Generally speaking, you’re not going to be applying to only one or two jobs at a time unless you feel absolutely certain that you are going to be successful in those applications, which will rarely ever happen for most positions. As a result, you’re going to have a lot of jobs to keep track of, and it might feel overwhelming remembering where you applied and when. We’re only human, we shouldn’t be expected to keep all of that knowledge in our heads on top of everything else we need to keep track of on a daily basis. It simply won’t happen, and you will forget to do things if you don’t get organized, which will result in lost opportunities.

Here are five good ways to ensure you are on top of your job searches, and following up with each potential employer in a swift and logical manner.

1. Keep an Application Log

There are a wide variety of digital tools available to keep track of information. Having a record of all your applications and their statuses can be very helpful to ensure you are on top of them. If you haven’t heard from a company for a while, your spreadsheet should allow you to reference when you applied, what website it was on, the job title, and a link to the job description. Extra points for copying the descriptions to secure them in case they get taken down.

These logs are not just useful for keeping track of your in-progress applications. If you get to the interview stage and more information becomes available (ie: the hiring manager’s name and contact information, salary, important dates, etc.), you can also introduce these into the spreadsheet.

While there are a lot of tools that allow you to organize your information, Google Drive and the Google suite of programs allow you to take your information with you. This can prove to be a very useful tool, especially if you get a call on the road.

2. Organize Your Inbox and Files

It’s great that you have started organizing your applications in your new files and spreadsheets, but you still have to keep them organized. You may have different resumes, portfolios, or cover letters for different jobs that you are applying to, which are easier to keep track of in their own folders. It is usually recommended to tailor your resume to each job description, so you may have a resume for each job you apply to. A system that keeps the resumes, cover letters and portfolios together for each job will let you see at a glance what was sent for each position.

Your email inbox is also important to keep track of, as you will likely have receipts and responses for several of your applications. Keeping them in multiple folders like “Applications” or “Interviews” can be very helpful for keeping track of your prospects.

3. Apply Through Company Career Pages

It is a good idea to apply directly to a company through its website, as it will frequently receive less traffic. Some larger companies opt not to post in generic search sites, as they wish to reduce the number of applicants to the select few who are actively seeking them out. This can work to your advantage, as you have fewer applicants vying for the position, while also opening up the possibility of an angle where you express your particular interest in their company.

4. Simplify Your Search

Sometimes you think you want to get any and all jobs out there, but it’s not about how many applications you can send out. Spending more time on fewer applications means that you get some higher quality exposure and make yourself much more marketable in the process.

5. Subscribe to Job Alerts on Job Search Sites and Recruitment Agencies

Job search sites and recruitment agencies are tailor-made to find you available positions that are relevant to you and what you are looking for. With a few simple keywords and filters, you can see every job on the website that fits the criteria.

However, these boards have more to offer than just providing you with a wealth of relevant applications whenever you may want them. You want to know the instant a job goes up so you can apply for it immediately. That’s why job sites have the option to alert you when a new job gets posted under your search criteria, so you can be sure that you are the first one applying to the position.

Trades Labour Corporation is one of these excellent recruitment agencies, allowing you to market yourself to a wide variety of potential employers in the trades who are looking for someone with your talents. We offer employment services in places like Auburn, Seattle, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and many more great locations. Create a profile today and find your employer match today!

Staffing is always a challenge, especially when it comes to annual or semi-annual events. These might include a traditional staff holiday party at the end of the year, or a client appreciation event to give back to your valued patrons. Specialty-trained staff is required to ensure the event runs smoothly, sometimes requiring skill sets that your company is not set up to train. Having a dedicated hospitality department may not make sense for a business with infrequent events, and it can just be a hassle to go through the process of finding qualified candidates using typical traditional hiring methods.

Temporary agencies like Trades Labour Corporation are specifically designed to match the right skill sets with the proper expectations for employers in need. They take much of the added pressure away from finding the right candidates for the job by providing a pool of qualified candidates from which you can choose. These workers have already been trained in their respective fields, not only in terms of their job expertise but in all the health and safety requirements associated with the position. This means you can hit the ground running without the need for potentially lengthy and costly training programs.

