Smart People Need To Fail

In the book "When Smart People Fail" author Carol Hyatt offers advice on how to deal with career setbacks.
In her view, one word describes what you must do when you fail at a task or lose your job. DECIDE.

You must decide to pull yourself free from the morass of blaming others.This will start you on the path that will allow you to deal with failure, which often results because of a lack of people skills.
As a first step :

# Look for a pattern.
It's natural to blame someone else when you fail but most failure follows a pattern. For example there was the man that was fired 22 times. Each time he blamed others.His boss was too young, too old or woman.But the real reason for his failure - the pattern - he couldn't accept criticism. "Once you see the pattern," says Hyatt, "You can act to correct it if you want to get out of the failure rut."

# Pick the right spot.
Many smart people fail because they're the proverbial square peg in the round hole. Sensitive people who care more about people than the bottom line do not fit many corporate environments. Their values clash with the firm's and that boosts the chance of failure.
According to Hyatt, "That person would fare better with a group that shares the same values, such as a non-profit service organization.

# Don't label yourself.
Hyatt describes two network producers fired at the same time :
"One saw himself only as a producer. When he couldn't find a similiar job, he stayed stuck in failure.
"The second dissected his title and said, 'I can write, research and put people together.' By looking at each skill, he realized he could succeed at other jobs such as an agent or headhunter."

# Develop your social I.O.
Most smart people fail because of poor interpersonal skills.
"Smart people fail because the lack sensitivity.They don't know how to listen. They have a low social IQ", says Hyatt.
"Mediocre people keep their jobs because they have a high social IQ. The smart people who fail admit they don't have the patience to listen.
Her advice is to develop your social IQ - your people skills. Learn to listen and react to the subtext of what people say.
The better your interpersonal skills, the less chance you will fail.

How to Find Freelance Administrative Work

If you have good office management and computer skills, you might consider looking for freelance administrative work. As a general category, this includes word processing, data entry, calendar or appointment planning, basic billing and other administrative support tasks. If you have administrative experience, then all the better for showing prospective employers that you are knowledgeable and reliable.

Your first step to finding freelance administrative work is to craft a list of services. Write something up yourself, then research online and in newspaper classified ads to get ideas about services to add to your list or other ways to word your offerings. The goal is to present a comprehensive list of services that leaves no questions in the reader's mind.

Once you have this list, you can add your hourly fees. If you're unsure what your rates should be, call several local temp agencies to learn what they charge their clients. You can also use the salaries advertised in the newspaper as a guide -- simply divide the annual salary into an hourly rate.

You'll also need a current resume. Even if you go through temp agencies or Web sites to find work, having both a resume and a list of services will help you look professional and easily fill out all the forms and paperwork.

Where to Look for Work

There are many sources for finding work. You may want to target one source at a time, or make up lists of companies from all sources and start with a few from each. Either way, you will be making lots of phone calls and visiting lots of local businesses to make your pitch.

# Past and current employers: Talk to any previous employers and let them know you are freelancing. Contact the human resources department, since they are the ones who arrange for freelancers or temp workers. If you are working now, consider starting your freelance business on the side and working slowly toward independence. You may even be able to get freelance work from your company.

# Local businesses: Do some research at your local library, the Chamber of Commerce and through the local paper to target small businesses that might need occasional or ongoing part-time work. Small operations such as landscaping, construction, food or catering and painting are sometimes too small to pay for a full-time office helper and too busy to do the work themselves. These companies could use someone in the office for a few hours a week or a monthly billing session.

# Temp agencies: Register with local temp agencies. Even if they won't arrange to pay you by 1099, you will be getting work from companies that use temp workers, and you can ask them to keep you in mind for possible future work.

# Web-based services: There are many Web sites, including Monster and the Monster Talent Market, where you can look for work -- either office-based or remote freelance work. Just beware of anything that costs money up front, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

# Newspapers: Don't forget the traditional newspaper job search. Especially check the local newspaper, since local small businesses are more likely to advertise there for part-time help. Even if you see a part-time office-based position, don't rule it out. You may be able to persuade the company to let you work some hours at home.

No matter where you get your work, remember that your performance will impact whether a company wants to hire you again and recommend you to other people. Word-of-mouth is an important resource for getting work, so make the best of any work and networking opportunities.

Tips for Successful networking (Networking Card)

Your networking card is one of the most valuable networking tools you have or  I would say  is the most powerful single tool--dollar for dollar--you can invest in. It's compact, energy-efficient, low-cost, low-tech, and keeps working for you hours, weeks and even years after it leaves your hands! 

Some of the things your networking card does are: 

+  Tell people your name and your skill. 

+  It can be reused, as it passes from person to person, giving the same message to each person who comes in contact with it. 

+  Provide prospects with a way to contact you. 

+  Expose your portfolio/resume (if you have posted online at www.newcomers-canada.com). 

We do not want to bring copy of resume  everywhere we go it's too bulky and looks not as a  professional  way of approach to your targeting contact. 

The main function to get your name out to other people with whom the first person comes in contact with via referrals. With that in mind, let's take a look at the most effective ways to use your networking cards. 

Below  several tips to get your card works for you.

1. Make Your Cards Accessible in Every Situation 

Never leave home without them! It's a great idea to keep a small box of your cards in your glove box, just in case you find yourself in a situation where you need more than you've carried in your pocket or purse. In addition to jacket pocket, you can tuck them away in briefcase, wallet and computer bag, just to make sure you never run out. 

