January Job Finding Club

Pls be advised that the YWCA will be hosting its first (for 2015) Job Finding Club during the month of January… Monday, January 12, 2015 to Friday, January 30, 2015, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 11:30 am with ‘home work’, this includes cold calls.

The Pre-session will take place Wednesday, January 7, 2015 @ Saskatoon YWCA (9:00 am – 11:00 am) in the 3^rd floor Job Finding Club Room.  Attendance at a Pre-session is mandatory.

The Job Finding Club will begin Monday, January 12, 2015 with Pam Coates and Murray Gross facilitating.

If job seekers wish to register, they should speak directly to YWCA Reception at 306-244-7034 ext. 131.  Job seekers and employment counsellors who have questions may wish to speak directly to me at 306-244-7034 ext. 133.

There is no cost to job seekers for participation in this Job Finding Club.

Please share this information with job seekers and employment counsellors. 

NOTE: Our Job Finding Club is based on the work of Dr. Nathan Azrin.  The Job Finding Club employs group job hunting techniques for job–ready clients.  The activities of the Job Finding Club are directive and adhere to a standardized process.  The activities and procedures are designed to achieve the single, overriding objective of the Job Finding Club: to help the job seeker find a job of the highest feasible quality within the shortest feasible time.

Seasons Greetings from the YWCA E&L Centre

Interview Questions: Rational

6 Things That Will Kill Your Job Interview

By The NonProfit Times - November 13, 2014

There are certain things you should never say or do during a job interview, whether it’s in person, on the phone, or on Skype. No matter how skillfully you answered other questions, making one huge mistake could be the difference between getting hired or not.

According to Bruce A. Hurwitz, vice president of New York City-based Joel H. Paul & Associates, Inc., an interview will get you in the door but your behavior and appearance can get you quickly kicked out again.

Hurwitz explained how to prepare for the big interview at a recent Fundraising Day in New York held by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater New York Chapter. He mentioned that candidates should not do any of the following things:

• Be late.
• Bring coffee. Take care of your java fix before the interview.
• Speak ill of your previous or current employers.
• Bring up salary or benefits. If the employer does, be honest about what you’ve made and what you need to make.
• Be modest. This is your time to shine. Emphasize what you personally have done and what you’ve done in a team setting. Tell them how you would fix their problems.
• Bring notes. Prepare beforehand for questions but try not to sound rehearsed.

Things You Should Never Do At Work (Part 5) By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

The 5 things you should never do at work are:

5. Burn bridges

Literally the biggest lesson I’ve learned in business is that success is all about relationships. It’s truly about who you know, and how they feel and think about you (and how you make them feel). I’m not saying that your amazing talent and skill aren’t important. Of course they are. I am saying that we don’t thrive and succeed alone. We need other people. And these people are not just our former bosses – they are people who reported to you, teamed with you, shared coffee and drinks with you, took training sessions with you, got yelled at alongside of you, and weathered tough times with you.

Every single one of your relationships is vitally important to you and your future, so craft them with care. Avoid people you don’t trust or like, but don’t burn bridges. After 30 years in business I’ve seen that there are hundreds of people we interact with daily who eventually could become our strongest allies, advocates and fans, if we protect and nurture our relationships as the key, enriching asset they are.

Service Canada to Move to Market Mall

Saskatoon's Service Canada offices will move on December 1, 2014

The current offices located in the Federal Building at the corner of 22nd Street and 2nd Avenue will close at noon on November 28, 2014. 

The new offices will re-open at Market Mall (2325 Preston Avenue) on December 1, 2014.

The federal government says the mall provides more parking, which is free of charge, and is still on a main transit route.

Service Canada provides services such as passports, tax credits, firearms licenses, and access to information.

This Blog will soon be closing

Dear YWCA Saskatoon Employment and Learning Blog readers:

In order to offer YWCA Saskatoon customers and clients a better and more seamless social media experience, the YWCA's social media presence is changing.

As such, this Blog will be closing in the coming weeks.

If you wish to continue to follow the Blog posts, please visit one of the two locations listed below:
 

http://ywcasaskatoon.com/category/employment-and-learning/

http://ywcasaskatoon.com/employment-learning/

Thank you for your interest in this blog, we look forward to serving you at the new blog address.

