jobpostings magazine (vol. 14, issue 2)

44
& I’m SOFT SKILLS Don’t let your fingers do the talking — “easy-peasy” is not always the best approach RESTOCK YOUR SKILLS Your retail job is more than just folding clothes. hustlin’ | october 2011 | every day, 3 PAGE SPECIAL FEATURE PLUS: THE PROBLEM WITH ABORIGINAL EDUCATION IN CANADA

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The October 2011 edition of Canada's largest career lifestyle magazine for students and recent grads. This issue's cover story outlines what's wrong with Aboriginal education in Canada.

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Page 1: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

&

I’mI’mI’mI’mI’m

&&SOFT SKILLSDon’t let your fingers do the talking — “easy-peasy”

is not always the best approach &&RESTOCK YOUR SKILLSYour retail job is more than

just folding clothes.

hustlin’

| october 2011 |

hustlin’every day,

33333PAGE SPECIAL FEATURE

PLUS:

3333FEATUREFEATURE3FEATURE33FEATURE3THE PROBLEM WITH ABORIGINAL EDUCATION IN CANADA

Page 2: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

business.humber.ca

BUSINESS DEGREES4-YEAR DEGREES THATARE BUILT FOR BUSINESS.

Accounting

e-Business Marketing

Fashion Management

Human Resources Management

International Business

Tourism Management

Page 3: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

Jessica is building a future in PwC’s Consulting & Deals practice.

Visit our website to discover a career as unique and individual as you are.

Brilliant futures

www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca

We believe in brilliant futures for our people, our clients, our business and the community.

To find out more, visit www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca

© 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved. “PwC” refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, which is a member fi rm of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each member fi rm of which is a separate legal entity.

Page 4: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

2 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

stuff to buy

yay!more school

1 PwC 9 Department of National Defence 10 Shell 16 CGI 16 Federated Co-operative 19 Deloitte 21 The Source 23 NAV CANADA 23 Diversey 23 Export Development Canada 27 TD Bank Financial Group 28 Cameco 28 Edmonton International Airport 33 Canon 34 College Pro 37 The Home Depot OBC RMCP

who’shiring

Hey. Did you know that these companies have lots of entry level positions? Visit their websites to see a full list of positions available.

IFC Humber, The Business School (Undergrad) 3 Humber, The Business School: Event Management 5 Humber, The Business School: Global Business 38 Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology 38 Centennial College 39 Brock University 39 Niagara College 39 Ross University 39 Queen’s University 39 Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry 39 Sheridan College IBC Humber, The Business School

7 Rogers Wireless

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Success Story — Sunil Sharma highlights

the importance of diversity on your resume.

Brought to you by Rogers Wireless.

Career Cupid — What are you going to do

with THAT degree?!

Start Up — Lena Fevens – entrepreneur and

cake designer extaordinaire!

Interview Smarts — Michelle Gauthier of

NAV Canada offers her take on a very common

interview question.

Soft Skills — Don’t let your fingers do

the talking.

Management Training Programs — Can enrolling in one enhance your career or

come with a heavy price tag?

Five Misconceptions About SalesPeople — It’s not always about the big sell. We

separ fact versus fiction.

Restock Your Skills — Working in retail can

teach you important, transferrable skills.

Edu-ma-cation — A Master’s in Project

Management is a trump card in any profession.

JobLife — Money, Money, Money! Some sug-

gestions on what to do with all that money

you’re making.

The Problem with Aboriginal Education in Canada

It’s a startling realization that more than one-third

of Aboriginal people in Canada haven’t earned a

high school diploma. In this special feature, we learn

more about the education disparity between Native

and non-Native peoples in Canada, along with the

strides being taken to fix the problem.

6

8

11

12

14

29

32

35

38

40

17

hustlin’hustlin’hustlin’hustlin’every day,hustlin’hustlin’

I’m

Being your own boss sounds awesome, right? But before

you go off and start your own business, be warned: self-em-

ployment isn’t for everyone. Here are some things to keep in

mind before you embark on a freelancing adventure.

who else? 13 Wood Manufacturing Council 30 Insurance Institute of Canada 31 ACE Canada

Page 5: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

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business.humber.ca

EVENTMANAGEMENTPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

From trade shows to cultural festivals; from sporting events to fashion shows; from conferences and meetings to weddings: this program offers the unique skills you need to launch your career as an:

• Event Coordinator• Marketing Assistant• Special Events Organizer• Promotion Coordinator• Account Representative• Trade Show Planner• Conference Coordinator• Corporate Meeting Planner

Page 6: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Be Smart. Be Passionate. Trust yourself. Work Hard.

boxes, then I would make it the best darn maga-zine about cardboard boxes EVER. And I would be happy doing that job, provided that it paid well, gave me some creative control, and my co-workers were talented, smart, fun people to be around.

This is my last editor’s note for jobpostings magazine (next issue, our web editor will be writ-ing this note for our special “Women’s issue”). I found another job, or, rather, it found me — feels good, I’m not going to lie.

This magazine has come a long way. When I started, there was me, an intern, and a designer who worked from home (and a few sales people), and virtually no freelance writers. Now, we have a web editor, two or three interns, an in-house art director, a product manager, and more free-lance writers than you can shake a pen at.

I think it is safe to say that this magazine has got-ten better. It has gotten better because of the combined hard work of the people behind it, the people who slept in their offices when on dead-line, the people who went outside their job de-scription, who showed intelligence, passion, and brought sincerity and pride to their work.

And that’s what you should do when you start your career.

I figured, for my last note, I would share with you some tried and tested work habits:

1. Learn how to give a presentation. 2. Shut up. Learn to listen to your colleagues, and your boss. 3. Don’t say “no” to opportunities to take on extra projects (within reason, of course). 4. Say “no,” but delicately. Some things are not worth your time. Or the company’s. 5. Success teaches you nothing; failure, on the other hand, is an awesome way to learn. 6. Be sincere, be humble, and set your ego aside. Beware of other people’s egos. 7. Trust your instincts. You’re smart, and good at what you do. 8. Trust your team, and the people around you. 9. Have fun and challenge yourself. 10. Work hard, use common sense, and make sure you care about your work. 11. Get something going in your life other than work; it’ll help you decompress. 12. Eat a good breakfast (I’m still working on this one).

Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting us! (Oh, and my fellow Arts grads — or anyone who wants to go their own way — this month’s feature is for you!) ~ Jason Rhyno

v

Did I ever tell you how I got this job? I started as an intern. I had gone back to school after working at another magazine, to complete a fabulous one-year post-grad program called Book and Magazine Publishing at Centennial College. After I fin-ished the program — during the recession — job boards had dried up and rusted. There was nothing, and what was out there was quickly gobbled up by people 20 years my senior.

I had done an internship earlier in the year, and was hesitant to take on another one. I had rent to pay, and an internship would mean giving up shifts at the restaurant I worked at. So I did what any sane person looking for a career would do; I gave up my apartment, and went homeless — well, not exactly. I stayed on a few of my friends comfy couches.

I did it because I knew what I wanted in my career. For the first time in my life, I knew with 100 percent certainty that I wanted to be an editor. I knew what experience I was lacking, where my soft skills needed polishing, and what I needed to do make myself attractive to an employer. I didn’t care that my friends were landing jobs at big name publishing houses, or getting awesome freelance assignments. From now on, I told myself, my success would be judged on my own terms — not society’s or my friend’s, or my mom’s definition of suc-cess. If I got a job working at a magazine about cardboard

publisherNathan Laurie

[email protected]

associate publisherMark Laurie

[email protected]

editorJason Rhyno

[email protected]

art directorSonya van Heyningen

[email protected]

web editorSimone Castello

[email protected]

contributorsLisa Charleyboy, Katie

Edmonds, Christine Fader,

Michelle Gauthier, Ross

Harrhy, Jaclyn Law, Brandon

Miller, Allison Mitchell,

Kevin Nelson, Alyssa

Ouellette, Emma Woolley

national account managersSarah-Lyn Amaral,

Lori Blanchard,

Mary Vanderpas

jobpostings

Published by Passion Inc.25 Imperial Street, Suite 100Toronto, ON M5P 1B9

jobpostings.ca1-877-900-5627 ext. 221

jobpostings is published eight times in the school year. Issue dates are September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and May. Copies of jobpostings are distributed to over 105 universities and colleges across Canada. Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reprinted in whole or part without permission of the publishers.

on the cover:Image Composite: © Sonya van Heyningen

Original Images: Man on bike - © iStockphoto.com/Ryan Lane,Road - Stock.xchng)

editor’sNOTE

Page 7: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

business.humber.ca

GLOBAL BUSINESSMANAGEMENTPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

From marketing to finance; from advertising to international trade; this program offers the unique skills you need to launch your career in:

• Marketing • Finance• Advertising• International Trade• Retail• Wholesale• Supply Chain Management

Page 8: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

6rogers.com/careers/campuslife

Where did you go to School? What program did you attend?I went to school at Red River College in Win-nipeg, Manitoba. I attended one of the most popular courses offered at the college — Busi-ness Administration.

