The Bagg Group Blog

Our recruiters at The Bagg Group often tell candidates that looking for a job is like running your own company. Whether you are seeking a full-time position, contract work, or a temporary placement, you need to promote and sell your expertise – just like anyone who owns their own business.

That’s why the tactics which entrepreneurs use to get ahead in the marketplace are useful for job-seekers in the GTA.  With that in mind, staffing experts at The Bagg Group offer these four tips, inspired by the book The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success.

1.  Don’t overlook the bonus skill:  Successful entrepreneurs say it’s a good idea to service even small, special or niche markets that others overlook or ignore. In the same way, it’s a good idea for job-seekers to develop extra skills, in their spare time, that others in the field may not worry about acquiring. 

These additional skills —  which may range from learning a second language to a new software program — may not be essential for your work. They may only be of use in certain specific situations. But bonus skills can impress interviewers and give you a competitive edge over other candidates.

2.  Keep your eyes and ears open: Top entrepreneurs say they always stay up-to-date on trends so they can meet new needs and interests.  When in the business of job-seeking, stay up-to-date on trends in your area of work so hiring managers will know you’re in step with ongoing developments in your field.  

3. The best time to do anything is now. Those who operate companies insist there is no perfect time to launch a new idea. Instead, they say, the right time to start anything is ‘now.’  Similarly, don’t wait to start your job search until the economy picks up, the holidays are over, or you get the new Ipad.  Begin it today.

4.  Avoid pessimists. People who have built thriving businesses from scratch say they had to ignore those who insisted their plans would never work.  As a job-hunter, you too will want to seek people who encourage and help you, and avoid those who doubt you.  When you do come face-to-face with a pessimist, remind them that you’ve had a job before, and you will have one again.  Then, change the subject to the weather.

In the next blog, we’ll bring you four more strategies to help you succeed in your business of finding a job.

Has this happened to you?   You write an email, press send, and then regret it immediately.

If you have ever wished you could stop an email, you are not alone.  When you are seeking full-time work, contract opportunities, or temporary placements, you can get into an impatient state-of-mind.  And sometimes that impatience translates into rash actions.  

For example, perhaps on the spur of the moment, you decide to inject some off-the-wall humour in a covering letter because you think this will help you stand out from the crowd.  As soon as you send it, you remember that unless you are applying to be a stand-up comic, you have to be professional, not funny.

Or maybe you are frustrated because you haven’t received a reply from a recruiter or a hiring manager. You sit at your computer and type out an angry email, demanding consideration.  After you hit send, you realize that what is top priority to you is one item on a long to-do list for others.

Linda Stone, a leading researcher who studies human-computer interactions, says there is a reason we may act quickly, and without good judgment, when we’re at our keyboards.   Her studies show that we often hold our breaths while cranking out emails.  She calls this phenomenon “email apnea” – shallow breathing, or not breathing for a few seconds, while dealing with emails.

Doctors confirm that when we hold back oxygen from our brains, we react emotionally, and less professionally.  We are more impulsive, and less reflective.

Our clients, the best companies across the GTA, have many stories about receiving emails from people looking for work who have asked them to delete an earlier email without reading it.  That’s a sign that the sender didn’t take a deep breath before sending the original message.  It doesn’t leave the hiring manager with a good impression.

The best way to avoid this situation? Stay clear-headed. Recruiters at The Bagg Group urge you to step back and breathe before hitting send. That simple act of slowing down for a few seconds can ensure you don’t send out anything that you’ll later regret.

Also, when you finish writing an email, read it over as if you were a busy hiring manager, who doesn’t know you.  Is there anything in your message that could possibly be misunderstood?  Recruiters at The Bagg Group say the best rule when you aren’t sure about whether to say something is: when in doubt, leave it out.

 The art of writing a good resume is taking on renewed importance. Read Making the Shortlist for tips offered by Jackie Chua, General Manager, as featured in The National Post.

While you are seeking employment, take the time to upgrade your skills, and your knowledge about the industry you work in. 

The best way to bring yourself up-to-date is to follow in the footsteps of companies, and do some Research and Development.

We have placed many candidates with top companies in the GTA after they have done just that.

Organizations undertake R & D for two reasons:  to stay useful to their market, and to stay ahead of their competitors. 

Whether you are seeking full-time employment in the GTA, contract work or temporary employment, looking for a job is like running your own company. The product you are bringing to the market is your service and expertise.

And so, like any company, you too must do Research and Development to make sure you stay up-to-date, useful and competitive. This is an investment of time and energy that you can’t afford not to make.

Recruiters at The Bagg Group say candidates who have upgraded their skills and can talk knowledgeably about new trends and innovations in their field make a positive, powerful impression on hiring authorities.

So how do you conduct Research and Development? 

