Job seekers still struggling, but opportunities do exist says local agency

A bible college student in Saskatoon, her paid internship was canceled, delaying her graduation and putting her on the unemployment line.

She planned on living and working in Saskatoon for the year, even signing a one year lease on a house which she still has to pay. But since the pandemic, she moved home to Medicine Hat, and has dedicated her days to looking for jobs while relying on CERB and EI. Job sites like Indeed crowd her favorites bar on her compter as she hunts for any leads.

“It makes things really hard, again I am grateful for CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) for getting me through , and the application process can be stressful, and it can make things really hard. I’ve actually had to reach out to family just to see if they can spare anything to help me move along but meanwhile my siblings have lost their jobs as well,” she said.

“I think it is really difficult because everyone is looking for a job right now, there’s a lot of people needing the finances.” she said.

Her story is a relatively common one, but experts say there are ways to navigate the challenging job market.

Sandi Grass is an employment and training coordinator with Being Human Services.

“If you are not employed right not, right now your job your full time job is finding a job, it’s not going to fall into your lap,” Grass said.

With a regional unemployment rate sitting at nine per cent for Medicine Hat and Lethbridge she says that while it may be hard to see the light it is equally important to stay positive while looking for work.

“Alberta itself is at 15 per cent, nationally it is at 13 per cent. So when you look at the stats like that, it can be really discouraging, so I would really recommend that people stay positive. Yesterday Kenney put out that Friday things are opening up, huge game changer. Employers are going to be looking at getting back opening up and widening things….look for opportunities because there are,” said Grass.

She recommends job seekers go the extra mile to get creative when looking for work in order to stand out . An option gaining steam, she says is video resumes.

“That’s an opportunity to present yourself as a person because most employers want to hire a person, yeah skills are important , but they want someone that fits the team that’s excited to be in that environment,” she said.

” So for example, say you are applying for a job in horticulture. Can you imagine how much an employer would pay attention if you had a video resume in your garden, showing them the plants you have, being excited?,” she said.

Performing an informational interview by researching the companies, and inquiring about job opportunities is also key.

“Pick up the phone, be excited because truthfully the world is changing so fast that we don’t know what two months from now will look like. There is so many opportunities. So many,” she said

But with so much competition, she advises job seekers to reach out to a professional to ensure that the application from resumes, to interview skills are top notch.

“You really do need someone to help you identify your strengths, to help you because often times people don’t recognize what their strengths are.” she said.

As for Klassen, she’s still looking for full-time work, but she has managed to secure some part-time work in retail back in Saskatoon.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I know there’s a lot of people that are still waiting to get called back

But her inability to secure full-time work over the summer, may jeopordize her ability to return back to school come September.

” I’m on my own, so I’m responsible to pay my tuition, and my fees and my textbooks and my rent and all that stuff and it is just really hitting right now, and so I need to be smart with my financially with what I do. As much as I have one year left and I’m ready to keep going, I might have to take a short break so that I can get caught up financially,” Klassen said.

For now, Klassen says she is grateful for the opportunity to return very part-time at her old job in retail, but continues to keep her eyes peeled for full-time work.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Job seekers still struggling, but opportunities do exist says local agency

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