In a candidate profile, they can list their expectations for length of employment, anywhere from a single event to an opportunity for longer-term employment. If single events are your focus, this does much of the pre-screening for you and saves you a large amount of time by avoiding going through a lengthy staffing process. Of course, this isn’t limited just to the expected length of employment, there are a large number of filters you can choose from to narrow down your list of candidates to find those who are the right fit for you.

Time is money in the business world, and being able to cut costs on staffing processes can also keep your event budget on track. Using temporary staff not only allows you to save on the process and training but may also save you on salary expectations, as you wouldn’t be hiring someone who may be coming on for a potential “special favour” who might want more for the trouble of being hired for a single-event service. Staffing agencies allow for few surprises, minimal negotiations, and expectations laid out from the get-go on both sides of the offer table.

Since we have established how temporary staff can make any event easy, you can now be much more flexible when planning your events. This method can shave off several months in the planning phase, which might allow for more spontaneous pop-up events that could allow you to address a relevant topic that appears in the news.

For any of your pressing staff requirements, Trades Labour Corporation can help you find the talents you need for all of your events. We connect employees and employers across North America, in prime locations like Auburn, Seattle, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and many more. Register your business today, and see what temporary staffing can do for you!

Salaries, benefits and holidays are all important in attracting candidates for new job positions; however, there is more to the process these days. Candidates that are in-demand will also look into the culture of the company and will be interested to learn about positive employee experiences. Your employee hiring process will be your first opportunity to make a good impression, so you need to focus on elevating the candidates’ experience to get them to want to join your team and your company.

It’s very important that you create a positive experience during your hiring process because this will convince a top candidate that your company is the one they should join because it is the right fit. A negative experience will do the opposite and turn them away, which will push them into accepting another offer.

In order not to lose top candidates, you need to improve and elevate their experience during the hiring process and the following tips will help:

Communicate

This is a very important aspect because clear communication is key and it is an essential component to a positive hiring experience. You need to provide the candidate with as much information as possible so that they understand how the process works and the elements that set you apart from other companies they may be considering.

Make sure you’re flexible

A lot of applicants continue working while going to interviews and attending multiple interviews may be hard. Showing the candidate that you value their time will be greatly appreciated and you can demonstrate this by being flexible and working with them to accommodate their schedule. This will show that you care and will also provide insight regarding how you treat your employees. It is a great way of demonstrating your willingness to work with employees to resolve conflicts.

Act fast

If there is a candidate that stands out and you are interested in extending them an offer, do not wait. Hesitation will cost you because it is a competitive market out there and time always matters. Remember that a verbal offer does not count and a physical offer is what will actually seal the deal.

Be honest

Some candidates may not be right for the job at the moment but may be perfect for another role down the line. Decline candidates in a timely manner and provide your feedback so that they understand why the position is not being offered to them. Your honesty will ensure that their impression of your company and hiring process is a positive one, which is very important because word spreads fast.

Trades Labour Corporation is an employment agency that can help you find your dream job. If you are looking for employment and searching through jobs in the Northwestern USA, near Seattle, Auburn and Tacoma we can help. We can also help you get working near most Canadian major cities, including Victoria, Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and more.

If you are planning on applying for a job, you should know that recruiters spend an average of about six seconds per resume the first time they pass through them. This information may affect your motivation; however, it’s important to understand that the skim test is only the first round of cuts and your goal should be to make it into the pile of resumes that earn a pass. These are the resumes that hiring managers are going to look at in more detail and it is at this stage that the real evaluation of your qualifications will start.

Passing the skim test is the most challenging part, but the following tips will help your resume pass the initial elimination round:

Separate information using bullets and headers

Large paragraphs are often harder to read because the human eye cannot process them as quickly, so make sure you separate sections on your resume with clear headers that communicate the information that will follow. Use bulleted lists wherever possible to highlight your skills and other important information.

List your strongest qualifications on the first half of the page

Optimize this space by listing the information that will make recruiters want to continue reading your resume. Whether it’s your last role or a list of certifications, make sure you list your best skills first because this will grab the recruiter’s attention.

Don’t include unnecessary information

If there is information that is not relevant, eliminate it from your resume. It’s important to show off your experience and qualifications but if the roles are not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it is a waste to include it and will make your resume unnecessarily long. Outdated volunteering or community experience and achievements dating back to high school should be eliminated, for example.

