Working

How you apply for work depends on the occupation and specific job.  Most employers will expect you to fill in an application form or give them a prepared résumé and cover letter.  If they are interested in your qualifications, they will contact you for a job interview. 

The more clearly you understand what skills and experience you have to offer and the more you know about the employer, the better you can prepare.

Your skills go with you wherever you go.  As you look at work options, consider which skills you have developed that can apply to different occupations and jobs.

When you apply for a job, employers use your résumé, cover letter, a job interview and reference checks to decide if you have the skills for the job.

To create a résumé and prepare for a job interview, you need to clearly identify your skills.  Your skills include your specific abilities for your occupation, your English language skills and your more general employability or essential skills. 

Some skills, such as how to operate specific equipment, can be learned on-the-job or through short-term training.  Other skills are harder to teach, so employers want to hire people who already have them.  These skills are known by several different names - employability skills, essential skills and transferable skills.  They are basic skills that can be used in many different occupations.

Here are a few of the employability or essential skills that Saskatchewan employers look for:

• Good interpersonal and communication skills;
• The ability to plan, manage work loads and solve problems;
• The ability to work independently or on teams; and,
• The ability to interact well with others.

Through an on-line test, you can rate your employability skills. 

Include some of your employability skills in your résumé, cover letter and when preparing for job interviews.

You can find important information about the company and the job position you are applying for through the company website and the job advertisement. 

Here is a list of questions to research:

• What does the employer or company do?
• What work will the person in this job do?
• What qualifications do I need for the position?
• What skills is the employer looking for?
• Who are the customers or clients?
• What kind of reputation does the employer have?

By finding answers to these questions, you can write a specific résumé and cover letter for each job.  

In Saskatchewan, a résumé, is an important tool when you look for work.  A résumé is a typed summary of your qualifications and work experience.  It tells an employer who you are, what you have done in the past, what your qualifications are and why you want the job. 

What Saskatchewan employers expect in a résumé is often different from other countries.  For example, a photograph and personal information, such as age and marital status, should not be included on a résumé.  The Human Rights Code protects against discrimination based on age, race, marital status, etc. and the employer cannot use this information in deciding whether to hire you. 

Visit the SaskNetwork website for information on how to write a résumé and to see sample résumés. 
You may be asked to include copies, or the originals, of your credentials with your résumé.  If they are not in English, have these documents translated as soon as possible.  Translations can take considerable time.

A cover letter is your introduction to a potential employer.  You usually include a cover letter with every résumé that you submit.  A cover letter should be concise, no more than three to four paragraphs, well written and specific to the company and job.  This may mean that you prepare a different résumé and cover letter for each job.  In the cover letter, you talk about your strengths and what makes you a good candidate for the job.  For sample cover letters, go to SaskNetwork.

Employers usually ask for the names of references - or people you have worked for who will verify the kind of work you did and how well you did it, particularly if they are considering hiring you.  

You may find Canadian references where you volunteer or work.  You will need the person's permission to use their name as a reference.  When you are asking someone to be a reference for you, tell them what jobs you are applying for and why you think you would be a good person for that job.

If you don't have Canadian work references, an employer may accept character references.  People such as landlord or neighbors, who know you and can speak about your honesty, reliability and other good personal qualities, may be willing to provide a character references for you.   

Try to provide Canadian references.  Saskatchewan employers may not contact a reference outside Canada because of time differences, language differences and long distance phone charges. 

The job interview is an important part of getting employment in Saskatchewan.  A job interview may be an informal conversation with the employer or a formal meeting.  You may be interviewed by one or more people.  You will be asked questions about your skills and what makes you a good candidate for the job. Come prepared to talk, in English, about your skills, experience and personal qualities and to ask questions you have about the job.

The interviewer will expect you to act in certain ways during the interview.  It is important to know what is expected of you, so that nothing in your behaviour distracts the interviewer from focusing on your qualifications.

Some of these behaviours may be different from your home country.  For example:

• Shaking Hands:  It is common practice to shake hands firmly at the beginning and end of an interview.  Women and men shake hands with each other in Canada as a greeting or a means of saying good-bye.
• Eye Contact:  When speaking or listening to each other, Canadians look each other directly in the eyes.  This is a sign of respect, interest and attention.  If you are interviewed by a group of people, make eye contact with everyone, not just the person who asked the question.
• Punctuality:  It is very important to arrive on time for an interview.  This is also expected on the job.
• Dress:  The general advice is to dress better than what you would on the job. For example, if the position has a uniform, you would wear dress pants or a skirt and a dress shirt or top to the interview.  If dress pants or a skirt and a dress shirt or top are worn on the job, you would wear a business suit to the interview.  To find out what is appropriate, talk to an employment counselor or check the company's website and notice what employees in the pictures are wearing.
• Strong Scents, Perfumes and Colognes:  Many workplaces have policies that restrict the use of strong scents, perfumes and colognes.  The best advice is to be freshly showered and wear only very light perfume or cologne, if any.
• Truthfulness:  You will be expected to be truthful about your skills and experience - to state clearly what you can bring to the job, without appearing to boast or embellish the truth.

Information to help you prepare for an interview, sample questions and guidance on making a good first impression can be found at SaskNetwork.

After an interview, it is a good practice to write a brief thank-you note.  Employers appreciate this and it may help them remember who you are.

Write down and practice your answers to possible questions before you go to your interview.