Jobpostings Magazine October 2010 by jobpostings Magazine

Alan cross

on paying your dues

Aboriginal opportunities

How employers are stepping up

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Management training programs Inside Retail merchandising Building trust at work The secret language of employers

Why you are recession Emily minthorn

looks at what will proofsave gen y from the recession

october 2010 | careers. education. ideas. all of it.

BUSINESS DEGREES BUSINESS DEGREES IN: Accounting e-Business Marketing Fashion Management Human Resources Management International Business Tourism Management

business.humber.ca

october2010 who’s

hiring

Hey. Did you know that these companies have a whole bunch of sweet jobs? Visit their websites to see a full list of positions available.

OBC 3 4 5 7 9 9 15 15 18 19 20 23 25 27

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Shell Canada Insurance Institute of Canada College Pro BioTalent Canada Hydro One Pepsi Canada The Home Depot Ontario Power Generation Tommy Hilfiger Canada Canadian Tire Export Development Canada Peel Regional Police The Source Insurance Institute of Canada

6 8 10

yay! more school

Image: Hemera/Thinkstock

IFC Humber, The Business School (Undergraduate) 28 Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology 29 Brock University 29 Canada’s Automotive School of Business, Georgian College 29 Centennial College 29 Conestoga College 29 Fanshawe College 29 Ithaca College 29 Queen’s University 29 Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry 29 Sheridan College IBC Humber, The Business School (Postgraduate)

stufftobuy 11 Excel 13 Rogers Wireless 31 Fisherman’s Friend

jobpostings.ca | October 2010

Why You Are Recession-Proof

New grads are facing the worst economy since the 1930s, record-breaking youth unemployment worldwide, and some pretty harsh words from our elders. But it ain't all bad news! How we can transcend this mess, and come up smiling. oneonone

Alan Cross, host of The Ongoing History of New Music, speaks to us about the importance of paying your dues.

careercupid

This month, our Cupid decodes the Secret Language of Employers.

interviewsmarts

Energy Drink

Rundown

Success Story

Brought to you

by Rogers Wireless

14 28 32

careerzone

edu-ma-cation joblife

October’s Question: Tell me about a specific example when you had a difference of opinion with a team member and how did you handle it?

VincentCheung

Ten cramming strategies of mostly effective people

Entrepreneur Vincent Cheung on creating Shape Collage Inc. and the importance of internships.

Just in time for mid-terms!

industryinsiders 

21 23

Aboriginal Opportunities: How Employers are Stepping Up. The Upside of Sales: Succeeding in sales requires

balance. One part savvy, two parts compassion.

The Art of The Deal: Retail Merchandising

editor’snote Jason Rhyno

jobpostings publisher:

Nathan Laurie nlaurie@jobpostings.ca associate publisher:

Mark Laurie mlaurie@jobpostings.ca editor:

I landed a job as an editorial assistant before I finished my undergrad. It was a good entry-level position but I was horribly uneducated on how to communicate my ideas during meetings. I had a habit of interrupting co-workers while they were speaking, my passion getting the best of me. My boss broke me of this habit in a very interesting way: as soon as I would open my mouth, he would grab my hand and squeeze, not releasing his grip until my co-worker was finished speaking. It was startling at first (“Uh, why are you holding my hand?”) but I got the point. By simply grabbing my hand, he was able to silently admonish me, while still allowing my co-worker to finish her presentation, her flow uninterrupted by the ‘know-it-allgrad.’ When he released my hand, I knew it was my turn to speak. Being able to effectively communicate ideas falls under what employers like to refer to as “soft skills.” According to many employers I speak with, they’re something Gen Y lacks and while that's probably true, I don't think it's unique to one generation. I’ve worked with many boomers and Gen X’ers that lack soft skills. They may be able to give an effective presentation, but they can also be gossipy, or speak to colleagues in a demeaning way. But it seems as though ours is the generation bearing the brunt of criticism: our expectations are too high, we can’t work alone, etc. This month, Emily Minthorn takes a look at some of those criticisms, and wonders if it's those exact characteristics that will propel us out of this recession (Why You Are Recession Proof, page 16). It’s an argument for Gen Y; how we are different, and why we may have found a better way to deal with the changing world. Yet before we can convince our employers that our ideas are better, we

Jason Rhyno jrhyno@jobpostings.ca graphic designer:

Sonya van Heyningen svanheyningen@jobpostings.ca

web editor:

Emily Minthorn eminthorn@jobpostings.ca circulation & production:

Amy Kappus akappus@jobpostings.ca interns:

Austin Bahadur, Michelle Holden National Account Managers:

have to pay our dues (as Alan Cross says in this month’s One on One page 6), and polish our speaking and presentation skills so that our employers and co-workers will get behind us. That co-worker I used to cut off? I’m still fairly confident that many of her ideas were, well, stupid — not that I would ever say that to anybody who was sharing their ideas, which brings me to another point… “Don’t ever badmouth anybody in this industry,” said one particular teacher to a class of Book and Magazine Publishing students. Even if they deserved it, she explained, it is still in bad form, and given that the publishing industry is so incestuous, chances are that you’ll either end up working with, or for, someone you had badmouthed. It’s good advice for any aspiring publishing professionals reading this column — but it’s also good advice for anybody aspiring to be in any industry. And there is no grey area here: just don’t do it. Same goes for gossip. While gossiping may seem harmless, “it’s breaking someone’s trust,” writes Ross Harrhy in this month’s joblife (page 32). It’s only one of many points on building trust at work, and if what we’re hearing from employers regarding new grads’ lack of “soft skills” is true, you may want to give that article a read. At this point in my career, I don’t have to have my hand held anymore. I don’t interrupt co-workers, I can package my ideas in a lovely PowerPoint presentation, and back them up with research; and I've found confidence in my abilities. I hope that the stories and articles in this magazine help you do the same. Good luck on mid-terms! 

Sarah-Lyn Amaral, Lori Blanchard, Mary Vanderpas, Kathi Wood

Published by Passion inc. 25 Imperial Street, Suite 100 Toronto, ON M5P 1B9 www.jobpostings.ca 1-877-900-5627 ext. 221

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

on the cover: © iStockphoto.com/ James Pauls

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

TECHNICAL & COMMERCIAL STUDENTS The most successful problem solvers look at things differently and see solutions no one else can. Who would have thought to use fish protein to stop gas freezing in subsea pipes? One of our people did. And right now we’re looking for more people who can bring a fresh perspective to the energy challenge. We’ll provide training, support and career choices to develop your potential. We’ll get you working with some of our most accomplished problem solvers. And together we can help build a responsible energy future. Think further. Learn about student and graduate opportunities and apply at www.shell.ca/students Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Harder

benefits from a reputation for effectiveness, and its smaller can size helps reign in overconsumption (at least in theory).

Better

Faster

Stronger? EnergyDrinkRundown by Austin Badahur

Between work, school, and a social life, it’s easy to find

yourself up against a deadline and gunning towards the much beloved all-nighter. Desperation alone can’t fuel these mad scrambles, however, and it sometimes takes more than coffee and candy to last until morning. Energy drinks promise to pick up the slack, letting you work and write all night (and part of every day). But don’t be fooled by slick marketing; a sixpack of chemicals is a tricky replacement, at best, for a good night’s sleep.

If you’re still dead-set on downing one of these ‘study aids’, here’s the rundown on the best and the worst of some of the bigger names out there:

NOS Marketed for racers and speed demons, NOS is noteworthy for packing the highest dosage of caffeine, a whopping 130mg per 8oz serving.

Rockstar An interesting alternative to a less than portable can, new this year is Rockstar Energy Gum, offering 80mg of caffeine in every two sugar-free pieces you chow down on.

