I was talking to one of our participants this morning and they said it was too cold to look for work.  I agree that it is very cold, but this could be the best time to do some of the little things that can make a difference to finding a job.  Here are a few things you can do on a cold day to look for work:
1. Review your resume and make any changes you need to make.
2. Review your cover letters and make sure they are a firm digital handshake.
3. Make some calls to friends and family, maybe they know of openings at their place of work.
4. Make some calls to local business to see if they are hiring or if they plan to hire in the future.
5. Look over your favourite job sites for jobs.  Here is a hint, sometimes you will see a job for a manger at a place you want to work.  Maybe someone inside the business will get that job and open up an entry level position.  They would be good people to call, maybe email them your resume and cover letter.
Remember you can do all of these things and you may not have to leave your couch to do it.  It may be cold out, but its never too cold to find the job you are looking for.  If you want some more ideas call us at the Community Service Centre we may have a few more ideas for cold day job finding.
Robert - Vocational Counsellor

Sometimes we make a mistake and all is forgiven, sometimes we make a mistake and there is a nasty consequence.  Why does it differ?  It might be because of the emotional bank account.  We have an emotional bank account with everyone we deal with.  Every time you do something nice its like making a deposit.  If you make a mistake you make a withdrawal.  If you have way more deposits than withdrawals its easy for the other person to forgive you.  But, if mistakes happen time and time again, you will have a consequence.  Its like that with any job.  If you show up for work, are there on time, treat people with respect, go the extra mile, work well with others, and be seen as a good employee you are making deposits.  If you end up making a mistake it will be treated far better than if you are the person who is late all of the time.  So it just makes sense to be the best employee you can be.  Make as many deposits as you can,  just in case you are late one day, you won't be looking for a new job.
Robert - Vocational Counsellor

Every year we start talking about Spring cleaning around our homes.  Time to polish up a few things, Maybe even time to toss a few things away.  Spring is a great time to dust off your resume and get it ready for your spring and summer job hunt.  A few years ago resumes used to be large and list everything you ever did in your life.  Today resumes are streamlined and should be adapted to the kind of job you are applying for.  The business you are applying with wants to know if you can do the job you are applying for.  You may even create more than one resume if you are applying for two kinds of work.  Spring is also a good time to check your references and see if their contact information is still correct.  There are many things you can do to clean up your resume.  If you want some help give us a call at Prince Albert Community Services, we have been helping people clean up their resumes for over 50 years.  Maybe we can help you get the job you have always wanted. 
Call for an appointment 306-953-4460
Robert, Vocational Counsellor

There is a new trend in employment in Canada.  People who are older are entering or re-entering the work force.  They bring with them some skills and experience that employers want.  Experienced workers are, loyal, attend work on time, have a commitment to doing a job right, are great team workers and have a large network of friends and connections in the community.  An experienced worker can make a business shine!  But for many of us who are over 55 we have our own set of barriers.  Some of us haven't made a resume in years.  We haven't done an interview and we have never applied for a job on line.  Recently the Community Service Centre has started a new program called TIOW or The Transition Initiative for Older Workers.  The purpose of this program is to give people aged 55 to 64 the skills they need to obtain work in today's job market.  We have a plan and you are part of it.  If you are interested in getting more information see our Transition Initiative page or contact Gladys at (306)-953-4464 for more information.

Surveys have shown that most people make a New Years resolution, but the same surveys show that most people don't carry through with their plan.  The most common resolution seems to be getting in shape.  That can be hard to do.  You have to do a whole list of things by yourself. Sometimes it's hard work and sometimes it's not fun. It can become easy to give up.  Some people hire a personal trainer to help them focus on getting fit. Having a personal trainer increases your chance of success by over 80%.  What if you are looking for a job?  Here at the Community Service Centre we have Vocational Counselors who are like your own personal job finding trainer.  Their goal is to help you find that job you are looking for.  Our counselors can work with you one on one, or maybe in a Job Finding Club setting.  If you have a resolution to find employment call us and one of our Counselors will give you the help you need make 2019 a very happy New Year! Robert - Vocational Counselor.