For the last six months companies across Canada have been putting spending, hiring, bonuses and training on hold, in order to weather the economic reset and achieve a better bottom line. What will this mean for the rest of summer and September, when we traditionally see hiring pick up in earnest?

We are going to see employers scrambling to fill jobs as the economy picks up and many top employees moving on to greener pastures. Some of the top employees we know are getting ready to jump ship after continuing to take on more work and responsibilities and seeing their employer slash or eliminate bonuses and overtime.

All ready this summer at Red Seal Recuiting Ltd., we have seen resignation letters being typed up and resumes that are being spruced up. Why? Summer is the best time for networking! Those great employers who ensure their people have lots of time off will also have employees promoting their brand around barbeques, camp fires and beaches across Canada.

Yesterday while taking my dog for a swim at a lake in Victoria BC, I heard a young woman promoting her employer on her time off! Her hotel chain was investing in her training and in making the company a better place for customers and workers alike even during an economic downturn. A hospitality recruiter working on her time off!

Networking continues to be the main way we find jobs. Recruiters and employment agencies spend all of their time networking on your behalf. Using Facebook.com or Linkedin.com to find employment opportunities is a great way of using your network but nothing beats communicating one on one with friends and family. Six degrees of separation is the theory that we are all connected through webs of friends and family to everyone else but this theory only works when we connect in a meaningful way.

Going for an iced coffee or tea with everyone you know all summer will definitely land you your dream job by leveraging your network. Asking people to go for a coffee to find out more about them and where they work is the most powerful networking tool available. Your interest in them and the knowledge they will share can get you more interviews then sending out 1,000 resumes!

Start by going through your phone book, then email, facebook contacts inviting people for a coffee every week. This networking will help you land a better job so next summer you can be the one laying on the beach bragging about your great employer!

By Kael Campbell
Head recruiter
Red Seal Recruiting

The Canadian Construction Sector Council has surveyed its members and the resulting report is incredible!

It appears we are about to see another boom in construction over the next three years, largely due to projects funded by the federal government.

This is great news for those out-of-work skilled workers who have been looking for work in the last few months.

The recent slowdown in the number of residential construction projects means that this public works bonanza will be a big shift for some workers, but a small shift for others.

Most skilled workers’ base-skills foundation comes from education and on-the-job experience. Although there may be major differences in electrical work between residential and institutional/commercial work, the knowledge base, skill sets and many of the fundamentals remain the same. But still, the question in many skilled workers with residential construction intensive experience is: “How do I make the move to industrial or commercial construction?”

Demonstrate the value you bring as a well-rounded, skilled worker to the employer and, of course, work hard.

If you want to move into industrial work, load up on additional, ancillary skills. Little things like taking an Industrial first aid course or obtaining a commercial drivers license may be enough for an employer to say: “I want you on our team.”

Having a large, diverse portfolio of skills and certifications will help you get a foot in the door and separate yourself from other job seekers. You should research compatible skills training and on-going complimentary skills upgrading.

Alternatively, if there is direct training that helps with employability such as Distributed Control Systems (DCS) or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) training for industrial instrument mechanics or electricians. If you are on Employment Insurance, the government may even provide funding for a training program, and maintain benefits while you are attending the program course.

Over the years I have earned and held a commercial drivers license, industrial first aid and disability management certificates, a university degree in business administration and a two year college certificate. I obtained all of this accreditation since completing high school. All of it meant sacrificing time and money, but it has paid off. Extra training results in higher-paying jobs. It also demonstrates to employers that you are not someone who is going to become stagnant in their organization.

Forecasts show 168,000 baby boomers are going to be retiring in the near future. There will be plenty of opportunities for journeymen trades-people to move up to senior positions – and for apprentices to find full-time employment, even if it is a struggle to finish an apprenticeship right now.

According to the Construction Sector Council:
“[Through] government backed institutional, transportation and energy projects, Quebec has sustained employment growth through the recession.
Proposed major projects in mining, manufacturing and utility industries coupled with government infrastructure and industrial projects are sustaining employment growth in British Columbia”
“Momentum is also being created by new and ongoing projects in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. When combined with government stimulus initiatives, these projects [have] helped to sustain construction employment.”

