If you are the financial type, Scotiabank is not a bad place to be looking for jobs. Corporate hiring has increased in the last two years (although it may level off in 2012) with about 200 to 300 positions posted each month on the Scotiabank site.

Scotiabank is looking for "everything," says Mike van Doorn, senior manager of staffing and planning, who spoke last month at an information session held at JVS Employment Source North. Indeed, the site highlights a number of positions that range from contact centre reps to project managers to IT specialists.

You're encouraged to apply online for these jobs as about half of all corporate positions are filled through the job board. Van Doorn's colleague, Scotiabank recruiter Lucy Zhuang, a former JVS client, also mentioned networking as an alternate way to get your foot in the door. (While participating in a JVS program Zhuang found a mentor who had worked at Scotiabank which lead to information interviews with Scotiabank personnel and eventually a job offer.)

After applying online, your resumé goes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Applicants who do not possess key hard skills (skills specific to a particular occupation) or who have spelling or grammatical errors in their applications will be screened out. Zhuang stresses that you should always customize your resumé and she further advises anyone applying for a job to think about what the employer needs. "Don't try to sell [someone] a house when they want to buy a condo."

Van Doorn has some further insight on the application process, pointing out that it's better to apply to a position sooner rather than later as HR personnel sometimes start going through resumés early. Also, van Doorn, who prefers a chronological style resumé, pays the most attention to an applicant's last few jobs and doesn't pay much heed to cover letters, mainly reading them to get a sense of a candidate's grammatical and communications skills. (Contrast this to Ryerson University where your application will be rejected if you do not send a cover letter.)

If your application makes it through the ATS human resources staff may call you for a short screening interview. If you make the final shortlist, you'll be asked to attend an in-person behavioural interview. Depending on the hiring manager you may have to attend yet another behavioural interview as well as a panel interview.

According to van Doorn interviews at Scotiabank focus on applicants' soft skills. In the Canadian market soft skills have a high value especially for more senior level jobs, says van Doorn. In his opinion, job hunters sometimes stop their job search to go back and get more certification [thinking this will make them more employable], when it might have served them better to have focused on improving their soft skills.

Note that Scotiabank does not list pay grades. So to prepare for questions about salaries, you need to do research on such sites at Glassdoor.com, which contains salary information for many companies. (Glassdoor also provides reviews of companies by employees or former employees. As well, people who have had an job interview with a particular company write about their experience.)

If you think you qualify for a job at Scotiabank, apply now and always keep plugged into poss.ca. Come March we'll have a feature on working in banks.

kathyo

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Recently I did some freelance work and after my article was published I received a contract to sign before getting paid. Thankfully, a good friend suggested I read the contract closely before signing and perhaps even show it to a lawyer. It was so little money that I couldn't justify showing to a lawyer but I read it very closely and realized that I was asked to sign off on a lot of things I didn't agree with. Some of those things had to do with use of the idea, some with future promotional material and such. I was happy and flattered to have the article published but the contract made it seem like they wanted a slice of my brain to go along with it and the ability to reproduce the piece ad nauseam without giving me jack for it.

I'm not particularly greedy but if you've followed the relatively recent Heather Robertson class action suit you know that freelance work is often republished under questionable circumstances with everyone making a profit ... except for the freelancer. The point of this post is not to complain about freelancer's trials and tribulations but to remind you, dear readers, that reading a contract -- any contract -- is probably the nicest and smartest thing you can do for yourself. Especially when accepting a new job, freelance or otherwise. My contract arrived after the job was done (which is unusual) and it's my own fault for not insisting on seeing it sooner but I'm still glad I listened to my friend and read it. I haven't signed it yet and I'm certainly giving the magazine's legal team a run for their money but it's better than having to deal with bitterness and surprise when seeing it promoting Viagara or Gap jeans months from now and wondering what the hell?

Jowita

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There's been a lot of attention placed on Employment Insurance lately. We've covered it in two recent blogs already but it seems that the problems continue to plague the program and people are paying close attention. This is good because if you've ever used it, you know that it's not the easiest system to navigate and if -- god forbid – you make a boo-boo, it's very difficult to fix it.

An article in The Globe and Mail, Employment Insurance System Unjust and Inefficient, Report Finds by Barrie McKenna forgoes pointing out the issues with the actual application system but instead focused on how the program itself seems to be set up on some questionable values and how it gets misused.

