This Saturday, October 22^nd, please join us at the Central Library for our Accelerate Your Career All-Day Career Event.

Joy Cohen, a Calgary career consultant, will be presenting the LinkedIn for Career Success program from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

We asked Joy a few questions about the why and how to use LinkedIn as a networking tool.

With over 120 million registered users worldwide, LinkedIn is clearly popular with job searchers. What do you think is its greatest strength?

I think its greatest strength is the ease of use for individuals with basic computer skills. If you have a well developed profile containing key words and phrases from your industry, it’s easy to be found and to access wonderful career opportunities. As a career coach, I have found this site to be absolutely invaluable for marketing my job search clients to employers quickly and with great ease. Some of my clients do not have computer skills and I am able to intervene and connect very quickly with hiring managers and decision makers as well as others who can introduce me to those who are responsible for posting opportunities. I LOVE this site!

What are your LinkedIn pet peeves?

1. A profile with just your name and nothing else or having a profile that says “unemployed and desperate for work—please, anyone, help me!”
2. A profile full of spelling and grammatical errors. Have someone with a fresh set of eyes check your profile for you. If English is not your first language, have someone review your profile who is completely fluent in English.
3. Inappropriate or family photos. Your photo should reflect a professional image, period.
4. Inappropriate status updates giving information about your family or personal activities. These personal details are more appropriate for Facebook.

Do you think job searchers should include their LinkedIn URL on their business cards?

Sure! You can also select a personalized “Vanity URL” for your public profile, giving you a custom web address for linking to and promoting your profile. Once you’ve chosen your URL, you can use it to feature your LinkedIn profile on business cards, email signatures, your blog and so on. (source: Personalizing your LinkedIn URL)

Should job searchers ever ask their current boss for a recommendation?

As long as everyone is comfortable, I think it’s a very good idea. Be aware that some companies are not permitted to provide what may be perceived as “written references,” Many employers search LinkedIn and seek out candidates who have a minimum of 10 recommendations, so building up your profile is important. Always ensure that the recommendations are of quality and speak of your talent, strengths, skills and knowledge.

Joy Cohen, from Everyday Joy: Career and Human Services Consulting, is a Calgary-based Human Services and Career Services Professional. Joy will be presenting LinkedIn for Career Success during the Accelerate Your Career All-Day Career Event this Saturday, October 22^nd at the Central Library. Register online or by calling 403-260-2620.

This Saturday, October 22^nd, come to the Central Library to take advantage of our Accelerate Your Career All-Day Career Event.

Sabrina Souliere, President of Executive Steps, will be at the library to discuss Employment Agencies—Hope or Hype?.

We asked Sabina a few questions about the current job market in Calgary and about employment agencies.

What is your impression of Calgary's work environment right now? Do you see that companies and organizations are starting to hire again?

The market is in a positive hiring situation. Many businesses are hiring fast to hire the best talent that fits their culture; from oil and gas and all related service industries, to retail and manufacturing sectors.

Are there any industries in particular that are currently showing a high growth activity?

According to Statistics Canada, growth industries in Alberta are: technical, scientific, and hospitability to name a few. What we are seeing in the recruiting world is companies wanting and needing to use services in order to find the best talent that fits, both the skills, and of course in organizational culture fit.

How do you feel the Calgary recruiters are poised to help professionals get hired? How do employment agencies help in this process?

Employment agencies help to qualify and source talent. Recruiters allow companies to circumvent the long, expensive process of managing many candidates applying for jobs, and bring forward the best fit for the role in the company. Employment agencies also offer candidates additional methods for making connections with hiring managers at potential employers who have relationships with these recruitment firms. In short, agencies give candidates or job seekers more options and access to an abundance of jobs to which they may otherwise not have access.

Sabina Souliere is the President of Executive Steps Inc and has more than 13 years of experience in the specialized staffing industry. Sabina will be presenting Employment Agencies—Hope or Hype? during the Accelerate Your Career All-Day Career Event this Saturday, October 22^nd at the Central Library. Register online or by calling 403-260-2620.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT SPEAKER SERIES

In partnership with the Career Development Association of Alberta, the Central Library is hosting a monthly, noon hour speaker series on a variety of topics of interest to Calgary's Career Practitioners. Members of the public are welcome to attend these sessions.

Friday, October 21

Retire to the Life You Design

Learn how to use the Six Circles of Life for creating fulfilment and meaning in retirement, with certified career development professional Nell Smith
Register online

Friday, November 18

Employment Trends Within the Energy Industry

Find out about trends and opportunities within Alberta's energy industry and how to deal with the long-term labour shortage. Presented by SAIT Polytechnic and in partnership with the Career Development Association of Alberta.
Register online

Friday, January 20

Mentorship: Outside the Box

Join certified career coach Brian Lambier as he defines and explores mentorship and its role as a career
development tool
Registration starts December 19th

Register online by clicking on program link at calgarypubliclibrary.com or by calling 403-260-2620

Join us on Saturday, October 22 for an all-day career event at the Central Library

Questions? Contact us: 403-260-2782 or busn@calgarypubliclibrary.com

Martha Willson, a Calgary based career transition coach, is part of the Central Library's all day career event on Saturday, October 22nd. Her presentation is Managing Your Midlife Career Change, so we asked Martha a few questions regarding the shift with aging and work:

Question: Do you see a shift in how men and women are viewing their 40s and 50?

