jobpostings magazine (vol. 14, issue 4)

outstand

| january 2012 |

how to top 10 ways to get

noticed by employers

+

&Studying AbroAdExplore, discover, and learn in

unexpected ways

the Co-op experienCeHow you can get the most out of

your co-op

permission slipping

How to say no to parents

BUSINESS DEGREES

business.humber.ca

4-YEAR DEGREES THATARE BUILT FOR BUSINESS.

Accounting

e-Business Marketing

Fashion Management

Human Resources Management

International Business

International Development

Tourism Management

2 january 2012 | jobpostings.ca

OUTstanding 1 Deloitte 3 PwC 5 Aecon 9 Sun Life Financial 9 SGI Canada 16 College Pro 22 CGI 22 NAV CANADA 22 Diversey 25 OSCO Construction Group 25 Domtar 26 CMHC-SCHL 26 Ontario Power Authority IBC CN OBC Shell

who’shiring

stuff to buy

yay! more school

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

IFC Humber, The Business School (Undergrad) 29 Algonquin College 30 Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology 30 Centennial College 31 Brock University 31 Niagara College 31 Queen’s University 31 Ross University 31 Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry 31 Sheridan College

7 Rogers Wireless

Success Story — Andrew Mitchell shares

how he broke into the ultra competitive ac-

counting and finance worlds. Brought to you

by Rogers Wireless.

Interview Smarts — Deloitte’s William

Christensen explains why he’ll ask you about

your biggest failure during an interview.

Permission Slipping: How to say NO to parents — How do you say NO to your

family and loved ones when the time comes

to choose your career? We discuss how to

trust your gut, and the practical tools you’ll

need to defend your career choices!

Edu-ma-cation — Studying abroad: how

getting an education overseas can super-

charge your résumé, education, and life/ca-

reer opportunities.

Start Up — Sometimes it takes losing your

job to discover that you’re better off creat-

ing your own. Scott Metherell, from BigRed-

Works, shares his story.

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32

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So you graduated. Now what? What do you need to do to stand out from the hundreds of other fellow graduates? Should you get an internship? Volunteer? Go overseas? Start your own business? Apprenticeships? Placements? Networking? More school? For most employers, education is just a check mark. It’s what you do outside of school that will make or break you in the recruiter’s eyes. Learn how to grab their attention.

who else? 12 ACE Canada 25 SchoolFinder.com

Diversity in the Workplace: Fact or Fiction?Looking at Canada's Best Diversity Employers for 2011.

What makes them special?

The LEEDing professionals of todayLEED certification is creating a new and growing niche

for professionals in the building industry.

Going GeothermalWe’ve burned coal and split atoms just to get power. To

think it’s been below our feet this whole time.

The Co-Op ExperienceWhat to look out for when researching co-ops, and how

to make the most out of your time during your stay.

industryinsiders

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showcases 10 The Home Depot


pg. 17 pg. 28

January is a month of new begin-nings. It’s the start of a new year, a new school semester, and for many, a new chance to get a fresh foot in that proverbial door and embark on that shiny new career.

At least that’s what it feels like for me. After recently joining the jobpostings team, this will be my first issue of many that I hope will help you on your path to career success in whatever industry you go after.

To kick things off, this month’s theme is: Break from the nest. Own your ca-reer! In this issue, we explore some of the challenges students like yourself face when it comes to following your dream. And once you’re set on your path, how do you stand out among the crowd to really excel?

Our feature, Permission Slipping, deals with how to say NO to your family

and loved ones when the time comes to choose your career. I know from personal experience how difficult it is to go against the wishes of those who you’ve looked up to and have nurtured you throughout your whole life. But in the end, one has to decide between living your life for yourself or for someone else.

We’ll listen to advice from career counsellors and from the experiences of fellow students who have struggled with this delicate issue. But more important, we’ll give you the practical tools you’ll need to not only defend your career decisions from disapprov-ing parents, family, and friends, but also from your own self-doubts. Grow-ing up is about trusting your gut, and this feature will help you do just that.

But what do you do after you’ve stuck to your guns? You’re about to graduate alongside hundreds of other students who’ll have your same

publisherNathan Laurie

[email protected]

associate publisherMark Laurie

[email protected]

editorDavid Tal

[email protected]

art directorSonya van Heyningen

[email protected]

web editorSimone Castello

[email protected]

contributorsWilliam Christensen, Lexi

Dogon, Katie Edmonds,

Michelle Hampson, Christopher

Lawson, Emily Minthorn, Eleni

Papavasiliou, Andrew Williams

assistant sales managerSarah-Lyn Amaral

national account managerMary Vanderpas

internsMichelle Hampson,

Shannon Tracey

jobpostings

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

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. Beware: only make New Years resolutions you can keep!

on the cover:© iStockphoto.com/Burwell and Burwell Photography

IN THIS

ISSUE

pg. 13 pg. 30Top 10 ways to stand out What to look out for when

researching co-ops

Can education overseas

supercharge your résumé?

How to say NO to parents

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editor’sNOTE

degree, not only in your school but in many others from across the country. How do you stand out? How will you make sure employers notice your ap-plication above all the rest?

Our main feature, Standing Out, will outline the top 10 strategies you can use to grab a recruiter’s attention. For most employers, education is just a check mark. It’s an important check mark mind you, but one that employ-ers now expect as a given. It’s what you do outside of school that will make or break you in the recruiter’s eyes.

So what do you need to stand out from the hundreds of other fellow graduates? Should you get an intern-ship? Volunteer? Go overseas? Start your own business? Apprenticeships? Placements? Networking? More school? Read on and find out!

As a fast-paced, growing organization, Aecon is always on

the look-out for talented new faces focused on a career in

the construction and infrastructure development industry.

We offer challenging work, diverse opportunities,

the latest technologies, a culture of continued learning

and room to grow! As a Best Employer and the largest,

publicly-traded construction and infrastructure development

company in Canada, Aecon consistently attracts new and

soon-to-be graduates striving to build their future with an

industry leader.

If you are an Engineer (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical)

or an industry Technologist (Engineering or Construction),

visit our website today and learn more about the career

opportunities that await at Aecon!

visit: careers.aecon.com/buildingcareers.aspx

BUILDYOUR FUTUREWITH US

rogers.com/careers/campuslife

WHERE DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL? WHAT PROGRAM DID YOU ATTEND?I went to Queen’s School of Business at Queen’s University and graduated in 2007. During my time there, I travelled to Uppsala, Sweden, on an international exchange program for a se-mester and studied international economics.

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR CURRENT FIELD?During my time at school, I developed a keen interest in both accounting and finance, but wanted to focus on achieving my CA as a tool to transition into corporate finance. That said, I started my career at Ernst & Young in the au-dit and assurance practice to learn how to read and interpret financial statements. The plan was that no matter what I aspired to do in the future, this was a skill I deemed to be requisite for any job in the accounting/finance world.

Shortly after starting with the firm and work-ing on a client that was very acquisitive in the public markets, I knew my passion was in the transaction world and that M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) and corporate finance was the ca-reer path I wanted to pursue.