Red Bull The originator, and the best-known product on the market, Red Bull

If you’re looking to get a little bit less wired than NOS, but still want a bigger kick than normal, Full Throttle fills that niche with 100mg of caffeine per serving and an array of flavours to give you a break from the neon battery-acid standard.

Monster With modest amounts of caffeine and sugar (80mg and 27g, respectively), the self-proclaimed ‘meanest’ energy supplement doesn’t offer much to defend its claim to be a ‘wicked mega hit.’

GURU The redheaded stepchild of the bunch, claiming no artificial additives (such as niacin), no taurine, and 100 percent natural ingredients none of this is backed up by the US FDA, however.

Image: Hemera/Thinkstock

These drinks have certain ingredients in common: caffeine (typically in the 80mg per 8oz range), sugar (usually 27g per 8oz), and taurine (generally 1000mg per 8oz). The ups and downs of the first two ingredients are wellknown; take too much and you’re a jittery mess, take too little and you’ll never make it through Jersey Shore. Taurine’s a little more mysterious — though synthetically produced for the drinks, it naturally occurs as a major component of bile and was originally isolated from bull testicles. Getting thirsty yet?

Full Throttle

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Skilled people can go further, faster. I’m starting now with my own College Pro business.

• I’m getting the best business training available for students • I’ll be first in line for a real job later, because I’ve proven myself • I’m a leader in my community • I’m doing something that helps me right now

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one on one

mentor /' mentor/ 1 n. an experienced and trusted advisor or guide (who usually buys lunch, too). 2. Yoda 3. Or Mr. Miyagi (“wax on, wax off”). 4. Professor Dumbledore – he was a mentor. 5. So was Gandalf. 6. Morpheus! Nearly forgot about Morpheus! He was a pretty sick mentor. Man, how cool would it be to have Morpheus as your mentor? 7. v.tr. act as a mentor to (a person). mentoring n. & adj. mentorship n.

Alan Cross Senior Program Director CIIS/Corus; Curator of Exploremusic.com; Host of The Ongoing History of New Music

“Nobody owes you a living.” Interviewed by Adam Grant

Getting out of school and stepping into the real world can be an intimidating endeavour for graduates. What should they expect once classes are over for good? Nobody owes you a living. It is the real world now and you’re going to have to make the best of it based on the skills you’ve acquired while in school, but you must also remember that the amount of experience you have in your chosen profession is still zero. It’s going to take a long time to build up the respect, the reputation and the chops to be able to get ahead. One of things we’re seeing when I’m hiring people is when they come out of school they think the world owes them a living. ‘I spent all this money on an

education, well damn it, I want something out of it now.’ It doesn’t work that way. You have to have the skills and you have to prove yourself because as a boss or a co-worker/supervisor, you have to prove to me that I can trust you and that you’re not going to screw me. Once a graduate finds their first job, what kind of role can they expect within the company that brought them aboard? The first part of what you’re doing is going to be a tell-do situation. The boss will tell you what to do, and you do it. They don’t want your input, they don’t want your suggestions — at that very first stage of your career, do what you’re told. Eventually, once you prove that you’re trustworthy, that you’re ambitious and all of those good things, then you can start contributing. But first, it’s the whole tell-do relationship and until you have proven that you can do what you’re told, you’re not going to get any more. Don’t even try. How tough is it to balance the stresses of a first job with the stresses of every day life? It depends on the job. Some jobs are going to expect that you’re going to put in 100 hour weeks at the beginning, and

that’s paying your dues. If you’re a doctor and you’re a resident, you’re doing the 48 hour shifts as a way of shaking out the posers. You may be in a career/job/company/organization that has that culture where it’s like, ‘okay, you want to be with us? Let’s see if you can take the heat.’ When you started out in the radio industry, did you have a mentor to help show you the way? No, which was a problem. I always had hoped that I would find someone that would take me under their wing, but I never really did. The only thing I really had were co-workers that were in the same situation as me, so we leaned on each other. With radio, what I did was collect a series of virtual mentors — these are people I would listen to on other radio stations both locally and from afar and I would listen to them and try to copy them and try to emulate them. They mentored me without even knowing it, which is why these days when a student or someone comes to me, I have a real hard time saying ‘no’ because I remember being shut out so many times by people. Do you think it’s important for every young professional to have a mentor? Absolutely – you have no idea what you’re doing so you need to look outside to find somebody that knows what they’re doing. You can learn a lot by simply observing without even necessarily talking to them.

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Getting your foot in the door just got easier Take advantage of the BioTalent Canada Career Focus program You may be a recent grad and new to biotechnology, but your challenge is likely an old one: landing that first job when you don’t have a lot of real-world work experience.

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careercupid

The Secret Language of Employers

by Christine Fader, Career Counsellor @ Queen’s University

speak is not an official world language, it can feel as if you might need Google to translate a few sentences for you, as you apply for jobs. What do employers want? What do they mean? And where’s a super-secret spy decoder ring when you need it?!

Having come over from ‘the dark side’ (I am a former full-time recruiter), I could probably write a whole dictionary on employer speak, but I thought I’d prioritize with a few phrases often puzzled and panicked about in campus recruitment.

“Please submit a transcript” Asking for a transcript with your application can mean that employers are going to limit their applicant pool to students who have the best marks, but that’s only one reason that employers request a transcript, so don’t be discouraged from applying if you’re not a top student. Often, they want photocopies of your transcripts to see what classes you’ve taken (both core and elective), where some of your strengths and weaknesses lie, and to gauge if the particular program at your specific school has given you the basic knowledge they need to easily train you to do the work. But, any time you apply with a transcript, be prepared to talk about why you chose the classes/courses/program you did (if you had options) and gracefully acknowledge and explain your academic strengths and weaknesses. Hint: “I chose that class because it allowed me to be home every day to watch the World Cup” is probably not the first rationale to share.

“What program are you in?” This is often the opening question when you meet employers at a career fair or information event and what it really means is, “What skills and knowledge do you have that we need?” Instead of blurting out your program or putting it as the first item on your resume, talk to them about the skills that you have (from whatever part of your experience) that match what they seem to need. Not sure what they need? Start by letting them know that you know something about them (“I see from your website that you are looking for people who have technical skills”), and then ask them what sorts of specific or additional skills they seek in candidates. Then, once you

determine whether you are interested in the work and a good match for it, you can give examples from your education and experiences that show that, regardless of your program, you have skills relating to what they are looking for. Cue the Fine Arts student I know who got her first new grad job as an insurance underwriter with the company she dreamed about. Ta da!

“We’re not hiring right now” You finally worked up the nerve to contact an interesting employer, in writing and then by phone, and you get this disappointing message back. It’s hard to hear those six words without wanting to give up but what the employer really means is just what they said: we’re not hiring right now…as in, today, this minute. Tomorrow, they may come in to work and someone will have called in an illness or maternity leave, or they get the notice they’ve been waiting for telling them that they’re expanding to a new field office, or they land the contract they’ve been bidding on. Suddenly, they need someone or multitudes of someones! Work situations change quickly so try not to interpret “we’re not hiring right now” as “go away and never come back.” Most candidates sidle away, mortified, so the ones who follow up respectfully are the ones employers re-connect with. Consider using the following semi-magic words, “I’d like to keep in touch with you but I don’t want to bother you all the time, so would it be better if I check back in four weeks or six?” This allows them to get rid of you on a busy day but still keep you on the radar for when Mary-Jo comes in next week and announces that she’s accepted a job in Honolulu. Hint: When using these strategies, try to contact the person supervising the work you’d like to do because they’re more desperate and motivated when the crunch is happening than Human Resources might be. No super-secret spy decoder ring is necessary to understand employer speak because the solution is simple: when you’re unsure, ask for more information… from yourself and from employers. And, remember that you and other applicants tend to have a language of your own too. “I’d rather go to the dentist than get down to applying for this job” might be applicant speak for, “Thanks, but no thanks: this is not the right job for me.” 

