Feature Friday: Toronto, Ontario Canada

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Toronto is Canada's number one tourist destination and Toronto's Liberty Village has experienced phenomenal growth since 2004 to present in terms of new condos/lofts, office space a new park and a multitude of new shops and restaurants - making it one of the more upcoming cities to be in.  It's location is considered one of the finest assets being a 15-minute walk to the Lakeshore, 20-minute streetcar ride to the financial district and a 20-minute walk from the entertainment/fashion/gallery districts of King St. West. Located on the east coast just north of Buffalo, NY - it's and easy destination to reach.

Here are some Fast Facts about Toronto Ontario you may not know:

• Dual language street signs can be found in Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal and other communities.
• There are 100+ languages spoken throughout the city
• A No-Smoking By-Law across the entire city
• Minimum legal drinking age in Ontario is 19.  Bars and restaurants must stop serving by 2am
• Most business office hours are 9-5 Monday-Friday
• Most shops open from 10am - 5:30 or 6pm, Monday-Saturday
• Most stores have extended hours to 8 or 9pm on Thursday and Friday
• Most stores open from noon - 5 on Sundays
• Toronto is Canada's largest retail market
• Over half of the labor force has a university degree or college diploma
• Toronto is the largest and most important financial center in all of Canada and the fourth largest in North Amercia.  Only New York city, Chicago and Los Angeles are larger.
• Toronto is the home to the world's tallest free-standing structure, the CN Tower standing 1,815 feet (553 meters) tall.
• Toronto's public transit system is the second largest in North America and has the highest per capita ridership rate on the continent.
• want to learn even more?  click here

Looking for a job? Toronto's Liberty Village is a great place to start a career in sales on the ground floor of a 1 year old software start-up company - Coherent Path.  Great culture with a unique, open concept working environment. Who are we looking for exactly?

• New College Grads with 0-1 year work experience
• Someone who wants to have a long-term career in sales
• Someone who enjoys a fast-paced, collaborative yet friendly competitive environment
• Someone who wants to help a young company grow
• A comprehensive sales training program is provided - so no experience necessary

Interested in starting your career in sales or know a recent grad looking in the Toronto area? Send over those resumes to leona@connexiohr.com for review or get in touch to refer someone you know and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Motivational Monday: Success

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Success can have a different meaning for everyone, but the one common factor for successful people is the lack of accepting failure.  This is the foundation of success!

If anyone should have given up that would be Abraham Lincoln.  Did you know he lost 8 elections,  failed at 2 businesses and had a nervous breakdown before becoming President? He could have quit but he didn't. He kept trying and pursuing his dreams! Check out these other famous icons who found success despite failures:

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"Never Quit - Never Give Up" - Abraham Lincoln
How do you define success?

Let's Do This: You Got The Job

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The waiting game is over... the phone rings and Yes, You Did It! Congratulations you got the Job! You are so excited you start texting people, even posting it on Facebook - but WAIT! There are some things you need to do before you start blasting those messages out.

1. You need to get the written letter in hand. A verbal offer is great but until it's in writing ANYTHING can change.
2. READ IT to make sure it matches what you were told and what you expected.
3. SIGN IT and return it.  Most offers have an expiration date for returning. Just because you said yes they still need the signed copy
4. Currently employed? RESIGN.  This is your "Two Weeks Notice" That's right, you have to face your boss and tell him/her that you are leaving. Prepare a written resignation letter and give it to your boss when you speak with him/her.
5. Once you've resigned then you can share the news to everyone!

But what about that resignation letter...? What should it say? Keep it short and sweet and be professional, even if you didn't like your job or boss, you don't want to burn any bridges as you may cross paths again. There are many samples you can find on google, the one I like best is below.

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SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear (Bosses name),

I am writing to inform you that I am resigning from my position of (insert job title). My last day of employment will be (2 weeks from date on letter).  I have decided to pursue another opportunity.

Thank you for the opportunities and experiences I have gained over the course of my employment here.  I wish you and the company all the best for the future.

Sincerely,

(Sign)

Your name

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Good Luck & feel free to let me know how it goes! If you are looking for your next career opportunity, don't be shy! Send me an email anytime  at leona@connexiohr.com !

Don't Give Up!

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Sometimes the job search can get you a little down. Applying to what feels like millions of jobs when the hours turn into days and the days begin to blend together. We've all been there. You must stay positive and something will come around. Don't give up!

Don't forget to check out our jobs page on the website here for more information! You can even refer friends!

Feature Friday: Downers Grove, IL

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Downers Grove, Illinois is located 25 miles west of Chicago and ranked 8th Friendliest Town in America by Forbes Magazine. Downers Grove Mayor Martin Tully stated "Many in the community remark upon the importance of our efforts to keep Downers Grove a great place to live, learn, work and play."

Home to just over 49,000 people, this community offers unique boutiques, dining establishments and community events throughout the year. Check out why this town was ranked #8 out 15 by Forbes Magazine here and more facts about Downer Groves here.

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Now, Why are we talking about Downers Grove, IL??

