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Ask The Expert

Welcome to our “ASK THE EXPERT Series” featured on the breastcancernowwhat.ca – uniting young women with breast cancer. Check out our Expert Archives for past information posted on Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery and Survivorship. Click Here to get there!

Lina Crossin is a Registered Clinical Counsellor licensed in BC and across Canada. Lina combines over 15 years of professional work experience in corporate human resources, recruitment, and employment counselling along with her own personal history of being a young working woman dealing with a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Lina is the recipient of the BOBBY AWARD from RETHINK BREAST CANCER and runs "Cedars" - a free employment counselling program for young women with breast cancer in Canada.

Finding Work Series

Part 1 - Career Exploration

You're finished treatment for breast cancer...now what? If you're thinking of changing jobs, the first step in returning to work is to explore your career options. Follow the steps below and let's get started:

The way that I start my counselling process is to ask the you complete a free online questionnaire to find out about your personality type and which careers are best suited to you based on your unique characteristics. Important: remember to keep track of the 4-letter code that you will get once you complete the questionnaire: Jung Typology Test

Once you've finished the questionnaire and have your 4-letter code you'll want to get a book called, "Do What You Are" by Paul Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger. This book uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) which is a personality test based on the works of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and two researchers named Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs-Myers. The MBTI is a tried-and-true personality assessment tool that is well respected by career professionals. You can get a copy of the book at your local library, your favourite bookstore or order new or used copies online at sites such as Chapters Indigo Canada

A few of the benefits of using this tool in your job search are:

An individualized approach to your career search
A deeper understanding of your strengths and weaknesses
Increased confidence in job interviews
An increased chance of finding career satisfaction
A large number of job titles that align with your personality type

Part 2 - Research & Information Gathering

You've explored your career options and know what you want to do...now what? If this involves changing jobs, departments or employers you need to do your research and gather information on which departments or companies need your skills:

Do your research!

It's really surprising how many candidates don't do any research on the company, department and position they're applying for. Stand above the crowd and impress your interviewer by doing some background research on the company. This will enable you to have a clearer idea on what the company or department is striving to do, and it will help you to have a better idea on where and how you can add value by contributing to their objectives or their "bottom line".

1. A good place to start your research is the internet, or the company's "intranet" if you're already working within an organization and are thinking about making an internal move. Go to the company or department's web pages and read all the information that you can- this will help you increase your confidence during the interview by knowing what their mandate is and how you could fit in.

2. Another strategy is to consider asking for an information interview. Ask your contacts and co-workers if anyone knows someone that works in the company or department you're interested in and call that person to see if they would be willing to meet with you. An information interview is an excellent way to build your network while gathering valuable information on the requirements of the role, what success in the role looks like, the skills and competencies the hiring manager looks for, the company or department's culture, the biggest challenges in the role, etc.

3. Unlike a job interview, you're in charge of the information interview: ask for only 10-15 minutes of their time and be sure to keep an eye on the clock, be organized in advance with a list of prepared questions (in order of importance in case you run out of time), expand your network by asking for their suggestions on who to contact next, and be sure to follow up with a thank you card.

You may wish to create a chart (as below) to record and organize the following information you collect:

date	Contact Name	Company / Position	Tel. / Email	Important Information	Next Steps

Part 3 - Resumes & Cover Letters

Now that you've explored your career options, done your research and know what you want to do it's time to get your resume in shape...this is your #1 marketing tool and it's important to be strategic and concise so let's get started:

8 Tips for an Outstanding Resume

Use a simple, organized, and attractive format. A standard font like Arial in 10 to 12 point size is easy to read and simple enough to enable posting on online job boards. Make sure your resume has some white space and doesn't look too busy; margins should be about one inch all around. Headings need to be consistent and logically organized. Use tabs instead of multiple letter spaces. Most employers prefer a reverse chronological format, which lists jobs and education starting from the most recent.
Focus more on accomplishments than routine job duties. Place two to four bulleted accomplishment statements under each job, particularly for more recent and relevant experience. These describe specific ways you saved the company money, solved a problem, improved controls, received commendations or promotions, or developed an idea.
Choose strong, active language. Use action words like "developed," "analyzed," "managed," and "initiated" to start every bullet under work history. Brag (yes, you should) about anything you legitimately can, even school or volunteer experiences. Avoid phrases like "handled" and "responsible for," which sound weaker and less skilled.
Include only the most relevant and marketable information. Skip menial, low-skilled duties. Don't repeat the same job duties in different sections, especially if they are more routine. Remove experience older than 10 to 15 years.
Summarize your best assets on the top half of the first page. An Objective is ideal for those with a clear career goal (e.g., taxation, controllership, auditing) in a particular industry (e.g., public practice firm, manufacturing). Strongly recommended for most résumés is a Summary of Qualifications or Professional Profile section. This is a paragraph or bulleted list highlighting relevant experience, education including CGA student/member status, key technical and transferable skills, achievements, and areas of expertise if applicable (strategic planning, systems development, financial reporting). Strong computer skills are critical and proficiency with programs like MS Excel, QuickBooks, and Simply Accounting should be noted. Include five to eight statements.
Tailor information to the desired job. Ensure the key qualifications appear on your resume in your own words. Describe additional talents you have that could benefit the company.
Treat your résumé like a formal business document. Do not include personal information like birth date, S.I.N., or photos. Avoid referring to yourself in the first person.
Proofread several times for spelling and grammatical errors. Mistakes and typos show lack of attention to detail, or worse, poor communication skills so try to have a few others read it over as well.

