I don't think I've ever had a second interview; none of the jobs I've applied for required them before. I heard back from the employment agency and they decided to go with an internal candidate for the coordinator's position. No real shock there; I was lucky to be interviewed for an internal posting, period.
The manager had told me there was a part-time position as a career coach available as well as a part-time administrative position that they would be willing to combine into a full-time position if the candidate was interested in doing both. I knew there would be a pay difference and frankly, I was not interested in doing a part-time Admin job and I said as much at the first interview. Since I had originally thought there was only a part-time position available anyway, I had made plans to go back to school and I figured I would just stick with that.
Well, how things change! She told me they were now interested in making the career coach position full-time and push the additional administrative work to the current admin (might not make me popular but I don't think they knew...). So that is exciting - full-time work!
Bolles mentioned in "What Colour is Your Parachute" that companies are more than willing to create positions for those they are interested in and I can't help but wonder if that's what has been done here (and it makes me feel good to think that way :)). I'm not trying to sound egotistical but from what I've read, from what Bolles said, this is not an uncommon occurrence. Seriously though, I'm impressed.
All of the workshops I've attended about work search, interviewing and career planning say one thing in common: Choose your field; focus your search. I have to think that this is why; I chose a field that I was interested in, I reached out to my contacts, and it looks as though everything will fall into place and I hadn't even expected as much as what is currently before me. With that being said, I don't have an offer yet... I still have to go through another interview.
Somehow, I will spend some of the next 16 hours reminding myself of all of my accomplishments and how much of an asset member I can be to a team with a common goal. I will have to remind myself that although I want this position, the coordinator will want me because of the qualifications I bring; because I can help ensure her success. I am not over-confident; I need to be honest with myself and remember what I bring to the table. I need to focus on that. I can be a tremendous ally to the coordinator and I know this. Now, I just have to remember that. I need to study my resume...
Monday 30 May 2016
Wednesday 25 May 2016
Unemployment: Volunteering
So approval finally came for me to volunteer at the career and employment agency. I will be accompanying one of the counsellors to a couple of two-day workshops next week, Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday. On the Wednesday I will be sitting in on some one-to-one sessions in the office. I need to add as well that when the manager asked me about how often I would like to volunteer I was fairly open. If there was something I could do, I had availability four days per week for sure, possibly five if my husband was home (6 has no school on Fridays and I can't afford to pay for care to volunteer).
I stopped by to meet the counsellor I would spend the majority of next week with and we talked about what they would be doing. She also gave me copies of all handouts and publications she would provide to the participants so I could look them over. The sessions are for a new group to the agency so she has no experience with the clientele either (which is strangely beneficial for my attendance).
She will give me a ride out to the sessions so I, again, don't have additional costs to volunteer. I'm really impressed with how thoughtful they've been so far. Being in the environment has also led to a few interesting tidbits of information.
Apparently they are awaiting funding approval for a new program that will require the creation of a new position. One of the counsellors told me it was a part-time position but I could work with that. Full-time is definitely preferable but if I had to take part-time to start working in the career of my choice then I will do that. I'm still looking into the possibility of returning to school and I think I could do both if I'm part-time. I managed before, I would mange again.
In any case it looks like timing might be on my side here and I'm really looking forward to the workshops next week. I'm still a little in awe of how easy this was to start and I'm so glad I read "What Color is Your Parachute?" (By Richard N. Bolles) to get some of these ideas. So far, they're paying off.
I stopped by to meet the counsellor I would spend the majority of next week with and we talked about what they would be doing. She also gave me copies of all handouts and publications she would provide to the participants so I could look them over. The sessions are for a new group to the agency so she has no experience with the clientele either (which is strangely beneficial for my attendance).
She will give me a ride out to the sessions so I, again, don't have additional costs to volunteer. I'm really impressed with how thoughtful they've been so far. Being in the environment has also led to a few interesting tidbits of information.
Apparently they are awaiting funding approval for a new program that will require the creation of a new position. One of the counsellors told me it was a part-time position but I could work with that. Full-time is definitely preferable but if I had to take part-time to start working in the career of my choice then I will do that. I'm still looking into the possibility of returning to school and I think I could do both if I'm part-time. I managed before, I would mange again.