If you are a recent college grad or know one who is looking for a great community to start a career in Sales - send them on over!  We have a great opportunity for a Entry Level Business Development Representative in Downers Grove, IL.  No Experience Necessary, we provide comprehensive training for success!

What are you waiting for? Feel free to send those resumes over to my direct email, leona@connexohr.com and I will be sure to get in contact with you in a timely manner!

Attitude

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Sometimes attitude isn't always a good thing. But the way you perceive your own attitude and turn it into motivation, will get you far in life! Use your attitude to the fullest this week and keep going with whatever you are focused on! (Pair it with the ambition from last week and you'll be on fire)

Happy Monday!

#TBT: Tom Brady's Resume

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Back 14 years ago, before he made it to the big leagues, Patriots star Quaterback Tom Brady had a resume! That's right, for #TBT a couple of weeks ago, Tom shared a photo of his post-college resume with his 2.4 million Facebook fans. The caption read: "Found my old resume!  Really thought I was going to need this after the 5th round. #tbt"

Fast forward 14 years and see Business Insider's feature of the Pro's and Con's of Tom's resume as shown right here.

Formatting your resume for today's job market can be overwhelming.  Here are a few tips for creating a stand out resume to capture your next dream job. Recruiters and managers want to know what you bring to the table, so tell them just that! Keep it brief and to the point.  A clean, clear and concise view of YOU!

What should be on the resume?

Contact Information: Make your name stand out in LARGE, BOLD Print at the top. Be sure your Phone #, Email and LinkedIn url are visible - at the top. Addresses are secondary, and take up valuable real estate.  If you do put it on - only list one.

Professional Summary: This is your "Elevator Pitch", share what value you bring to the company, along with your career goals.  Be brief and to the point.

Education: List your school, graduation year and degree(s) List scholarships and academic achievements.

Professional Experience: List your jobs chronological order - be sure you have your most recent experience on it. Don't have any gaps in time - if you do, explain it!  Better to have something than nothing at all.

Technical Skills: Summarize your technical skills and core competencies in a bulleted format.

Accomplishments and Extracurricular Activities: Share your accomplishments. List your activities; sports, clubs, volunteer work.

Be prepared to explain any section of your resume if asked for details. Check more information from Business Insider and their feature on Tom's resume here. When was the last time you updated your resume?

Motivational Monday

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Ambition is today's motivational word - My challenge to you this week is to keep this word in your mind with everything you do this week. Defined, the word means having a strong desire to do or achieve something. What will you achieve this week? Don't give up, and always remember to achieve great things!

Smile

Happy Friday Y'all! Today is world smiles day - What better way to spend your friday than putting a smile on someones face today! Here's a few ways to help spread the smiles today!

Pay it forward - Grabbing an afternoon coffee? Pay it forward and pay for the customer behind you too!

Open the door for a stranger - Be kind and share a silent gesture by holding the door open for someone!

Write a Thank You note for someone - Have someone you've been meaning to send a thank you note to? Put a smile on someones face by sending that note that you've been putting off.

Just a few reminders of small and silent gestures that are bound to put a smile on someone's face!
Have a great weekend!

Let's Do This: In Person Interview

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Prior to reaching the "in person interview" phase, you may have had a number of phone calls with the the company. Well here you are, you made it to the "in person interview" phase. Also known as the "onsite interview". Congratulations! 

Are you ready for this step?  Do you know what to expect and what's expected of you? In this phase you may meet with upwards of 5 people. Each interviewer will have a different style of interviewing - some better than others. You may be asked some pretty interesting and crazy questions like: "If you were a brick, what would you be used for?" Yup that's right, today's interview questions are getting pretty crazy. Why? Well they want to see how you think on your feet!

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Some other questions might be:

• Explain a situation where you had to work in a team:
• what were the dynamics
• how did you communicate
• were there expectations set - how and what were they
• what is the greatest lesson you took away from that experience
• What would you say your top 3 strengths for this position are?
• What would you say are your top 3 development areas for this position?
• Explain what you bring to the table to help us succeed?
• How do you keep yourself and work organized so nothing falls through the cracks?
• Why would you not accept this position if offered to you?

How you present yourself and answer these questions will be the difference of moving forward and receiving an offer or not.  Here are some tips and tricks to get you through:

• Don't jump into the answer - take a deep breath and speak clearly and concisely
• Don't ramble
• Have enthusiasm and be engaging
• Think about your answer - but not too long.  You want to keep the conversation moving along
• Watch how many "Fillers" you use. 
• Fillers are "um's", "ah's", "you know's", "like"...  
• Have a sense of confidence when you speak

It's a 2 way conversation - They are interviewing you and you are interviewing them.

• Prepare questions for each interviewer - Yes you can ask the same question of each person you speak to.  WHY?  You want to compare their answer

When the interview is done - send each person a personal Thank You email:

• Thank them for their time in speaking with you
• Express your interest in the position and working for the company
• Ask any final questions and let them know they can contact you if they have an additional questions.

Remember, Be Yourself - You Can Do This!