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Youth employment centre comes to Squamish

SCCY outreach office hasn’t received many visitors to date

Young? Jobless? Frustrated?

Fret no more - the North Shore Service Canada Centre for Youth (SCCY) has extended their employment services into Sea to Sky corridor with their Squamish Mobile Office.

The outreach program is aimed at young people between 15 and 30 to aid them in their search for employment, both long- and short-term. Their goal is to fill at least 50 summer jobs in the area before the end of summer.

"This outreach is necessary because we'd really like to increase our presence in the Squamish, Whistler, Mount Currie and Pemberton area for their summer employment needs," said Lauren Webb, youth services coordinator with the SCCY.

The office is a two-person operation open every Monday until Aug. 9, between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

It provides job postings, interview advice, résumé building and job search strategies for job-hunters, as well as a location for employers and homeowners to post short-term job openings, free of charge. They also provide information on health and safety in the workplace.

The office is located at the Service Canada building in Squamish. Despite how it sounds, the mobile office is not a van, it's just a remote SCCY office, with a table set up at Service Canada with literature to help youth in their search - so it won't make it's way up to Whistler.

"We're hoping that because it is so close to Whistler that we will be fairly accessible to them," Webb said.

Despite their efforts, the office hasn't received many visitors.

"We are still starting out, so we're hoping that as we promote the office more, then more youth will be coming in," Webb said. "We need to let people know that we are available."

The office will close at the end of summer, along with all of Service Canada's youth services, but youth (and others, of course) can search job postings at the government's Job Bank at www.jobbank.gc.ca. Services for youth are also available by phone at 604-981-1775.

Tips for first-time job-hunters

1) It's all about personality

Service Canada has listed Eight Keys to Employability for young people to keep in mind when looking for work:

• Personal values

• Problem-solving and decision-making skills

• The ability to relate to other people

• Communication skills

• Task-related skills

• Maturity

• Health and safety habits

• Commitment to the job

It's important to include these elements in your resume to demonstrate suitability for the job.

2) It's all about what you've done

Okay, so you are brilliant at problem solving, both mathematically and socially, your maturity level rivals your grandfather's and you've haven't missed a day of school since stricken with the chicken pox.

But how can you prove all this if you've never worked a day in your life?

The skills you've gained at school, through recreational activities and volunteer experiences can demonstrate your skills and abilities to potential employers. The purpose of a resume is to land an interview, so include all relevant skills and experience that you think are necessary for the job.

Format is important as well. Employers typically have a stack of resumes to read and have no time for sloppy-looking resumes. Follow this outline:

Personal Information: Personal information includes your name, address, telephone number where messages can be left and your e-mail address. This should be at the top of your résumé in bold and larger-sized font.

Education: List your educational history, starting with the most recent. Include school name, type of program or major area of study, grade completed or certificate received and the year you completed your studies.

Skills: In this section, use a point-form list to highlight your greatest strengths and qualifications for the specific job you are applying for.

Work and Volunteer Experience: List your experience, again starting with the most recent. Include business names, position names, the dates you were employed and the duties you performed. If you have a lot of experience, include that which is most relevant to the job for which you are now applying. You may want to separate work and volunteer experiences into two sections. If you don't have a lot of paid work experience, include any volunteer work you have done.

Interests and Activities: Briefly outline a few of your extra-curricular activities and interests to indicate something about your personality. You can also mention achievements and/or awards.

References: Don't mention references on your resume, but do think carefully beforehand about who to choose as your three references. Be sure to ask their permission before using them as a reference.

3) It's all about the people you know

Or, rather, it's all about networking. Or, rather, using contacts to get what you want. It's how the world works and it's a very useful skill. Everyone you know is a contact with the potential for changing your life. Or, failing that, helping you toward your first paycheque. The more people you network with, the better your chances are of finding a lead on a job. It's easier than you might think.

Tips on networking

• Keep your visits with contacts brief.

• Appear enthusiastic about the information your contact is sharing.

• Never ask your contact to do your job search for you.

• View the meeting as an opportunity to gather information rather than as a job interview.

Some questions you might want to ask your contact are:

• How did you break into this field?

• Do you know of any companies that are expanding rapidly?

• Can I keep in touch with you?

For more information, visit www.servicecanada.ca/sccy.