Expanding Your Job Search

This section will help you expand your professional network in order to access the “hidden job market,” a term that applies to the roughly 80% of job vacancies which never get posted to online job boards and are only obtainable through personal and professional connections.

Finding Contacts

You can use the directories and resources below to start generating a list of contacts to approach. Look for companies who you can see yourself working for, or for employees in positions that you are interested in knowing more about.

BC211

An extensive directory of government and nonprofit programs and organizations across the province of BC.

Business in Vancouver (BIV) - Lists

Business in Vancouver compiles its weekly lists of the largest companies in BC onto a searchable web archive. Access the top 5 companies online or see the weekly issues in print in the library for the complete listing.

Hunter

Lists all the people working in a company with their name and email address found on the web. With 200+ million email addresses indexed, effective search filters and scoring, it's a powerful email-finding tool.

Reference Canada

Provides information on more than 2 million businesses throughout Canada. Tutorial available.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Canada Info Desk

Provides access to government directories and information on thousands of cultural, financial & professional organizations.

Note: exporting records is not an option with this version of the resource.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Informational Interviews

Once you have your list of contacts in hand, it’s time to start reaching out to make connections. A common strategy in Canada is to request a short meeting, or informational interview, with someone who works at a company you like or who works in your profession.

Indeed - Informational Interview Questions

Learn what an informational interview is and how this strategy can be used to help you find a job and further your career.

York University Career Centre - Tapping into the Hidden Job Market: Informational Interviewing

A concise 5-page handout to prepare you for a successful informational interview.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning offers video courses in business, computer technology, software, and creative skills, all conducted by experts in their fields.

New to LinkedIn Learning? View a video tutorial or visit the LinkedIn Learning FAQ page for more information.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Volunteering

Volunteering for a charity, community organization or professional group is another great way to meet potential business and employment contacts. Volunteering is also often recognized as valuable work-related experience by employers.

City of Vancouver Volunteering

Vancouver has a diverse range of volunteer opportunities to fit your goals, skills and schedule.

Volunteer BC

A one-stop-shop where prospective volunteers can find and apply for multiple volunteer opportunities in one place.

GoVolunteer

Includes volunteer opportunities across Canada. Searchable by keyword, location, and organization type.

Charity Village

Find volunteer opportunities at non-profit organizations across Canada.

Going to Job Fairs

A job or career fair can be a good opportunity to network with potential employers, find out about job opportunities, and improve your elevator pitch or interview skills. You can also gather information about organizations you may be interested in working for.

Education and Career Fairs in BC

Career fair organizer for BC. It holds multiple career fairs for the general public throughout the province in trade show format.

Eventbrite

Provides listings of various events, including local job fairs.

Joining Professional Associations

Joining a professional association is a great way to meet people in your field of interest and get insider tips. You can attend professional development seminars, tradeshows, or other events, as well as make use of their member-only resources. Even if you don’t want to join officially, many associations provide some of their resources to the public free of charge.

Civic Info BC - Associations & Not-for-Profits

A directory of associations and nonprofit organizations in BC.

AMC - Directory of Canadian Not-for-Profit Associations

A directory of nonprofit associations in Canada's 10 provinces.

SFU - Finding Business and Trade Associations

A helpful guide on how to find additional professional, industry, and trade associations in Canada.

Canada Info Desk

Provides access to government directories and information on thousands of cultural, financial & professional organizations.

Note: exporting records is not an option with this version of the resource.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Associations Canada: An Encyclopedic Directory = Un Repertoire Encyclopedique

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Includes Canadian organizations and international groups including industry, commercial and professional organizations, registered charities, special interests and common interests organizations. Have a look at this directory to see if there is a professional association for your industry.

Online Networking

Consider using some of the online tools below to enhance your overall networking strategy.

The world's largest professional network with nearly 675 million users in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Meetup.com

Meetup brings people together to create thriving communities. Side hustles become careers, ideas become movements, and chance encounters become lifelong connections.

ADPList

A free community to connect with mentors that match your career goals, book 1:1 mentorship sessions, and get advice.

Ten Thousand Coffees

Online networking tool which allows users to find each other by location, organization and industry, and then connect to give and/or receive tips and advice.