Jobpostings Magazine: March 2013 Vol 15. No. 6

The Green IssueMArCh 2013 | VOL.15 | nO. 6 JOBPOsTInGs.CA

WOrkInG In The WILd

&

hOW TO OVerCOMe GenerATIOn GAPs In TOdAy’s WOrkPLACe

VIrTuAL eduCATIOn: The fuTure

Of LeArnInG

GO TO neW dePThs As A COMMerCIAL dIVer

hOW TO ChOOse

The BesT referenCes

OPPOrTunITIes ABOund In The fIeLd Of AGrICuLTure

sTudy yOur sCrAMBLed eGGs As A fOOd sCIenTIsT

The sky’s The LIMIT fOr PILOTs!

CAreers. eduCATIOn. IdeAs. ALL Of IT.

1 - 3 YEAR DIPLOMA PROGRAMS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

ACCOUNTING

ADVERTISING - MEDIA SALES

BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

COSMETIC MANAGEMENT

ESTHETICIAN/SPA MANAGEMENT

FASHION

FINANCIAL SERVICES

LAW CLERK

MARKETING

PARALEGAL EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL GOLF MANAGEMENT

11

12

BUSINESS.HUMBER.CA/DIPLOMAS

CAREER-LAUNCHINGDIPLOMAS

Erin MarsdenTalent Acquisition Manager

[email protected](416) 284-4805

Follow a career path?Or blaze your own.

THE CHOICE IS CLEAR. After all, the Enterprise Management Training Program is where you’ll unleash your management potential and hone your sales abilities. You’ll learn how to run a successful business and lead a team of professionals. And, since we have locations across the country, you can build your career where you want to build it. There’s a reason why BusinessWeek magazine has repeatedly named us to their list of “Best Places To Launch A Career.”

YOUR PATH IS WAITING. GO.go.enterprise.com/canada

©2012 Enterprise Rent-A-Car. D02031.10/12

Go with a team that sets a high standard when it comes to employment equity. Go with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. We actively encourage applications from qualified men and women, including Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities.

business.humber.ca/postgrad

ALTERNATIVEDISPUTE RESOLUTIONPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

From arbitration to community

outreach, this program offers the

unique skills you need to launch your

career as an arbitrator, conciliator,

employee relations offi cer, mediator

and many other exciting career options.

MARCH 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

Does the idea of sitting behind a desk give you chills? There are plenty of jobs across the country to give

you the adventure you’ve been looking for! From tree planting to search-and-rescue, we take a look at the

best careers the Canadian wild has to offer.

WOrkIn’ Green30

TABLe Of COnTenTsIndusTry rePOrTs24 CAreers In fLIGhT Fluffy clouds provide an alternative view to looking at a computer screen all day. We ask different pilots what brought them to the blue skies.

25 WILL WOrk fOr fOOd If you enjoy math, science, and all types of food, you may enjoy solving meal and nutrition issues as a food scientist.

26 underWATer OPPOrTunITy Canadian divers are among the best in the world. With a plethora of different kinds of diving, the deep seas could be the perfect workplace for you!

28 AudITInG enerGy This newer field is growing in populari-ty! Energy auditors simultaneously help companies save money while helping the environment by focusing on energy use and increasing efficiency.

LeArn ABOuT09 CrunChIn’ nuMBers The green sector is one of the fastest-growing industries, (pun intended). Check out our facts on Canada’s natural sector and hopefully you’ll be inspired to work green.

10 sTArT-uP Brett Sheffield revitalized agricul-ture by being the young, innovative business owner of NextGen Farms, fulfilling his entrepreneurial ambitions while contributing to his community.

12 suCCess sTOrIes Carley Hvasti, revenue manager of JW Marriott in Muskoka, describes what she loves about the industry and how to be a success in hospitality. Sponsored by Rogers Wireless.

14 InTerVIeW sMArTs Rodney Larmand, president of Col-lege Pro Painters, explains the best way to answer the tricky question “tell me about something meaningful you’ve worked toward?”

16 BeyOnd A dIPLOMA MILL Getting out of the classroom doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Virtual and dis-tance learning gives you a new array of opportunities.

22 ChOOsInG referenCes Getting references from employers isn’t usually that difficult, but be sure you’re keeping and choosing them correctly!

37 BrIdGInG The GAP The average Canadian workplace has four generations of employees work-ing together. Find out what companies are doing to work efficiently as a multigenerational team.

42 TAxes MAde eAsIer It’s that time of year! Read on to find out why you should be doing your own taxes.

44 edu-MA-CATIOn Agriculture isn’t just corn. From agri-cultural economics to animal sciences, there are plenty of opportunities.

JOBPOsTInGs.CA

JPTV Know what it takes to get into marketing? Want to become an accountant? What skills do you need to be a broadcast journalist? Find out at JPtv, Jobpostings’ YouTube channel.

nuTrITIOnIsTs Versus dIeTITIAns If you’re interested in health and wellness, this rapidly growing field is right up your alley. We ask professionals exactly what separates the two careers and how you can begin helping others to help themselves.

Green CAreers In ACCOunTInG Accountants are needed in every industry, so why not use your accounting superpowers for good and develop an environmentally friendly career? We talk to several accountants that have made their accounting jobs green.

ABOrIGInAL InCLusIVITy Canadian employers are focusing more on inclusion and diversity. Find out how one of Canada’s leading financial institutions is devel-oping programs for aboriginal inclusivity.

suMMer JOB skILLs PAy Off Needing a paycheque between semesters shouldn’t be the only reason you’re considering a summer job. There are plenty of applicable skills and experiences you can take away from temporary work.

Jobpostings.ca is Canada’s leading career lifestyle magazine for students and recent grads—but since you’re holding a copy, you probably already knew that. But did you know we’re also Canada’s biggest job board for entry-level, internship, and co-op opportunities? No? Well, now you do.

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013

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

jobpostings.ca 1-877-900-5627 ext. 221

MAsTheAd

Jobpostings Magazine is published eight times in the school year. Issue dates are Sep-tember, 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. “Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better.” - Albert Einstein

PuBLIsher Nathan Laurie [email protected]

AssOCIATe PuBLIsher Mark Laurie [email protected]

COMMunICATIOns And PrOJeCT MAnAGer David Tal [email protected] @DavidTalWrites

edITOr James Michael McDonald [email protected] @mcjamdonald

ArT dIreCTOr Anthony Capano [email protected]

deVeLOPer Mishraz Ahmad Bhounr [email protected]

COnTrIBuTOr Erika Jarvis, Samuel Dunsiger

nATIOnAL ACCOunT MAnAGer Mary Vanderpas

eduCATIOn ACCOunT MAnAGer Shannon Tracey

InTerns Carly Brown, James Ellis, Kim Wolfshout, Patrick Erskine, Rebecca Feigelsohn, Megan Santos, Kate Aenlle, Angelina Attisano

sChOOLIndexIFC Humber, The Business School (Undergrad)

02 Humber, The Business School, Alternative Dispute Resolution

05 Humber, The Business School, Global Business Management

07 Humber, The Business School, Event Management

08 Humber, The Business School, Fashion Management

23 St. George’s University

29 St. George’s University

44 Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology

44 Centennial College

45 Brock University

45 Niagara College

45 Queen’s University

45 Ross University

45 American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine

45 Sheridan College

45 University of Lethbridge

47 Humber, The Business School (Undergrad)

IBC Humber, The Business School (Postgrad)

BrAndedCOnTenT20 The Home Depot Career Matchmaker

WhOshIrInG01 Enterprise Rent-A-Car

04 Bayshore Inn

11 Sun Life Financial

15 College Pro

21 The Home Depot

33 Target

36 Chair-man Mills

36 The New England Center for Children

43 Starbucks

48 College Pro

OBC PwC

GenerALAds13 Rogers Wireless

41 Insurance Institute of Canada

46 Canada’s Luckiest Student

WANT A PART-TIME JOB THAT DOESN’T

SUCK?Don’t limit yourself to working

at the corner store. Visit Jobpostings.ca for

the latest positions from Canada’s top employers.


From marketing to fi nance to

international trade, this program

offers the unique skills you need

to launch your career as a brand

manager, operations planner,

marketing coordinator, media analyst

and many other exciting career options.

GLOBALBUSINESSMANAGEMENTPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE


EDITOR’S NOTE

06

From an early age, I understood that our generation had a new responsibility. With varying temperatures, outrageous storms, an increase in pollution, and a decrease in the ozone layer, it became very clear that we all had to be more conscientious of our ac-tions. I started recycling and learned about saving the whales. I became involved with local clean-ups and clean water campaigns. But, as time went on, I became aware that the problem is much larger than these small initiatives.

Today, our relationship with the environment has evolved. While the source of climate change may remain hotly debated, the phe-nomenon’s existence isn’t. New catch phrases include “clean energy,” “sustainability,” and “green (insert word here).” These words are important because they don’t focus on the

symptoms of the problem as much as the steps to cure it. The words are more action-able; they are result-oriented. A person may feel like global warming is beyond their abil-ity to influence, but making decisions to sup-port clean and sustainable energy sources, and purchasing green alternatives for every-day home items—that is something anyone can do, something we can all do together.

That shift in thinking could be why green ca-reers are getting more attention these days; it gives our generation the ability to create posi-tive change. That’s why we’ve decided March is now our first annual green issue!

In the pages that follow, we explore careers that many of our more urban readers may never have considered. We look at various en-vironmental jobs such as an approved energy auditor, and explore agriculture professions

in food sciences, as well as talking to profes-sional divers. More interestingly, we’re going to explore what it’s like working in remote regions of Canada, especially in the North. What’s the lifestyle like? What personality do you need to appreciate that kind of work? What school majors and industries are most likely to require you to work remotely? And what are the day-to-day benefits and chal-lenges of this kind of work?

We’re also going to explore the generation gap in a variety of industries. How are work-places bridging the gap and bringing people together to work more effectively?

I’m proud that our first green issue is my first issue as editor. I hope the articles within offer some valuable insight into this needed, grow-ing industry.

Happy reading!

A Green fuTure sTArTs TOdAy

16 BeyOnd A dIPLOMA MILL 30 WOrkInG In The WILd 37 BuILdInG BrIdGes, CLOsInG GAPs

James Michael McDonald

4/10 PROVINCES IN CANADA HAVE UNIVERSITIES THAT STRONGLY FOCUS ON

DISTANCE EDUCATION AND ONLINE LEARNING.

BC

AB

NL

QC

BABY BOOMER MOTTO

“EDUCATION +

HARD WORK =

SUCCESS”

CANADA GENERATES

$29 BILLIONFROM GREEN JOBS AND BUSINESSES ANNUALLY.

Sources: docs.google.com, greencollarcareers.ca, firstwork.org

View all 10 choices at business.humber.ca/postgradbusiness.humber.ca/postgrad

From trade shows to weddings to

cultural festivals, this program offers

the unique skills you need to launch

your career as an event coordinator,

account representative, corporate

meeting planner or many other

exciting career opportunities.

EVENTMANAGEMENTPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE


From retail management to wholesale

to logistics, this program offers the

unique skills you need to launch your

career as a fashion buyer, logistics

coordinator, product development

manager, visual merchandiser and

many other exciting career options.

FASHIONMANAGEMENT& PROMOTIONSPOSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE

Sources: docs.google.com, greencollarcareers.ca, ceric.ca, firstwork.org, horttrades.com, eco.ca

CrunChIn’nuMBers

The Canadian wild is one of the greatest expanses of undeveloped, natural landscape in the world. Because of this, we dedicate a large amount of manpower and funding to protecting our natural resources. Check out the stats below and maybe you’ll be inspired to find a job in the green sector too!

52.5% 17.6%

17.3%

12.6%ENVIRONMENTAL EMPLOYMENT IN CANADA (%)

ONTARIOB.C.

