Personal Advancement
New book helps young people land jobsNavigating the job market can be a daunting task, especially for young people who lack the experience employers often demand. That's why youth employment expert Nancy Schaefer has written a new book that teaches them how to land a job or start their own business. LINDA WHITE |
|
 [ 2006-02-22 ] |
Do you know your strengths, weaknesses and best job fits?
To find out, take this test by eCareerFit, the career assessment experts.
To find out, take this test by eCareerFit, the career assessment experts.
With an increase in youth violence, that's more important than ever, believes Schaefer, president of Youth Employment Service (YES) in Toronto, a non-profit organization that has helped more than 60,000 youth enter the workforce or start a business of their own.
"We're seeing something unprecedented in Toronto and it is related to employment or doing something positive. Youth should be in school or working. What are they doing if not? They're hanging out with each other, hanging out in malls, they're hanging ... It's a recipe for disaster."
Schaefer has seen similar trends in other parts of the world and calls youth employment an important social issue. "It's critical that people land on their feet in the job market and not spend years in transition. This is not just another job manual. It's been written to bring hope."
Good Work! builds upon the foundation Schaefer laid in her earlier book, Good Job! A Young Person's Guide to Finding, Landing, and Loving a Job, published in 2000. "It builds upon electronic job searching. Five years ago, we were certainly using the web, but large job boards and the way we found jobs was not quite as electronic as it is today," she says.
Full of tips
Good Work! was developed with advice from employment and business experts and young people. It's full of tips, dos and don'ts, checklists, and questions and answers. It also includes advice for budding entrepreneurs, from creating a business plan to marketing your business and managing your time and finances.
Thanks to straightforward language, this step-by-step guide has become a popular resource among new Canadians. "It's a perfect fit for people whose English isn't their first language," Schaefer says.
The unemployment rate among youth in Toronto is about 14% - twice that of adults. "Having our youth employed or self-employed or starting their own business is part of a healthy, safe and prosperous country," Schaefer says.
Employers who demand proven work experience are part of the problem. "Give them a chance," Schaefer says. "Young people are creative, have tons of energy, are willing to work long hours and are trainable. Use their youth as an asset. In this book, I teach young people how to turn their inexperience into a positive."
Yet too often, young people don't know how to do a proper job search.
They may send out 50 resumes and feel like failures if they're not called for an interview. "That discouragement is really a by-product of a bad job search," Schaefer says. "If you put out two resumes in the right places, you will probably get a call back from at least one."
Landing that first job is important to developing skills in demand by today's employers -- even if means accepting a less than ideal position. "Yes, we'd all like to be in fulfilling jobs, but you have to prove things like you're able to show up on time," Schaefer says. "It's better to get a job -- one that's not toxic or harming your health -- so you can prove that you're valuable. Then you're in a better place to find another job."
Good Work! is used in Grade 10 career classes and at many university career centres. Schaefer believes it's a valuable tool for anyone who works with youth, as well as parents eager to coach their children through job searches.
"The labour market is really tough ... Young people need skills on things like networking, navigating job boards and getting themselves out there," Schaefer says. "It's an aggressive and competitive market. I'm not saying that to discourage people. It's meant to say they have to know what they're doing."
The book is $18.95 and can be purchased from your local bookstore or through www.contactpoint.ca or www.ceric.ca.
1
Does your employer subsidize your commute to work?