What drew you to your current field?While I was in high school, I would spend ev-ery Saturday at my fathers automotive repair shop. As I swept the floors or threw out the garbage, I would watch my father deal with his customers, and coach his employees. It was because of him that I got involved with College Pro. The Idea that I could be in control of my own schedule, deal with customers, and be the leader in my business just seemed perfect.

How did you find your current posi-tion? After three intense interviews and a bunch of reference and background checks, in 2007, I was granted my very own painting franchise with College Pro at the age of 18. I operated my franchise for three years. Each year brought forth a new set of challenges and a whole new skill set that I felt I needed to conquer. After this last year, I ran the biggest and most prof-itable business in central Canada, and the biggest of my career. I talked to my GM about further growth and he put me in contact with the VP and president of the company. The thing about College Pro is that when you have grown beyond your current role, they open

their doors to new roles with a whole new set of challenges and growth opportuni-ties.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?After going to college for Business Ad-ministration, I had second thoughts and looked at becoming a teacher. I wanted to impact peoples lives and help grow their skill set. What I ended up discovering after a few years with College Pro was that I was doing ex-actly that, but in a different field. I was helping other franchisees suc-ceed with their business, by sharing ideas and tactics that have worked

for me. The pride I felt when someone else’s business took off in a positive direction was amazing.

What skills have you learned through your work experience?One of the most important skills that I have learned is priority management. It is best to be in control of your day, and to approach it with a well thought out battle plan. In our day and age, its almost as if we have no time for anything. Set aside an hour at the end of the week to plan out the following week. Be sure to factor in some time to yourself! Life is also about having fun!

What do you think it takes to be suc-cessful in this career?Be a sponge! Soak in as much knowledge as you can and be open to Ideas. Be an extremely selfish learner — ask questions! It’s the best way to learn.

Is there one accomplishment you are most proud of to date?I am most proud of my latest promotion. I have just been promoted from being a fran-chise owner in a small area in Winnipeg to be-ing put in charge of operating Ottawa , plus Eastern Ontario. This role is going to put me up against a whole new set of challenges that I just can’t wait to embrace! It’s great to see that my hard work within the company has been recognized.

What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job?Be sure to diversify your resume and differen-tiate yourself from others. Your book smarts aren’t everything, be sure to get some real world experience in your portfolio. Look at each job as one of the greatest learning and develop-ment opportunities in your life! Best of luck!

Sponsored by

Company College Pro Painters

Position General Manager - Eastern Ontario

Length of employment 4 years

Degree Business Administration

SUCCESSSTORIESSunil Sharma

Page 9: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

1 Extreme Text Messaging service is available to Rogers wireless prepaid and postpaid customers only as part of their wireless service. Visit rogers.com/extremetext for complete user details. ™Trademarks of or used under license from Rogers Communications Inc. or an affi liate. © 2011 Rogers Communications.

Only Rogers gives you control and fl exibility when it comes to texting with these extreme features:

rogers.com/extremetext

IT’S EXCLUSIVELY FROM ROGERS AND INCLUDED AS A STANDARD PART OF ROGERS WIRELESS SERVICE.1

Block incoming texts from unwanted sources.

BLOCKER

Send the same text to a group of contacts.

DISTRIBUTION LISTS

Sign outgoing texts with your name, title or a favourite quote.

PERSONAL SIGNATURE

Just like call forwarding, except for text messaging.

FORWARD

Send an auto-reply message to those who text you.

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Copy incoming texts to another number or email.

COPY

TAKE TEXTING TO A NEW LEVEL WITH

ALREADY A ROGERS CUSTOMER?Use the free My Account app on your wireless phone

to manage your Extreme Text Messaging features.

Page 10: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

CAREER CUPID

are my options?” ques-

tion but it is perhaps most

prevalent among students

in non-professional pro-

grams. If you’re a student

at a university or college,

in a program that has the

words “Arts” or “Science” or

“General” in the diploma

title, you are likely in a non-

professional program. That

simply means that your

program isn’t a training

program with a rigorous

plan for imparting specific

skills that lead to a spe-

cific job (e.g., nurse, social

worker or engineering tech-

nologist). This is especially

true for many university

programs but the same

also holds for some general

college programs.

Despite the “what are my

options?” conundrum,

the benefits of being in a

non-professional program

are many:

• Theyusuallyallow

you the flexibility to try

a variety of courses that

all count towards your

ultimate degree/diploma

• Thesubjectmatteris

often broad, allowing you

to learn a little about lots

of things (great, if you

get bored easily or don’t

have anything that really

“grabs” you).

• Theyoftenallowyou

to remain open/undecided

about your program focus

until you get your feet wet

and have a few courses

under your belt.

• Theyimpartskillsthat

apply to a wide range

of occupations such as

analytical skills, commu-

nication skills, information

synthesis skills…

• Theyappealtostu-

dents who don’t want to

“close any doors.”

Christine Fader works as a

career counsellor at Queen’s

University and is the author

of, “Career Cupid: Your Guide

to Landing and Loving Your

Dream Job.” Visit her website

at careercupid.com

I’m pretty sure that some

of the students I work with

think I have a magic wand.

Of course, not one that

I show just anyone who

happens to wander into my

office, but one that I can

whip out from some secret

spot for special people —

people who have a certain

confused and hopeful look

in their eyes when they

sit on my couch and ask,

“What are my options?”

There are days that I’d love

to whip out said spar-

kly wand and magically

bestow the perfect career

(and matching fabulous

salary) on the shoulders

of the student seated with

me. I’d be the career fairy

godmother and how fun

would that be to put on a

business card?!

But, alas, I haven’t received

my fairy godmother desig-

nation yet.

Students in all programs

and at all stages (first year

through to PhD) come to

see me with the “what

What are you going to do with

THAT degree?!

by Christine Fader

Yep, there are many great

reasons for choosing and

thriving in a non-profes-

sional program but that

doesn’t mean you won’t,

at some point, be staring

into space during class

thinking, “what are the

options?” And, many a stu-

dent has been prompted to

come and visit the Career

Centre after tiring of

people asking in a perhaps

well-meaning but slightly

tactless way: “And, just

what are you going to do

with THAT?!”

If you’re in a non-profes-

sional program, it usually

means that you’re learning

theoretical concepts and

abstract principles, rather

than being trained. It does

NOT mean that you aren’t

acquiring any skills. The

challenge is figuring out

how to connect those skills

to career options. Students

want THE LIST of jobs that

their program qualifies

them for. They want to

know which employers

hire out of this program

versus that program. They

want to figure out if they

have a hope of getting to

Job X from where they’re

currently at. In other

words, it all comes down

to: “What are my options?”

The National Occupational

Classification (the govern-

ment book that tries to

keep track of job titles in

Canada) has upwards of

30,000 job titles in it. The

good news is that the vast

majority of jobs (this is not

scientific but I think I can

accurately say 29,600+)

have many, different paths

to them. Unless you want

to be a plastic surgeon

(medical school definitely

required!) or a journeyman

tool and die maker (ap-

prenticeship important!),

there are multiple ways

to get to the vast majority

of jobs.

Don’t believe me? Ask

people doing interesting

jobs:

• Isthereatypicaledu-

cational path to this job?

• Arethereanyother

kinds of experiences (paid,

volunteer) that help people

get this job?

• Whataretheback-

grounds of the people in

your workplace who do

this job?

What you’ll most often

find is that many people

doing the very same job

have backgrounds that are

related to the key skills

in the work but are quite

different from each other.

So the answer to “what are

my options?” is so full of

possibilities and variety

that it quickly leads to

another question: “What

do I WANT to do?”

Now, this can be a doozy

to contemplate but it’s

one that career centres

and advisors can help you

with. And it lets us career

practitioners get one step

closer to completing the

career fairy godmother

training program.

october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Page 11: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

“I got to choose from several career options when I joined. I’ve always loved working with new technology so this job was a natural fi t. Here, there’s always something new on the horizon.”Leading Seaman PATTY LEE

« Quand je me suis enrôlée, j’ai eu à choisir parmi plusieurs possibilités de carrière. Comme j’ai toujours aimé travailler avec les nouvelles techno-logies, la décision s’est prise naturellement. Dans mon métier, il y a toujours quelque chose de neuf à découvrir. »Matelot de 1re classe PATTY LEE

1-800-856-8488F O R C E S . C A

Page 12: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

LENAFEVENS

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CAREERS AT SHELLLET’S BUILD A BETTER ENERGY FUTURE.

To learn more and apply, visit www.shell.ca/students.

n Alternative work schedulesn Work and family programsn Health and wellness programs

n Training and developmentn Employee networksn Mentoring

At Shell, we believe every individual has something valuable to offer. We understand that the more diverse the workforce, the wider the variety of ideas we bring to the table. If you’re ready to tackle the energy challenge and make a real impact on the world, join a company that values diversity and emphasizes the quality of life for its employees and their families. We offer:

Page 13: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

It was sort of a slow process. I wasn’t sure if the market was here in my local community because we’re pretty small. So I just sort of gauged the interest of people and based it on how many or-ders I got. I keep track of how people contact me, when, and if I can accept their cakes or not. And then I did a bunch of test runs out at the local mall with some of the smaller desserts that I do — the cupcakes, the truffles — to see if the interest was there and if I could get the prices that I would need to charge. I did quite a bit of analysis as far as the local demographic goes and the marketing oppor-tunities that I have here.