+ Author of “Career Cupid: Your Guide to Landing and Loving Your Dream Job.” careercupid.com

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Image: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Although employer

www.pepsibeveragesjobs.com

jobpostings.ca | October 2010

interviewsmarts Q. A.

Tell me about a specific example when you had a difference of opinion with a team member. How did you handle it? Confrontation of any

kind can be unpleasant so this question makes many candidates feel uncomfortable. Rest assured that the interviewer is not asking this question to watch you squirm; this is an important question for the employer to ask because it speaks to your ability to stand up for your point of view, as well as your ability to resolve conflict. Unfortunately, many candidates do not answer this question well because they make incorrect assumptions. Candidates presume that “difference of opinion” refers to an argument or shouting match with a teammate and it does not. The question is asking about a time when you had a different opinion, big or small, with a team member. The other assumption that candidates make is that this is a trick question and giving an example will infer that they are not a team player. This is not the case at all. In fact, when candidates tell me that they do not have any examples to share, it is cause for concern. You do not get along with everyone all of the time! Failing to provide an example will call into question your abilities to be truthful, stand up for your opinion and resolve conflict. Now that you know the importance of giving an example, it’s time to think of one. Ensure that you give the interviewer a specific example; often candidates will talk in

Allison Mitchell,

generalities and that is not what the interviewer is looking for. This question is behavioural based; the theory behind these questions is that the best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. This means that the interviewer will be looking for proof that you will be able to effectively handle a situation like this. When forming your answer to this question (or any other behavioural based question), you need to communicate all of the details of your example. An effective answer to this question would be a specific example when you had a difference of opinion with a team member and you were the one that resolved the issue to everyone’s agreement. Your answer should include what the difference of opinion was about (what was your opinion and what was the other person’s opinion), the action that you took to resolve the difference, how did the other person respond to your action, what was the resolution, how long did it take to resolve the issue, and were you and the team satisfied with the resolution. Conflict is not always a bad thing. If handled properly, it can be a positive experience that results in better co-operation, compromising and communication within a team. Think about an example when you have had a difference of opinion with a teammate and ensure that it showcases your ability to stand up for your point of view and your ability to successfully resolve conflict.

CHRP Corporate Recruitment Specialist @ DALSA Corporation

So you screwed up in the interview, huh? They asked the ol’ “What’s your greatest weakness” question and you responded with “bladder control,” hoping to get a laugh. That’s awkward. Lucky for you we have friends on the inside – recruiting friends (basically the people who’ll be interviewing you). It cost us a few favours, but they finally agreed to explain why they ask what they ask, and what the best answers are. It’s like a cheat sheet, but for the real world. Good luck!



October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

GOODBYE

ONION BREATH

The Science of Management Name Patricia Seaton Company College Pro Position General Manager Length of employment Six years Degree BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences

Where did you go to School? What program did you attend? I completed both my BSc and MSc at the University of Guelph in Biomedical Sciences. Since early childhood I had wanted to be a veterinarian, and as Guelph has the only veterinary college in Ontario, it was my school of choice

What drew you to your current field?

What skills have you learned through your work experience?

In a first year chemistry lecture, someone came into my class and ran through a quick talk that caught my attention. They described a job opportunity where it was possible to “take on a new challenge, run your own business and make (on average) $15,000 in one summer.” The potential earnings and the idea of running my own business tweaked my interest. I was willing to work hard to avoid going into debt over the four plus years of undergrad, but I needed a new summer job — one where I wasn’t staring at the clock all day making minimum wage — so I signed myself up.

Too many to list! My experience with College Pro has been life changing. I was never interested in business; I was, and still am, a science student. However, the opportunity to run my own business and then lead others to do the same, has allowed for tremendous skill development in areas such as leadership, communication, problem solving, time management, goal setting and planning, accountability and financial management. These life skills are universally applicable regardless of your intended career path. I have heard numerous people say they learn more in one summer of College Pro than they do throughout four years of university.

Tell us a bit about your responsibilities.

Is there one accomplishment you are most proud of to date?

The responsibilities of a general manager change with the seasons. In the fall, we recruit entrepreneurial university and college students to run their own painting businesses for the following summer. In the winter, we begin training these students, teaching them how to market their businesses, how to estimate a job, some general paint knowledge, and safety. Training continues into the spring with both in-class and in-field training. In the summer, we continue to coach franchise managers through weekly phone meetings and field visits. We work regularly on goal setting and review, accountability, skill development, and problem solving. We provide support and encouragement as managers face the ups and downs of running their own businesses.

What is the most challenging aspect of your position? As a franchise manager, I was always very “hands-on.” If there was a problem, I wanted to be on site to fix it. This past summer, working with 10 franchise managers scattered throughout northern Ontario,

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it was not possible for me to continue with the “hands-on” approach. I had to learn (and am still learning) how to effectively lead these managers from a distance and teach them how to solve their own problems.

Last summer I participated in the trial run of a new business model College Pro was looking to experiment with. I took on an area three times the size as I had in previous summers in hopes of running a $300,000 painting business in five months. The original business plan my coach and I developed seemed impossible. It would require me to do 2530 estimates a week in three different cities when a busy week in previous summers consisted of 10 estimates. This position pushed me beyond what I had previously believed to be my limits and with a lot of hard work I produced $288,000, finishing as the top female franchise manager in North America and the sixth largest College Pro painting business in Canada.

What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job? Pick a field or type of job that you would like and apply to as many as you can. Expect the worst but hope for the best, because no matter how good you are there is always someone better than you, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get your first pick. Keep your options open and don’t give up.

rogers.com/careers/campuslife October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

careerzone

by Ashleigh Ryan

Even with the recession, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by an estimated 8.7 percent in 2009 and will continue to grow to become the second largest economy in the world after the United States. India’s GDP also grew by a remarkable 6.5 percent in 2009. There are many other countries boasting impressive growth. BRIC is the widely-quoted moniker for Brazil, Russia, India, and China, four of the largest emerging economies, but smaller countries like the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia also hold promising business opportunities for young professionals.

Hidden Opportunity Carmen Ng, a recent graduate from Queen’s University in chemistry, has been able to find many work opportunities in Hong Kong through personal connections and the Labour Department of Hong Kong. Ng said working in Hong Kong can lead to good jobs in many other parts of Asia and that students may earn money much faster working there than they would in Canada. “As the political power and economical situation of People’s Republic of China is rising rapidly, more opportunities are to be found in Southeast Asia. Hong Kong is one of the gateways to get into and learn about China,” she said in an email. “Also, the tax rate in Canada is way higher than that in Hong Kong. Therefore, it’s a lot easier to save up money with a stable job in Hong Kong than in Canada.” There are many ways for students to learn about countries where they are interested in working. The internet is loaded with agencies that give countryspecific information, while many news organizations like the Guardian newspaper will advertise job postings in Asia and South America. Canuck Abroad is a site devoted to providing forums for Canadians looking for travel and work opportunities abroad. Founded in 2003, it has approximately 10,000 members who regularly contribute information on how to find jobs or tips for adjusting to a new lifestyle. Canuck Abroad’s site manager, Matthew Reider, said finding a job is the easy part of the process, because many countries and many industries look favourably on Canadians for hiring. China in particular will hire Westerners just to promote their business’ image. The main obstacle for Canadians to work in emerging economies is finding employers who will assist in getting their affairs sorted. Complications like getting sponsors for a visa, having the flight paid for or finding an apartment can become even more stressful depending on the company and place you’re working in.

