As I celebrate 25 years working at EPC, I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone by. Starting twelve years after the organization opened its’ doors, I was present for a significant transition whereby our youth employment counselling center became a one-stop resource for job seekers of all ages. However, his story is not about me or EPC but instead focused on the founder of this progressive, client-centered not-for-profit organization, Bill O’Byrne. If you don’t believe that one person can make a dramatic impact on an entire community, I urge you to read on.

When a job ad says the organization prioritizes applications from underrepresented groups (and lists them), should you identify that you are a part of any/some of those groups in your application? What about in the case of disabilities including mental illness?
The problem with self-disclosure even in instances where companies are striving to use more equitable hiring practices, is that employers can appear to, and even believe that they are satisfying their mandate to hire diverse employees while still discriminating by choosing among "preferred” barriers to employment.

As Career Practitioners, we are often asked “Where are the jobs?” In the pre-digital world, that was a bit easier to predict, however recent statistics have indicated that, “By 2030, the majority of jobs that will be in demand do not even exist yet” (Ontario Centers of Excellence Advancing Education Program). That statement alone can be very distressing or motivating, depending on your life perspective. What does become clear is that our ability to embrace lifelong learning, be adaptable and multi-skilled will better position us for the careers of the future.
We know that the employment landscape continues to change with a decrease in long-term full-time positions to an increase in self-employment, contract and remote work. Rohit Talwar – Fast Future (2017) cites, “Canadians entering the work force today can expect to hold 40 different jobs in ten completely different career paths in their lives.” That is a long way from the full-time permanent jobs available in the generation before us. Given the fact that, “51 percent of people are staying at a job for less than two years” (Workopolis, 2017), the concept of choosing a forever career is not as feasible as it once was. The world is changing and, like it or not, we must keep up in order to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

We so often hear people referring to the concept of the ‘dream job’. Whether measured by responsibilities, status, income or additional benefits, the dream job tends to be more of a long term goal for most of us. But first, we must conquer the entry level job to get our feet wet, learn to manage employer expectations, customer complaints, deadlines, workplace politics, and job-related challenges.  

It is no secret that the majority of employers have deemed a high school diploma to be a minimum requirement for even the most entry level jobs. While this proves to be an issue for some, there are viable options to make sure that you are able to readily compete in today’s market. One of those options is to obtain the General Educational Development Certificate, otherwise known as the GED. There is a testing site in Peterborough where both the GED Final can be written as well as the preparation assessment otherwise known as the pre-test. The Pre-test can be taken in the evening or during the daytime. The Ministry Final is scheduled on weekends providing access for those who are working full time.

As an agency, EPC is fortunate to have good working relationships with so many local employers. When asked to sit on an Employer Panel for Career Week, we were able to have representatives from the social service, hospitality, technical support, security, and skilled trades sectors attend. Their candid comments on what to include in a resume, what skill sets and employee characteristics to highlight, and their hiring practices will undoubtedly help with your future job search efforts.

While many have heard of informational interviews, there are few job seekers that feel comfortable contacting an employer with such a request.
What kind of questions do I ask? Will I be bothering them? How is it going to help me in the long run?
These are common and very legitimate questions that we hear often. This post is designed to help you develop a clearer understanding of the benefits of an informational interview and the process involved.
First, let’s start by making the distinction between a job interview and an informational interview. A job interview is arranged by a potential employer in response to your job application. It indicates that you are seen as a suitable candidate for the position and are moving on to the next step in the recruitment process. On the other hand, an informational interview is arranged by the job seeker, displaced worker, career changer, recent graduate or aspiring student.

To say that deciding what you want to do for the rest of your life before age 18 is difficult is an understatement. With an ever changing labour market, it is predicted that by 2020 many of the careers that will be lucrative do not even exist yet. In addition, we have seen an emerging pattern of multiple careers over one’s work lifetime. What that means is the work life your parents knew with full time, permanent, lifetime positions with benefits and a company pension plan is not the vocational landscape of today. Yet, due to the changes in the world of work, there are also more opportunities to land international jobs, work in the gig economy, pursue careers related to innovation, or develop your entrepreneurial spirit by finding unique ways to solve current problems.
That being said, you may now find yourself at a crossroad attempting to identify whether employment, post-secondary education, apprenticeship, volunteerism or travel is the next step for you. We have devised a checklist of recommendations and resources to help you with this decision.