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Struggling to find a job? Trying to figure out your next career move? Finding a job doesn't have to take months, even in this economic climate. You've come to the right place!

Working with a plan, a strategy and a way to measure your progress allows you to work smarter instead of harder. You are less than a few weeks away from finding a job.

If you prefer to do it on your own, enjoy our complementary Ottawa Job Search list of mostly free resources that can help you learn about and prepare for and find new job opportunities. It focuses primarily on the IT industry however many of these resources can be useful for anyone, even entrepreneurs.

Please note that this web pages is only updated periodically. As such, some resources may no longer be available.

Here are some resources to help you in your job search:

Make It Your Full-Time Job To Find A Job

Looking for work can be challenging but it doesn't have to be hard. If you put in the time, work smart and stay focused, you'll get there. For many though, resisting laziness and avoiding distraction are amongst the biggest challenges in any job search. If you are serious about finding that new opportunity, make your job to get as many information meetings and interviews as possible (not to send out as many resumes as possible) and the job opportunities will start to show up.

Fill your job search time with things that will move you towards your goal.

Recommended Reading

Book: Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

Available from:

Book: What Colour is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles

Available from:

The Key To Your Success

Whether you have something to sell or a service to offer,
understand and meet the needs of your potential customers or employers.

Contact us today! »

Services, Seminars And Courses

As the services offered often change, please contact the organizations in this section to find out if the service you are interested in is still offered and to learn about new services which may not appear in the lists below.

:ITO 2.0

This organization is especially geared towards unemployed/underemployed people in IT. It will get you access to the following excellent services and more:

  • Employment / career exploration and counselling
  • Interview preparation
  • Access to employment opportunities and the hidden job market
  • Access to employers through onsite recruiting and career events
  • Coaching, mentoring & volunteering throughout your job search and your employment placement
  • Job Placement assistance to help you to integrate back into the workforce
  • Guidance and assistance in accessing education and training
  • Assessment and referral to Second Career and other Employment Ontario funded programs
  • Access to skills training
  • Access to other community based programs and services

CVE Inc.

Ask them about joining a Job Finding Club and attending an IT Orientation seminar

The Job Finding Club is an intensive personal marketing course that covers the following topics:

  • Finding job leads
  • Developing contacts
  • Talking to employers and finding job openings
  • Answering interview questions with more confidence
  • Developing effective cover letters, targeted resumes, and calling cards
  • Negotiating salary
  • Practice interviews on video tape
  • Tapping into the 85% hidden job market
  • Access to and guidance on using the Internet
  • Has an 80% success rate

They may also offer an Information Technology Orientation (ITO) or Business and Technology Trends workshop that presents you with the latest trends and opportunities in the information technology industry in Ottawa and the National Capital Region. The workshop covers the following topics:

  • Computing platforms
  • Web Services
  • Enterprise integration and E-Business
  • J2EE and .NET
  • Bioinformatics and Life Sciences
  • Understanding IT employment skills and trends
  • Uncovering the hidden job market
  • Building a training strategy for the current employment market

If you are interested in either or both of these (an excellent experience!), make arrangements as soon as possible as there is a waiting list

Community Employment Resource Centre (CERC)

A not-for-profit community-based organization that provides high quality employment services to the Ottawa community.

Employment and Financial Assistance (EFA)

Workshops are offered in two general areas:

Job Search

  • Resume / Cover Letter
  • Job Search on the Internet
  • Job Search Skills
  • Interview Skills

Computers and Technology

  • Introduction to Computers
  • Microsoft Word Level I
  • Microsoft Word Level II
  • Internet and E-Mail

Other

  • Ontario Works Specific Skills Training Information Session (JSST)
  • Orientation to Employment Activities
  • Self-Employment Information Session

In-TAC

The International Talent Acquisition Centre brings together Canadian companies and highly skilled international professionals. This centre offers support and services to employers, potential employees looking for jobs as well as bookkeeping and tax solutions.

