Tips and Career Advice for Job Seekers

8 Pieces Career Advice for Job Seekers

In this blog post, we will provide advice to job seekers looking to start their career, make a move, or want to improve professionally.

1. Be Reliable

Reliability is important throughout the recruitment process as well as after accepting a job offer. Being reliable when scheduling interviews, answering follow ups, and other tasks when looking for a job can show the employer that you are a reliable and dependable worker. As well, once you are working, make sure to show up on time, consistently do a good job, and show your worth.

2. Be Nice

Being a nice person can be very rewarding. Make sure to always treat others with respect, regardless of their experience or position in a company.

3. Build Trust

Make sure to keep your word to build trust with your coworkers. Set deadlines that are reasonable and that you can deliver on time. Try to not over promise or under deliver, as that can diminish someone’s perspective of you. Be honest with the people you work with to build strong relationships.

4. Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Get outside of your comfort zone. Take on new challenges and put yourself in situations that make you uncomfortable or nervous. There you can learn, grow, and build confidence.

5. Never Stop Learning

Change is inevitable when starting a new job, it is also something that everyone will experience in the workplace. Things will always change in a job, career, and industry. Change can help you develop new skills and knowledge that can help you succeed. You can also take it upon yourself to get a new certification, take a professional development course, or look for new ways to improve yourself in your field. 

6. Speak Up

Use your voice to share your ideas or concerns. Your idea could be great and have a significant impact, share your ideas with your team. Speak your concerns to let other know how you feel, you never know if someone feels the same but is scared to say something. Be the initiator to offer your concerns and ideas to fix the situation. The more you speak, the more people will notice you and value your input.

7. Ask For Help

No one has all the answers, everyone needs help sometimes. You cannot do everything yourself, so do not be afraid to ask others for assistance when you need it. As well, try to notice others and offer to help others when they need help.

8. Value Feedback

Receiving feedback can help you grow as a professional and build relationships with others. Taking feedback from others can help you learn. Applying feedback can help you progress and move forward in your career. It is important to learn how to take constructive criticism without taking it personally.

We hope this advice helps you in your career. If you need more help or have questions, contact us!

Tips and Best Practices for Reducing Employee Turnover

Causes and How to Reduce Employee Turnover

An organization should have a plan and strategies to reduce employee turnover as well as a plan to increase employee engagement. These are two factors that are drastically affecting workplaces across North America. 

Human capital is an essential asset for any organization. After the past few years, there has been a shortage or workers causing employers to battle employee turnover. This can be a costly process to find, hire, and train a new employee.

TOP CAUSES OF HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Low Salary Compared to Industry Standards

  • Most organizations find that the majority of employees may leave is due to the low salary being paid. Although employees can expect a 3-5% annual hike, on average, when remaining at an organization, they will likely switch to an employer that offers a 15-20% pay increase.

Lack of Appreciation

  • When an employee is not appreciated or their hard work is not valued, they will likely be less motivated and start to disengage in the work. Appreciation and rewards are vital for all workers to show respect and thank them for their hard work and dedication towards the company goals.

Better Opportunities Elsewhere

  • If there are no/limited growth opportunities or favoured promotions in an organization, an employee is likely to leave to find a better opportunity that offers growth and development. Most workers do not want to stay in the same position for 5+ years, they want to grow, take on more responsibilities, and develop their skills.
BEST PRACTICES TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

Get to Know Your Candidates

  • Recruit the right employees. Take the time to get to know candidates in the recruitment process to ensure there is a compatible match. Understand their needs and goals and check if they align with your organization.

Provide Development Opportunities

  • When an organization offers development opportunities it provides growth for their employees. The employees will feel more engaged, motivated, and happy to work.

Improve Work-Life Balance

  • An organization should ensure there are boundaries to allow for a positive work-life balance. The company should ensure that their employees are not overworked by working extra, strict deadlines, and so on. Employers should not contact employees out of office hours to respect the employee’s free time.
Maintain Constant Communication
 
  • Introduce an open communication policy in the organization. Allow employees to feel comfortable to talk with their manager or supervisor about problems or concerns. This also allows for regular meetings to discuss work performance and salary expectations.