Martha: I think there's always been a shift in how folks (both men and women with their different perspectives) view their careers at 40/50. The reality of mortality kicks in. What am I doing with my life? Am I on purpose? It's the "Big Think" and often it comes through crisis - parents' death, workplace restructuring, divorce, illness etc.

From my viewpoint though, the biggest shift is between 50 and 60. The Early and mid-Boomer generation... we're the largest group to ever move through the workplace and our influence is significant. The late 'boomer' would be 46, 47... There are so many inspiring examples of people 'reinventing' themselves in the middle of their lives. And more and more examples of later too! 70, 80, 85. The more we learn about the brain, the more we realize that growing old doesn't mean the end of learning. I've heard it described as from Boomer to Bloomer.

Question: As we age, does work satisfaction come from different areas?

Martha: Work satisfaction can come from so many different areas. I would suggest that as we age, many of us return to what energized us when we were young. Our focus moves from taking care of our families and contributing to our community to a grander perspective, a generative stance. What will be our legacy? What captivated us when we were young? What did we come in to the world to do? (and it doesn't have to be massive or spectacular to be true and deeply meaningful)

I know a lot of older workers whose courage comes from curiosity. They're exploring change, learning about it, talking about it, sharing tips and insights and ideas about change because they're in the middle of it! Not much resistance unless they are not able to move for whatever reason. It's a different kind of boldness, maybe a more gentle, deep courage than a charge into battle courage.

To register for this program, click here, or call 403-260-2782

Image courtesy: Hygiene Matters

The Unwritten Rules, by Beeson, John

Maximize your chances to get promoted to the executive level.

What Color is Your Parachute? Guide to Job-Hunting Online, by Bolles, Mark Emery

This companion to What Color Is Your Parachute?, the best-selling job-hunting book in the world, has been completely rewritten for our changing times and includes hundreds of updated website recommendations and descriptions.

Dig This Gig : Find Your Dream Job-- Or Invent It, by Dodd, Laura

With poignant, enlightening advice from handpicked mentors like two-time "New York Times" bestseller Jeffrey Sachs and broadcast journalist Dan Rather, this collection is an essential contemporary career book for bewildered recent graduates.

LinkedIn For Dummies, by Elad, Joel

Learn to: create a LinkedIn profile that showcases your skills and attracts contacts, find and connect with former colleagues and new contacts, understand LinkedIn etiquette and recruiting solutions, use LinkedIn to find a job, develop sales leads, and market your services.

Green Volunteers: The World Guide to Voluntary Work in Nature Conservation, by Ausenda, Fabio

Interested in nature and conservation? Want to get involved with a conservation project as part of a gap year or career break? Green Volunteers is an easy-to-use resource for anyone interested in working in nature conservation - whether you have any previous experience of conservation work or not.

Med School Rx : Getting In, Getting Through, Getting on With Doctoring, by Hartwig, Walter Carl

Dr. Walter Hartwig, a medical school admissions advisor, has helped thousands of students over the years, and now he shares this wisdom in this unique book.

The Google résumé, by McDowell, Gayle Laakmann

This book is the only book available on how to win a coveted spot at Google, Microsoft, Apple, or other top tech firms. Gayle Laakmann McDowell worked in Google Engineering for three years, where she served on the hiring committee and interviewed over 120 candidates.

This month’s book review of Step-by-Step Resumes is by local career and employment consultant Samantha Schellenberg. This resume book is one of the few that includes a CD Rom with a variety of templates, has been revised and updated, and is available to borrow from the Calgary Public Library.

STEP BY STEP RESUMES, 2nd EDITION - A CHOICE WORKS BOOK REVIEW

What does Step-by-Step Resumes – 2nd Edition offer that is truly unique among resume writing books? Multiple-industry relevance. No matter your occupation, industry or job title, thousands of word and phrase options are included to enrich and accelerate your resume writing process. These thorough and robust word lists – often difficult to find in other books – are available at your fingertips. Plan to capitalize on customizable ClipBullets, featured in print and CD Rom, as an additional highlight.

Author Evelyn Salvador takes a holistic approach – and includes everything necessary to write your own professional resume from scratch without the cost of professional advice. Each step in her 10 Step Process is thoroughly outlined and explained. Industry specific samples and questionnaires are included to help identify skills and accomplishments. Templates are provided to jump-start profiles, summaries, cover letters and personal branding features. Format and design guidelines for print and electronic transmission are detailed in a full editing segment.

Do expect, however, to find small type-print on larger pages, which may not be ideal for every reader, along with some minor American-Canadian style discrepancies when compared with other local resources. For example, in Canada, Functional resumes that include a work history section (such as the one included in the book) tend to be referred to as Combination resumes instead. Nonetheless, I would not pass up this resource without considering all it has to offer. Salvador has compiled an excellent tool for Canadian job seekers who are courageous enough to begin the process, step by step.