OTHERQUEBEC MANUFACTURING AND

CONSTRICTION JOBS TAKE UP AT LEAST

50% OF THE JOBS FOUND IN GENERATING RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Those that work directly with information, technologies, or materials that minimize environmental impact, and also require specialized skills, Knowledge, training, or experience related to these areas.

GREEN COLLAR JOBS/ gren käl r jäbz /

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

100,000

1990 2010200520001995

ENVIRONMENTAL EMPLOYMENT GROWTH FROM 1992 – 2010

70,000

680,000

0

63%

37%

THE GENDER DIVIDE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORKFORCE

GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURE FORESTRY FISHING HUNTING SCIENTIFIC

THE INDUSTRIES THAT EMPLOY THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EMPLOYEES ARE:2

3

4

5

1

ATL. ABSK + MBONQC%

BC

WORKFORCE IN EACH REGION MADE UP OF ENVIRONMENTAL EMPLOYEES

3%

3.4%

2.3%

3.5%

2.4%

4.3%CANADA GENERATES

$29 BILLIONFROM GREEN JOBS AND BUSINESSES ANNUALLY.

CRuNCHIN’ NuMBERS

09



START uP

10

nexTGen fArMs

WInnInG AWArds By sOWInG fIeLds

DO WHAT yOu’RE PASSIONATE ABOuT AND STICK WITH IT.”

“Getting the chance to speak to professors and speak to mentors and realizing that I could make farming interesting and make it my own,” said Brett Sheffield, a business management ma-jor at the University of Manitoba, on his inspi-ration to go independent. “Seeing the different things you’re able to do and using that has really brought out my inner entrepreneurial spirit.”

Despite there being farms all across Canada, many young people are not aiming for agriculture. But where others wavered, Sheffield saw opportunity.

“I honestly think agriculture is booming right now,” he said. “There are businesses that are competing to try to find students that are com-ing out of agriculture. The jobs, the pay that you’re getting in the agriculture industry is phe-nomenal right now.”

For Sheffield, farming has been a way of life, including its ups and downs. “My parents were cattle farmers before mad cow disease basically ruined them, so I decided to go the grain route and the past five years have been phenomenal.”

Different than products in technology or other fields, in grain production, clients come to him. “Customers really come to me and big compa-nies will come and purchase it from me rather than having to go and find it myself.” He says he never has a problem selling his goods. “There’s always a market for it but the price fluctuates depending on the markets.”

Knowing the ins and outs of crops is one thing, but funding an entire farm is another. Sheffield

played it smart when he was starting out. “To start, I just rented a piece of land. I went to the bank and got an operating loan. I got cash ad-vances from the Canadian Wheat Board and the Canadian Canola Growers. That allowed me to put my first crop in. I rent the majority of my land so that allows me to keep my costs down so I can expand through rented land and I can increase my working capital without tying up all my money in purchasing land.”

Like any business owner, Sheffield had to learn and adapt as his business grew. “I learned a lot from increasing in size. Managing and seeing what was going on was easy just because it was a small size.” He reiterates how difficult operating a growing business can be and the importance of management and up-to-date technology. “I actually missed fertilizing a field because I hadn’t increased my management and my book-keeping.”

And Sheffield’s innate business savvy doesn’t end on the farm. “I also purchased a 24-hour fitness centre in my small community last year. It was mostly just to have for the community but

By: James Michael McDonald

I was also able to get 100 per cent return on investment in the first year.”

Because of his entrepreneurial drive and suc-cess, Sheffield recently won the 2012 Student Entrepreneur National Competition, an annual award given out by Advancing Canadian Entre-preneurship (ACE). “I think they like to see that I not only have one successful business model, but two,” he said. “The community aspect and my determination to try and help create green practices and increase productivity throughout my farm, I think they found that was interest-ing.”

When asked what advice he gives to students thinking of starting their own businesses, Shef-field says “go with your passion. Do what you’re passionate about and stick with it and, in time, success will come. I really find it unique that I’m able to do the two things I’m most passionate about everyday, which is agriculture and fitness. And not only do I get to wake up and do the two things I love most, but I’m also able to make money with it and pay my bills with it and sup-port my family.”


SuCCESS STORIES

12

SPONSORED By ROGERS

What attracted you to the hospi-tality industry?

It’s in my blood! My family has owned and operated restaurants and motels for over 30 years. I tried to distance myself from this and started on the career path to become a school teacher. This only lasted one year before my true passion for hospitality and entrepreneurship was reignited.

How did you find your current po-sition?

While studying at Ryerson, my family sold our hospitality business. My goal was to re-locate home to Muskoka. I was thrilled to hear that the FIRST JW Marriott in Cana-da was opening just 30 minutes away from my hometown. I was eager to join this repu-table brand and my first role with my de-gree in hand! In 2008, I joined the Marriott family as a Guest Services Agent and was promoted to Lead followed by Guest Ser-vices Supervisor over four years. In 2012, I have truly succeeded in finding my “dream job” as Revenue Manager for the resort.

What are you responsible for in your current position?

The goal of my work is to maximize rev-enue for the resort. I work closely with our sales team to evaluate the profitability of fu-ture group business and help set rates, room inventory, and catering strategies with the resort leadership team. I create forecasts and reports based on historical and current data, as well as assist in managing some of the marketing initiatives for the resort.

What is the most challenging as-pect of your position?

I think the biggest challenge is fitting to-gether several moving pieces to ensure you have created the most advantageous strat-egy for the resort. It is a balancing act to ensure you have the right mix of guests along with the right rates, all at the right time. One of Marriott’s core values is to embrace change and in the revenue world, everything is always changing so you need to adapt.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love knowing that I have helped guide the operations team. It is really about knowing that you are helping the team effectively schedule and respond to the demand you help capture for the resort. Even those pe-riods where you didn’t reach your goals, it is still rewarding to analyze everything from the occupancy to the weather forecast to be proactive in finding solutions for the year to come.

What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?

It’s all in the details! Check once, check twice, and even a third time for accuracy. I think that it is also essential that you start in hospitality operations—such as a guest ser-vice agent or server—to develop a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of how your organization functions. Marriott In-ternational has always been a strong advo-cate for hiring from within for any available position. I am no exception! I am proud and thankful to have gained the knowledge of the property and experience within the industry prior to being promoted.

What advice do you have for stu-dents looking to land their first job?

Start small and dream big. Most often, your first job isn’t going to be in senior manage-ment and it shouldn’t be. There is so much to be gained and learned from working your way to the top. Anything that you ac-complish or learn in your first job adds to your experience and your resume. Many of the skills you acquire through any job are transferrable, so even if your first job seems unrelated to your dream job, stick with it! If you are always open to learning, better-ing yourself, and if you give your very best regardless of the position, the right people will take notice. Save your reputation on being dedicated, passionate, and learn ev-erything you can now. Your dream job is not far away!

CArLey hVAsTI

suCCess sTOrIesCOMPAny: JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa ___________________________

POsITIOn: Revenue Manager ___________________________

LenGTh Of eMPLOyMenT: 4.5 years ___________________________

deGree: Bachelor of Commerce, Ryerson university: Hospitality & Tourism Management, minor in Communications

CONNECTSPEED TUN

ESAMAZING

STREAMING

SHAREFAST

RELIABLESHARE

ANYTH

INGAMAZINGWATCH POST

L IFESTYLE

DOWNLOAD

SPEED

WATC

H

INSP

IRE

INSPIRE

AC

CE

SS

FR

EE

DO

M

SURFaccess

FAST

LIVE

CONNECTBLOG TUN

ESAMAZING

LIFESTYLE

SHAREFAST

FREEDOMSHARE

NETW

ORK

AMAZINGWATCH POSTL I F E S T Y L E

SECURE TUNES

SPEED

WATC

H

INSP

IREINSPIRE

RE

LIA

BL

E

FR

EE

DO

M

SURF

access

FAS

TLI

VE

CONNECTVIDEO TUN

ESAMAZING

STREAMING

SHAREFAST

RELIABLESHARE

ANYTH


L IFESTYLE

DOWNLOAD

SPEED

WATC

H

INSP

IREINSPIRE

DO

WN

LOA

D

FR

EE

DO

M

SURFaccess

FAST

LIVE

CONNECTSPEED TUN

ESAMAZING

STREAMING

SHAREFAST

RELIABLESHARE

ANYTH

ING

AMAZINGWATCH POSTLIFESTYLE

DOWNLOAD

WATCH

LIFEST

YLE

TUN

ESINSPIRE

IN

SP

IR

E

FR

EE

DO

M

SURF

access

FAST

LIV

E

CONNECTSPEED TUN

ESAMAZING

STREAMING

SHAREFAST

RELIABLESHARE

ANYTH


L IFESTYLE

DOWNLOAD

SPEED

WATC

H

INSP

IREINSPIRE

NE

TW

OR

K

FR

EE

DO

M

SURFaccess

FAST

LIVE

RELIABLESHAREAMAZINGWATCH POST

L IFESTYLE

DOWNLOAD

INSPIRE

FR

EE

DO

M

SURF

access

LIVE

BLOGDOWNLOAD

FAST EXCITINGNEXTUPLOADSHARE

STREAMINGFREEDOM

ANYTH

ING

WATCH

LIFEST

YLE

TUN

ES

IN

SP

IR

E

Offer available for a limited time and subject to change without notice. *HTC 8X 8 GB $49.99. See rogers.com for current pricing for other featured devices. Pricing eligibility for each based on new activation on any 3-yr. talk and internet plan having min. $50 monthly service fee. Pricing eligibility for tablets based on new activation on any 3-yr. term mobile internet plan having min. $22 monthly service fee or Share Ready Access plan having min. $17 monthly service fee. Device Savings Recovery Fee and/or Service Deactivation Fee (as applicable) apply in accordance with your service agreement. FLEXtab balance corresponds to the sum of the Device Savings Recovery Fee and the Additional Device Savings Recovery Fee. A one-time activation fee of up to $35 (varies by province) may also apply. 1 Samsung Ativ tablet and Nokia Lumia 920 exclusive to Rogers. 2 Based on tests comparing download speeds on the Rogers LTE network vs. Bell and Telus’ LTE networks. ©2012-2013 Rogers Communications.

rogers.com/windows8

ANOTHER FIRST. ONLY FROM ROGERS.With our history of leading the way by providing breakthrough innovations, it’s no

wonder we’re first to launch the reimagined Windows 8 experience. With live tiles that automatically update and a totally customizable home screen, you can stay in touch like

never before. So what’s next? If you’re with Rogers, you’ll be the first to know.

The Windows 8experience starts here.

ANOTHER FIRST. ONLY FROM ROGERS.ANOTHER FIRST. ONLY FROM ROGERS.

Exclusive Windows 8 devices1

The wireless launch partner of Windows 8 in Canada

Exclusive Rogers Apps, like Rogers One NumberTM and Rogers Anyplace TV TM

1RogersOne Number

RogersAnyplace TV

Rogers has the fastest LTE networks in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver2

The largest selection of Windows 8 devices

starting at $4999* with 3-yr. FLEXtab agreement on select plans

3318_RCI_Windows8_ProgramAd_8.125x10.75.indd 1 13-01-22 10:46 AM


INTERVIEW SMARTS

14

rOdney LArMAnd PRESIDENT, COLLEGE PRO PAINTERS

So you screwed up in the interview, huh? They asked the ol’ “What’s your greatest weakness” question and you answered 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!

Tell me about something meaningful you’ve worked toward?Seems a bit vague, right? This is very intentional; there are a lot of things going on with this question, and it is deliberately worded in this way. It’s a broad question that allows you to start learning what makes a candi-date tick, and what they feel has been significant in their life to date.

“Tell me about” is an open, non-leading question to ask—it leads to a story rather than a yes/no answer. “Meaningful” has a different spin on a traditional question of goals. Everyone places value differently and understands the word “goal” differently, so this allows a candidate to think a bit more holistically about their experiences and what has been meaningful, outside of specific marks or athletic medals, per se.

