Recent Posts

Resumes: What Type of Picture Should You Use?

posted by on Jun 10, 2013 Leave a comment

The resume section on Kijiji is a great place to get some exposure for your work experience, and get the word out that you are looking for a position! You can upload pictures, write a creative biography, and set yourself apart from the pack by creating a memorable ad for your employment.

Turn that frown upside down - you want to present yourself as a happy professional, not as desperate and unhappy!

Turn that frown upside down – you want to present yourself as a happy professional, not as desperate and unhappy!

The picture feature is a great way to showcase your prior work, or help visualize an aspect of your resume, such as uploading a logo of prior places you’ve worked, or the educational institution that you attended. Many people like to upload a picture of themselves to their resume. If you want to add a picture of yourself, remember, this will be potential employers’ first impression of you! Making a bad impression will likely cost you any chance at an interview that you may have had.

Being perceived as friendly and approachable will help land an interview and wow them in person, so be sure to smile! You want to put forth a professional image, so a party picture or a picture you took yourself in the mirror is not the most suitable image to accompany a resume. Avoid making a “duck face”, as this is unlikely to help further your career goals.

Some pictures might seem perfectly appropriate, but could cause problems. For instance, if seeking work in childcare, it may seem perfectly natural to post an image of you at a prior job interacting with children. However, if you want to use an image featuring a child (or another individual of any age), make sure you have the consent of the parent or guardian, as this can cause upset (and possibly cost you a positive reference).

Try asking a friend to take a picture of you wearing interview appropriate clothing if you don’t have an appropriate picture, but still want to include an image of yourself. Avoid images featuring alcohol (unless you are looking for work as a bartender, and the picture is of you in action on the job), or any other props that suggest partying or that might distract from creating a professional appearance. Showing off all your tattoos and piercings is generally not advisable, unless you are seeking work as a tattoo artist. If you choose to include a picture, the picture should add, not detract or distract, to your image as a professional!

Choosing to upload an image of yourself can give you a competitive advantage if used thoughtfully, but can undermine your efforts if the wrong type of image is selected. If you want to include an image of yourself, you should tailor the image to your work objective, and help those viewing your resume visualize you as a potential colleague.

Categories: Kijiji Jobs, Kijiji Tips

Awkward Questions: How to Handle a Question that Shouldn’t Have Been Asked in an Interview

posted by on Jun 07, 2013 Leave a comment

Interviews are always full of questions, but how do you handle it when you are asked a question that makes you feel uncomfortable when applying for a new job? Laws on what types of questions vary depending on location, but in general, employers do not have the right to ask questions pertaining to your personal life, including cultural or religious inquiries, orientation or marital status, and questions pertaining to family (existing or planned). Knowing how to handle these types of questions can be very awkward. You are within your right to refuse to answer them, but there are other ways to handle the situation, which may come across as more diplomatic. Consider: what was the true intention of the question? Was the intent inappropriate, or was it trying to get information relevant to the job description?

Consider whether the question was asked with an unprofessional intent, or, if it was a poor wording choice to try and obtain information necessary for the job. For instance, a question about family or marital status could, in theory, be trying to figure out if you are able to travel (if that is a part of the job). If you feel that may be the case, try answering that question instead. Always go into an interview aware of the requirements of the new position, so you can bring answers back to your suitability.

Consider also whether the interviewer is likely to be aware of the laws. Unfortunately, not all interviewers are always up on employment laws, especially if their career is focused on something other than hiring. If the interview is for a very small company and the individual interviewing is not primarily a recruiter, supervisor, or human resources, they may not necessarily be aware of the law. Some questions are against the rules, but may be asked innocently. If you feel this is the case, giving them the benefit of the doubt and informing them of the law diplomatically might be a good way to go about the situation (however, they may not appreciate it). If, on the other hand, you are speaking to a representative of a large corporation in a recruitment, HR, or management position, they should be fully aware of the rules. If any questions are asked that make you feel uncomfortable in that type of company, notifying another company representative of the exchange would be appropriate. Lack of knowledge of the law should not be used as an excuse in any case, but this is especially true of someone holding a position largely devoted to interviewing and hiring (as is often the case with larger organizations).

You are always within your rights to refuse to answer any question that you feel is inappropriate or that makes you uncomfortable when interviewing for a new position. Remember, you are also interviewing the interviewer! What an interviewer asks can reveal more about company culture than may be intended. If you are still in the job application phase and are already uncomfortable, it is likely not a good fit (or a good environment).

Have you ever been asked an inappropriate question in an interview? How did you handle it? Did you get a job offer (and if so, did you take it)? Let us know in the comments!

Categories: Kijiji Jobs

Counterfeit Catching: How to Spot Replica Merchandise

posted by on Jun 05, 2013 Leave a comment

No one likes to be surprised to learn that they purchased counterfeit merchandise – but with misleading photos, copies that are closer to the original than ever, and persuasive sellers that make a business out of passing off knock-offs as the real deal, being able to tell the difference between authentic designer fashion and imitations is harder than ever. How is a budget conscious fashionista to know the difference between an amazing deal on a gem, and a counterfeit that isn’t worth a fraction of the purchase price?

How do you know the difference between authentic merchandise and counterfeit?

How do you know the difference between authentic merchandise and counterfeit?