Things You Should Never Do At Work (Part 4) By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

The 5 things you should never do at work are:

4. Proclaim that you’re miserable

Just the other day, I was talking to a former client who had marched into her boss’s office that week and shared that she was miserable at work and volunteered for a severance package. I’ve done that myself – been so unhappy at work that I put my hand up for a package. I didn’t get it, and neither did my client. After sharing that news and not receiving the package, you’re stuck in a deeply unsettling situation of the employer knowing you’re a terrible fit for your role. There are a few specific instances where this might be the right move, but in general, sharing that you hate your job is not the way to go.

But what if it’s the truth? My father used to say that there are 10 different ways to say anything, and I think he’s right. Phrases like “miserable,” “unhappy,” “fed up,” “ready to leave,” and “need to go” are not helpful when you’re talking to your colleagues, bosses, or HR staff.

What is the better way? Talk about what you’re great at and love to do, what you’ve accomplished, and what you’re ready for. Share your work highlights and new directions you’re excited and committed to take your career, and discuss your plans and desires for growth and change. Open the door for new opportunities at your current employer that will expand our skills, your resume and your talents. Try to find ways at your current job (where you’re already getting paid) to grow, stretch and build yourself. Explore every option available to you for becoming what you want to without walking out in anger and disgust. Your employer might very well be able to sponsor and support your growth and change, but it won’t happen if you stomp in and say “I’m miserable and it’s your fault.”

Quote of the Week

DECEMBER Job Finding Cub

Pls be advised that the YWCA will be hosting a 3 week long JFC during the month of December Monday December 1, 2014 to Friday December 19, 2014, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 11:30 am with ‘home work’, which includes cold calls.

The Pre-session will take place Wednesday November 26, 2014 @ Saskatoon YWCA (9:00  am – 11:00 am) in the 3^rd floor Job Finding Club Room.  Attendance at a Pre-session is mandatory.

The Job Finding Club will begin  Monday December 1, 2014 with Pam Coates and Murray Gross facilitating.

If job seekers wish to register, they should speak directly to YWCA Reception at 306-244-7034 ext. 131.  Job seekers and employment counsellors who have questions may wish to speak directly to me at 306-244-7034 ext. 133.

There is no cost to job seekers for participation in this Job Finding Club.

Please share this information with job seekers and employment counsellors. 

NOTE: Our Job Finding Club is based on the work of Dr. Nathan Azrin.  The Job Finding Club employs group job hunting techniques for job–ready clients.  The activities of the Job Finding Club are directive and adhere to a standardized process.  The activities and procedures are designed to achieve the single, overriding objective of the Job Finding Club: to help the job seeker find a job of the highest feasible quality within the shortest feasible time.

Things You Should Never Do At Work ( Part 3) By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

The 5 things you should never do at work are:

3. Lie

We tell lies most often when we think that the truth will hurt us somehow, or when we want to avoid facing the consequences of our truth. The problem with lying is two-fold: 1) When you tell yourself you’re not capable of facing reality or dealing with the consequences, you make yourself right – you’ll grow less powerful, capable, bold, respectable, and trustworthy over time, and 2) the lies you tell must be perpetuated, which is exhausting and drains you from vital energy you need to reach your fullest potential.

If you have told lies at work – about your skills and talents, experience and background, about the status of work you’re overseeing, or about who you are and what you are capable of, I’d highly recommend taking a long, hard look at what you’re afraid of, and instead of keeping up the front, get in the cage with those fears and begin working through them.

Things You Should Never Do At Work ( Part 2) By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

The 5 things you should never do at work are:

2. Backstab your colleagues

I’m astounded at how many people today feel completely comfortable ridiculing, disparaging or undermining their colleagues, co-workers and even their friends. I used to be that kind of person – talking behind someone’s back if I felt they were behaving poorly, meanly, or less than professionally. I learned later (in my therapy training) that this is called triangulation – telling a third party about something that makes you anxious or upset instead of dealing with it head on with the individual in question. Why do we do that? Because we lack the courage and fortitude to address the problem directly, or we feel it just won’t work out if we do. It relieves our anxiety to share the problem, but it does nothing to resolve it.

Other folks may call this “gossip” (gossip, by the way, is another “must not do” in the workplace). But backstabbing your colleagues is a special brand of negative behavior because it aims to hurt. And when you desire to hurt others, it will be you who suffers. In one job, I backstabbed a colleague because it seemed that she received all the accolades, promotions and perks because of her beauty and her obsequiousness to our bosses. All of that might have been true, but trying to take her down behind her back didn’t work. That behavior never will, in the long run. You’ll only embarrass and humiliate yourself and it will come back around to bite you eventually.