In any case it looks like timing might be on my side here and I'm really looking forward to the workshops next week. I'm still a little in awe of how easy this was to start and I'm so glad I read "What Color is Your Parachute?" (By Richard N. Bolles) to get some of these ideas. So far, they're paying off.
Tuesday 24 May 2016
Unemployment: Work Search Planning Two
I had my information interview and it went really well. We talked mostly about how she decided on her choice for a master's degree and I've started contacting different programs for more information. She also invited me to connect on LinkedIn saying she is doesn't like to add people unless she's met them. Note to self.
I also attended a panel discussion coordinated by the UofC for alumni on staying resilient. I mentioned in the last post that LinkedIn is bugging me to update my new position and I asked what they thought of my putting something in about career exploring and the like. They thought it was a good idea because it would also send a notification to all of my contacts that I'm looking and what I'm looking for. Done. Felt kind of silly but LinkedIn stopped sending me notifications.
I went to the local career and employment agency with an appointment to speak to a counsellor first. After the appointment I popped my head in to the manager's office and asked if she had a moment. I let her know that I was looking to make a career move and I was hoping to volunteer to learn more about career coaching and such. She admitted that she was on board but she would have to talk to the regional manager about it. She asked me to forward an updated copy of my resume and I sent her the most recent one I'd used to apply for something else. Next stop: junior high.
I have experience cold calling and asking strangers for meetings so this was no issue for me. In these two instances, I had a bit of an "in" (though even I thought it was kind of ballsy to approach a place I had turned down an offer from previously). The secret is perspective. I could have looked at the situation as if I should feel ashamed for reaching out to them when I'd turned them down before but I decided to look at the fact that if they were interested in hiring me before, they might be open to what I was suggesting.
Another piece of experience I have gained is that when you are marketing something specific, the person you are marketing to might not see the relevance of what you are offering to what they need. Sometimes you have to ask them what their needs are and formulate your strategy from there. When I met with the vice principal at the junior high, this is the approach I took. I wanted to be able to offer something they needed and I was pretty open to what that was, but I wanted him to ask me for it (essentially).
After he told me about some of the possible deficiencies, I was able to focus on those. They don't have a full-time counsellor nor do they have a visiting one anymore. He wears the hat of career counsellor as well as vice-principal. He's a great guy, honestly, and I'm completely certain that if he has to deal with an unpleasant experience with a student he works hard to put the past in the past and move forward. Kids, though, may not be so inclined. He thought it would be a great idea if I was able to come in during lunch just to offer a different face for their questions.
Success so far, even if neither opportunity will pay, it's still an opportunity.
I also attended a panel discussion coordinated by the UofC for alumni on staying resilient. I mentioned in the last post that LinkedIn is bugging me to update my new position and I asked what they thought of my putting something in about career exploring and the like. They thought it was a good idea because it would also send a notification to all of my contacts that I'm looking and what I'm looking for. Done. Felt kind of silly but LinkedIn stopped sending me notifications.
I went to the local career and employment agency with an appointment to speak to a counsellor first. After the appointment I popped my head in to the manager's office and asked if she had a moment. I let her know that I was looking to make a career move and I was hoping to volunteer to learn more about career coaching and such. She admitted that she was on board but she would have to talk to the regional manager about it. She asked me to forward an updated copy of my resume and I sent her the most recent one I'd used to apply for something else. Next stop: junior high.
I have experience cold calling and asking strangers for meetings so this was no issue for me. In these two instances, I had a bit of an "in" (though even I thought it was kind of ballsy to approach a place I had turned down an offer from previously). The secret is perspective. I could have looked at the situation as if I should feel ashamed for reaching out to them when I'd turned them down before but I decided to look at the fact that if they were interested in hiring me before, they might be open to what I was suggesting.
Another piece of experience I have gained is that when you are marketing something specific, the person you are marketing to might not see the relevance of what you are offering to what they need. Sometimes you have to ask them what their needs are and formulate your strategy from there. When I met with the vice principal at the junior high, this is the approach I took. I wanted to be able to offer something they needed and I was pretty open to what that was, but I wanted him to ask me for it (essentially).