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR CURRENT POSITION? I used my personal network within the firm and set up meetings with a variety of colleagues to understand more about the M&A practice even before the position and posting became available

A number of recruiting professionals — both within Ernst & Young and externally — took notice of my interest, and I eventually had the chance to interview among a large group of candidates for the role.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.I am responsible for financial modelling, as well as company and industry analyses for mergers, acquisitions, financings, and divestitures. I also prepare marketing materials and execute on transactions using project management skills to coordinate both the go-to-market initiatives and diligence processes on both the buy and sell sides. I assist both established and entre-preneurial companies, as well as distressed or-

ganizations, across a broad range of industries. Much of my focus is on the food and beverage, and plastics and packaging sectors.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?I get a lot of satisfaction knowing the services I provide are a true value-add to my clients.

WHAT SKILLS HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE?Thanks to the nature of my work, I’ve learned a lot about time management and multitasking. Plus,

LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT: 4 YEARSDEGREE: HONOURS BACHELOR OF COMMERCE, QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY AND CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT

Sponsored by

successstories

Andrew MitchellAssociate, M&A @ Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance

Get excited about what you want to do, and make sure the people you’re talking to … know you’re excited about this job.

I’ve honed my financial modelling skills and my ability to prepare in-depth and thorough market-ing materials in a variety of different forms. And I’ve improved my presentation and delivery skills when trying to win new work mandates.

IS THERE ONE ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF TO DATE?Achieving my CA is my proudest achievement so far.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE CAREER ASPIRATIONS?I want to continue developing my corporate fi-nance skills on both the buy and sell sides.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR STUDENTS LOOKING TO LAND THEIR FIRST JOB?Get excited about what you want to do, and make sure the people you’re talking to about potential opportunities — recruiters, personal networks, friends, interviewers — know you’re excited about this job.

Build your résumé to the point required for the job you’re applying for. When you’re comfort-able that it should get you a conversation with some companies of interest, focus on develop-ing your approach when meeting with inter-viewers. Because in the end, most jobs are go-ing to be competitive, and the differentiator is whether people can work with you, trust you, and believe in your development potential.

Read the full interview on our website at jobpostings.ca/rogers-success-story-name-name

6

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

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

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

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january 2012 | jobpostings.ca

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHEN YOU FAILED OR WEREN’T SUCCESSFUL?”

So you screwed up in the interview, huh? They

asked the ol’ “What’s your greatest weakness”

question and you responded with “cupcakes,”

hoping to get a laugh. Awkward.

Lucky for you we have friends on the inside

– recruiting friends (the people who’ll be

interviewing you). It cost us a few favours, but

they finally agreed to explain why they ask what

they ask, and what the best answers are. It’s a

cheatsheet for interviews. Good luck!

*interview SMARTS

with William Christensen,

National Campus Recruiting Team Lead

@ Deloitte

I like asking candidates this question because there will always be challenges that people face in the workforce. Most students assume that we’re looking for a per-fect candidate who has never made a mistake, but the reality is people fail as much as they succeed, and it’s what you learn from those experiences that is most im-portant to employers.

So what I’m interested in hearing is an experience where you’ve fallen short of expectations, what you learned from it, and what steps you took to grow as a pro-fessional and to avoid the same mistake in the future.

All careers require training and development, so at Deloitte we’re looking for peo-ple who have the ability to learn new concepts quickly. We’re trying to find people who are willing to translate the lessons they learned from experience into practice, and this question allows us to evaluate how candidates learn.

Find more intervew Q&A online at jobpostings.ca/interview_smarts

*

}

9jobpostings.ca | january 2012

10

A Whole New World of Knowledge

to know everything pretty well,” Shireen explains, “and then I went to Store Support for further train-ing where I got to know people from other stores. We compared ideas and found out that we have a lot of the same issues and same strengths.”

While Shireen’s primary department is the Con-tractor Services Department, she has been cross-trained to work in Customer Service, Expediting, and the Return to Vendor department. “There’s always room for growth within the company,” she says. This has not only kept Shireen challenged, but has broadened her skills base as well. It’s not all related to building and building materials, Shireen points out. “It’s also dealing with people because we have a customer first program.” The Home Depot has a very particular approach to customer service, whereby employees not only greet customers at the door, but also walk them down aisles, and provide informed, helpful advice. Those people skills have helped Shireen in her day-to-day life, especially at school, where she studies Business Administration at Centennial College in

Sponsored by The Home Depot

“You can always find a friend in the store,” Shireen Rajmoolie says about working at The Home Depot. Judging by the amount of smiles from co-workers and customers as she walks through the aisles, Shireen has developed more than one friendship in the three years she has been a part time associ-ate. Yet for a student like Shireen, The Home Depot offers more than a place to make new friends; it’s a place where she can gain life-long skills, receive support for education, and grow within a company.

As a Contractor Services Cashier, Shireen is tasked with building and fulfilling orders, including tak-ing phone orders, and aiding with installs when contractors need help getting the ball rolling on a job. “They train you from the bottom up, no ex-perience necessary,” Shireen says. Employing both web-based training and step-by-step coaching, The Home Depot ensures that new employees are confident in their ability to serve customers. And, unlike many places, training doesn’t end after your first month of employment. “I had been work-ing for a couple of months already and had gotten

Toronto. “We are going to deal with people our entire life, so the approach has helped in work-ing with people I’ve never met before and peers in school,” she says. “You end up with a whole new world of knowledge.”

Knowledge is also something that The Home De-pot encourages in their associates. For eligible as-sociates, The Home Depot will provide 50 percent tuition reimbursement, up to a maximum $5000 a year. The Home Depot also provides medical and dental benefits to part-time employees. “I use a lot of my benefits, to be honest,” Shireen says laugh-ing. “Being a student and being over the age to be on your parents’ benefits, they come in handy.”

The Home Depot, Shireen says emphatically, “really is an all around company that does have diversity. We have people of all ages and creeds, and some are still in school and in the same boat as me.” The Home Depot also maintains a social committee that organizes events, like an Annual International Potluck. “Everybody brings in some sort of dish,” she says. “Recipes are exchanged, and a lot of good times are had at the potlucks.” The Home Depot also champions volunteer work through Team Depot, an associate volunteer force that works within communities to make a dif-ference. Add to that the Matching Gift Program where associate’s contributions to qualifying non-profits are matched, dollar for dollar. Respect for all people, giving back, and building strong relationships are all things that The Home Depot, and associates like Shireen, pride themselves on.

“Research what The Home Depot has to offer,” Shireen advises, “because you’ll see there are a lot of long-term benefits to staying here, whether it’s for a lifetime or for when you’re in school. There are a lot of good things here, more than we can advertise on a sign; it isn’t until you work here that you realize the extent of it.”

The Home Depot Canada received awards for Canada’s best Diversity and Greenest employers in 2011. The Home Depot Canada hires for Spring starting in early January. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work for Canada’s leading home retailer, Apply now, Start later!

Part-Time Associate at The Home Depot

“They train you from the bottom up, no experience necessary.”

Learn how tapping into your inner potential has the ability to help yourself and others. Apply online at homedepotjobs.ca/3125 and discover how you can unleash your inner orange!