I’m looking to understand a candidate’s attainment (a preference to set and hit goals), tenacity (a preference to see tasks through to the end), and focus (the ability to manage mood and emotions while working

toward something important). I want a candidate to paint the picture of exactly what they’ve done and why it was meaningful to them. I ask plenty of questions; I want enough detail that I can picture myself there, going through it with them.

I’m looking for how someone has behaved in the past, to predict how they will perform in the future. Yes, people learn and develop as they age and gain experiences, but people all fundamentally have a set of preferences and abilities which they will default to.

To prepare, remember that knowing your resume isn’t enough—spit-ting out a prepared interview answer will set off a quick BS detector. Do some real thinking on what you’ve done, why you’ve done it, and what you’ve learned from it. As an interviewer, I want to know about the experiences you’ve had—and it’s your job to articulate them to me.

Get skilled at selling yourself in an authentic way; this will never go to waste. Be clear on some significant events you’ve lived through that showcase how you behave at your core. Everyone has successes and failures; if you’ve “never failed,” it serves reason to believe that you’ve never really challenged yourself. By all means, showcase your successes and the things you’re proud of, but don’t be afraid to talk about that major event that didn’t go as planned, and what you learned.

Don’t bother preparing standard interview answers. Reflect about your-self and understand how you might share your different experiences to an interviewer to paint the picture of who you are and what makes you tick.

InTerVIeW sMArTs

Avoid a Quarter-life Crisis

Everyone needs an edge over their competition. As a College Pro franchise manager, you'll learn and use real leadership and business skills today that will help you to stand out when you graduate – and get you on the road to success sooner.

Run your own business

Get control of your future

Work with like-minded people

Make an impact on your life

collegepro.com 888-277-7962

College Pro develops entrepreneurs. If you have big goals and think you have what it takes, find out more today!

Take our entrepreneurial quiz at quiz.collegepro.com

Check out our vide

o

here to learn more

BEyOND A DIPLOMA MILL

17

BeyOnd A dIPLOMA MILL Contrary to popular belief, taking a class or completing a degree

online isn’t about lounging on the couch watching The Price is Right in your pajamas. Sure, technically you can be nude while

participating in a heated discussion about the economy and you can submit your assignments while lying in bed, but the benefits of virtual distance learning are far greater than the freedom to

not leave your house all day.

Distance education allows students to study, learn, and partici-pate on their own schedule, at the place of their choice, and

without the limits that face-to-face contact with a professor or peers demands. This type of learning is especially beneficial to

students living in remote and sparsely populated regions, students with disabilities or special needs, mature students, and workers

undertaking professional development. The ‘distance’ in distance learning can be psychological, social, or geographical; there are many factors that limit a students’ ability to attend a brick-and-

mortar institution but that doesn’t mean their access to education has to be jeopardized.

THE PROS OF VIRTuAL DISTANCE LEARNING By: Rebecca Feigelsohn


BEyOND A DIPLOMA MILL

18

The BenefITs Online and distance courses give students flexible alternatives so they can maintain work, family, and personal commitments while earning credits towards their degree. It also allows students to save money on com-muting to and from campus, moving or living expenses, as well as the potential costs of day care if they have children.

Jenna Laskin, 28, a student completing a Hu-man Resource Management degree from Humber College, decided to learn online for some of these reasons. “I wanted to be able to work and travel while completing the degree,” she says. “I was actually living in San Diego while taking my first three courses. Humber was the most appealing to me because the pro-gram started immediately and was very flex-ible. As a mature student, the idea of sitting in a classroom again did not appeal to me.”

In addition to the flexibility that distance edu-cation provides, there are also environmental benefits. “By not having campus attendance requirements, distance learning reduces the carbon footprint of maintaining classroom spaces and student commutes. The grow-ing use of e-textbooks also saves trees. This makes it a much greener alternative,” says Dr. Nancy Parker, director of Institutional Studies at Athabasca University, a Canadian open university. By having online learning resources and reducing the need to construct new learning spaces, virtual distance learning not only saves students’ time and money, but also helps save the environment.

“The other benefit that you gain by doing a degree [or taking a course] online is that you learn how to communicate the way the world is communicating today,” says George Siemens, who has taught hundreds of courses online since the late 90s and is currently an online professor at Athabasca University. By learning online, you are developing your skills and abil-ity to communicate in an age when being tech-nologically savvy is key to your success.

Siemens also notes how distance learning and discussions online can be particularly useful for students who are more reserved and may have difficulties participating in the class-room. “In some ways, there’s a greater equity of participation online,” he says. “Someone who might be a bit more introverted might need more time to process their thoughts be-fore sharing their thinking. So there’s more equity in that regard: the conversation might not be dominated by a few people as it might have been in class.”

Dr. Adam Chapnick, an associate professor at Canadian Forces College who has taught online and documented his experience on a blog called Virtually Learning, agrees. “To take a course online allows you to express yourself in online discussions in much greater depth than you often can in a face-to-face limited-time discussion. It allows you to think through your comments in terms of class participa-tion, edit them, proofread them, and double-check them before you post it. It allows you to get a broader sense of an entire dialogue before you add your comment. It leaves you with a record of other students’ comments that you can go back to, you don’t need a tape recorder. I think that a lot of the benefits come in the potential for depth in the students conversations that go on.”

The MyThs Because of the aforementioned couch-potato stereotype, virtual distance learning often gets a bad rap. Students interested in online learning might be deterred because they don’t want to be seen as lazy and they want to ensure that their degree will be recognized once they graduate. There is a fear that on-line learning is perceived as easier and lower quality than campus-based learning and dis-tance learning institutions being equated to diploma mills that simply churn out certifi-cate after certificate. However, “research has consistently demonstrated that the student learning outcomes from reputable providers are equivalent to more traditional delivery,” says Dr. Parker.

Siemens notes, “There was a time when there was a lot of suspicion about the validity of online degrees and just online learning in gen-eral. I think definitely over the last five years the perspective has changed quite a bit. Part of the reason is that we now spend most of our day — in our work and personal lives — involved in some sort of technology-mediated communication...I think that part of the rea-son that some of the negativity around online learning’s validity has changed is due to the fact that we’re living our lives in online networks.”

Dr. Chapnick also notes that commonly held

beliefs about virtual distance learning be-ing easier are untrue. “If you really want to learn from the experience, don’t go in think-ing it will be easier than in class, or a lighter workload. Learning requires effort, whether that’s online or in class, it’s the effort that re-ally counts. There are some specific benefits, especially if you are in a remote area, to tak-ing online classes, but none of them have any-thing to do with an easier or a less rigorous ex-perience if you really want to get something out of the course,” he says.

The fACTs & fIGures These commonly held myths are being put to rest as the Internet is becoming more imbed-ded in our daily lives and distance learning is becoming an increasingly popular option to traditional face-to-face learning. According to Contact North, Ontario’s distance educa-tion and training network, no reliable, sys-temic data exists for the number of students studying online in Canada. However, they estimate using proxy data, that there are “be-tween 875,000 and 950,000 registered online students in Canada (approximately 92,105 to 100,000 full-time students) at college and universities studying a purely online course at any one time.” Dr. Tony Bates, an e-learning and distance education research associate consultant for Contact North and former online professor for over 20 years, notes that “approximately 20 per cent of all course en-rolments are online in post-secondary institu-tions in Canada.”

To add more figures about this growing trend, Athabasca University, Canada’s larg-est distance education university, awarded a total of 1,788 credentials (full degrees) online in 2012, made up of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as graduate and undergraduate diplomas and certificates. A large number of students also enrol in par-ticular courses at Athabasca to use towards their degree at another institution and a total of 38,000 students register annually. In addi-tion, Canadian Virtual University (CVU), an association of public Canadian universities specializing in online and distance education, had over 100,000 students register last year.

I WOuLD ENCOuRAGE ALL STuDENTS...TO DO AT LEAST ONE COuRSE ONLINE. IT STRETCHES yOuR BRAIN IN DIFFERENT WAyS, yOu LEARN IN DIFFERENT WAyS, AND I THINK THAT’S JuST GREAT FOR EDuCATION IN GENERAL.”

4/10 PROVINCES IN CANADA HAVE UNIVERSITIES THAT STRONGLY FOCUS ON

DISTANCE EDUCATION AND ONLINE LEARNING.

BC

AB

NL

QC

5

10

15

20

25

TOTAL SCHOOLS PER PROVINCE

SCHOOLS OFFERING ONLINE LEARNING

30

35

40

PEIBC AB SK QCMB ON NS NB NL

45

0

These findings are indicative of the growing popularity of virtual distance learning.

The sTudenTs According Dr. Parker, 5,000 of the students enrolled at Athabasca were from rural areas, meaning an area with a population of 400 people of less. Dr. Bates notes that the data collected by Contact North indicates that there are 3,000 students in Ontario alone who are from rural areas and are enrolled in online courses. However, since education is not a federal responsibility, no nationwide statistics exist. What can be surmised is that distance learning is quickly growing, especial-ly in smaller communities where the diversity and number of course offerings are minimal.

“The online space has additional benefits, such as the access opportunity: you can take courses that might not be offered at your local university,” says Siemens. “If you are located in a remote or small Southern Ontario com-munity, for example, and your local college or university doesn’t offer a particular course, if you can go online you can take a course from any university around the world.”

The benefits of online learning aren’t inclu-sive only for those living in rural areas; all students benefit from increased flexibility and access. Jaclyn Tanz, 22, is in her final semester of a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University. In order to have a decreased course load as well as gain cred-its while she completed several co-op terms, Tanz took online courses from four institu-tions, including her home university. “I took courses online from Dalhousie, Athabasca, Thompson Rivers, and at the University of New Brunswick. I lightened my course load during the year by taking classes in the sum-mer and gained credits towards my degree while I was completing my placements and earning money,” she says.

As a student who has taken both distance classes as well as face-to-face, Tanz can speak to the different challenges of each learn-ing method. “When you are taking a course online, self-motivation is really important, because once you fall behind it is very chal-lenging to catch up. When you go to class, you have a scheduled time each week that you devote to studying the material, so it is more structured.”

Online professors also emphasize the im-portance of self-motivation. “I think that self motivation is absolutely critical. Even the most attentive instructors can only do so

much,” Dr. Chapnick says. “A willingness to ask for help when you need it is also abso-lutely critical.”

Siemens notes the distinction between self-guided courses, which “have little or no inter-action with the instructor, and [the student] needs to be a highly-motivated and self-regu-lated learner,” versus “cohort-based models” which are meant to resemble a traditional classroom as they have assignment dates and set times to participate.

The AdVICe Tanz, a seasoned online learner, recommends doing as much research as possible before committing to a distance degree or course. “In my experience, each online class has been unique and each professor has differ-ent expectations and uses different tools and resources. Find out whether you will be re-quired to work with your peers and how many hours a week the professor will be available to answer questions. The more you know about the class before you start the better.”

Dr. Bates recommends that students treat their distance classes as they would a classroom course. “Be sure to set aside as much time for the online course as you would for the face-to-face course. Make sure you’re well organized and you’re not the kind of student who needs to be chased all the time because it won’t work very well.” Dr. Bates also suggests that when deciding to learn, online students should con-sider how online education would fit into their existing routine. “I would encourage students if they feel it would fit their lifestyle because it’s more of a lifestyle choice than an academic one. You could learn just as well online as you can in the class. Check the courses out and make sure they’re properly designed,” he says.

Dr. Parker notes that “the most successful dis-tance students will be academically well pre-pared for the level of study they are undertak-ing, have clear goals, and support from their family and employers.”

Whether you need to pick up an extra course, pursue an undergraduate degree or complete a graduate program, it is worth considering virtual distance education and seeing how it can fit into your academic lifestyle.

“I would encourage all students—at some point in an academic career if they are go-ing to do at least a four year degree—to do at least one course online. It stretches your brain in different ways, you learn in different ways, and I think that’s just great for education in general,” says Dr. Chapnick.