After he told me about some of the possible deficiencies, I was able to focus on those. They don't have a full-time counsellor nor do they have a visiting one anymore. He wears the hat of career counsellor as well as vice-principal. He's a great guy, honestly, and I'm completely certain that if he has to deal with an unpleasant experience with a student he works hard to put the past in the past and move forward. Kids, though, may not be so inclined. He thought it would be a great idea if I was able to come in during lunch just to offer a different face for their questions.
Success so far, even if neither opportunity will pay, it's still an opportunity.
Friday 20 May 2016
Unemployment: Work Search Planning
It's a special situation when the economy is in a downturn and you're looking for work along with so many other people. In my last position I met many people who mentioned the excessive number of applications they were receiving for their postings. In Alberta we have a lot of oil and gas workers looking for work and apparently some are applying for social work positions. These ones were actually identified but I can't help but wonder how many employers are not even looking at all of the applications. If you received 200 resumes would you read through all of them? Or would you stop looking after you found 10 that matched your requirements?
It's a scary thought that you may apply for something you are genuinely qualified for and your resume might not even be seen due to the sheer volume of applications. I've connected with the career planning workshop facilitator's employer and we have arranged an information meeting. Richard Bolles ("What Color is Your Parachute") recommends information meetings as a way of finding out more about a particular industry and building your network. If you're changing your career, you may have very few connections in the new field. You have to start somewhere.
Two years ago I was offered a position with a local career and employment agency. I put them on hold because I had just interviewed for the previously desired organization. I was unsuccessful and it was just enough extra time for the local place to find someone else. At that time, though, I was focused elsewhere. Although I knew I might really enjoy the work, I was focused on something else.
With that being said, I plan to reach out to the manager there and see if I could volunteer my time to learn more about the work. Just before I left my last position I had been contacted by someone looking for a facilitator for a resume workshop. I called around to a few places I knew of that provided the service but none would come to meet the client. I was surprised at that since I had been in very mobile positions where I always met clients out of the office. (Need identified!)
Slight digression here but I have to say this. My mom used to bring home Archie comics; we had hundreds. One had a story about the boys, Archie and Jughead, looking to make money. It was possibly Mr. Lodge who told them to "Find a need a fill it". I've never forgotten that.
I figured that I might be able to offer the service but I wanted to learn more before I found out I didn't know enough and made an ass out of myself. I'm also going to talk with my kids' school (two are in junior high). I don't think they have a specialized career counsellor at the school so I'm going to see if they could use a volunteer in some capacity. That one will take some finesse so I'll have to work on my pitch.
It feels kind of strange to be actively planning volunteer work but I see real possibilities here. I need to get some experience (and LinkedIn is bugging me to enter in my new job) and volunteering seems like the easiest place to start. I think I would have to have more education to work at the school, or a particular type of education (um, education degree?) but who knows? That's the point: I have to reach out to people who can answer these questions.
It's a scary thought that you may apply for something you are genuinely qualified for and your resume might not even be seen due to the sheer volume of applications. I've connected with the career planning workshop facilitator's employer and we have arranged an information meeting. Richard Bolles ("What Color is Your Parachute") recommends information meetings as a way of finding out more about a particular industry and building your network. If you're changing your career, you may have very few connections in the new field. You have to start somewhere.
Two years ago I was offered a position with a local career and employment agency. I put them on hold because I had just interviewed for the previously desired organization. I was unsuccessful and it was just enough extra time for the local place to find someone else. At that time, though, I was focused elsewhere. Although I knew I might really enjoy the work, I was focused on something else.
With that being said, I plan to reach out to the manager there and see if I could volunteer my time to learn more about the work. Just before I left my last position I had been contacted by someone looking for a facilitator for a resume workshop. I called around to a few places I knew of that provided the service but none would come to meet the client. I was surprised at that since I had been in very mobile positions where I always met clients out of the office. (Need identified!)
Slight digression here but I have to say this. My mom used to bring home Archie comics; we had hundreds. One had a story about the boys, Archie and Jughead, looking to make money. It was possibly Mr. Lodge who told them to "Find a need a fill it". I've never forgotten that.
