17 minute read
CAREERS AND EDUCATION
CAREERS & EDUCATION
Advice for students on managing the impact of the virus
There is no doubt the worldwide anticipated. While it is not yet will be more important than ever. coronavirus pandemic has clear what post-secondary school You will need to take control of your upended plans for postwill look like in 2020-2021, it will academic work, find time for regular secondary students. The impact can likely be different from what you exercise, keep a good sleep schedule be felt academically, socially and imagined and planned for. There and eat healthy without giving financially. While plans and delivery may be disappointment caused by yourself too much grief for slip-ups. modes of academics may vary, curtailed socializing and cancelled Staying connected with family and the result is bound to increase the events, isolation and loneliness, and friends and making the most of new number of unknowns for students. confusion on where to get good connections where you find them While some stress can be expected information on school services, will be very important. Although you at the post-secondary level due facilities and academic regulations. will be busy with academic work, you to exams and new challenges, the Contact with faculty will be different will not want to eliminate sports, current environment makes the and the customary ways of doing interests and activities that give you usual worries pale in comparison. As things modified. pleasure and add meaning to your a student, there are some things you For first-year students, the life. can do to manage your worries and challenges are compounded as they Finding some volunteer work get support from your school. are not familiar with the lay of the may help you get perspective and land at their school and may not know increase your sense of connection Find ways to help yourself how to ask for help. Familiarizing during this time. Staying hopeful,
As a post-secondary student, themselves with the school’s website, energized and positive will fall fully you are bound to go through many attending online orientations, and on your shoulders. But you can also different feelings. The coronavirus asking questions will be crucial to look to your school for some help. has brought significant changes learning how to navigate school. Most colleges and universities will to school life and many of them Maintaining academic standing continue to offer counselling through are clearly ones you may not have as well as physical and mental health phone or video, so you don’t have to do it all alone.
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Look to your school for help
Most schools and student associations have well developed student support services including counselling, academic advising, career centres, tutoring, writing centres, health providers and other supports commonly used by students.
Although the coronavirus may change the way these services are now delivered, help will still be available even if it means being referred to other services outside the school. When you find yourself in need, let the school do what they can. The staff at school are professionals who are experienced in dealing with post-secondary students. While there is a lot of information on the internet, you want to be careful who you listen to. Misinformation can be detrimental to your wellbeing whether it be academic, health, financial or otherwise.
Even if you’re not physically at
school, you may still be able to find ways to connect with other students. Although opportunities to interact with others is more limited, the school’s student association, student life department, peer centre and the counselling office may continue to offer online events and activities to help keep you connected to others. Examples of online events may be trivia games, scavenger hunts, mindfulness and yoga sessions, wellness groups, workshops and more. There may also be drop-in times where you can chat with staff and/or students about any questions you might have or anything you have on your mind. While it is more challenging to feel connected, there are ways to reduce isolation while you study remotely.
The pandemic has created less than ideal situations for post-secondary students and no one can say when they will improve, much less when they might go back to what we knew as normal. With your own efforts and the resources of post-secondary schools, you can move forward in your academic and career goals. You may still be able to learn, earn credits, get help with your career and job search, grow through personal counselling and meet new people, even online. School without the full experience may be a disappointment but given the current health, economic and financial crisis, it may have to be enough.
For some students, there may be even some silver linings to be found such as no more long commutes, reduced travel costs, the preference for online learning and the possibility of surprises as professors tackle teaching in new ways.
Geneviève Beaupré and Susan Qadeer have extensive experience working in university and college settings, providing career, academic and personal counselling to international and immigrant students.
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5 Job roles to explore in 2020 In-demand skills that can be mastered online
Let’s face it. The pandemic is continuing to reshape society and the way we live and do things. The world of work, especially, has been altered in ways we could never have imagined. To emerge stronger from the crisis, it is imperative for each one of us to start reskilling and to adapt to the post-pandemic ways of working.
Remember, remote working was gaining currency even before the crisis, but the pandemic is actually accelerating the need to enhance skills. So you can make a choice right now. You can simply resist or accept this new normal and wholeheartedly embrace technology. As Indiana Jones Senior tells Junior, “Choose wisely”.
The truth is that there are thousands of job vacancies available right now if you possess the right skill sets. What’s more, many of these skills can be acquired through online courses – so you can learn from the confines of your own home. Here are five career choices to help you emerge stronger and add more durability to your career.
1Big data, statistics and data analysis Big data is now the next frontier for business innovation. With advances in technology, the amount of data available is growing exponentially, and it’s sweeping into most sectors and businesses.
Thus, companies and individuals that are able to harness, organize and analyze these mega-sets of data stand to benefit greatly. Consequently, a strong foundation in statistics and data analysis is extremely valuable.