Interviewed by Brandon Miller

Where did the idea come from for Lena’s Designer Cakes?

The initial idea came from my best friend, who was in need of a wedding cake. I was the friend who would bring the goodies to our gatherings. She asked me if I would make her wedding cake, so I said, “sure, why not.” And that’s where it started. I made her cake and it came out really well. I got a couple of cake orders that night, actually, at her wedding reception. And it has just kind of grown from there.

So you have this business idea. How did you get started with getting it off the ground?

29-years old, owner of Lena’s Designer Cakes

in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Studied IT

and website development at Nova Scotia Community College.

ACE 2011 Student Entrepreneur, Nova Scotia champion.

LENAFEVENS

What makes Lena’s Designer Cakes unique?

In this area specifically, we are unique. There isn’t any other business doing what we do at the mo-ment. But I also think it comes down to quality and customer care. I hold a lot of focus groups. I have a lot of taste-testers. We care about what people think instead of just shoving stuff down people’s throats.

In your opinion, what makes for a successful entre-preneur?

I would probably say perseverance would defi-nitely be important. You need to be self-driven, self-motivated. There’s nobody there motivating you and driving you. Becoming your own boss and having your own business, it’s not glamorous by any stretch of the imagination. It’s hard work. You stay up late.

Have you always been into baking?

When I was younger, probably when I was be-tween the ages of 13 and 15, I actually used to do a lot of cake sculpting. I like to say that I was actually doing it before it was cool to do it. The first thing I ever sculpted as a cake was a car. It looked terrible but you could get the idea from it.

What has been your proudest business accom-plishment?

So far, my proudest accomplishment has been expanding my little cake business into a full-scale retail bakery. We just opened up a couple of weeks ago in a building in downtown Yarmouth. I got funding from a bunch of different places and they’re letting me follow my dream.

Do you have any plans to expand?

Oh, definitely. I’m hoping within the next 10 years to have between two and three hundred of these stores. I’m going to franchise it and turn it into a global chain.

Do you have any advice for students that might want to start their own business?

I guess the only advice I would give is to make sure that you are dedicated to what you are doing be-cause, while you might have fun while you are do-ing it, it is a lot of work, especially while you are in school. You need to make sure that you love what you are doing, that you believe in it, and that you are willing to go the distance to make your busi-ness what you want it to be.

startup

jobpostings.ca | october 2011

Page 14: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

AQTell me what you know about the company?

So you screwed up in the

interview, huh? They asked

the ol’ “What’s your greatest

weakness” question and you

responded with “cupcakes,”

hoping to get a laugh. Awkward.

Lucky for you we have friends

on the inside — recruiting

friends (the people who’ll be

interviewing you). It cost us a

few favours, but they finally

agreed to explain why they ask

what they ask, and what the

best answers are.

It’s a cheatsheet for interviews.

Good luck!

smarts* interview

by Michelle Gauthier,

National Manager of

Candidate Selection

@ NAV CANADA

This question is fairly standard in an interview, but it’s important to really understand how an interviewer considers your response.

As an employer who is about to make a significant investment in your professional development, your response to this question speaks directly to your motivation. We’re looking for an answer that shows you made a sincere effort to research the company, beyond simply memorizing sentences from our website.

Simply put: if you’re not motivated to prepare for your interview, how can I expect you to be motivated in training or on-the-job?

Knowing NAV CANADA’s mission statement is good, but it always strikes me as impressive when an interviewee scratches beyond the surface and researches our services, our organizational values and our customers.

Doing this type of preparation should not be underestimated. Be prepared to speak about the company in your own words for several minutes. Not only will this show your determination in the interview room, it will help you respond to follow up questions about your skills and behaviours in the context of the company.

Finally, be ready to explain how you researched the company ahead of your interview. If you went to our website or Facebook page, I’ll want to know what you learned about the company there.

This question is often asked early on, and has the potential to set the tone for the rest of your interview — be ready and make a good first impression!

october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Page 15: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

WERC In Advanced Wood Manufacturing

130 Albert Street, suite 1016Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4

T 613-567-5511 F 613-567-5411 www.wmc-cfb.ca

Wood Employee Readiness Curriculum

Funded by the Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program

The WMC WERC Skills Development program is designed to prepare individuals for entry-level occupations in advanced wood manu-facturing and recruits specifically from groups including First Nations, Inuit and Métis, new immigrants and persons with disabilities.

Participants of the program are provided with skills upgrading in the following areas

• Job Readiness• Essential and Life Skills • Introduction to Basic Wood Manufacturing• Safety Training, Job Shadowing and Job Placement

Successful candidates of the minimum 8 week program will be better able to seek long term career opportunities in cabinet making, furniture, manufactured housing and other advanced wood sectors across Canada.

If you are interested in participating in the WERC program in your area or a manufacturer looking for new entry level woodworkers, please visit www.wmc-cfb.ca or contact:

Wood Manufacturing Council1016 -130 Albert StreetOttawa, ON, Canada K1P 5G4 Tel: 613-567-5511 * Fax: 613-567-5411 Website: www.wmc-cfb.ca

ENTRY-LEVEL CAREERS FOR FIRST NATIONS, METIS, INUIT, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND NEW IMMIGRANTS

Page 16: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

DON’T LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE TALKING

by Allison Mitchell

softskills

HAVE YOU EVER TEXTED OR EMAILEDSOMEONE WHO WAS SITTING RIGHT BESIDE YOU? BE HON-EST — EVERYONE HAS DONE IT AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER. AND LET’S FACE IT: IT’S CONVE-NIENT AND SOMETIMES EASIER TO DO THAN TALKING TO SOME-ONE FACE TO FACE. BUT JUST BECAUSE IT’S EASY, DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT’S ALWAYS THE BEST APPROACH TO INTERACT-ING WITH OTHERS. COMMU-NICATION SKILLS — WRITTEN AND VERBAL — ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE, PARTICULAR-LY IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT.

Page 17: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

DON’T LET YOUR FINGERS DO THE TALKING

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Think of people on a city bus or in a waiting room; chances are that they will be focusing their atten-tion on texting and very few will be talking. These are appropriate places to text, and keep your voice down. Yet in general, it’s not enough to rely solely on electronic devices to communicate. They are an important part of our lives, yes, but we need to remember how verbal communication can help us be successful at work.

So, what’s the difference between talking to some-one and emailing them when both methods com-municate information?

RELATIONSHIP BUILDING Relationships are vital in the workplace. When you join a company, you will need to work hard to build relationships with your co-workers, and talking in person allows the other individual to put a face to a name (aside from your social media profile picture). After a few conversations, you will start to build a presence in your office. Communicating by email all of the time means that you become a faceless email. Putting a face to your name means that when you walk down the hall, your co-workers won’t be whis-pering “who’s the new person?” when you have al-ready worked there six months. Get visible and get involved where you can. Every time you get up from your desk, think of it as a mini-networking adventure and talk to people on the way to your destination.

DEVELOPING COMMUNICA-TION SKILLSCommunication skills need to be continuously practiced and honed. Even the best communicators have to practice the art. Simple, daily conversations will help to improve your communication skills and your comfort level in talking with groups of people. If you spend most of your time alone at your desk ,behind a computer screen, then how are you sup-posed to develop your verbal communication skills? You won’t! You’ll find yourself in a position where simply talking with your co-workers could be diffi-cult because it causes you anxiety, or because you haven’t developed the ability to communicate clear-ly and succinctly. Don’t get me wrong: I know that email is a form of written communication, which is an essential skill to develop, but the frequency that we talk to each other has significantly decreased with advances in electronic communication.

CONFLICT RESOLUTIONConflicts and misunderstandings happen all the time at work and you need to be able to effectively resolve the issues in order to move forward. Have you ever tried to resolve a conflict or misunder-standing through email? If you have, then you know that it’s not an easy feat. It can be frustrating and time consuming with a lot of back and forth emails that often exacerbate the issue because meaning and tone are lost in emails. It is hard to convey tone and emotion over email, and it is equally difficult to interpret them. You can truly only understand the tone of a discussion by talk-ing; emoticons just won’t cut it. When you are ex-changing emails with someone and find yourself in a situation where you need to resolve a conflict, pick up the phone or go to the person’s desk and talk it out. Think of how much time and frustration you will save. If you need the resolution document-ed, you can easily follow up by sending an email to the other person with the agreed upon resolution.

Two things are certain: one, electronic communi-cation is critical in the workplace and will be an im-portant tool in your communication toolbox; two, verbal communication far outweighs email ex-changes in relationship building, improving verbal communication and resolving conflicts. So, how do you balance the two?

