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At its best, a cover letter helps job-seekers stand out. At its worst, it can make promising candidates seem like uncreative copy-and-pasters. Unfortunately, the majority of cover letters read the same with rambling sentences and repetitive words. Most hiring managers do not want to read these to the end.

While the Internet is full of tips and tricks for writing a cover letter, many of them offer obvious information. Here are the golden rules for writing a cover letter that people will actually want to read.

Don’t Repeat Your Resume
Many people write cover letters as if they are meant to be paragraph-form resumes. The fact is, your cover letter will be in the same email as your actual resume, so you can safely assume that it will at least be glanced at and likely with a keener eye than your cover letter even. Instead, use your cover letter to show your personality and an interest in the field you are applying for.

Use Google to look up the history of your field or the company you are applying for and sprinkle your cover letter with some of those facts or even use it as a lead. For example, if you are applying for a job in tech, you could talk about how thrilling it is to see Moore’s law transform technology and how thrilled you are to be a part of that transformation. Every field has a hidden history that you can use to showcase your expertise and interest.

Keep It Short
Less is more. Your cover letter should be no more than three paragraphs or half a page, tops. You can skip lengthy explanations and jump right into something juicy instead.

Address No One
You may find that you don’t know exactly who you should be addressing in your letter. If that is the case, nix the generic and dull “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Hiring Manager” salutations. If you don’t know who you should be addressing, don’t address anybody at all. Simply jump right into the body of your letter instead.

Send it as a PDF
Not every office computer can read .pages or .docx files, but practically everyone can open a PDF file without having to convert it. Forcing the recipient of your cover letter to perform a file conversion is bad for two reasons. Firstly, they are likely not even to bother and move to the next applicant. Secondly, conversions can cause formatting errors. PDFs also can’t be easily tampered with like other file formats, giving you more control over how it appears on somebody’s screen.

The Phrase You Should Always Avoid
“My name is (), and I am applying for the position of ().” They already know this information, so there is no need to say it and including it makes you seem inexperienced.

Close Strong
Finish off by briefly explaining how your experience or skills will help you with this position. The key to nailing your cover letter is having a short but memorable and relevant closing. Aim to do that in just one to two seconds because if it goes on any longer than that, and you are rambling.

If you need assistance crafting a cover letter that will get you hired at a temp or contract job, Trades Labour Corporation can help. Please call or visit one of our convenient locations for more information.

We also help our client companies from Vancouver to Toronto, as well as south of the border, parse through dozens of potential hires to find the best people for the jobs they need filled.

At TLC, we deliver labour™!

If you have ever gone on a job hunting frenzy, the chances are that you may have contacted several career councillors, recruiters and mentors. And almost all of them would have said the following sentence at least once: Tailor your resume for the job you are applying to. While it seems like an obvious thing to do, you may be surprised to know that at least 67% of candidates do not tailor their resume as per the job that they are applying to. Many candidates are left confused about what exactly needs to be done when it comes to tailoring your resume for a specific job. Here are our top tips to make sure that your resume looks relevant to the job you are applying to.

There are two main ways to tailor your resume – Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and quick scans. Both these methods comprise of a keyword scan and the only difference between the two is that one is done by a human and the other uses a technology supported R2D2 scan. You will be surprised to know that 70% of companies use R2D2 to scan resumes. One way to get selected in both kinds of scans? Tailor your resume to include related keywords or phrases.

The first step to tailoring your resume is to mark all the keywords and write them down in a separate document. Use these keywords all through your professional summary, job skills and experience outlined in your resume. You can start by making a master list of all skills and list even skills that you may not think are relevant to your job, like calligraphy even when you are looking for a job as a foreman, for instance. Once you have written down all your skills, rank them. Starting with your strongest and most valuable skills. This list will come in handy when you have to compare identical skill sets and have to choose only a few skills to highlight.

Now refer to the specific job posting again and highlight the common skills. Once you have all the common job skills, put them down in your resume. To place them appropriately, start by finding a couple of offers similar to yours. Then go on to LinkedIn and snoop around for professionals who work in a similar job title that you are applying for and see which skills they have prioritized.

To make sure that you include all the skills and in the right priority, categorize the skills as “job-related,” “transferable” and “adaptive.” Job-related skills are usually technologies you know, platforms you have worked on, etc. Transferable skills are skills that can be transferred from one professional to another (like efficient communication) and adaptive skills are skills that describe intangible abilities like being detail oriented, for instance. Once you have listed all the skills, highlight job-related skills on the top and follow with the rest throughout the resume.

