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Set your job search up for success by following these tips for staying organized and in control throughout the process.
It’s a good idea to set up an email account specifically for work search.
When using the internet for your work search, take precautions against potential risks.
Every job requires certain work-specific skills. The better you know and can describe your skills, the better your chances of landing the job you want.
Employers look for a wide range of skills. Some skills relate to specific types of work. Others are core skills that you need for every job. If you know your core skills, you can use them to impress potential employers. This will help you land the job you want.
Your accomplishments are what you achieve when you use your skills. Employers will be even more impressed by your skills if you describe the positive results you have achieved.
What have you done that makes you proud? This exercise will help you identify your own accomplishments.
Volunteering can give you a chance to build your experience and skills and demonstrate your employability.
To find work that’s the best fit for you, you’ll need to understand your work preferences. These preferences will reflect your most important skills, interests, and values.
If you’re not sure what jobs you want to do or which occupations are a good fit for you, a little research can uncover new or promising prospects. This way you can focus your work search on what really interests you.
Woman working on her laptop in a coffee shop.
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Set Up a Work Search Email Account

Using your work email for your online work search is unprofessional and unwise. So is accessing your personal email from work. That’s why it’s a good idea to set up an email account specifically for work search.

  • Job search websites and networking sites usually require you to sign in with a user name and an email address.
  • You need an email address when you apply directly to employer websites.

Setting up a free email account

You can set up a free email account through the following service providers:

Be sure you read and understand the user rules and privacy policy before you sign up.

If you’re using a shared computer, choose the most secure option. This is one that requires you to sign in with a username and password.

Naming your email account

Use your own name, if it’s available. If your name is not available, try a variation. For example, use your last name first, mix up your initials or add underscores or periods between the parts of your name.

Avoid adding numbers to your username. Numbers can be confusing. For example, Carr57 could be mistaken for Carr51 and both could be mistaken for a birthdate.

Make sure your account name sounds professional. For example, kulac.exp.plumber@workmail.ca presents an appropriate image, while kulac.yeah.flames@workmail.ca does not.

Using email for work search

The email you send when you’re searching for work is business correspondence. It can be more casual than a formal business letter, but it should still look and sound professional.

  • Proofread your work search email carefully. Friends may overlook misspelled words and incomplete sentences. Potential employers do not.
  • Do not use online acronyms such as TTFN or LOL in any business email.
  • Do not use text messaging language or emoticons (smileys and typed symbols).
  • Clearly identify the content in the subject line of your email so it doesn’t get mistaken for spam or junk email.
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