I figured that I might be able to offer the service but I wanted to learn more before I found out I didn't know enough and made an ass out of myself. I'm also going to talk with my kids' school (two are in junior high). I don't think they have a specialized career counsellor at the school so I'm going to see if they could use a volunteer in some capacity. That one will take some finesse so I'll have to work on my pitch.
It feels kind of strange to be actively planning volunteer work but I see real possibilities here. I need to get some experience (and LinkedIn is bugging me to enter in my new job) and volunteering seems like the easiest place to start. I think I would have to have more education to work at the school, or a particular type of education (um, education degree?) but who knows? That's the point: I have to reach out to people who can answer these questions.
Thursday 19 May 2016
Unemployment: Personality Types
Day Two of the Career Planning Workshop
We are becoming more comfortable with one another and the facilitator is recommending one-on-one time between myself and those who have mentioned post-secondary planning as a way to meet their career goals. Awesome. I've also been given a number of compliments from my fellow participants who think I'm definitely considering the right path with a career counselling role (every little bit helps!).
Today we focused on personality types. I knew what mine was back in the day but I was, unfortunately, quite narrow-minded when I was in school. Until my fourth year, I was adamant that I would be applying for law school. Fortunately for me, my life went into a bit of a tailspin and I figured out that law school would only lead to a definite loss of work/life balance. I didn't want that. Whoops.
In any case, I was more open to the process now and much more interested in learning more about what my likes and dislikes said about the kind of work I would really enjoy. First of all, I discovered my personality type is really at odds with extremely structured environments. This is not to say I couldn't work in them, just that I prefer not to. Work environments that promote creativity, flexibility and openness to change are ones I excel within. I paid attention and I made a career-changing connection.
There is a particular industry I have been so focused on that it led me to my last job. This industry (in my experience) only offers the work environment that I love about a third of the time. The rest of the time, it is highly inflexible and creatively stifling. I made the decision right then to remove it from my work search. That is the biggest "a-ha" moment I had today.
We've done more than a few tests and I've been thrilled to find that so many of my interest areas have come up. Even though I'm sure I've decided what I'm going to do I know I want the opportunity for advancement. I'm still keeping schooling in the back of my mind (it's "Plan B" if I don't have work by the end of August) so I'm doing a lot of research. Most of my research is centred around career planning but I'm checking other things out because of certain things I really enjoy, like training and workshops. I think I'd like to have the opportunity to design them as well so that's shaping my research also.
Bonus: we were given free access to "Career Cruising" by virtue of taking the workshop. It's a great program (accessible from home) and it's been very helpful as well. If nothing else, all of the recurring outcomes have strengthened my belief that I'm heading in the right direction. I've also been spending time on LinkedIn, going through profiles to view work and education histories of people in the business. It's been nice to see so many similarities, education-wise, so I have a pretty good idea of what I am looking for to add to my credentials. I'm still using ALIS and even Google has been helpful for finding companies (big and small) where I can focus my work search.
Reminder, if you have three days to devote to this session (and you're in Alberta) I recommend it! Register here.
We are becoming more comfortable with one another and the facilitator is recommending one-on-one time between myself and those who have mentioned post-secondary planning as a way to meet their career goals. Awesome. I've also been given a number of compliments from my fellow participants who think I'm definitely considering the right path with a career counselling role (every little bit helps!).
Today we focused on personality types. I knew what mine was back in the day but I was, unfortunately, quite narrow-minded when I was in school. Until my fourth year, I was adamant that I would be applying for law school. Fortunately for me, my life went into a bit of a tailspin and I figured out that law school would only lead to a definite loss of work/life balance. I didn't want that. Whoops.
In any case, I was more open to the process now and much more interested in learning more about what my likes and dislikes said about the kind of work I would really enjoy. First of all, I discovered my personality type is really at odds with extremely structured environments. This is not to say I couldn't work in them, just that I prefer not to. Work environments that promote creativity, flexibility and openness to change are ones I excel within. I paid attention and I made a career-changing connection.
There is a particular industry I have been so focused on that it led me to my last job. This industry (in my experience) only offers the work environment that I love about a third of the time. The rest of the time, it is highly inflexible and creatively stifling. I made the decision right then to remove it from my work search. That is the biggest "a-ha" moment I had today.