“If it’s more of a professional-level job, for, say, a big international company like Coca-Cola in China, then you can bet they’re going to have that stuff down to a tee,” he said. “They’ll know exactly what you need, how to take care of you and everything. But if you’re doing something where it’s a much smaller company or a school, it can be a lot more difficult to get these things set up and you don’t really know what you’re going to get.” Reider said it’s important not to assume the company will do the work for you in getting to the job. Being prepared and knowing what to expect will make you a more attractive applicant by posing less of a hassle to the employer. Showing them you already have a visa when applying for the job, for example, is a great way to push your resume to the top of the pile. “They’re going to be way more willing to hire you if you’ve done your research,” he said. Once you arrive and begin working, Reider said culture shock is the number one issue people struggle with. Learning the rules of the workplace can be a huge adjustment, on top of the everyday adjustment living in a new country. “Corporate culture can be completely different,” he said. “The formalities of everything can be a lot to get used to You gotta be really careful about what you say and maybe how you say it.” But even with the tough cultural adjustment, the benefits of working in emerging economies are limitless, whether it’s a personal milestone or an opportunity to furnish your CV. “I think everyone should do it if they have the opportunity to go. It just expands your horizons on so many levels just to get out of your comfort zone a little while. And when you come back to Canada and have that kind of experience on your resume, you’re going to be that much better off for it.”

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Image: iStockphoto/ Thinkstock

For decades, the West has profited from attracting talented workers from around the world. But many Asian, Middle Eastern, and South American economies are experiencing growth rates unfathomable in the developed world, a phenomenon that has prompted many young university graduates to travel east to seek their fortune.

C r ouc hing Tiger,

Which paint dries faster?

Thought about a part-time job after school? Working during summer? Do you like learning new things and helping others? If the answer is, “yes!”, then The Home Depot wants to hear from you. We know that students have a special enthusiasm for learning and earning – and building skills that could serve them well in the future. So, as the leading home improvement retailer in Canada, we make sure you have the training and hands-on coaching need to make it work for you. Now hiring for part-time and seasonal positions. Visit homedepotjobs.ca/Student to apply online or find more information.

If you know, we’d like to talk to you. If you don’t, we’d like to teach you.

We are committed to diversity as an equal opportunity employer.

A: Latex jobpostings.ca | October 2010

“

Why You Ar

Recessio

Proo

listenup

“Not all those who wander are lost…”

–J.R.R. Tolkien, the Lord of the Rings

You’re a millennial – or a Gen Y’er, or an echo boomer – if you were born between the early 80s and the end of the 20th century. Our parents were baby boomers and our babysitters were probably X’ers. We grew up using the Internet but can still hearken back to a time when it wasn’t ubiquitous; we’re also old enough to remember 9/11 and how it changed everything.

of jobpostings.ca | October 2010

As if it weren’t enough of a downer to be the subject of so much unflattering chatter, we’re beginning our careers during the worst recession (are we allowed to call this a depression yet?) since the Dirty Thirties. Nowhere is joblessness more prevalent than in our own age group, with unemployment rates among 20-somethings twice those of older demographics (according to surveys by both Canadian and American government agencies), and worldwide youth unemployment totals topping 81 million in 2009 the highest numbers ever seen. And while it’s frustrating in the short term to fruitlessly pound the pavement, resume in hand and freshly-minted credentials mouldering away in a drawer somewhere, recent studies show that the fun’s just begun.

So are we destined to become a lost generation, floored by the one-two punch of our bad economy and worse personalities? A lot of people – from Hillary Clinton to the New York Times (“What Is It About 20-Somethings?” August 2010) – have been saying so. But they’re wrong, mislead by one-dimensional stats and in want of a holistic view of all this intergenerational angst. In fact, it’s almost as if members of older generations are criticizing us for weathering the results of the social, economic, and environmental decisions that they made. First, a Brief History of the Late 20th Century, in which the class shall compare the socioeconomic conditions millennials are graduating into with the world our predecessors had laid at their feet when they came of age. Take out your pencils.

When examining the lifelong earning potential of workers who began their careers during the economic downturn of the early 80s, one Yale study found that Image: © iStockphoto.com/James Pauls

Other attributes pinned on us by numerous polls, surveys, and anecdotes? We all want to be rock stars of our respective fields, with the salaries to match, but we lack the requisite elbow grease to achieve those dreams. We’re insecure trophy kids who can’t take criticism or work independently. We’re narcissistic selfie-shooting Internet addicts. And above all, we’re taking way too long to grow up.

not only did that recession’s young job seekers start out earning less, but that they continued to experience a salary handicap decades into their working lives – amounting to a lifelong difference of about $100,000 between them and their more fortunate counterparts. They were also less likely to be working the jobs that suited their skills and training, and less able to advance to better opportunities, even after the economy improved. Other studies from economics departments across the continent clearly show that people with big employment gaps in their teens and 20s are more likely to develop lifelong problems with alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental illness – an outlook as depressing as our predicted paycheques.

researched and written by Emily Minthorn (born 1986)

“ Very high expectations – the ones our parents have of us, the ones we have of Fresh out of WWII, our grandparents enjoyed cheap, plentiful suburban housing; inexpensive consumer goods, from cars to refrigerators to televisions; and secure, well-paying jobs. Our parents, the boomers, were in turn able to go to university in record numbers. They graduated largely debt-free, right into the waiting arms of the strongest economy North America has ever seen. Back in the real world, it’s the year we make contact: 2010. Changes in public policy, from how we fund schools to how much we let them charge us to learn, have seen tuition increase exponentially since our parents’ day. This past August, the Wall Street Journal reported that stateside, national student debt now outweighs national credit card debt. Many of the good jobs – secure positions with room for advancement – that powered our predecessors straight out of university into marriages and mortgages have disappeared entirely. The jobs we can get rarely

pay enough to make rent, let alone fund a house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids. The five commonly accepted standards of adulthood accomplished – a completed education, a career, financial independence, a committed relationship, a family – seem hopelessly out of reach for most of us. But are we even reaching for the same goals? Going through the motions, ticking items off a to-do list we didn’t even write may no longer make sense to this, the besteducated generation the world has ever seen. Yes, we’re smart and have the paperwork (and loan payments) to prove it. In fact, we have all kinds of warm fuzzy qualities. When asked by the Pew Research Centre to rank our priorities in life, we consistently put happiness and love ahead of money on our list, and name our parents as the figures in our lives we respect and admire most. While many older supervisors complain that we

can’t work alone, we wonder why anyone would want to. Generationally speaking, millennials love working in teams, building consensus, and coming to group decisions. We get to see this aspect of our personalities reflected back at us in figures that rank 20-somethings as the most civic-minded age group of all (Millennials Rising, 2000, Strauss & Howe). We volunteer and vote in record-breaking numbers, in stark contrast with the polarized boomers and apathetic X’ers before us. These stats show that family and stability are certainly important to us, and that our high expectations of life do drive us to excel – just not in the ways previous generations did. Is there really so much wrong with this new normal? Our wages are indeed lower (one in five of us live at or below the poverty threshold), our marriages later (the average age of our first marriage is about five years after that of our parents’ generation), our careers less

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October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

listenup

ourselves – may turn out to be the very things that keep us on track. of a predictable climb up a corporate ladder (we’re notorious job-hoppers), but when asked, we say we’re okay. Perhaps the level of affluence and success experienced by our parents, teachers, and bosses was just a pig in the python, an unrealistic standard to hold over a generation that recognizes the world has moved on from “Greed is Good” in many ways. We know our planet is smaller than ever – we’re the most wired group of people around, constantly connected across countries and continents, and we’re the most well-traveled demographic too. And, when describing both the companies we’d want to work for, and the companies we’d prefer to buy from, eight out of ten millennials rank corporate social and environmental responsibility at the very top of our list of concerns (2006 Cone Millennial Cause Study). For all our foibles, today’s “emerging adults” – as it’s become trendy to call us – seem poised for success in a brave new world.

