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Hi everyone. Dr. Linda Manning here in Ottawa, Ontario with this week's episode of the OCISO
Career Mentorship Program Series on job search strategies for immigrants in the Canadian
workplace. We call this series Managing Your Career--On Purpose.
' In previous sessions, we talked about career
convergence as a method for making sure that the skills you have are used in your work,
and that the jobs you take help you to get the skills you need for your ideal job.
You've heard me talk about Dr. John-Paul Hatala, who is an expert in Strategic Job Search Management
and Social Capital Development.
Dr. Hatala is also the creator of an online job search management tool called SnagPad,
which leads the job seeker through the job search process. It helps you to stay organized
and to use your social network. The process is evidence-based, and the system acts like
a virtual job coach or mentor. It's an even more powerful tool for you if you use the
system with your mentor or employment counsellor.
Dr. Hatala did the research behind SnagPad and he is a well-known expert in the strategic
job search research and development. I'm pleased to welcome Dr. Hatala here today. He has very
graciously agreed to share some of his knowledge with us.
Welcome, JP. Thank you for being here today.
Thank you, Linda. It is my pleasure.
Over the past few weeks, the OCISO Mentoring Program Video series has generated lots of
excitement among immigrant job seekers. There are some questions that have come up and I'd
like to get your response to a couple of them.
Sounds good.
First, what would you say is the biggest challenge for any job seeker in today's market?
Well, Linda we know there are a number of different challenges impacting the job seeker
but what I've found in my experience and in my research is the notion of the job search
not having enough structure in the job search. We often say that looking for work is a full
time job when in fact it's more like being self-employed. The job seeker is responsible
for determining what they need to do and when they need to do it throughout the job search
process. And what we've found is that when we have structure we're more motivated believe
it or not. So if we're comfortable knowing what we have to do, we're more likely to remain
motivated throughout the process of the job search. And ultimately motivation is key to
having a successful job search, because we know it's a date-driven process and it takes
time to find employment. So obviously the more you can remain motivated, the more likely
you are to be successful.
Okay, good. Would you say there is a particular mistake that job seekers make?
Probably one of the most typical mistakes job seekers make is that they apply to everything.
They just apply. And that's partly due to technology. During today's job search, you
can go online and click and apply, and it's as easy as that.
What we're finding in our research is that this is problematic in two ways. First it
essentially demotivates the job seeker because the Internet is such a competitive platform,
meaning that everybody goes to it because it's so easy--and typically there's no feedback,
and when there's no feedback, it hurts individual motivation, and hampers the desire to move
forward.
The second thing is when they're applying to everything, and quickly, they're not really
thinking strategically about the job search process and how that particular opportunity
fits into their overall job search plan, versus holding back and thinking about how can I
improve my odds of getting an interview?
So the very desire to apply for jobs actually tends to work against people because they're
not putting enough thought into the process of applying?
Exactly. It's a counter-intuitive kind of thing. You'd think the more jobs you applied
to the better it is--it's just a numbers game. But in fact as you you just mentioned--it's
stepping back and thinking how can I best position myself for this opportunity. So for
example, are there any contacts I have that are connected to that organization, and if
there are, maybe I could talk to them first before I apply, to get some more information.
Or maybe I can attempt contact the employer prior to submitting my application to again
find out more information about the position, and as a result of gathering that information,
I can tailor my resume or cover letter to fit that particular opportunity.
So yes, when you get trigger happy as we say, which means every time you see an apply button
you click on it, you don't have the opportunity to go through that process. That's essentially
what we're suggesting--to delay the process of applying.
And be a bit more deliberate in the way you do it.
Absolutely. Be more strategic. And position yourself in a way that ultimately increases
your chances of getting an interview. That's only the first step in the process. But essentially
it's stepping back and saying if this is the job that I want, how can I best position myself.
And also to make the decision if this isn't a job that fits into my long term plans, why
am I applying for it in the first place? So it's thinking strategically and determining
whether this position makes sense because remember, the more we apply to and the less
feedback we get, the more that's going to hurt our motivation and that's not good for
the job search.
Okay. So I know you've developed an online tool called SnagPad to help job seekers and
their employment counsellors and coaches. This tool was not developed with immigrant
job seekers specifically in mind. Do you think it would be useful to immigrants? And how
does this tool work to help job seekers?