The key is to be able to identify the method of com-munication that is most appropriate in the particu-lar situation that you are in. Email is appropriate in some situations; talking may be a better method of communication in other circumstances. Build-ing relationships, sharpening your communication skills and polishing your ability to resolve conflict are all fundamental competencies that are re-quired in your career. The next time you are writ-ing an email to someone, consider talking to them instead — if I could have given you this message in person, I would have

jobpostings.ca | october 2011

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Eetz not good.

Page 19: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

THINK YOU COULD BE

YOUR OWN BOSS?

HERE’S WHAT YOU

NEED TO KNOW.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT CREATINGyour own job? Maybe you’re a college or university stu-dent or a recent graduate, and you’re planning to find steady work in your field of study. But while your crisp new credentials may be impressive, they don’t guarantee you a job, especially with today’s economic uncertainty.

by Jaclyn Law

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Or maybe you’ve found a full-time position in your field, but instead of enjoying it, you’re daydream-ing about busting out of the cubicle farm and es-caping the scourge of office politics.

Before you give up on your industry, consider flying solo. For many types of work, it’s possible to shop your skills around for short-term work as an inde-

pendent service provider — a freelancer or consultant. You’d be in good company:

according to Statistics Canada, there were 2.67 million self-em-

ployed workers (about 16 per-cent of the workforce) in this country in 2010 — 12 per cent more than a decade

ago. About half were sole proprietors, unincorpo-rated and working without paid help.

Being your own boss sounds awesome, right? Imagine it: more control over the work you do, greater flexibility in your schedule, and no more ir-ritating commute to the office. And, in a way, you have more job security than you would working for someone else — no one can fire or downsize you.

But before you declare your independence, be warned: self-employment isn’t for everyone. Sure, you have the freedom to make all the decisions, but that comes with the hefty responsibility of, well, making all the decisions. The same flexibil-ity that makes freelancing seem liberating can be your downfall if you’re not disciplined. And in addi-tion to being the president, you’ll also be the book-keeper, marketer, office manager, janitor and, from time to time, the collection agency.

Freelancing also means giving up three things that many aren’t willing to live without: a predictable income, health benefits, and paid vacations. Work-ing solo also means just that — you’ll mostly be alone, with no one to help when you’re overloaded, tired, sick or itching to rehash last night’s episode of Mad Men. You can also wave goodbye to work-place perks like expense accounts, company cars, subsidized gym memberships, free coffee, em-ployee discounts and an endless supply of sticky notes. You might work irregular hours, including evenings and weekends.

Instead of being assigned work, you’ll have to chase down each client and project, which can be time-consuming, frustrating and exhausting. And for those who think freelancing means they won’t have to answer to a boss, here’s the truth: every cli-ent is a new boss, with attendant demands, expec-tations and quirks to manage.

There will be leaner times, when work seems to dry up and you wonder if you made a huge mistake by forgoing a salaried job.

But hey, you’ve gotta dream big. Stay focused, stay organized, do excellent work, build good relation-ships and manage your money, and you have a good chance of thriving.

If the idea of self-employment inspires excitement rather than fear, read on to see how others have made it work.

Do a reality checkHave a frank conversation with yourself and iden-tify weaknesses that could trip up your fledgling freelance career. Making it past the first stages

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19jobpostings.ca | october 2011

of a business launch requires motivation, level-headedness, discipline, a tolerance for uncertain-ty, and persistence.

“The first year was challenging, to say the least,” says Rodney Weis, a freelance web designer and computer consultant in Calgary. “I went in with a lot of preconceived notions that it would be easy to make a website, hang out my shingle and wait for people to break down my door. Of course, the real-ity is that, like any business, it takes a lot of work and a lot of groundwork. You have to really educate yourself… It’s a great way to make a living as long as the person is prepared to put in the legwork and grow the business one step at a time.”

Adaptability is essential. When Weis began free-lancing five years ago, he planned to offer a range of computer services. When web design turned out to be his most marketable skill, he took a couple of extra courses and got himself on track. He was promptly flooded with work; now, he says, “I’m as busy as I want to be.” Three-quarters of his jobs come from word of mouth.

Dry spells do happen; you’ll need to be prepared emotionally and financially. “It’s kind of like work-ing without a safety net — sometimes you sink, sometimes you swim,” says Weis. “There have been times I’ve had more work than I know what to do with, and sometimes I don’t have work for a month or more.”

Get with the planStill think you can hack it as a freelancer? Good. The next step is a business plan, the foundation of your company. Before you write one, though, you need to figure out your goals.

At first, you might be tempted to take on anything that’s asked of you, especially if you’ve got student debt to pay off. “If you try to be everything to every-body, you’ll probably be nothing to nobody,” says Paul Lima, a Toronto-based freelance writer, copy-

writer and business-writing trainer who leads work-shops that help freelancers identify goals and target their efforts. “Try marketing without a focus and you’ll be all over the map. You don’t see Nike trying to sell you hamburgers, or McDonald’s trying to sell you running shoes. Whether you’re a big business or small business, you have to focus, and that comes from having a business vision: determining who you are, what you do and who you should do it for.”

Your business vision will change as your interests evolve. When an opportunity comes up, decide if it fits your goals or is something you’d like to get into — if not, stick to your vision. If yes, build it in your business plan.

Depending on your type of company, your plan could be a couple of pages or a couple dozen pages. Re-search your industry: Who’s hiring short-term work-ers and how much are they paying? What services do freelancers offer and how much do they charge? What resources are available to people in your field?

Business plan tips and templates are available from the federal government’s Canada Business site (canadabusiness.ca). For more help, ask a men-tor for feedback, take a class for entrepreneurs, or seek counsel from sources such as Atlantic Canada’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum (entrepreneursfo-rum.com), the Ontario government’s Small Busi-ness Enterprise Centres (ontariocanada.com) or BizLaunch (bizlaunch.ca).

Set up command central Many freelancers work from home, and their needs are minimal: desk, computer, phone, Inter-net, a quiet workspace, and a few reference books.

If you need more space or services — or you crave human interaction — share a rented office or join an organization that lets you work on its premises. For example, members of the Centre for Social

“YOU DON’T SEE NIKE TRYING TO SELL YOU HAMBURGERS, OR MCDONALD’S TRYING TO SELL YOU RUNNING SHOES.”

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sTay Focused, sTay organiZed, do ex-cellenT Work, build good re-laTionsHips and manage your mon-ey, and you Have a good cHance oF THriving.

october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

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21

Innovation in Toronto (socialinnovation.ca) have access to high-speed Internet, photocopy and fax machines, meeting rooms, audio-visual equip-ment, kitchen facilities and even mailboxes.

Christina Lauer, a graphic designer in Vancouver, set up a home office three years ago. “I realized I was starting to talk to strangers in the supermar-ket! So, yeah, I was feeling isolated,” she says, add-ing that people in creative fields benefit from a col-laborative environment. “Now I’m sharing space in an agency. I don’t feel lonely at all.”

Spread the wordAs a freelancer, you can’t hide behind your desk and hope that projects will find their way to your door. You need to promote yourself, network with confidence, and work well with clients.

Lauer has seen other designers struggle to find work because they weren’t good at dealing with clients. “They might be better off working in an agency where somebody else takes care of that part,” she says. “When you run your own business, you have to project manage and communicate with clients all the time.”

If interpersonal communication, marketing and networking aren’t your strong suits, take heart — they get easier with practice, and you might even discover, as Lauer did, that you enjoy it. “When I worked for an agency, I never went out and net-worked and met people, and I’ve met some really great people by freelancing,” she explains. “Now I feel like I’m really part of the design community in Vancouver.”

Cultivate contacts by telling family and friends about your business; attending conferences and trade shows; joining your industry’s professional association; keeping in touch with classmates (you never know where they’ll end up); and attending events hosted by your town’s chamber of com-merce. Introduce yourself to at least five people at each event, and give them your full attention. Don’t fret if your phone isn’t ringing the next day — weeks or months may pass before a prospect needs your services.

Networking isn’t just about finding clients — it’s also about meeting colleagues who may be your future collaborators or referral sources. Rather than see other designers as competition, Lauer considers them a great resource; she even lists their web addresses on her own site. “I’ve worked with them before, and when I’m busy and can’t take on new clients, I’m so happy to recommend other people who I think will do a good job. For example, somebody might have really good illus-

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trative skills, which I don’t have, and if I know this person can do a much better job… You always get back what you give.”

Create a website for your business. Don’t get too fancy — simple and clear is better than flashy. Look at the sites of other people in your business, and consider investing in the services of a web design-er. Depending on your line of work, social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn may be helpful — just keep the personal and professional separate. (Clients don’t need to see pictures of you swilling margaritas on a beach.)

Business cards are convenient for passing contact info to prospects. Whip up inexpensive ones with Moo (moo.com) or Vistaprint (vistaprint.ca) and carry a couple at all times — you never know when opportunities will pop up.

If this sounds like a lot of work, you’re right, it is. Launching a business takes serious effort, and you might have to make dozens of elevator speeches before you land a new prospect. It won’t always be that way — if clients notice that you consistently deliver the goods and are a pleasure to deal with, you’re likely to hit the jackpot: repeat work.