“To some generations, much is given. Of other generations, much is expected,” said Franklin D Roosevelt to our grandparents on the eve of WWII. Their challenge to face was a war: a bloody, horrific trial where the stakes were high and results were black and white. For us, faced with a reboot of the world economy and a dark ecological reality, the challenges are less cut and dried. Yet very high expectations – the ones our parents have of us, the ones we have of ourselves – may turn out to be the very things that keep us on track. While it’s probably na�ve to think we’ll all be making $70,000 by the time we’re 30 – as several studies embarrassingly show us to predict for ourselves – it’s a sure bet that we’ll be kicking butt in other ways. We’ll be entering the new economy unhindered by mortgages or families, well-traveled and culturally savvy, used to working together to get things done, armed with the technology we’ve grown up with and helped develop,

”

and accustomed to living within our means (as youth of a depression historically are). Millennials consistently poll as the most optimistic people on the planet, which is kind of incredible given the eventful history of our short lives. We came of age in interesting times, and we’ve enjoyed a unique vantage point from which to ponder the value of the North American Dream. We spent our early childhoods consuming media produced for us by anti-establishment boomers and cynical X’ers, imbuing us with healthy skepticism from an early age. We read about Harry Potter and other young witches and wizards, working together to teach corrupt adults how to behave properly; we watched as Neo woke up and discovered the Real World behind the illusion that had been pulled over his eyes by a cold, industrial system. It’s not that our generation is refusing to get real, or grow up. We just looked around us, smiled, and realized we had better things to do.

Your Career STARTS HERE

Your Growth: As a new graduate or co-op student, you’re looking to start something that will transform what you’ve learned in school into meaningful work that enriches people’s lives. You want to start proving you’ve got what it takes to be a success. Canadian Tire can give you this opportunity, through challenging work assignments with a high degree of responsibility and autonomy. Working with us, you’ll gain invaluable training and experience in a challenging, progressive and truly Canadian work environment. Our Culture: Take part in the beginning of a new era for Canadian Tire – one that encompasses a dynamic, fast-paced and fun atmosphere, where people feel

jobpostings.ca | October 2010

campus.canadiantire.ca

energized to do their best. Our undeniably youthful team environment coupled with our clear roadmap to success has allowed Canadian Tire to become a strong organization where extraordinary people achieve extraordinary results. Benefits and Rewards: Canadian Tire believes in taking care of our team and their families. By joining our team you can discover the many rewards we have to offer including industry-leading benefits, stock ownership and bonuses, profit sharing, employee discounts and so much more. New Graduate & Co-op Opportunities: Merchandising Marketing Supply Chain Finance IT And More

there are out there

can help.

Exclusive info on top employers. New education programs. Interview smarts. Expert career advice. And, yes, tips to make your resume nothing short of remarkable.

Whatever you need to build your dream career, jobpostings.ca is here | careers. education. ideas. all of it.

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

industryinsiders

how employers are

waking

to the opportunities of working with aboriginal people. by Lisa Charleyboy

jobpostings.ca | October 2010

Baby boomers are retiring at rapid rates and the question for employers has become, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Who is going to replace them?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The Sustaining the Canadian Labour Force report put out by the Conference Board of Canada states that companies will have to look at previously untapped sources of labour, such as immigrants, women, people with disabilities, and Aboriginal peoples.

the best measure of

success is perceived by looking at the overall scope of

This is not news to Kelly Lendsay, president and CEO of Aboriginal Human Resource Council (AHRC). Since 1998, he has been working on Aboriginal recruitment and retention strategies for businesses to succeed in procurement. When Lendsay first accepted his current position in the late 90’s, he says the topic of Aboriginal recruitment was not on the radar for corporations in Canada. “In fact, many of the universities and colleges were just starting to look at Aboriginal students, Aboriginal curriculum, and the whole area of Aboriginal education,” he explains. “However, there were some sectors of the economy that looked toward Aboriginal people as a solution for their skill shortage, particularly in the resource and energy sectors.” “But there are still many other sectors where Aboriginal recruitment is not being considered,” he says. “So that’s really no different than in 1998, and I think that articles like this one, as well as just more attention, are helping to awaken employers to the opportunities of working with Aboriginal people.”

 Innovative Strategies Some employers are actively taking notice of the Aboriginal population by developing alternative, more personalized strategies, to engage with potential recruits using grassroots methods. Paul Sayers, Aboriginal recruitment consultant for Hydro One, spends time at career fairs across Ontario, including outreach to remote First Nations communities. He also coordinates all First Nations and Métis job

applications, and personally follows up with individuals, whether or not they are hired. If they don’t have the necessary requirements for the position, he discusses pathways and upgrade options to improve hiring eligibility. Inclusion Works, an annual event put on by the AHRC is another innovative strategic initiative. “We bring 100 post-secondary graduates from colleges and universities and link them directly to employers,” says Kelly Lendsay. “It has really showcased to the general public — and to the private sector and government — that there are still Aboriginal people and we are reversing the trend. There is an increasing number of students completing degrees and pursuing career paths in every sector of the economy.” Earlier this year in Toronto, Craig Jackson, coordinator, Community Power Services Group of Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, was a recent college graduate and was selected to attend Inclusion Works 2010. It was there that he solidified his current position within the green energy sector. “We were treated like royalty when we first showed up, everything was taken care of for us,” Jackson says. “I realized that this is a professional organization [AHRC] and they were looking out for our [recent graduates] best interests there. And not because it’s some mandate with their organization, but the people involved really care about what they are doing — and I was really taken aback by this. I couldn’t believe that they were doing all of this for us.”

 Success Stories There are numerous success stories in employment gains from strategies that the AHRC has put into place over the past 12 years, and

in the workplace.

the impact that Inclusion Works has had over the past two years on almost 200 recent Aboriginal graduates. But the best measure of success is perceived by looking at the overall scope of inclusion in the workplace.

“I’ve seen employers who are applauding their efforts and feeling very good about the fact that they are helping to create career paths for Aboriginal people,” Lendsay says. “They are reversing a history of education, employment and socio-economic gaps, so they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, or shared accomplishment, by partnering with organizations and helping to reverse that history of exclusion.” Paul Sayers says “the best success for me is measured by the success of our people.” He sees that there is a definitive change in Aboriginal applicants over the past nine years since he has been involved in Aboriginal recruitment and employment strategies. “I see an increasingly educated and stronger community. We have the same aspirations as mainstream Canada.” As the Aboriginal workforce is now being targeted as a solution to the labour shortage, there will be a definitive shift in both hiring and training practices. “I think that the challenge for employers was that they were looking at diversity; women, people of colour, people with disabilities,” Kelly Lendsay says. “But where they didn’t make the leap was how to now integrate those strategies and focus on Aboriginal recruitment and retention.” And that is precisely what most companies will be in the midst of figuring out over the next decade.