– Jordan, Ashley, Sonia, Home Depot Associates

Because working here is about more than helping customers choose the right product. It’s about tapping into our inner potential to help people create a space worth calling home. It’s called “unleashing your inner orange” and it’s about our ability to make a difference in customers’ lives where it matters most.

Through extensive training, tuition reimbursement and more, The Home Depot gives us the support we need to expand our knowledge, develop new skills and build promising futures. In turn, we have the confi dence to contribute to home improvement projects—both large and small.

That’s the power of The Home Depot

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

We are committed to diversity as an equal opportunity employer.

We believe even small projects have huge potent al.

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

What are you waiting for?Your future starts now.

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

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by Christopher Lawson

How to say “no” to parents and follow your own dreams

slippingpermission

jobpostings.ca | january 2012


Envisioning your dream job probably isn’t hard. If you don’t already have a passion, you likely have at least an idea of the direction your career could take. And if you need ideas, no doubt your parents have an opinion they want to share with you. Maybe a very forceful opinion. Maybe an opinion that completely cancels out your opin-ion. Maybe this opinion is holding your tuition, food, rent, and bills at gun-point too.

Suddenly, that decision about your future work-place isn’t so easy. Yet it’s one that thousands of students face with every application season. Do you follow your dreams, or do you follow the dreams of the people who’ve been your role models your entire life?

“No one should make career decisions to please anyone but themselves,” says Watters. “We should accept advice from those who know us best, but all the important life decisions have to be ours to make. A career path has to be related to our passions, our values, and our interests, or else we will end up miserable for most of those 70,000 hours.”

That’s a hard point to argue against. “Follow-ing your dreams” doesn’t sound like such a trite idea when you realize it means taking responsi-bility for yourself and understanding that those 70,000 hours are going to suck if they’re tailored to fit someone else’s measurements.

The only way to live without regret is to tackle things head on. So we’ve put together this list of strategies developed from conversations with ca-reer advisors and students who’ve been through it before. Read them to learn how to win your parents’ approval — and how to live without it.

DEGREES ARE PAPER THIN.What does it really take to be a doctor, lawyer, or corporate accountant in Canada? Unless you are one, you probably don’t have a clue. But this doesn’t stop naive parents and unqualified know-it-alls from insisting that you really ought to try to be one.

This sort of blind enthusiasm is a symptom of an outdated yet widely believed myth that taking a vocational post-secondary program will auto-matically land you the job you trained for.

“One of the groups I work with a lot are new Ca-nadians in the accounting program,” says Cath-erine Stace, a career advisor at McGill University in Montreal. “I ask them why they’re in account-ing, and they say they were told that it is the best place to get a job. But the reality is that account-ing firms won’t hire them if they don’t have the skills they’re looking for.”

With so many applicants all holding the same degree, employers are going to hire the keeners who hold the top marks, are the best communi-cators and who show the most ambition – the kind of people who’d probably be taking the pro-gram regardless of the market for graduates.

PLAN YOUR ATTACK.Before you sit down with your parents and explain that, yes, you really do intend to study artisanal basket weaving, do your homework. Research the competing schools that offer programs in your area of interest. Compare tuition, housing costs, and travel expenses. Talk to people who have grad-uated from these programs. Draft a schedule out-lining important dates like application deadlines. Draw up a budget. Make it look pretty. Make it look like you’ve been obsessing over this for months.

It’s a lot of work up front, but it pays off when your parents notice how dedicated you are. Once they see how logical and organized your approach is to just selecting your desired path, they’ll have less enthusiasm for shooting you down. You’re proving that you’ve given your choice some serious thought, and are subtly asking your parents to do the same.

ASK FOR FORGIVENESS, NOT PERMISSION.Let’s say your PowerPoint and Excel wizardry fails to persuade your nay-saying parents. Do you make pouty faces all the way to the orthodon-tists’ college? No! This is your future on the line! You slap your acceptance letter from the Floral Arrangement Department at Backwater College on the table, look your parents in the eyes and ut-ter, “This is where I want to go.”

Apply to the program you want with or without your parents’ knowledge. You don’t have to com-mit until you’re accepted. Part of being an adult is being confident enough in yourself to make your own decisions. You don’t have to check in with Mom and Dad before every step you take.

That also means you shouldn’t hide it from them either. In fact, you want them to see that you’re taking charge of your life, and that they

hours.70,000No, that’s not the time it takes to beat Skyrim on Xbox, nor is it a movie sequel in which James Franco loses another limb. According to Gillian Watters, director of programs at KEYS Job Centre in Kingston, Ontario, 70,000 hours is about how long you’ll spend at your workplace over a lifetime.

15

can either help you get where you’re deter-mined to go, or they can be just one more ob-stacle to overcome on the way there.

NO SLACKING.So you’ve done the research, got accepted into your dream program and even convinced your parents to help pay your bills while you hone your African nose flute skills. Nicely done! But guess what? You better jam that flute so far up your nose that you could snorkel while you backstroke. What the hell does that mean? It means you have absolutely no excuse to slack.

Post-secondary life demands a degree of self-regulation that many high school students have a hard time adjusting to. The urge to skip class is difficult to resist when no one’s making sure you show up. Remember that while this might be the program of your dreams, it doesn’t mean you can sleep through it. You’re the one that fought hard

to get where you are, so you owe it to yourself — and to the people you want to prove wrong — to squeeze out every last drop of education you can.

USE IT!So you’ve done the research, got accepted into your dream program, and even convinced your parents to… withdraw all financial support?

Parents who use this tactic think they’re just giv-ing you some tough-love. They fail to realize that this jerk maneuver forces you into one of two options: a) cave in to their demands and forever resent them, or b) turn your outrage into the fuel you need to make your dream happen.

“I find the harder I work, the more satisfaction I get out of the outcome,” says first-year Sheridan College Media Arts student Emily Balfour. When Balfour dropped out of criminology at Carleton University to take the even more expensive di-ploma program at Sheridan, her parents with-

DO YOU FOLLOW

YOUR DREAMS,

OR DO YOU FOLLOW THE

DREAMS OF THE PEOPLE

WHO’VE BEEN YOUR

ROLE MODELS

YOUR ENTIRE

LIFE?

drew their financial support and only agreed to give her a fraction of it back if she maintains an 80 percent or higher grade average. “I knew this was coming, and I use it as a great motivator.” Cue training montage.

DIVE IN AND MAKE FRIENDS.As much as we’d like to deny it, we often rely on our parents to be there for us when times are tough. But when you’re going one direction and your parents are grimly determined to go another, the fear of losing that support is often enough to convince you that you don’t actually know what you want.

If you keep looking, however, you’ll eventually meet people who share your interests. Long, caf-feinated nights spent toiling on projects that you’re passionate about with classmates who are just as dedicated will turn you all into a make-shift family. The process is even faster if you’re separated from your family by a long distance. The more you commit yourself to your passion, the more of a support network you’ll discover already exists. Don’t be afraid to uproot yourself and take advantage of a new community.

GET HELP!Sometimes, the problem isn’t with your argu-ment. In this unhappy circumstance, the real problem is your relationship with your parents. If communication has broken down to the point that you’ve presented your case, done everything you can to prove your dedication, and your par-ents still won’t listen, it’s likely that there’s a fun-damental lack of understanding.

