Career Options High School Fall 2011

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co high school edition VOLUME IV, FALL 2011

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VOLUME IV, FALL 2011

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Advertiser Directory 40, 42 Alberta College of Art & Design (ACAD) 15 Algonquin College 36 Canadian Apprenticeship Forum 26 Canadian Automotive Institute at Georgian College 26 Canadian Construction Association 21, 39 Centennial College 29 Centre for Distance Education i Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia 31 Concordia University College of Alberta 5, 40 Durham College 41 Humber College Business School 27, 39 Humber College School of Social & Community Services 13, 40 Humber College School of Media Studies & Information Technology 16 Information Technology Association of Canada 2 Insurance Brokers Association of Canada 6 Insurance Institute of Canada 29 McGill University 25 Medix School 40 Mohawk College of Applied Arts & Technology 35 North York General Hospital 38 Northern Alberta Institute of Technology 17 Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology 39 Queen Mary, University of London 9, 40 Railway Association of Canada 12 Savanna Energy Services Corp.

24, 40 St. Lawrence College 22 Swiss Education Group 8 University College of the North 19 University of Guelph Humber 33 Wood Manufacturing Council

[ Even More ]

Career Options The latest issue of Career Options High School Edition is always online at careeroptionsmagazine.com.

While you’re there, browse through the rest of the website for other great feature articles that will help your high school to post-secondary transition and beyond.

Blogspot

Deciding which post-secondary school to attend? Wondering which program to take?

Choosing a co-op placement? Scary stuff.

The decisions you make for your years after high school are big ones and Blogspot gives you the real deal. Our regular and guest bloggers—current students, recent grads, career counsellors, new hires— share their thoughts and experiences about the transition from high school to post-secondary education. Blogspot is fun, relatable and honest. Send your blog ideas to: blog@careeroptionsmagazine.com

Contents 4

What’s it not worth?

The Real Value of Post-secondary Majors

By David Lindskoog

7

Don’t underestimate yourself: job hunting starts early

By Andrea Migchelsen

10

The Invasion: Employers Take Over Social Media

By Mike Gregor

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The New Reality in job markets, both emerging and traditional

30

Employers find innovative ways to hire students

By Paul D. Smith

32

the sky’s the limit: life lessons from Damon Allen

By Kathleen Clark

34

is post-secondary right for you?

By Milena Hrebacka

37

Don’t worry: It’s never too late to switch

By Fraser Tripp

By Erin Jackson, Hillary Lutes, Maria Church and Jordan Adams

18

The Power of Image: In a job interview, what you don’t say counts

By Sara Frizzell

23

The Power of Image: What to wear, what to say, what to do. pg.18

Co-op programs: a popular way to explore career options

By Annie Duchesne

28

From Typewriters TO Online Networking: Why My Job Hunt Differs from My Parents’

By Kristy Wright

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Editor-in-Chief Paul D. Smith

EDITOR’S LETTER

Asking questions to help decide where you’re going

Managing Editor | gordongroup Kathryn Young Project Management | gordongroup Andrea Migchelsen

Hey everyone,

Art Direction / Print Management | gordongroup Leslie Miles

Thanks for reading this issue of Career Options High School Edition— I hope you find it informative and interesting. You’ll find articles that will help you when it comes time to choose a program of study in college or university, if that is where you are headed. Should you do a co-op or internship program? What can you do if you realize you’re studying something that no longer excites you? Are there careers out there you haven’t thought of yet? Hearing how others have answered these questions will give you perspective as you make decisions about the next stage in your life. Our contributors offer valuable perspectives based on expertise and/or experience so you can be confident in what they share with you. Good luck!

Design & Layout | gordongroup Kelly Read-Lyon Laura Willsher Alina Oliveira Director, Direct Marketing | gordongroup Thomas Krayer Advertising Sales Manager | gordongroup Kirill Kornilov Advertising Sales | gordongroup Pauline de Gonzague Colleen Hayes Andrew Moore Chris Wolski

As I write this message to you I am attending a conference in the United Kingdom. The biggest issue being talked about here is the growing importance of employability. This is a term you’ll probably hear a lot if you go to college or university. It means how well you’re prepared for a job after you graduate—whether your program of study has made you employable. Over the next few years, schools over here are going to be measured on how well they prepare their graduates for the world of work. Preparing you for a career is one of the crucial aims of higher education, and the growing focus on employability in the U.K. shows how seriously they take that. If the usual pattern holds true, Canadian schools will soon face the same issue.

Contributors Jordan Adams Erin Jackson Maria Church David Lindskoog Kathleen Clark Hillary Lutes Graham Donald Andrea Migchelsen Annie Duchesne Patricia Poirier Christine Frigault Paul D. Smith Sara Frizzell Fraser Tripp Mike Gregor Kristy Wright Milena Hrebacka Career Options High School Edition is published bi-annually in January and October by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE), 720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 2 02, Toronto ON M5S 2T9.

Whether or not this change happens in Canada, I urge you to ask questions about employability when you’re talking to admissions officers representing the colleges and universities you’re thinking about attending. They should be prepared to answer questions such as “What type of job can I expect when I graduate?” “How many graduates from the program are working in their field of study?” or “How many of your students go on to graduate school?” You should also make sure that the numbers they give you make sense, and can be backed up by a third party, such as a government department.

For subscription information, contact Paul D. Smith: Tel.: 416-929-5156 ext. 223 Fax: 416-929-5256 Email: pauls@cacee.com Website: careeroptionsmagazine.com For advertising inquiries, contact Kirill Kornilov, Advertising sales manager, gordongroup: Tel.: 613-288-5363 Fax: 613-722-6496 Email: kkornilov@gordongroup.com Website: www.gordongroup.com ISSN: 1712-1183 The Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) is a national, non-profit partnership of employer recruiters and career services professionals. Our mission is to provide authoritative information, advice, professional development opportunities and other services to employers, career services professionals and students.

NOTE: The opinions expressed within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect CACEE policy. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher.

A higher education offers your best opportunity for a fulfilling career and much, much more. You will learn about being a citizen and about being who you really are. You will learn valuable academic material and useful non-academic skills. You will make friendships that will last a lifetime. Being a college or university student will change your world.

Take time to make wise decisions, ask lots of questions, and don’t be afraid to take bold steps. You are on the brink of a wonderful adventure.

Enjoy!

Paul D. Smith Editor-in-Chief

The National Student Resource of: Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers 720 Spadina Ave., Suite 202 Toronto ON M5S 2T9 www.cacee.com

CO high school edition 3

What’s it Not Worth?

The Real Value of Post-secondary Majors

By David Lindskoog

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hat’s the economic value of a postsecondary education? With the job market as it is today, there’s been much debate about this question.

While students graduating from high school face more pressure than ever before to make the “right” choice of institution, degree and major, tuition costs and enrollment numbers 4

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alike continue to skyrocket. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that researchers have started asking the question: is it worth it?

A recent report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce attempted to address that question by breaking down the earnings information of 171 different www.careeroptionsmagazine.com

majors in the U.S. The study used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to compare annual incomes with university majors, giving a rough idea what median salaries are for each major.