We've done more than a few tests and I've been thrilled to find that so many of my interest areas have come up. Even though I'm sure I've decided what I'm going to do I know I want the opportunity for advancement. I'm still keeping schooling in the back of my mind (it's "Plan B" if I don't have work by the end of August) so I'm doing a lot of research. Most of my research is centred around career planning but I'm checking other things out because of certain things I really enjoy, like training and workshops. I think I'd like to have the opportunity to design them as well so that's shaping my research also.
Bonus: we were given free access to "Career Cruising" by virtue of taking the workshop. It's a great program (accessible from home) and it's been very helpful as well. If nothing else, all of the recurring outcomes have strengthened my belief that I'm heading in the right direction. I've also been spending time on LinkedIn, going through profiles to view work and education histories of people in the business. It's been nice to see so many similarities, education-wise, so I have a pretty good idea of what I am looking for to add to my credentials. I'm still using ALIS and even Google has been helpful for finding companies (big and small) where I can focus my work search.
Reminder, if you have three days to devote to this session (and you're in Alberta) I recommend it! Register here.
Wednesday 18 May 2016
Unemployment: Networking
Day One of the Career Planning Workshop
I have a pretty good class of eight people. The majority of us are quite interested in career change and we seem to be in approximately the same place mentally - out with the old and in with the new. That's encouraging. The facilitator has picked up on my experience and refers questions about post-secondary to me which is great. I'm very comfortable advising and I'm really enjoying being involved.
I was reminded today about the importance of sharing contact information when you're looking for work. I attended a two-day interview skills workshop a couple of years ago to brush up on my skills and I was partnered with a gentleman who was looking for work in the computer industry. He had immigrated from Isreal where he had been a university professor but his education wasn't recognized here.
About a week or so after that workshop ended, I saw a posting from the UofC for a visiting professor from Isreal (seriously, what are the freaking odds?!). I would love to say that I was able to contact him directly and let him know; but I can't. I called the place where we attended the workshop and asked them if they kept registration information from previous workshops. They told me they did not. I was really upset about it but who knows? Maybe he found it anyway... I hope he did.
It's also important to talk about your experience and goals with others. One of the participants in this class is an electrician and had been working in oil and gas. He had also taken an Instructor's course in BC and was certified as an Adult Education Instructor; he'd also worked on a contract in BC installing solar. He would like to instruct other electricians in the same and he's even created modules already.
The facilitator mentioned that she had heard something on the radio that morning about a group out of BC who was looking to do that as well, Iron and Earth. Later that night I saw a post on Facebook from my Aunt (who lives in BC) with the caption "I'm so proud of my son for being involved with this" - it was Iron and Earth. I wrote her, she wrote me, I emailed an introduction between my cousin and my fellow classmate. He replied to us and included the director. The director emailed all of us with a thank you and a promise to connect with my classmate privately. Very cool.
The facilitator has also asked me to connect with her on LinkedIn so I can view some more profiles and look at people's education and where they've worked to give me ideas. She has also offered to introduce me to her boss so I can have an informational interview with her. All in all, it was a fantastic first day!!
The facilitator also handed out a resource list of helpful books and I picked up "What Color is Your Parachute?" By Richard N. Bolles. So far, this is an excellent resource for exercises to determine your values and your interest areas. In particular, he has written a very thought provoking section about how to approach work search. He says that people applying for work solely through advertised postings are successful about 4% of the time. People using a mixed technique of networking and company/industry-focused research are successful 86% of the time. I believe I will be looking into the latter!
*"What Color is Your Parachute?" Could be available at your local library, definitely on Amazon.ca and possibly at your local bookstore.
I have a pretty good class of eight people. The majority of us are quite interested in career change and we seem to be in approximately the same place mentally - out with the old and in with the new. That's encouraging. The facilitator has picked up on my experience and refers questions about post-secondary to me which is great. I'm very comfortable advising and I'm really enjoying being involved.
I was reminded today about the importance of sharing contact information when you're looking for work. I attended a two-day interview skills workshop a couple of years ago to brush up on my skills and I was partnered with a gentleman who was looking for work in the computer industry. He had immigrated from Isreal where he had been a university professor but his education wasn't recognized here.