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Image: Courtesy of the Aboriginal Human Resource Council

_ The Lowdown

inclusion

The

upside of up

Sales

So, you want to be like the robber

barons of old? Hacking and slashing your way through business deals and marking your fiscal territory with reckless abandon? Easy there, Rockefeller! Doing business and making sales is dependent on remaining in good standing with your clients. If you’re looking to get into the sales game, here’s some food for thought.

adaptation //

Entering a profession for the right reasons is highly important. A sales representative's job can be pretty rewarding, as it rewards go-getters. However, at the end of the day, the social component is hard to deny. “I was really attracted to the idea of working with different people on a regular basis,” says Angela Fennelow, director of career sales force recruiting and selection for Sun Life Financial. “You have to meet new people everyday in order to be successful.” It’s an old chestnut, but believing in what you sell is an important part of selling a product. Of course, there’s more to it than that. “You

industryinsiders

Succeeding in sales requires balance: one part savvy, two parts compassion. by Kevin Nelson

have to be able to adapt,” says Christina Vecchiato, a sales rep for Kate Walker & Co. “In sales, you probably won’t be selling the same thing for more than a year at a time. It’s such a fast-paced job that if you don’t adapt to your buyer’s needs and wants, you’ll get left behind, and there’ll be someone else ready and willing to replace your product with theirs.”

trust game // The sales process is simple in formula, but involved in practice. “Building rapport and trust with your client is a key component to a successful business relationship,” says Travis Smith, a sales representative for Xerox Canada. “You can be selling the most efficient service or the most innovative product, but at the end of the day, it’s people buying from people.” Part of the equation is picking up on a client’s needs, even when they’re not sure what those needs might be. “I think when you’re building a relationship with a client, you need to build rapport quickly,” says Fennelow. “You need to ask them the right questions and listen to their answers to

 even when they’re not sure what those needs might be. Part of the equation is picking up on a client’s needs,

build that trust, and make sure you have their best interests in mind at all times.” In any relationship there’s give and take. “The most important thing I’ve learned in sales is [the importance] of treating people the way you’d like to be treated,” says Vecchiato. “You might think ‘how original,’ but it’s true: if you want people to be honest with you, you’ve got to show that you’re being honest with them.”

sealing the deal // To say that sales is all in the mind might be an oversimplification, but there’s something in that as well. “I always thought very positively and believed in the product I was selling,” says Fennelow. “I went into each appointment with an open mind, but I also had an outline of a process to follow. Each client is unique, but having a process really helps you work through and ask the right questions.” Perhaps most importantly of all, customer satisfaction is the be-all end-all of sales. “Successful salespeople build honest relationships with their clients,” says Vecchiato. “I’m not out there to sell stuff that people aren’t going to buy. I want my clients to be successful, so why would I sell them a product that they’re just going to return anyway?”

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jobpostings.ca | October 2010

If you’ve ever wondered about the elaborate

display windows at the Bay or at Harry Rosen, considered the differences in mannequin poses between H&M and Holt Renfrew, or even mused about the labyrinthine layout of a sale at Best Buy, then you’ve glimpsed the true heart of retail: visual merchandising. While sales associates may be the gears and pulleys of any store chain, with managers keeping an eye on the stores’ overall well-being, it’s the merchandising team that provides the fuel to keep sales competitive. Offering desirable products isn’t enough to make a store succeed, especially in the current economic climate; retailers need to engage their customers on multiple levels, and eyecatching displays are vital.

To provide an inside opinion, we’ve spoken to three of Toronto’s industry experts: the program designer of retail management at Ryerson, Sean Sedlezky; Seneca’s David McDermid, the program coordinator for visual merchandising arts; and Andrij Brygidyr, a lecturer at U of T’s Rotman School of Management and president of A&A Merchandising Ltd. Their recommended approaches to a career in visual merchandising are as diverse as the stores one might work for. Sedlezky suggests that people skills and retail experience are key; Brygidyr eschews formal training for technical aptitude and interest; and McDermid explains that a background in visual arts is more common in Seneca’s program than one in business. Typically, retailers will employ a range of merchandisers from entrylevel presentation assistants to display managers, from employees focusing on the local flagship store to a team sent around the world to establish footholds in foreign markets. The work is challenging and interesting, and requires awareness of deliveries and sales, budget restrictions, company policies, consumer trends, and competitor strategies — and that’s all before they even start on the layout. Though Brygidyr is quick to point out that a high school diploma and the right motivation are all that’s needed to get started, those of you looking to climb the ranks in retail might be interested in one of the preparatory programs on offer, from fashion merchandising at Vancouver’s LaSalle College to the visual merchandising arts diploma at Conestoga College in Ontario.

RetailMerchandising by Austin Bahadur

Despite the differing opinions on which skill sets are most useful, there are certain elements on which all three of our insiders can agree. Aspiring merchandisers should be extremely well-organized and capable of managing several different elements at once, as well as being

industryinsiders

art the

the

deal

creatively-minded and prepared for hands-on work. The practical side of merchandising is emphasized through opportunities such as Ryerson’s association with the Downtown Yonge BIA, where students are given the chance to pair off with real store display coordinators and compete for best visual merchandiser. Similarly, Seneca offers comprehensive training in ‘display tech’ such as foamcore (a preferred medium in display construction) and other tools of the trade, emphasizing the importance of a creative and practical mindset. ‘Planograms,’ detailed maps of a store’s shelves and displays, are vital to this aspect of the work, allowing merchandising teams to rapidly arrange products while maintaining a unified aesthetic appeal — a life-size game of Tetris and the Sims, combined.

Image: Creatas/Thinkstock

If you’re already enrolled in a diploma or degree unrelated to merchandising but feel like it might be a good fit as a career, don’t be too hasty switching majors — your part-time job has probably already given you a solid background to build on. Enthusiasm and training can only get you so far, and effective merchandising requires more than just theory; both Sedlezky and McDermid agree that being able to execute an idea requires an appreciation of the difficulties of front-line retail. “Certainly number one is [industry] background and knowledge,” summarizes Brygidyr, “[But] number two is communication.” So, the next time you’re on shift folding a pair of jeans or arranging Nalgene bottles for display, take a moment and appreciate the deeper strategy at work — it may help you find a new career.

jobpostings.ca | October 2010

Vincent Cheung

Computer Engineering PhD student at the University of Toronto, Ace 2010 Student Entrepreneur National Champion, and owner of Shape Collage, Inc.

Can you describe where the inspiration for Shape Collage came from, and the process of getting it started? I was down in California working at Google in the summer of 2006. All the other interns I was interning with, every time we’d go out, we were taking pictures. By the end of the summer, I had literally hundreds of thousands of photos, and I wanted to commemorate the end of the summer with a photo collage so people didn’t have to look through the hundreds of thousands of photos I had. So how do you share photos with other people? I looked into different photo collage software that was out there; the problem was that most of them only let you deal with a small amount of photos or put them in these random arrangements where you couldn’t even see the entire photo. About a year after that, I came to the realization that I could have used some stuff that I learnt while doing my PhD and do something better, or at least do something that would make my life a lot easier, make it faster. So the idea was to be able to make a random arrangement, but where I can see each photo. After that happened, I realized I could make these pretty quick, and I wasn’t restricted to arranging them in, say, a box, but could do a heart or spell out a word or logo. And then I decided to make a software program that people can actually use to take their photos and make these creations themselves. I put it up on my website, and people started using it.

“

The first release of the software was in April of 2008, and then in February of 2009, I started

emailing a bunch of blogs and websites and explaining what I made. Then it got picked up by some blogs, by Lifehacker, and that resulted in 20,000 hits on my website in one day, and it snowballed from there. I incorporated the company in March of 2009, and in August 2009 I started selling the software. Up until that point, everything was free – but even when the software was free I was making money because people were sending me donations. So when I started with ACE in January 2010, I filled out the paper application, got accepted; did the regional’s thing, and did the nationals thing. Do you have any mentors? I have a lot. I originally started with some people from the Commercialization Group at the University of Toronto. I have some connections that I’ve made with professors at the Rotman School of Management in the M.B.A. program. I’ve met up with a couple of the judges after each competition, primarily the judges that are either in my area or they had an interest and wanted to meet up afterwards. So I’m getting advice from people all over the place. When I have a particular question in mind, I can go and sit down or phone two or three advisors and get their opinion on it.

business plan; I just did it. I figured out where the market was afterwards, I figured out the usage afterwards. The more I learned about entrepreneurship, the more I became discouraged about it, which is a strange thought. But when you learn about entrepreneurship and business in a formal sense, you learn all these things that you are not supposed to do, you see all these failure cases, you see all the challenges that you have in front of you. I took a very na�ve standpoint because when I started this I was just coding, I was just doing this for fun. I didn’t think of any of these steps; I just approached the problems one at a time as they came to me. Had I known a little bit about business and entrepreneurship, if I had taken a business course or business minor, I may have actually been discouraged to actually start it. So I think a lot of times you just have to pull a gun and do it. And so what if your market size isn’t a hundred million users, so what if it’s not a billion dollar industry or billion dollar opportunity — a lot of times you just have to do it and see where it goes. 

