FOR YOUTH

INFORMATION BY TOPIC

How do I find a job?

There are a number of things that you can do that will help you find a job. One thing to consider is improving your education first. Some people, though, will have a part time job while they go to school to help pay for school.

An alternative to starting to work right away, and also a way to increase your experience and your competitiveness, is to volunteer. You could volunteer in many areas and most cities will have a volunteer directory where you could find out the kinds of opportunities available. A good general online directory for opportunities in Canada is Canadian Universities. You could also volunteer with politically oriented groups such as the Coalition Against Poverty or Food Not Bombs.

Finding a job can be challenging, but there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of finding a job that you will like. At most youth agencies there is a vocational specialist. You can ask to work with such a person who can be a great resource to get you started. If you are finding work on your own, you will have to consider a number of things such as:

• Preparing a resume Next Steps
  
• Obtaining a Social Security/Social Insurance number Social Security Online, Service Canada (French). This process may involve having to get a birth certificate (see section on i.d.). While "under the table" jobs exist for which you would not need such a number, they can be harder to find and not pay as well.
  
• You will usually need to give the employer a phone number. This can be difficult if you are staying at a shelter or a place where there is not a phone. Some work around this by saving up and purchasing a pay in advance cell phone, though this can prove too expensive.
  
• Having a clean set of clothes.
  
• Doing newspaper and internet searches for jobs.

For some good general advice on how to find work see: Next Steps and sites such as Canada Jobs. Along with the help you could get from a staff member at an agency finding work, you could also find work by looking in the Classified section of the local newspaper or using online job search engines such as www.monster.com or www.workopolis.com.