About a week or so after that workshop ended, I saw a posting from the UofC for a visiting professor from Isreal (seriously, what are the freaking odds?!). I would love to say that I was able to contact him directly and let him know; but I can't. I called the place where we attended the workshop and asked them if they kept registration information from previous workshops. They told me they did not. I was really upset about it but who knows? Maybe he found it anyway... I hope he did.
It's also important to talk about your experience and goals with others. One of the participants in this class is an electrician and had been working in oil and gas. He had also taken an Instructor's course in BC and was certified as an Adult Education Instructor; he'd also worked on a contract in BC installing solar. He would like to instruct other electricians in the same and he's even created modules already.
The facilitator mentioned that she had heard something on the radio that morning about a group out of BC who was looking to do that as well, Iron and Earth. Later that night I saw a post on Facebook from my Aunt (who lives in BC) with the caption "I'm so proud of my son for being involved with this" - it was Iron and Earth. I wrote her, she wrote me, I emailed an introduction between my cousin and my fellow classmate. He replied to us and included the director. The director emailed all of us with a thank you and a promise to connect with my classmate privately. Very cool.
The facilitator has also asked me to connect with her on LinkedIn so I can view some more profiles and look at people's education and where they've worked to give me ideas. She has also offered to introduce me to her boss so I can have an informational interview with her. All in all, it was a fantastic first day!!
The facilitator also handed out a resource list of helpful books and I picked up "What Color is Your Parachute?" By Richard N. Bolles. So far, this is an excellent resource for exercises to determine your values and your interest areas. In particular, he has written a very thought provoking section about how to approach work search. He says that people applying for work solely through advertised postings are successful about 4% of the time. People using a mixed technique of networking and company/industry-focused research are successful 86% of the time. I believe I will be looking into the latter!
*"What Color is Your Parachute?" Could be available at your local library, definitely on Amazon.ca and possibly at your local bookstore.
Tuesday 17 May 2016
Unemployment: Career Guessing
I've had some time to think about what I would like to do and I've made a decision: Career Counselling. If you recall, I mentioned that my work history is like a patchwork quilt. As luck would have it, I spent my four years in university working part-time as a post-secondary planning advisor and I really enjoyed it. The thing with being a post-secondary planning advisor is that I had to have a grasp of the bigger picture to help guide others in their decision-making. Basically, you had to know a lot about careers.
Hah, and that's not ironic. Knowing about many different careers and actually having one don't have to go hand-in-hand. Thinking back now I remember my supervisor telling me that she learned something new every time she heard one of my presentations. I learned so much in that role from the people I assisted and other service providers; I was also so genuinely interested in learning more that I built up a lot of knowledge. Out of the very many things I've done, this is the one that stands out as something I could really see myself pursuing.
I've done some research on educational requirements for these positions and they vary. (To find information on careers you're interested in, visit www.alis.alberta.ca. It's a fabulous site; I used it all the time as an advisor. As an added benefit, they have added something called Career Insite which can help you pinpoint possible careers based on your interest areas.) If I want to be a counsellor in a school, I might need to get more education but not necessarily. I'm kind of hung up on advancement though, so I will likely be getting more education somewhere.
I've looked at certificate programs and master's degrees so far, as well as further degree opportunities. Did you know that if you already have a degree you have the opportunity to complete another in only two years? At the UofC they offer the education degree (after-degree program) and since I already have a BA I can take another degree (BA only) with a different focus - like psychology - and complete it in two years. I'm kind of kicking myself for not doing what I think every classmate I had did - minor in psych. Mine was philosophy. I thought I wanted to go to law school after graduation and I figured it would help...
Part of the reason I'm looking forward to the career planning workshop is that it will give me an opportunity to scope out the competition; I mean, find out how the facilitator got into her line of work (and also the former...). Not being sure if I want to head back to school or to work is also on the list of things I need to figure out. With the economy the way it is right now, I'm considering the possibility that there won't be a job for me. If I'm still unemployed at the end of August, I'm going back. But will I take psychology or education? Not sure. That's the other reason I'm looking forward to the workshop. I need answers :)
Hah, and that's not ironic. Knowing about many different careers and actually having one don't have to go hand-in-hand. Thinking back now I remember my supervisor telling me that she learned something new every time she heard one of my presentations. I learned so much in that role from the people I assisted and other service providers; I was also so genuinely interested in learning more that I built up a lot of knowledge. Out of the very many things I've done, this is the one that stands out as something I could really see myself pursuing.