Tips and How to Identify Safety Hazards

Tips and How to Identify Safety Hazards in the Workplace

Health and safety in the workplace is the number one thing that everyone needs to be aware of. Potential safety hazards that can arise in a workplace depend on the work environment, ie. warehouse, office, daycare centre, construction, or a restaurant. Each place has their own unique circumstances that could be a hazard to others around.

WHAT ARE HAZARDS IN A WORKPLACE?

Hazards in a workplace are potential risks of injury. Check out the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation of BC for further information on the threats in a workplace and the responsibilities that employers and employees have.

Hazards can range from chemical to safety to ergonomics, and more. For ease of understanding, we will use information from the US by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

IDENTIFY POTENTIAL HAZARDS

The first step to solving potential issues is recognizing that it exists. Refer to the picture above or the linked PDF for further ideas on what to look out for in your workplace. Take a tour of the workplace and make a list of all the potential hazards you see. Note how likely an injury could be made by the hazard and the severity of said injury. This can help prioritize your next steps.

HIRE A CONSULTANT OR INSPECTOR

Although you and your employees know your workplace the best, bringing in a fresh set of eyes can help too. Hiring a professional who is trained in identifying and mitigating workplace hazards can be a huge help. They can identify hazards and properly train your team on how to spot risks and fix them.

TRAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES

People are prone to accidents as well, it is not solely the environment. Some people may increase the risk of an injury by not being properly trained, overestimate their abilities, or just by making a mistake. If your workplace requires employees to operate heavy machinery, corrosive chemicals, specialized tools, etc. it is important that they receive extensive training to protect themselves and others. Make sure that a qualified person is training your employees who can answer questions and help if anything goes wrong. Keep your training up to date. Suggest training every 2 to 5 years for people on the job to ensure they are following safety procedures.

FIRST AID TRAINING

Accidents can still occur after identifying risks and training staff. One thing you can do is to ensure your employees know what to do if an accident occurs. Work with the hired consultant to create a procedure for your employees to follow and refer to if an accident happens. Having the plan in place can help educate employees and minimize the risk of injury.

Offer compensation to get employees trained in first aid. The Red Cross Association offers many courses across Metro Vancouver for the basic first aid certification. As well, you can make a point during training new staff to tour the workplace and note all related health and safety information, ie. first aid kits, fire exits, fire extinguishers, automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and more.

Tips and How to Hire the Best Candidates

How to Hire the Best Candidates for a Job

A vital part of a company’s success is about hiring the right people. By dedicating time and effort into searching for the right candidates, it will improve the outcome of your business as well as save money on mistakes and going through the process again. It is important not only to rely on gut feeling, there should also be goals and objectives set for the recruitment process.

In this blog post we will discuss tips and how to avoid bad hiring decisions.

ASSESS THE COMPANY

The first step in the recruitment process is to assess your company and your needs. 

What is the mission? vision?

What are the company values?

What is the company culture?

What type of mindset are you looking for in a candidate?

What type of individual fits with these answers?

CREATE THE JOB POST

The next step is to create a detailed job post. Make sure to have a clear idea what you are looking for and what the job entails. A detailed job post should be clear, concise, and include the job title, responsibilities, skills, and experience required.

PREPARE AND FACILITATE INTERVIEWS

Next you need to prepare for the job interviews. Create a list of general questions as well as job specific questions. The questions should include personality and behaviour-based questions to learn about their previous experiences and how they handle situations. You can also create an evaluation scorecard or rubric to grade and compare candidates.

Once the initial round of interviews are done, narrow down the candidates based on the scoring and how you feel about them. It is good to meet candidates more than once, in the second round of interviews it is good practice to include either another person from HR or the supervisor or manager of who the employee would report to.