Staffing experts at The Bagg Group offer these tips:

• Upgrade your skills: Take classes, online or in person, in subjects related to your type of work. Be sure to include these on your resume.
• Attend seminars: Workshops and seminars are great for picking up news about your industry, as well as for networking. Look also for online seminars, many of these are free.
• Read, read and read some more: Read the business pages, trade journals, websites, and blogs about your area of interest. In this way, you stay informed about the people and the situations that are pre-occupying those in your field.
• Make Google your colleague: If you are not currently in an office, you may miss having a work buddy with whom you can exchange news over coffee. But you do have a resource that can offer you just as much insight into what is happening in your area of interest.
• Search engines makes it possible to research everything and anything. For example, if you are looking for temp office work in the GTA, you can discover the skills and qualities that companies consider to be most important nowadays by doing an online search. Or, if you are an IT specialist, you can get the inside scoop on how companies are responding to the latest software programs simply by Googling. It’s amazing what you can discover in the time it takes to have a coffee.
• Talk shop: Share the tips and insights you learn with former colleagues and contacts. This is the best way to keep lines of communication open and ensure a valuable exchange of information.
• Volunteer: Donating your skills to a volunteer organization is a win-win experience. Professionally speaking, you benefit from the opportunity to flex your skills in new situations, and the organization benefits from your help.

All companies consider Research and Development an essential investment in their future.  It works the same way for you.  Invest in some R & D to be the best candidate you can be.

Ask any athlete how they prepare for a game, and they’ll tell you they talk to themselves – a lot.  The pep talk is as much a part of an athlete’s warm-up as stretching.

And what helps in a competition for gold, can work equally well in competition for full-time employment, a contract opportunity or temporary work. 

Staffing solutions experts at The Bagg Group know this for a fact.  We have been coaching candidates on how to interview well with the best companies in the GTA for decades.   

Here are two winning tips for helping you put together a pep talk to give your best performance, whether on a ski hill, a skating rink, or in an interview.

Think about what you can control:   At the Vancouver Olympics, athletes talked to themselves about succeeding at elements they could control, not what they couldn’t.

Jennifer Heil, who won a silver medal in freestyle skiing in Vancouver, told reporters that she prepares by telling herself that she is “going for it” and that she will have a “fun” and “exciting” run.  

And she said, she visualizes being flexible enough to deal with any unexpected event.

She gives herself a pep talk about what she can accomplish on the way to the finish line.  But she says, in sports, it’s impossible to know the outcome ahead of time. So she doesn’t think about it.

 ”I’m doing everything I can,” she told reporters before the Olympic Games.  “And at the end of the da,y I’ll know I’ve done my best effort. I don’t think I can ask more of myself than that.”

Likewise prior to an interview, visualize yourself speaking positively about your prior work experience and your skills.  Tell yourself that you will enjoy the interview and talking, with confidence and knowledge, about issues of interest to the interviewer.

And like Heil, before your performance starts, remind yourself that you are going to give this your best effort, and that is all that you need to do. 

If you focus on things you can’t control — such as other competitors or  the interviewer’s personal likes and dislikes — you will be increasing your panic and anxiety, not decreasing it.

Turn negatives into positives: For athletes, training is often a physically painful experience.  In a Canadian Curling Association blog, Gidon Gabbay writes that athletes know they can’t always eliminate the negative thoughts, so instead they turn these into positive affirmations.

For example, he writes, athletes don’t tell themselves, “This hurts too much, I want to lie down and die.”  Instead they say, “This feeling is connected with doing my absolute best.”

As a job candidate, you may have to do a test, an assignment, or a series of interviews that are truly migraine-inducing.  Take your cue from the curlers, and psych yourself up by telling yourself this challenge is a new experience that is letting you stretch and strengthen some skills.

Remember, what you say to an interviewer is important.  But so is what you say to yourself.

Study shows some times to call are better than others, but The Bagg Group recruiters insist it’s what you say that counts more.

Every now and then, anyone who is selling anything has to do it.  They have to pick up the phone and make cold calls or, at the very least, they have to call contacts that have long gone cold.  

If you think as a job-seeker you aren’t selling, it’s time to think again.  Right now you are running your own business.  And what you’re selling are your services as a potential employee — whether you’re looking for a full-time job, contract work, or temporary employment   

Like any business, you have to market, as many ways as you can.  Cold calling everyone and anyone you can think of could be one of those ways.

At The Bagg Group, we are often asked when is a good time to call new contacts or revive long-lost ones.  Speaking with hiring managers in companies across the GTA, we know that it’s much more important to focus on your message, than on the day and time of the call. 

There’s no crystal ball that will let you know whether your call is perfectly timed or not.  Typically, people don’t answer if they are otherwise busy.  So if someone picks up, they may not have a lot of time to talk, but it’s safe to say they aren’t in the middle of a crucial meeting. 