Source: www.contactnorth.ca

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013 SPONSORED By THE HOME DEPOT

CAREER MATCHMAKER

20

Depending on your personality, some jobs just look better than others. If you’re a die-hard creative type, you don’t want to spend your life filling out forms. And if you’re a high-level, abstract-thinking type, you probably wouldn’t want to chop wood for nine hours a day. That’s why we paired up a bunch of per-sonality profiles to jobs available at The Home Depot Canada. Hope you find your fit!

yOur PersOnALITy TyPe: The BrAInyou’re someone who can handle information. Whether it’s dialing all your friends’ phone numbers from memory, or recalling the names of all 151 original Pokemon, you have every scrap of data at your command. In short: you’re a pretty smart person and when you have a spare moment, we’d like you to come over and help us program our micro-wave. Now, your gargantuan brain is impressive enough, but the icing on the cake is that you can use that knowl-edge to help people make complicated decisions.

The JOB fOr yOu: kITChen desIGnerKitchen designers navigate and simplify the sometimes-daunting worlds of products, labour, and customer sat-isfaction. using their in-depth knowledge of products, prices, and sales, they help customers find out what they need and recommend best practises. If you love being re-lied upon for your expertise, this is the job for you.

yOur PersOnALITy TyPe: The GenerALTen-hup! Sir, yessir. you’re the leader of this outfit, sir, and your outfit wouldn’t have it any other way. you know how to manage a group, fulfil objectives, and climb the ranks. you’re dedicated, and you’re always ready for ac-tion. When things go FuBAR, you’re never MIA. Whiskey tango foxtrot. Over and out.

The JOB fOr yOu: dePArTMenT suPerVIsOrDepartment Supervisors provide coaching and training for The Home Depot Canada associates. When they’re not pushing their team to the next level, they make sure ev-erything is running smoothly in their kingdom. Supervisors don’t just lead from afar; they adapt to any position, filling in for any role, any time, and they’re ready to work any time. Day, night, or weekend, it doesn’t matter to the supervisor.

yOur PersOnALITy TyPe: LIfe Of The PArTyyou love meeting new people. you’re the one sending out mass texts to your friends on Friday night, pulling everyone together for an evening on the town. Whenever a visitor comes through, you’re happy to recommend the best restaurants, bars, and neighbourhoods—and you’re always looking out for new things to do or see in your city. These are the reasons why you’re well-loved and why your friends call you for help when they’re stuck on an awkward date. Congrats! you’re the Life of the Party.

The JOB fOr yOu: sALes AssOCIATeyou might not know it yet, Life of the Party, but you’re friendly and customer-service oriented, the key traits of successful sales associates. For The Home Depot Canada, that means being the first line of defense, the person who introduces customers to the store’s many departments, products, and services. And you’ll get to learn more about Home Depot’s ever-evolving array of services, all while meeting boatloads of awesome people.

yOur PersOnALITy TyPe: The ChArMerAaawww, look at you! you’re such a gosh-darned sweety-pants! Give yourself a hug. you deserve it, because ev-eryone loves you and you love them back. you’re always eager to please, and can stay cheerful even when your bus is late and Tim Hortons is all out of crullers. Some people get energy from coffee; you get your energy from being around other people.

The JOB fOr yOu: CAshIerCashiers are the last people that a customer meets before leaving the store, and they can make all the difference in whether that customer comes back. Cashiers need to resolve problems, build relationships, and satisfy custom-ers all while staying calm, collected, and cheerful. Some people would find that challenging, but for the Charmer, it’s just another day of being you.

yOur PersOnALITy TyPe: The rOCkyou’re organized and stable. you were probably the only student in your class with colour-coded notes and an agen-da filled with dates and assignments instead of doodles of dragons fighting on unicycles. At work, you don’t stop when you’re tired. you stop when you’re done. When people ask you what you’re doing next weekend, you already have an hour-by-hour timesheet printed out for them.

The JOB fOr yOu: MerChAndIsInG exeCuTIOn AssOCIATeMerchandising Execution Associates are constantly creat-ing shopping environments with strong visual appeal. But how, you ask? By executing merchandising strategies. By sculpting and following directives. And by using their keen eye for visual dynamics. And if you’re successful, you’ll be hitting deliverable benchmarks, which are ever-important to the Rock: you’ll be helping products fly off shelves.

THE HOME DEPOT CANADA EDITION

Because working here is about more than helping customers choose the right product. It’s about making a difference in our customers’ lives and their homes. We call it “unleashing your inner orange” and it’s my ability to tap into my inner potential to help them create a space worth calling home.

The first thing I do when I greet a customer is smile. It lets them know I’m there to help, and that I’m confident in my ability to make a difference in their projects—no matter how large or small, I know that my customers value my product knowledge and that drives me to go above and beyond to help them complete their projects. Through extensive training, tuition reimbursement and more, The Home Depot gives me the support I need to build a promising future.

– Jordan, Home Depot Associate

A variety of part-time and seasonal opportunities are available for college and university students.

We are committed to diversity as an equal opportunity employer.

Successful projects start with serious know-how. And a warm smile.

Apply online at homedepotjobs.ca/5762 or text HOMEDEPOT to 998899 for information on upcoming career fairs and opportunities in your area.


CHOOSING REFERENCES

22

When you get to the stage of the hiring process when the interviewer is asking for references, you need to make sure you have the best, most appropriate recommendations possible. You may be able to ace an interview but if your ref-erences don’t check out, you won’t get the job.

“The best references are past supervisors,” says Bruce Hurwitz, president of Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, Limited. Employers want to hear from the people who gave you direction to find out exactly how you work. Colleagues are good but past bosses are great, so be sure those in higher places keep you in their good books. “Simply call the person, tell them about the job you have interviewed for, and ask if they will provide you with a reference. Nine times out of ten, they will be happy to do so.”

“Prepare your references at the start, not at the finish line,” says Roy Cohen, author of The

Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide. “You can assemble a diverse group of recommendations and know in advance how they will represent you.” Keeping references in mind at your cur-rent job will help you in the long run. Just be sure pleasing your employer doesn’t distract you from your work, or you may be left with a boss that doesn’t really want to give you a reference.

“Anticipate a bad reference and defuse,” says Cohen. “For example, Betsy was the only boss I’ve had with whom, for some reason, we didn’t see eye-to-eye. Or Betsy and I only worked to-gether for a few months and we never really had the opportunity to get to know each other.” In these instances, use former employers, or super-visors above or below Betsy. Even if she is your most recent employer, if she’s a bad reference, try to provide others that will be as useful.

Be sure to choose people that can speak of your accomplishments as well as your character. Em-ployers like to see both what you can do and how you can do it.

“Select references that not only like you but will speak about you with insight, enthusiasm, and knowledge,” says Cohen. “A reference who is indiscriminate or who rambles, no matter how positive, will not represent you in the very best light possible and may even reflect poorly on

you.” Choosing references shows your judg-ment, so be sure to choose individuals that know you well and can represent you in a positive light.

It’s also important to keep in touch with your references over time. “A former colleague listed me as a reference,” says Hurwitz. “When I got the call, I had no idea who the caller was phon-ing about. I had worked with the woman over ten years ago. She married and I didn’t know her by her married name. Needless to say, the conversation didn’t go well.”

With the growth of LinkedIn, many people are using social connections as references. The trick to using the site correctly is by treating these people the same way you treat your other references: keep in touch and be sure they will represent you well. Also, judge the employer to predict whether or not a LinkedIn reference will be seen as creative or silly.

Hurwitz says he receives requests for endorse-ments on LinkedIn all the time. “It’s always the same thing: if you recommend/endorse me, I’ll do the same for you. I do not know any of these people. It’s a game.”

No matter the method, just be sure you trust the people you list as references. It can be the dif-ference between landing a job or continuing the job hunt. | By: James Michael McDonald

ChOOsInG The rIGhT referenCesWHAT MAKES OR BREAKS A GOOD RECOMMENDATION

IMAGES: ©ISTOCK.COM

WHERE WE STAND STuDyiNg DivERSE pATiENT populATioNS

HElpS STuDENTS pRoDucE Top uSMlE STEp 1 fiRST-TiME pASS RATES

TESTiNg WEll AND KNoWiNg THE WoRlD EvEN BETTER

Will MAKE you STAND ouT

©2013 St. G

eorg

e’s University

US/Canada: 1 (800) 899-6337 ext. 9 1280sgu.edu/future-students • [email protected] Grenada, West Indies

The aviation industry has its ups and downs. The hours are irregular, the training is expensive, and you have to put in your time to make good money. However, the pros outweigh the cons if you’re the adventurous and hard-working type.

The industry is booming—ironically, since the boomers are retiring—and there is high demand for young, professionally trained pilots. If you’re look-ing for a challenging and rewarding career, and the idea of seeing remote areas of the country (and world) excites you, buckle up. Aviation might be the perfect career for you.

Duncan Cowell got his college diploma and commercial flying licence at 24. Since then, he’s gone from flying charter flights in Northern Ontario to flying a 70-passenger Bombardier Q400. Currently 29, Cowell had to invest some time into moving up the ladder. But for someone who had dreamed about doing this since he was a kid, it was well worth it.

Cowell earned his chops flying in remote areas of the country, which posed different challenges than commercial flights. The ground support and navigation equipment was often fairly limited, the gravel runways were difficult to navigate, and the cold weather made it difficult to perform maintenance on the plane. It was during those flights that Cowell saw some pretty unique sights. “I remember one day we flew over an aban-doned radar base that was formerly part of the mid-Canada radar line. It was really neat to see a bunch of structures and equipment that had been abandoned for decades,” says Cowell.

And there are many more perks. “When we have layovers, our company puts us up in nice hotels,” says Cowell, “and it’s great to get out and ex-plore the cities we fly to.” It’s also common for airlines to give substantial discounts to their employees, especially on standby flights.

Attending a school program is one way to get your foot in the door to the industry. Andrew Francis, 22, a recent graduate of the school of aviation at Seneca College in Toronto, landed a job as a flight instructor after earning his bachelor of aviation technology. The four-year degree had Francis tak-ing courses like theory of flight, meteorology, aircraft design, and human

LeT yOur CAreer TAke fLIGhTfactors. He now has his commercial pilot licence and plenty of highly spe-cialized training, but only after a lot of study.

Price is one of the biggest barriers students face trying to get into aviation. According to Francis, the cost of renting an aircraft alone can discourage many people from getting into the industry. It’s likely to pay off in the long run, though. “Many staffing forecasts are predicting that a high rate of retirement will start to occur in the coming years, which in turn will create many job opportunities,” says Francis. “Most large airlines are anticipating a coming shortage and are establishing cadet training programs to help encourage people to start pursuing a career in aviation.”

There are training programs across the country. Aside from essential train-ing, the program at Seneca also features a mandatory co-op program that lets you choose to gain experience in any area of the industry. Even abroad!

The program at Seneca also features the best simulation training you can find. According to Lynne McMullen, chair of the school of aviation and flight technology at Seneca, the program is the “only one in Canada that is accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International, which is quite a rigorous program with stringent requirements to make sure it has high academic strengths and professionalism of delivery on the flight line.” So you can rest assured that you’re getting top-quality training.

The cost is still getting in the way? Fortunately, Seneca’s program is OSAP eligible. Beyond that, there are always bursaries available for students across the country. But it’s important that you know what you’re getting into. If you’re thinking about getting into aviation, “have a discussion with an actual pilot,” suggests Francis. “The industry is not like the movies. It is important to have a realistic understanding of how the aviation industry operates.”