2Local to cloud computing One of the major changes in technology is the move from local hosting to cloud-hosted services. You may be familiar with some of the major buzzwords like virtualization, software as a service and so on. What all this means is that the demand for cloud computing across industry verticals is fast rising and you can capitalize on it.
3Supply chain management on digital platforms The science of supply chain management or logistics is a crucial tool for product-based companies. The supply chain manager is tasked with minimizing the cost of sourcing raw materials, production and distribution of consumer products.
With the emergence of e-commerce players like Amazon and Zappos, logistics have never been more important, thus those with knowledge of logistics will be in high demand.
4Online marketing Every major business area has embraced online marketing and it is definitely the future. More than ever, businesses need people who understand the landscape of online marketing, which covers social media, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), content marketing, blogging, email marketing and more.
If you pick one area and become an expert in it, you will definitely be a valuable asset. Once again, there are excellent online resources to get you started in digital marketing.
5Apps and programming languages Desktops and laptops are getting faster and smaller, and more and more applications are coming out that make our lives easier. People are choosing new apps for their personal computers and smartphones, so it’s no surprise that the demand for programmers is sky-high.
You can choose from a variety of programming languages. Even specializing in any one is enough to get you in the door for an entry-level job. You can even learn to code interactively with many of the online resources, some free and some offered by reputed universities.
Your future career may be right on your desktop.
Prepare yourself for the new job world by acquiring skills that are in demand now. The skills mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg. With a little research, you can probably uncover some other in-demand skill sets that suit you.
So, what are you waiting for? Pick your passion, upgrade yourself and go get that dream job!
Murali Murthy is an acclaimed public speaker, life coach and best-selling author of The ACE Principle, The ACE Awakening, The ACE Abundance and You Are HIRED!. He is also chairperson of CAMP Networking Canada. Learn how he can help unlock your magic at unleashyourwow.com.
Preparing for the start of the school year
What does the academic future hold for international students?
start of the school year. They will be double checking that they have the most recent version of Zoom on their computers, and possibly upgrading their home internet. COVID-19 has impacted everyone, and international students have especially been left wondering what their academic future in Canada holds.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has, in response to COVID-19, implemented several public policies that international students should know about. Most of them can be found on the IRCC website under the ‘Visitors, foreign workers and students’ and ‘Study permit: COVID-19 program delivery’ sections.
Prospective and current international students should check the above webpages daily. The date that the webpage was last modified can be found at the bottom of the page. Unfortunately, IRCC updates its COVID-19 policies through stealth editing (i.e. reworking articles without notice that the content has been changed), so it may be advisable to save the webpage to PDF to track changes. Here are some of the key measures.
As of July 15, 2020, international students who have a valid study permit, or were approved for a study permit on or before March 18, 2020, can travel to Canada for a non-discretionary purpose.
In determining whether a student’s travel to Canada is non-discretionary, the Canada Border Services Agency will consider whether they are established as residing and studying in Canada, whether they are expected to begin studying upon arrival, whether their presence in Canada is necessary for their continued participation in their program, whether pursuing online studies is not an option for their school or from their home country, and whether the semester has been cancelled or delayed.
Those who are travelling by air need to pass a health check conducted by an airline before they will be allowed to board their flight. Anyone showing signs of COVID-19 will not be allowed to board their flight. After arriving they will need to quarantine for 14 days. During this period, they must remain in their place of residence, and arrange for items, like
As the summer nears to an end, students will be preparing for the
Restrictions on travelling to Canada
groceries, to be delivered to them. Online Courses
IRCC has modified its Post-Graduate Work Permit Program so that those who are taking online-only courses remain eligible for a work permit upon graduation.
As well, those who have study permits, or who have been approved for study permits, but who cannot travel to Canada, will be eligible for a postgraduate work permit.
In the above situations, students may begin their classes while outside of Canada and complete up to 50 per cent of their program while outside of Canada due to an inability to travel, and still be eligible for a work permit.
Students who complete the fall 2020 semester from outside of Canada will not have this time deducted from the duration of their post-graduate work permit.
Working while in school
IRCC has implemented a public policy to allow full-time students to work off-campus if COVID-19 has resulted in them becoming part-time students. Such students can work up to 20 hours per week during the academic session, and full-time during scheduled breaks in the academic year.
Students are allowed to work more than 20 hours if they are a study permit holder, are eligible to work off campus, and are providing an essential service. Public Safety Canada has provided guidance on what constitutes essential services, and it pertains to specific services in 10 areas of critical infrastructure, including Energy and Utilities, Information and Communication Technologies, Finance, Health, Food, Water, Transportation, Safety, Government and Manufacturing.