Entitled: “What’s it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors,” the report provides evidence that, from a financial standpoint, certain majors are worth more than others.

Collectively, we need to get over this obsession with whether university degrees are worth it, and whether specific majors are worth it, in terms of their monetary value.

Surprise, surprise—engineering, computer science, business, and health science majors came out on top, with median incomes of up to $120,000. On the other side, humanities, arts, education and psychology were shown to earn as little as $29,000 for some majors. Presented as such, these are fairly dramatic differences.

Still, the report seems to be missing something important. Isn’t this just quantifying an assumption that people are already making? I would bet that there aren’t too many psychology or education majors going into it for the money, let’s put it that way.

Regardless of major, a university degree was shown to increase full-time lifetime earnings by 74 percent when compared to those with only a high-school diploma. The exception was counselling psychology, the only major that was found to actually earn less than the diploma-only sample.

Reading that, professionals holding bachelor’s degrees in psychology may cringe—they may even start to think that their undergraduate investment was a poor one. However, this is true only according to a very narrow perspective based on one lonely dimension: the dollar figure.

I’ll admit, I cringed. But I didn’t even come close to questioning the value of my own psychology degree. Why not? Even if the report paints an incomplete, even misleading picture (the report considers only bachelor’s degrees, and 70 percent of counselling psychology bachelor’s earners go on to a master’s degree or higher to pursue a specific career), what did I really care about what some report based on an incredibly large number of people says about what those people earn?

For the most part, people know which majors are more likely to lead to a bigger paycheque.

Coming out of high school, I knew that engineering or business would yield a higherpaying career, but I also suspected that I would hate doing that kind of work. It only took one introductory calculus class to prove myself right. Additionally, I just couldn’t see myself caring about those classes enough to put in the work necessary to succeed. In contrast, when I took my first psychology class, I realized it was the only thing I found interesting enough

to devote a major to. Not once did I think about what kind of salary I was going to earn.

So let’s rephrase the question. Instead of questioning whether a major is “worth it,” perhaps we should be more concerned with “what it’s not worth.” What sacrifices are you willing to make? How many classes are you willing to put up with if you hate each and every one? Is it worth four or more years of your life to study something that you don’t find interesting, simply for the sake of perceived earning power decades down the line?

Collectively, we need to get over this obsession with whether university degrees are worth it, and whether specific majors are worth it, in terms of their monetary value. The bottom line is that a university education and a career involve much more than income. Having interest, excitement and passion for your studies remains the best way to ensure your success regardless of the subject area. Still, many students will make very big decisions about what to study based on monetary considerations alone. The un-reported consequences of this kind of thinking occur on an almost daily basis in the form of students who’ve pursued a certain major, either by their own or their parents’ insistence, because it will lead to a high-paying career and found themselves in significant academic difficulty— often to the point of being placed on academic probation or being asked to withdraw from their university. The idea that they can study something else—something they might actually care about—is a revelation to many of these students. Here’s the best part: many of them go on to successfully complete their degree in their new field of study, even if it’s in the salary no-man’s land of the arts, education or social sciences.

So, what’s it not worth? What are your values, your interests, your passions? Which majors get in the way of those, and which ones help them grow? That’s a report I’d like to read. CO David Lindskoog is a career advisor at Simon Fraser University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com/blogspot, chronicle.com/article/Median-Earnings-byMajor-and/127604, sfu.ca/career/csi.html

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Don’t underestimate yourself:

job hunting starts early

By Andrea Migchelsen

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didn’t know how important it was to start job hunting while still in high school until it was too late. I remember thinking about going to my first career fair at age 17 or 18, and being super nervous.

But then someone told me: “Don’t be nervous. There’s really no point to going to these things. Only the older university students end up getting jobs, so don’t even bother bringing your resume.”

opportunities. On LinkedIn, I keep looking at “People you may know…” and think “I should know you, but I don’t because I didn’t bother with that club.”

In my later years of university I did something about that: I volunteered at an accounting competition. I know. Par-freaking-ty! And it gets better: at the end of that year nobody had applied to be the club’s VP of marketing.

So I became the VP of marketing of the accounting club. (Yeah, yeah, feel free to laugh.)

Oh, darn. Well, there went my hopes of a summer job and potential career.

So, I went to the career fair more for “practice” than for actual job hunting.

At the first booth, I asked for information and, after a few minutes of conversation, the person asked for my resume.

But a weird thing happened: turns out the VP of marketing gets great access to managers and hiring staff at all of the top accounting firms.

And there was one thing they kept saying over and over and OVER again: “Where are all the younger students? People really don’t try very hard to find a job until their last year of university.”

“Oh. I don’t have one.”

I bet you’re cringing at that awkward/embarrassing/stupid move. Bruised ego aside, I thought “Oh well, on to the next booth,” which was a place I was very interested in. Guess what happened? They asked for my resume again—and so did the people at the next booth, and pretty much every other booth afterwards. I had to admit to all of them that I didn’t have a resume with me. I had a chance to get a foot in the door at all these companies and I lost those opportunities because I underestimated the value of a handshake, the value of a small job and, most importantly, my own value.

All through high school and university I was a pretty outgoing student. I spoke up in class, I was pretty well-known among my peers, but that’s where it ended. I didn’t get really involved in clubs because I thought they were just obnoxious cliques. Unfortunately, that attitude cost me a lot of networking

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What? You want who? These top national and international companies told me they want students to start making career moves as early as high school!

I’ll be brutally honest with you: you don’t really have a chance of getting that dream job you’re hoping for. But it’s not about getting the job right now, it’s about building your resume and references, networking and starting professional relationships to help you out when you graduate.

I know you think your job as a server sucks, but believe it or not, even that is a stepping stone to a dream job. A good friend of mine worked through high school and university—a total of five years—at a Tim Hortons. In your eyes, that looks like five years of making coffee, serving donuts and mixing sweet iced Cappuccinos, which might be a waste of time. In an employer’s eyes, that’s some very strong job loyalty, which means you’ll probably stay with their company a long time too.

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Job opportunities can be found anywhere by anyone— whether you’re going to career fairs or working part-time at a fast food chain or in retail.

Even retail has its secret benefits. Another friend of mine worked at Jacob in the change room. Since Jacob carries a lot of professional women’s attire, a lot of professional women try on their clothes.

Through her one-month seasonal job, my friend received a job offer just by networking while working in the change room.

Job opportunities can be found anywhere by anyone—whether you’re going to career fairs or working part-time at a fast food chain or in retail.

So let me pass on some quick little gems of knowledge to you first-time networkers: Have your resume ready and available at all times and bring business cards with you. It’s surprisingly cheap to make your own (try www.print100.com for some good prices).

Use ALL of your resources. Go to your guidance office or a helpful teacher and ask for help to spruce up your resume. Ask for networking tips too.

Attend ALL the events your dream employer attends or hosts. Try to make a personal connection (while avoiding being borderline stalker-ish).

Do your research and have intelligent questions to ask any potential employers.

Don’t talk too much business and don’t sound pompous.

