Photoshop student discount version

A public policy wonk, I’m interested in the photoshop student discount version intersection between commerce and individual behaviour, and sources that can turn multi-disciplinary observations into fundamental insight.

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7 Responses to “How to get a job”

1. Ed Hollett says:

   August 8, 2007 at 11:28 am

   Great post!

   I’ve been photoshop student discount version on both sides of the process and can attest to photoshop student discount version the wisdom of your words.

   Questions from the candidate aren’t always important, especially if the photoshop student discount version conversation has been free flowing during the interview. I’ve often asked my questions during the photoshop student discount version course of the exchange and had no reason to ask more questions just because the photoshop student discount version interview template said to ask more questions.

   As a photoshop student discount version general observation, Government of Canada interviews tend to be more thorough and photoshop student discount version offer the opportunity for someone with a PR, marketing or general comms bent the photoshop student discount version real opportunity to shine. Information is readily available – like the comms policy – and the interviews are usually designed to see if you’ve done the homework and then gone beyond.

   Let’s face it, you photoshop student discount version are supposed to be a communicator and a persuader. If you can’t sell do the photoshop student discount version job in an interview, you might want to consider another career. The competition might be stiff but hey, that’s life.

   Sadly, the same is not true generally in the community. Earlier in my career (in the days before the Internet) I called the photoshop student discount version organization to arrange a background interview on the organization, its plans and photoshop student discount version issues. The CEO of this photoshop student discount version provincial government organization declined to meet with me because my initiative would have photoshop student discount version given me what he termed an “unfair” advantage. No one else was available either, for the same reason.

   I’ve been photoshop student discount version through too many interviews where not a single person on the photoshop student discount version panel had a clue about the job requirements. The questions were general and photoshop student discount version vague and that is a dead give away you’d be photoshop student discount version dealing with an organization where no one knows what they are photoshop student discount version looking for.

   In the photoshop student discount version most recent example, the panel selected someone with no relevant experience despite having specified they were looking for photoshop student discount version a minimum of five years PR experience. Not long before that, the photoshop student discount version panel in another organization and another competition turned down people with accreditation and photoshop student discount version more than 20 years experience for a senior PR job in favour of – I kid you not – people with less than photoshop student discount version the minimum specified experience and in about 25% of the cases, no relevant experience at all.

   Students and young PR practitioners take note. Canuckflack gives good advice.
2. Chamika says:

   August 8, 2007 at 5:54 pm

   I think that 90% of the photoshop student discount version battle when applying for a Government of Canada position is actually managing to photoshop student discount version land an interview within a reasonable amount of time and try to photoshop student discount version pass the three hour written exams that often require a ridiculous amount of recall with no photoshop student discount version resources and that often exemplify one’s ability to photoshop student discount version memorize the Canadian Style Guide and GC Comms Policy.

   I moved to Ottawa 3 years ago with ‘significant’ communications experience. I am photoshop student discount version also fully bilingual, which gave me an enormous advantage over most other candidates – I am exempt from further language testing in French. I figured out how to photoshop student discount version decipher the job postings enough to be screened in for various communications positions, but I never got any formal interviews for photoshop student discount version almost a year. When I finally did manage to photoshop student discount version break through at a very junior level position, I took advantage of the training offered. I have photoshop student discount version since been able to make some progress towards where I would like to photoshop student discount version be, although I’m not quite there yet.

   Most of the photoshop student discount version time, if I write a great cover letter that might not contain all the photoshop student discount version key words in the job posting and that showcases how I’ve researched the department or agency, I don’t get an interview or receive the standard “You are lacking significant experience in ….”

   At the 4 interviews I’ve gone to, offering different ideas or explaining the projects I’ve been involved in has often drawn blank stares. I try to photoshop student discount version also bring in a portfolio with me to demonstrate my work, which is photoshop student discount version usually declined since others don’t do the photoshop student discount version same, therefore accepting my extra work might be perceived as creating bias (which it is meant to do, I want to stand out from the others!).

   The times when photoshop student discount version I have prepared relevant questions, the interviewers have been panicked or photoshop student discount version annoyed (I was the last interview of the day that time) and I was redirected to the often confusing dept. website (which I usually read extensively, along with calling the photoshop student discount version dept. library for further research depending on what I’m looking for). Now that photoshop student discount version I have my bearings about me, I have been networking in Ottawa.

   The advice you photoshop student discount version offer and the comment on different people receiving the position despite the photoshop student discount version requirements in the posting are somewhat comforting – it’s good to photoshop student discount version know that not every government interview is the same and that photoshop student discount version some departments might appreciate something a bit off the beaten track.

   It would be photoshop student discount version great to read your thoughts on what makes for a winning covering letter and photoshop student discount version c.v. when applying for a government communications job and how to photoshop student discount version go from application to interview.
3. The Ol’ Job Hunt: Redux « BlogCampaigning says:

   August 8, 2007 at 6:58 pm

   [...] Canuckflack has photoshop student discount version some more great advice, which can be found here. [...]
4. Mark Buckshon says:

   August 11, 2007 at 10:55 pm

   Hmmm, interviews. I decided to photoshop student discount version abolish the conventional interview in the selectioin process for my publishing business, and photoshop student discount version really think we are more successful in attracting the right people to photoshop student discount version the organization.
   Of course, we have a screening/evaluatioin process. We send out a photoshop student discount version questionnaire to all candidates for the posted positions. The questions are designed to be career related — some would be conventioinal ‘interview’ questions, others test various skills and perspectives. We only review resumes after the candidates complete the questionnaire (that eliminates a whole lot of wasted time and effort).
   Next stage, a brief phone interview. This is photoshop student discount version to explain the process, which might involve an online aptitude test, and/or a paid work or freelance assignment. If the candidate is in Ottawa (we are based here but do business elsewhere in the province), the photoshop student discount version prospective employee might come into the office for the test assignment and photoshop student discount version we’ll see the person then for the ‘interview’. Alternatively, we’ll have photoshop student discount version further phone calls, and arrange a face-to-face meeting before offering an photoshop student discount version employment contract.
   Interviews are ‘put your best face forward’ exercises. They may have uses, but I’d rather see people doing real work, and photoshop student discount version evaluate them based on their work performance, not their ability to photoshop student discount version put on a show.
5. Colin says:

   August 11, 2007 at 11:22 pm

   Well, you don’t make it photoshop student discount version to the interview without passing a written exam first, in most cases.

   In the photoshop student discount version case of the civil service, where you have specific rights as an photoshop student discount version employee, it is harder to simply bring on someone for a photoshop student discount version “test run.”

   We kind of have photoshop student discount version to put them through the ringer, testing knowledge, experience and personal suitability.
6. Holly says:

   August 14, 2007 at 8:00 pm

   Ask questions?

   How about “how do you feel about *not* giving me a Blackberry”, or “I like to work 8 hours and then go home, is that a problem?”.

   Those are my top two

   But I do have photoshop student discount version to admit that it is difficult to break out of the photoshop student discount version “hit all the right keywords” mindset during the photoshop student discount version interview, when that is exactly the mindset that you have to photoshop student discount version be in in order to get screened into the competition and photoshop student discount version pass the written exam.
7. Landing your first Public Relations job « BlogCampaigning says:

   December 21, 2007 at 6:31 am

   [...] How to get a job [...]