“A lot of freelancers give up way too soon. They make a few cold calls or put their website up, and do a few things to try to promote their business, and when they don’t get clients — or not very good clients — they get frustrated,” says Steve Slaunwhite, a freelance copywriter and marketing consultant in Brampton, Ont., and co-author of The Wealthy Freelancer. “You need to take massive ac-tion and make a big noise, contact maybe hundreds of clients. It takes a lot of effort, but the reward is

that you can create a really nice base of clients that could be the lifeblood of your business for years.”

Set your ratesDo you know what you’re going to charge? Prepare a range of figures and be ready to quote them, says Slaunwhite. “I realize that, especially in creative categories like writing and design, no two projects are exactly alike, but you can develop a fee struc-ture based on typical projects. That will enable you to discuss pricing intelligently with a client right from the get-go, and it significantly increases your chance of landing the job if you’re able to quote a ballpark price right away.”

The biggest mistake freelancers make? Underpric-ing. “They’re afraid to quote their full value. But free-lancers need to realize that they’re professionals, offering a professional service, and should be charg-ing professional rates,” explains Slaunwhite. “If you get a client and your price is too low, you’ll never be able to raise your prices with that client, ever.”

Charging higher rates does mean, however, that you have to be willing to let lower-paying clients get away. “Some people out there are unwilling or unable to pay professional rates for things — they’re cheapskates or don’t have the budget,” says Slaunwhite. “Some won’t be able to afford you and that’s OK — there are plenty of other clients who can. You don’t have to accept every client’s budget.”

Take care of businessOnce you land clients and become immersed in the work, it’s easy to forget the details of running a company — things like bookkeeping, invoicing and

taxes. Stay on top of it, and if it’s too overwhelm-ing or complicated, hire a pro to help you manage your finances.

There may also be more administrative work than you’re accustomed to. “I have to email a lot now,” laughs Lauer. “Although I really like dealing with clients directly, it’s very time-consuming. Some days, I have to answer 50 emails, and I wonder, ‘What did I do all day?’”

Get better at what you do Sharpen your skills and stay on top of develop-ments in your industry. That could mean every-thing from networking and signing up for trade journals and e-newsletters to taking courses.

Learning could also be informal. “Try to collaborate with people you think are better than you. That’s really important, especially if you work on your own,” says Lauer. “If you don’t get input from peo-ple who have other experiences and know more about certain things than you, you’ll stall in your development.”

Get a life outside of workIt can be hard to separate yourself from your com-pany, especially if you work at home, but all work and no play is a recipe for misery and burnout. No doubt there will be unavoidable crunch times, but self-employed people need to find a balance. “This is more important than most freelancers may think,” says Slaunwhite. “It’s very easy to get wrapped up in your business and have it be all-consuming, and think about it all the time. Keep in mind when planning your business that you’re also planning your life.”

Slaunwhite recommends establishing guidelines — for example, which days of the week you’ll be available. “Clients will be as demanding as they can be, and you want to make sure you have a set of rules to build the lifestyle you want.”

Think you’re up the challenge? Freelancing can be a tough haul at times, but it’s also incredibly grati-fying to know that everything you achieve, you’re doing by yourself.

Since going freelance, Lauer has been courted by agencies to work in-house, but she turned them down. “I didn’t even consider it for a second. I thought I would, if a good agency approached me, but…I just can’t imagine going back,” she says.

“[Freelancing is] so much more rewarding, and I feel like I learn more — in the past three years, 10 times what I would’ve learned in an agency. And I find it really satisfying that all my output is all just me.”

OF THE CANADIAN WORKFORCE IS SELF-EMPLOYED.

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23jobpostings.ca | october 2011

Diversey is a leading global provider of cleaning and hygiene solutions serving customers in the lodging, retail, food service, health care and food and beverage sectors, as well as building service contractors. Our products and solutions, sold in 165 countries, make food, drink and facilities safer, more hygienic and more sustainable. We are expanding and require Territory Managers to help us grow our business.

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Interested? Visit diversey.com/careersTo apply email your resume to [email protected]

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Export Development Canada | Exportation et Développement Canada

Interested in international trade, global markets and the impact of Canadian exports? EDC offers you a unique and rich opportunity, and is recognized as a global centre for trade expertise. Our employees are among the most accomplished trade experts in the world.

What we look for: Bachelor of Commerce/Business Administration and/or MBA with a concentration in Finance, Accounting, International Business or related field (Sales, IT, HR etc.); individuals who have a desire to work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and deadlines; ability to interpret financial statements and strong analytical skills; commitment to providing excellent customer service; ability to communicate effectively in both official languages and must be legally eligible to work in Canada (Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident).

EDC is committed to employment equity and actively encourages applications from women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and visible minorities.

Vous vous intéressez au commerce international, aux marchés mondiaux et aux répercussions des exportations canadiennes? EDC vous offre alors la chance de vivre une expérience riche et unique. En effet, EDC est un centre d’expertise du commerce extérieur reconnu à l’échelle mondiale, et nos employés sont au nombre des plus grands spécialistes du domaine.

Ce que nous recherchons : baccalauréat en commerce/Administration des affaires et/ou MBA (finances, comptabilité, affaires internationales) ou dans un domaine connexe (ventes, RH, informatique etc.); désir de travailler dans un milieu affairé, où les priorités peuvent être divergentes, et les échéances, serrées; très bon esprit d’analyse et capacité d’interpréter des états financiers; engagement à fournir un excellent service à la clientèle; aptitude à communiquer dans les deux langues officielles et aptitude légale à travailler au Canada (citoyen canadien ou résident permanent).

EDC souscrit au principe de l’équité en matière d’emploi et invite les femmes, les Autochtones, les personnes handicapées et les membres d’un groupe de minorités visibles à poser leur candidature.

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by Lisa Charleyboy

I work in Aboriginal recruitment at a post-

secondary institution and every day I am

met with the startling facts surrounding

the state of Aboriginal education in Canada

today. More than one-third of Aboriginal people

haven’t earned a high school diploma, and there

are only eight percent of Aboriginal people aged

25 to 64 who hold university degrees, compared

to 23 percent of non-Aboriginals in the same age

group who do.

There is a serious disparity between Native and

non-Native peoples in Canada. What most Cana-

dians don’t understand is why these gaps exist

— and why they should be concerned about it.

By 2020, there is estimated to be a shortfall of one

million workers in Canada, mostly in high skilled

and knowledge-oriented occupations. The cur-

rent labour shortfall has already impacted busi-

ness operations and changed labour markets, and

will increasingly do so. If there are no measure-

ments to fill this shortfall, Canadian business and

our economy could be seriously impacted.

There has been a huge push to fill Canada’s

employment shortage with an immigrant popu-

lation but the Aboriginal youth could be a key

solution. In Canada, the Aboriginal population is

the fastest growing demographic in Canada. It’s

growing at roughly twice the annual rate of the

general population. In the next 15 years, more

than 400,000 Aboriginal young people will reach

labour-market age. These youth need to be ready

for the job market, armed with an education

that will enable them to participate.

Unfortunately, many of these youth — particu-

larly those who are growing up on reservations

— don’t have access to standard educational

opportunities. There are three kinds of First Na-

tions education in Canada delivered to Aborigi-

nal students. Federal schools that are controlled

by Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development

Canada (AANDC), provincial schools, and local

schools operated by First Nations communities.

Sixty-five percent of the 120,000 eligible on-re-

serve First Nations students attend the latter.

The issue with the majority of these schools is

that they are grossly under-funded. Paul Martin,

in an interview with the Toronto Star, said “that

the per capita funding for a First Nations child

going to elementary or high school is anywhere

from 20 to 40 percent lower than what non-Na-

tive kids get on a per capita basis.”

Many of these schools aren’t able to recruit and

retain qualified teachers to work on remote and

rural reservations, even though teachers can

teach without a Bachelors of Education (Bed). Be-

cause I work in recruitment for a university and

AND WHAT YOU CAN DO

ABOUT IT.

THE PROBLEM WITHABORIGINAL EDUCATIONIN CANADA

*

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“THe noTion THaT all FirsT naTions sTudenTs receive a “Free educaTion” is Far

ouTmoded and many, like myselF, graduaTe Facing HigH sTudenT

loan debTs JusT like mosT canadian sTudenTs.”

*

jobpostings.ca | october 2011

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26 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

among Aboriginal male youth was boredom, and

for Aboriginal female youth it was pregnancy or

looking after children.

When Aboriginal youth are eligible for post-

secondary school, they are often faced with a

serious lack of funding. The notion that all First

Nations students receive a “free education” is far

outmoded and many, like myself, graduate facing

high student loan debts just like most Canadian

students. According to the Aboriginal People’s

survey, the number one reason why students

don’t finish their studies is related to finances.

Although education is a treaty right, there is

a serious lack of post secondary education

funding (PSE) from the Canadian government

to make it accessible for all Native students.

Federal funding is only increased 2 percent a

year, while tuition is increasing at 4.4 percent

a year and the number of eligible students has

increased significantly due to population demo-

graphics and Bill C3, which granted previously

ineligible youth Indian Status.