“I knew I could not handle this,” confides J, a for-mer political science student at Western Univer-sity in London, who took the program at his par-ents’ insistence. “I talked to my mother, and she told me to cut the crap. She is always comparing me to her friends’ sons graduating and becom-ing some big shot doctor or dentist, and asking me why can’t I be like them. I was so depressed I wanted to kill myself. My mom even caught me cutting myself once.”

J eventually dropped out and is now in a program that he enjoys, but the time, money and emo-tional health he gave up trying to please his par-ents are going to be hard to recover. Seek outside help from career counselors, teachers, or anyone you trust before a toxic relationship with your parents takes a similar toll on you.

When you consider the 70,000 hours you’ll be investing, the decision to go after your dream job is really a decision to go after your dream life. The hard part isn’t figuring out whether you should listen to your parents or listen to your gut. It’s digging up the courage to make that choice with enough confidence that, even if you don’t convince your parents that you’re doing the right thing, you’ve still convinced yourself.

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YOU KNOWYOU KNOWWHO YOU

ARE

You have the confidence and skills to be your

own boss. This Summer, make your own rules.

Employ yourself and others. We have been

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years. Find out more — take our entrepreneurial

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Now interviewing for limited internships and manager positions.For more info call 1-877-900-5627 ext. 250 or email [email protected]

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by Lexi Dogon

OUT

It’s a simple piece of paper. Black letters on a white page. But as you hear your name called and you start crossing that stage, you feel it: your diploma. Claiming this simple piece of paper immediately marks a new stage in your life. It’s an amazing moment and a testament to the years of hard work you invested into your education.Unfortunately, there’s a catch. As you glance over your shoulder, there’s someone else accepting the same diploma you just received. And depending on the school you’ve attended, there are likely hundreds more following you to accept the same honour…

standingthe top 10 ways to get noticed by employers

Then it hits you. With so many people graduating with your same degree, not only in your school, but in schools across the country, how will you stand out to employers? These days, having a univer-sity or college education is just a check mark (albeit an important one) on a recruiter’s grading assess-ment. Ultimately, it’s what you accomplish outside of school that will really make

you stand out above the sea of other newly gradu-ated job hunters.

To help you out, we at jobpostings created a list of what we feel are the best strategies and experiences you can use to compliment your diploma, so that your résumé always floats to the top of the employer’s “to call back” list.


Being able to cite a variety of meaningful and unique work expe-riences will definitely score you big points during your future job in-terviews.


Volunteering at a charity or non-profit organization can turn into an exciting and fulfill-ing way to develop your trans-ferable skills and gain experi-ence. Since these organizations often don’t have the resources of large, for-profit companies, you are more likely to be ex-posed to different kinds of work.

Maggie Leithead is president and CEO of Charity Village, an online resource that helps connect people to volunteer

opportunities around the world. She believes that getting out there and helping others can help develop interpersonal skills and analytical skills, qualities that employers look for. “Obviously if your core goal is to build up your résumé, whether you’re a volunteer at home or abroad, the volunteer element is really going to help you get experiences that are just as valuable as paid employment. Just about any kind of volunteer project can help build those skills that will look really good on a résumé.” And with the increas-ing emphasis companies are placing on corporate social responsibility, being able to cite your meaningful and unique charity and non-profit work experiences will definitely score you big points during your future job interviews.

TAKE ON A CO-OP… OR TWO… OR THREEMaking coffee, filing papers, and picking up the of-fice cake are all things many students come to ex-pect from internships and apprenticeships, paid or unpaid. But in reality, that’s only one small part of it.

We all pay our dues, but Ben Rogul, a recruitment specialist at Aon Hewitt, says that an internship is also a fantastic way to show an employer what you’re ca-pable of, even if your résumé is weak. “(Also) if you’re showing them that you’re a dedicated worker, that you’re a hard worker, they’ll see that you’re a valuable asset and there’s no way they’d let you go.” An internship can also be valuable outside of school to fill in a résumé gap, especially if that internship is in line with your interests and career goals.

CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONSIf you’re still in school (even if it’s your last year), then joining the exec team of a school club or as-sociation can give you your first real taste of man-agement responsibility. It will provide you with great networking opportunities with like-minded students who may one day turn into your future colleagues, and with industry professionals from the companies who sponsor student clubs. And as far as job titles go, being a club executive looks far more impressive on your résumé than what you would get from an average part time gig.

D e s i g n a t i o n s and C e r t i f i c a t e sWhether it’s the CHRP for human resource man-agement grads, a CA for accounting grads, a CFA

for finance grads, and so on, professional designations are hugely important depending on the industry you get into. In certain professions, your formal edu-cation doesn’t stop just with your bachelors, it’s very much an ongoing process. By making that extra effort to gain these industry specific designations and cer-tificates, you’ll put yourself that much farther ahead of your fellow graduates.

As well, getting these designations and certificates often gives you member-ship to valuable industry specific reports, invites to industry events, and opportunities to network with industry professionals. These all represent opportunities you can leverage to get ahead.

WORK IN YOUR INDUSTRYWell, duh. If you’re able to get a job in the industry you studied for, then dive right in! The company you start out at may not always be your dream company, but starting out in a company within the same industry will give you the relevant experience you need to climb the corporate ladder, or have success-ful interviews at other companies that might better strike your fancy. Regardless, be open to whatever opportunities come your way.

LEND A HELPING HAND

5

4Help grow a small business or start upIn large corporations, there aren’t many oppor-tunities to take on roles outside your predefined position. Normally, you’re limited to and ex-pected to specialize in what you were hired for, with few opportunities to cross-train.

This ain’t the case in small businesses and start ups. There’s simply not enough money to hire a bunch of specialists. This means that — similar to working for a charity or non-profit — you’ll be asked to wear a number of hats and participate in a number of projects. While you’ll probably work longer hours, the experi-ence and the satisfaction you get from seeing projects you were so intimately involved with succeed far outweighs any negatives.

Working in these environments forces you to strengthen your team building skills, eye for efficiency, and MacGyver-like problem solving skills — all worthwhile points to mention in interviews for future positions!

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SHARPEN THOSE PENCILSDepending on your career ambitions — maybe you want to be a professor, a lawyer, a doctor, a physicist, etc — going for your masters or Ph.D or any other form of post-grad education may be a necessity. Certain professions just demand a greater level of knowledge in order for you to be taken seriously, or for you to even be licensed to practice your dream profession.

If this is the case, keep your head up. You may have to slog it out through a couple more years of school, but at the end of the day, these kinds of professions are high investment, high reward type deals, i.e. you’ll be hugging yourself when you’re done.

Being your own boss is not for everyone. You have to be comfortable with: taking risks, leading a team, serving customers, grinding your butt off 24/7, dreaming big, and being innovative enough to survive your business’ first year and all the years that follow. In all, entrepreneurism is a time in-vestment, financial investment (scary), and a lead-ing cause of premature white hairs.

On the flip side, you’ll never learn more about business, yourself, what it takes to battle against competitors, and what it takes to grow your biz out of nothing. The skills you’ll learn and experi-ences you’ll gain will make you that much more confident in your abilities, and that much more at-tractive to potential future employers. Employers want to hire self starters and go getters (usually), and starting your own business is clear proof of those qualities.