2. Seek Situations to Pass Your Card 

There are many opportunities in which you can pass on your card to prospective contact  and friends  as well as referral sources you wish to develop. Some are obvious; others are not. Whenever you have a one-on-one meeting with someone new or someone you haven't seen for a while, give her/him your networking  card. At any occasions  and social events, be sure you have plenty of cards when you go in. These are good places to extend the reach of your network. 

Example of online resume: http://www.newcomers-canada.com/resume.asp?uid=526f65013275750

Free printing card : http://www.vistaprint.com

Tips for Improving Interpersonal skill

If you have trouble finding work although you have strong resume. Might be you need to step back and think about whether you need to improve your interpersonal skill.

Interpersonal skill were the most important communication skill for financial professional.

Interpersonal skills mean being able to interact with people effectively while also being able to be liked by them. If you have great interpersonal skill, it does help you differentiate yourself from the rest.

Helpful tips for improving your interpersonal skills:

Smile. Few people want to be around someone who is always down in the dumps. Do your best to be friendly and upbeat with your coworkers. Maintain a positive, cheerful attitude about work and about life. Smile often. The positive energy you radiate will draw others to you.

Pay attention to others. Observe what’s going on in other people’s lives. Acknowledge their happy milestones, and express concern and sympathy for difficult situations such as an illness or death.

Practice active listening. To actively listen is to demonstrate that you intend to hear and understand another’s point of view. Your coworkers will appreciate knowing that you really do listen to what they have to say.

Communicate clearly. Pay close attention to both what you say and how you say it. A clear and effective communicator avoids misunderstandings with coworkers, collegues, and associates. If you tend to blurt out anything that comes to mind, people won’t put much weight on your words or opinions.

THREE Cover letter secrets

Your cover letter might write well, but you still need some kind of secret thought to stand out from your competitor.

I will point out THREE secrets to add into your cover letter, which will catch your hiring manager.

1. Create an eye-catching “Headline” written about your intention of the position they are looking for.

I would like to apply for [fill in job title here] and welcome for the interview opportunity.

2. State your qualifications.

I am a quick learner, organized, and knowledgeable about [fill in their business type].

3. State your enthusiasm at the end of cover letter.

I look forward to meeting you to discuss how I can contribute in your company. I fell confident I could be an asset to your company. I can be reached anytime on my cell phone: 555-123-5555.

Keep practice by using above secret keys on your cover letter and unlock an interview for the job you most desire. Good luck.

Want to improve your English skills?

Dear all,

I have been leaving in Canada since 2001 (7 years). As most of us understand the common issue immigrant face is language barrier. We come from different part of country where we do not speak English at all, or probably we had gained little English knowledge from school.

I still recall in 2001 when I arrived and made appointment with recruiter at downtown Toronto. I was so excited that I could meet and discuss about my skill at that time. But, unfortunately they give me an advice to polish my English first. Well, that’s true and know I am really thanks to their advice because I realize that if we keep trying to improve our English pronunciation I believe it can be really help us during job interview.

I went to ESL workshop, join coop class, and make use of “Employment Resource Centre” whenever I had free time.

Find below sites that might be useful for you:

http://www.audioenglish.net/
I like the part where I can play the audio file so I can listen clearly how they pronounce the word or sentence, and the good thing is it’s FREE. But probably you got to pay for advanced services.

http://www.learnenglish.de/improvepage.htm
This site provides many options to improve our English skills such as: Learning Skills, Grammar, vocabulary, Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

http://wordweb.info/free/
WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words from in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia.

You can download wordweb and install at your PC. It’s free and really helpful.
I have been using this s/w for years.

If you found any website that can help us to improve our communication. Please do not hesitate to post it here, or you can always contact me at : info@newcomers-canada.com.

Let’s make use of newcomer canada blogger as our practice place where we can share our experience, teach each other, and help each other to get close to his/her dream job.

Happy reading.
Ferdi

Continuing Education

Have you heard about "Continuing Education"? (Con Ed)

It’s been a hot topic this spring and I think we need to dig out a bit more what is Con Ed and does it suitable to newcomers?

Con Ed is Courses, programs, or organized learning experiences usually taken after a degree is obtained to enhance personal or professional goals.

The length of a summer Con Ed course varies. It could be as short as 3-4 hours or as long as a month or more in class. Tuition fees also differ. Checking online is the best way to find start dates and class hours.

Con Ed courses offered in Toronto:

www.centennialcollege.ca/parttime

www.coned.georgebrown.ca

www.cecalendar.humber.ca

www.senecac.ca/partime/homepage.html

www.learnutoronto.ca/course/browse.html

www.glendon.yorku.ca/extendedlearning

www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/continuing

www.ce-online.ryerson.ca

Unemployment gap growing

Statistics Canada yesterday reported a rising tide in employment in 2007 has failed to carry recent immigrants with it. And the picture is worse in 2007 than in 2006, particularly in the GTA.

Employment among all working-age immigrants rose slightly across Canada, thanks to a boom in employment for immigrants in Quebec and Alberta and stronger results for established immigrants.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for immigrants rose slightly to 6.8 per cent in 2007 while the rate for Canadian-born workers stayed the same at 4.4 per cent. For immigrants who have arrived in Ontario in the last five years, the rate is 11.9 per cent; in Toronto it’s 12.7.