'The mood has changed' for job hunters, says CBC Calgary's 'Get a Job Guy' in final appearance

It's been more than a year since career consultant Richard Bucher joined theCalgary Eyeopener as CBC Calgary's "Get a Job Guy."

The picture looked a little different back then. Unemployment was going up, the price of oil was going down, and there were no pipeline approvals in sight. But these days, there are signs of optimism in Calgary's job market.

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Bucher has been a regular columniston theCalgary Eyeopenerfor more than a year, offering advice on how to get a job. For his final appearance, Buchersat down with David Gray totalk about how the job market has changed.

Q: What's the difference between today and when you started this columnabout a year and a half ago?

A: A lot has changed. Certainly, the mood has changed. We're all seeing articles that are indicating that, dare I say it, we've reached a basement price in the commodity. We're hearing reports of companies planning further investment and expenditures this year. I'm certainly seeing much more activity with respect to the clients I'm working with getting interviewed, getting some face time with people.

Q: Where are the jobs now?

A: They're across the plain here, I was doing some digging around this and finding that in almost every company, you're not going to find a lot of positions, but you're going to find a good sampling of them. In the service sector companies that provide services to the oil and gas sector with equipment and supplies I'm seeing an upturn there.

Q: We shouldn't overstate things companies are still shedding jobs. What are you seeing on that front?

A: There are a number of people who still haven't found work. Unemployment is still at a record high, the number of people on EI is record high. That's going to lag for some time before we get through this chunk of population and get everybody back to work. We still have a lot of work to do here.

Q: If someone does manage to nail a job, is that the end? Or are things people should know about holding onto that job?

A: We could talk about this for a week. Most people, when they go to a new job, put their head down, tail up, work really hard and hope their new boss and co-workers like what they see. The inclination to be quiet and below the radar as a new employee in this market is intense, and it's the best way to find yourself in another transition. You need to have that running dialogue, so you always know how you're doing, and your boss knows what you're engaged in.

Q: Whatcan be learned from a downturn?

A: People need to make networking part of their life. They need to serve their career, and do something at least monthly to serve their career. Never let their resumget out of date, always stay informed with what's going on in the labour market. Stay connected.

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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener