to find friends who will then help you find a job), proper and improper timing, quantity or "duration" of each social encounter and sub-encounter, and many other things (how often to call to follow-up, how long should your follow-up call last; how soon to use people’s first names in official settings, etc.). If you are from Europe and especially from Eastern Europe, you will need to accept the fact that no matter how "unsophisticated" and "unstylish" Canadian or American office dress customs are, you have to adjust to them, or else you will always be perceived as an outsider, a foreigner. If you are from India, you should learn that calling every other day to enquire about the same issue is bad manners (as opposed to what may be normal in certain situations in your country: showing eagerness and enthusiasm). These are the things that you would have to learn and learn fast, if you want to have good social standing in this country.

·         And that's not counting the main thing - your proficiency in English. You need to hit the books, memorize, read, and memorize every day, including - and especially! - your pronunciation. Pay respect to this language. Just imagine if you always had to listen to someone who speaks your language with a thick, almost undistinguishable accent, and can't make phrases that could be easily grasped… would you like this? Now, do you appreciate how tolerant Westerners actually are! The majority of them are very patient and tactful and seldom complain [not in the open, at least] that they have to put up with this linguistic discomfort at work for so many hours on a daily basis.

·         While it is exceptionally difficult (exceptionally!!) to get rid of the accent, it is nonetheless possible to make it milder and less pronounced. It is possible to learn how to speak in English well, so that everyone can understand you, even if you speak with an accent. But how many newcomers take care to do that, even when lessons are available virtually free of charge or at a very low cost? Not very many, unfortunately.

To conclude, let me repeat what I have stated earlier, namely, that similar problems, in nature, exist for local job seekers who are either new in the field (recent grads) or going through a major career change (from academia to a corporate environment, for instance). For many people it is hard to recognize what needs to be changed and in what direction.

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How to look for a job like a true Canadian

I think it is worth while to continue the topic I brought up in the previous section, i.e. difficulties faced by newcomers when looking for a job. Before I explain why I want to continue, I'd like to thank all of you who sent me their feedback. It's nice to know that someone is in fact paying attention!  

I think the rest of you may be interested to find out that I got two opposite opinions: a few newcomers wrote to me and thanked me for my advice; a few Canadian-born users got somewhat offended on behalf of newcomers and told me that the newcomers do not need to be "mothered" and that my language is too sharp. How Canadian of them! And this is precisely the reason why I want to dwell on this topic a bit more. If this topic has provoked such a high rate of responses (I know that people don't send their opinions unless there is something they care about!), let me talk about it a bit more, and I will then relate it to your job search. 

One of the most characteristic Canadian features, as it is observed by both Canadians themselves and people from other cultures, is that Canadians very often get offended (take things personally), that they are exceptionally sensitive (you almost can't call a cow a cow anymore; you have to say "large farm-raised hay-and-hormones-fed animal"). Canadians in general are very protective and always speak up in defense of those who, from their point of view, are being unfairly treated or judged. If you read newspapers, you'll see that almost every day someone apologizes for offending someone else, i.e. saying something which can potentially be interpreted as offensive, and it does not even have to be a direct statement. If you are new to Canada, you will notice it a lot, later you'll get used to it.  

You make an innocent joke about someone's size (God forbids!), and you are running a risk of being perceived as "promoting hatred" [the only safe way to do it is if you yourself happen to be overweight!] Whether you like it or not, this approach is something you should be aware of and get used to. Canadians are very sensitive to those whom they view as "helpless" and "vulnerable" and they often overreact when trying to protect these people. Unless you work for an official comedy show, you are better off not risking any of these or similar jokes, even if you think they are innocent and not offensive.  

Another thing is your language, and I don't mean your grammar. To start sounding like a Canadian, try doing this exercise:

1. Make a statement or express an opinion, preferably with a cause and effect in it.
2. Then dilute all your adjectives and adverbs and add elements of "probability". You will have made a significant step toward the Canadian English.

Warning: doing it a lot on an every day basis will (not "may", but will!) change your mentality. 

Here are a couple of examples. 

1. Standard English: If you fail the exam for the second time, you will be expelled from the University immediately.

Canadian English: In the event of a second exam failure, chances are high that a student may be expelled from the University.

Notice the passive voice in the second clause and intentional avoidance of a direct pronoun "you". By saying "you", you are running a risk of potentially offending someone (in other words, someone will take it personally and get offended!).

 

2. Standard English: If you are late for work all the time, you boss will refuse you your promotion.

   Canadian English: Those who often come to work late may be moved to the end of the line for getting a promotion. 

   I think you got an idea of what I mean by saying "dilute" your language with probability elements. Using passive voice, as opposed to active voice, when expressing an opinion, especially a political or social opinion, will help you communicate with Canadians better, it will help you make them understand your point of view and it will also keep you from unwillingly offending someone. 

At the beginning, you may find this linguistic twist rather disturbing (for example: local water resources were severely polluted and it took a very long time to fix the problem. The government officials expressed their “strong disappointment” with the speed of the recovery action...."disappointment"...???), but later you will be glad that it exists: no one will ever tell you anything negative, you will never be criticized, and your day will never be spoiled. If you screw up something really badly, the worst thing that will happen is that your boss will invite you in his/her office and will delicately tell you, in the nicest possible way, that you need to improve this or that. No one will ever call you an "idiot", "stupid", or anything along these lines (it is illegal here!). So get used to it and enjoy! However, keep in mind that if they don't tell you, it doesn't mean there is nothing to tell.

Now, you are probably thinking, how does all this yada-yada apply to my job search? How is it going to help me find a job? 

It should help you with all your follow-up calls (you are making them, aren't you?) and your job interview. In particular, it would come useful when speaking with receptionists and when answering "negative" questions. 

When speaking with receptionists, never say "when is your boss going to be back?" Instead, say "when would be a good time to try and call back, if you don't mind".  

During the job interview, do not say anything that can even remotely be interpreted as "potentially offensive" or "negative". If you feel that you absolutely have to say something “negative” (it can be very normal things that you had all the right not to like!), use the "reverse" technique.  

 For example, if they ask you what it is that you did not like at your previous job, you may want to say

1)       "There wasn't anything bad actually, but I guess (dilution) I'd have liked it more [reversal from negative to positive] if there were a cafeteria and a better variety of soft drinks.

2)       “Well, there wasn't anything negative, really, but I guess I was hoping for [modesty!] more challenging and interesting assignments; that's why I am here, from what I know about it so far, this job sounds very interesting to me, it appears that my future responsibilities would allow me to learn new skills and advance the ones I already have, and that's why I am really excited about it".  

Now, if after reading this section, you feel "offended" for some reason, please re-read it again. I hope that you will be able to see that we are trying to help people with specific and practical advice (as opposed to vague general recommendations), and if it takes using straight forward language, so be it.