CONTACT REFERENCES

Throughout the hiring process, it is important to consider more than just the resume, consider the person’s interests, ambitions, priorities, hobbies. Also, ask for a list of a few references to verify how the candidate has performed in previous jobs. A reference check is a great source to get information on the candidate from another perspective.

ORIENTATION

Once you have hired the employee, set them up in an orientation program. Have a solid program built to welcome the employee and inform them of the company, its culture, and train them for all job duties. If an employee does not receive training, or only partial training, the retention rate will be very low as they are not confident in the work. Another great way to get the new employee involved is to pair them with a current employee who is willing to show them the ropes and help train them to get more comfortable.

We hope that this post can help you during your hiring process to find the best talent for your organization.

If you need assistance or more employees, contact us to learn about our staffing services. We offer companies pre-sourced and verified candidates to save you time and money. 

How to get Documents Authenticated

How to get Documents Authenticated / Apostille

WHAT IS AUTHENTICATION?

Authentication of documents is required for most Canadian documents before being used in a foreign country. Authentication is to prove that the signature and the seal are genuine. In other countries this process may be known as apostille or legalization.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS?

For a document to be authenticated, it must be the original document (no scanned or pictures of documents) and must have the original signature and seal, if applicable. In some cases, a certified true copy or a notarized version of a document are accepted.

If a document, or part of a document, is in another language other then English or French, the document must be sent for a certified, notarized translation. Note that some countries may require a translator’s affidavit.

If you need further information on specific country requirements, please contact us and we can help.

HOW TO GET A DOCUMENT AUTHENTICATED?

We offer authentication / apostille services with our notary partner. We are experienced in getting documents organized, knowledgeable about the process, and can provide updates throughout.

OUR SERVICES

  • Assist gathering documents and ensure they are the correct document type.
  • Our partner notary will help assess the documents.
  • Facilitate an in-person or Zoom meeting so you can meet the notary and swear the documents are true and the signature is yours.
  • Monitor the process and keep you updated throughout.
  • Get documents officially translated and notarized, including affidavit if needed.

If you are looking to get your documents authenticated / apostille, contact us to learn more about our services!                     EMAIL US – INFO AT SWIFTCONNECT . CA

3 Private College ECE Programs in Vancouver

3 Early Childhood Educator Programs for International Students in Vancouver (Private Colleges)

Finding the right school for your program can be difficult, that is why we created this blog post to help compare three Early Childhood Educator programs offered at private colleges in and around Vancouver.

VANCOUVER CAREER COLLEGE

Vancouver Career College is an esteemed private college in Metro Vancouver with six locations. However, the ECE Certificate program is only offered at five: Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, and Abbotsford. They offer a Early Childhood Education Certificate program for international students. The program is full-time and is 44 weeks long (one year). The tuition for international students is approximately $21,658 CAD.

General College Admission Requirements:

  • Graduation from a BC high school (or equivalent by WES or recognized institution)
  • At least 18 years old
  • Must pass VCC’s English admissions test

Program Specific Admission Requirements:

  • Interview with campus director, program coordinator, or designate
  • Resume with all work history
  • Three reference letters attesting to your character

Upon completing the certificate program, students can apply for the BC Early Childhood Educator Certificate.

SPROTT SHAW COLLEGE

Sprott Shaw College has been around Vancouver for almost 120 years, and has grown to have fourteen main campuses and two specialty campuses in Metro Vancouver, the Okanagan, and on Vancouver Island. They offer a few ECE programs, but we will be sharing details on the Early Childhood Education Basic program. This program is offered at all fourteen main campuses in the province. The program is full-time and takes 45 weeks (1,260 hours) to complete. For international students, tuition is approximately $16,350 CAD.

General College Admission Requirements:

  • Graduation from BC high school (or equivalent by WES or recognized institution)
  • English Level Assessment – must get minimum score of 20/40 in language
  • Admissions interview
  • Must prove full COVID-19 vaccination

Program Specific Admission Requirements:

  • At least two character references detailing volunteer or work experience with young children
  • Interview with an instructor or director
  • The following must be done within three months of program start date:
    • Complete a health declaration form
    • Submit a criminal record check
    • Have clear testing for TB

Upon completing the basic program, students can apply for the BC Early Childhood Educator Certificate.