Part 4 - Preparing for Interviews

Now that you’ve explored your career options, done your research and know what you want to do and your resume is all ready to go, it’s time to prepare yourself for interviewing…think of an interview as an opportunity to get more information about the position, the company, and the team you would be working with. Your goal in the interview is to establish whether the position would be a good fit for you and you can bet this is the goal of the hiring manager and recruiter as well so let’s get started!

Tip #1:

Ask yourself what specific competencies you would bring to the position and the department. Some examples of competencies include:

Competency		Definition
Adaptablity :		Copes well with change. Is very flexible
Communication :		Ability to express thoughts/ideas/opinions either verbally, non- verbally or in writing
Critical Thinking :		Ability to develop innovation solutions to everyday problems
Functional Knowledge :		Extensive knowledge of one's area of expertise
Interpersonal Skills :		Ability to relate well with all types of people both within and outside the organization
Innovation :		Ability to generate creative new ideas
Organizational Skills :		Ability to use time and resources efficiently to accomplish targeted objectives

Tip #2:

Be prepared to answer behavioural interview questions by practicing ahead of time and rehearsing your answers.

These days, many hiring managers and recruiters use behavioral questions in which they’ll ask the candidate to share past successes and failures. Sometimes candidates feel like they are being “put on the spot”, so try to anticipate these ahead of time.

Interviewers tend to use questions that follow these guidelines to help them gauge the candidate’s suitability for the position:

• Asking about your past work experience and how it relates to their job

•Reviewing your education and/or relevant certifications or training•Discussing your ability and propensity to travel, if required for the position• Discussing your ability to work overtime, shift work and/or weekends, if required for position •Asking if you are legally entitled to work in Canada•Asking if you are bondable

Some examples of behavioural questions are:

•Give me two examples of things you have done in previous jobs that demonstrate your willingness to work hard (i.e. to assess work ethic)

•Tell me about the last time you felt frustrated at work (i.e. to assess attitude, ability to work under pressure, etc.)

•Please provide an example of a problem that you identified that had previously been overlooked? (i.e. to assess analytical skills, attention to detail)

•Tell me about a time when you were disappointed in your work performance (i.e. to assess ability to self-manage) Tell me about the gap in your employment history- why were you not working?

Try to brainstorm some of the specific questions that the hiring manager might ask you in relation to the job you have applied for. Be prepared by rehearsing your answers ahead of time and try using this easy-to-remember format - STAR: S= describe the situation or problem to give context T= talk about the task you were assigned or undertook to address the issueA= describe the action that you tookR= talk about the result of your action to illustrate what happened

Following this format will assist you in providing clear, concise answers to behavioural questions. Taking the time to practice and rehearse will also help you feel more confident.

Tip #3:

Be aware of tricky or illegal interview questions.

Questions that some candidates may be concerned about, especially if they have had an illness, or have a gap in their resume, are questions or issues such as:

• Answering health history questions

•How to handle illness-related or other gaps in their resume/in their employment history

•How to handle questions related to health in an interview

By focusing on your strengths and abilities and clearly linking those to the requirements of the job, you will increase your chances of having a successful interview. For example, if heavy lifting is a “Bona-Fide Occupational Requirement” (BFOR), then the hiring manager is legally entitled to ask a candidate if they have any health restrictions that would prevent them from carrying out the necessary duties of the position. If this is not the case, consider responding to health-related questions to the effect of… “I just want to assure you that I am capable of performing the duties of the position as you have described them.” Remember, you are the best judge of your individual style and your personal situation, so this is just one possible response for you to consider. Role-playing possible scenarios is a good way to prepare if you’re concerned about this area.

Keep in mind that some hiring managers may not be aware of the questions that are “out of bounds.” Typically, the following topics are off-limits for interview questioning:

•Asking about any physical or mental disabilities

•Asking about your age or probing for age-identifying information•Asking about your marital status or plans for marriageLooking for information about spouses or significant others •Asking about your race or ethnicityAsking about your sexual orientation •Asking about your religion•Questions about your political affiliation•Wanting to know about your country of birth

•Asking about your plans for having children

•Asking about any criminal recordsOther personal information that does not directly relate to the job

Even though the above questions are not legal to ask, some hiring managers may be unaware of the legislation and will inadvertently ask them anyway. You are not required to answer these types of questions, instead consider responding to the effect of… “I share your concern that it is important to have a good fit between candidate and position. Let’s explore how my skills and abilities fit with the duties and responsibilities for the position”

You know your personal style and situation best, so if this doesn’t feel right to you consider getting some additional help and support in handling these types of questions. Remember, the most important aspect of a job interview is to explore the fit between you and the position and the hiring manager wants to know what value you would bring if you were in the role.

Tip #4:

Avoid common interviewing mistakes:

•Not doing any research on the company or department, or not having any idea about the nature of the position or the value you can bring to it

•Lack of preparation and not being clear on exactly what you can offer

•Talking too much and not staying focused on the interviewer’s questions•Arriving late, speaking poorly of past companies, managers or co-workersNot answering questions directly and with clear examples

•Depending too much on your resume and application information instead of focusing on the value you would bring to the role, fit with the team, etc.

You can access my Ceders Employment Counselling Program by clicking HERE, you can look under the "Resources" heading to access handy templates for your resume, cover letter and references.

If you are 45 and under and intereted in the Cedars Program - A grant program provided by Rethink Breast Cancer which entitles young women with breast cancer (in Canada), struggling with employment issues to access, 10 counselling sessions free of charge. Contact Lina Crossin, Registered Clinical Counsellor.

email: lina@soleilcounselling.ca

cell: 604-790-3344

skype: lina-in-vancouver

web: http://www.soleilcounselling.ca