Talk casually, as if they are a friend. Talk movies, talk TV, talk news— just don’t go listing all your super awesome achievements. It’s best if you subtlety slip them in.

Join a club, whether it’s super-cool accounting, astronomy or geology.

I’ll tell you once and I’ll tell you 1,000 times: this is the BEST way to meet employers and new friends to build your network and resources.

Even if you don’t end up finding work, clubs and volunteer work look pretty good on your resume.

What was the biggest mistake you made with an employer that cost you a chance at a job? Have some pearls of wisdom to share from your job searching? Check out our blog at careeroptionsmagazine.com/blogspot to share it with others! CO Andrea Migchelsen recently graduated from the University of Ottawa’s commerce program.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com/ jobs, thenationaljobfair.com, bit.ly/GovCareerFairs

CO high school edition 9

The

Invasion: Employers Take Over Social Media

By Mike Gregor

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www.careeroptionsmagazine.com

… Bop it?

it.

Poke

Tag it.

Twee t it.

F

or me and students alike, social media words are practically our first language. And as with anyone’s first language, we feel an attachment to our online “heritage.” We shaped its grammar and meaning. Its culture is exclusive to our generation. Social media sites, from Facebook to Twitter to YouTube, are the domain of us teens and twenty-somethings to share thoughts, photos and laughs with our friends. The social network is ours, right? Wrong.

Here are the hard facts. Today, the largest age group on social network sites is 35-to-44-yearolds. The average Facebook user is 38 years old; the average Twitter-er is 39. A massive 61 percent of all Facebook users are aged 35 or older. It’s shocking how wrong we were regarding the exclusivity of our online communities. Who would have thought that we students were actually the minority? How did we not see this invasion?

And it’s not over. Who will lead the next surprise invasion of the social realm, you may ask? Which group will be populating our news feeds and trending topics? Employers— that’s who.

More and more companies are using social network sites to connect directly with not only customers, but also potential employees.

As a representative of the Wilfrid Laurier University Career Development Centre, I recently contacted dozens of employers across the country for a survey on social media and their use in recruitment. Multi-national technology companies, private educational institutions, local charities—all their answers painted the same picture. Here are my results: Employers are watching Almost 90 percent of companies are active on at least one social media website.

Similar tastes The top social media sites that employers are interested in are (in order): LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

The trend is now… A surprising 35 percent of companies surveyed found one-quarter of their new hires last year on social networking websites. … And the trend is growing The majority of employers expect to use “social media hiring” much more in the next five years compared to 2010.

Watch your tongue keyboard A worrying 20 percent of employers have rejected an applicant because of unprofessional images or messages found on the applicant’s social media profile page.

Yes, you could argue that these are “just numbers,” and you’ll believe that employers

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use social media when you see for yourself. Well, too late. Look at Game Seven of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in Vancouver. The headlines were not about the fights, the hits or the goals. The headlines were about the riots—and about how some rioters were caught through social networks.

Social media invaded Vancouver in a very real way.

Dan Relihan, Manager of Recruitment and Employment Initiatives with the Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia, points out the massive attention that employers were paying to the riots (and, more specifically, to the rioters). He recognizes that “social mediafuelled” information, which is usually fast and easy to find, could lead companies to learn more about employees, and potential employees, than ever before.

“The overall tone of responses after the riots was a glaring realization that we are no longer as anonymous as we might think we are,” Relihan says. “At any given time, actions we take or words we speak can become a part of a permanent record. The riots were a classic example of how the foolish acts of a single night could forever impact a person’s life.”

The employer invasion has already begun. Change is coming to our online community and it is coming fast. As students and job seekers alike, we all must take note of these statistics and prepare ourselves for the next job market: the “social job market.”

There’s no reason to fret or worry. Be sure to stay calm (invasions do well when people panic). Simply boot up, log on and stay ahead of the curve. The only caution is to “keep it clean.” Keep your profile pages free of any content you would not want an employer (or your grandmother) to see. Here are some insightful quotes from the employers who completed the survey: “Think of what you make available. Use a professional email address and consciously think about how you are marketing yourself.”

“Ensure professionalism, but also be careful with what personal information you give out.”

“Watch what you put on your social media sites as it can leave a negative impression with employers.”

Employers are not hiring private investigators or virtual detectives to snoop out your secrets. They’re simply using social media to learn more about you as a professional.

Isabelle Morin, Talent Attraction Leader, Employer Branding with KPMG in Canada, is helping to develop the public accounting firm’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. KPMG’s social media strategy is targeted at “creating relationships with candidates and providing them with information and insights about the firm,” she says—not at checking out your Facebook pictures from Friday night.

“It is faster and easier for future candidates to have direct and timely access to student and intern experiences [through social media],” says Morin. She suggests that students should continue using social media: “It’s a great tool, but do not forget the great connection and insight you can gain from meeting the recruiters in person.”

In the end, the moral of this story is simple: if you’re going to poke it, tweet it or tag it, make sure you don’t regret it! CO Mike Gregor is a peer advisor at the Wilfrid Laurier University Career Development Centre.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com, lauriercc.ca/career/home.htm 12

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The New Reality in job markets both emerging and traditional

By Erin Jackson, Hillary Lutes, Maria Church and Jordan Adams

Social media strategist?

user experience analyst?

miner?

environmental engineer?

Digital software developer?

F

ew students make it to their high-school graduation having escaped a lecture that begins with “When I was your age…” But the world has changed at a fast pace, and well-meaning advice from older generations may no longer apply to succeeding in today’s job market.

According to Lee-Anne McAlear, program director of Schulich’s Centre of Excellence at York University, we are living in a “completely changed world” shaped by global communication, financial uncertainty and the growth of technology. It’s not so obvious, however, how these changes have affected the job market. Today’s employers are looking for people with a wide range of skills, such as the ability to think creatively, a willingness to learn, and the capacity to embrace change, says McAlear.

“Companies need people who can think in new ways,” she says. “If you come in looking to be told what to do, you can get a job. But is it the interesting kind of job that you want?”

Industries are always changing, too. Over the past 20 years, there have been obvious evolutions in emerging sectors such as environmental/ cleantech and information technology—but also surprising developments in so-called “traditional” sectors such as mining, construction and wood manufacturing.

Environmental and cleantech

“People who have a passion for improving how we use resources, enjoy working in global markets and are comfortable with ambiguity are being attracted to the clean technology industry,” says Céline Bak, publisher of the 2011 Canadian Clean Technology Industry report and co-leader of the Canadian Clean Technology Coalition. “This industry is already a significant employer in Canada.”

While they used to be seen as fringe jobs for “tree-hugger” types, environmental careers have become more mainstream today. Cleantech, for example, has emerged as a distinct sector, referring specifically to new technologies that provide solutions to global climate and resource

Ten Jobs that Didn’t Exist 20 Years Ago Social media strategist 1 Distance learning coordinator 2 Bioinformatician 3 Elder-care services coordinator 4 Life counsellor 5 Blogger 6 User experience analyst 7 Digital software developer 8 Energy auditor 9 10 Sustainability coordinator challenges—such as solar energy, biofuels, waste remediation and low-emission vehicles.

Cleantech also includes creating new policies to promote green initiatives.