“If our students struggle through their child-

hood to get to the point where they can go on

to advanced training, advanced education,

and then find that the resources aren’t there

for them to move on, the tragedy is so painful

we simply cannot allow it to happen,” (Excerpt

from National Aboriginal Achievement Founda-

tion, No Higher Priority).

There are great prospects for those that do fin-

ish their postsecondary education; in many ur-

ban areas, employment rates among Aboriginal

peoples with a university degree are even high-

er than non-Aboriginal people with the same

educational level.

But the cost of not educating First Nations peo-

ple in Canada is high. According to the Royal

Commission of Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal

poverty will cost Canada up to $11 billion per

year by 2016. This could be detrimental to the

Canadian economy, especially when there will

be an employee shortage and industries will be

struggling to look for skilled workers.

Many corporate leaders are on board. They real-

ize that closing the Native education gap could

add much-needed fuel to the economy. “The

long-term future not only of our Native peoples

but of this country is education,” said Purdy

Crawford, a prominent businessman, to the

Globe and Mail.

One solution is to bring distance education to res-

ervations, so that community members can ac-

cess education without leaving their families and

way of living. The First Nations Technical Institute

in Tyendinaga, Ontario offers a variety of diploma,

degree and certificate programs, uses various de-

livery methods to reduce barriers to PSE, and has

a 90 percent employment rate for graduates.

Resources and energy industries are also put-

ting forth great strides to bring technical train-

ing to First Nations communities so that they

can employ community members in their ini-

tiatives. In Timmins, Ont., Dumas Mining creat-

ed a partnership with Wabun Tribal Council to

prepare First Nations people with the adequate

training for mining, and they are guaranteed

jobs upon completion. This is just one of many

employment and education gap solutions cre-

ated across the country.

If you are interested in creating your own solution

and are a recent BEd graduate looking to gain ex-

perience, why not consider teaching in a First Na-

tions community? There are so many across the

country looking for eager, bright teachers that

are committed to understanding First Nations

people and interested in social justice. Many can

be found on the Education Canada website.

For those who are not on the teacher track, but

would still like to contribute, I would suggest

finding a local First Nations organization or

agency and enquire to any volunteer positions

that suit your skills. Many local Friendship Cen-

ters are the hub of First Nations communities

and are a good resource at being able to find out

what volunteer positions are available in your lo-

cal town or city.

It is clear that the state of Aboriginal education

is currently well below that of the national av-

erage. It does require that all Canadians under-

stand the complexities and see the value in in-

creasing Aboriginal education because it will not

only benefit Aboriginal peoples and their fami-

lies, it will greatly contribute to Canadian society

and the economy as a whole.

“MANY CORPORATE LEADERS ARE ON BOARD. THEY REALIZE THAT CLOSING THE NATIVE EDUCATION GAP COULD ADD MUCH-NEEDED FUEL TO THE ECONOMY.”

visit many of these schools in Ontario, I have also

witnessed firsthand how few of these schools offer

the courses required for entrance into university.

These students are already forced to only be able

to be college ready, and never given the opportu-

nity to challenge themselves with these courses.

Students that study off-reserve don’t necessar-

ily fare much better than those that stay on re-

serve. According to Statistics Canada, the range

among major urban areas for Aboriginal youth

school attendance is from 50-66 percent, com-

pared to the non-Aboriginal youth who were at

60-70 percent. The main reason for dropping out

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Page 29: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

A Passion For Opportunity

To learn moreabout working at TD,visit www.td.com/careers

Find yourperfect careerat TD.

Why work for TD?At TD, you’ll have the opportunity to grow throughoutyour career – through access to development programs,networking opportunities, job coaching and mentoring.

We have an active Aboriginal Employee Circle withAboriginal and non-Aboriginal employees from acrossCanada. By participating in the Circle, you’ll be able toprovide guidance and learn about the exciting workTD is doing within Aboriginal communities across thecountry. So you won’t just be an employee, you’ll be avalued team member whose voice is respected and heard.

We encourage you to get involved!

If you’re interested in TD, we’re interested in you.

Page 30: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

28 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Making adifference

More at cameco.com

Canada’s #1 industrial employer of Aboriginal people

Crystal Iron, Senior Environment Technician, Cigar Lake, SK

Page 31: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

jobpostings.ca | october 2011

industryinsiders

by Katie Edmonds

A CAREER GAMBLE OR YOUR BEST BET?

managementprogramsTRAINING

It’s pretty safe to say that most university gradu-

ates don’t envision themselves working as a ca-

shier at a fast food emporium, or as a front-line

customer service representative at a car-rental

depot upon graduation.

But what if one of those places offered you the

opportunity to move beyond the sales or cus-

tomer service role to a position in upper man-

agement within just a few months of being

hired? Would that change your outlook?

Brent Wellman, Director, Edwards Career Ser-

vices at the University of Saskatchewan, believes

management training programs are a great op-

tion, which often go unnoticed, for students and

new grads searching for a career path.

“Management training programs provide a lot of

different opportunities in terms of the particular

organization that’s offering them,” said Wellman.

“They allow new hires to get a better understand-

ing of different aspects within the business, while

giving them a chance to find their best fit.”

According to Wellman, these programs encour-

age candidates to explore different career options

within an organization, rather than simply focus-

ing on the role they were hired into. “At the end of

their training – whether it’s eight months or three

years — they get a better, more well rounded

background of different aspects within the com-

pany, rather than one particular field,” he said.

This is the logic used by hiring managers at com-

panies like Enterprise Rent-a-Car, McDonalds,

Scotiabank, Accenture and Staples Business

Depot, who all offer comprehensive training pro-

grams to take graduates from the ground floor to

the penthouse of their career.

“The program is like Business 101 on ten cups

of coffee,” said Erin Marsden, Talent Acquisition

Manager for Enterprise Rent-a-car in the Greater

Toronto Area, a company that welcomes both

college and university graduates into their pro-

gram. “We teach them everything to do with the

business, so our employees see the organization

from every possible level.”

Enterprise, like many other training programs,

puts their recruits through an initial orientation

and training, and then assigns each individual to

a branch office in their home area, where their

hands-on training begins. During the first year

of the program, the new recruit actively partici-

pates in everything from sales and marketing to

Page 32: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

30 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

customer service, to operations and finance. As

they progress, they are tested and evaluated to

determine their proficiency in each of these areas.

“The cool thing about it is that I have been a full-

time employee since Day 1,” said Jessica Ruston,

a recent Carleton University graduate who is

currently enrolled in the Management Consul-

tant Training Program at Accenture Canada,

a global management consulting, technology

services and outsourcing company. “But instead

of being thrown into the fire at a job and being

expected to figure it out by myself, I have been

trained constantly since the very beginning.”

If the new hires do well in their role, they are re-

warded with pay increases and a wider breadth

of opportunity for promotion. Many of the top-

level executives of Enterprise, Accenture, and

other companies with this type of program have

followed a similar track, as employees being

hired now at these companies swear by this type

of career advancement.

“Companies that offer these training programs

are looking to move candidates into manage-

ment roles,” said Wellman. “These programs are

certainly not cheap either. They are strategic,

and designed with a high level of learning, along

with exposure to areas of the business that the

company wants new hires to grow within.”

The question then is: Are new graduates aware

of this path as a possible career option? Accord-

ing to Wellman, new grads should consider join-

ing a management training program if the op-

portunity presents itself. “I think it’s a fabulous

decision to make of looking at it,” he said. “It

should also be a strategic plan from the business

perspective of the organization to sell the idea

to new hires.”

This doesn’t come as news to the team at En-

terprise-Rent-a-Car, as they’ve experienced won-

derful success with their management training

program. “It’s a formula that has worked for over

55 years at Enterprise,” said Marsden. “We truly

believe that we have the best training program

and our employees learn what we consider to be

the right way of doing things. We want to bring

someone in who has the core competencies, and

then we want to invest our time and money and

effort in their being successful.”

But despite the appealing nature of job security,

management training programs aren’t neces-

sarily the best fit for everyone. “It’s definitely an

investment,” said Wellman. “From an employer’s

perspective, it’s time, it’s about mentorship, and

it’s a buy-in from all the different areas of busi-

ness that are part of the program.”

Wellman also stated that it certainly takes a

unique individual to commit to a management

training program. “Many grads in today’s era of

work have this idea of ‘I’ll work at one place for a

couple of years, and then move on to something

else,’” he said. “But businesses invest a lot into

their training programs, and it’s certainly a time

commitment. They’re giving individuals solid

foundations of skill sets and experience to better

them, which in turn should attract them to want

to stay within the organization.”

For Ruston, the opportunity to join a manage-

ment training program is exactly what she was

looking for as she finished her degree. “I would

definitely recommend it to my friends,” she said.

“I am constantly being given opportunities to

grow and change at Accenture and if that con-

tinues to be the case, I could see myself being

here for a very long time.”

