What Employers Want

When applying for a job, the qualifications, skill sets, and personal attributes most sought after vary depending industry and company standards. Based on candid employer input, we have devised a list of the criteria most employers can agree on. Whether you are revising your resume, writing a cover letter, completing an online application, preparing for an interview, completing your LinkedIn profile, or conducting cold calls, these tips can help to provide structure for the information you may want to include.

For many employers, the recruitment process is as much about risk management as it is about finding qualified applicants. Consider this: Workopolis reports that, “According to a recent study by the Conference Board of Canada, the average time needed to fill a role is 56 days, with the average cost to hire a new employee coming in at $6,227.” Put simply, this process is time-consuming and expensive. Employers, especially those with lots hiring experience, know that what they need most are passionate people who will stay long enough to return on the investment of energy and money that goes into the onboarding process.

There are many options for promoting yourself to potential employers. Whether you are using a CV, chronological resume, functional/skills-based resume, portfolio, promotional video, social media platforms, personal website, or LinkedIn profile, there are many ways to highlight your qualifications and attributes.
In addition to recommending the use of keywords, there is an emerging focus on headlining accomplishment-based examples. This format allows the job seeker to portray their value, innovation, and special skills.

When looking for work, we know that only 10-20% of the jobs are advertised, leaving a substantial amount of potential positions in the hidden market. When considering how to best access those opportunities, employing cold calls and networking strategies can be very effective.

We would like to start by thanking representatives from Goldwin Metal Products Ltd., Nordia, Peterborough Humane Society, Peterborough Trent Valley Honda, Crayola, The Keg Steakhouse and Kawartha Guard Service for attending EPC’s 2018 Career Week Employer Panel session. This well-attended event provided tips to job seekers regarding employer expectations in the areas of job prerequisites, the application process and desired traits in a new employee. By using this checklist of employer recommendations, it will help you stay on the right track when trying to stand out as a preferred job candidate to both get and keep the job.

We are routinely asked by clients if a cover letter is necessary when applying for a job. Let’s face it, no one enjoys writing cover letters and while it may appear to be repetitive, as your relevant information is already on your resume, a cover letter is a very useful to tool to help you further highlight your ‘fit’ for both the position and the company. Being specific regarding the department or position you wish to pursue, your unique qualifications, and attributes that complement the position can help you get one step closer to obtaining the job.
When trying to determine the value of pairing a cover letter with a resume, we suggest you follow these tips.

Regardless of how much you may love your job, sometimes when the alarm goes off, the thought of getting out of bed can be daunting. This can be is normal response occasionally, but if it begins to become common place you may want to incorporate some strategies to help you ‘get it together’ in the morning:

It has often been quoted that “there is no love stronger than a parent’s love for their child.” With the goal of raising happy, health, successful adults, we do everything in our power to create opportunities that will allow our children to have many doors open to them in the future. Sometimes the intent to be helpful can inhibit a child’s ability to become confident, independent, resourceful and successful. While the process of finding employment can be challenging and discouraging, allowing them to find and maintain the job helps them develop the skills they need for the numerous career changes ahead. We have outlined some tips that will allow you to show your support while also promoting independence during the job search and career planning process.