Environmental awareness is no longer a luxury for companies, but rather “a business imperative these days,” says Robert Orlovski, director of events for communications, marketing, branding and events firm Green Living. “This means there has been a massive increase in jobs in this specific industry.”

In fact, many of the top and emerging sectors of Canada’s “green economy” still need new and experienced workers, says April Schaly, manager of career awareness at ECO Canada, a non-profit sector council that helps the environmental industry with human resource issues. Over the next 10 years, 14 percent of the environmental workforce will reach retirement age, opening up approximately 100,000 jobs, according to an ECO Canada report.

The emerging branches in the green sector are carbon and climate change mitigation, and alternative and renewable energy. These areas, while not in-demand jobs today, will likely need qualified workers as they become more popular, says Schaly. Another expanding area is communications and public relations, necessary to advertise companies’ green initiatives and work with other company employees to implement policy.

One thing environmental employees have in common—whether engineers designing wind turbines or conservation workers cleaning up oil spills—is the need for education and skills.

“The environment industry has a highly educated workforce,” says Schaly. Some 36 percent of environmental workers have a bachelor’s degree or higher versus 22 percent of the Canadian labour force. This means that considering one of the many new environmentally-focused post-secondary programs, like Carleton University’s environmental engineering degree, is a good idea.

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Information technology

While computer-based professions have matured since the 1980s, the market for information communication technology (ICT) is still fairly young and constantly changing.

This means jobs are tied to the ebb and flow of technology, and even though the need for specialized skills remains high, employers are starting to ask for more than just computer skills from new ICT grads.

Fresh out of Sheridan College in 1999 with a degree in interactive multimedia, Andrew Smyk was part of what he calls the feeding frenzy for ICT-related jobs that followed the “dot-com boom” in the late ‘90s.

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“In 1999, I would post my résumé on Monster or other job sites and within 30 minutes I would have companies calling me,” says Smyk, who now teaches and coordinates the interactive multimedia program at Sheridan. That boom was followed by a bust, and then the current boom spurred on by the launch of the iPhone in 2007. But this time around, employer demands on the new labour force are much higher.

“Things have changed in the last five to six years because you just can’t just walk into a company and say ‘Here, this is a website we want to build for you.’ You actually have to show business metrics for them, how it is going to increase traffic, how much it is going to expand their client base and develop their brand online,” says Smyk.

Paul Swinwood, President of the non-profit Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC), says this new reality for the ICT world means that workers need to be multi-talented.

“Twenty years ago the ICT market… was looking for people who could code and program, and we didn’t worry about any of their other skills,” he says. “So you would throw 50 or 60 people at a problem and have them just code their way out of it.”

Besides technological advances, what does this changing ICT market mean for job seekers?

Today, Swinwood says, one ICT worker is expected to do the work of those 50 to 60 people by adapting an “off the counter” program to work for their company. The skills needed to do this mean that universities must adapt their programs to include areas such as business management, e-health or the environment to round out practical knowledge in their new grads.

“What companies really want are the soft skills: the self-motivation, self-directed learning skills, and to have a good solid foundation in either programming, planning and strategy, or design,” Smyk explains.

“Then companies are willing to train people to get them up to the type of skill sets that they actually want.”

Swinwood says ICTC recently partnered with Dalhousie University to reinvent its computer science degree, combining it with programs from other faculties within the university. Along those same lines, Simon Fraser University is planning to introduce a business technology masters program that will combine ICT and business studies into a joint degree.

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Traditional

works for the Mining Industry Human Resources Council. “I think many people have the image of mining as one that uses very rudimentary tools—pickaxe and shovel—to do the work.

However, this is not the case.”

Photo: MiHR Council

For example, today’s high-tech drills look more like a video game. And it’s possible to mine in space and on the ocean floor. As technology continues to develop, who knows what the possibilities for the future hold?

Traditional industries such as mining, wood manufacturing and construction are often perceived as not having changed much in the past 20 years. This couldn’t be further from the truth. With new technologies and innovations, jobs in these industries are rapidly changing, and new jobs are being created every day. It’s time to bust some long-held misconceptions about jobs in these industries.

For instance, many view mining as an “old” industry that hasn’t changed much. In fact, technology has vastly changed the way miners work. “It has increased productivity, efficiency and safety, and has decreased the impact on the environment,” says Courtnay Bush, who

Similarly, while wood manufacturing jobs are still seen as dirty, dusty and repetitive, they are becoming ever more high-tech and streamlined.

“We’ve got quite a variety of jobs, anywhere from engineering, working with computers, operating machinery, product design and development, assembly and logistics,” says Richard Lipman, president of the Wood Manufacturing Council.

“You can get into the sector from any of the different pathways. We need entry-level workers right from school, college graduates, university graduates and apprentices.”

Another common myth is that there’s “no career path” in construction. “There’s a misconception that once you’re a tradesperson, that you will remain as a tradesperson,” says Rosemary Sparks, senior director of planning and

WOW!

An estimated 60 percent of today’s kindergartners will work in jobs that don’t exist today. development at the Construction Sector Council.

The reality is that there are many different occupations within construction, and various skill levels one can work toward within them. “You can move from being an apprentice, to having your qualifications as a journeyperson. Then you can go up into supervision, and you can end up owning your own contractor company,” Sparks says.

But keep in mind that change will continue.

An estimated 60 percent of today’s kindergartners will work in jobs that don’t exist today. So in 20 years, this generation may be the ones dropping the “back in my day” line to their kids. CO Erin Jackson, Hillary Lutes, Maria Church and Jordan Adams are journalism students at Carleton University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com

CO high school edition 17

the er of pow

e g ima

rview, y counts e t n i b In a jo you don’t sa what

By Sara Frizzell

H

ow you presented yourself on paper may have got you in the door; but now, your manners and clothing choices could help get you the job.

A lot of communication is non-verbal— without words, like body language—and when applying for a job, your looks and behaviour can help you or hinder you, says image consultant Erin Miller. She spent over a decade in the corporate world and now makes it her business to ensure job candidates present themselves well.

It’s true that you should dress for the job you want, and investing in a good suit is never a bad idea. High school may be a little early for this, but a suit can come in handy in many situations.

(For example, you’ll need a suit for your prom or semi-formal, right?) You want something simple, well-made and timeless—a suit that will last and always look smart. Go for wool over polyester because it will last longer; after awhile, polyester will start to shine.

“Invest in tailoring,” asserts Miller, who is Principal of Erin Miller Image. “Retail is not made to measure, so if it’s a little too small, go for the bigger size and get it taken in.

Regardless of whether the piece was $200 or $2,000, if it doesn’t fit right, it’s not going to do.”

In the shoe department, choose plain and formal styles. For men, choose lace-up shoes over slip-ons; and for women, heel height should be no more than three inches.

Wear a tie if you are interviewing in a formal business environment.

A good wool-blend suit in a neutral colour will always look smart.

Invest in tailoring. If it doesn’t fit right, it’s not going to do.

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That’s a lot to buy, but there are ways to buy smart. Certain stores offer student discounts.

Otherwise, take advantage of sales and try not to wait until you have the interview the next day.

