Tuesday, May 17, 2016

companies/ "How to ace an interview"

Feb. 11, 2016 Companies:

Waldorf School: I was looking for a job and I found this school.  It goes from gr. 1-8.  It's an independent school.  I have applied to work at Edmonton Public Schools before:

Waldorf education was founded in Germany in 1919 by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher and educator. Its primary philosophy seeks to resolve the following questions:
“How can education best serve our total human needs?”
“How can education prepare each child to flourish in society, not only intellectually, but with his creative human qualities developed and his integrity intact?”
Waldorf educators believe strongly that the education of the future must have four dimensions: academic, practical, aesthetic, and ethical. In particular, they believe in the universality of ethical education. By encouraging the development of a child’s inherent morality and sense of beauty, the child becomes enthused and motivated to master his/her world.

Waldorf education is a preparation for both post-secondary education and for life. Waldorf schools attempt to bring a balance between the perceived permissiveness of late twentieth century schools and the over-disciplined, overly structured schools of the preceding era. This balance provides for freedom and creativity, guidance for growth, and discipline of the will and mind – in short, the education of the total child.


Mar. 7, 2016 The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research: This seems to be like a good place to work and make a difference.


Who we are and why we exist
The Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research (The Centre) exists to improve child wellbeing by conducting, funding and mobilizing research for evidence-informed policy and practice. 
 
The Centre was established as a not-for-profit corporation in 2003 and is a partnership between Alberta’s universities, the community and the Government of Alberta. We are a provincial organization, governed by a Board of Directors, managed by a President and CEO and supported by a team of individuals with expertise in applied research, data science, knowledge mobilization, communications and administration.
 
The Centre distinguishes itself through our focus on generating evidence to inform social policy, our collaborative approach and organizational structure: a formal bridge between government, academia, and the community. With the development of the Child and Youth Data Laboratory (CYDL), in 2007, we play a unique role in the analysis and interpretation of linked administrative data collected across all child and youth serving ministries. It is the only such data laboratory in Canada established.
 
Our Vision
Alberta is a leader in creating and mobilizing evidence to ensure the well-being of children.
 
Our Mission
To develop and integrate evidence to inform, identify and promote effective public policy and service delivery to improve the well-being of children, families and communities in Alberta, Canada and internationally.
 




Mar. 26, 2015 "Five tips for rejuvenating your job search": I cut out this article by Sarah Boesveld in the Globe and Mail on Sept. 9, 2009.  I found a copy of this article on a Chinese message board:  


September is the most lucrative window for new hires as executives return from vacation and fix their eye on the bottom line, says David Perry, an Ottawa-based headhunter and co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 2.0.

1 Create a profile on headhunter databases such as Zoominfo.com and Simplyhired.com. They save you hours of aimless surfing on job boards that will be inundated this month. Headhunters get in touch if they're interested, and you can set up job alerts on the sites that notify you about postings that meet your skill set.

My opinion: Headhunters could mean staffing agencies and those aren't always good.

2 Make a Top 20 list of where you want to work and who you want to work for. Then craft a one-page résumé that highlights accomplishments that directly link to the interest or issues of those firms.

3 Schedule a coffee date with the vice-presidents or any other top guns. While you've got them, talk shop and don't grovel for the job. They'll see you as an equal, someone who knows their stuff and won't need much supervision.

4 Reapply to all of the places you shipped your résumé . They'll see so many more applications in September, you don't want your résumé to be buried.

5 Ditch the cover letter - write a marketing letter instead. Tell employers what you'll do for them, how you'll make them money, how you'll boost their efficiency. Include logos of companies you've worked for in the past. You'll benefit from the halo effect of their brand power.

"How to bag that pay raise": I cut out this article by Courtney Shea in the Globe and Mail on Nov. 21, 2011.  I can't find the article on the internet so I have to type it up:  

Be your own best booster: Surranna Sandy, president of Resume Solutions in Toronto:  Don't be just competent.  Did you bring in a big client, effective cost-cutting?

Niel Patton, president of Pre-think Inc in Vancouver: What would your boss want to hear?

"Keeping a week-to-week achievement inventory will also promote honest self-assessment- if you can't articulate your own value adds, you don't deserve a raise."

Know your place: Be aware of the market pay for your position.  Go to payscale.com.

Also look at region.

Patton: "For example, salaries are notoriously lower in Vancouver because everyone wants to live here."

A raise isn't personal:

Don't mention about how you need money outside of your office life like a wedding or a baby.

"A raise is about what you are doing to improve your company."

Practice makes payoff: Rehearse with your friend or a trusted co-worker.  They can give you feedback on how or what to say to get the raise.

Use caution with threats:

"Never bring up an outside job offer unless you are 100 percent prepared to leave if you don't get what you ask for, and be totally sure that the other offer in question is a real one."

Someone saying to you over coffee "'Sure, we'd hire you' is not a bona fide job offer." 

Ms. Sandy says it can backfire: "Sure, they might give you the raise, but their perception of you may have changed.  There could be resentment and you may also be taken out of the succession plan because now you're viewed as someone who won't be around for the long haul."

No is not a (final) answer: "If there is no money, you can ask about other forms of compensation like paid vacation time, one day a week working from home, may train you that will make you more suitable for promotion."

Be professional and positive: "Thank you for considering my request.  I appreciate that you can't give me a raise right now.  What can I do so that you would be willing to reconsider in three months?"

This will tell your boss you're serious and have a time frame.  Follow up immediately with an email.

"Don't do this: Ask for a raise over the phone or by e-mail.  Saying no is easier when your boss doesn't have to look in the eye."

"How to ace an interview": I cut out this article by Courtney Shea in the Globe and Mail on Jul. 11, 2011.  I can't find the article on the internet so I have to type it up:

Follow the 15-sec rule: Jeff Hauswirth, a recruiter at Spencer Stuart, a leading executive search firm.  They do the job interviews and first dates comparison.  You can control with the wardrobe, handshake, and eye contact.

Ask the right questions to get the right answer: Hauswirth says he's interested in the questions that the candidate asks then the answers he or she might offer.

Ask insightful questions.

It adjusts the power dynamic: Shirin Khamisa, founder of Careers by Design: "If you remember that you are there not just to impress the interviewer, but also to determine if the position is right for you, your desirability is likely to go up."

"There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance."

Make sure your body language isn't saying the wrong thing: Squirming in your seat, crossed arms looks like you're not totally upfront.  Slouching makes you look lazy and limp handshakes mean low confidence.

These assumptions may not be accurate, but recruiters don't have time to analyze that.

It ain't over till it's over: Send a handwritten note after the interview is over.  Make it personal.  If you discussed baseball, find a way to fit that into the brief thank you card.

Khamisa says you should write the note after the interview and deliver it by hand.

Job hunting is a marathon, not a sprint:

Khamisa: "Finding a job often comes down to relationships."

Keep detailed records of people you met.  Your kids may go to the same summer camp so that could be a good talking point for next time.

A good candidate will stand out even when the job doesn't come through.

A recruiter is working on dozens of projects and they can find a job that would be a fit for you.

Don't do this: Phone every day.  It doesn't show enthusiasm, it shows poor judgement and desperation."





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