Make sure your resume is one page

It can be two pages if it’s absolutely necessary but anything more is not a good sign and will indicate that you have included a lot of outdated and unnecessary information. If your resume is longer than two pages, review it thoroughly to see where you can make some cuts.

Make sure you stick to a format that is simple and clean

Being creative will not set your resume apart and a font that is easy to read is always preferred. Handwriting and cursive fonts should be avoided at all costs and only use one or two accent colours at most so that your resume is easy to read. Do not include images and include white space so that your resume is not overcrowded.

Trades Labour Corporation is one of the leading recruiting agencies and knows about all of the jobs that are hiring in the Auburn, Seattle, Vancouver, Surrey, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg areas. If you are looking for employment in these areas and want to land your dream role, our agency can help, so contact us today!

The job search can often be a complicated, extensive journey. Although the ultimate objective is to be hired, just being invited to a job interview is a significant feat. Transitioning from being a job applicant to a job candidate can be both exciting and overwhelming. That is often why some job candidates accidentally besmirch themselves and both their job interviews altogether. Don’t fall into that category of the candidate! Once you score a job interview, it’s important to do everything you can to prepare yourself. That includes learning about which interview mistakes to avoid and what you can do to ensure a successful interview.

Here are some of the three common interview mistakes and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Appearing Uninterested and Unprofessional

This one seems like a no-brainer, however, many job candidates make the mistake of appearing dull, spiritless and uninterested, even if that is not the case. Employers have no patience or time for interviewees that express their disinterest in the process, even if you do so unintentionally. Always demonstrate your interest in the business and the job. This requires you to do your research on the company and understand why you want the job. Dress appropriately and presentably, ensure your cell phone is switched off and focus your attention and respect on the interviewer. Ensure you get enough sleep the night before so that you are alert and attentive throughout the interview.

2. Coming Unprepared

It’s no secret that arriving unprepared and late to an interview will likely crush your opportunity of getting hired. Preparation is vital to demonstrate your interest in the job and leave a positive impression on the interviewer. You will also be able to answer questions and ask them more professionally when you are better prepared. Coming prepared to an interview involves the following:

• Research and Understand Job: Ensure you analyze the job description, including each requirement and how you meet these qualifications. Reflect and write down situations in which you have demonstrated, met and exceeded these job requirements in the event an employer asks you to reflect on your experience. 
• Have Answers Ready: You can easily Google commonly asked interview questions, especially for the job you’re being interviewed for, and have the answers ready in your head. Take notes of the company’s history, product, services and information, especially if they ask you, which they likely will.

3. Forgetting To Ask For Next Steps

You should never leave the interview with questions about what to expect, how the employer will follow up and the hiring process. Ensure you have answers to these questions as well as the contact information of the employer. Find out who the post-interview contact individual is and how to get in contact with them.

Trades Labour Corporation employment agency servicing most of Canada, Seattle, Auburn and Tacoma makes the job searching process easy and rewarding. We’ve successfully placed thousands of job seekers in full-time positions with some of the country’s top trades employers. Let us help you find the right employment for you! Fill out our employment application here to get started: https://www.tradeslabour.com/resources/TLC_Employment_Application.pdf.

The impact of COVID-19 is still being felt by individuals and businesses across the globe. In these extraordinary times, it is heartening to witness the ways we’re coming together as a local and global community to flatten the curve of the virus and protect those at the most risk among us. Let’s all continue to do our part.

With that said, we wanted to provide you with some updates on TLCs latest response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Safety remains our top priority, and we are taking the situation extremely seriously by updating proactive measures to safeguard our employees, their families, you – our valued partners, and our communities.

We continue to modify branch hours, access, limit traffic and so much more. We evaluate the safety of each placement of our workers in all jobs while updating daily our policies based on the latest information available from health and government authorities. Trust that TLC is taking the best courses of action daily that we can to help protect our community, partners, and staff – you have our commitment to maintaining that standard.

We thank you for your patience and understanding, and we look forward to ramping up operations when its safe to do so to meet your needs – lets all hope that is sooner than later. Should you require more information on our response and policies on COVID 19, please contact your local TLC branch for details.

TLC is Staying Connected

TLC’s staff continue to be available for our clients and partners. Despite limiting traffic in our locations, we are still accessible by phone. For less urgent responses, we encourage you to reach your local branch via email.
We wish everyone good health at this time.