“You always want to look age appropriate.

Students think they have to look like their parents just because they’re entering the workplace, but that’s not the case,” Miller says.

“Trendy colours and accessories can inject personality into your wardrobe. Those things you can keep on the cheap and cheerful side.”

One thing to leave out is perfume, cologne or body spray. Smell is the most powerful of all the senses, and the last thing you want to do is distract your interviewer from what you have to say.

what to say “Prepare for the interview like you prepare for any other endeavour or exam. A lot of students spend time researching the organization online, but they should spend equal time on preparing answers to specific behavioural questions,” Miller says.

Being nervous is not a bad thing and most interviewers will expect it—actually, nerves can give you great energy. If you’re feeling a bit tense in the interview chair, chances are you’re engaged and sitting up straight. Take a notebook and pen because it will give you something to do with your hands instead of moving around too much and appearing anxious.

what to do • Start with a firm handshake.

• Keep a comfortable amount of eye contact.

• Sit up straight.

• Turn your phone off—not just to vibrate.

• Follow up with a thank-you message.

Natural conversation has natural pauses, so use the glass of water provided to remind yourself to slow down and to avoid nervous laughter after your answers. Let the interviewers know if you need to take a moment to think about your answers.

“Remember, it’s a two-way street,” says Miller.

“The interview is the best opportunity for you and for them to find the best fit. Ask questions to get a sense of their managerial style and whether or not you’d be happy in the position.” CO Sara Frizzell is a journalism student at Carleton University.

s s e r d o t h ow Here are clothing options to boost your image power: • A good wool-blend suit (if you have one) in a neutral colour (grey, black, navy, khaki or brown) or dress slacks.

• A tailored dress shirt or blouse.

• For men: wear a tie if you are interviewing in a formal business environment; for a casual environment, a tie may be too much.

• For women: go with the suit (if you have one) unless you are interviewing for a casual environment, and in that case, wear a buttonup top or something else on the modest side with either a skirt or dress slacks.

• A pair of dress shoes.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com, erinmillerimage.com 20

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this is fun!

Co-op s am r g o pr a popular way to explore career options

By Annie Duchesne

CO high school edition 23

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hopping onions, helping in the kitchen, learning about customer service—this was one of Mick Weedmark’s best high school experiences and he gained it through his co-op placement.

“I knew I wanted to be a chef, so working in a kitchen environment actually gave me a look into what it was going to be like,” Weedmark says. “I found that rewarding.”

Like thousands of other students across Canada, Weedmark decided on a co-op as one of his optional high school credits because he wanted to explore a career possibility and gain work experience. He was placed in a local café where he worked as a kitchen assistant. “[The co-op program] was a great confidence builder,” says Weedmark. “It showed me what my strengths were. It showed me that I could do things I thought I couldn’t.”

The Canadian Association for Co-operative Education defines a co-operative program as “...a program which alternates periods of academic study with periods of work experience.” Co-op programs at the post-secondary level began in 1957 at the

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University of Waterloo and expanded widely in the 1960s and 1970s, according to the CAFCE. While co-ops at the high school level were around at the same time, there wasn’t a push to formalize them until the late 1970s. During the mid-1980s, they began expanding, says Vance Grekul, a Co-operative Education teacher at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ont. And when Ontario’s Ministry of Education changed its rules a few years ago, allowing students to count co-op placements as one of their optional courses, co-op courses began to boom in popularity.

“That has opened the door,” says Grekul.

“They’re promoting it. They would like students to do co-op placements. I would say in the last four or five years there seems to have been more awareness.”

When co-ops first started, they were mainly male-dominated programs focused on the trades. Today, there is a fairly equal split

between boys and girls overall, although certain types of placements remain unbalanced.

Teaching and nursing placements tend to interest more girls, while the trades still attract mostly boys.

Since the 1980s, the programs offered have expanded to include the sciences, business, the arts, marketing, education and much more. Hands-on academic programs have also been developed, such as the placement offered by the Queen’s University biomedical and molecular sciences department. There, students interested in medicine, life sciences, health sciences and biochemistry work with senior anatomy laboratory supervisor Rick Hunt, who has been taking in co-op students for more than 10 years.

“He’ll give them their own cadaver and they’ll learn how to do dissections,” says Grekul. ”It’s an opportunity even medical students don’t always have. One student was really interested in the brain and did all kinds of dissections.”

Participating in a co-op program has several advantages, including getting your foot in the door for future employment.

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Hunt assigns students to dissection work based on their particular interests. They also interact with medical students and lab technicians and develop ongoing relationships.

“It gives [students] an opportunity to explore and experience that type of career,” says Grekul. “It helps them decide: ‘Is this what I want to do? Is this what I want to study?’”

“It’s not your run-of-the-mill co-op placement,” says Grekul.

Participating in a co-op program has several advantages, including getting your foot in the door for future employment, gaining a better understanding of workplace expectations, learning communication skills and developing insight into the industry.

“It gives [students] an opportunity to explore and experience that type of career,” says Grekul. “It helps them decide: ‘Is this what I want to do? Is this what I want to study?’”

Sometimes a co-op program can help you to change your mind about a career. Michael Slater, a recent graduate of Concordia University in Montreal with degrees in history and religion, took part in a high school co-op program back in 2005, working as a teacher’s assistant in an elementary school.

“I was thinking about being a teacher back then,” Slater says. “I wanted to gain some practical

CO high school edition 25

IBM Case Looking ahead to postStud y secondary: How IBM keeps students on board long after an internship is over By Erin Jackson For students, internships are a great opportunity to put your skills to the test outside the classroom and to get some real job experience. You get to sample a career, meet new contacts and, if you’re lucky, get paid too.

For employers, internships are a chance to meet young students and work with upcoming graduates. The challenge is to figure out how to keep students interested long after their internship is over.

IBM, the world’s largest IT consulting firm, offers hundreds of internship and co-op placements every year. For high school students looking ahead to post-secondary education, it’s a good idea to keep your eyes and ears peeled for internship opportunities.

According to Jennifer Kamuf, IBM’s team lead of campus programs, approximately 80 percent of new graduate positions are filled by students who have done a co-op or internship with the company. So what is the secret to keeping students involved? It all comes down to a simple recruitment model: “recruit once, hire twice.”

This motto means IBM internships are intended not only to provide students with a good experience, but also to motivate them to come back and work for the company.

Internships give students the tools they need to hit the ground running when they return to work for IBM, says Kamuf. By allowing long placements of up to 16 months, a student has time to try different roles within the company and see what is right for them.

“It exposes them to IBM culture,” says Kamuf. “The fact that they come back means it is a good fit for them too.”

Olivia Stille, a fourth-year business student at McMaster University, says her 16-month internship at IBM exceeded her expectations. Instead of the dreaded cliche of answering phone calls and making coffee runs, Stille’s experience allowed her to create valuable connections and try different roles in the workplace. Aside from her job as market analyst, Stille also worked with social media and became a team leader for Future Blue, an IBM club that plans activities for interns.

“The opportunities are there to get involved or to express what you’re interested in,” says Stille. “You can be as involved as you want to be.”

