Automotive : Burnaby Campus: Job Search

Most of these sites allow you to filter results by locations, company, salary, etc.

WARNING! Online risks:  Always BE CAREFUL when considering posting or uploading your resume to an online employment website (i.e., jobs aggregator). Resumes contain personal information that could potentially be circulated. In the worst case, your personal information could even potentially be used to perpetrate identity theft.

• When asked to create an account, always use a unique ID and password that you DON'T also use for other online accounts (such as banking)
• NEVER respond to employment websites that ask you for any kind of personal financial information or commitment
• Whenever possible, try to MAKE DIRECT CONTACT with a company that is offering a job online to ensure that the job posting is legitimate
• Watch Tips to Avoid Identity Theft
• Bookmark a variety of jobs websites; set up email alerts and/or RSS feeds so that you don't miss relevant jobs (and so you don't have to redo your legwork every time you're inclined to do a job search)
• Read job descriptions carefully. What qualifications/attributes/competencies in the description do you have?

These directories will help you identify targets for cold calls or informational interviews. Remember that most jobs are never posted!

Share tips on purpose, keywords, organization, content, and tailoring the resume for the position.

Share tips on purpose, organization, content, and tailoring the cover letter for the position.

• Tailor your cover letter and resume to a specific job. Use the same terms in your application that appear in the job description. Many organizations "weed out" cover letters and resumes (often with automated software) that don't match the description.

• Try to make a personal contact at the company/institution and find out if you can address your cover letter to a specific indivdual. (However, make sure that person is not away on vacation somewhere or off sick.)

• Research your potential employer and indicate in your cover letter that you do know something about the organization. Even better, indicate briefly how your experience/qualifications fit well with the target's organizational needs.

• Include at least one thing in your resume that will make it stand out from the crowd, even if it might not directly address the qualifications asked for (this seems contradictory, but recruiters are as curious as the rest of us and will perk up when they see something a little different). If you've had experience as a blacksmith, for example, stick that in there (briefly).

• Make sure you include any awards or other official recognition in your resume; it's even worth highlighting in your cover letter.

• When you land an interview, try to anticipate what kinds of questions you may be asked. Do mock interviews with friends/family. Be prepared to ask your own intelligent questions about the organization.

• Consider bringing materials with you to the interview that indicate what kind of work/training you've been engaged in. For example, photos on a tablet showing you working on a particular engine/vehicle might be engaging.

• Always keep a record of who you have applied with (create a folder on your computer and have different covers and resumes for each job). Even make a note of what you were wearing when you went to the interview, if you got one. If asked to come for a second interview, wear the same stuff (no kidding!).