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    • Fall 2002 (Text Version) Volume 9

Disability Employment Programs and Services

Fall 2002 (Text Version) Volume 9

CAREER LENS
A Publication of the
Employment Equity and Strategic Initiatives Division
5th Floor, West Block, Confederation Building, P.O. Box 8700, St. John’s, NF A1B 4J6
Telephone: 709-729-5881 • Fax: 709-729-5446 • TTY: 709-729-5441 • Toll Free: 1-800-950-4414
Email: openingdoors@gov.nl.ca   Web Site: http://www.exec.gov.nl.ca/openingdoors

Opening Doors

2002 has proved to be another successful year for the Opening Doors, JEEPS and Summer Employment Programs. There have been a number of permanent, temporary and contractual opportunities that our clients have been able to take advantage of.

Our Summer Employment Program, in its 2nd year, was an extreme success and we plan to continue this initiative next summer. Our next issue of the Career Lens will outline in more detail the application process and requirements for obtaining a summer placement through this program.

Our Wage Subsidy Initiative is proceeding on an ongoing basis throughout the province. To take advantage of this program, clients must be in receipt of, or eligible to receive, income support or employment insurance. If you fall into either one of these categories, please let us know. It is important that you keep your resume and contact information as current as possible to ensure that you can be considered and gain full benefit of every possible employment opportunity that becomes available through this initiative.

Our web site is receiving on average 2,500 visitors per month and is always up-to-date. Our Job Postings/Client Features page include upcoming events, an opportunity to sign up for our email list and links to Provincial and Federal Government job opportunities, along with links to many popular job banks. Be sure to check it out and use it as a starting point for your job search or when searching for other employment and disability related information.

We are constantly developing new ideas and marketing strategies to ensure that anyone interested in our programs and services are aware of who we are and what we are doing to enhance the employment of persons with disabilities within the public sector. One of our goals is to make our presence known throughout the regions by being accessible to clients, both current and potential, agencies, and government departments to ensure that our doors are always open.

We wish all of you a very safe and enjoyable holiday season and we look forward to continuing to work together in the new year.

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Commonly Asked Interview Questions

Tell me about yourself.

Keep your answer brief. He or she is interested in your goals, experience, interests and communication skills.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Emphasize your good traits that relate to the job for which you are being interviewed and mention an area you are working to improve or have recently made great strides.

Why do you want to work here?

Mention how you can apply your skills, interests, and goals to the job.

Why should we hire you?

Highlight the unique qualities you can bring to the job.

What would you do in (a particular situation)?

Don’t be afraid to say you would ask questions of your supervisor and approach each challenge as a learning opportunity.

"Success is....to laugh often and love much, to find the best in others and to give of one’s self."

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Destination Employment - A LDA of Canada Employment Project in partnership with HRDC

The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1963. The Association is dedicated to advancing and promoting education, employment, social development, legal rights and general well-being of Canadians with learning disabilities.

LDAC and the Learning Disabilities Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Inc., through the Opportunities Fund, is addressing the employment needs of adults with learning disabilities with the implementation of Destination Employment. The purpose of this program is:

To train and integrate adults with learning disabilities who are currently unemployed into the Canadian work force.

To sensitize employers to the vast pool of talent that adults with learning disabilities possess and the valuable contribution these employees can make.

The goals of Destination Employment will be met through the implementation of the program from July through March.

The Destination Employment consists of 6 program components:

Participant Recruitment: Identifying 18 adults with learning disabilities currently unemployed.

Assessment: Funds have been allocated for formal assessments for participants lacking a formal diagnosis.

Participant Orientation: Participants who have been successfully screened and have been diagnosed with a learning disability will receive a full orientation of the program goals and expectations. Contracts and release forms will be signed.

Training: The learning Employment Assessment Profile (LEAP), developed by the LDA-Ontario will be used. LEAP is a self-directed employment preparation program which helps the adult with a learning disability better understand their assessment, abilities, skills disclosure/employment issues.

Work Placement: The participant will identify a potential work placement and along with their Regional Coordinator will approach the potential supervisor to negotiate a four to eight week placement.

Tracking: The Regional Coordinator will contact the program participants at the 1, 3, and 6 month mark to collect employment status information.

For further information call 753-1445 or email ldanl@roadrunner.nf.net

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Feature Your Programs and Services!

The purpose of this feature is to inform our clients of the many community supports that are available to them for accessing career and employment related information and assisting with their job search. Submit your program via email to be featured in future newsletters and please keep your submission under 100 words to openingdoors@gov.nf.ca .

Featured Community Support - Independent Living Resource Centre

The St. John's ILRC is a community based resource centre run by a volunteer board of directors. Independent Living programs help people make informed decisions and stay in control of their lives.

We have programs in Information and Networking, Individual Advocacy, Peer Support, Research and Development, Employment and Self-employment (Full Steam Ahead) and ILRC - CAP Computer Room that can be used by anyone. Full Steam Ahead is the employment program at the ILRC. If you are job searching, or want to learn about education options, employment proposals, or employment advocacy, call or e-mail Roger Baggs.

Full Steam Ahead, like all programs of the ILRC, is designed by people with disabilities for people with disabilities. Contact ILRC at: 4 Escasoni Place, St. John's, NL A1R 3R6, Phone: 722-4031, TTY: 722-7998, email: info@ilrc.nf.ca

Website: www.ilrc.nf.ca , Career Development: roger@ilrc.nf.ca

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The Hidden Job Market - Ready Or Not...Here I Come!