“THE PROGRAM IS LIKE BUSINESS 101 ON TEN CUPS OF COFFEE”

Page 33: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

Are you looking to gain hands onexperience before leaving school?With SIFE, you will not only make a difference in your community, but you will also gain real world experience. Be on a dynamic team that competes in national and global competitions while launching the career you’ve always dreamt of.

What are you waiting for?Your future starts now.

Visit www.acecanada.ca today!SIFE is a program operated by ACE in Canada

Page 34: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

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industryinsiders by Alyssa Ouellette

People may not always have very nice

things to say about sales people, but re-

ally, are all sales people the same? Can

we lump them all into the same cat-

egory of being ruthless and only out to

sell, sell, sell? Let’s bust some common

misconceptions about sales people.

THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT CLIENTSSales people often care

about more than just the

number of bills they have

in their wallets — they

care about the well-being

of their clients. “My em-

phasis is on fostering and

developing the relation-

ship for the long-term,”

Fordham explains. “It is

critical that clients feel

they can place reliance

on us.”

Johnston agrees. “We

put the customer first

and provide a service to

that customer,” Johnston

stresses, adding that, “In

creating a relationship,

you create a friendship.”

THE BEST SALES PEOPLE ARE NATURALSJohn Marsh, owner of Ele-

compack Systems Inc., be-

lieves having natural sales

ability is an asset, but

there are still things you

need to learn. “The very

best sales people come by

most of the social skills

naturally. Teaching some-

one to be outgoing is not

easy,” says Marsh. “Good

sales people can deal with

large amounts of rejection

— try to teach someone

that,” he continues. How-

ever, Marsh explains that

training is still crucial,

especially when closing a

sale. “Obviously product

knowledge in relation to

your competitors is the

most important.”

SALES PEOPLE EMBELLISH THE FACTSSo, you think all sales

people will fib a little (or a

lot) to make a sale, leaving

you wondering how you

ever got through the day

without their better-than-

sliced-bread product?

Simply not true.

Brian Johnston, sales

trainer for Brijon and

Associates (representing

Hofstetter Business Tech-

nologies), says, “I’m here

to give you an opportuni-

ty, and if it’s not what you

are looking for, you move

on.” Johnston explains

that a good sales person

needs to be honest. “Don’t

lie and say your product

or service can do for the

customer what it can’t.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINSThis may be true some of

the time. Marsh, whose

company supplies medi-

cal offices with products

such as stationary,

labels, paper gowns, and

masks, says “the com-

pany tells you that you

have to hit the numbers.

And if you don’t you may

lose your job.”

But this doesn’t mean

that all sales people are

simply out for your hard

earned cash. “We aren’t

asking them for anything.

We ask them ‘Do you use

this?’ and if they do, we

send them a price list

and let it speak for itself,”

Marsh explains.

ONCE THEY’VE MADE A SALE, THEY’RE GONESales people promise the

world to get your money

and disappear as soon as

you realize it’s not all they

said it was, right?

Wrong. Many sales people

follow up post-purchase

to see what worked out,

and what didn’t. Amanda

Fordham, CEO and presi-

dent of Canadian Home

Healthcare, says, “I do

think that sales are highly

driven, and very competi-

tive, but I’m more clinical

and focus on patient care.

So, I’m there for the long-

term. I go back and I fol-

low up. If we can’t deliver

the service that they want

then I say we can’t.”

5MISCONCEPTIONSSALES PEOPLEABOUT

(and how to be a good one)

october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Page 35: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

Because You Count

Why work for a Fortune 500 global leader

employing more than 166,000 people with

offices across Canada?

Why experience first class training,

compensation, rewards and benefits?

Why grow with an organization as diverse as

its employees?

Why explore opportunities in imaging

including Business Solutions, Office

Equipment, Consumer, Medical and

Broadcast products?

Why enjoy a career with a technological

leader invested in social responsibility and

the environment?

View career opportunities:www.canon.ca/careers

Apply now:[email protected]

Immediate opportunities in Calgary, Vancouver,

Toronto and across Canada.

Page 36: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

For more information:

Page 37: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

35jobpostings.ca | october 2011

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industryinsiders

Retail work gets knocked almost every-

where. It’s underpaid and rarely glorified,

but working in retail is educational and

often enjoyable. I worked in retail and food

service for eight years, and while some of

my experiences were challenging, most

were rewarding. I made enough money to

finish my two degrees, and I learned a lot

about people and high-pressure workplaces.

Most retail positions are available during

the summer and winter holidays when

stores need extra people to deal with extra

customers, and when you need extra cash.

While the work may seem simple, there’s

lots of important and transferable skills to

be learned from retail. Here are the top four.

by Emma Woolley

TIME MANAGEMENT

Retail is really busy during holiday seasons, es-

pecially in small stores. In addition to serving

customers, you may be saddled with: restock-

ing items, processing shipments, folding clothes,

tracking inventory, cleaning, and/or more.

The best way to deal with a long list of to-dos is

learning what Steve Korchinos, a manager at Joe

Fresh, calls “the art of prioritization.” Assess each

situation to determine what’s most important,

which in retail is always the customer. Messy

racks can wait, raving customers who may hurt

business cannot.

You’ll also learn to multi-task more efficiently

by figuring out which things can be done at the

same time. For example, organizing clothes by

size while answering a customer’s questions.

Most positions will require you to manage mul-

tiple tasks, people, or projects, so it’s wise to re-

ally hone this skill.

ADAPTABILITY

Static jobs are becoming rare. Korchinos says it’s

extremely important for employees to be “open-

minded to a dynamic working environment where

expectations can (and do) change frequently.”

Today you’re a cashier, but tomorrow you could

be a salesperson. You might not like the pressure,

but it doesn’t hurt to try out charm and persua-

sion in selling things. You might even be good at

it! When I worked at a LEGO outlet, part of my

job was running birthday parties for young kids.

It wasn’t my favourite thing to do, but I learned

which games were most engaging and how to

deal with kids and their parents. Because many

professions require you to adapt to new envi-

ronments, such as management changes and

acquiring new responsibilities, having multiple

roles on your resume is always a plus.

ReSTOCKyourSKILLSWorking in

retail can teach you important, transferrable skills.

Page 38: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

36 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

Coping with stress

Holiday seasons in retail are the busiest and

most stressful for everyone. With cranky cus-

tomers to deal with and a thousand other things

to do, it’s easy to get upset. You’ll eventually

learn to roll with the punches: a valuable skill

for avoiding very public meltdowns.

We all want to be successful, but don’t overdo it.

Brad, who worked at a book store to pay for his

education, says to remind yourself: “It’s a store,

not an ER.” Take care of yourself to avoid burn-

out. Going on breaks, staying well rested, and

taking on only what you can handle is integral to

getting through any stressful situation.

Even on the busiest days, try to loosen up. Wi-

ersema, who’s about to enter his 20th holiday

season, says that one learns to appreciate the

positive. “Customers are going to be frantic and

demanding, your boss is going to be freaking out,

the music is going to be irritating, you’re going

to have dozens of demands on your time — you

can’t fight any of those things and resistance

just makes it worse,” he says. “Ride it out. Savour

the moments in which you make the perfect rec-

ommendation or make a customer smile.” If you

can stay positive while everyone else falls apart,

you’ll succeed in any job — and feel a lot better.

Dealing with people

Unpleasant people are everywhere. While many customers are

perfectly nice, you may be shocked with how rude people will

be to you as a cashier or salesperson. Whether they’re having a

bad day or are simply cranky by nature, sometimes you just can’t

please people. “Steve Dublanca, the Waiter Rant blogger, says that

80 percent of his customers just want something to eat and the

other 20 percent are psychopaths,” says Brad.

When a customer is swearing at you because you’re out of me-

dium sizes, it’s hard to not take it personally. Don’t. “No matter

how aggressive or toxic the situation, keep calm, genuinely listen

to the customer’s concerns, and never take the situation as a per-

sonal attack,” advises Korchinos. “Remember that the attitudes

of less-than-friendly customers... are expressions of their own

stress.”

This is key in any work environment. You’ll have coworkers and

clients to deal with and some of them may behave badly. A little

patience and compassion go a long way. If someone’s lashing out

at you, never fight fire with fire. “Treat the customer as you would

like to be treated, and things often turn around,” says Wiersema.

The same strategy works for anyone else you interact with.

While some customers and coworkers are awful, others can make

your day and teach you something new. “My job gives me daily

reality checks and opens up new worlds of interaction,” Wiersema

says. “You really do meet the strangest, most wonderful sorts [of

people] and it colours your whole life. As a writer, it’s so valuable

for me to interact with people — readers — in the real world.”

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Page 39: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

You may not know everything when it comes to home improvement, but after our training and hands-on coaching you will. The Home Depot, one of Canada’s top 100 employers, is currently hiring. You bring the desire to put customers first and we’ll offer competitive rewards including company paid health & dental plans, 70+ benefits, tuition reimbursement & much more.

If you don’t know which paint dries faster, but you like helping people...

vement, but after our one of Canada’s top

ut customers first and th & dental plans, 70+

Apply online at homedepotjobs.ca/2152

We are committed to diversity as an equal opportunity employer.