Quote of the Week

Today is Take Our Kids to Work Day

DAY

Imagine the Possibilities.

Things You Should Never Do At Work (Part 1) By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

Today we begin a five part series on 'Things You Should Never Do At Work"........

By: Kathy Caprino from LinkedIn

I had an 18-year corporate career in publishing and marketing that was highly successful on the outside, but on the inside, it was not. I rose to the level of Vice President and managed multimillion-dollar budgets and global initiatives, but throughout my career, I faced a number of excruciating experiences of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, work-life balance failures, chronic illness and exhaustion, being sabotaged and betrayed by colleagues, and the continual nagging feeling that I was meant for different work (but simply couldn’t figure out what it was).

And I made a great number of huge mistakes. I did some important things right too, but my missteps were legendary (at least in my own mind). When I look back on my 30 years of working, and the careers of the hundreds of folks I train, coach and teach, five blunders stand out from all the rest as the most negative, damaging, and irreversible in your career and professional life.

The 5 things you should never do at work are: 

1. Speak, behave or quit out of rage or revenge

Most people spend more hours at work than anywhere else, so it’s normal and expected that we will experience the full gamut of emotions while engaged in our work. I’m all for bringing our whole selves to work as well, and being as authentic, honest, and transparent as humanly possible at our jobs. That said, I’ve watched the inevitable destruction of losing control of your emotions and acting out rashly and impulsively from rage or despair.

For example, in my early 20’s, I screamed an obscenity at the top of my lungs to my boss who I felt was harassing me, and I did it in front of the entire office. He had no choice but to fire me. Thankfully, I had another job offer in the wings so the damage was not too serious. While it felt fantastic (for one split second) to swear at him, what has stayed with me over time is the shock and shame of how out of control I felt during that time. I vowed never to lose it like that and act out of rage or fury again. If you act impulsively and rashly at work, you will likely lose much more than your self-respect.

Quote of the Week

Before Noon

Quote of the Week

Meet and Greet Hudson's Bay

Date:

Tuesday November 4^th at 2pm

Hosted at:

Hudson’s Bay Company

Midtown Plaza

201 1^st Avenue South

Saskatoon, SK 

***We will meet at the “Associate’s Lunchroom” which can be found on the 2^nd Floor near the entrance to the mall.

For more information:

Please call: (306) 244-7034 ext. 176

Employer:

Hudson’s Bay Company has been an iconic Canadian retailer specializing in fashion apparel, cosmetics and home goods for many decades. They create signature customer service experiences to promote continued consumer engagement. By joining the Hudson’s Bay Company, one can contribute their skills to this vibrant organization and their professional team!

Note:

-APPLY

Please apply online at https://hbc.mua.hrdepartment.com/hrsmart/ats/JobSearch/search to the position(s) you prefer before the session.

-CALL

After applying online, applicants can call/leave a message for Elaine Meketuik the General Manager at (306) 242-7611 ext. 255 to confirm online application and attendance at the Employer Visit session

-ATTEND

Lastly, job-seekers are asked to dress in “business casual” wear for the session and bring along an  “Associate Availability Form” choosing one preference for: “Full-time” or “Flexible Full-time” (28-40hrs) or “Regular Part-time” (15-40hrs) or “Part-time – Auxiliary” (Floating) or “Seasonal” (throughout holiday season).  See your Employment Counselor for a copy of the form.