This is all positive news that will help people get through the short term pain we have seen so far in 2009. It also points to excellent opportunities and a great reason to invest in yourself if you are currently out of work.

By Kael Campbell
Head recruiter
Red Seal Recruiting

Two recent events prompted Red Seal Recruiting to conduct an internal environmental assessment.

At a recent BC Human Resource Management Association event, we learned from New York Times and international bestselling author and expert public speaker Tim Sanders that green companies retain and attract committed employees and have a better bottom line. Then, while attending a large employee orientation of one of our power utility customers, the theme of conservation and encouraging a green organization were front and centre.

So, how does a skilled trades recruiting company like Red Seal Recruiting stack up? And why should companies like ours which specialize in recruiting for high salary jobs, construction trade jobs, power line jobs – among others – and dealing with candidates seeking construction and maintenance positions and skilled trade jobs find out if their potential match is concerned about the environment?

First, Red Seal Recruiting is a Canadian employment agency which has taken a green stance from the beginning. Purchasing laptops instead of desktops; providing free videoconferencing for our customers to do video interviews instead of in-person interviews; keeping all resumes in digital format; buying scanners instead of printers; using digital voice technology that enables employees to work from home and commute less.

We have started to go green but we have a lot more room to grow. Red Seal Recruiting recently began purchasing green power bars that power down all equipment at night but we still do not have any bicycle parking for employees.

Purchasing energy star equipment reduces the strain on power lines which are maxed-out in North America. It also saves us money. This helps the company become more profitable and knowing our company is helping the environment increases employee morale, lowering employee turnover.

Power conservation continues to be an area of interest – especially as Canada moves towards electric cars and other modes of transportation less reliant on fossil fuels. Utilities are now heavily investing in “smart grid” technology that will increase the ability to manage load and guide power linemen to the exact point of power outages. This technology will provide power companies and customers with better information, which will enable greater control over power usage, encouraging more conservation.

Electrical engineers and technologists specialize in and understand transmission and electrical distribution technology. These individuals will take the lead, working for power utilities, changing the flow of energy from an un-regulated torrent to a managed flow of electricity. This will allow the U.S .and Canada to continue to enjoy the benefits of technology without requiring additional power generation that harms the environment.

Welcome to Canada Job Recruiting Blog, Red Seal Recruiting’s brand new blog focused on helping individuals seeking skilled trades, engineering, technology and management jobs and on locating employees for businesses in the manufacturing, construction and transportation industries.

My name is Kael Campbell, head recruiter and president of Red Seal Recruiting. I have been helping skilled trades people from across Canada find jobs since 2000. This new skilled trades recruiting blog will provide information on recruiting and the Canadian job market and lend a personal face and voice to Red Seal Recruiting.

Visit this blog regularly for news, videos and photos that will excite, educate and inform you about jobs and job recruiting. Whether you are an employer in B.C. or a job hunter in Nova Scotia: Canada Job Recruiting Blog will provide information on certification, skilled worker demand, new jobs and industry opportunities.

If you are a current or past client job placement or a skilled-trades client of Red Seal Recruiting, please comment on our posts; send us pictures and videos of the places you have been and the people you have met in the jobs we have placed you in.

We follow the daily developments in skilled trades employment and, like you, we watch the unemployment rate, markets and Canadian dollar. In May 2009, Canada saw slightly lower employment numbers primarily because of the loss of manufacturing jobs in Ontario.

The good news is that oil has climbed over $70 US a barrel, which is one of the primary drivers of oil sands development and oil and gas exploration in B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan. This could spark partial recovery and an increase in jobs in places like Fort McMurray and Northern B.C. This trickles down to all communities that have community members working camp jobs and also to communities like Edmonton and Prince George that supply most of the goods and services to oil & gas producing communities.

My brother, who is finishing his Carpentry Apprenticeship schooling, lives in Northern Canada and is one of the many people who would benefit from a northern economic recovery. Increases in gold and oil prices will help improve opportunities for employment and get people in B.C. and Alberta communities working again. The second half of 2009 is looking brighter and brighter!