Like any remote work, it’s definitely a challenge. “Although it’s a great way to earn a paycheque—likely a small one for the first while—some days are extremely challenging, and the schedule may not be ideal for everyone. It is certainly not a 9–5 job with weekends and holidays off,” says Cowell. But for him, it’s worth it. “At the end of the day, I can’t imagine doing anything else as unique as flying for a living.” | By: Patrick Erskine

A JOB IN AVIATION CAN TAKE yOu PLACES, INCLuDING THE MOST REMOTE AREAS OF CANADA

LET yOuR CAREER TAKE FLLIGHT

24


WILL WORK FOR FOOD

25

MARCH 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CASource: www.foodtimeline.org

When it comes to the betterment of the hu-man race, food scientists make it look like Tesla invented the paper clip. Once upon a time, we dedicated our time to searching for food; today, we’re drowning in the stuff. We’re even eating pizza in space! (Thanks to anti-gravity pizza dough, astronauts can now enjoy a slice where crumbs don’t float off into the craft.) With food being one of the only industries not to suffer massive layoffs during the global economic downturn, demand for food scientists will remain strong as we search for healthier, more efficient, and ecologically sound ways to feed a growing planet.

Professor Gary Sandberg, the source of that tasty pizza anecdote, spent 17 years in the research and development department of Lipton before becoming the head of the Food Technology Diploma Program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He spent his days devising foods like chicken soup, mak-ing sure they were the right colour, flavour, and consistency for consumers. Sandberg says trends in restaurant culture drive what people look for on the shelves. But research and de-velopment is just one aspect of food science—food safety and preservation are equally as important, which ensures we have enough food that’s safe to eat. As Napoleon famously said: “An army marches on its stomach.”

At the diploma level, (Sandberg’s course),

you’re going to be getting a taste of every-thing, and you can enter the field with a di-ploma or bachelor’s degree. But if you want to get to the top, you need to have a master’s or even a PhD. Depending on the company you work for, you may end up specializing in one of the three areas, or you could do it all. “For people who are interested in the busi-ness side, you have people doing food science degrees and moving into marketing, sales, technical sales, for example,” says Sandberg.

That’s the case for Lynn Pinto, technical man-ager of foods at Unilever Canada. She’s not just challenged to bring foods to market with “the right sensory profile,” she’s also got big en-vironmental and social issues to manage, with which food production is heavily intertwined. “Our plan commits us to three significant out-comes by 2020,” she says, “to help more than one billion people take action to improve their health and well-being; to halve the environ-mental footprint of the making and use of our products; and to source 100 per cent of our agricultural raw materials sustainably.”

Pinto’s love of food came when she was young, as a new Canadian exposed to brand-new foods. “This fostered a love of shopping, cooking, and eating different foods. That, in combination with some skill in math and sci-ences, had me investigating career choices ... that blended well with my passion for food.”

WILL WOrk fOr f00dFOOD SCIENCE IS LOOKING FOR WELL-ROuNDED FOOD LOVERS WITH A KNACK FOR MATH AND SCIENCE

Getting to work with other foodies who love discussing the latest chefs, recipes, and restau-rants is also a bonus. Pinto admits, “we eat a lot because we are frequently conducting sen-sory testing on new product prototypes, pro-duction samples, and competitor products.”

Food scientists in the making should know that employment prospects for the role are just as delicious: food manufacturing em-ployed 219,000 people in 2007, according to Statistics Canada. “People always have to eat, so you’re always going to have a job,” says Sandberg. Pinto adds, “As the food supply becomes more global, it’s important to have food science professionals in Canada who understand Canadian consumers, customers, and regulations.”

Reena Mistry, who just graduated with a master’s in food science, had already found a job at a cheese company an entire year-and-a-half before graduation. Her advice to those interested in a food science career is to net-work. “Go out there, meet people, and find out what kinds of opportunities there are, be-cause this industry is very big and diverse in terms of what you can do,” she says.

Pinto advises to think holistically. “To be suc-cessful in food science, you need to blend consumer understanding, science, manufac-turing, and creativity. It all has to come to-gether.” | By: Erika Jarvis

10,000 B.C.IT BEGINS

3,600 B.C.POPCORN

2,000 B.C.MARSHMALLOWS

1,500 B.C.CHOCOLATE

400PRETZELS

1400DOUGHNUTS

1740CUPCAKES

1901PB & J

10,000 B.C.IT BEGINS

3,600 B.C.POPCORN

2,000 B.C.MARSHMALLOWS

1,500 B.C.CHOCOLATE

400PRETZELS

1400DOUGHNUTS

1740CUPCAKES

1901PB AND JELLY

WE’VE BEEN EVOLVING OuR FOOD FOR THOuSANDS OF yEARS. HERE’S THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF SOME OF yOuR FAVOuRITE FOODS THROuGHOuT HISTORy, (AND SOME OF THEM ARE OLDER THAN yOu’D THINK).

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013 IMAGES: ©ISTOCK.COM

In the world of commercial diving, there is no such thing as a standard job description. There are three types of divers: commercial scuba div-ers, unrestricted surface supply divers, and satu-ration or closed bell divers—each with different levels of schooling, salaries, and tasks to perform.

As a commercial scuba diver, you could be do-ing anything from inspecting piers in a harbour, assisting on an underwater film set, salmon fishing, or underwater mortality diving—yep, that’s searching for dead bodies. Cory Beaudry,

owner of Camcor Dive Services in Vancouver and director of BC College of Diving, has been scuba diving for over 20 years and is an expert in the occupational scuba world, having been recently elected a director for the Diver Certi-fication Board of Canada (DCBC). Beaudry’s company employs 15 full-time divers and certi-fies between 8 and 18 scuba divers per year. He notes that entry-level scuba divers earn between $175–$350 per day, depending on the type of work they are doing and the skills required for the job.

Unrestricted surface supply divers, who are sup-plied air and communications from an umbilical cord at the surface of the water, rather than car-rying tanks, are a level above scuba divers. These divers can go as deep as 165 feet and are the most common type of commercial divers; DCBC cer-tifies more surface supply divers than any other. They are certified to work on projects inshore and offshore, and “work on hydroelectric damns, submarine pipelines, bridges, submarine cable, water treatment plants, water intakes, and basi-cally anything that’s under the water that needs to

A CAREER AS A COMMERCIAL DIVER


be looked at or worked on,” says Garth Hiebert, president of Dominion Divers in Winnipeg who has been diving all over the world since 1979.

As a surface supply diver, graduates have the op-portunity to work across Canada, as well as the international marketplace in the civil market or oil and gas sector. “Whether it is in the oil fields of Mumbai, India; in Singapore; in Hibernia off of our Nova Scotia and Newfoundland coast; or in the historical city of Aberdeen div-ing offshore in the North Sea, Canadian quali-fications are accepted,” says Vern Johnston, the director of operations at Diving Dynamics in Kelowna, BC, who has been diving for over 30 years. “Divers are very much instrumental in the community,” he says. “The work that we

do, most people don’t get to see, but the work is absolutely out there.”

Unrestricted surface supply divers earn anything between $35-$50 an hour, says Johnston. David Parkes, chief executive officer of DCBC, notes that these divers make about $80,000 a year if they have steady work. The pay is great, but Johnston warns against “dollar divers,” a term he uses to describe those only interested in the cash. “The most important thing for a diver is that they have passion to be there,” he says. Courses cost around $20,000 and can be as long as eight months. Also, in order to become a certified sur-face supply diver, you need one year of work ex-perience and 50 hours under water, notes Parkes.

The top tier is composed of saturation or closed-bell divers who typically support the ex-ploration and production of offshore oil and gas. According to Parkes, divers can be working at 500 feet, six to eight hours a day, for 21 to 28 days at a time, living in hypobaric chambers in the off-hours. Divers can’t be certified in North America; courses are only offered in Scotland, France, and Tasmania. Although this level of diving is the most intense, it has its rewards. “A 30-day saturation dive offshore in the North Sea would make you around $48,000,” says Parkes.

In short, becoming a commercial diver is not a walk in the park swim in the sea. Living and working in close quarters with other divers, training and working at deep depth, maintain-ing a physically and mentally fit well-being, and travelling away from home for extended periods of time is not the life for everyone.

But with every challenge, comes an advantage (or two). The pressure to maintain a fit body leads to a healthy lifestyle and being away from home is also an opportunity to travel and ex-plore places in the world you wouldn’t otherwise visit: Hiebert has worked in Thailand, Norway, Denmark, Alaska, Scotland, and Singapore, to name a few. Also, if you have a passion for recre-ational diving, you get to be doing what you love everyday—exploring the deep blue sea.

The opportunities for Canadian commercial divers are boundless. “Canadian diving schools turn out probably the best divers in the world,” notes Hiebert. “Canadian-trained divers are sought after, and Canadians, being apolitical, are welcomed in more places around the world.”

In addition to finding work outside of Canada, there are opportunities around the Great White North as well. “St. John’s, Newfoundland is gong to be the future for a lot of young people in the diving sectors,” notes Johnston. “There’s immense opportunity there.”

“In Canada, there are less than 60 newly cer-tified unrestricted surface supply divers every year, and we, as Canadians, cannot supply enough divers to our own marketplace,” adds Johnston. Beaudry boasts a 100 per cent hiring rate from his school, and says “there is going to be almost a shortfall of divers with the amount of work that is going to be done offshore in Newfoundland. They’re going to need 1,000 divers—there’s that much work.”

Although there is opportunity for divers to be hired, “one of the biggest challenges is actually getting your first job and making a name for yourself,” adds Hiebert. “A guy can come out of school with a card that says he’s a diver, but there’s a lot to be learned.”

If you have a high school diploma, a recreation-al scuba diving qualification, and are physically fit, exploring the different opportunities com-mercial diving has to offer could be the right move for you. | By: Rebecca Feigelsohn

uNDERWATER OPPORTuNITy

27

Want to help businesses cut costs while simulta-neously serving the environment? Earning your Certified Energy Auditor (CEA) designation can help you do just that. This occupation is grow-ing in popularity; as environmental pressures are increasing, more people are becoming en-ergy auditors.

“It’s one of the key tools in improving the per-formance of facilities, reducing energy costs, and increasing energy efficiency,” says Doug Tripp, president of the Canadian Institute for Energy Training (CIET) in Rockwood, Ontario. “The pressures on energy use are not going to go away. Rather, it’s an issue that will become more important because of climate change and increasing energy costs.”

Jon Feldman earned his CEA designation and now works as a chemical engineer with the On-tario Power Authority. “It’s a growing industry,” he says. “Facilities need to get a good grip on en-ergy use. You can’t improve what you don’t know is happening.”

And it’s a broad industry, spanning across the residential sector, com-mercial sector, and industrial build-ings. “The demand is pretty uniform across all sectors,” Tripp says, citing Ontario’s Green Energy Act as a re-minder of the need for energy efficiency.

This necessity for CEAs isn’t limited to Ontario. “Building owners and facilities recognize that they’re paying for energy,” says Kate Butler, manager, com-mercial sector for Efficiency New Brunswick. “They’re looking for ways to reduce those costs. Large industrial companies often hire energy managers to manage energy for their facilities. There may not be [one] on-site, but third parties. We’re seeing facilities starting to look at energy management plans. It’s not just switching light bulbs.”

“In the past, there would just be an accountant paying the energy bill,” she adds.

“They wouldn’t be asking why they’re paying so much. Now, there’s this real-time monitor-ing. You can see the spike in your energy.”

Students have a number of options to break into the industry, including just about any engineer-ing program. “Professionals doing energy audits are mostly in engineering,” Tripp notes. “The kinds of systems they work with are (usually) mechanical or electrical.”

But there are programs, he says, focusing on energy management, which include Durham College’s Energy Management and Sustainable Building Technology program, Humber Col-lege’s Sustainability Energy and Building Tech-nology (SEBT) diploma program and Nova Scotia Community College’s Energy Sustain-ability and Engineering Technology (ESET) program, to name a few.