Still, according to Dr. James Oldroyd of the Kellogg School of Management, some times and days may be better than others.  He analyzed more than a million cold calls, made by thousands of professionals, at 50 companies.  

Dr. Oldroyd’s study investigated traditional sales cold calls, but the findings can also be of interest to job-hunters.   According to his research …

Thursday is best day to call someone out of the blue, and get a conversation going. It’s 19% more effective than Friday.

Friday is the worst day of the week for cold calls..

The best times to call are first thing in the morning, between 8 am. and 9 am and end-of-day between 4 pm and 5 pm.

Still, for job-seekers, the expert recruiters at The Bagg Group can’t emphasize enough that it is always what you say, not when you call, that really counts. 

The best call depends not on the clock, but on your preparedness, and your friendly, professional tone of voice.  Have your message ready before you pick up the phone.  In our upcoming blogs, we’ll review the key points for a good message and how to follow-up with an email. 

Meanwhile, if you are going to set a day aside for cold-calling, experiment with Thursday. It can’t hurt to try. But of course, there are no guarantees, and some people have their own preferred day and times which work best for them.  Here’s the one thing you can be sure of: nothing will happen if you don’t make contact – on any day.

The beginning of a new decade always feels like a clean slate – the zero at the end of the number seems to act like a reset button.  And for those seeking employment, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what you want to delete, and what you’d like to keep, as you move into the future.

At The Bagg Group, we have been helping candidates find full-time opportunities in the GTA, as well as contract work and part-time employment for more than three decades.  We know, from experience, that the best thing you can do is keep your list of achievements top-of-mind, and delete any history of bitterness and resentment from past work experiences. 

This is not always easy.  But it’s a great new year’s resolution to make.  To help you stick to it, ask yourself, as a job-hunter, “How is being anything less than positive going to help me?”  The answer is simple.  It’s not.  

Hiring managers across the GTA tell us they steer clear of candidates who project negativity.  And we know that contacts who might be able to help a job-seeker also prefer not to take the call of someone who will bring them down.

A 30-year-old University of California study is still used as the definitive research on non-verbal communications. The study shows that tone of voice accounts for 38% of people’s perception of you, and body language for 55%. That means that the actual words you speak only contribute to 7% of a person’s impression.

That’s why it’s essential to walk into an interview feeling good, in body and mind, about who you are, and what you’ve accomplished.  Here are two key tips from expert recruiters at The Bagg Group to help you do just that: 

• Write a realistic daily plan and break down each of the day’s tasks into bite-size activities.  In her new book The Follow-Through Factor: Getting from Doubt to Done, Gene Hayden notes that the smaller the task, the more likely you will accomplish it.  What’s more, in this way, each activity will be well thought out to bring you one step closer to your goal.

For example, let’s say your goal is to call a former boss.  Write out each of the steps necessary for the task to be successful, as shown below.

Task:  Contact Bob  (former boss).

Step 1:  Write out key points you wish to convey to Bob.  (What are the 2 or 3 messages that I want Bob to know?) 

Step 2:  Write questions or requests for Bob.  (What do I want the outcome of this call to be?  What do I wish to ask Bob to do? )

• Celebrate all the small wins on your way to finding employment.  Updating your profile on Linkedin is a win.  Calling a contact and setting up a coffee is a win.  Whenever you can put a checkmark next to a task, it’s worthy of a pat on the back.  

Being positive about what you have done in the past, what you are accomplishing day-to-day, and what you can contribute in the future, is a key job-seeking strategy.  So be sure to put it high on your list of resolutions.  And the good news is that it is likely a lot easier to stick to than giving up sugar, fat, and bad TV.

The art of writing a good resumé is taking on renewed importance as unemployment rates remain high and the number of candidates vying for the same job increase. Yet many job hunters are making mistakes that eliminate them from the short list, say recruiters.

“It is a very competitive landscape,” says Jackie Chua, general manager of the Full Time search arm with The Bagg Group in Toronto. “There are lots of resumés to be reviewed.” Spelling and grammar mistakes, fluffy or vague language and bad formatting are still prevalent when sifting through a stack of resumés, so many recruiters say there is a need to get back to the basics….

Many organizations use applicant tracking systems that will automatically search for certain keywords used in the job postings. If those words don’t appear in a job hunter’s resumé or cover letter, they could be weeded out, so make sure to read the posting carefully.

Tailor your resumé to each organization and align it and your cover letter with the needs of  the organization and the posting, demonstrating you have done your research. It all starts with the first document a recruiter will see.

Cover letters should be no longer than three concise, succinct paragraphs outlining your skills, education and experience in relation to the job posting. In the last paragraph, outline why you are interested in the job and the company by showing you have done your research on the firm.
Most recruiters advise against using a functional resumé that groups skills; instead, utilize a more effective chronological resumé that highlights jobs individually. Professional experience and education should be first and second on the resumé. Avoid using corporate job descriptions, since your job has likely evolved or expanded during the time you have worked there. Instead, use concise language to be as specific as possible about key roles and the achievements you have reached, such as milestones and performance targets.