Samantha Schellenberg, Director, Choice Works Rehabilitation Solutions Ltd.
Alberta Employment & Immigration Career Development Workshop Facilitator, Designer and Presenter.

Employer research is a vital part of the job search process. Successful job hunters are often those who do the most research in finding information on their field, occupations and especially in researching potential employers—the companies or organizations and contacts for whom they would like to work.

The Calgary Public Library has a large collection of both general and specific company and organization directories. Our Reference USA: Canadian Businesses database is hands down our most popular source for lists of potential employers.

Reference USA: Canadian Businesses is a comprehensive database of Canadian businesses, both large and small, organizations and more. The database can be searched by industry, keyword, location (province, city and even postal code), and results can be narrowed down by business size and financial data.

Once you've completed your search, you can easily create your own contact list in spreadsheet format containing the company or organization listings and any of the details (address, company size, contact names) to save to your flash or hard drive.

Calgary Public Library members can access Reference USA: Canadian Businesses with their library card number on any computer from our website:

1. Click on the E-Library link at the top of our homepage
2. Click on the Business, Directories, Investment & Careers link
3. Click Reference USA: Canadian Businesses (near the bottom of the page)
4. Once you are logged in to our site with your library card and PIN numbers, choose the Canadian Businesses link to get started.

If you need some help using the database, please visit any library location, call us at 403-260-2782 or contact us by email at busn@calgarypubliclibrary.com or by logging onto InfoChat on the left hand side of this page. The Reference USA video tutorial is helpful:

Barbara Moses, Ph.D, an international speaker, work/life expert, and best-selling author, recently wrote a fascinating article on career reinvention.

Singing A New Tune: Revamping Your Career Path
Globe & Mail, August 19, 2011

A self-styled "mother of reinvention," singer Madonna has constantly changed her wardrobe, performance style and music to stay ahead of the curve. But look a little closer and she is still an entertainer selling sex.

From Spice Girls singer to fashion designer, Victoria Beckham is another famously touted career re-inventor. But actually she has been a clothes horse from the time she was young, and simply used her celebrity status and interest in fashion to turn what was always a hobby into a business.

Neither of these so-called career re-inventors really reinvented herself. Rather, in their different ways, they both renewed themselves by building on things that were already part of who they are. Madonna repackaged herself again and again, while Ms. Beckham reoriented her skills to capitalize on a passion.

Both celebrities offer a lesson for those who have strong desires to reinvent themselves. It's a desire that rears itself especially at this time of the year when workers return from vacation and are confronted with the same old assignments, petty office politics and feelings that they are working too hard for too little. They imagine more glamorous lives with greater appreciation, recognition and money, a better boss and more interesting work. In essence, they want to transform their lives into something completely new and shiny.

But that is not do-able. Instead, they should think more like Madonna and Ms. Beckham, who provide models not for reinvention, but for successful career renewal. (Click here for her full article)

Find Dr. Moses' books, including the popular What Next? Find the Work That's Right For You, at the Calgary Public Library

So You Want to Be a Counselor?, by Barbara Nefer

This book is a comprehensive guide for anyone considering a career in professional mental health counseling. It covers every step of the journey, from choosing a school and program to earning state licensure to the ongoing responsibilities of a counseling practice.

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0, by Jay Conrad Levinson

This new Third Edition features the latest job-hunting strategies for the Information Age. You'll discover key techniques to reach hiring managers at the employers you want to work for most. New chapters integrate using social media and social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo in your job search.

The Medic's Guide to Work and Electives Around the World, by Mark Wilson

This is a motivational and practical guide to making the most of your time abroad, whether as a student taking a medical elective, or a medical professional looking for a longer term change in scene.

Cleaning Up for a Living, by Don Aslett

A comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about the building services contractor business. Written in a down-to-earth, lively style that makes even the most technical subject easy to grasp and understand.

McGraw-Hill's LSAT, by Curvebreakers

The LSAT guide created by top students at Harvard Law School to help you achieve your dream score! Members of Curvebreakers have been where you are--preparing for the LSAT, hoping to get a score that leads to admission to one's first choice of law school--so they know what it takes for success.

International Student Handbook 2012: [for students seeking to study in the U.S.]

This book is the only book exclusively for foreign students! It has information on 2,900 colleges, including each school’s “international profile.” This guide covers financial aid, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirements, housing availability, and special services for international students.

Step-By-Step Resumes, by Evelyn U. Salvador

A guide to building a resume includes a collection of thousands of resume keywords to make one's resume stand out in electronic databases and a section on integrating a resume into one's social-networking strategy.

Guerrilla Marketing for a Bulletproof Career, by Jay Conrad Levinson

This book is an honest, practical, and hard-hitting guide for career success in perpetually uncertain times.

Cracking the GED, by Geoff Martz

If you need to know it, it’s in this book!

Cracking the LSAT, by Adam Robinson

Cracking the LSAT with DVD, 2012 Edition includes everything you need to know to master the Arguments, Logic Games, Reading Comprehension, and Writing sections of the exam.