If you have more questions regarding resume building or are looking for jobs, contact Trades Labour Corporation to learn about the best way to land employment in industries such as construction and more. TLC can help you find work in most major cities in Canada and the Pacific Northwestern United States

Finding the right talent is one of the most critical aspects of any business. It is hard to find personnel with the right skill set and qualifications for a specific position and here is where a staffing agency or employment agency comes into the picture. There are many times when your business may be skyrocketing and you suddenly find yourself struggling to find the right people to fulfill your client demands. Whether it is a temp job or a highly skilled and qualified requirement that you are looking to fill, the struggle can get real. There may be some other times when a big chunk of professionals left your organization leaving you scrambling for new and qualified talent. Irrespective of the cause, employment agencies can prove to be quite resourceful in such situations.

The chances are that you may have already tried to post ads and fill in your vacant positions but they may not necessarily be your best bet. In most cases, it makes sense to partner with an employment agency to find the most suitable candidates for your business. Here are the top three reasons why hiring an employment agency can be extremely beneficial for your business:

Saving and better workforce
Yes, you heard it right. Although employment agencies will demand a certain percentage that you may have mutually agreed on if you choose the candidate they sent, it is important to regard that they are potentially saving you a lot of time, money, and effort. As they do the job of shortlisting and choosing candidates from thousands of profiles, they save your HR team the effort and pain of reading through endless resumes. Some of the best recruitment agencies in Surrey also conduct preliminary screening interviews before sending the candidate to your office for an interview, keeping the candidate profile more targeted and consolidated. This helps to improve the quality of the workforce that you are hiring.

Fill up vacancies quickly
One of the most obvious benefits of a staffing agency is getting your vacancies filled quickly. Your HR department may already be swamped with a series of HR-related processes that they need to take care of. This includes processing payments and benefits of existing employees, arranging office activities and coordinating for paperwork within the department. This leaves them with almost no time to find people to fill in multiple vacancies. With a staffing agency on board, the entire effort of shortlisting candidates and scheduling interviews can be passed on to the agency.

Trying before hiring
When you are working with an employment agency, you can choose to hire employees on a trial basis. This helps you to try out the employees before actually hiring them on a permanent basis. Many employment agencies offer a temp to perm kind of hiring where you can hire employees on a temporary basis and then make them permanent if you are convinced with their performance.

It is best to hire an employment agency if you are looking to fill up a number of vacancies in a short time with the right talent. Reach out to one of our many Trades Labour recruitment agencies for any kind of temporary or permanent resource requirement. We have locations in Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Seattle and Auburn.

Job hunting usually feels like an uphill battle, but it does not have to be. There are small things you can do with minimal effort to improve your chances of landing your dream job quicker. If you are just starting your job search or have been looking for a while, consider these tips:

Use Your Network

You might have a bigger network of people to turn to than you realize. Telling everyone you know or come across can infinitely increase your chances of landing a job. Even your hairdresser might know someone that is looking for a new hire with your skills and experience. Turn to your connections and see if anyone works at a company you are interested in. Explain why you think you would be a good fit and see if they have any ideas of how you could fit in.

Apply Directly to Companies

Think of companies you would want to work at and apply directly to them either by email or through their careers page. Do this for companies even if they do not appear to be hiring. Your odds of hearing from a company that is not currently hiring are lower but, if they do happen to show interest in your background, you will have hardly any competition. They could call you if they were planning on hiring soon or are growing quickly and want more talented people in general.

Make sure when you apply that you do your research and mention something you know about the company. You should also highlight in your cover letter what you want to do next in your career and why their company suits that. Each resume and cover letter you submit should be tailored to the job you are applying for. As long as you do your research and do not rush the process, this can be one of the best ways to find a job online.

Quantity Over Quality

A quick way to find jobs online is through LinkedIn. There, you can apply to jobs directly, which eliminates the need to create custom resume cover letters and a login and password for various job portals. Simply build a resume with the same keywords as the job you want and submit it to the job posting. You can send a high volume of applications this way and schedule job interviews quickly. You should not rely on this method alone, but it can help get your resume in front of more hiring managers, which can help you get hired faster.

Which Method?

You should spend your time at first consulting your network but, if your network is on the smaller side, you will likely need to rely on the last two methods. Start by spending half a day with the previous method by applying to about 30 jobs in one day. Then, move on to the second method by targeting specific companies. Splitting your time between method two and three while also checking in on your network will be your best bet to land a job.