PACIFIC RIM EARLY CHILDHOOD INSTITUTE

Pacific Rim Early Childhood Institute is an online school based in Victoria, BC. They offer programs for all levels of ECE certificates in BC. In this post, we will discuss the Basic Early Childhood Educator Certificate program. Although the bulk of the program can be completed online anywhere, the three practicum courses must be completed in BC. The program length is 41 weeks (1,008 hours) and is full-time. The tuition for international students is approximately $11,335 CAD.

Admission Requirements:

  • Admission interview
  • Official Transcript showing completion of an English Assessment indicating English proficiency equivalent to successful completion of Grade 12 English from a recognized university or college.
  • Two reference letters
  • At least 19 years old, must send photo identification
  • Criminal record check
  • Declaration of Health

3 Public College ECE Programs in Vancouver

3 ECE Programs for International Students in Vancouver (Public Colleges)

Finding the right college can be difficult. This is why we have compiled information from three well-known public colleges in and around Vancouver, BC. There are many post-secondary institutions that offer Early Childhood Educator programs, but these three have great learning opportunities and the chance to gain work experience.

LANGARA COLLEGE

Langara College is located in Vancouver, BC on W49th Avenue and Columbia Street. The Canada Line Skytrain has a station a few minutes away by walking. They offer a Early Childhood Education Diploma for international students and have two intakes per year: September and January. The program length is 3 full-time semesters (equal to one year), note that this program cannot be completed part-time. The entire program is 63 credits and tuition for international students is approximately $39,400 CAD.

General College Admission Requirements:

  • Graduation from a BC high school (or equivalent by WES or recognized institution)
  • English Proficiency:
    • IELTS Academic: 6.5 (no band lower than 6.0)
    • CAEL: overall 70

Program Specific Admission Requirements:

  • Two reference letters
  • Current First Aid Certification (Level B)

Upon completing the diploma program, students can apply for the BC Early Childhood Educator Certificate, an additional citation (three courses and practicum) can be taken to earn the Post-Basic ECE Special Needs Certificate.

DOUGLAS COLLEGE

Douglas College has two campuses in Metro Vancouver: New Westminster and Coquitlam, BC. However, the Early Childhood Education Certificate program is only offered at the Coquitlam campus. There is one intake in September, and the program length is 3 semesters (one year). The program can be full-time or part-time, note that the 3 semester time is for full-time students. Students will earn 43.5 credits and tuition for international students is approximately $18,727 CAD.

General College Admission Requirements:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Graduated from a BC high school (or equivalent by WES or recognized institution)
  • English Proficiency:
    • IELTS Academic: minimum overall band test score of 6.5
    • CLB Level 8 in each module

Program Specific Admission Requirements:

  • Two reference letters
  • Complete and show proof of 20 hours of volunteer or work experience in a licensed ECE setting with children aged 0-6 (A form must be submitted when applying for the program)
  • Complete a Criminal Record Check
  • Complete a medical declaration or assessment

Upon completing this certificate program, students can apply for the BC Early Childhood Educator Certificate.

VANCOUVER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Vancouver Community College has many locations across Metro Vancouver, however the Early Childhood Care and Education Diploma program is only offered at the downtown campus. There are three intakes per year: September, January, and May. The program length is 2 years full-time, equivalent to 6 semesters. Students earn 76 credits and tuition for international students is approximately $42,287 CAD.