108

It’s the person who knowswhat they’re looking for who’s go-ing to be successful.

BE AN ENTREPRENEUR

STUDY OR WORK OVERSEAS“The most successful pathway into post-graduate employment is the successful completion of any post-secondary credential with a gap year,” says Paul Smith, executive director of the Canadian Association of Ca-reer Educators and Employers (CACEE). He’s referring to a Pathways study that describes the benefits of taking time off between high school and post-secondary school.

Smith says the results were probably due to the fact that the time off allows young peo-ple the opportunity to discover more about who they are and want to be. Meanwhile, founder of Second Chance Travel, Evan Malak, says taking time away after university can also be an invaluable experience to have. “I just think it’s so eye opening and enrich-ing, and you can grow so much from it, and it’ll help you in all aspects of your life.”

Malek says that while many students want to kick their careers into high gear as soon as they graduate, it’s a good idea to consider slowing down. ”North America is a more driven culture, very competitive. There’s a lot of pressure on young people to get into high gear. But I think graduates can learn more from other cultures and put more emphasis on adventure and exploration.”

In general, any experience travelling, study-ing, and/or working overseas — being comfortable working in foreign environ-ments — that’s always an attractive trait employers look for. Be open to breaking out of that nest!

TeachTeaching, like volunteering, is not only a good way to give back to society, but it’s also a great way to sharpen your skill set and build experiences that you can draw on in future interviews.

One of the more popular teaching paths for recent grads is to teach English overseas. This approach lets you travel, exposes you to new cultures, and allows you to meet new people. Another path you can take is be-ing a tutor of specific courses to high school and uni-versity students. You can even join a local big brother or big sister program that will give you the opportunity to mentor a youngster and help shape their development in positive ways.

Overall, what may come naturally to you may not for others, so teaching forces you to build a deeper knowl-edge of the subject you’re teaching by breaking down your subject and explaining it in easily understandable parts. For employers, they will recognize that the sub-ject you’re teaching is a core skill of yours, and the fact that you’re going out of your way to help others learn is always an attractive quality they hire for.

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Receiving your political science or philosophy degree is fine and dandy, but closing your last textbook and finding yourself with zero insight into what you want to do is not go-ing to get you far when it comes to finding that first, real, post-grad gig.

Ben Rogul, from Aon Hewitt, says “When I’m talking to new grads and I ask them what they’re looking for, I’d say nine out of ten times they don’t know.” He says when graduates come to him and list off the skills and qualities they have, that’s great. But, as a recruiter it’s frustrating. The key

KNOW YOURSELF

You may have to slog it out through a cou-ple more years of school... [but] you’ll be hugging your-self when you’re done.

information he’s looking for is what the new graduate wants to do.

Paul Smith, from CACEE, agrees. “The first job (you get out of school) doesn’t define the rest of your career. That’s why the most important things for new grads looking to make their way into the workforce are to know themselves, to take the time to understand what they’re actually looking for, where their interests are, where their strengths lie, and go for-ward from there. It’s the person who knows what they’re looking for who’s going to be successful.”


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According to Statistics Canada, by 2031, 25%

to 28% of Canadians will be foreign born and

47% of second generation Canadians will be a

member of a visible minority group. TD Eco-

nomics projects a major labour shortage in the

next twenty years, claiming retiring boomers

and low fertility rates as major causes. Tradi-

tionally ignored, members of the aboriginal

community, visible minorities, women and

new immigrants are slotted to fill in the gap.

Google ‘diversity’, and images of perfectly

crafted group portraits featuring tactfully se-

lected minorities dominate the web. As they

pose with bright smiles, projecting the feeling

of solidarity, you wonder if it could get any

cheesier. Is diversity just a cliché? Or maybe it’s

just a trendy buzz word employers like to toss

around to sound genuine.

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers is an an-

nual competition which serves as a platform

for companies from across the country to dem-

onstrate their ability to meet the demands of

our multicultural nation. With 100 employers

making the cut*, Home Depot, Loblaw’s, Ca-

meco, and SGI (Saskatchewan Government

Insurance) have shined with their progressive

hiring practices.

Michelle Edwards, Senior Director, Talent &

Diversity, at Loblaw’s, says the company has

embraced diversity and has deemed it a ma-

jor initiative, “One of our pillars for Corporate

Social Responsibility is to reflect our Nation’s

diversity, because we see it as the right thing to

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Home Depot encourages feedback to monitor

progress and remain accountable. Berwick

confirms their findings show current employ-

ees not only believe they are working in an in-

clusive environment, but are confident in their

ability to speak up, “they feel comfortable rais-

ing issues with their leaders when we don’t live

up to this expectation.”

Cameco makes this year’s list by integrating

diversity in their hiring practices by invest-

ing in people, especially pre-employment. Jodi

Ledding, Senior Specialist in Workplace Plan-

ning and Talent Acquisition, explains, “Ca-

meco has invested over $8 million dollars in

training in the past 20 years and is working

with Northern Career Quest in a $33 million

joint funding initiative to help approximately

1,500 aboriginals gain skills and experience to

seek entry-level employment.

Although Cameco is committed to reviving the

economy of Northern Saskatchewan, Ledding

admits it isn’t enough to satisfy demand, “Be-

cause the local Saskatchewan talent pool of

both experienced and new graduates is lim-

ited, Cameco’s talent recruitment efforts have

become very pan-Canadian and increasingly

international in the past few years.”

Cheesy manufactured images aside, employ-

ers are clearly competing to be seen as diver-

sity friendly, but are eager to find candidates

who can meet them half way. Personality and

attitude come before background and aca-

demic discipline with Loblaw’s new graduates

program Edwards explains, “We are looking

for grads who have been involved in commu-

nity and extra-curricular initiatives outside the

classroom, and understand the importance of

superior customer service.”

DIVER-S I T Y IN THE WORK-PLACE: F A C T OR FIC-TION?

by Eleni Papavasiliou

According to Statistics Canada, by 2031, 25%

OF CANADIANS WILL BE FOREIGN BORN

BY 2031

do and the sensible business thing to do.” To put

their money where their mouth is, Loblaw’s has

developed an Inclusion Toolkit, designed for re-

cruiters to hire with diversity in mind for both

the corporate and store levels. When hired, new

employees can expect to be embraced, Edwards

explains. “They have the opportunity to part-

ner with a ‘colleague buddy’ of similar back-

grounds to ensure comfort and ease of adapta-

tion.” Women can also count on a future with

Loblaw’s due to an online network and special

events promoting professional development

and work-life balance for working mothers.

From a branding perspective, being known as

one of Canada’s Top Diversity Employers has

its perks. Money is clearly being invested in re-

cruiting minorities, but the bottom line is what

matters. So, is diversity fact or fiction? Deborah

Berwick, Manager of Organization Effective-

ness, Diversity & Inclusion at Home Depot,

recognizes the importance of authenticity in

life and wants all potential employees to know,

from her lips to your ears, “The Home Depot of-

fers an environment where you can bring your

whole selves to work.”