Lead to Win

A business development program with the objective to establish and grow businesses in Canada's National Capital Region.

Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre (OCCSC)

Non-profit organization that provides no charge employment support services.

Ottawa Public Library

Visit the Ottawa Public Library discover the resources available to help you prepare resumes and find lists of potential employers using the library's books, magazines, directories and databases. Check out their online list of Free Employment Resources and Business Courses.

Industry News And Job Search Help

Corporate Information

Familiarize yourself with potential employers.

Non-profit / Volunteer

Ottawa Jobs Delivered To You By Email Every Day

Ottawa Jobs On Facebook, Twitter And LinkedIn

Marketing Materials

In this section, you will find links to help you create marketing materials related to your job search efforts such as cover letters, resume, thank you letters, calling cards, progress tracking system, and more.

Salary Information - Find Out What The Going Rate Is For Your Position

Canadians Online - Post Your Resume And Search For Jobs

A few for our American friends:

Networking And Support - Building Professional Relationships

Upcoming Events / Job Fairs in Ottawa

Great Networking Spots in Ottawa

Kanata Kareer Group - One of the largest networking group in Ottawa, The Kanata Kareer Group (KKG) is available to all members of the Ottawa community who are seeking to rejoin the workforce. The group meets once or twice a week to assist each other in the job search. Guest speakers are a regular feature of KKG meetings such as:

  • Representatives from HR departments at local high tech companies
  • Career consultants
  • Resume consultants
  • A professor of Business and Engineering at Carleton University
  • Financial Consultant
  • Networking (interpersonal) specialist

Tech Tuesdays - First Tuesday of most months – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Marshes Golf Club - Organized by Terry Matthews, anybody involved in or wanting to learn more about the High-Tech sector in Ottawa is welcome to attend this free event (cash bar). On average, around 150 professionals attend this event each month so be sure to reserve your spot through their website as space is limited.

GR Business Networking ($) meetings. Guests are invited to attend 2 meetings. Always check the GR Business Networking website to ensure that the time and location haven't changed since this information was last updated.

Networking Associations

In addition, be sure to check the following websites every Monday morning for more upcoming networking event opportunities:

Getting To Know Yourself

Here are a few assessments you can take, mostly for free. If you find yourself wondering what to do with the results, contact a professional life coach for assistance.

  • Personal Strengths DISC Assessment - This Personal Strengths Profile, or Disc Index will help you understand your behavioral style and how to maximize your potential.
  • 6 Human Needs Assessment - Tony Robbins developed a theory that everyone has 6 basic human needs. Identifying which of these needs are most important to you will help you understand what motivates you and what causes you pain.
  • RichardStep Strengths and Weaknesses Aptitude Test - This is a great free alternative to Strengths Finder 2.0 on-line assessment included with each copy of the book (Amazon.ca, Chapters Indigo.ca) by the same name. No personal information is required in order to get your results.
  • Learning Style Quiz - Have you ever wondered why it seems to be hard to learn things sometimes while at other times you just seem to be able to absorb the information like a sponge? While being interested in the subject certainly helps, most people tend to have a predominant learning style.

Not sure what your next career move might be? Whether you are heading into your first career or looking for something new, take a look at the following online resources:

  • SparkPath Challenge Cards - Not sure what to do after high school? Use these new and innovative Challenge Cards to discover your passion.
  • 80000hours.org - In your career, you have an average of 80,000 hours. This non-profit has done the research to answer your questions, provide free advice and support you in choosing a high impact career that will be meaningful to you.
  • DiscoverYear.ca - Lost? Don't know what you want to do with your life? Just graduated from high school or university? Between the ages of 18 and 25? Why not invest a year of your life to discover your calling? Discover Year is a structured one-year career and leadership program that helps people like you build essential skills through experiential learning, mentorship and interactive education.

Make Money Fast

When you need cash fast, don't beg, borrow or steal it. Use your knowledge, experience and skills to generate some cash.

While these probably won't be able to replace the level of income you have become used to as a professional, the following suggestions will slow down the financial sink hole and still leave you with time to find your next employer.