Cora MacDonald graduated from the ESET program last year and now works as a program coordinator with Efficiency Nova Scotia. “In the ESET program, I learned the principles of energy management, teaching us how to do energy audits, energy systems and assessments, including going out in the field and teaching you how to access a property, and measurement con-trols,” she says. “I like the fact that I work with small businesses to help decrease their operating costs and increase their bottom line. I’m helping people be aware of their energy costs.”

While a CEA designation may not be necessary, it certainly helps. “The training itself is really useful in the process of how you do energy au-diting,” Feldman says.

Feldman notes that one of the benefits of be-ing an energy auditor is the excitement. “You’re doing something different every day,” he says. “You’re solving real problems.”

Aside from the many benefits, there are also more difficult aspects to the job.

“One of the challenges is really lis-tening to your clients,” Butler says. “A good energy auditor will talk to the building owner about their ex-pectations. The goal of the ener-gy audit is for the building owner to be aware of how and why their energy is being used. That’s the challenge: getting them to under-stand their energy. But it’s a good challenge.”

Butler says that in order to face the challenge, energy auditors must

be hands-on and have technical skills. “You’re doing site visits, you’re visiting

manufacturing lanes.” She also notes the importance of interpersonal skills to

able to communicate with clients and customers to serve their needs.

“There’s great satisfaction (with being a CEA),” she

adds. “You’re help-ing save dollars and

helping the environment. By: Samuel Dunsiger

THE PERKS OF AuDITING ENERGy

28

IMAGES: ©ISTOCK.COMJOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013

The Perks Of AudITInG enerGyENERGy AuDITORS REDuCE COSTS FOR COMPANIES WHILE HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT

WHERE WE STAND HANDS-ON TRAINING AT OUR VET SCHOOL

STARTS IN THE FIRST YEAR

BRINGING EXTRA EXPERIENCE TO YOUR FIRST DAY ON THE JOBWILL mAkE YOU STAND OUT

©2013 St. G

eorg

e’s University

Grenada, West IndiesUS/Canada: 1 (800) 899-6337 ext. 9 1280 sgu.edu/future-students • [email protected]

A V M A

A C C R E D I T E D

www.avma.org

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013 IMAGES: © ISTOCK.COM

By: Patrick Erskine

SATISFy yOuR SENSE OF ADVENTuRE By WORKING IN THE MOST REMOTE

AREAS OF THE COuNTRy

DESK JOCKEyS NEED NOT APPLy.

If you like the comfort, safety, and consistency of a 9-to-5 city job, you probably won’t love this line of work. But if you’re an

adrenaline junky, prefer mountains to movie theatres, and thrive on challenging yourself physically: read on.

Canada is the second-largest nation in the world, yet has a smaller population than the state of California. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of wildlife and remote areas, which means

lots of remote work. Industries are booming in the lonely corners of our country and they pay well. As long as you’re the type for

adventure and hard work, there are plenty of jobs to go around.


32

Scott Trew is a self-professed adventurer. He currently works as a project manager for Geophysics Limited, a company that does airborne geophysics surveys. The road he took to get there was wild. Literally. Graduat-ing from his police foundations course at 20, Trew found that he was too young to be hired. The average age they hire is 27, so he figured he had a few years to kill. When someone sug-gested that he head out west to BC to try tree planting, he jumped at the opportunity. It was a bit of a rough start, though.

“You expect to make a goldmine in the first year you do it. That did not work out,” Trew recalls, as the wages didn’t end up meeting his expectations. But after hearing the wild sto-ries about Trew’s experiences, his friends con-vinced him to give it another shot, and they decided to go. The following summer, they were hired by a company and planted trees for half the season. After a few months, the

company had run out of trees to plant and told Trew’s crew to come back in a week be-cause there would be a well-paying job wait-ing for them. They took a mini-vacation to BC and came back to find their boss gone. Also, no jobs. They were stranded away from home with little money and no work. So they started brainstorming.

“One of our guys went online and heard about this thing called seismic,” Trew says. “So we find this company and give them a call and they said ‘come on down and we’ll see if you get a job.’ ...So we jumped on a Greyhound bus and headed to Calgary for another job we knew nothing about.”

This was when Trew discovered what he had been born to do. Upon arrival, they found out that their job was, in simple terms, “to walk all day in a straight line through the woods and mountains, unpacking equipment and setting it up. You’d walk 30 kilometres a day,

13 hours a day, every day. You would work 35 days straight, and then take four days of paid vacation,” says Trew. “But that’s when the craziest things happened.”

In the time he spent working in the wild, Trew witnessed things most people never see, in-cluding the birth of a moose. (Yeah, you read that right.)

“Those are the types of things that just change your view on life... It was a once-in-a-lifetime precious thing that I’ll never forget,” Trew says. In addition to witnessing the live birthing of a moose, Trew has confronted a bear, scaled the sides of mountains, and tra-versed summits virtually untouched by any-one. “There are places you’ll go that maybe 20 people have ever touched. You’re just sit-ting on top of a mountain waiting for a heli-copter to pick you up, taking in the view, and getting paid well to do it,” Trew says.

Trees, MOunTAIns, And BeArs! Oh My!

“THERE ARE PLACES yOu’LL GO THAT MAyBE 20 PEOPLE HAVE EVER TOuCHED.

yOu’RE JuST SITTING ON TOP OF A MOuNTAIN WAITING FOR A HELICOPTER

TO PICK yOu uP, TAKING IN THE VIEW, AND GETTING PAID WELL TO DO IT.”

WORKING IN THE WILD

© 2012 Target Brands, Inc. Target and the Bullseye Design are registered trade-marks of Target Brands, Inc.

Join our team. Expect the best.

target.ca/careers

There’s lots of excitement in storefor you as Executive Team Leader.We’re getting our Store Leadership team in place and are seeking ambitious people

who can create the best shopping experience for our guests. If you have a passion for

developing dynamic, sales-driven teams and are looking to grow your career, we can’t

wait to hear from you.

120808 JobPostingsTargetFiona ByrneJobPostings

8.125 ’’ x 10.75 ’’

120808 JobPostings.indd 1 8/8/12 4:00 PM

Trew may have had good fortune finding the right jobs at the right time but you don’t nec-essarily have to risk travelling across the coun-try, hoping to get hired wherever you end up.

If you’re an engineer or are looking to get involved in trades, Cementation might be in-terested in what you have to offer. As one of Canada’s top 100 employers, you can be sure that they take great care of you when you’re sent on a remote project.

Roy Slack, president of Cementation, says the bunkhouses in which their workers stay look more like hotels and have all the ame-nities you might be used to enjoying in your own home. “They usually have exercise fa-cilities, internet connection, TV, and quite a range of food to choose from,” says Slack. Of course, this is all paid for as part of the job. It

doesn’t come easy though, so be prepared to work 11- or 12-hour shifts every day.

For all the hard work you’ll be doing and pleasant accommodations you’ll be enjoy-ing, the experience is the most valuable ben-efit. “The amount of experience you gain in that time is a lot more than you would on a normal placement, and it benefited me in my career,” says Slack. “In my first few years, I got a lot of field experience and I saw a lot of different things, which was very beneficial in helping me move up the ladder.”

They don’t just send anyone to remote areas of the country to do work, though. You’ll need a bit of experience. If you’re skilled in the trades, your chances of making it on a re-mote project are better. There are always op-portunities for mechanics, welders, and elec-

Maybe mining isn’t the type of career you’re dying to dig your nails into. You don’t have to be the type to fight bears, scale mountains, or help construct mines in order to make money and explore the country. If you’re a people person and don’t have any aversion to fish, you might find yourself suited to working at a remote fishing lodge.

A remote fishing lodge is essentially a four- or five-star accommodation in the middle of no-where. Many of them are located in Haida Gwaii, (formerly known as the Queen Char-lotte Islands in BC), and need friendly, hard-working staff to run the place.

Matthew Clive, vice-president of sales and marketing at Great River Fishing, worked at a fishing lodge for nine seasons growing up. He worked his way up from being a dishwasher

PLenTy Of fIsh In The seA MeAns PLenTy Of JOBsto breakfast chef, then sous chef, until he fi-nally became the head chef of the lodge. He attended school in-between seasons, which he never had a problem paying for because of the money he made at the lodge.

“It was common for me to come back with 12 grand (including tips) after one summer of dishwashing. When I was head chef, I came back with about 20 to 25 thousand,” says Clive.

Of course there are the usual difficulties of working in remote areas for any extended pe-riod of time. Long-distance relationships are hard to maintain, and it’s not always easy to get away from the drama that inevitably sur-faces. But if you’re able to keep your head on straight, you can end up having a pretty memorable experience.

“The guests who come there are paying ap-

proximately $1,000 per person to experience the Queen Charlotte Islands, hoping to see a black bear or whale. You’re immersed. People plan this as a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says Clive. And there are tonnes of jobs de-pending on what you’re looking for. Essen-tially, any job you can do in a hotel you can do at a remote fishing lodge, in addition to all the work found at the dock.

The networking opportunities are another great perk of the job, as the guests are quite diverse. One hundred guests fly in and out ev-ery week. “If you’re coming out of school and are not quite sure what you want to do, you can get a lot of ideas from talking to people,” says Clive. Who knows? You might just make some connections that can launch you on a career path you never imagined.

tricians. But that’s the catch-22, isn’t it? You need experience to go, but the best experience you can gain comes from going. Fortunately, Cementation has an engineer-in-training pro-gram, where they rotate engineers fresh out of school through different placements.

At the end of the day, your experience can only get you so far. It would be foolish to argue that experience is not important, but a good attitude can take you a long way. According to Slack, getting the attention of some of these companies is “as simple as letting them know you think hands-on experience is important and you would like to get out on a project as soon as possible in your career.” They’re al-ways looking for people who have that inner motivation and love for the job. “It’s a lifestyle choice. We respect experience, but we get ex-cited about potential.”

WORKING IN THE WILD

34


Some people love the idea of a challenge, which is exactly what most remote work of-fers. If you want to pursue a career that is as challenging as it is rewarding, you might want to look into becoming a search and res-cue technician (or SAR tech, for short). It’s a long and difficult road to becoming an official SAR tech with the Canadian Forces but, for some, it’s completely worth the journey.

If you’ve already served in the military, you’ll have a head start on the rest of the compe-tition. Being a SAR tech requires that you serve a minimum of 3 years in the military, and become a corporal before you can even apply. Even then, you’re not guaranteed en-try. Sergeant Dwayne Guay became a SAR tech back in 2002 when he graduated from the Canadian Forces School of Search and Rescue. Sergeant Guay applied for 3 years before he was accepted into the program, so the selection process is no walk in the park.

“They stress everybody out on purpose be-cause—to face reality—our job at 2 a.m. is stressful,” says Sgt. Guay. “They’re trying to weed out those that are willing to quit or will-ing to forget about it. At 2 a.m., we only work in teams of two. If I can’t depend on you and you can’t depend on me, what kind of team are we?”

The stress doesn’t end after you’ve been se-lected. In fact, as a SAR tech you can expect some high-stress scenarios almost consistently. The majority of the time you’re working in the dark, since that’s when most of the inci-dents happen. Your circadian rhythm is out

of whack because you’re forced to fight the elements when everyone else is in their beds sleeping. You’re also heading into the un-known, as the information you receive when you’re on call isn’t always so cut and dry.

But the stress isn’t insurmountable, and Sgt. Guay says that a lot of it is self-induced; if you have the tools to deal with it, you can master it. “It’s just being able to recognize it and tak-ing actions to deal with those stressful situa-tions and make a positive out of a negative.”

The stresses are plentiful, but the sense of re-ward is worth it for Sgt. Guay. When someone is hurt and down but not out, it’s the SAR tech’s job to give them a second chance at life. “Every profession out there, there are people who want to do it and there’s people who do it. Search and rescue isn’t an easy job, but it’s extremely rewarding when you can take someone and return them to their family. I’ve done that and there’s nothing like it.”