Oh, bythe way, the paintthat driesfasteris thelatexpaint. See,you’vealreadylearned something.

then we want to talk to you.

Many positions available including:Cashiers • Sales Associates • Department Supervisors • Overnight Packdown Associates

Page 40: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

38 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

dustry and academic input, as it’s taught by a top engineering company in Canada.”

In recent years the university has also added its own Project Management Certification Program that is a condensed version of the degree program. “There was a large number of industry people wanting to attend our course, and we couldn’t always meet the demand,” explains Ruwanpura. Being a certificate program, there are academic re-quirements and it’s open to people from any field. “We condense a 39-hour graduate course into a 12 hour certificate course,” he continues. “Content wise it’s a little less, but the quality is the same.”

The common link between these programs, re-gardless of provider or focus, is that of the for-malization of management processes. “Managers need the skillset to understand expectations and to deliver the project successfully,” says Ruwanpu-ra. “People always say, ‘on time, on cost, on quality,’ but there’s more to it than that — it’s a matter of [a business’] reputation. If a project runs over cost, time or money, people jump at that.”

This more studied approach to managing large proj-ects addresses a pressing need, regardless of indus-try. “A lot of people out there managing projects are winging it,” says Barrett. “When people come to our program, they come with a need to understand a more formal approach and understand what they’re missing from their projects. They need a process to follow.” If those processes results in fewer head-aches, more efficient work patterns and the opportu-nity for risk-management, putting time into improv-ing your project management skills is a no-brainer.

What does a shuttle launch, the Olympic Games and a charity fund-drive have in common? Disregard the scale; they’re all multi-faceted proj-ects that require a lot of planning and re-source management

to pull off. Increasingly, businesses are recogniz-ing the need to train their managers to tackle large, complex projects. There’s a measure of cal-culation, know-how and finesse needed to keep things running smoothly. That’s where the disci-pline of Project Management comes into play.

Traditionally, project management was considered the domain of civil and construction engineers overseeing large development projects. While that still applies, the past couple of decades have seen the principles of project management applied to other industries in Canada.

“I got involved in this business about 15 years ago when large companies like Bell Canada and RBC were starving for better ways to manage their proj-ects,” recalls David Barrett, the Program Director of the Centre of Excellence in Project Management at the Schulich Executive Education Centre. Partner-ing with various universities across Canada, the organization offers a Masters Certificate in Proj-ect Management that is meant to address these needs. “We don’t focus on any one industry, nor any one type of project,” says Barrett. “Anyone currently making a living managing projects can benefit.”

Not only is the program pan-industry, but there are no formal academic pre-requisites, meaning the doors are open to all interested parties. “Ideally, the student should already be in the position of man-aging some kind of project or in that environment so they can apply what we’re teaching them,” ex-plains Barrett. “This is adult education at it’s best — there’s tons of sharing, debates and discussions. What our students bring to the classroom is a ma-jor chunk of the benefit of our program.”

For those looking to complement their post-sec-ondary education, The University of Calgary offers a post-grad Project Management Program that is jointly offered by their Schulich School of Engineer-ing and Huskayne School of Business. “Most of our students come from engineering and construc-tion, but not necessarily,” says Janaka Ruwanpura, director, professor and Canada research chair of the Project Management program at the universi-ty. “Technically, we admit students working in the industry, but it’s not limited to any market, as long as they have the academic credentials.”

There are different branches of the program, each of which requires varying amounts of previous industry experience. “Project Management isn’t a field where you can pick it up right away,” ex-plains Ruwanpura. “People need to see the real world before they apply.” For those in the re-source industry, the program also has an added benefit. “We have a course called engineering management that teaches how to deal with managing electrical, instrumentation, process, piping and mechanical aspects of a project,” says Ruwanpura. “Specifically in this particular course, it’s a highly interactive program that has both in- by Kevin Nelson

edu-ma-cation

managing expectationsProject

Management

pays dividends

no matter your

profession.

centennialcollege.ca The Future of Learning

Whatbewant to

YouDo

Page 41: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

39jobpostings.ca | october 2011

Niagara CollegeTop-rated for student satisfaction, Niagara College provides outstanding applied education for a changing world. With state- of-the-art facilities on newly redeveloped campuses & responsive cutting-edge programming, we offer students real-world experience before graduation.

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Brock UniversityBrock is a rapidly growing University, offering 41 dynamic Master’s and PhD program within 6 academic faculties. With our strong sense of community and personal investment in our students, Brock is a great choice for your graduate education.

Visit us at today at Brocku.ca

SCHOOL TUFFeez

careers. education. ideas. all of it.

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graduate school directory

Queen’s University100+ graduate programs with world-class research opportunities and strong support to enrich your educational experience and advance your career. Set your ideas in motion. Consider graduate studies at Queen’s.

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Sheridan CollegeOur one-year graduate certificate programs enhance your diploma or degree with a blend of theoretical knowledge and work experience that fully prepare you to launch your career. Choose from more than 20 programs in the arts, business, technology and community service fields.

sheridaninstitute.ca

Schulich School of Medicine & DentistryThe University of Western Ontario’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry provides state-of-the-art research facilities and mentorship by internationally recognized scientists. We offer 15 graduate programs. Create tomorrow’s discoveries today.

uwo.ca/schulich/gradstudies

Ross University Ross University is a provider of medical and veterinary education offering MD and DVM degree programs, and has over 11,000 successful physicians and veterinarians practicing in the US and Canada. If you are interested in a career in medicine, contact us today.

RossU.edu

Page 42: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

40 october 2011 | jobpostings.ca

with Ross Harrhy

For many of you, this is the beginning. It’s where you want to start, it’s the big plan, it’s where you forked off down that road to the career that you think may sustain you for either the next ten years or perhaps the rest of your working life. You landed your first gig, your foot in the door, and it may be the first real full-time permanent position you’ve ever had. Before, you spent your hard-earned money on food, drink, and housing or transporta-tion — suddenly you’re thrust into a world where the paycheques (though not necessarily huge) are bigger than anything you’ve ever cashed before… now what are you going to do with all that dough?

I’ve always been one for toys myself: stereo equip-ment, big TV, nice computer, nice clothes — I even had a motorbike at one point, but then again, I always worked so I could afford that stuff. I was young, and had no responsibilities and no long-term goals.

Now, a few years later, I’m thinking about mar-riage, which technically is starting a family, but I’ve also got student loans I’m tired of paying, and I’m really, really tired of paying monthly rent to some-

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What to do with all that money you’re making!

body else when it could be going right back to me via a mortgage. And so I had to rethink what I was doing with all that extra cash I was suddenly pull-ing in. Some say having more money means more freedom, but that freedom includes a responsibil-ity to yourself to do constructive things with it. Pe-ter Parker’s Uncle Ben was right when he told him, “With great power comes great responsibility.” So what are the responsible options?

To begin with, if you’re fresh out of school you most likely, though not always, have student debts to pay back. It was okay while you looked for that perfect job and worked at Starbucks to just pay the minimum monthly payments, but let’s face it, if you’re even lucky enough to be me with a debt slightly lower than the Canadian average student debt, you’re still going to be paying that thing off for 15 to 20 years!

Budget accordingly and talk to the people at your student loan office, where you can negotiate a comfortable minimum payment that will shave some serious years off your overall repayment timeline and also counteract a lot of the interest that you’d end up paying. I went one year where by paying the bare minimum, I only paid the in-terest accruing rather than slicing off any of my actual debt. That hurts when you get that paper in the mail at tax time.

Next, if you ever want to get somewhere and hov-er out of the debt-pit; owning your own house, a nice, new car, or take a great vacation once in a while, you need to budget a monthly addition to your savings.

Let’s look at the current mortgage scenario in Canada: if you wanted to buy a house by acquir-ing a mortgage, under current federal mortgage rules you would need to put down at least 15 percent of the total purchase price of the home. All other lending and repayment rules aside, that means you would need at least $30K to even think about a $200k home, and if you’re like me and live in a major city like Toronto, the minimum price for a decent home (though that may depend on your idea of decent) is $500k, or a $75k down payment. Yikes.

Put down what you can comfortably fit into your budget, and consider that you may also need to dip into that money from time to time for any health or other emergencies — but hey, at least if you’re making the effort you’re on your way.

Of course, the more you put in the more you can make, but as with the previous suggestions, fig-ure out what you’re willing to budget and get started; most investment agencies allow you to only add a minimum between $25-50 a month — that’s one dinner out a month, or two pitchers of beer that could potentially earn you hundreds to thousands. If you’re lucky, your new employer might also offer an RRSP incentive program that will match your contributions or give you a certain small percentage each payday. Look into what they offer because if you’re not taking part, you are basically throwing away free money the com-pany is willing to give you for being their bright, fresh new responsible face.

Page 43: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)

business.humber.ca

8Event Management

Financial Planning

Global Business Management

Human Resources Management

International Development

International Marketing

Marketing Management

Public Administration

ways to

launchYOUR CAREER

POSTGRADUATECERTIFICATES IN:

Page 44: jobpostings Magazine (Vol. 14, Issue 2)