Until you are employed, avoid going deeper into debt whenever possible. Save money by reducing your Internet bill (there are less expensive services), cancel your cable TV and give up smoking, drinking and eating out for a while. Think of these as motivational rewards that you will be able to give yourself when you get your next job and can cut your living expenses by up to several hundred dollars. Cutting your expenses is by far the fastest way to stretch any existing savings you might have. Don't worry about re-connection charges. You'll have money to pay for that once you land your next job.

Until you find a new job, make looking for a job your full-time job. If you only look for work half a day each day, it will very likely take you twice as long. One hour a day? 7-8 times as long.

The ideas presented here are meant to only replace part of your normal income (i.e. part-time work).

First, if you are eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), apply as soon as you are unemployed. There is a delay to the start of your benefits and the clock only starts on the day you apply. If you wait 2 weeks to apply, you will end up delaying when you start receiving money.

Apply use your natural talents to make money. Sites like Upwork, Freelancer, Guru, Fivrr and Etsy may not make you rich quick but, if you can do something that people want, it might be a quick way to earn some extra money. Just be careful as some of these jobs are oriented towards the lower cost of labor in developing countries.

Maker Space - Got an idea on something you'd love to make and sell? The Ottawa public library has a Maker Space like setup they call Imagine Space which is one of the best deals in town. After following a short 2 hour session called "3D Printer and Laser Cutter Certification" at the Nepean Centrepoint branch of the library, you will be permitted to schedule and use their 3D printers and laser cutter/printer. They also have a green screen and computers to make and edit videos. Using the equipment is free however you do need to pay for any materials you use.

Kijiji, Craigslist and eBay are places you can sell stuff you don't use any more. Think of it as cleaning out the old useless junk to make room for all the new good stuff that is just waiting to come into your life. Fill your job search time with things that will move you towards your goal.

You can also earn cash or other rewards (not too fast mind you) on OpinionPost.com. You won't get rich off of this but it does not require that you pay any money, unlike many scams on the Internet today.

Apply for part time work as a Commissionaire, a Bus Driver or, if you tend to keep up on technology and have great people skills, a customer service representative at places like Best Buy or Staples.

Whatever strategy you end up using to stretch your dollars, just be sure that you don't end up doing this full-time instead of looking for a longer term and more sustainable solution - like getting a job!

Funding And Incentives Programs

Here are a few additional programs that can help you with your job search. Keep in mind that you have to be eligible for the specific program in order to qualify. Look into the programs for more details.

Retraining and Courses

  • Second Career - Skills retraining for laid-off workers.
  • ApprenticeSearch - For trade type jobs.
  • Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) - Provides financing of skills upgrade required to keep an existing job or as part of the hiring process for a new job. There are similar programs sponsored by the Government of Canada in partnership with many other provinces.
  • Youth Job Connection  (YJC) - this program serves youth between 15 ad 29 who experience multiple or complex barriers to employment. It offers training, job matching and placement, mentorship services and education/work transition support.
  • LinkedIn Learning - If you have an Ottawa Public Library (OPL) card, just go to the Ottawa Public Library / LinkedIn Learning page and get free access to 4,000+ courses for free on Lynda.com. LinkedIn Learning gives you access to courses for as long as you have a subscription. In the case of OPL, that will be as long as they offer this very generous service.
  • Udemy.com - Another great site with even more courses and variety than Lynda.com. They're are many free courses available. If you want to take a course that is not free, create an account on the website and wait a week or so. Courses that are between $100 to $300 often go on special for $15 to $19. You can also find discount coupons for many Udemy courses by Googling the words udemy 100 free. With Udemy courses, you continue to have access to any courses you enrol in for life, be it the life span of Udemy, the availability of the course or your life - which ever ends up finishing first.

Funding

You can tell employers about some of these programs if it helps you get the job.

Business Startup

Got an idea for a business? Considering making a go of it? Check out the Ontario Business and Economy information page.