But providing students with a good internship is only half the battle. The key for employers is to stay connected with students after they return to school. IBM holds an internal career fair for interns, which allows them to network with managers and give their resumes directly to potential employers, Kamuf says.

Managers who are particularly impressed by an intern and think they are a great fit for IBM can put the student forward for a “Student on Call” (SOC) position with the company, she says. SOC positions allow students to continue working for IBM on a smaller scale once they return to school to finish their degree. Past interns can also take on the position of “Campus Ambassador,” talking to students about their experience and organizing campus events.

With 10 ambassadors across Canada, IBM’s university presence gives ongoing access to eager students, past interns and potential employees.

“They are the link between IBM and the university,” says Kamuf. CO Erin Jackson is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com, bit.ly/IBMIntern

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experience before getting my degree. I figured it would be good to get a head start in my career.”

While Slater did learn some useful skills, such as writing evaluations, creating effective presentations and constructing lesson plans, he decided that teaching was not the career path for him. However, he does not regret the co-op experience.

“It was good because I didn’t end up investing time and money into a career that I wasn’t going to like,” he says, adding that the experience of working in a professional setting was beneficial.

“If you can prove yourself to a serious employer, you’re set.”

Although there are not many drawbacks to co-ops, the experience might not be worthwhile if the placement doesn’t allow students to do meaningful tasks.

“That’s my job, to make sure it’s meaningful work,” says Grekul.

As with most experiences, you get as much out of a co-op as you put into it.

Co-op placements are also offered now in summer school. Grade 12 student Jessica

Caseley recently completed a graphic design co-op summer placement at Jer’s Vision, a not-for-profit organization that disseminates anti-bullying and anti-discrimination messages to schools and youth organizations. Caseley wanted to gain graphic design experience.

“I hoped to learn new skills and interact with a diverse group of people and use my art skills to help spread the message of anti-bullying and anti-homophobia,” she says. Gaining experience in a professional work environment taught her skills such as phone etiquette and organization, along with honing her graphic design skills. Caseley enjoyed her co-op placement so much that she decided to return to Jer’s Vision as a volunteer.

“I wanted to gain some practical experience before getting my degree. I figured it would be good to get a head start in my career.”

“They are really friendly, they gave us a lot of responsibility, and they weren’t hard on us,” Caseley says. “I am definitely glad I spent the summer this way.”

High school co-op programs are offered to mature students who are usually in Grade 11 or 12. Keep in mind that, unlike many university co-ops, high school students are not paid for their work—so don’t plan on using a co-op placement to pay for university. Co-op placements can start any time during the

semester as long as there’s time to work the required number of hours.

Students interested in doing a co-op placement should contact their guidance department, which will work closely with the co-op teacher to help place students in an appropriate and safe work place.

“That’s what it’s all about as a teacher, to hook up a student with their career or their passion,” says Grekul. “You’re contributing.” CO Annie Duchesne recently graduated from Concordia University with a journalism/biology double major.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com, cafce.ca, kcvi.limestone.on.ca, ocea.on.ca

CO high school edition 27

…ta …ta p p

tap

…?

From Typewriters TO Online Networkin g Why My Job Hunt Differs from My Parents’

By Kristy Wright

E

ven as a young girl, I always knew there was a deadline for when I had to officially grow up: the year 2012. That’s the year I graduate from university, and with no plans for graduate studies, in theory I should have all the tools I need to start a career and a life separate from my parents’ bank accounts.

When my parents graduated in 1978 in the U.S., the economy was growing and the unemployment rate was dropping. My father researched some companies in his school’s library, wrote a resume and cover letters on his typewriter, and mailed them to the companies. A few of these letters later, and presto—a position available upon his graduation. So, it’s no

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surprise that my parents moved straight from student housing into their own home, eager to begin their adult lives.

I guess my parents have always had the expectation that my sisters and I would do the same. But this isn’t 1978 anymore, and with unemployment rates soaring since I graduated from high school, I’m beginning to doubt I’ll have anywhere near the same easy success. While I may be old enough to leave the nest, with the limited job market I won’t be surprised if I have to fly on back until I have enough savings to move out for good. After all, one of my sisters was forced to do just that when she graduated, until she finally found a job months later. And it certainly isn’t

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uncommon among my peers to move back in with their parents until they build a solid career foundation.

I see it as a smart long-term solution; my parents see it as an embarrassing last resort. By March of each school year, my calls home go something like this: “ Mom, Dad, I’m so stressed! I have three papers to write, plus I have to promote these events I volunteer for!” “ Just try your best, honey. By the way, have you sent in your internship applications yet?” “ But my essays—” “ What about your bank account? Did you call the bank today?

And have you upgraded your phone plan yet?”

I know they want the best for me, but sometimes I’m not sure if they realize how different it is to apply for jobs today than it was for their generation. The formula that worked for them doesn’t translate well to what happens nowadays.

Here’s one example: my parents think the process of looking for part-time work is a practical exercise in building professionalism. Selling myself on the application form, shaking hands with managers and constantly performing well in interviews all helps me gain a sense of what networking is like. In years past, my mom would hand me the car keys, demand that I change my T-shirt to a sensible button-down blouse, and kick me out the door for a day so I could “network” with managers of department stores and fast-food restaurants.

What she doesn’t realize is that, for the most part, this stuff is pointless.

If I ask to see the manager, the teenaged employee up front will ask me why. When I say, “I’d like a job application,” usually the employee says, “All of our applications are available online,” in the most rehearsed tone you can imagine.

I come home, holding maybe two applications after visiting over a dozen stores, and fire up my laptop to click the neatly organized but personalityfree check boxes on an online job application. The convenient part of this for the managers is they don’t have to hear your lengthy or well-thoughtout responses to questions; nor do they need to deal with face-to-face contact, so it’s that much easier for them to ignore you.

Since I’ve moved into an apartment in the city this summer, my parents and I call each other to keep in touch. I admit that on days when I’m not working, I’m hunched over a computer screen, with a Facebook tab open at all times. Even over the phone, I can practically hear my parents exchange a look of disapproval.

What they don’t know is that I am still working. Facebook is not a substitute for the networking my parents know; it’s an addition.

Adding work colleagues as Facebook friends is like another thank-you letter. When I share links to my blogs or websites where my journalism work has been published, this increases page views and gives me more followers. And when I “Like” companies’ Fan pages, I’m tracking their progress in case I apply to them someday.

I may not be able to claim complete financial independence by 2012. Yet while my parents sometimes think I’m on Facebook too much, I know that ignoring the online social networking trends will only set me back professionally.

Besides, I’ve always preferred T-shirts to button-downs, anyway. CO Kristy Wright is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com

CO high school edition 29

e heeery h fis … fishy

Employers find innovative ways to hire students

By Paul D. Smith

W

hen you have career questions, it’s pretty typical to seek advice from someone who has been where you are, recently or otherwise. It’s a useful tactic; what happened to someone else might happen to you. As a rule, those who’ve had the experience more recently may have more relevant info to share, but they may have limited life experience and may lack context. If you want to set off a teacher, a parent, a relative, or pretty much any adult, ask them for career advice. But be warned: before you do, make sure you’re sitting comfortably and have some time to spare. And keep this in mind: asking for career advice from middle-aged people is like Googling the topic—you’ll get plenty of hits, some valuable, some not so much.