Being recognized as a leader has its downsides

too, as it can open the door for skeptics. Ber-

wick acknowledges how diversity can’t always

be at the top of the agenda, “The most signifi-

cant challenge we’ve faced in implementing

our diversity strategy has been the same chal-

lenge any business strategy faces — competing

priorities and a constantly changing market-

place.” Like any legitimate diversity plan, The *Citing the 2011 Canada’s Best Diversity Employers Report


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industryinsiders

LEED CERTIFICATION IS CREATING A NEW AND GROWING NICHE FOR PROFESSIONALS IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY

It doesn’t matter if you have 28 years of career experience under your

belt or whether you’re an engineering student fresh off the convocation

platform, there’s a new and growing standard for the building industry

that has affected careers considerably in the past few years. The Leader-

ship in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating

System is transforming the way new buildings are constructed, as well

as how the old ones are maintained. The ultimate goal: sustainability.

The Canada Green Building Council adopted the rating system in 2004.

By the end of October 2011, more than 3,000 buildings in Canada were

registered in the CaGBC database to be certified, with 496 of these having

achieved certification.

The growth of LEED is

creating a new niche

for professionals, be

they engineers, archi-

tects, interior design-

ers, and more. Some

people who deal with

LEED through their jobs are be-

coming certified as LEED Green

Associates, an entry-level certifi-

cation. If a LEED Green Associate

needs in-depth knowledge of LEED

on the job, he or she can then ap-

ply to be a LEED Accredited Profes-

sional with a specialty, which may

help advance their career.

There are now 18 institutions of-

fering LEED higher education

courses across Canada. “It’s impor-

tant that students are graduating

with this knowledge because this

is what’s happening in the indus-

try,” said Crystal Finnigan, Higher

Education Program Coordinator at

the CaGBC. “There are many LEED

buildings being built.”

Mitch Gascoyne, LEED AP and manager of the Sustainable Design Servic-

es group at Halcrow Yolles, is the instructor for the LEED Green Building

Strategies and Green Associate Exam Preparation course at the Universi-

ty of Toronto. He says LEED grew slowly and steadily when the Canadian

Green Building Council first adopted the rating system, but has grown

“exponentially” since about 2007. “Everyone became interested in it and

now it’s kind of the de facto standard for building buildings,” explains

Gascoyne. “All of the Infrastructure Ontario buildings that come out,

these government super projects — hospitals and school buildings —

they all have to have LEED mandates on them.

”The thing that is really starting to affect the market is the pursuit of

LEED in existing building stock because downtown office buildings need

to keep up and compete with other buildings being built downtown. A

way of doing that is improving their sustainable performance.”

As the demand for LEED buildings increases, engineers and other indus-

try professionals are becoming more aware of its importance and are

taking the steps to educate themselves further. Gascoyne said, “If you’re

an architect or and engineer, and you’re working with buildings and you

have daily interaction with the LEED rating system,

(being a LEED AP) takes it to the next level of detail

where you understand a specific system of LEED.”

Mark Goss understands the opportunity LEED offers.

He received his degree in mechanical engineering

28 years ago, and since then has worked for brewing

companies, bakeries, pharmaceutical companies, the

works. He is now the general manager of operations at

the Exhibition Place in Toronto and is managing: 600

kilowatts of TV, a back pressure steam turbine, geo-

thermal technology, smart lighting controls for park-

ing garages, and the task of getting a convention cen-

tre LEED accredited. Because of all this, Goss thought

it would be “very beneficial to increase my knowledge

level.”

It prompted him to take Gascoyne’s preparation

course through the School of Continuing Studies at

the University of Toronto. He says he expects the ex-

perience to impact his career positively. “LEED existing

operation and maintenance shows you how to recom-

mission your building and then operate it in an energy

efficient manner.” Goss notes, “Even for the companies

that don’t believe in LEED, they like to have somebody

with that kind of knowledge for the energy savings

they can come up with.”

LEED is increasingly affecting the building industry,

and can differentiate prospective employees. Gascoyne said, “If I’m look-

ing at a résumé and the person has LEED designation, it means they took

the initiative to go ahead and get the education themselves. They are

interested in this type of thing and they know what it takes to get ahead

in this industry.”

’

EVERYONE BE-CAME INTERESTED IN IT AND NOW IT’S KIND OF THE DE FACTO STANDARD FOR BUILDING BUILDINGS.

V


find your outletpowerauthority.on.ca/careers

Inspiration. Conservation. Innovation.Whatever outlet your career needs, you’ll find it with us.

OM Official Mark of the Ontario Power Authority.

CMHC: My Choice. La SCHL : C’est mon choix.At Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), we recognize and value the unique abilities that people from a variety of backgrounds bring to the organization. We leverage the insights and experience of our diverse employees to identify and maximize the opportunities to help Canadians.

Visit www.cmhc.ca/careers to view current job openings and to register your candidate profi le. CMHC has been Canada’s national housing agency since 1946. As Canada’s trusted source of comprehensive housing information, we are committed to helping Canadians access a wide variety of quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes, and to fueling the success of the Canadian housing system.

À la Société canadienne d’hypothèques et de logement (SCHL), nous reconnaissons et valorisons les aptitudes et connaissances uniques que chaque personne apporte à notre organisation. Elle met à profi t les expériences et les connaissances diverses de son effectif pour cerner tous les moyens d’aider les gens vivant au Canada et ailleurs et tirer le maximum de ces possibilités.

Visitez www.schl.ca/carrieres pour consulter la liste d’emplois courants et établir votre profi l du candidat.La SCHL est l’organisme national responsable de l’habitation au Canada depuis 1946. Source fi able et complète d’information sur l’habitation au pays, la SCHL veille à ce que les Canadiens aient accès à un large éventail de logements durables de qualité, à coût abordable, et elle contribue à la prospérité du secteur canadien de l’habitation.

www.cmhc.ca/careers www.schl.ca/carrieres

WE’VE BURNED COAL AND SPLIT ATOMS JUST TO GET POWER. TO THINK IT’S BEEN BELOW OUR FEET THIS WHOLE TIME.

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With veteran energy sources like fossil fuels

preparing to retire their jerseys in the next few

decades, alternative energy sources are being

scouted like potential NBA players. Among

these promising drafts is geothermal energy.

“Right now, geothermal is a relatively small piece

of the energy pie,” says Travis Schmidt, market-

ing manager at NextEnergy. “It’s a challenge to

grow that pie and basically create awareness

and an understanding of the system.”

Essentially, geothermal energy works by har-

nessing heat below the earth’s surface. The

source of this heat is spawned in two ways. The

kind used to mass produce electricity is tapped

from deep below the surface, where primordial

heat left over from the planet’s formation is

found. Heat from the radioactive decay is har-

nessed to create steam, which then runs elec-

trical turbines.

The second kind has more direct applications,

the kind that companies such as NextEnergy

specialize in. The earth’s crust can absorb and

store heat from the sun, and stays at a constant

temperature year-round. Pipes can be installed

beneath your home (or any building for that

matter) to collect and then transfer geother-

mal heat to a specialized unit to keep a build-

ing warm during the winter. In the summer, the

system works in reverse, using the cooler tem-

peratures below ground for air conditioning.