Recruiting Agency

If these methods seem like too much of a time commitment for you or they have not been working, contact Trades Labour. We can help match people with jobs that suit them so that they can get back to work quickly.

One of the most nerve-wracking things we all have to do at some point in a job interview. Even the most well-prepared people can mess up. Making a lasting and positive first impression is imperative for an interview to lead to a job. Here are the best ways to perfect a job interview:

Research the Business

Taking the time to do your homework about the company you are interviewing with will ensure you go in prepared. Look at their website, blog, social media accounts, and what is said about them on job sites. You should also research their competitors to find out what makes them different.

Research the Interviewer

Cultural fit goes a long way with most hiring managers and how you come across is a big deal. Research the people conducting your interview and prepare accordingly. Have as clear an idea as possible about how to relate to the people at the company.

Prepare Insightful Questions

Asking your potential boss where they see their company in five years is a useful question sometimes, but other times it might compromise your credibility. The person conducting the interview might be looking for an expert in their field so they do not want someone asking about what daily activities will be like. Use your questions as a way to highlight relevant experience and skills.

Bring Extra Resume Copies

Plan to have a copy of your resume for every person you are meeting. They may not have a copy or even had the chance to look at it beforehand.

Look and Act the Part

Whether you need to wear a suit or not will depend on what kind of job you are interviewing for. Try to check online for clues as to how people at that company usually dress. You do not want to over or underdressed as you want to convey that you will fit in with the company culture. You should also give a firm handshake and remember to maintain proper posture and eye contact. Nod occasionally to show that you are listening and have a positive attitude. Using a healthy amount of hand gestures will reinforce that you have adequate communication skills.

Ask When to Hear a Decision

If you are interviewing several people, ask the hiring manager or the last person you met with when you can expect to hear an answer. How they respond could also tell you quite a bit about how they felt the interview went.

Send a Thank You Note

Before the end of the day of your interview, send a thank you email. Be sure to keep it short but personalize it to the person you met. Say a small detail or mutual interest you discussed. You can impress them even more by mailing a handwritten card.

Follow-Up

If you do not hear back in about a week, it is acceptable to follow-up with the hiring manager. Keep the follow-up brief and try to provide value instead of coming off pushy.

For help finding a temp job, contact Trades Labour. Our experienced recruitment agency specialists will find work that suits your experience and skill set.

Any business needs to be prepared for unexpected staffing shortages during all times of the year. Seasonal increases with workload could cause your company to fall behind and leave your current employees disgruntled. A temp staffing agency can help fill gaps in your workforce and keep productivity at optimal levels. Here are some benefits you will notice using a staffing agency.

Fewer Overtime Costs

Hiring temporary workers to fill holes in your workforce means you can cut down on the amount of overtime you pay your permanent staff. Besides the cost savings, reducing or eliminating overtime hours will reduce the chances of your employees becoming irritable. This means they are less prone to making costly mistakes and you do not have to worry about damaging employee morale.

Efficient Recruiting Process

Interviewing and hiring new people can take up valuable time and resources. With a temp agency, you do not have to waste money placing ads, sorting through piles of resumes, or conducting interviews and skill assessments. If you just need help for a few shifts or a few months, doing all that labour is likely not worth it. A temp agency can do all that work for you, and they can find workers well in advance of when you need them. They are backed by experience in the industry and already have a large pool of qualified and skilled workers to draw from. This is especially helpful if you require workers on short notice.

Reduced Training Expenses

Depending on how lucky you are with the new hire you decided to take a gamble on, training can be a lengthy and costly process. If you are just hiring someone for a few shifts, it may not be worth it to go through with the process, especially if they are not as fast of a learner as their resume stated. Much of this training is done for you when you use a staffing agency. They will do it during the screening process and filter out people who take too long to acquire the necessary knowledge and skill set. This way, a temp worker can get up to speed with permanent staff quickly and seamlessly fit in with the team.

Prevents under and overstaffing

Workloads fluctuate throughout the year and while you can ask your permanent staff to take on more work during busy times, doing so can cause issues. Tasks can get overlooked, overworked employees can become cranky and tired, which can decrease morale and increase your turnover rate.

If you hire permanent staff for extra hands during the busy season, you could end up with too many when business slows down again. This can lead to wasted money on labour and termination costs. A temp staffing agency can help you assess your staffing needs and provide adequate coverage when needed.

Flexible Workers

A temp staffing agency gives you access to a flexible workforce at your fingertips. When you do not need extra workers anymore, you can simply return them to the agency. Temp workers also have more availability than permanent workers, making them ideal for less popular shifts like overnights and weekends.