Job Interview Tips

Quote of the Week

Workplace Health and Safety Matters

Leading the Way for Leaders of Tomorrow

Workplace Health and Safety Matters is the blog of Steve Horvath, President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. In a recent blog post, Steve shared his thoughts on various initiatives focused on young worker health and safety. We have seen a decline in workplace injury rates among 15 - 19 years old across Canada, which I believe is due, in part, to efforts to incorporate young worker awareness and education programs into the regular education curriculum. The last few weeks have underscored some of our efforts in developing our youth to be future leaders in health and safety. First, on behalf of our Council of Governors, CCOHS has awarded its 12th annual Dick Martin Scholarship, a national award to recognize students enrolled in a Canadian occupational health and safety degree or diploma program, and to encourage their pursuit of a career in workplace health and safety. Congratulations to this year's deserving winners: Jodie Chadbourn (Ontario) and Kathy Lee (Saskatchewan), who each received $3000. Their academic institutions, the University of New Brunswick and the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, also each received $500. In addition, CCOHS continues to support the annual "It's Your Job" youth video contest. All Canadian secondary school students begin their competition through provincial and territorial contests administered by their respective ministries and departments of labour. They are challenged to use their creativity to develop an original video that can be used in social media to communicate with their peers about working safely on the job. The winners in each jurisdiction then compete at a national level contest. Congratulations to this year's national winners: First place: Ben Croskery, John McCrae Secondary School, Ottawa, ON Second place: Pranay Noel, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School, Mississauga, ON Third place: Dane Cutliffe, Colonel Gray High School, PEI Fan Favourite: Dylan Pappenfoot, Logan Seipp and Dylan Stadnyk, Humboldt Collegiate Institute, Humboldt, SK As well, I am co-chair of the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work's symposium on "Creating a Safe and Healthy Learning and Working Environment" which integrates workplace, community and education groups toward our common goal of developing a young worker safety culture. In that role I also have the privilege of welcoming the delegates from the International Youth Congress - attending from around the world - to the 2014 World Congress next month in Frankfurt, Germany. Here at CCOHS, in the past couple of decades, we have focused on programs to empower youth in creating a new generation of workplaces that embrace a culture of prevention. But success cannot be achieved in isolation, so our continued efforts to promote and coordinate a holistic approach to young worker safety will integrate with the efforts of workplace, community and education institutions. Together, we head toward the common goal of creating a culture of prevention in all workplaces. Read Steve's blog, Workplace Health and Safety Matters.

Quote of the Week

Seven Impressive Questions to ask an Interviewer

Quote of the Week

MINIMUM WAGE TO INCREASE TODAY

In April, the Government of Saskatchewan will increase the province's minimum wage from $10 to $10.20 per hour effective October 1, 2014.  The Government also announced it would introduce regulations to provide for regular indexing of the minimum wage each year.

Highlights of the new minimum wage regulation will include:

• Indexation formula will be based on the equal weighting of the percentage changes in the Consumer Price Index and Average Hourly Wage for the previous year.
• A change in the minimum wage will be announced on or before June 30 of each year, with that change coming in effect on October 1 of the same year

Back Safety

Quote of the Week

Trade Journey

GET 16 WEEKS TRAINING IN CARPENTRY, PLUMBING, OR SHEET METAL FABRICATION.

The program includes:

• Free skills training for 16 weeks with a group of women
• Opportunity to experience 3 trades
• Help finding your new job and starting out
• Employer contacts and interview preparation
• Support as you work toward your apprenticeship
• Support every step of the way

It’s perfect for women who are:

• Positive, hard-working and enjoy learning
• Healthy and active
• Ready for new challenges

YOUR TRADE JOURNEY STARTS TODAY!

Your journey into the trades starts with a single step.

Attend an information session to learn more about the program, see how it works and hear from other women who are already working in the trades.

Your journey doesn’t end when you finish your training.

We’ll support you as you start your career in the trades, find your first job and work towards your apprenticeship.

We're with you every step of the way.

We want to empower you to succeed in the trades, learn new skills and build a better life. For over 100 years, YWCA Saskatoon has helped women and their families move out of poverty, violence and hopelessness. Join us and take your first steps toward a better job, higher pay and brighter future.

REGISTER NOW!

Register for one of our information sessions below.

Please select the session you are interested in:*

Mon. Oct. 20, 9:30am - YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Mamawopiwin Room (206)Mon. Oct. 20, 1:30pm – YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Mamawopiwin Room (206)Tues. Oct. 21, 1:30pm – Mayfair Library, 602-33rd Street WestWed. Oct. 22, 6:30pm – Cliff Wright Library, 1635 McKercher DriveThurs. Oct. 23, 9:30am - YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Village Lounge (204)Thurs. Oct. 23, 1:30pm – YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Village Lounge (204)Sat. Oct. 25, 1:00pm - Library on 20th Street, 100-219 Ave. K SouthMon. Oct. 27, 9:30am – Cosmo Civic Centre, 3130 Laurier Drive, Meeting Room ATues. Oct. 28, 9:00am – YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Village Lounge (204)Wed. Oct. 29, 7:00pm – YWCA, 510-25th Street East, Employment and Learning Centre (200)

Interested women can register online at http://www.ywcatradejourney.ca

Quote of the Week

Morning Mixer

Job Interview - Preparing For

Quote of the Week

Labour Day - The Employment and Learning Centre is Closed

We will be closed Monday September 1, 2014.

We will re-open Tuesday September 2, 2014 

for regular business at 8:30 am.