I've done some research on educational requirements for these positions and they vary. (To find information on careers you're interested in, visit www.alis.alberta.ca. It's a fabulous site; I used it all the time as an advisor. As an added benefit, they have added something called Career Insite which can help you pinpoint possible careers based on your interest areas.) If I want to be a counsellor in a school, I might need to get more education but not necessarily. I'm kind of hung up on advancement though, so I will likely be getting more education somewhere.
I've looked at certificate programs and master's degrees so far, as well as further degree opportunities. Did you know that if you already have a degree you have the opportunity to complete another in only two years? At the UofC they offer the education degree (after-degree program) and since I already have a BA I can take another degree (BA only) with a different focus - like psychology - and complete it in two years. I'm kind of kicking myself for not doing what I think every classmate I had did - minor in psych. Mine was philosophy. I thought I wanted to go to law school after graduation and I figured it would help...
Part of the reason I'm looking forward to the career planning workshop is that it will give me an opportunity to scope out the competition; I mean, find out how the facilitator got into her line of work (and also the former...). Not being sure if I want to head back to school or to work is also on the list of things I need to figure out. With the economy the way it is right now, I'm considering the possibility that there won't be a job for me. If I'm still unemployed at the end of August, I'm going back. But will I take psychology or education? Not sure. That's the other reason I'm looking forward to the workshop. I need answers :)
Monday 16 May 2016
Unemployment: The Beginning, Yet Not
As of February 29, 2016, I became unemployed. For the second time since I graduated from university in 2013. Before you think this doesn't apply to you, I'm 40. I'm also a mother of four and a spouse of a person who is also unemployed. We live in Alberta and you may have heard that our economy is in the dumps. (That's the PC way of putting it).
My husband was in the oilfield, has been since he was 17. I wasn't. Never have been, never will be (manual labour is so not my thing). I'm a people person. I'm also a people-helper person. I'm not in healthcare or social work or teaching.. Could be, but none of those are really my thing either.
I have a patchwork quilt of a resume. I have been employed in the private sector and in government, in management and non-management positions, front-line and back of house; I've been a waitress, sales manager, event coordinator, weigh-scale person, load checker person, trainer, presenter, retail manager, file clerk... You get the picture. I've done a lot of things.
When I became unemployed for the second time in three years, I decided I needed to pursue a career. I have a line on my resume about being (or becoming) a "subject-matter expert" but that really only applied to a few positions I've held; the few positions I really excelled at.
So when I became unemployed I took stock of my experience and decided to pursue something I really enjoyed. I decided I wanted to become a career counsellor. As luck would have it, I'd already been introduced to the field. While I was in university, I had a part-time job as a post-secondary ambassador which meant that I helped others look at what careers they wanted to pursue and the education they needed to get there.
I have learned a lot over the time I've been looking for satisfying work and I figured I would blog about it this time. The dates are out of whack with posting because I didn't want to post until I had found what I was looking for. SPOILER ALERT, if you're reading this, I have.
I've booked myself in for a career-planning workshop even though I think I know what I want to do. If you are in Alberta, you can find available sessions and registration information Here. I have a lot of helpful hints coming for the job search and I hope you find something useful in the next posts. Here's to finding that "just right for you" job!
My husband was in the oilfield, has been since he was 17. I wasn't. Never have been, never will be (manual labour is so not my thing). I'm a people person. I'm also a people-helper person. I'm not in healthcare or social work or teaching.. Could be, but none of those are really my thing either.
I have a patchwork quilt of a resume. I have been employed in the private sector and in government, in management and non-management positions, front-line and back of house; I've been a waitress, sales manager, event coordinator, weigh-scale person, load checker person, trainer, presenter, retail manager, file clerk... You get the picture. I've done a lot of things.
When I became unemployed for the second time in three years, I decided I needed to pursue a career. I have a line on my resume about being (or becoming) a "subject-matter expert" but that really only applied to a few positions I've held; the few positions I really excelled at.