Working in remote areas of Canada is chal-lenging, but with tough work comes great rewards that include once-in-a-lifetime expe-riences and the satisfaction of accomplishing great things. Our country is beautiful, and getting paid to see it is an offer most wouldn’t refuse. And all it takes is the drive to pur-sue it and the belief that you can. “There’s no mountain too tall. If you really believe it’s possible, it’s possible,’ says Sgt. Guay. “There’s going to be naysayers out there who will tell you that you can’t do it. Well, you can do it... If you believe you’ve got it in you, odds are you’re going to be successful.”

seArCh And resCue

SUMMERDELIVERY&WAREHOUSE HELPERS

www.chairmanmills.com

CANADA’S LARGESTPARTY RENTAL COMPANY

IS NOW HIRING

We offer excellent wages, day/night shifts, plenty of hours,task variety and public interaction all in a safe work environment.We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, well groomed,

trustworthy and enjoy working with the public.

Start Date: May 1, 2013 or earlier in Toronto

Apply now: [email protected]: 416-391-4742

A bright future awaits you inside The New England Center for Children

...to bring out human potentialand create productive lives.

33 Turnpike Road • Southborough, Massachusetts 01772-2108 | 508.481.1015 Fax 508.485.3421

www.necc.org

• Join us and earn your master's degree in one of our on campus programs.

• Work with colleagues in a world renowned school on the leading edge of research and treatment for Autism.

• Learn to use the principles of ABA to improve the lives of children with special needs.

Send your resume to [email protected]

BuILdInG BrIdGes, CLOsInG GAPsPAVING THE WAy FOR MILLENNIALS TO ENTER A MuLTI-GENERATIONAL WORKFORCE

By: Rebecca Feigelsohn and Kate Aenlle

By now you’ve heard that the current job market is tough, but did you know that once you land a job, your work environment could also be hard to navigate?

The reason for this challenging environment is because for the first time, we have four generations working together, each with such strong defining characteristics, that it’s some-times creating conflict in the workplace: Gen-eration Y is characterized as self-confident, collaborative, and creative; Generation X is focused on self-development and are inde-pendent workers; Baby Boomers are known as driven, team-players; and Traditionalists are seen as disciplined and hard-working. Each generation holds different values based

on the time period in which they were raised and the different ways they were impacted by societal change. When these four generations intermingle in the workforce, sometimes their values clash and attitudes don’t align.

“Everyone feels like they’re not appreciated, and they’re kind of ticked off,” says Sarah Slade, a generation specialist and CEO of XYZ University, a management consulting firm that provides solutions to enhance an organization’s next-generation intelligence. “Baby Boomers feel like they’re getting the short end of the stick because they feel like the economy has hit them, they have to pro-long retirement, and younger generations are trying to push them out of the way. Gen-

eration X is feeling like the Boomers aren’t getting out of the way, they have been stuck in middle management for a long time, and now they’re getting pressure from Genera-tion Y to be hip and savvy, so they’re being pulled in multiple directions. And Generation Y feels like they are getting the short end of the stick because there aren’t any job oppor-tunities and nobody really likes them because people feel they are entitled and difficult to work with.”

As Slade notes, each generation has their own defining personality and is dealing with their own hardships seemingly caused by one an-other’s presence.

BuILDING BRIDGES, CLOSING GAPS

37

MInd(InG) The GAPs“When we talk about the workplace of the fu-ture, we’re talking about workplaces that are successful at honing some of the skills of each generation and being open to leadership. There is less hierarchy and more ‘flat’ orga-nizations...less silos and more team-oriented workplaces,” says Slade.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world’s leading professional services firms, is taking actions to manage and meet the ex-pectations of a new multi-generational work-force. One of their new initiatives, Personal Brand Week, is targeted at university students preparing to enter the workforce and is fo-cused on helping them understand the key elements of building a brand and the impli-cations it has on a job search. “We’re trying to get [students] to start thinking about this early, so that people can understand that their personal brand, especially in times of social media, really does create an impression about you and that the things that you do online, people can see,” says Debbie Amery, vice-president of talent & tax national human capital leader. This outreach and resource program recognizes the unique needs of Generation Y as they enter the workplace, and is enabling them to make that transition successfully.

Through their My Life programs, PwC is rec-ognizing the diverse values and needs of their current (and future) workforce by offering employees flexibility, “whether that is flexible time away, work from home, or ‘flexdays’ when people need to use different time or space in order to get stuff done,” says Amery. “It’s a program that al-lows people to talk about the things that are important to them, which makes them ultimately more produc-tive in the workplace as well.”

As organizations are recognizing the importance of appealing to their diverse workforce, new creative initiatives are being put forward and ways of thinking are be-ing shifted. “The most successful organiza-tions are going to be those that are willing to compromise, and those that will be willing to literally have a multi-generational approach, which is really ‘how do we all feel about this?’ not just the select few in senior manage-ment,” notes Slade. This includes “opening up dialogues, having open-book manage-ment, and really inviting more communica-tion and input from employees.”


38


Ottawa-based Halogen Software is another company that is appealing to their future Gen Y employees. This year, they launched an in-novative program that is designed to bridge generational gaps through development pro-grams for new graduates at the company. The program gives recent employees exposure to a diverse set of people and the opportunity for collaboration and mentorship from a senior employee. Using the 80/20 rule, new hires spend 80 per cent of their time focused on their functional job, and the other 20 per cent is spent on professional development.

“They’ll have a mentor that they will meet with on a regular basis; they will also have the opportunity to participate in meetings with our CEO and CFO by participating in things such as planning an event,” says Amy Corkum, learning and development specialist at Halogen.

“The idea is to bring in new ideas, new per-spectives and ultimately transition Gen Ys/millennials into leaders down the road,” says John Fleischauer, the talent attraction man-ager at the company. He notes the impor-tance of Halogen bringing new perspectives and new innovative ideas to their business practices as part of the tech community, and how appealing to Generation Y in a creative way is important to the company’s survival.

resPeCTInG (sOMe) GAPs Organizations are altering practices to re-spect the new workforce made up of multiple generations in order to “create an environ-

ment where people feel like their contri-butions are valued and that they are val-ued,” says Amery.

As organizations are playing their part to include all ages, the millennials (we’re talking to you guys!) have their role to play too. “I think that Generation Y

needs to be aware of certain things,” says Slade. “One of the things I see [them]

struggle with, in no fault of their own, are these ideas of hierarchy and authority.”

Slade explains that because those 30 and under were raised as peers in the household, they are used to having an equal voice at home. She recommends trying to adapt to the concept of hierarchy in the workplace and re-specting the existing structure. “They need to recognize that if they want a voice at the ta-ble, they have to prove themselves,” she says.

Fleischauer suggests that new employees should see the multi-generational workforce as


39


an opportunity to learn from different mem-bers of each generation. “There’s a lot of great information that the different generations can provide each other and we can all push each other to really learn more on an individual ba-sis. So I think it’s really important to accept all the information that you can and transform that into something of value,” he says.

Monika Lombardi, key account and trade marketing manager at SodaStream, agrees. “Just be open-minded to the different ideas,” she says. “A lot of people say that ‘the new green is grey,’ so we are trying to not dismiss the wisdom of [older generations] and their experience.” Lombardi, who works with her much younger sister and their mother, has had plenty of first-hand experiences with working in a multigenerational workplace, particularly with the added element of work-ing in a family-business-type setting.

Although she has encountered challenges, Lombardi says she has been very fortunate to be working in a multigenerational workplace with family and peers who work well together,

despite their differences. However, conflict is unavoidable, and when faced with conflict in the workplace due to the differing ideas from multiple generations, Lombardi says that the best thing to do is to relax and approach con-flicts with an open mind. “The future and the past sometimes do clash,” she says, “but I find that a lot of people [in business] now are slowing down and going back to the ba-sics. Ultimately, for me, it has just been about taking a deep breath when you do have a disagreement, and just trying to present your case in a different perspective, so that they see things in a different way.”

Corkum, Lombardi, and Fleischauer agree that a good philosophy for millennials to follow is to “have an opinion, but be open to listen-ing to different ideas as well.” Although it may seem obvious that being confrontational when presenting your ideas or being dismissive of others’ ideas is a bad idea, it can happen, par-ticularly when work environments get tense. Lombardi thinks that it’s important for every generation to remember that when approach-

ing peers with this type of behavior, “you’re not going to get a good reaction. Period.”

Other recommendations include respect-ing traditional dress codes and specific work hours that are outlined by the organization, as well as balancing the requirement to be both a team player and independent in their work approach. Generation Y should be “aware that there are times for collaboration, but also understand that the workplace wants them to figure things out for themselves sometimes,” suggests Slade.

Lombardi says that it’s important to respect “where [your co-workers] are coming from,” regardless of whether you’re a member of Generation Y or the baby boomers, because valuable ideas and experience can go to waste if they’re never heard or acknowledged.

No matter what approach you decide to use in the workplace, it is important to remember that all generations have value. Even though you think your middle-aged boss is out of touch with modern advancements, he or she might surprise you and teach you something new.

CAreer MOTTO fOr eACh GenerATIOnTrAdITIOnALIsT

BORN BEFORE 1945 “ALWAys seek JOB seCurITy”

BABy BOOMer 1946 – 1964

“eduCATIOn + hArd WOrk = suCCess”

Gen x 1964 – 1980

“InVesT In POrTABLe CAreer skILLs”

Gen y 1981 – 1999

“MuLTI-TrACk Or dIe!”


40

Source: alis.alberta.ca | Images: © istock.comJOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013

Where do you want youreducation to take you?

Here’s a career path withunlimited potential. What are you looking for in a career? Earning potential? Security? Having the chance to face a new and different challenge every day? Whatever you've learned in school and in life, you’ll have the chance to use it in the insurance industry.

It’s hard to imagine a career choice where you’ll have the opportunity to use more of your skills than insurance. Why? Because insurance is already a part of everything you do. It protects homes, jobs, cars, property and the continuity of lives. And because insurance is all around us, the industry has a wide variety of careers to match your education and amazing flexibility to change directions along the way.

There are more than 110,000 Canadians working in the property & casualty insurance sector. It’s an industry that reflects the face and the values of Canadian society and has a constant need for talented, creative, motivated people.

Are you a people person? Brokers work with clients to create a strategy to protect their assets.

Gifted at math? You could thrive as an actuary.

Good at listening? As a claims professional, you’ll help people who are coping with an accident, fire or theft.

Strategic thinker? You could work as an underwriter and develop the products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss.

As your career in insurance progresses, every day can present interesting new opportunities, new challenges, and the flexibility to pursue new goals.

To find out more about where you might fit in with your post-secondary education, please visit our Web site at www.career-connections.info. You may be surprised to find that insurance isn’t what you think. It’s a whole lot more.

Your interests and your experience may add up to a great career in insurance.

Michelle SnowdonUnderwriter

Sara RunnallsBroker

Gavin MascarenhasLoss Adjuster

“For a greater advantage, and the highest placement value, I would recommend courses in law as well as successful completion of a business or insurance program.”

UnderwriterYou’re a relationship developer and decision-maker

Underwriters accept or reject risk on behalf of insurance companies. They assess the kind of insurance required by organizations as diverse as a shopping mall, a professional sports team, a manufacturer, a city government or a construction company. Underwriters examine every facet of the organization’s operation and its request for insurance, then decide what the insurance company should cover and how much it should charge.

“A college diploma or university degree in any subject is helpful for entry into the profession, although those who have studied finance, management, mathematics or business would have an advantage.”

Broker / AgentYou’re a people person and a great communicator

Insurance brokers and agents help consumers find the right coverage to protect their cars, homes, businesses, boats and belongings against loss through accident, fire or theft. While brokers usually represent several insurance companies, agents are more likely to sell policies for just one. These are the entrepreneurs of the insurance industry with many of them working for themselves or for small independent firms.

“The best advice is to specialize in law or business-relatedcourses.”