Labour Day in Canada is celebrated on the first Monday of September. It originally gave workers the chance to campaign for better working conditions or pay. The day is now part of a long weekend for many Canadians.

The origins of Labour Day can be traced back to April 15, 1872, when the Toronto Trades Assembly organized Canada's first significant demonstration for worker's rights. The aim of the demonstration was to release the 24 leaders of the Toronto Typographical Union who were imprisoned for striking to campaign for a nine-hour working day. At this time, trade unions were still illegal and striking was seen as a criminal conspiracy to disrupt trade. In spite of this, the Toronto Trades Assembly was already a significant organization and encouraged workers to form trade unions, mediated in disputes between employers and employees and signaled the mistreatment of workers.

There was enormous public support for the parade and the authorities could no longer deny the important role that the trade unions had to play in the emerging Canadian society. A few months later, a similar parade was organized in Ottawa and passed the house of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John Macdonald. Later in the day, he appeared before the gathering and promised to repeal all Canadian laws against trade unions. This happened in the same year and eventually led to the founding of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1883.

Labour Day was originally celebrated in the spring but it was moved to the fall after 1894. A similar holiday, Labor Day is held on the same day in the United States of America. Canadian trade unions are proud that this holiday was inspired by their efforts to improve workers' rights. Many countries have a holiday to celebrate workers' rights on or around May 1.

Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/

Quote of the Week

Networking

From the Employment and Learning Computer Lab:

When looking for a job, there are many ways to network, including people you know such as family, relatives, friends and even neighbors. Some others include:

• Former supervisors and colleagues
• Group leaders, such as members of the clergy or clubs
• Classmates or instructors
• Service and professional people
• Fellow commuters, customers and patrons
• Former customers, clients or even competitors
• Parents of your children’s friends
• Children’s teachers, coaches or counsellors
• People you meet at special occasions, such as weddings and a parties
• Casual acquaintances, including friends of friends
• Special interest groups and clubs
• Professionals, such as dentists, lawyers, doctors, repair persons

Quote of the Week

SEPTEMBER Job Finding Club

Dear Job Seekers:

Pls be advised that the YWCA will be hosting a 3 week long JFC during the month of September, Monday September 8 to Friday September 26, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 11:30 am with ‘home work’, which includes cold calls.

The Pre-session will take place Wednesday September 3 @ Saskatoon YWCA (9:00  am – 11:30 am) in the 3^rd floor Job Finding Club Room.  Attendance at a Pre-session is mandatory.

The Job Finding Club will begin  Monday September 8, 20 14 with Pam Coates and Murray Gross facilitating.

If job seekers wish to register, they should speak directly to YWCA Reception at 306-244-7034 ext. 131.  Job seekers and employment counsellors who have questions may wish to speak directly to me at 306-244-7034 ext. 133.

There is no cost to job seekers for participation in this Job Finding Club.

Please share this information with job seekers and employment counsellors. 

NOTE: Our Job Finding Club is based on the work of Dr. Nathan Azrin.  The Job Finding Club employs group job hunting techniques for job–ready clients.  The activities of the Job Finding Club are directive and adhere to a standardized process.  The activities and procedures are designed to achieve the single, overriding objective of the Job Finding Club: to help the job seeker find a job of the highest feasible quality within the shortest feasible time.

Meet and Greet with HANDY GROUP OF COMPANIES

Essential Skills that Employers are looking for...part 7

Essential Skills that Employers are looking for

From the website theheadhunters.ca by Renee Luk a series of seven short articles on essential skills that employers are looking for.  

Are you hoping to land that perfect job just out of college, or are you about to begin your search for new employment after years in the same job?

The ability to work under pressure

Crises happen. What’s important is not that they do happen, necessarily, but how you handle them. Employers look to you to remain calm under pressure and to simply stay on task get the job done with a cool head. 

Quote of the Week

Essential Skills that Employers are looking for...part 6

Essential Skills that Employers are looking for

From the website theheadhunters.ca by Renee Luk a series of seven short articles on essential skills that employers are looking for.  

Are you hoping to land that perfect job just out of college, or are you about to begin your search for new employment after years in the same job?

Natural leadership skills

Even though you may not assume a leadership position right away, employers look for candidates who can motivate colleagues and fellow team members and keep everyone on task as applicable. If you exude an air of honest confidence, can delegate as necessary, set deadlines and keep to them, and demonstrate your own solid work ethic and a good example to others, you are well on your way.