What advice do you have for other students looking to start their own company? Do things that solve your own problems – there are tons of problems that are out there — do things that you’re passionate about,

So what if it’s not a billion dollar industry or billion dollar opportunity — a lot of times you just have to do it and see where it goes.

You took the top prize at this year’s ACE competition. Can you tell me how you became involved and a bit about the process?

interviewed by Jason Rhyno

”

that you’ll enjoy doing, especially if its digital media or software, do them. I didn’t care or think about who was going to use the software, I didn’t think about the marketing plan or all this other stuff that you would see in the

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Where do you want your education to take you?

Sara Runnalls Broker

“A college diploma or university degree in any subject is helpful for entry into the profession, although those who have

Here’s a career path with unlimited potential. What are you looking for in a career? Earning potential? Security? Whatever you've learned in school and in life, you’ll have the chance to use it in the insurance industry. It’s hard to imagine a career choice where you’ll have the opportunity to use more of your skills than insurance. Why? Because insurance is already a part of everything you do. It protects homes, jobs, cars, property and the continuity of lives. And because insurance is all around us, the industry has a wide variety of careers to match your education and amazing flexibility to change directions along the way.

Broker / Agent

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

Gavin Mascarenhas Loss Adjuster

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

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

Are you a people person? Brokers work with clients to create a strategy to protect their assets. Gifted at math? You could thrive as an actuary. Good at listening? As a claims professional, you’ll help people who are coping with an accident, fire or theft. Strategic thinker? You could work as an underwriter and develop the products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss. As your career in insurance progresses, every day can present interesting new opportunities, new challenges, and the flexibility to pursue new goals.

Loss Adjuster You’re part private investigator and part therapist The loss adjuster is responsible for ensuring compensation and assistance they are eligible to receive. Whether employed by the insurance company or working as an independent contractor, the loss adjuster investigates the accident, arranges medical treatment if necessary and negotiates the final settlement to restore policy holders to where they were, as closely as possible, before their loss.

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

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

mathematics or business would have an advantage.”

Michelle Snowdon Underwriter

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

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

edu-ma-cation

Tomorrow’s Leaders

numerous facets of human behaviour in today’s business world, while his Training and Development course helps groom young professionals to become better on-the-job trainers. What do these two courses have in common? They promote the notion that if a company is going to be well-run, the people in charge of it need to understand how people work, both literally and emotionally.

courses in management training

kid in class who appointed him or herself as leader of the pack. Whatever that kid did, said, or encouraged would be followed loyally and without much question. If Jimmy stood atop the playground slide and ordered someone else to go down headfirst, it happened. If ever-popular Maggie wore a dress that other girls coveted, a homeroom-wide shift in fashion would commence. The fact is thatsome people like to lead, and others need to be led – regardless of age. The challenge is to know how to lead in the proper manner, as

opposed to simply looking like a schoolyard bully – especially in the business world. For decades, ascending to a management role has had more to do with having a wealth of industry experience than with taking a Management Training course. Recently, however, such courses have been making resurgence in educational venues. Currently, Toronto’s Ryerson University offers a substantial variety of management-focused courses at both the Ted Rogers School of Management and their continuing education facility, The Chang School. The University of Alberta is also in the game, as is Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. This is perfect timing on the part of the schools as many baby boomers are nearing retirement age, thus leaving lots of senior/managerial positions up for grabs.

“Management training is growing in importance,” says Bernadette Smith, vice president of Learning Solutions for the Canadian Management Centre. “Organizations face not only tough market/economic challenges, but a looming leadership shortage and war for talent as baby boomers continue to retire in the next five to 10 years.”

In contrast, the University of Alberta’s Management Development program offers students a nicely meshed package of courses that focus on both practical training (computers, accounting, marketing) as well as emotional training (organizational behaviour, interpersonal communications). If you desire to become a well-rounded manager, this is another option worth pursuing.

“There is a shortage of qualified managers,” adds George Baranyai, management instructor and course developer of the Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. “There are not enough young people to replace the aging baby-boomers. There is an unwillingness to step into the role of manager.

Let’s not forget about the importance of developing leadership skills. The business world is the biggest playground of all, but with far more challenging responsibilities. While improving the aforementioned skills is of great importance to one’s managerial development, being able to use them in a way as a positive and influential leader is entirely different.

“Research indicates that the single characteristic that distinguishes a successful organization, large or small, from others is the calibre of the management team,” he continues. “Developing managers is among the most important, complex and difficult of the challenges that companies face.”

“With emotional intelligence, a manager can restrain anger, self-doubt and other negative feelings and focus on positive emotions such as confidence and congeniality,” explains Baranyai.

Where are all the managers then? According to Baranyai, one of the primary reasons that young professionals are failing to succeed in, or simply not pursuing, managerial positions is because they haven’t been prepared for the emotional side of business. Attributes like honesty and integrity, communication and people skills, and ability to handle stress are what Baranyai refers to as “soft skills.” In his management courses, he teaches students that while having technical proficiency in your field is important, the emotional and social aspects are sometimes paramount.

“Developing strong management/leadership skills requires a balance between self-awareness, theory and practice,” offers Smith. “Self awareness provides insight on how to get the best out of the people they lead. Theory learned from training provides foundational knowledge on ‘best practices’ used by great leaders in specific situations. Practice involves providing on-the-job opportunities to demonstrate and develop the skills in the workplace. A good leader has strong self -awareness of the impact that they are having on the group that they are leading.”

As an instructor of Organizational Behaviour and Interpersonal Skills, Baranyai teaches students the importance of understanding

by Adam Grant

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www.mediastudies.humber.ca October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

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In elementary school we all had that

graduate school directory

Brock University

Canada’s Automotive School of Business

Brock is a rapidly growing University,

The Canadian Automotive Institute at Georgian College has

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

proudly boasted over 90% grad placement rate for the past 25 years! If you are passionate about business and love cars consider our Bachelor of Business – Automotive Management degree or our Business Administration Automotive Marketing programs.

Visit us at today at Brocku.ca

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Centennial College

Conestoga College

Centennial College is committed to successful

Conestoga has been the number one rated

career education. The college offers more than 120 diploma, post-diploma and certificate programs in business, communication and media arts, community and consumer services, engineering technology, health, hospitality and transportation.

college in Ontario for nine of the last twelve years. Our graduates get jobs with a job placement rate of well over 90%! We have campuses in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford, Ingersoll and Cambridge.

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Fanshawe College

Ithaca College

If you want to hit the job market with

Located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York,

advanced skills and stand out from the competition, check out Fanshawe’s Graduate Studies. In less than one year you could have the training you need. These programs complement your post-secondary education – so you land not just a job but a career!

halfway between Toronto and New York City, IC offers 20 graduate degrees, many of which can be completed in 1 year or less, leading to professional certification.

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ithaca.edu/gradprograms

Queen’s University

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

Queen’s 50+ graduate programs

The University of Western Ontario’s

provide students with world-class research opportunities and strong support to enrich your educational experience and advance your academic career. Expect an ideal environment to set your ideas in motion.

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry provides state-of-the-art research facilities and mentorship by internationally recognized scientists. ZERO-TUITION incentive: find out how to get your grad degree for free.

www.queensu.ca/sgs

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

sheridaninstitute.ca jobpostings.ca | October 2010

You know who has more info on Post-Grad Programs? Your Local Career Center. Visit them for all your future education needs. can help. So can your career centre.  29

That being said, if you can master procrastination, you can master anything. Eventually.

