Procom Jobcast

It has happened to most of us. You think you have the perfect joke, you share it work, and it fell flat, or worse, it actually caused offense. In this week's podcast Meghayu and Erica discuss the topic, and tips on how to use humor correctly. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Most people, especially those in contracting, have periods of unemployment. You may have gone back to school to hone your skills, taken a break to travel, or, even simply struggled to land your next opportunity. While these are all understandable, they don't make pleasant reading on a resume. Tune in to this week's podcast to learn how you explain those gaps. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Double submission means automatic disqualification from a job. Simply put, a hiring company won't know which recruiting firm to pay. the ultimate loser is the job seeker.Download this week's podcast for tips to ensure you are avoiding double submissions on jobs you are interested in. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Erica receives a LinkedIn request, followed by several recommendations from a total stranger, resulting in a conversation on how to use LinkedIn correctly and professionally. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

After Meghayu receives a call from an Account Manager regarding a consultant being fired for carrying out communications for their Real Estate business from a client site, online etiquette is a hot topic of conversation.And with Erica away, Meghayu invites fellow Procom Recruiter Greg Fernando on to the Jobcast to give his views on this topic.As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.  

You formatted your resume to fit like a glove, you rocked the interview, and then....you hear nothing. Days pass, and you still don't hear a word. What do you do? Erica and Meghayu are back with some tips on how to deal with these situations including when to send an email, and answering why recruiters don't follow up straight away. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

We've spoken in length about finding a job, submitting a resume and working with recruiters, but at one point you have to meet your potential employer for an interview.In this week's podcast, Meghayu and Erica run down some key points in bringing your A-game to an interview, and making sure you leave the best possible impression. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

As we roll through summer, IT professionals will be doing their math to budget for vacation, and back to school shopping, and undoubtedly, 'what-if' thoughts about earning more money will be triggered.As well as from moving jobs, one way to achieve this is to speak to your boss about a potential raise. And why not - you worked hard, your work helped the business prosper, and you may even have taken on more responsibility!But, before you storm in to the office, be sure to hear Meghayu and Erica's tips that can help boost your chances of receiving that raise. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.  

As a trusted adviser, with a vested interest to help you land your next role, a recruiter is one of the most important cogs in helping you in your job search. With that in mind, of course, there are things that you should not tell be telling them. In this week's podcast, Procom recruiters and Jobcast hosts Erica and Meghayu explain 5 really important ones that they should never hear from their consultants. The hosts also present two roles they are working - 4 opportunities as a Business Intelligence Specialist, and a Desktop Support Technician. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Your recruiter has asked you to update your resume to bring it in line with the job description. What do you do?Meghayu and Erica are back with the lowdown on why this is a mandatory part of your job search, and tips on how to make your resume stand out.Hot roles include a Senior Network Engineer/Designer role in Edmonton, and a SharePoint Developer for a banking client.As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

You’ve be looking for your next contract (maybe for a while!), and all of a sudden the situation occurs where you have multiple offers on the table. How would you make a right decision? In this episode, Meghayu and Erica touch on some of the major points you should consider when making this decision. What are the pointers to look while choosing the best out of pile? Should you wait for other offer or take one what you have on hand?The team also discusses hot jobs including Kofax Admin, Business Systems Analyst, Infrastructure Specialist and Sharepoint developer roles. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Many job seekers are unaware that all major recruitment companies use Application Tracking Systems (ATS) to efficiently manage their job orders and pool of candidates. Thus, to be more successful in your job search, your resume has to be formatted to work effectively with this industry specific software. Ultimately, your resume will be stored inside an ATS, and based on the required skills, recruiters search the ATS to find the most suitable candidates for a particular role.In this episode, Meghayu and Erica touch on some of the major points you will need to know to make sure your resume, your most important marketing tool, is fully searchable, and does what it is supposed to do - find you a role that suits you. As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

After working through listener feedback from Episode 30, the Procom Jobcast is back with a fresh start and new hosts. Alex introduces Meghayu Dave and Erica MacDonald, both technical recruiters at Procom Toronto, who will be the new hosts for the podcast, and they jump straight in to a very topical discussion: do you let your recruiter know that you have a vacation planned? As ever, if you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

As the Procom Jobcast reaches a landmark episode, Episode 30, Alex and Wendy are using this week's episode to encourage users to decide the podcast's future. If you can think of what you would like to see included in the future, or think a change of format would make the podcast more engaging, please be sure to forward any feedback to us. If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Imagine have the skills, experience and personality to fit a role, and still being unable to take the position? This is a realistic possibility when you are part of a duplicate submission - i.e. you are submitted for the same role by two different agencies. This process causes complications for each party, and it is best avoided. This week's jobcast discusses the pitfalls of duplicate submissions, and recommends job seekers on ways to avoid them. If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

The Procom Jobcast has recently received a few emails where job seekers have voiced frustrations over an unfruitful job search. This week's discussion answers two of these emails in detail, so if you feel you have been struggling in your own IT job search, this is one for you.Also, the market is up by a whopping 25%, with particular movement in the financial sector and within the government sub agencies. If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

With multiple years of experience in the contract labour landscape, Alex and Wendy give their insight on the recent news stories regarding outsourcing jobs off-shore. If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Procom's President and CEO, Frank McCrea is in the studio to discuss the issue of Personal Service Businesses and the CRA, an issue that is big news for contractors of any industry, particularly IT.   If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

After last week's break, the Procom Jobcast is back, and happy to report a solid market coming out of March Break.There are various small-medium clients with some exciting opportunities, and the hot jobs include positions in dot net, user experience (UX) and social media.Instead of the regular discussion, Alex and Wendy take some time to talk through some questions that have been sent in by our listeners. If you have any questions, or would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.

Gone are the days when the contract that a consultant received from their agency was a one-page piece of paper. And quite rightly too - after all, the contract dictates all of the consultant's terms and conditions at a client site. Wendy and Alex sieve through a range of different clauses you may see on your next contract, and serve up some best practice advice in how to deal with each one. As ever, there is a market update, and some hot-jobs involving technologies such as Biztalk and Adobe Livecycle. And remember, if you would like to share any feedback with us, please contact us on podcast@procom.ca, and/or tweet using #ProcomJobcast.