The article talked about the new findings from the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation at the University of Toronto that concluded the $22-billion EI system was "out of step with the modern workplace."

The Mowat report pointed out that they system is outdated and badly set up. It's also abused by some employers and its set up leaves a lot to desire. Here are some of the EI problems outlined in the article:

• What you earn and how long you must work to collect is determined by the unemployment rate in 58 zones rather than real need.
• Newfoundland recoups about $5 in benefits for every $1 it puts in. Ontario gets about 60 cents.
• The program was built for the 1970s, when workers spent most of their careers with one employer. Today, Canadians are more likely to change jobs, work part-time or be self-employed. Structural changes in the economy mean some lost jobs may never return and some workers will need more training to make them employable.
• Employers have also learned to exploit the system. Auto makers use EI to subsidize the retooling of their plants by essentially mothballing their workforce. Municipal school boards lay off bus drivers, cafeteria workers and cleaners in the summer.

Jowita

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If you've ever received employment insurance (EI) you might be familiar with how frustrating the system can get, especially if the bills are piling up like crazy and you can't find a job. I used it ages ago and back then it was relatively easy to apply for and the delays weren't ridiculous. In the beginning when the money was late I was able to borrow money from friends and never got into a frustrated mode that would have had me initiate an official complaint. And the money showed up eventually with only a slight delay, less than a month. But that was then.

Now, the news is that the already reduced number of employees from Service Canada is going to be reduced even further. The phone lines are already jammed with frustrated callers still waiting for their first EI cheque. There's an office called the Office of Client Satisfaction, where you can make a complaint that has to be addressed within five business days (it used to be two business days). However, as according to The Globe and Mail article Service Canada Employees Told to Keep Mum on Existence of Complaints Office call centre agents are discouraged from telling clients about the Office of Client Satisfaction. Why this is happening appears to be a mystery. And, sadly, despite the fact that the office promises to work to "resolve any issues brought to its attention," even some of the Service Canada employees say that the place is staffed with overworked agents who can't keep the two-to-five day call back promise anyway.

At the same time, calling the office does seem to help. Jamus Dorey, mentioned in the article, is a single father from Nova Scotia who had his claim approved within a short period of time after calling the Office of Client Satisfaction (this after waiting for his first cheque for two months!). He was told about the office by the staff working for Mr. Dorey's MP -- not by anyone from Service Canada as you'd expect.

I bet some of the current clients of EI can relate to this hilarious bureaucratic nightmare.

Jowita

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Over the last year I've seen countless press releases like this one promoting thousands of green energy jobs. Happily, some of those green energy jobs might go to Torontonians receiving Ontario Works assistance. This week a variety of positions within the solar energy sector were posted on the Toronto Employment & Social Services Employment Opportunities System (EOS) site.

In the keyword search field enter "solar" to view the following positions:

• Project Manager, Grid Tie
• Junior Systems Designer
• Senior Systems Designer, Grid Tie
• Sales Positions
• Rooftop Installers
• Business Development Representative
• Commercial Sales Manager
• Executive Assistant
• Partner Accountant Manager
• Project Coordinators
• Solar Energy Advisors
• Business Development Manager
• Warehouse & Scheduling Manager
• Solar Installers (Crew members and leaders)

The deadline is Nov. 22. You'll need to set-up a profile in the EOS system before you can apply for any of the positions. By the way, you can find out more about solar installers in our Whatever-the-Weather Careers article.

kathyo

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I'm angry. And I'm not alone. Looks like 99 per cent of people in North America are. I won't tell you what exactly I'm angry about (okay, student loans) but there's comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one. At the same time, when I read some of the accounts of people on the wearethe99percent.tumblr.com site, I count my blessings for living in a country that has free health care -- with the sort of year I've just had, I'd probably be out on the street due to medical bills had I lived in the U.S. What I'm also angry about is that my sister's generation (the 20-somethings) is now going through its phase of disillusionment after graduating and not being able to find a job. In the article The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright in New York magazine, Noreen Malone talks about recent graduates and cites statistics such as this: "Nearly 14 percent of college graduates from the classes of 2006 through 2010 can't find full-time work, and overall just 55.3 percent of people ages 16 to 29 have jobs. That's the lowest percentage since World War II." The mood among unemployed graduates is sombre and many young people are bitter, such as the young guy quoted who says, "If I could go back again, I think I’d try ... not going to college."