If you are looking to fill vacancies at your construction job site, contact Trades Labour. We help business across Canada, from Calgary to Winnipeg to Surrey, find skilled workers in trades fields.

Investing in a temporary worker can be mutually beneficial for both the employee and the employer. Temp positions fill gaps permanent workers cannot fill and they bring in a source of income for people seeking work for a limited time or who need a job ASAP. Temp positions should be taken just as seriously as permanent positions because they could lead to a steady job and the employer can act as a reference. To make the best impression during your tenure as a temp worker, focus on embodying these qualities that every employer looks for.

Enthusiasm

An enthusiastic attitude is contagious and will rub off on the permanent staff you work with. People are drawn to positivity and will quickly enjoy your company – even if you are only there for a short while. Employers love an enthusiastic temp worker because it can boost employee morale. Something as simple as a warm smile can make a world of a difference for your boss and coworkers.

Reliable

Showing up to a shift and showing up on time are obvious criteria employers expect for every employee. Some fear that hiring a temporary worker means those expectations might not be met. Prove those people wrong by being punctual to a temp job. Being reliable also goes beyond showing up – it also means arriving early and being ready to work before your shift starts. Another part of reliability is finishing assigned tasks within the agreed-upon deadline, which also means following through with direction.

Communication Skills

The nature of temporary employment means that temp workers have to adapt to different work environments in a short amount of time. This can only be done if they can communicate effectively with their employers so that they have a clear understanding of the tasks involved. You do not have to assume that just because you did a similar job one way for a company that the expectations are the same for the next. Employers like when a temp worker is not afraid to ask questions.

Temp workers should also be upfront about availability, which means communicating honestly with the temporary staffing agency. Being open about this will ensure everyone is on the same page and prevent misunderstandings.

Flexible

One of the main reasons employers choose temporary workers over permanent staff is because of the benefits of a flexible workforce. Temp workers may be called in on short notice, which is why it is essential for them to be flexible. They may be brought in to work unpopular shifts like overnights or during busy hours. Beyond availability, flexible workers will also venture outside of their comfort zone and take on unfamiliar tasks. When hiring a temporary worker, employers look for people who are eager to learn and take on whatever duties are asked of them.

Employers want to invest in a temporary worker that is enthusiastic, a good communicator, hard-working, flexible, and reliable so that they can be sure they made a wise decision. If you are looking for temporary work, contact Trades Labour Corporation, and we will match you up with a job that suits your skill set.

Most companies experience workload fluctuations throughout the year, making some seasons busier than others. Retaining a seasonal workforce can be an excellent way to accommodate this increase in demand. It gives you help when you require it without having to pay for employees that are not needed during the slow season. Because this type of hiring tends to be more complicated than recruiting permanent staff, a temp agency can help make the on-boarding process seamless.

Who does a seasonal workforce benefit?

For most businesses, the holiday season tends to be when they see a spike in sales that requires more workers. Companies in the hospitality, retail, and warehousing and distribution sectors find themselves most in need of a flexible seasonal workforce.

Challenges of seasonal workers

It can be tricky trying to find the right number of seasonal workers and the right types of workers. Many businesses become too preoccupied with filling open positions and miss out on workers that would be a better fit. They also have to determine whether they are better off hiring full-time, part-time, contract, or temp workers. Several significant variables need to be considered.

Using a temp agency to hire seasonal workers

A seamless transition

Training new employees can be a costly and lengthy process. It is usually not worth it to hire people to cover just a few shifts. A temp agency can train seasonal workers during the screening process, relieving your company of the burden. During the recruiting process, the temp agency will perform various skill assessments to determine which candidates would be the best fit for the job. They can also provide seasonal workers with additional training to make sure they have the necessary skill set for the position. That way seasonal workers can seamlessly join your team.

Find the right balance

A temp agency has experience finding the correct number of workers for various sectors. They can ensure you have enough people for your busy season so that critical tasks do not get overlooked and year-round staff do not become overworked and irritable. Because a staffing agency also has experience matching people with jobs, you will even notice a lower turnover rate and employee morale will be positively impacted.

A flexible workforce

Hiring permanent staff for short-term needs can cause your company to become overstaffed. This, in turn, can cost you more money than you make during even your most profitable quarters. A temp agency allows you the convenience of a flexible workforce when you need it most without worrying about slower seasons. Simply return seasonal workers to the temp agency when you no longer need the extra help.