Aside from its reduced ecological footprint

when compared to nuclear or petroleum based

resources, geothermal energy also holds a ma-

jor advantage over other renewables; it’s con-

stant. “The biggest thing that geothermal has

when compared to wind or solar is that it’s 365

days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day,”

says Schmidt.

Both examples are dependent on conditions

that vary almost hourly, and in both cases,

solar and wind energy need considerable

pieces of land with many individual collectors

or turbines in order to be effective for large

THAT’S THE BEAU-TY OF IT: THE MONEY GOES INTO THE COMMUNITY AND STAYS IN THE COMMUNITY.

scale production. For geothermal, “There’s no

time when the wind doesn’t blow or the sun

doesn’t shine,” Schmidt continues, “it is an ab-

solute, at point of use, renewable energy.”

The initial cost of geothermal systems and

their installation might seem a bit pricy, but

Schmidt stresses that you are installing your

own energy plant, and that should be under-

stood. There are the long-term benefits. “[Geo-

thermal is] the cheapest system to operate, and

will significantly cut your heating and cooling

bills.” According to Schmidt, geothermal sys-

tems can save you 75 percent when compared

to oil and propane, and about 50 percent when

compared to natural gas.

“Almost 60 percent of Canada’s energy is used

for heating and cooling, and you can essen-

tially eliminate the fossil fuel component for

that.” With rising hydro costs and fluctuating

oil prices, using the heat trapped within the

earth is becoming a more practical solution.

Despite the environmental and

economic improvements that geo-

thermal is making to the industry,

it’s not without its obstacles. For

one thing, there’s a continual need

of skilled trade workers, drillers

in particular. “Drilling is really

where geothermal will make its

big splash,” Schmidt says. In order

for geothermal to go mainstream,

it’ll have to tackle the urban en-

vironment, and it’s going to need

qualified drillers for that.

The students looking to make a career in this

field will want to have standard HVAC (Heat-

ing, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) train-

ing, while refrigeration mechanic training is

crucial. “It’s in every college, and refrigeration

technicians specifically within that broad cat-

egory are always needed,” says Schmidt. These

skills are especially important for residential

work and installation. Schmidt adds, “Walking

out with a refrigeration licence or an appren-

ticeship would allow you to walk into a job.”

The geothermal industry will only grow as more

people realize the opportunities it presents,

both for helping the environment, and for an in-

novative career. “It’s not a power plant that’s 300

km away from where the actual power is being

used,” says Schmidt, emphasising that it’s local

jobs, local people running the small businesses,

and employing the people within the communi-

ty. “That’s the beauty of it: the money goes into

the community and stays in the community.”

by Andrew Williams



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mind, and that dream job may never happen

during undergrad,” Naese reveals. “Or there

could be a perfect opportunity for you but it’s

across the province. If that’s where the job is,

you should embrace the opportunity. Things

may not be the way you think they’re going

to be. Be willing to move around if that’s what

it takes.”

McRae adds, “In my experience, students often

learn the most where there’s a big challenge

for them, personally and professionally – not

because there’s something horrible going on in

that work term, but because it’s just not what

they wanted, or they thought they were going

to like it and really hated it.”

Staying open-minded enough to learn about

yourself has all kinds of benefits. “Without my

co-op, I would never have realized that the

people who I work with and the work environ-

ment would determine whether I like a job,

even more than the job itself,” says Allan. “The

jobs I liked the most were completely unrelated

to my degree. But even though the jobs them-

selves didn’t interest me, I was working with

really laid back, fun people, living with tons of

students in a brand new city.” That’s just the

kind of adventure you co-op kids like, right?

EXPERIENCE

THECO-OP

PEOPLE WANT TO HELP OUT PEOPLE WHO THEY KNOW, SO MAKE MORE FRIENDS. AND MAKE SURE THE HIGHER-UPS LIKE YOU

taking advantage of the resources available to

them. Every school has a really dedicated staff

who are there to help students make sense of

what their plans are and how they’d like to con-

nect their studies with their career prospects.”

Once you’re working, keep in mind that your

experience is about soft skills too, not just

industry know-how. “The most valuable thing

I took away was probably the confidence that

came from being thrown into so many previ-

ously intimidating situations,” shares Allan. “It

was also good to see that real world profes-

sionals are really just winging it along with

everyone else.” Rob McMillan, another Waterloo

co-op student, values the intangibles he’s

gleaned from his work terms so far – especially

the networking opportunities. “People want to

help out people who they know, so make more

friends. And make sure the higher-ups like you.”

Go into a co-op with a good idea of what you

want out of it, and keep your eyes on that

prize. “Students should set objectives before

they even get to their placement,” emphasizes

Naese. “They should have something in mind

as to what they want to accomplish.”

But at the same time, you must stay flexible.

“Students come with a dream job in their industryinsiders

E

You co-op kids get the best of both worlds: an

enriched education and work experience (even

a paycheque). But the path you’ve chosen isn’t

easy. It will take longer than an undergraduate

program, and those years may be turbulent as

you move from placement to placement. It’s

an up and down road, but don’t worry: we’ve

got some insider advice on how to get the

most out of a co-op placement.

As Phil Allan finishes his final term as a

co-op student at the University of Waterloo

and reflects on his experience, he found that

variety was the spice of his academic life. “I

liked the fact that each work term was only

four months. I could work at four or five dif-

ferent jobs and find one I liked. Also, it let me

have a unique résumé, rather than having

either all student retail jobs or, at best, one

internship without any variety.”

To help cram as much experience in as you

can, arrive at your placement prepared from

day one, advises Olaf Naese, communica-

tions specialist for Cooperative Education and

Career Services at the University of Waterloo.

“When you’re only at a workplace for four

months, the learning curve has to be very fast.

Come into the co-op with experience under

your belt.” Students who go into the co-op

without so much as a summer job or volun-

teer position on their résumé have a harder

time getting jobs, he says. Talk to your supervi-

sor before you start your placement to find

out if there’s any special training you can take

beforehand. That way, you can get right into

the good stuff on the first day of your job.

If you don’t know where to start, just ask,

encourages Norah McRae, president of the Ca-

nadian Association for Co-operative Education

(CAFCE). “A big mistake students make is not


share your same academic interests and often a similar excitement for life.

“During my last trip, I camped through Africa for three months,” said Spence. “This type of trip will only appeal to certain people and that was the wonderful thing about it! Everyone had the same passion for travelling, were outdoorsy, and every-one got along. We experienced so much together and they will be my life long friends.”

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELFFor DeSouza, the experience was as much about learning about herself as it was learning about another culture. “During my year away, I really came to appreciate home,” she said. “I learned about myself and realized that I could function independently, without my support networks. I had become accustomed to the comforts of home and when travelling, little things like find-ing a hairdresser were a fun challenge.”

For Spence, the university experience would have been an entirely different one had she not taken the opportunity to travel abroad and she now recommends it to anyone considering the move.

“Through my travels I have gained a new per-spective on the world, more life lessons than I thought imaginable, met some of the most in-credible people, and have experienced so many wonderful things. I absolutely love to travel and I would encourage anyone that wants to travel, to pack their bags and DO IT!”