In both cover letters and resumés, make use of white space to avoid clutter. Similarly, avoid long bullet lists and compress the points into smaller groups that are easier to read.

The standard format is Microsoft Word, but pay attention to the job posting. There has been a trend toward using Adobe Acrobat (.pdf ) documents, but Word is preferred unless an alternate format is requested in the posting.

Stick to the past 10 years, other than any very important previous experience, since you can elaborate on older experience if asked.

Use positive language and make sure all dates are accurate, since recruiters often verify this information. If you fudge a date, it could come back to haunt you if you get the job…. it’s more important than ever to keep in mind most resumés are not just submitted electronically, but also viewed in that format. Too many people leave the spelling, grammar and formatting functions turned on when submitting a document, only highlighting and magnifying mistakes and generally cluttering the document.

Job hunters can set themselves up for success long before they even start looking for a job if they keep their resumé current. It’s easy to forget key information as time passes, so keeping a document updated on a regular basis will help ensure it stands out and includes all relevant information.

Finally, check with references that they are OK with you using them, but don’t list their names and contact information on your resumé. Just note that references are available upon request, and tell your references what you are applying for so they can have some thoughts prepared if contacted.

Throughout the process, keep in mind the person reading the document. And remember the document’s purpose.”A resumé isn’t to get you a job, it’s to get you an interview,” Ms. Chua says.

excerpts from the National Post, FP Careers, Wednesday November 16, 2009

It feels like everyone is going back to school and going back to work after their summer holidays, except me. I am already doing everything I can to find a job, do you have any suggestions how I can do more?

At The Bagg Group, we know September can be tough month for job-seekers. It seems as if everyday life is revving up again after the slow days summer, and you are eager to be part of the back-to-work crowd. 

But don’t forget you are working at finding a job.  You are not unlike a salesperson who needs to find a client, or a customer. In your case, you need to find an employer.  And just like every good salesperson, you need top-notch marketing tools and up-to-minute knowledge to get a win.

Whether you are looking for full-time employment, contract work or temporary employment in the GTA, there are things you can be doing to help you stand out from the crowd.   Here are three R’s from recruiters at The Bagg Group. :

Revise your resume:  Don’t just list your responsibilities for each job you had, instead show each of your activities benefited the organization. Update with volunteer or contract work, again demonstrating how you helped meet objectives.

Revisit your contacts:  Send out a friendly short email, reminding your contacts of the type of position you are seeking and mentioning that you’ve updated your resume should they know of any opportunities.  If you know them well, attach the email. If you don’t, paste it into the body of the message. 

Research and read: Stay up-to-the-minute on your industry so that you are able to hold timely, informed conversations at any opportunity. Sharing insights and shop-talk gives you a competitive edge.  Top employers recognize knowledge when they hear it.  As do contacts in your network who will be more likely to pass on your name when they find you have a solid, impressive grasp of your subject.

September is a great month to reinvigorate your job search-and there is no better way to do that than to master the 3Rs.

At The Bagg Group, we remind candidates that looking for a job is a job.  And like any job, you can’t live, eat and breathe it 24-hours a day.  You need a break at the end of each day to recharge your batteries.

• Put in some hours daily on writing covering letters, fixing up your resume, making calls, thinking about interview questions and answers. But when your tasks are complete, give yourself a mental holiday. Go biking, go for a walk, catch a movie, play with the kids, listen to your favourite music.
• List all of the things you like to do, or you’d like to try, such as gardening, hiking, painting. Then see if you can find a group to join which does these activities. It’s energizing to be with people who share your interests.
• Looking for a job can be a lonely business so spending time with others is more important than ever. It’s excellent to network to find full-time job opportunities, contract work or temporary work. But it’s also worthwhile to meet with people just for the joy of it. And to talk about something other than your job hunt.
• Volunteer as much as possible. And don’t feel that every task you do as a volunteer has to develop a career skill. Helping out at a marathon or sorting food at the Food Bank is a chance to get involved, meet people and make a valuable contribution. And that makes you feel good, which is good for you.
• Working on your personal interests as you job hunt is not a waste of time. It’s an excellent strategy for when seeking job opportunities. Employers at companies across the GTA confirm that depressed people do not interview well. Hiring authorities are like everyone else-they gravitate towards positive, upbeat people.
• Above all, allow yourself to laugh every day. It’s long been established by medical researchers that laughter can lower the level of stress hormones and increase endorphin levels, the body’s natural feel good chemicals.

Attitude is important and right now, one of your jobs is to do what you can to maintain a positive one…and that’s a task you are meant to enjoy.