Loss AdjusterYou’re part private investigator and part therapist

The loss adjuster is responsible for ensuring that those who have suffered a loss receive the compensation and assistance they are eligible to receive. Whether employed by the insurance company or working as an independent contractor, the loss adjuster investigates the accident, arranges medical treatment if necessary and negotiates the final settlement to restore policy holders to where they were, as closely as possible, before their loss.













Sara RunnallsBroker























Sara RunnallsBroker











TAXES MADE EASIER

42

IMAGES: © ISTOCK.COMJOBPOSTINGS.CA | MARCH 2013

April is a daunting time for any student: fi-nal papers, studying for exams, registering for summer courses, and looking for seasonal work. All of this stress can force students to ignore tax season and its deadlines altogether.

“I think the biggest issue that we run into is that not only do [students] not do it early, they have someone do it for them, so they’re not re-ally involved in their own tax situation,” says Cleo Hamel, national spokesperson at H&R Block Canada. “Once they graduate and take on that task on their own, some of them find they have no idea what’s going on. I think for a lot of people, understanding your tax situation is just a part of your financial literacy.”

And she’s right. Students and young people have a tendency to pass taxes off to their parents or to treat them as unimportant. Tax season is an opportunity for students to learn more about their own financial situation, in-cluding money earned and where it was spent.

“It’s an opportunity for the student to get a really good sense of what the year was like, financially,” says Hamel. “Students who work in the hospitality industry, for instance, might turn around and think ‘I work but I feel like I’m not making a lot of money.’ When they do their taxes at the end of the year or are involved with that, they get a better sense of where they’re at.”

Preparing for and understanding tax season can be daunting, especially for a student that hasn’t attempted doing taxes before.

“The best way a student can prepare for tax season is to keep his or her tax return in mind throughout the year,” says Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers, a personal fi-nance site educating its readers about way to save and spend money effectively. “For in-stance, any receipts or billing statements that may qualify for a tax break, such as charitable contributions or registration renewal fees for automobiles, should be kept in their own file.”

Keeping a simple file with receipts for things like transit passes and tuition will come in handy. By staying organized throughout the year, students can preemptively remove a lot of tax season stress. “That way, the tax filing pro-cess is more streamlined and efficient,” he says.

It’s good to know where you can find tax breaks as well. “The newest credit that was added on a few years ago was textbooks,” says Hamel. Because textbooks are quickly becom-ing a student’s largest expense, it’s good to know you can claim a certain amount of that cost. “If you’re a full-time student, you get $65 per month. If you’re a part-time student, it’s $20 per month.” And you don’t need any re-ceipts, she says. “You don’t even have to buy any books. You automatically qualify for that.”

Although you can do your taxes many ways on your own—old-fashioned paper returns, online filing, using programs like UFile—you may also want to reach out to professionals for guidance, especially if this is your first tax return.

“Seeking out the advice or assistance from a third party is definitely available to you,” says Hamel, which includes accountants, tax professionals, and even the accounting de-partment at most universities for some extra guidance. But she stresses that you need to understand what these experts are doing. “You can’t just walk in and say ‘here’s my stuff. Do my tax return.’ You need to be asking ques-tions, ensuring that at the end of the process, you understand how much money you made in the year, how your tax liability was calcu-lated.” Understanding this process will allow you to do your taxes quicker and with less cost each year.

The predominant motivator for any student to do his or her taxes is that the majority of stu-dents get tax refunds due to low incomes and high claims like tuition.

“If a student is in a situation where he or she will be getting a refund—fairly typical for stu-dents—it makes sense to do taxes early,” says Schrage. “That way, the funds can be used or put into savings sooner rather than later.” By: James Michael McDonald

TAxes MAde

eAsIer3.7 MILLIOn PEOPLE AGED 16 AND OLDER FILE THEIR IN-COME TAX RETuRNS ONLINE FROM HOME. 18% OF ALL RETuRNS ARE FILED ONLINE.

MEET A STARBUCKS MANAGER

When did your career journey with Starbucksbegin?I was 20 years old when I started – I thought it wasjust a part time job to help pay bills while I was inUniversity. I had moved to a new city and the envi-ronment and people felt like home at Starbucks -I enjoyed the feeling I had there. I quickly realizedthe company offered a lot of opportunity and I was promoted to supervisor in one year.

How did you develop from a part time barista to a senior operator?I grew into the role of district manager (DM) aftermany years in different stores and at various man-agement levels – I enjoyed being a Store Man-ager as I learned so much about the business and I was able to help people grow and develop in their careers. I took part in Starbucks Future Leaders program that offers structured training and job shadowing for Store Managers who want to get to the next level. I travelled to another city to spend 6 months training with a DM – it was very helpful to build connections inside the com-pany and gave me the confidence and reassur-ance I needed that the DM role was going to be right for me.

Tell us about your day to day as a DM?I spend a lot of time in stores visiting managersand teams to help them grow their business – if

I am not in a store then I am on the phone doing sales calls or working from a laptop. The beauty is that I can do this from wherever I need to – I work from a home office, sometimes in my car and most times from our stores. I am here to answer questions managers have and to learn about our opportunities and help problem solve in order to achieve results.

Did you always know a career in retail opera-tions was for you?No, but I soon discovered that I loved to mentor people and see them grow and develop, I enjoy the variety and changing environment and I was able to make an impact. I find retail operations very rewarding.

Why do you think Starbucks is a great placeto work?I love the people I work with and the opportuni-ties I have had! I have always been encouraged to be a part of the community I work in and I like to be involved – whether it’s helping a local foodbank or providing a wall in our store for a new artist to showcase their work. In my 16 years with the company I have never seen them stray from their mission and values – the employees they call partners come first. The leaders at Starbucks em-power you to make decisions and encourage you to constantly learn from mistakes – they create

a safe learning environment. They are truly pas-sionate about coffee, product innovation and our mission, and they have a clear vision for where the business is going.

What is it like working in a new city?The company moved me to Calgary for the DM role and I love this city – there is so much op-portunity here! If you want to grow your career and develop Alberta is THE place; I am seeing so many people promoted into new and exciting positions in the company. It’s also a city for eve-ryone – there is a lot going on for young people and there are great neighborhoods for families. It seems everyone in Calgary moved here from somewhere so they are all very friendly and wel-coming.

What advice would you give to a student con-sidering retail as a career?Whether you are shy or outgoing many differentkinds of people can be successful in retail! Learnabout the various companies that interest you and ensure your values align. I believe that is the way to be truly happy at work and to have a re-warding career. Visit our stores and observe the environment and culture – if it looks like some-thing you would enjoy then go for it and apply online, we can’t wait to meet you!

Opportunityto be more than a employee.

to be a partner.

Become a partner. starbucks.ca/careers@starbucksjobs @starbuckscanada Starbucks Canada Starbucks Jobs Starbucks

with Sarah Leakey, District Manager of Operations

EDu-MA-CATION

44


If you’re considering a career in the agricul-tural industry, you’re in luck. There are many areas you can specialize in and there’s a need for graduates.

When the University of Guelph’s Ontario Ag-ricultural College conducted a survey last fall of 100 Ontario agri-food organizations, one third reported difficulty finding qualified can-didates at the graduate level.

“The survey suggests that demand in general exceeds supply when it comes to agricultural and food sciences,” says Dr. Rene Van Acker, associate dean of the college. “It’s a fairly invis-ible sector.”

This need for agriculture professionals isn’t ex-clusive to Ontario. “The agricultural and food industry is huge in Canada, employing about one in eight people,” says Dr. Brian Amiro, as-sociate dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences at the University of Manitoba. “In some provinces, such as Manitoba, it is a main driver of the economy. But more impor-tantly, people need to eat, and with an increas-ing world population, agriculture will continue to be a stable and growing industry as a whole.”

Depending on your interest, you can chose from a variety of post-graduate studies, from general master’s of science programs in agri-culture, to more specialized options, such as ag-ricultural economics or agricultural chemistry.

At the University of Manitoba, post-graduate degrees include “agribusiness and agricultural economics, animal science, bio-systems engi-neering, entomology, food science, plant sci-ence, and soil science. Each of these programs allows the student to specialize in the technical aspects of their discipline,” says Dr. Amiro.

But how do you choose from all of these op-tions? “First and foremost, [you] should make a decision based on what [your] interests are and what [your] background is,” says Dr. Rich-ard Donald, associate dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. He adds that students can enter these programs from almost any degree, including business, social science, biology, and genetics. “It’s a very broad field.”

There’s also the question of where you want to study. “In the prairie provinces, like Alberta and Saskatchewan, there is more of a focus on large scale agriculture, including wheat and live-stock farming,” Dr. Donald says. “In Quebec, Ontario, the Maritimes, and B.C., it’s

smaller scale and more diverse. It depends on what your interests are.”

One misconception that contributes to the low supply of graduates, is the assumption that agri-culture is merely farming. “While it is farming, there is much more you can do within agricul-ture. [Graduates] are working with companies like CropLike and Monsanto. [They’re] work-ing in crop science, food development centres, pharmaceutical industries, on family farms, and in the wine industry. They’ve learned how to grow crops for wine. Grads are also hired by government, banks, and multinational compa-nies that trade grain. And a lot of grads are de-veloping their own companies,” says Dr. Buhr, the dean of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources,

“I would think about what’s exciting to me,” Dr. Buhr advises. “Then check out the colleges to see who’s doing the research in that area. If I’m interested in animals, think about whose got great animal facilities. Follow your inter-est.” | By: Samuel Dunsiger

COnsIder A CAreer In The AGrICuLTurAL IndusTry

WHILE IT IS FARMING, THERE IS MuCH MORE yOu CAN DO WITHIN AGRICuLTuRE.”

Bringing learning to life.

Over 250 programs at CentennialCollege.caSee where experience takes you.

Niagara CollegeTop-rated for student satisfaction, Niagara College provides outstanding applied education for a changing world. State-of-the- art facilities on two newly redeveloped campuses, and responsive, cutting-edge programming equip students with real-world experience before graduation. NiagaraCollege.ca

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

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

Ross University RUSM is a provider of medical education offering a MD degree program. Over 9,000 graduates have chosen RUSM because of integrated curriculum, outreach opportunities and well-earned reputation for providing the education that enables our students to pass their US and Canadian licensing exams and obtain excellent residencies

RossU.edu

American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)AUC has provided a quality medical education to more than 5,000 graduates and provides a US-model education beginning with two years of medical sciences taught at the St. Maarten campus, followed by clinical education in affiliated hospitals in the US and UK. AUCmed.edu.

University of Lethbridge

What will you discover? Explore innovative and interdisciplinary areas of research while working alongside world-renowned faculty members. Graduate studies in over 60 disciplines with many financial resources within your reach.

uleth.ca/graduatestudies

DISCOUVER YOUR NEXT GRAD SCHOOL @

Canada’s largest student job board

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.queensu.ca/sgs

NEVERSTOPPUSHING YOUR CAREER FORWARD

CONTINUINGEDUCATIONTHE BUSINESSSCHOOL ATHUMBERbusiness.humber.ca/ce


1O WAYSTO LAUNCHYOUR CAREERFIND YOUR NICHE WITH A POSTGRAD IN BUSINESS.

Advertising – Media Management

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Event Management

Fashion Management & Promotions

Financial Planning

Global Business Management

Human Resources Management

International Development

Marketing Management

Public Administration

Brilliantfutures

We recruit students into:

Audit and AssuranceTax ServicesConsulting & Deals

© 2013 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership. All rights reserved. 2409-51 0213

Discover how the skills, experiences, and relationships you build at PwC are career defi ning.

www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca

www.pwcbrilliantfutures.ca

2409-51 PwC Brilliant Futures_JobPostings_Jasmine.indd 1 13-02-07 3:00 PM

Jobpostings Magazine: March 2013 Vol 15. No. 6

Documents

Transcript of Jobpostings Magazine: March 2013 Vol 15. No. 6