So when I became unemployed I took stock of my experience and decided to pursue something I really enjoyed. I decided I wanted to become a career counsellor. As luck would have it, I'd already been introduced to the field. While I was in university, I had a part-time job as a post-secondary ambassador which meant that I helped others look at what careers they wanted to pursue and the education they needed to get there.
I have learned a lot over the time I've been looking for satisfying work and I figured I would blog about it this time. The dates are out of whack with posting because I didn't want to post until I had found what I was looking for. SPOILER ALERT, if you're reading this, I have.
I've booked myself in for a career-planning workshop even though I think I know what I want to do. If you are in Alberta, you can find available sessions and registration information Here. I have a lot of helpful hints coming for the job search and I hope you find something useful in the next posts. Here's to finding that "just right for you" job!
Friday 13 May 2016
It's Been a While
Actually, it's been a little less than 3 years, which is quite a long time. I've started this post a few times before but it never felt "right". I wanted to explain what was happening and I didn't quite know how - so I'll just say it: I didn't want to complain.
Among other things, I was struggling and it had nothing to do with the kids. I needed a job and I was downright depressed about the fact that I couldn't find one that was "fitting". I was also having this internal struggle with my whole brand - what exactly was "The Mom Evolution"? On the one hand, I wrote about the kids, so it was about my evolution as a Mom... Wasn't it?
Looking for work (and being ignored by more than a hundred companies) was mentally draining and I am big enough to admit I bit off more than I could chew with the additional blogs. At any rate, I may still have some issues with the brand but I've decided that there is more to the Mom Evolution than the kids because I have other things I want to write about and some people (particularly now) may find those things useful.
With that being said, I'll catch you up on the past few years; the kids have all aged three years and I find my initial reaction to a Facebook notification about how old my friends are is shock at how many years old they are (mind you I said "initial" reaction). As of today I am a mom of two teens, a middle schooler and a kindergartener. I've had three jobs and the last one (a horrid experience) just ended in February. My husband was laid off in November, I've become obsessed with Alberta politics, I've gained approximately 15 pounds and the vast majority of my clothes no longer fit.
None of the above is any major concern because I have had a great last few months (aside from the weight gain; it's been two and a half weeks since I ingested soda of any kind and we'll see if that is enough or if I actually have to start exercising). I'm going to start with a series on unemployment, career change and my very different experiences with the issue. Many people are struggling with it in AB as well and hopefully it will be helpful. I'm sure the kids will come up because it's not like I get through a day without one or more of them doing something worthy of writing about. Sometimes it might focus on me and I'm okay with that - hope you are too.
Among other things, I was struggling and it had nothing to do with the kids. I needed a job and I was downright depressed about the fact that I couldn't find one that was "fitting". I was also having this internal struggle with my whole brand - what exactly was "The Mom Evolution"? On the one hand, I wrote about the kids, so it was about my evolution as a Mom... Wasn't it?
Looking for work (and being ignored by more than a hundred companies) was mentally draining and I am big enough to admit I bit off more than I could chew with the additional blogs. At any rate, I may still have some issues with the brand but I've decided that there is more to the Mom Evolution than the kids because I have other things I want to write about and some people (particularly now) may find those things useful.
With that being said, I'll catch you up on the past few years; the kids have all aged three years and I find my initial reaction to a Facebook notification about how old my friends are is shock at how many years old they are (mind you I said "initial" reaction). As of today I am a mom of two teens, a middle schooler and a kindergartener. I've had three jobs and the last one (a horrid experience) just ended in February. My husband was laid off in November, I've become obsessed with Alberta politics, I've gained approximately 15 pounds and the vast majority of my clothes no longer fit.
None of the above is any major concern because I have had a great last few months (aside from the weight gain; it's been two and a half weeks since I ingested soda of any kind and we'll see if that is enough or if I actually have to start exercising). I'm going to start with a series on unemployment, career change and my very different experiences with the issue. Many people are struggling with it in AB as well and hopefully it will be helpful. I'm sure the kids will come up because it's not like I get through a day without one or more of them doing something worthy of writing about. Sometimes it might focus on me and I'm okay with that - hope you are too.
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