So ask for advice where you can find it, but here’s the tricky part— you might have to find your own way more than you think, because the techniques that are used by employers to find and recruit students and graduates to work for them are changing.

Recruiters are learning from research that today’s students are different from their parents, maybe even different from their older siblings. The term used to describe you and your peers is “Millennials” or “Gen Y,” and there are generational and experiential differences between you and your Baby Boomer parents. As a result, gaps have emerged between the recruiters’ intentions and new grad expectations. Graham Donald, President of Brainstorm Strategy Group, has identified a set of emerging challenges for recruiters that include diversity hiring, increasing competition, communicating with wired youth, and others.

If you’re reading this article, you’re who the recruiters are looking for.

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innovations—it could really help you prepare for the new reality in recruitment. Here are some of the main challenges facing employers, and the innovative ways they are dealing with them:

Challenge

Demographics have shifted. Demographics are powerful influencers on the emerging employment market. Currently, birth rates are down in Canada, the largest group of workers now in the workplace is the Baby Boom generation, and older Boomers have reached retirement age. For the next several years, more people will leave the workforce than will enter it, and the inevitable result is a skills shortage.

Solution

Find new skilled employees, and be a preferred employer.

Innovative employers are developing programs to recruit new employees more effectively among new Canadians, and to entice highly skilled workers from other countries to come live and work in Canada. Of course, these efforts are expensive and take time, so clever employers protect their investment by participating in work-integrated learning programs such as internships and co-ops. Students who’ve had a learning-based work experience with an employer tend to stay with that employer much more than those who haven’t.

Donald says that some of the key things employers should focus on are: clearly explaining the value of working for that company; offering good co-op and internship programs; training their hiring managers in general and with Gen Y; training everyone on better inter-generational and inter-cultural inclusiveness; and setting up effective mentoring programs.

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Challenge

Challenge

The skills required by the job market are changing.

The nature of work continues to evolve as people communicate and connect in new ways to do the work they do. Technology moves faster than institutions’ capacity to keep up. As a result, many of the skills required in the workforce today are not part of the school curriculum, even in new post-secondary programs.

Solution

Career seekers are connected. Students are more inter-connected than ever before, and word-of-mouth spreads instantly through social networking. One student’s good experience with an employer can get around quickly. But a bad experience will get around even more quickly.

Solution

Look at co-curricular records.

Academic departments and faculties at post-secondary institutions struggle to help students talk effectively to employers about the full range of skills they offer. Co-curricular records, or transcripts, allow students to track the experiences and skills they’ve acquired alongside their formal program of studies, through volunteering, co-curricular involvement and part-time work. Employers who understand the value of co-curricular records know that they show a student’s potential, particularly those from non-traditional programs.

“The co-curricular record provides verified proof of student involvement on a formal university document, which students can then submit to employers when applying for a job, or add to their portfolios for demonstration during an interview,” says Christine Frigault, Coordinator of Career Planning Services at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Students who are in high school now but looking ahead to postsecondary should look for chances to develop a co-curricular record.

Adjust hiring strategies based on changing student opinions. Employers are very interested in hearing from students and graduates when it comes to recruitment. “Toast to Hire Learning” is an event hosted by Memorial University that allows employers to ask a panel of students what is important to their generation regarding recruitment and work. This event’s success over the last couple of years shows that employers are becoming more interested in these opinions and how to use them when laying out their recruitment and hiring strategies.

“Employers are recognizing that, with each new generation, new things must be done to attract talented, skilled workers,” says Patricia Poirier, Employer Development Coordinator with Memorial University.

“Recognizing the wants and needs of the generation entering the workforce allows employers to adjust their hiring strategy so that they can attract this group.” CO Paul D. Smith is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com

CO high school edition 31

the sky’s the limit life lessons from Damon Allen

By Kathleen Clark

T

he world of sports can develop more than just muscle. Former professional football player-turned-motivational speaker Damon Allen is proof of that. His journey from a 6-year-old playing football in San Diego to his 23-year career as a quarterback in the Canadian Football League taught him a thing or two about learning, adapting and succeeding. Here are the top four lessons he likes to pass on to students.

Education Is Important Be prepared: you don’t want to go into your future empty-handed. For Allen, education and football went hand in hand. He led high school teams to victories and played college ball for California State University, while also keeping up his grades.

“Education is a fundamental aspect of human life,” he says. “I think one of the biggest decisions that kids have to make is what they want to do. It’s education that allows me to really dive into the things I want to do.”

School gives you a place to find out what your dreams are, Allen says. Pursue your dreams but always with a foundation of knowledge.

“Once [students] figure out what to do, then they put their mindset and their education into developing a strategy that will push them and encourage them to go for it,” he says. Then, who knows? Maybe they can inspire great things in their peers.

“You never want to be in a situation when you think you’ve ‘arrived’ and ‘made it,’” he says.

“Have the willingness to learn despite how many years of experience you’ve had.”

Remain Open to Change At a very young age Allen knew he wanted a career in sports, and decided to focus on football and baseball. “I wanted to give myself some options, have the opportunity to do one or the other if I chose so,” he says.

Allen’s professional sports career went on to include playing for five CFL teams, not to mention his stint in major-league baseball.

Moving from city to city and working with new teammates were lessons in dealing with change that he will not soon forget. He got over the changes quickly by focusing on his drive to succeed, which helped him guide four teams to Grey Cup victories.

“Change is consistent. You will always have to deal with change,” he says—and you can get better at it with practice. “When you grow up going from one sport to the next, it almost comes to a point when change becomes fairly easy. You get pretty good at it.”

In 1994, Allen decided on another change and dedicated himself fully to the game of football.

He left the Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training camp “even though baseball pays out more money,” he says with a laugh.

“I think one of the biggest decisions that kids have to make is what they want to do. It’s education that allows me to really dive into the things I want to do.”

Be Positive and Love What You Do

a turning point: “I wouldn’t be standing here today, probably, if it wasn’t for that coach.”

When Allen retired from the CFL in 2008, he held the record for all-time pro football passing yards with 72,381 yards. “Did I set out to accomplish all these statistical records and things like that? No. I just really loved playing the game of football and enjoyed competing,” he says.

To develop confidence, surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you, he says. But be careful—not everyone will care about your success as much as you do.

“Don’t listen to those who say you can’t do it,” Allen says.

But the record might never have happened— in fact, his football career might have ended in Grade 9—if he had not had the right people cheering him on. In his first year of high school, Damon gave up on football.

When you believe in yourself, “you realize what you are capable of doing,” he says. “You understand your passion and your dedication to your craft.”

“I felt I was too small to play the game,” he says. “Your own self-doubt can talk you out of doing the things you’re passionate about. I questioned my own size and sensibility.”

Allen has always founded his relationship with sports on some basic ideas: dedication, passion, self-belief and the willingness to learn. He may have earned awards such as CFL’s Most Outstanding Player of the Year, Grey Cup MVP and CFL All-Star, but these large achievements all stem from those four “simple things” that push him.