If you are like most people, you have heard something mentioned about the hidden job market but you don’t really know what it is or how to find it. In a nutshell, the hidden job market is jobs that are out there but not advertised. The result is that the work you want may not be advertised at all or not advertised in traditional ways. In fact, approximately 80% of all positions are filled without employer advertising. These positions are filled by - or created for - candidates who come to an employer's attention through employee recommendations, referrals from trusted associates, recruiters, or direct contact with the candidate.

There are many things you can do in an attempt to access the hidden job market and make it work for you. It means that you will have to roll up your sleeves, dig in you heels and begin your quest into the unknown world of the hidden job market.

The following are a few ideas to consider:

– Go directly to the businesses in your area and apply in person. Be sure to have a follow-up plan.

-- Contact department heads of the various companies in your area by telephone and arrange for an information interview. Use business directories at the library.

-- Look through the Yellow Pages of phone books. These provide a list of almost all employers, organized by industry.

-- Call private employment agencies and arrange for interviews.

-- Check out the job listings at your local career centre and provincial and civic services.

– Check out appropriate Internet sites, books and videos. Some examples are provided at the end of this article.

-- Contact local organizations, associations and professional organizations (church, social services, labour, board of trade, political, health and welfare, hospital/medical, fraternal, youth, Chamber of Commerce).

-- Respond to appropriate ads in trade journals.

-- Keep up-to-date with the news and the local economy to anticipate any upcoming opportunities.

Tips for Accessing the Hidden Job Market

-- Don't keep your work search a secret—Actively seek leads from all your relationships!!

-- It's most effective to contact employers before 11:00 a.m.

-- The majority of a job seeker's efforts in seeking information, particularly when it involves contacting employers, should occur on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Resources for the Hidden Job Market

Web Site Resources

Human Resources Development Canada hosts this gateway to work in Canada. Loads of information and activities covering all aspects of work search! http://www.worksearch.gc.ca

Circuit Coach is a comprehensive career development tool available online at www.thecircuit.org . Circuit Coach is easy to navigate with its menu broken down into current and relevant issues concerning today’s job seekers.

Print Resource

Information Interviewing, How to Tap Your Hidden Job Market, 1997 Edition by Martha Stoodley, Market Ferguson Publishing, 1997. Full of dozens of suggestions, this is one of the best resources on this topic available today. Available from: libraries, bookstores.

Video Resource

Produced by Milt Wright & Associates: The Hidden Job Market offers hands on tips and techniques for accessing the hidden job market. This video can be viewed at the Opening Doors Resource Centre.

The Hidden Job Market series of articles will appear in upcoming newsletters covering all elements that will prepare you to access what’s hidden. Future articles are entitled: Reading the Newspaper, Informational Interview, Marketing Yourself, and Making it An Everyday Activity.

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Free Information Sessions

The Human Resource Centre Canada (HRCC) located in Building 223, Churchill Avenue, Pleasantville, St. John's, offers Group Information Sessions. The schedule for November is as follows:

Nov. 7 - Intro. To Internet: 8:30 am - 10 am

Nov. 7 - Interview Techniques: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Nov. 12 - Resume Workshop: 9 am - 12:30 pm

Nov. 19 - Career Planning: 9 am - 1 pm

Nov. 21 - Job Search Workshop: 9 am - 12:30 pm

Nov. 26 - Internet Workshop: 8:30 am - 10:00 am

Nov. 26 - Interview Techniques: 10:30 am- 12:30 pm

Nov. 28 - Resume Workshop: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

If you are interested in any of these workshops, please drop by the Information Resource Centre to sign up. To learn more about what is covered in each workshop, visit their web site at www.nf.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/irc . Schedules are created on a monthly basis and can be obtained by visiting the Information Resource Centre or contacting the Employment Equity and Strategic Initiatives Division during the last week of each month.

The Public Service Commission of Canada Newfoundland District Office holds a free information session open to the public each month entitled, "Increasing Your Chances - Securing Employment in the Federal Public Service". To find out when the next session is being offered please call 709-772-0458 or visit their web site at http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/index-eng.htm opens new window.

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Attention Visitors and Guests - New Security Policy at Confederation Building

Effective Monday, October 28, 2002 all visitors and guests entering the Confederation Building will need to sign in at the security desk in the main lobby where you will be issued a visitors pass. You will need to return this pass upon leaving. You may be required to provide identification of some sort upon entering. You may only use the main entrance of the East or West Block when entering and exiting.

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How can I help decrease the Waiting Period after my Interview?

So, you have a perfect resume with all your "i’s" dotted and your "t’s" crossed. You had an interview so the only thing you can do now is sit and wait. If you turn out to be one of the top candidates, the next step is to check your references.....this seems to take forever! You can help speed up this process by ensuring the references listed on your resume are current and up-to-date. Make sure the telephone numbers are correct and that those people can be located where you say they are. It is always a good practice to notify each of your references once you have had the interview by providing these individuals with a copy of the competition poster along with your resume. The quicker human resource personnel can get references checked, the sooner you will know results of the competitions thus cutting down on the nail biting of waiting to hear results.

In the event that your resume matches a job description during a screening, it is imperative that we have your most current resume, personal information and employment status so keep us informed. Remember, it’s in your best interest and it’s your responsibility. If any information on your resume changes, please let us know by phone, TTY, fax, or email so we can make sure your file is up-to-date. Keeping in touch with us is an important thing to do.

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If there is anything you would like to see in upcoming newsletters or on our web site, please let us know. Any and all feedback is always welcome.

ALTERNATE FORMAT AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Next Issue Winter 2003

 
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