Labour trends are always changing and in today’s world, a lot of companies are hiring temporary employees to help with their workforce. Companies are operating on a project-to-project basis and filling in the gaps accordingly. Technology plays a big role in this and most industries are technology-driven, so the demand for specific skills is unpredictable and not always necessary. Certain talents may be required for a particular project but that demand can change once the next project begins, making the process of finding the right candidates challenging.

Many companies are turning to recruitment channels and agencies to help with the issue of talent management. Freelance management systems are being used to build data, which helps them find independent contractors who are looking for temporary work. Firms can use this data and design it in a way that will allow them to automatically search for suitable candidates through freelance management systems. The searches can be based on the project request and will deliver the names of candidates that would be best for that particular job.

Temporary talent is being needed more and more, and many businesses require more workers during specific periods. Their demand could be seasonal and temporary talent can help with the busy periods. Predictive analytics allows enterprises to estimate future demand using past information so they can hire temp talent accordingly and be prepared. Predictive analytics can be used for a number of things, including forecasting future job openings, predicting talent demand, analyzing resources and creating strategies when competing for talent with other companies. Data is a very powerful tool that allows businesses to be better prepared so that they can cater to their labour requirements.

One of the main reasons why companies are turning to managed service providers is because of their ability to receive multiple candidates from several different staffing agencies so that the company does not have to rely on only one agency to find the right candidate for the job. Another advantage of taking this route is the streamlining of recruitment operations. The request from the company will be distributed to multiple agencies but the interaction will be limited to one company, which will increase efficiency in the recruitment process and lead to lower costs.

Recruitment through social media and mobile apps is another popular trend and companies are using these platforms to connect with potential candidates. People are using their mobile devices to search for jobs, so it’s natural for staffing agencies to turn to this medium when it comes to recruitment.

Trades Labour Corporation is a reputable employment agency that specializes in recruiting the perfect candidates for specific jobs. If you’re looking for employment in Canada or the United States and want to know who is hiring, we can help. We are considered one of the best-recruiting agencies, so don’t waste any more time and contact us now!

The outbreak of COVID-19 has negatively impacted the economy. This global pandemic has had severe effects on businesses and many of them are struggling to survive. It is difficult to navigate through these uncertain times and it feels as though things are becoming more unpredictable in terms of work. Businesses are trying to do everything they can to keep their employees safe and prevent the virus from spreading while trying to continue to operate.

It is not easy for businesses to cope with the changes COVID-19 has caused but looking at different solutions and how they can be applied may help your business survive and also thrive. The first step is to prioritize worker safety and business continuity, and this means focusing on problems that are relevant during this crisis. Keeping supply chains and distribution centres operational and staffed is important but the safety of the employees must come first. It’s likely that businesses have fewer staff working in shifts and not every employee is available to work during this time, so you will have to figure out how to fill those gaps. Turning to alternative technology-enabled solutions is one option to consider and while it may not be ideal or what you’re used to, it will allow your business to operate and remain open.

Businesses are facing several restrictions, which will affect a company at least to some extent. Whether the impact of this pandemic on your business is minor or severe, you will want to start thinking about starting up your operations again once COVID-19 comes to an end. It’s likely that businesses are facing unprecedented slowdowns, so preparing to step-up your operations in the future is something you need to start focusing on. Plan new policies and procedures and get ready for returning employees. Services are eventually going to be in demand once again and preparing for this will ensure your business is able to provide clients with what they need.

Once this crisis is over, smart businesses will incorporate what they learned into their existing policies so that they can develop a better way of doing things. While this pandemic has been very challenging, it has also been a learning experience for many businesses who will now be better equipped to deal with problems of this magnitude in the future. Expanding your workforce and services beyond conventional channels, establishing enterprise integration with external work platforms and incorporating new data and analytics into your workforce will help your business thrive because they will allow you to make better decisions quickly.

Employees and businesses are going to have to adjust to the new reality we are facing and Trades Labour Corporation can help you navigate your way through it. We are one of the most reputable blue-collar recruiting agencies out there with over 20 years of experience. TLC can help with employment in Canada and the Northwest United States. If you are looking for jobs, or to hire temporary or contract workers, our well-established employment agency and staffing service can help you, so give us a call today!