1. The Master Plan

Key to any deadline assault is the ‘big picture’ or grand strategy. Establish critical objectives, anticipate problem areas, and determine rallying points where your knowledge is sound. Conventional wisdom dictates that you should make a list with minimal breaks and interruptions, but recent studies have shown that it’s better to trust your instincts and plot out how you’ll actually study. If that means hourly (and only hourly!) breaks to check into World of Warcraft, go ahead — after all, those wargs aren’t going to hunt themselves. Just be sure to have a thorough list to fall back on after dungeon-delving.

2. Don’t Dote on Rote Notes

A miserable student, hunched over their textbook and endlessly (desperately) repeating a single passage: the tragic reality of ‘rote learning.’ While admittedly useful for remembering facts and figures, this approach can sometimes cause more harm than good. Study related concepts, rather than focusing on one particular area. Your mind will be able to find its own unexpected shortcuts, which is especially useful for churning out answers to unexpected essay questions.

Trust your instincts.

If that means

hourly breaks

to check into World of Warcraft, go ahead 30

cramming strategies of mostly effective people 7. Trading Spaces 3. Two Player Mode

Keeping a fellow procrastinator around may seem counterintuitive, but the variety of interaction found in sharing space can revitalize your brain and keep up momentum during the pre-dawn slump. Whether making sure you don’t oversleep or quizzing you on the bus, their worth during crunch time will quickly outweigh their burrito breath and inane small talk.

4. Keep Calm and Study On

What applies to galactic hitchhikers can be applied to nerve-wracked students: DON’T PANIC. Whether you have a day for studying or an hour, getting caught up worrying about it will only hurt your chances. This might seem like easier advice to give than to follow, but think about things this way — you’re reading an article about cramming instead of blindly throwing yourself into it. Clearly, you’re smarter than the average bear.

5. Control Yourself

Another common mistake is to become obsessed with studying everything related to the subject, rather than just the sections known or expected to be on the exam. Set yourself up early on with an info triage system, and sort according to what will get you the most points on the exam, and what falls under “wouldn’t it be nice” — anything between those two extremes should be fodder for bonus marks.

6. The Care and Feeding of Earworms

If you’re anything like me, some mind-numbingly repetitive yet catchy song (ella, ella, eh eh eh) decides to take up residence in your brain an average of 1.8 times a day. For good or for ill, it’ll be stuck there for hours — so why not use it to your advantage? Associating academic subjects with music or environment provides context for memory, and can function as a calming mechanism while trapped in the fluorescent-lit prison cells of academia.

It’s tempting to shut yourself in one room, ignore everything and everyone outside, and try to hammer as much into your brain as it can hold. However, this method will only increase anxiety and has been found to actually reduce info retention when compared to those who study in a variety of environments.

8. Earworms 2

Memes are the lifeblood of the internet, from YouTube to TV Tropes. Utilizing their annoying persistence might seem like the same advice as above, but they’re not just a backdrop for your memories — they’re catchy jingle of knowledge, such as ‘ROY G BIV’ or ‘Lake HOMES’ (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Eerie, Superior). More psych-savvy readers will identify this as a mnemonic device, an invaluable study aid needing no more than a witty acronym or phrase.

9. coke zero come down

Stimulants can take a number of different forms, from coffee to candy to chocolate to cigarettes. These should be used sparingly, and with attention to your timeline — don’t knock back a few cans of Coke Zero too long before your exam or you’ll crash before question 3. Also, remember to try and make use of healthier alternatives like hot food and tea.

10. Set System to Standby

After the fast food and papercuts, you’ll find yourself on the distant and rocky shore of morning, with only a few hours left before go-time. You could cover another chapter, or review course notes, or knock back some energy drinks in preparation for zero hour, but the best course is to actually SLEEP. The worst mistake you can make is to deprive your brain of rest, and studying until the last minute will actually be counterproductive; allow yourself at least one sleep cycle (3 hours or so) and a half-hour of pre-exam downtime.

by Austin Badahur

October 2010 | jobpostings.ca

Image: Jason Reed/ Valueline/Thinkstock

Before you get overly excited, this article will not solve all your last minute academic woes. It won’t save you from tomorrow morning’s exam, or help you polish your thesis at 4 a.m. In all honesty, this article was written last minute, up against a deadline, amid panic and chaos. The cramming strategies here are delivered in no particular order and with no promise of success — follow them at your own peril!

www.FishermansFriend.ca 速 Trademark of Lofthouse of Fleetwood Ltd.

Dist. by TFB & Associates Limited, Makham ON L3R 0E7

by Ross Harrhy

This month:

How trust can work as a powerful tool for getting ahead and staying happy.

Think of a really good friend. You

guys met, then you talked, you found some things in common, you started doing those things together, etc, etc. That’s probably how you made a lot of your friends, and at some point, you realized that a close person had become close because you knew you could entrust them with a secret or two. You trusted your friend to keep your secrets and be dependable; they gave you that in return, and your bond grew stronger. Ideally, your colleagues and your employer will do exactly the same — you just have to build their trust. Here’s how:

do your job //

That’s pretty explanatory — you’ve got a job, so do it. You can’t earn trust if your boss can’t trust you to perform the responsibilities you’ve already been given!

show up early //

Seriously, this is really hard for some people but it goes such a long way — it says you like what you do and you anticipate going every day. Instead of sauntering in when you know you’re supposed to be there, show up at 8:45 so you’re already rolling when your boss starts at 9. They may not say anything but they’ll notice.

help your colleagues //

Going for a coffee? Offer to pick them up one. See their printouts on the printer? Bring it to their desk. Having your colleagues appreciate you builds a strong team, generates friendships, and is important for your lifelong network. It also helps when you need to…

ask your colleagues //

You may be better than them, but they don’t have to know it. Plus, you don’t know everything. Ask them the odd question about something that they know more about; they’ll feel good, and you’ll learn. It always pays to know a little bit more about the business than your own job. Ask them about theirs so you can…

fill the gap //

I’m often sitting at my desk and another employee will come through looking for a colleague who has just stepped out. I fill the gap by trying my best to find out if I can help. If I can, I’ve saved them some time and helped them out; if I can’t, well, at least I tried. They’ll appreciate the extra effort.

make it better // Innovate and energize your projects. Make them better than they were before. Raise the standards by taking what you did before and making it better, but slow down, partner, take it slow so you… don’t step on toes //

You’re boss asked you to do something. Do it. Make it better with small steps that may be unnoticeable at first, or that you can justify without threatening to make them look stupid. Same goes for anything that other colleagues do — don’t make enemies by outshining the person next to you. Make him like you by imparting a tip to his presentation like it’s a secret… sssshhhh.

treat your co-workers like your family // you might not like all of ‘em, but you’re stuck with ‘em and we all began to trust each other a little more. When the boss found out, she was jealous and took the whole department for a beer. Good friends make a great team.

treat your co-workers like your family // You might not like all of ‘em, but you’re stuck with ‘em — at least for now anyway. And if someone messes with ‘em, they’re going to have to answer to you personally. Just don’t break any pool cues. don’t tell secrets // We started this out on trust, and this is the biggest one — if someone tells you something personal, even if it’s not necessarily a secret, don’t tell anyone. Let them tell who ever they want. It’s not gossip; it’s breaking someone’s trust. A little bit of gossip is all in good fun, but make it about Lindsay Lohan or something — she likes it. and last but not least // You don’t have to do it all the time, but be the last one out the door. It’s even better if you were first in the door as well. Plus, you might get enough done that tomorrow’s going to be a breeze!

go for a drink // Ask a colleague or two to go for a drink after a hard days work. Just don’t make it ten. I started off a trend by inviting just the coworkers in my department at my level, no higher (you can go lower), for a beer and the team became stronger,

Image: Jupiterimages/ Polka Dot/Thinkstock

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