Job seekers often find they’re stuck in a situation where they wish to make a career move but are lacking the necessary skills required to work in a particular field.  Unless you require a very specialized degree or credential to work in a specific industry, creative solutions such as unpaid work experiences and job shadowing can help you gain the exposure and skills needed to enter a new career.  Volunteer opportunities can be extremely varied and rewarding.  Volunteering is a win/win proposition.  You win by gaining valuable experience and developing your skills, and organizations win by receiving much needed help.  And, if you volunteer for charitable causes, our communities gain from your contributions as well.  Volunteer work can also enhance your marketability since many employers respect people who give their time to a cause or community group without pay.  Volunteering isn’t limited to activities such as fundraising and selling raffle tickets, it can provide a wide range of opportunities from computer technology, graphic design and office administration, to teaching and public speaking.  Some people find that volunteering can even lead to the ultimate jackpot – a job offer from the very organization where they gave their time for free.  So be open-minded and innovative about building important skills and contacts – volunteering may be the missing link in your career development!  You can start by visiting the government sponsored Volunteer Recruitment Accessibility and Participation website at: http://www.e-volunteering.org/, or Charity Village, Canada’s Supersite for the non- profit sector, at: www.charityvillage.com.

Want To Volunteer Your Information Technology Expertise?

VolunteersOnline.ca helps information technology volunteers find meaningful volunteer experiences in Ontario non-profit organizations and charities.  Your skills will help organizations to better serve their populations.  Opportunities exist in telephone support, joining the IT expert’s list for hardware, software, networks, internet and IT strategy expertise, as well as technical planning and training.  Those who are interested should join VolunteersOnline.ca at www.volunteersonline.ca/join and complete a member profile.

Thinking Of Starting Your Own Business?

The Dufferin Mall Employment Resource Centre has some programs and information to assist you.  Some of their resources include:

n       Learn how the Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program can help you establish a successful business

n       Read their Story of the Month article where an SEA participant shares her experience launching her successful business -- BritWit Design

n       Learn how the Self-Employment Discovery Workshops can help you

n       Read descriptions on books and videos available at the DERC to help you decide if you are ready to start your business and how to succeed

For more information, check out their website at: http://www.derc.ca/

CanadaInfoNet Protégés Are Seeing Results!

We received a letter of thanks from a very pleased protégé, touting the excellent services provided by e-mentoring.  Our satisfied protégé identified the following benefits derived from the CanadaInfoNet experience:

·         Selfless, dedicated and professional service

·         Moral support

·         Extensive information and support

With the help of her e-mentor, our protégé was able to make an informed decision about what graduate school to attend in Canada.  Cheers to another successful mentoring relationship!  To view the full story, visit:  http://www.canadainfonet.org/success%20stories/education/.

CanadaInfoNet—Finalist for Showcase Ontario Voluntary Sector IT Awards

August 12, 2003—JVS Toronto’s CanadaInfoNet program has been selected as 1 of 4 finalists in this year’s Showcase Ontario Voluntary Sector IT Awards (a partnership between Showcase Ontario and Making IT Work for Volunteers).

“It really is a great honour to be selected as a finalist for this award.” says Amanda Harris, Program Manager of CanadaInfoNet.  “We’ve received so much support from our colleagues, our Board of Directors, the Government of Ontario’s Volunteer@ction program, which provided the initial funding to build CanadaInfoNet and, of course, our volunteers who make such a difference in the lives of our clients. The winner of the Showcase Ontario Voluntary Sector It Award is to be announced in September.

Are You “Boss” Material?

You may think it’s a natural desire to move up the ranks thorough one’s career to a boss or managerial role.  However, according to a study by Boston’s Northeastern University, 55 percent of subjects in a recent psychological experiment said they preferred being the subordinate instead of the boss.  Despite the desire to remain in the “lower ranks,” lack of desire did not render the subjects incapable of leading others.  When put to the test, those who preferred not to be boss were able to perform effectively in the position when the researchers set up a mock leadership situation.  The point?  Just because you don’t want to be boss, doesn’t mean that you don’t have the skills to be!  However, when it comes to good leadership, the most successful leaders are those who have the passion and interest, along with the technical competencies!

Workplace Culture

What values do you look for in the workplace?  Workplace “culture” is a term used to describe the overall mood and attitude of an organization or workplace.  When people are unhappy at work, or when they leave a job, it’s usually because of a clash with the culture of their organization.  Can you identify the factors that are important to you?  Some factors may be: the opportunity to make a difference, being rewarded for a job well done, fairness and equity, forging trusting relationships, respect for work life balance, innovation and creativity, giving back to the community, and fair pay and benefits.  It’s a good idea to clarify what factors are important to you prior to job interviews so that you can assess whether the company is a good “fit” for you.

Pathways – Creating Engineering Opportunities

Pathways is a unique program designed to help bridge the employment gap for internationally educated engineers, with English as a second language and who are pursuing their professional engineers license in Ontario, helping them to become viable, competitive candidates for employment in the engineering field. Pathways offers a combination of in-class training and employment search assistance to help participants meet the Canadian work experience requirements for licensure as a professional engineer in Ontario.  The program may be receiving applications for the fall 2003 program.  Check the website in September at www.pathways.ospec.on.ca for more information.

Famous Last Words

“Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one’s better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk and to act.”

-- Dr. Maxwell Maltz