General College Admission Requirements:

  • At least 18 years old
  • Graduated from a BC high school (or equivalent by WES or recognized institution)
  • English Proficiency:
    • IELTS Academic: overall 6.5 (no band lower than 6.0)
    • CAEL: Overall 60

Program Specific Admission Requirements:

  • Interview with selection committee
  • Two letters of recommendation

Upon Acceptance to Program Requirements:

  • Criminal Record Check
  • TB Screening
  • Immunizations

Once students have completed the diploma program, they can apply for the BC Early Childhood Educator Certificate as well as the ECE Infant Toddler Educator (ITE) and ECE Special Needs Educator (SNE) Certifications.

Tips and How to be a Successful ECE

Tips and How to be a Successful Early Childhood Educator

Before you start your career as an Early Childhood Educator, consider if the job is right for you. Below is a list of character traits that make a great & successful ECE.

  • Love for children and working with them.
  • Patient and dedicated
  • Creative and enthusiastic
  • Strong communication skills
  • Well organized
  • Professional
  • Kind and caring towards others
  • Compassionate and empathetic
  • Accepting of other backgrounds and beliefs

If you fit all of the above traits, then becoming an ECE is the perfect career for you!

STAND OUT

After graduating from your post-secondary program, it is time to look for a job. Create a portfolio to help stand out from the rest of the applicants. Check out our other blog post to learn more of what to include.

Have your three reference letters ready. You can even attach them in your portfolio for ease for the employer. Most daycares will ask for three reference letters from previous coworkers or friends when deciding on your application.

When you have the job, help out and care for the children as much as you can. Build relationships with everyone.

COMMUNICATE

Communication is key when working as an ECE. You have to communicate with the children, parents, and coworkers.

When communicating with children, your voice should be soft and nurturing. Make sure to be affirmative and support the children in their decisions. Enthusiasm is key when teaching and interacting with children to get them excited about learning.

When you are communicating with parents, your voice and tone should be calm and reassuring. Most parents will be concerned on how their children are performing and developing, so a calm voice and reassurance will help put them at ease.

When communicating with coworkers, your voice should be relaxed and more normal. If you show stress or you are flustered the children will pick up on this and may start to misbehave. It is important to put on a brave face and poise yourself appropriately as the children are observing you at all times.

Tips and Best Practices for Job Interviews

Tips and Best Practices for Job Interviews

A job interview can be scary for most job seekers. There is much on the line for an interview, and sometimes it is a lot to handle. This blog post is to help relieve some of that stress to help you improve your attitude and get the job you want!

We will go over tips and best practices such as body language, practice, professionalism, enthusiasm, and following-up tips.

APPEARANCE

Focus your body language on the interviewer, sit up straight, maintain eye contact, and try to keep your hands together. If you tend to talk with your hands, try to practice beforehand in front of a mirror or camera to see how much you use your hands. Lots of movement can be distracting in an interview, try your best to be aware of your hands and keep them at your sides of clasped together on your lap or on the table in front of you. Additionally, if you fidget and your legs move when you’re nervous, try to be aware of that. If your legs are bouncing the entire interview, it can be distracting and although you may sound confident, your body language says otherwise.

If you have long hair, it is best to have it tucked behind your ears or tied in a pony tail. If your hair is down and in front of your face, it will make the employer think that you are hiding and not confident in yourself. Try to be aware of your appearance and not hide behind something. A mask makes things difficult to show your full face. If you are required to wear a mask during an interview, be extra aware of stray hairs as that can hide more of your face.

PRACTICE

Asking friends or family to do a mock interview can help you practice speaking, minimize nerves, and help you become aware of your appearance. Although this may seem silly, it can help relieve stress, boost confidence, and provide an opportunity to prepare answers.

Watch your tone of voice when you speak. The tone of your voice can show your personality and your confidence level quite clearly. Make sure to speak in a strong, confident, and enthusiastic voice in a professional yet friendly manner. This can be difficult at first to grasp as there are many things to consider, that is why it is important to practice speaking in from of someone so they can let you know if you are coming off too strong or too soft.

When you are speaking about your qualifications and experience, make sure to be enthusiastic about the position. Be excited about the opportunity and how you can fill the gaps. At the end of the interview, reiterate how grateful you are for the chance to interview and ask about the next steps. Show that you are interested in working for the company and moving forward with the next step in their hiring process.

