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BY DAVE MACFADDEN, POSTMEDIA NEWS
Undoubtedly the greatest claim to fame of Leonardo da Vinci is that he gave the world two of its best-known paintings: the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper. Yet to classify da Vinci by his artwork alone would do an injustice to his astonishing wealth of creative accomplishments.
He was also a sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, cartographer and author, as well as an inventor credited with producing the original concepts for the helicopter, military tank and calculator.
In an interesting side-note, historians further speculate that da Vinci suffered from attention deficit disorder. It is believed that his extraordinary volume of work would have been twice as big had he actually completed all of the projects he started, rather than abandoning them partway through in order to be able to pursue fresh ideas.
It also appears that alongside his impressive range of other talents da Vinci was highly adept as a job-seeker. I discovered this the other day while browsing the Internet, where I happened upon a letter written by da Vinci to the Duke of Milan in 1482, as well as an accompanying analysis by “America’s Workplace Guru,” Stephen Viscusi. On closer inspection, da Vinci’s “letter” turns out to be closer in form to a resumé, and offers a striking example of how to target a job application to the specific needs of the employer.
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Much like a first date, successful job interviews rely on first impressions
BY LAURA STONE, POSTMEDIA NEWS
It should come as no surprise to potential employees that lack of eye contact is the biggest professional turnoff, according to a survey of Canadian hiring managers.
At 68%, the affliction commonly known as “shifty eyes” took the top spot on the survey of behaviours that would make a manager less likely to hire someone.
Other common mistakes made by job seekers are failure to smile, at 45%, and bad posture, at 37%, says the survey from job website CareerBuilder Canada.
The faux-pas don’t stop there. Crossing your arms, fidgeting, a weak handshake, playing with an object on the table and touching your hair or face all made the list of employment buzz-kills.
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Experience is hard to come by when no one’s willing to hire you without it
BY DAVID MACFADDEN, POSTMEDIA NEWS
The phrase catch-22 entered our language in 1961 as the title of a satirical novel by Joseph Heller. One of Heller’s characters is a military airman who wants to get out of flying dangerous missions.
The easiest way to do this is to plead insanity; but article Catch-22 of the military code states that his awareness of the danger means he must be sane, and therefore fit to fly. So while he can be excused from flying if he is insane, claiming to be insane proves that he is actually of sound mind.
A classic no-win situation.
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Pitch, outdated resumé design and inefficient network use could be part of the problem
BY KIM COVERT, POSTMEDIA NEWS
If you know you’ve got the kind of goods any employer would want but just can’t seem to sell them, maybe it’s time to look at possible problems with your pitch.
Depending on your field and the kind of job you’re looking for – plus, how long it’s been since your last job search – issues could be anything from an outdated resumé design to not working your networks efficiently.
“It’s easy to get stuck in a rut during the job hunt,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of
OfficeTeam, a temporary staffing agency. “If certain tactics aren’t working, job seekers need to switch gears and try new ideas.”
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Three semi-finalists build businesses with hearts and minds
BY BO GEMBARSKY, BIV
All businesses seek to make a profit, but some aspire to reach further. It is some of these enterprises that Small Business BC recognized at its ninth annual Successful You Awards on February 28 at the Pan Pacific Vancouver.
Hundreds of businesses were nominated for six “best in” categories: company, concept, employer, green business, online marketer and community impact. Voters on Small Business BC’s website (www.smallbusinessbc.ca) then chose the top 10 in each category.
Laura Patrick founded Kids Physio Group solo in 2006 before opening a studio on Fraser Street in October 2010 as a private clinic designed exclusively for children and youth.
Increasing demand sparked an extensive renovation and expansion of the existing space, doubling its footprint and ushering in new equipment, new services such as occupational therapy, creative dance, yoga for children with needs and seven new staff.
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Disney’s Club Penguin helping Interior’s fledgling entertainment cluster attract major companies and talent
BY JENNY WAGLER, BIV
After establishing a software development industry and building links with Silicon Valley, the Okanagan is cultivating a new cluster: animation and gaming.
Anchored by Kelowna animation heavyweight Club Penguin, a virtual-world website bought by Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) in 2007, the Okanagan’s animation cluster has expanded significantly in the last year or so.
“The gaming and animation side in Kelowna has probably doubled in the last year in terms of companies starting in the area,” said Jeff Keen, programs director for Accelerate Okanagan, a government-funded agency to support technology entrepreneurs.
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