News

News Categories

Career Coaching Tips
Client News
General News
Job search resources
Quarterly Newsletter
View Archived/Older News

Career Coaching Tips

The shortest route to a new job: direct contact

According to Kate Wendleton, founder and president of the Five O’Clock Club, the national job coaching firm, people often confuse direct contact with networking. Networking is an effective way to find work, she says, but it can be roundabout. A friend of a friend may work in production at the company where you want to work in marketing. By all means take that person to lunch. If he or she can put in a good word for you with your would-be boss, great. But don’t let that prevent you from going straight to the person you’d like to report to. To read more of this article taken from the Globe and Mail click here.

Explain what you did, not your team

When writing your resume, it is important to mention what you did for the organization (i.e. evaluated a software, designed a plan, solved a client's problem), not what your team did. This is a job search tip that Directions' clients learned at the most recent Industry Networking Session where the presenter was from Hatch.

What's the difference between a professional regulatory organization and a professional association?

Professional associations represent the interests of their membership, whereas professional regulatory organizations have been delegated the authority to govern their profession by the provincial government and work within a regulatory framework established by government. For example, the Alberta Medical Association, a professional association of physicians, is a separate body from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, the professional regulatory organization for physicians. Click here for more information.

Check out job search resources on ALIS

ALIS the Alberta Learning Information Service has great job search resources on their website http://alis.alberta.ca/videoplayer/player.aspx?vk=14

Client News

Ready to take the CRNE!

The group of internationally educated nurses completed the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination study group last January 24. The group enjoyed delicious food and appetizers that everyone contributed for the potluck. The participants are now ready to take the exam scheduled for February 1, 2012.

The Canadian Registered Nurse Examination is a requirement as part of the licensing process that internationally educated nurses have to follow. At Directions we can guide you on how to make the necessary steps to become licensed in Canada.

Good luck to all of you!

The NPPE groups got started

The internationally educated engineers, geologists and geophysicists started the National Professional Practice Exam this month. The Wednesday groups started on January 18 and the Saturday group on January 21. The group will review the material to prepare for the exam scheduled for July 16 by APEGGA. Way to go!

General News

Spaces still available at the MLT study group

If you are an internationally educated Medical Laboratory Technologist phone Directions at 403-297-2555 to join our Study Group that starts on February 4. This study group will be blended with both online and face to face sessions with a licensed Medical Laboratory Technologist.

Our new Fundamentals of Engineering study group started January 7

The new Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Study Group first session was last Saturday. Once the participants who are internationally educated engineers introduced themselves, they dived into Algebra and Trigonometry. These internationally educated engineers plan to write the FE exam scheduled onr April 14th as part of their licensing process with the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA).

The FE is an eight-hour comprehensive technical examination administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Directions for Immigrants is offering this study group for the first time for internationally educated engineers. For more information, please phone 403-297-2555

Alberta employment growth best in Canada

Alberta accounted for close to half of all the employment growth in the country over the past 12 months and continues to have the lowest unemployment rate. While Alberta employment growth was flat on a monthly basis in December, growing by only 800 jobs, over the past 12 months it grew by 4.9 per cent or 98,800 positions. This information was released by Statistics Canada and cited by the Calgary Herald on Friday January 6.

Get our new Study Groups Guide

Download our Winter 2012 Study Groups Guide by clicking here

Job search resources

Health Career Fair - Feb 1 & 2

Hear from industry professionals about the opportunities during the Career Conference on February 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Calgary Public Library, Central location. Bring your resumé and explore all the exciting career opportunities at the Hiring Fair on February 2 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fisher Park Alberta Works Centre, 100, 6712 Fisher Street S.E. For more information click here.

Volunteering may lead to a paid job

"Your volunteer activities have as much to do with you and your passion... and your skill set as it has to do with your professional expertise. Employers want to see that you're not just another candidate that's all about me, me me. Voolunteering is a representation of how well you work on a team," says Adriana Llames, a career consultant. Source: The Calgary Herald, Saturday January 7, 2011. Working Section, page G3. The newspaper is available for Directions' clients at the Resource Centre.

Combine the cover letter and the résumé in one single document

If you are sending your résumé as an e-mail attachment, combine the letter with the résumé into the same document. This saves the recruiter from opening and saving two separate files. In the text of the e-mail mention: "For convenience, I have included a copy of this letter as part of my attached resume file." Source: Resume Magic. Author: Susan Britton Whitcomb. Page 510. (Book available for consultation at the Directions' Resource Centre).

Consider applying to small companies

Applying to small companies might be a better strategy than targeting the big ones. From 2000 to 2010 Alberta enjoyed an increase of 19,324 or 15.5 per cent of small businesses, according to the recent "Highlights of the Alberta Economy" Report released by the Alberta Economic Development Website. Click here to read the full report.

2011