The tool was developed for job seekers so regardless of whether you're a newcomer or
unemployed or looking for a promotion, it's intended help all those folks--for a wide
audience of job seekers. Essentially what it does is provide structure--it makes the
job search something that can be touched and seen so you can see what's going on. What
happens with job seekers is they conduct a job search--it's not really tangible. They
just know what they've applied to and it's just kind of out there. With SnagPad, it actually
walks them through a set of strategies and steps so they can actually visually see what's
going on in their job search. Which ultimately provides structure and hopefully it maintains
a level of motivation for the job seeker to do continue doing the right things during
the job search. But essentially, what it does is it delays the application process, because
users of SnagPad go out and look for job leads and postings, bring them back to SnagPad,
and the system walks them through the steps and strategies so they can increase the chance
of getting an interview. Once they've gone through the strategies, then they apply for
the position. So we're putting SnagPad there first because it really delays and gets them
to think strategically about what are the best chances for improving chances for getting
a job. Then in addition to that it helps them manage all the opportunities they've identified.
If the system recognizes, for example, that you're low on opportunities, it will make
suggestions on where you can go for those types of opportunities.
For example, it's not from jobs online only where jobs come from--it's from the hidden
job market as well.
So it slows down and makes the job search more deliberate and actually teaches the user
what a strategic job search strategy is?
Exactly. In essence, it helps the job seeker learn. One of my colleagues had always said--we're
trained to do jobs--we're not trained to look for jobs. And what SnagPad does is teach the
user to become more strategic, become more deliberate in their actions, which if they're
doing the right things day in and day out, they learn this behaviour and ultimately increase
their chances for job search success.
How much does it cost for a user to use SnagPad? Is it different for job seekers and for job
counsellors or employment agencies?
Good question. There is no cost whatsoever for the job seeker. They can go into they
system and manage the job search process on their own. With employment agencies there's
a nominal monthly fee per coach who can actually go in and manage and monitor a set of clients
or set of job seekers. So they can actually see what the job seeker is seeing so they
can offer suggestions to help them do what they're doing better.
Hmm. How can a job seeker get access to SnagPad? Can they sign up and start using it?
Absolutely. Through this series of videos, I've created an account your viewers can go
into. All they have to do is point their browser to www.snagpad.com/hatala. They can go to
that site, click on the button that says 'sign up as a job seeker' and start using the system
right away.
Thanks, JP. Is there anything else you want to tell us about SnagPad?
Yeah, it provides structure and framework. There's a small profile form the job seeker
will fill out A registration form will come up. There's also two online learning modules
embedded in the system that they can go through and get a better look at not only strategic
job search management but also social capital development, which is essentially networking,
and there's also a built-in aggregator. So there's some opportunities they can identify
right away.
But the last thing, which I think is most important its that if the job seeker is looking
for jobs in the traditional sources, meaning job boards, newspapers, it's going to be problematic.
They've got to tap into the hidden job market. Tapping into the hidden job market is about
speaking to friends, speaking to family members, community members and so forth. Really getting
out there and networking to find out where that job-related information exists.
Thank you, JP. Thanks for generously sharing your knowledge of job search strategies, and
for sharing access to SnagPad with our viewers. I know you haven't mentioned it yet, but I
know the account you've set up for our viewers will not only provide the free access to SnagPad
available to all job seekers, but you will also provide limited coaching for those who
sign up with the www.snagpad.com/hatala. I bet everyone will sign up as soon as they
finish watching this video.
I'm thinking that there may be mentors or employment counsellors who are watching the
video too. I can imagine they might want to sign up as a job seeker and try it out and
see how it works for job seekers. Even if they never purchase a license to SnagPad,
they will have gained tremendous value, I think. And I'd like to say also that you have
agreed to provide a limited number of subscriptions for OCISO volunteer career mentors.
Absolutely. It's all about discussion. The thing about job search is that it isn't a
science. There are different approaches. The more discussion practitioners have and job
seekers have, I think the better for everyone.
Thanks. So there you have it everyone. We have learned that the number one challenge
for the job seeker is to keep motivation levels high. And you'll remember from earlier episodes
that being realistic and staying active--and above all, always strategic, can help keep
your motivation high.
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is to apply too often to too many jobs. This
approach is not very effective in today's labour market and you can get discouraged.
Following a strategic approach will slow down the process, you'll make fewer applications,
but with a higher likelihood of response from employers and interviews.
Dr Hatala gave everyone special access to SnagPad with limited coaching for a short
while. Go to www.snagpad.com/hatala for this special access. You can always go to www.snagpad.com
and sign up as a job seeker any time for free. Or if you're a job coach or employment counsellor,
try it out as a job seeker for free, and if you think this will be useful to you, sign
in as a job coach. And if you're an OCISO volunteer career mentor and want to try out
the job coach tool, look for an email from Hedieh Azad at OCISO. Details will also be
posted on the screen below this video. Take a look.
And you know, SnagPad is a great tool but it is not the only tool or strategy out there.
I invite everyone to share, using the comment section below, your knowledge of tools and
strategies in the comment section below. Share your knowledge with other viewers. And come
back next time when we will bring you another Job Search Strategy.
Thanks everybody. See you next time