Savings

Some companies mistakenly think a temp agency costs more than doing the hiring themselves. On the contrary, the services of a temp agency can save you money in the long run. Time spent recruiting, training, and doing paperwork for new hires is time spent away from other responsibilities. A temp agency is an investment in your company that will save you time, money, and give you peace of mind.

Do not waste any more time hiring seasonal workers. Call Trades Labour Corporation to have your staffing needs taken care of smoothly and get back to focusing on your business.

There are many pros and cons of hiring an intern, for both the employer and the intern. Hence, many businesses are open to internships, even paid at times, as they realize the value that interns can bring to their business.

Why you may want to hire an intern

Firstly, because they can bring a bunch of fresh ideas and perspectives to an otherwise redundant workspace. Interns can add a lot of value to your office culture if chosen carefully. Most offices are likely to consider them as insignificant someone who does the grunt work for the office. However, if hired smartly, interns can contribute a lot more as they are constantly exposed to challenging and fresh environment in their university. Some of the best recruitment agencies in Calgary recommend using the same process as employee hiring to hire interns. Experts recommend trying and testing interns’ transferable skills and the ability to comprehend business, maintain confidentiality and take initiative.

What can a company offer

One of my acquaintances was recently hired as an intern in a leading bank based out of Surrey, through a recruitment agency. One of the key things, why she chose to work with that bank, was their work culture. The team she worked with treated her like a team member and not an outsider. She was assigned significant responsibilities rather than just taking printouts and photocopying documents. A recent survey by a leading employment agency in Winnipeg has revealed that ‘respect’ is one of the key virtues that make interns do very well or very badly at their internship opportunity. As an employer, it is imperative for you to offer respect to your intern’s efforts and work. Recognition can go a long way to ensuring that the intern brings value to your business. Assigning a mentor to the intern is also a great idea. Moreover, before deciding to hire an intern to make sure you have decided on the tasks and responsibilities you wish to assign and convey the same to them.

Sharing outcomes

The best employer-intern relationship is when both parties get what they expect. In such a functional relationship, an intern takes home great work experience, knowledge and organizational skills; while an employer gets their tasks done on time, gets new business perspectives and doesn’t have to compromise on their team’s productivity.

Long-term association

Ideally, both employer and interns must look at internship opportunities as potential employment. If a candidate has been extremely good at tasks, as an employer it should be a natural transition to offer a contract or permanent employment. Similarly, an intern must look at their internship with the same conviction and dedication as they would to permanent employment.

When your knee-deep in assignments and prepping for exams, additional work may be the last thing on your mind. But, before you know it, summer is here. Like a game of musical chairs, everyone has sat down with a summer job while you are left standing there without one. It can be hard to find time to dedicate to job hunting when your main priority is getting good grades.

Whether you are in high school, college, or university, you will likely need a summer job to get you through the following year. It is not ideal to try to search for a permanent position since you will be back at school full-time next semester, which is why a temp job is a perfect solution. Some gigs may even extend into the fall and winter months if a year-round job is something you are interested in.

Finding a temp job

You just have a few months off from school, so you do not want to spend it job hunting. It can be tedious and time-consuming trying to find a job on your own. When you do not have any contacts within a company, it can take some time to get a call back for an interview. You will need to spend countless hours tailoring your resume and cover letter for each job application and going back and forth with hiring managers. Remember, you will also be competing against other students and adults who are also seeking temp work. You will likely be able to find a job like this, but it is certainly not the most efficient way.

Using an agency

Instead, you can find a temp job quickly by using a staffing agency. That way when exams are over, you do not have to waste time job hunting and can instead start working right away.

A staffing agency will have an extensive database of clients looking for workers just like you for the summer months. The only effort you need to exert is applying to the staffing agency. Once you do that, their recruiters do the rest of the work for you. They will:

Assess which experience and skills you have and how they suit different job openings:

Contact hiring managers for you
Set up the interview for you
Give you suggestions to improve your resume
Provide you with interview tips
Give you access to jobs that are not widely advertised

Working with a staffing agency to find a temp job gives you an added advantage in your job search. Recruiters do the brunt of the legwork to help you find employment faster and a job that suits you. You will earn money while filling your resume with new skills and experience – it is a win-win. Apply with Trades Labour Corporation before the summer starts to get the best chance at the best jobs. Many summer jobs are already filled by the time April comes around, so it pays to apply early. The earlier you apply, the more options you will have and the easier it will be to get a job that you find most interesting.