It was his high school coach who assured him he could play football and drew him back to the sport he loved. Allen feels that this was

Sweat the Small Stuff

“I always tried to look at small goals,” he says.

“If you take care of the small things, you’ll be able to handle the big things that come your way.”

It’s been three years since the quarterback retired from professional football, but he seems busier than ever. With an online radio show, a quarterback clinic for high school kids and his speaking engagements, Allen has not stopped learning and is seeking out new opportunities all the time.

“I’m learning how to multi-task and staying busy,” he says. “More opportunities will come down the road if you stay busy. Most of us, nowadays, can’t just be one-dimensional anymore.” CO Kathleen Clark is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com, damonallen.ca

CO high school edition 33

is post- ry a d n o c e s right for you?

By Milena Hrebacka

Y

ou’re trying to decide whether or not to continue your education after high school.

It helps if your family had it all planned out for you since you were six, like mine did. I wasn’t really given a choice. They said to me: “If you’re going to buy a house, support a family and travel the world, you’re going to need a good job that pays you well. And you won’t get that by serving tables your whole life.” Thanks for the advice.

I am sincerely grateful—I had the support of my family, I was supported financially by my boyfriend, I was young and I had the grades to get into any program.

The world was my oyster.

Whatever your situation—even for those who are worried about finances or grades—there are solutions to the obstacles. Deciding your future path should be exciting, not nervewracking, because you have the choice to create your own future.

I began seriously considering this future of mine around Grade 11. The three factors which contributed to my career choice of graphic designer were:

1: what I enjoyed doing 2: what I was good at 3: what could earn me piles of money So I began thinking: I love to create art, I’m good at drawing and I’m good at working with computers. Although I was familiar with the term “starving artist,” I was determined to get a well-paying job using the skills and tools I had.

After visiting a career fair hosted by Algonquin College in Ottawa, I decided graphic design was the program for me. It was perfect—every class sounded interesting (except Art History) and catered to my natural skills.

You can give yourself any future you want.

All you have to do is decide what that is.

While it may have come easily for me, I can understand those who might be having trouble deciding what to take or whether or not to even continue your education at all after high school.

Here’s a checklist to help you decide:

1: Do I have the grades to get into

college or university? Returning students have the opportunity to complete Grade 12 for a second time to improve their marks and their chances of getting accepted to their preferred college or university.

2: Can I afford post-secondary

education? If you’ve don’t have your tuition money already saved, look into OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program). OSAP provides funding specifically for people like me whose family could not afford to pay their tuition or people who live outside their family’s household.

It also covers the cost of living in residence, textbooks and supplies required by your program and even part of travel costs (e.g. car payments, a bus pass) if you’re commuting from afar. Don’t even get me started on the hundreds of bursaries and scholarships everyone can easily apply for.

3: How long do I want to be in school?

I finished my college certification in three years and went straight to work. I live on my own and have what I admirably describe as a “disposable income” while many of my friends are earning their four-to-five-year degrees in psychology, working part-time and still living with their families. When choosing your program, factor in how long into your adult life you want to be a student.

4:

Why am I taking this course? Here’s the tricky part. You can calculate whether it’s an investment or a waste of money for you to pursue further education, but when it comes to searching your soul, you need to put aside the fear and be honest with yourself. You can give yourself any future you want. All you have to do is decide what that is.

You should choose a course that involves something familiar to you. You’ll be more confident in your work and your marks will reflect that. You’ll actually enjoy doing homework, get it done faster and have time left over for a part-time job or hanging out with friends and seeing your family. Before you know

it, you’ll graduate and be out in the working world, job-hunting as a real-life professional in your field.

Whatever may be holding you back from making this decision has a solution. With all the help you can receive to get into college or university, there are no closed doors, only the ones you close on yourself. CO Milena Hrebacka recently graduated from Algonquin College’s graphic design program.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com/blogspot, osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal, bit.ly/StudentAssistance

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www.careeroptionsmagazine.com

Don’t worry:

It’s never too late to switc h

By Fraser Tripp

M

aking decisions about your post-secondary education is probably one of the biggest debates you’ve had with yourself up to this point in your life. It might even trump the everimportant “first day of school outfit” or “where to sit at lunch.”

Hard to believe, right?

With so many schools and programs to choose from, how do you know which one is the right fit for you? “How can I be sure that I won’t hate it?” To be honest, it’s pretty much impossible to know until you get there. Scary?

Yeah, tell me about it.

Until recently I was what I like to call a post-secondary student “in transition.” This does not mean that I “dropped out,” as some may see it, but instead I re-evaluated my decision partway through my first year of college and decided to change my path.

After high school, I entered a music program that I thought I was guaranteed to love, only to find that the pressure and competition crushed any passion I had for playing my saxophone. Fortunately, I found an alternate passion— writing—and thus began my re-evaluation and ultimate transition from a music degree to one in journalism.

Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it sounds. Making the decision to enter a program that may take you far from home in the first place is a huge decision in itself. But the decision to leave said program can be an even bigger struggle. Choosing to change programs or education paths is like admitting you made a mistake; however, it could actually be one of the most mature things you can admit to yourself. Contrary to popular belief, there is no shame in changing your mind if you are truly unhappy.

However, as mentioned above, this is no decision to be made without just a little thought.

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Going in with a negative attitude will ultimately lead to a poor experience. If you feel that the choice you have made is right, you are probably right.

First, you must identify what is making you unhappy with the school, the program, etc. Is it something that can be fixed from within? Colleges and universities offer a number of services that will help ease your transition from high school to post-secondary education. These are invaluable and available to everyone. Use them as much as possible.

Maybe the school is excellent, but you’re a science major who has lost your love of macromolecules. Perhaps your true career lies somewhere in fashion. Is it possible to switch majors? You might never know unless you do some digging.

Next is possibly one of the most important things you can do: discuss your concerns with someone close to you. No matter what, do not be afraid to approach your parents. They do truly want what’s best for you and do not want you to be unhappy. If you aren’t comfortable with this, try to speak with an adult you can trust (see post-secondary services).

Third, know your options. It’s not the wisest idea to move without a plan of attack. If you do think you’ve made a mistake, what’s your alternative?

Maybe you need some time to think it over, and that’s okay, but don’t let yourself wallow in self-pity because you made one mistake. Perhaps the

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answer is travel, maybe it’s work, or it could be pursuing a new program as soon as possible. No matter what you decide, it’s probably going to be extremely beneficial. Just make sure you have some idea of what you are going to do, because you might have a bit of time left before you get back in the swing of school.

The one thing you must not do, upon finally making a firm decision about your new path, is begin to doubt it from the start. Going in with a negative attitude will ultimately lead to a poor experience. If you feel that the choice you have made is right, you are probably right.

While you may feel as if you’re admitting you made a mistake, know that you really aren’t. Think of the whole situation as a science experiment.

After all, isn’t that what post-secondary is supposed to be about?

Experimentation. CO Fraser Tripp is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For further information, visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com/blogspot, twitter.com/career_options

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