Do your research. Know what the legitimate version looks like, and what deviations are frequently made by counterfeiters. Maybe the fake version of that fabulous handbag has a print that doesn’t align properly with the seams, doesn’t seem like real leather, or has hardware made out of flimsy metals, or the fur trim on the supposed Canada Goose Jacket doesn’t seem quite right, or the supposedly Tiffany ring is not stamped 925 and is suspiciously light weight. Not every error will be as easy to spot as a misspelled brand name or a bad imitation logo – only by knowing exactly what it is that you have set out to purchase (and what it is that you want to avoid) can you be confident that you are getting what you want to purchase.

Know the market value. Does that beautiful designer purse normally retail for $500+, but is posted at $100 in new condition? Remember that people want to get the value of their item – if they spent upwards of $1000 on an item, they aren’t going to sell it for $50 if it has been sitting in their closet in perfect condition, they will try to get as close to what they paid as possible.

Ask questions. If the price is low, ask why. If it is used and has some wear and tear, that is reason enough for a significant discount. If you have doubts about an item, ask if they are willing to meet at an authorized distributor to verify the authenticity.

Be wary of stock photos. If the pictures are all pulled from the company website, ask for images that show the actual item. If you doubt the authenticity, specifically requesting pictures that showcase details that are often tell-tale signs of a copy is a good idea.

See what else is up for sale by the seller. Are the seller’s other ads all sought after brand name items in new condition? Are the supposedly brand name items intermingled with loads of discount electronics or wholesale items?

Kijiji takes counterfeit items seriously – not only are they not permitted on the site, but they are also illegal. If you see replica items on Kijiji, please use the “report ad” feature to bring it to the attention of our moderation team.

Categories: Kijiji Tips

Where in Canada Should I Rent?

posted by on May 30, 2013 6 Comments

Are you looking for an apartment? Ever wonder what you could get for the same amount of money in another city in Canada? Since we love infographics and are fascinated by the housing market, Kijiji and Rentseeker.ca decided to take a look at the rental market across Canada through a neat Infographic.
Did you know that Montreal has the highest number of rentals in Canada? There are approximately 449,826 rental apartments in Montreal.  In comparison, the number of rental apartments in Regina is only 40,624. Looking at the other major cities:

 

Can you guess where in Canada has the highest cost to rent an apartment? Vancouver! The average cost to rent a bachelor unit in Vancouver is about $910 a month. Toronto is a close second at $872 followed by Calgary at $780. Montreal, which had the highest number of rentals, will cost you $543.
Though a bachelor is the most expensive in Vancouver, one and three bedroom apartments are the most expensive in Toronto, making it less affordable for families.
Where to rent an apartment in Canada

Categories: Kijiji Real Estate

Job Ad Red Flags

posted by on May 28, 2013 Leave a comment

Here at Kijiji, we devote significant resources to keeping the site clean from scam ads. In addition to our automated systems, we have a team of devoted scam finders working around the clock, reviewing both ads that have yet to be posted and those which have been flagged as suspicious by the community. However, those seeking work on Kijiji (or on any website) should be aware of some red flags to look out for.

Follow These Tips to Avoid Scams in your Online Job Search

Follow These Tips to Avoid Scams in your Online Job Search

Job is too good to be true. Employment scams are usually written to be appealing, generally offering far more than the standard pay for a strait forward or generic sounding position, often stating that little or no experience is necessary. These job ads frequently are geared towards those who may have difficulty finding work, and emphasize personal qualities or values such as trustworthiness rather than specific skills. Work from home positions are also common offerings. If you read the ad and react with “Wow – this job sounds amazing!” keep your guard up, and ask lots of questions.

No information (or very little information) on the company or individual who is hiring. If you encounter ads on your job search that contain hardly any information about the company hiring, stay alert. While some agencies have legitimate job postings and cannot reveal identifying details about the company, they should be able to give you details on the actual position, and their agency, even if information on the hiring company is off-limits.

A lot of questions about you. In almost all cases, your resume (and possibly also a cover letter) should be more than enough information for a potential employer. Questions about your SIN number before an interview, as well as requests for passport, address, or credit information are major red flags that the job is not legitimate, and could be an attempt at identity theft.

Foreign symbols or references. Kijiji is a local, face to face site – and any indication that the “job” or individual may not be located in Canada are big reasons to be suspicious. These might include currency symbols or references to being paid in another currency (which is actually illegal in Canada), mentions of geographical locations which are nowhere near where the position is supposedly located, or strange language that seems like it might have been put through a translation service.

Any requests for money. A legitimate employer will be looking to pay you, and should not be asking for money. If you need to purchase anything for a job (such as a uniform), typically these are taken out of a first pay cheque, not requested up front. Also be aware of “refund” requests after “overpayment” after your first pay, as this is a common scam (the original cheque bounces after the money is sent “back”, leaving the victim with less money, and still jobless).

Tall tales. If a job involves a lengthy story on why the job is required and why the poster can’t meet you face to face, and the poster evades your questions or refuses to answer requests for more information, keep your guard up.

If you replied to an ad and these red flags come up during correspondence, please let us know by sending the details to our help desk. If you come across an ad on site that is suspicious, please report it by clicking the link in the upper right corner of the ad. If your job hunt brings you into situations or exchanges that make you feel uncomfortable for any reason, trust your gut, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the trust and safety team if you have more questions.

Categories: Fraud, Scams & Safety Tips, Kijiji Jobs, Kijiji Tips, Trust & Safety