Inquire at your practical placement if they are hiring or know of a location that is hiring

Use the Internet – there are a multitude of job search resources on the Internet

Refer to this section for a listing of common websites

Important: Check the “Job Bank Binder” located at each Campus for up-to-date job listings

Contact employment agencies to arrange for an interview

Important: Contact your CJ Health Care College Inc. campus to determine if they have receive a request from area employers for graduates

Ask friends, relatives, acquaintances and coworkers about where they work and jobs elsewhere

Contact potential employers directly to determine if they are hiring at that time and apply in person

Answer newspaper ads (again the internet is a good source for newspaper listings) BUT MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW UP WITH THE EMPLOYER

Visit HRDC (Human Resources Development Canada) offices and automated information kiosks for job listings

Contact your career organizations and associations

Visit your local library (regional/national business directories)

Look through the yellow pages of local and non-local phone books, which provide a list of businesses in your area and beyond

Place ads in newspapers

HIDDEN JOB MARKET: Friends, relatives, acquaintances, previous employers, previous coworkers, former teachers/classmates, community/recreation/ centres/gyms, professional journals, hairdresser/barber, parties/restaurants

Effectively accessing a hidden job market means talking to everyone you know and letting him or her know you are looking for work. Be specific, tell them what type of job you are seeking and what your skills and qualifications are

Let's take a fresh look at an old tool: the résumé. Employers still require a résumé to be submitted in response to a posting or job lead. Your résumé tells a potential employer what you are capable of accomplishing within the company, and moreover, it is often the first contact between a candidate and an employer.

The chronological résumé, in which a person's experience is described from
most to least recent and focuses on the progression of the person's career;

The functional résumé, which focuses on a person's accomplishments;

The combined résumé, which includes a chronology of jobs and which highlights a person's accomplishments as they apply to those jobs;

And finally, the skills-based résumé, which allows a person to emphasize their transferable skills acquired not only through work experience, but also through school projects, volunteering, extracurricular activities and more

The essential elements of the résumé are always required: education, work experience, skills and abilities, references. These elements, however, can be strengthened to project a more proactive, marketing approach to the document

Here are 6 new ideas to enhance your résumé.

Academic Highlights describe different projects or assignments that you have completed and highlight your accomplishments. For example:

Designed a spreadsheet to depict timelines and critical path for business proposal
Created a model of a new home design as a team project for architectural planning

Instead of a weak description of your responsibilities at your job, try thinking in terms of how you made a difference in the workplace. You may also want to format your accomplishments beginning with a keyword, followed by a description of your activity. For example:

TRAINING – designed and conducted workshops for 300 staff on safety process

Testimonial can replace a career objective or profile in a unique manner. Pull a sentence from one of your reference letters and quote a testimonial on your behalf.

Keyword Summary with the introduction of scannable résumés, content has changed from verb-based to noun-based. When a computer scans a document, it searches for keywords – nouns such as diploma, sales, budget, proposal, report, etc. A summary of skills at the beginning of your résumé can give the employer a quick preview of your abilities.

Targeted résumés focus your accomplishments and skills in particular directions. If you have diverse experience in sales, computer programming and golf you could develop a résumé for each of these areas and then expand your search for work in different directions. Or combine your experience such as computer software sales or programming for the golf industry.

Cover letters should be more than just wrapping paper for your Résumé. They should set you apart from other candidates by providing a sense of how you think and your eagerness to work for a particular organization. Most of all, they should give readers a compelling reason to want to interview you, one that includes both your qualifications and the vitality you can bring to a job.

Unlike a Résumé, cover letters are narratives. You can use highly descriptive and persuasive sentences to evoke a positive response from your reader. Moreover, this format allows you to incorporate information, which reflects your knowledge of the target company (e.g., its industry, relevant issues, potential opportunities, etc.). The cover letter is an opportunity to provide customized information beyond what's in your Résumé-information that can tweak an employer's interest in your candidacy.

Like a Résumé, a cover letter contains several critical components:

The Heading: Remember to put your full name, address, phone number and e-mail at the top of the page. If your address changes during your job search, send another Résumé and cover letter for the position that interests you. HR departments won't bother to change the information on your first version.

The First Paragraph: This is the introductory section of your cover letter. In the first paragraph, you should state how you learned about the job opening and your reason for sending the employer your Résumé. If you're applying for a specific position, be sure to include that information in the first sentence of your introduction.

If you've researched the company, be sure to mention why you're interested in it. You will differentiate yourself from the pack by making allusions to the company's products, philosophy or reputation. Be sincere, and employers will appreciate your interest in their organizations

If you know someone at the company, feel free to drop a name-if that person appreciates your work and will speak highly (and unambiguously) of your abilities

The Second Paragraph:. Among hiring officials, the buzzword these days is "value offered." Explain the particular benefits you offer an employer. Not only will it get the employer's attention, it will distinguish you as a job hunter whose goal is to do the job rather than just get a job. Use this section of your cover letter to discuss your value as an employee over and above the information in your Résumé.

Talk about your transferable skills, such as being a self-starter and having excellent organizational abilities. Cite a specific reason why you're the ideal candidate for the position, then customize your letter to prove or demonstrate that point.

Don't rehash your Résumé. Focus instead on two or three qualities that distinguish you most. Also, try to connect these qualities to the position's key requirements. If you have a particular area of expertise, this is the place to bring it up.

The Closing Paragraph: Before concluding your letter, tell the employer you'll follow up to confirm receipt of your Résumé and set up a time for a face-to-face interview. Always assume that an employer will respond positively to your request, and thank him or her in advance for granting the interview.

Consider writing one standard cover letter... and then personalizing it as necessary. Your standard letter would include a general description of your skills and abilities. It would also highlight the most marketable aspects of your background.

The primary advantage to writing a standard cover letter is that you only have to write a great letter once. Once you've created it, all you will have to do is modify the introduction the next time you want to send your Résumé to a perspective employer. Of course, you don't want the employer to assume that the cover letter is part of a mass mailing campaign. Including the company's name and the position you're interested in makes your cover letter seem as though it was written specifically for that prospective employer and his or her company.

Worklink

Netjobs

JobLink Canada

The Monster Board

Workopolis

Enterprise Resource Planning

http://www.ltccareers.com/english/online.asp

http://resume.monster.ca/restips/healthcare/

http://www.watcheducation.com/free-sample-resume-cover-letter.html

http://www.questcareer.com/sample_resume_examples.htm

http://www.jobbankusa.com/resumewrite/ResumeTemplates/

http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/3-0.shtml

http://jobsearch.about.com/library/resume/blSampleFullBlock.htm

http://www.watcheducation.com/free-sample-resume-cover-letter.html