Going to school dur-ing the coldest, dark-est part of the Cana-dian winter can be a drag. Lacing up win-ter boots, bundling layers upon layers of clothing and looking out the window of your classroom to see

slushy, slick sidewalks can have even the most patriotic of us daydreaming about jet-setting to a warmer locale and taking our classes by the beach for some seaside schooling.

So why not make your daydream a reality? In ad-dition to the friendlier climate, studying abroad and getting an education overseas can super-charge your résumé, amp up your education, and bring about some pretty cool life experiences. Here are the top five reasons to pack your bags and take off this semester.

TRANSLATE YOUR CLASS-ROOM LEARNING INTO REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCESBy studying abroad, you’ll learn things about the world and different cultures that you could never learn by reading a textbook. “Study abroad programs enable students to have an interna-tional learning experience that lets them engage meaningfully with the world outside the class-room, thereby becoming knowledgeable global citizens,” said Sarah Witol, program manager of Professional and International Programs at Woodsworth College at the University of To-ronto. “Through their participation, students are

able to relate what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations abroad through critical analysis and synthesis of the course materials.”

EXPLORE YOUR INTERESTS“Travelling allows you to experience different cul-tures, foods, languages, and customs that to us are completely different from what you know,” said Anita Spence, a Wilfrid Laurier University gradu-ate who completed an internship with the Con-tiki coach tour company and has traveled to more than a dozen countries including Australia, Kenya, South Africa, and a variety of European countries. “It opens our eyes to the world around us.

“As well, traveling allows you to explore your own personal interests. For me, that meant exploring every possible adrenaline sport that passed in front of me. You want to go skydiving? You can do it! The beauty of travel is that everyone can experience what they want to experience.”

BEEF UP YOUR RÉSUMÉ For Melissa DeSouza, a tour manager at EF Tours who completed an internship in Paris before entering the workforce, her international experi-ence was what landed her the job. “When you are employed in Canada, you will most definitely be working with people from many different back-grounds,” she explained. “Once I had lived away from home myself, I found it so much easier to relate to people who were not originally from Canada and it made me a better employee.”

MEET NEW PEOPLEGetting your education abroad allows you to meet like-minded individuals, people that all

edu-ma-cation

Studying Abroad Explore new

places, discover a

different culture,

and learn in

unexpected ways.

by Katie Edmonds

centennialcollege.ca The Future of Learning

Whatbewant to

YouDo


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

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

Visit us at today at Brocku.ca

SCHOOL TUFFeez

careers. education. ideas. all of it.

(Need some helpz!)

graduate school directory

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

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

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

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startup

SCOTT Metherell

After five years of spending his summers work-ing at Georgian Bay Landing, a marina in Honey Harbour, Ontario, Scott Metherell was surprised when he got a call from the marina’s new man-agement. They said they wouldn’t need him the following summer. “I was a little upset. I had a job up there all my life and I wasn’t interested in getting a job in the city.”

Not being one to let life just happen to him, the Queen’s University grad decided to take his fu-ture into his own hands. He started up BigRed-Works, a student-run maintenance company ser-vicing the Georgian Bay area. “When we started, it was just my brother and I. We bought the boat, it had red pontoons, so eventually we called our-selves BigRedWorks.

“We were just hoping to work three, four days a week, and make as much money as we were making at the marina. But by the end of our first summer, we had six employees. We bought a barge, two work boats, and we’ve just grown from there. “Going on six years now, we’re now up to three barges and five workboats, and we’ve started to keep a staff of around ten.”

When asked what makes his business stand out among the local competitors, Scott was quick to answer with three key points.

USE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE“First, the thing about Honey Harbour is that you really need to know the waters and where you’re going. There are no street signs or road maps on the water. But having worked at the marina for five years, I knew the water like the back of my hand. So when we started, and word of mouth started to spread, people could phone me and say, ‘We’re the blue cottage beside the green boat,’ and I would have a pretty good idea where that was.”

by David Tal

25 YEARS OLD; GRADUATED FROM QUEEN`S UNIVERSITY WITH A HONOURS BACHELOR OF COMMERCE DEGREE IN JUNE 2009. AWARDED THE RUNNER-UP PRIZE BY ADVANCING CANADIAN ENTRE-PRENEURSHIP (ACE) DURING THE 2009 NATIONAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR COMPETITION. CURRENTLY OPERATES BIGREDWORKS, A STUDENT-RUN MAIN-TENANCE COMPANY HE FOUNDED THAT SERVICES THE GEORGIAN BAY AREA.

RECOGNIZE YOUR OPPORTU-NITIES“Second thing, having spent so much time work-ing as a water taxi driver, talking to people, I knew what most people up there weren’t happy with. One, the contractors around here were always too busy to do the little stuff. They were too busy building million dollar cottages or one hundred thousand dollar tennis courts. They weren’t in-terested in building a ten thousand dollar deck or delivering five hundred dollars worth of gravel.”

BE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUR CLIENTS“Finally, many of the local contractors were very hard to get in touch with. Not very many had a website. Pretty much no one had an email ad-dress. And you were lucky if you even got an an-swering machine. So when we came on the scene, we had a website, we had Blackberries, email, we returned voicemails within 24 hours. These simple things really blew people away. We started with just a few basic things, but those were so impor-tant. People were used to getting this level of ser-vice in the city, but never up here in cottage coun-try. That’s what made all the difference.”

After sharing this story, Scott added what satis-fied him most about being an entrepreneur. “The biggest thing is that you’re in charge of your own destiny. If you want to work hard, and set some goals and achieve them, you can make it happen. You run on your own schedule and make your own rules. The freedom, that’s what I really love.”

And when it comes to advice for would-be student entrepreneurs, Scott didn’t mince words. “Now is the best time in your whole life to start a business. You don’t have a wife (or husband) and kids. You don’t have any expenses and you’ve got your par-ents to fall back on. Best of all, you’ve got a whole faculty of professors who are willing to help.

“The free advice and mentoring I got from my professors was just so invaluable. I mean, if you’re 35 and you want to start a business, then sure you can ask for their advice, but you have to pay for all those services. But when you’re a stu-dent, professors are so excited that you’re young and you’re taking this initiative that they love to help. So many people helped me out to get start-ed, it was amazing. I’m very grateful.

“So all I’d say is to just do it now. Do it while you’re young. You don’t have a whole lot to lose and you won’t believe what you’ll learn and who you will meet by taking on the challenge.”

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

LEARN. NETWORK. MAKE AN IMPACT.SHELL INTERNSHIPS, CO-OPS AND SUMMER JOBS

At Shell, we’re developing all kinds of ideas to help meet the growing demand for energy. And we’re looking for ambitious students and graduates to help us do more. If you’re ready to make a real impact on the world, apply for a Shell Internship, Co-Op or Summer position today.

A Shell Internship, Co-Op or Summer position gives you the opportunity to: Gain valuable exposure to the energy industry Work on projects that have a real business impact Build professional networks for future career options Participate in fi eld trips, community service and social activities

Since you’ll be assessed entirely on how well you perform during your time at Shell, you could even secure an offer to join Shell full time when you graduate.

To fi nd out more and apply, visit www.shell.ca/careers.

Let’s deliver better energy solutions together.

jobpostings magazine (vol. 14, issue 4)

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