PROFESSIONALISM

If your interview is at the workplace, plan your trip before leaving to make sure to arrive on time. The day before the interview, look up how long it will take to get to the office and check our parking / transportation options. Make sure to factor in the possibility of traffic when planning your trip as well. If the interview is online via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or another platform, make sure to be at your computer with no distractions around you at least 10 minutes before the start time. It is a good idea to set a reminder on your phone about the interview time. Since the interview is online, there is no excuse to be late. Do your best to troubleshoot any connection issues ahead of time to minimize delays in the interview. If it is a large company, it is likely the interviewer has back-to-back interviews. If you cause delays it can shorten your time-frame or mess up their schedule.

When you arrive at the workplace, try to greet the interviewer with a handshake, or wave depending on the Covid restrictions. This also goes for an online interview, it is nice to wave hello and introduce yourself once you join the call. Ask how their day is going or about their weekend plans to break the ice a little. This can help you relax as well as let the interviewer to settle.

Be prepared and research the company beforehand. This can prepare you if they ask you a question such as “What do you know about our company?” As well, it can prepare your expectations on visiting the workplace or speaking with the interviewer online. Make sure that the company is a good fit for you. If there is something you really love about the company, make sure to mention it in the interview. If there is something you want to learn more about or want clarification, you can also find out in the interview.

Throughout the interview, make sure to really listen. This may seem like a silly thing to mention, but some candidates don’t set their full attention to the interviewer. A completely different answer may be given or you may ask the interviewer to repeat the same question multiple times. If you do not understand a question, let them know. Repeating a question can be annoying and gives off the wrong vibe.

FOLLOW-UP

After completing your interview, it is nice to follow-up with the employer regarding your application. You may wish to email or phone the interviewer, depending on how you were communicating with them before the interview. The day after the interview, you can reach out to thank them for the interview. In this correspondence you can say thank you for the opportunity and remind them of your qualifications. As well, if there were any questions or concerns they had for you, you can address them here.

If you have not received any news seven business days after the interview, then you can follow-up about the status of your application. Do not contact them earlier than seven days to allow appropriate time for the employer to evaluate and review the application. This follow-up will remind the employer that you are still interested and enthusiastic about the role.

We hope this post can help you succeed in your next job interview. If you have further questions or concerns, contact us.

Tips and How to get Immunization Records

Required Immunization Record Information for Early Childhood Educators

Early Childhood Educator’s in BC need to have up-to-date immunization records before working in a daycare. Most post-secondary schools will require students to have the immunization record before enrolling in their ECE program. Additionally, before being offered a job at a daycare, the employer will request your immunization record to make sure you are fit to work with children.

WHAT VACCINATIONS ARE REQUIRED?

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control (BC CDC), childcare workers should have the following vaccines:

  • All Routine Vaccines
    • Tetanus and Diphtheria (Td) Vaccine
    • Shingles Vaccine
    • Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine
    • Influenza (flu) Vaccine
  • Hepatitis B Vaccine

The Hepatitis A Vaccine is not routinely recommended for childcare workers as the BC CDC recommends to practice good hygiene ie. washing hands regularly.

** Please note that some daycares may require additional immunizations such as Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR), Varicella (Chicken Pox), and/or Polio.

HOW TO GET AN IMMUNIZATION RECORD?

It is your responsibility to ensure that your immunizations are current and the records are accurate and safe.

If you are a resident of BC and have a BC Services Card you should be able to use the Health Gateway website (Health Gateway (gov.bc.ca)) to retrieve all your personal medical information.

In the case that your records are incomplete, check with your previous doctors or caregivers. If you are from overseas, check with your hometown doctor.

Alternatively, if you have no records of your vaccinations you can go to a walk-in clinic in BC and request a blood test form for LifeLabs.

If you would like an immunization card to refer to check out this website for samples available to download and print at home: Immunization record cards | Immunize BC