CAREERS & EDUCATION

HIGHER LEARNING

Study to get the job

Seven ways academics can boost your chances of employment

As a newcomer, it can be hard to know, when confronted with something new or odd, what is a normal part of the culture and what is not. Knowing how to respond becomes puzzling. Unfortunately, employers tend to want to hire people they feel will understand the existing culture. is is often why employers ask for Canadian credentials or work experience when seeking candidates. In an interview, if your stories include your experience in a Canadian classroom or job, the employer may feel assured that you will be a better t than someone without this experience.

Many newcomers are disappointed in not being able to nd work in their eld. ey may end up taking work far below their skill level and salary expectations. Some newcomers choose to take courses and credentials in post-secondary schools in Canada to improve their chances of nding work.

Here are seven ways attending post-secondary school can bene t you in your job search.

1Learn what skills are valued

By attending classes, you come to know what is valued in Canada. For instance, teamwork is a large part of both the classroom experience and work in Canada. Knowing how to be an e ective team member is considered a valuable skill. You will be able to discuss your strengths in this area in a job interview, having participated in group work assignments.

2Gain knowledge of Canadian culture

When you come to a new culture, it is easy to make mistakes. For instance, it is sometimes di cult to gauge the level of formality needed in a conversation. You don’t want to appear too formal and sti , yet being too informal can be considered rude. Interacting with classmates will help you get a sense of what is appropriate in Canada.

3Update and demonstrate skills and abilities

By attending a post-secondary school in Canada, you are not only learning about the culture, but you are also reinforcing skills that can erode over time. In addition, a student’s work is evaluated and grades can signal your competence to an employer. is is a system most employers know about and trust.

4Get a work placement opportunity

Some programs have work experience components that allow you to try out your skills and meet potential employers. You will also learn about what is expected in the workplace.

5Access help at career centres

Most schools have career centres for their students. ey can help with your job search, including providing coaching around interviews. It is frequently said that you need to “market yourself” to get a job. But it is as important to know when an attitude of humility is needed as presenting your assets can appear more like boastfulness. Career centre sta can work with you on getting the right tone in an interview.

6Develop your language skills

Language ability is probably one of the most important determinants in getting work. It takes many years to be good at a new language and the more opportunities you give yourself to learn, the better your chances of success. Many people don’t realize the subtleties in a language and settle for “good enough.” At school, you can expect help in the classroom and through various student services. ere are also occupation-speci c language training programs that can help with communication and job searching in your eld.

7Take the opportunity to reinvent yourself

Whether you come to Canada without many job skills or with the idea that you want to change careers, post-secondary schools, and its advisors and services can help you.

In good times, when jobs are plentiful, there may not be a problem in nding work in your eld. When times are hard, however, and there are many people applying for a position, an employer will be looking for ways to eliminate candidates. Lack of local work experience, Canadian credentials and familiarity with Canadian culture will be reasons to reject you. Even a little extra schooling may go a long way in overcoming this obstacle.

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Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.

Do you have trouble communicating in meetings or giving a North American-style presentation? Are you uncomfortable in conversations at networking events, particularly on casual topics such as the weather or sports? Is your manager frustrated with having to edit your reports, complaining about not understanding what you’ve written?

It could be that you need to nd ways to improve your workplace communication skills. Not doing so may mean that you will be held back in your career progression, particularly if you want to work directly with customers and clients, or move up higher in a management role.

Communication skills have been identi ed by the Conference Board of Canada and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills in the U.S.A. as one of the “ ve essential 21st-century skills,” all of which happen to be soft skills. While many internationally trained professionals come from an environment where strong technical or hard skills are highly valued,

Talking about success

Are your communication skills holding you back in your career?

By Marjorie Friesen

in Canada, the non-technical or soft skills like workplace communication are valued just as much or more.

What better communication skills involve

So what does e ective communication in the workplace look like? From writing to speaking to listening to non-verbal communication, it includes the following.

Writing

Write e ectively to inform, persuade, request information, and write an analysis or report.

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E: jsuyte@dcrs.ca T: 604-547-1359 Listening

Listen actively to others without interrupting. As well, listen “between the lines” to clarify and interpret meaning, facts, values and intentions and to appreciate others’ points of view

Speaking

Speak e ectively to clearly and concisely articulate thoughts and ideas, inform and clarify, as well as engage, motivate, in uence and instruct.

Also, understand and use the most appropriate expressions in di erent situations, such as knowing when to use informal rather than formal language; for example, calling a supervisor by his or her rst name rather than sir or madam.

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Media sponsor: Venue sponsor: Non-verbal communication

Use and adapt non-verbal communication, including tone of voice and body language to engage e ectively with others.

Many people underestimate the importance of non-verbal communication and body language in speaking and listening, and how much they contribute to the message that is sent or received.

Body language (eye movement, facial expressions, posture, hand and arm gestures) can account for up to 50 per cent of the message conveyed; tone of voice is up to 40 per cent; other non-verbal (pitch, volume, intonation — the rise and falling of our voice), about three per cent or more; and the actual words, just seven per cent.

Feeling frustrated?

So, is your communication impacting your success at work? Employees who are misunderstood by co-workers and clients may feel frustrated, which a ects their morale and may negatively a ect performance and productivity. Managers may also become frustrated because of clients’ complaints that their expectations have not been met; for example, the employee misunderstood what product or service the client wanted.

In order to resolve these issues and improve their workplace communication skills, internationally trained professionals can explore a number of options, including language courses at the university or college level, online language training courses, or language training from professional tutors, either one-on-one or in a small group.

Since communication skills are so important to employers and can bring many bene ts to their companies in the form of higher productivity, less con ict and more smoothly running operations, many employers are willing to invest in such language training options for their employees. Employers may also be willing to cover the cost and o er time during work hours for the training. So if you feel like you could improve your workplace communication skills, don’t hesitate to ask your company for its support, as it will bene t both of you. Marjorie Friesen is the principal of Improve Your Workplace English. Email marj@improveyourworkplaceenglish.com.