Processing
Perhaps the biggest question that most study permit applicants have is when will their applications be processed. This, unfortunately, remains uncertain. However, on July 14, 2020, Marco Mendicino, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, announced that IRCC would be providing priority study-permit processing for those who have applied online. Meanwhile, on July 20, 2020, IRCC announced that there are no measures in place to provide for expedited processing of study permit applications.
The department is also looking in to turning the study permit application process into a two-stage approval process that will provide pre-approvals to students so that they can start their programs abroad with the confidence that their study permit applications will ultimately be approved.
However, as per IRCC, it is important for prospective students to note that commencing their studies online from abroad following approvalin-principle of a study permit application is not a guarantee that they will receive a full approval of their study permit application, or be authorized to pursue their studies in Canada.
As with almost everything during COVID-19, the result is uncertainty.
Hopefully IRCC’s efforts to present welcoming and facilitative messaging and policies will translate into flexibility at the individual officer level.
Steven Meurrens is an immigration lawyer with Larlee Rosenberg in Vancouver. Contact him at 604-681-9887, by email at steven.meurrens@larlee.com, or visit his blog at smeurrens.com.
Keep calm and carry on
Virus or no virus, make the best of your summer
The year 2020 is fast becoming one we will always remember. A year that will be recorded in the history books as that of the global COVID-19 pandemic. A time of crisis, challenge, change, uncertainty, cancellations, loss, trauma, sickness, death, grief, chaos, stress – all in epic proportions.
As we celebrated the start of a new year, and considered our dreams, goals and intentions, who knew that in just a couple of months, a deadly virus would have such a devastating and immediate impact on our lives and our economy. While we hoped it would be gone after a few weeks, we are now facing the grim reality that the coronavirus will be with us for much longer than any of us anticipated.
The future is not going to be what we thought it would be a few months ago.
Summer rituals and traditions have been postponed this year. There are no big events, large gatherings or celebrations. Travel restrictions and physical distancing remain in place. Masks and hand sanitizers are this year’s ‘musthave’ accessories. Does all this mean that our summer is cancelled? Or that fun is off the menu?
For small businesses in tourist hotspots or those working in the hospitality industry, it may feel like summer is cancelled. For the rest of us, it is important to focus on what we can do, rather than what we cannot do. What we have, rather than what is lost.
We have seen a tremendous amount of creativity during this pandemic as people shift, pivot and adjust. If we adjust our expectations and use our imagination to find ways to enjoy what is available to us, then it is possible to get a summer break. Life can be short – it is important we make the best of what we have. Time moves on, virus or no virus, and we will not get this time back. So, we can choose to sleepwalk through the summer, wishing it were different, complaining about it, or we can accept the ‘new normal’ and navigate around it. The latter will give our mental health the summer vacation it needs and ensure we do not end up burnt out by the time September comes around. Find ways to support yourself
Staying healthy – physically and emotionally, remains a priority, even through the summer. Do not be lulled into a false sense of security with warmer weather, fewer COVID cases and easing of restrictions. A strong immune system remains our best defence again infection. Here are six basic ways to support yourself: something that brings you joy and does not require a lot of effort or resources to get started or maintain. Move throughout the day – little and often can be more beneficial than intense, infrequent exercise. 2. Connection – to people who lift your spirits, inspire, energize, encourage, love, help and support you. In turn, you can do the same for them. 3. Nutrition – eat more vegetables and fruits, whatever is in season. Eat the colours of the rainbow. Include anti-viral foods/herbs such as garlic, ginger, oregano, sage, basil. Minimize processed, refined, sugar-laden food and drinks. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 4. Sleep – reduce screen time an hour before bedtime. Limit stimulants like caffeine and alcohol. Avoid intense exercise within four hours of bedtime.
Keep your room dark and well ventilated. 5. Meditation/mindfulness – breathe deeply and slowly, from your belly not your chest. Stay calm, find peace of mind. Be present. Be compassionate with yourself and others. Practice gratitude. 6. Digital detox – periodically, disconnect from technology. Learn to be selective and intentional with your online time and pay attention to how
you engage with your various devices and apps (especially those that distract and hijack your time and focus). Less is more.
I once heard someone say, “Each morning, the moment you take your head off the pillow, you have all you need”. A sobering thought that offers us some perspective.
Our summer may not be the one we had hoped for, but it is certainly not
Hazel Morley has worked as a trainer, facilitator and coach for more than 25 years, in England and after immigrating to Canada in 2009. After her own personal health crisis, she shifted gears to focus on strategies for enjoying optimal health.
1. Exercise or movement – ideally outside, and close to nature. Choose
cancelled and neither does it have to be lost.