So that's the U.S. but what about here? In the article Are Young Canadians Really Better Off Than Young Americans? Jacob Serebrin writes, "Youth unemployment rates are similar too. Is there much difference between the 14 per cent rate reported by Statistics Canada and the 18 per cent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics?" He adds, "18.5 per cent of Canadian grads earns less than half our country’s median income of $37,002. That's the highest number of underpaid and over-educated citizens in the OECD. Think about it. One in five university grads in Canada makes less than $18,501."

That is if they can find a job. Right now, my sister and her boyfriend are still trying to find jobs in their field. It's been five months since they've graduated so they remain hopeful and neither of them have student loans, but so far it's been pretty grim. No one has said anything about regretting all those years of education but I do ask: What was all that effort for?

Jowita

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Did you ever want the inside scoop on elections? You can get your chance this fall if you apply for one of the more than 70,000 temporary jobs needed for the Ontario election.

In each electoral district, people will be hired to work at the returning office and at voting stations. Poll officials (who must be Canadian Citizens and residents of Ontario) are needed for both the Oct. 6 election day and advance polls, held Sept. 21 to 30. For most positions you need to be at least 18, but you can apply for the information assistant position if you are 16 or older.

Poll Offical Positions Needed

• Area managers, who must have a car, supervise assigned polls within different voting locations. They will get paid $234.90 per day to work advance polls and $314.59 to work on election day.
• Supervising deputy returning officers, who supervise assigned polls within one voting location, will get paid $230.70 for working on election day plus a flat training fee of $45.
• Deputy returning officers, who set up and disassemble their assigned poll, will get paid $183.51 for working advance polls and $196.63 for working on election day plus a flat training fee of $45.
• Poll clerks, who help set up the polls and locate electors names, will get paid $180 for working advance polls as well as $157.30 on election day plus a flat training fee of $45.
• Tabulator deputy returning officers, who maintain the proper operation of the voting equipment, will be paid $180 for working advance polls as well as a $20/hour training fee.
• Polling day revision assistants verify whether an elector's name appears on the list of electors. They will get paid $157.30 on election day plus a flat training fee of $45.
• Information assistants will greet electors, request that electors have the right I.D. and direct them to the appropriate poll. They will get paid $13/hour plus a flat $26 training fee.

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• employment news

As I'm writing this the temperature in Toronto, Canada is warmer than it is in Kahemba, Democratic Republic of the Congo (35 versus 26 degrees). I went outside for lunch and had to come back after 10 minutes or so to the safety of our air-conditioned office. In the 10 minutes that I was outside, I was shocked to see one of the constructions sites near our building bustling with activity with workers somewhat obscured by clouds of dust and heat mixed together.

I was getting exhausted just by standing there.

Back in the office I checked Twitter and not surprisingly every other tweet today was about the weather with people trying to outsmart each other with comparisons (Congo – Canada). And in the real world, in the office, the heat is, of course, all that everyone talks about. It's hard to imagine only six months ago Torontonians were lamenting over vicious snowfalls and temperatures that seemed to freeze your eyeballs. But this is our (Canadian) reality and it's really not surprising that, yes, we are somewhat crazy about the subject. After all, we live in a country that has both polar bears and palm trees.

According to the Toronto Star article Forecasting Weather Business Booming something like 20 million Canadians (in the article we're referred to as "weather-obsessed Canadians") tune in to the Weather Network each month. And the network is hiring, so if you want to be personally involved in monitoring the weather you should look into this: "Pelmorex Inc., which owns the Weather Network and MétéoMédia, has hired 50 employees in the last year and expects to hire 50 more in the next year, says Pierre Morrissette, chairperson and CEO. This fall, the company, with more than 400 employees, will add an extension to its head office in Oakville, where the Weather Network broadcasts 24 hours a day."

Jowita

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I could write ad nauseam about the awful workplace where I spent a few years being a witness to some spectacular breaches of labour law. I've cried at my desk and my colleagues did too. Eventually we all quit and now have funny-scary stories to tell. Currently I have a friend who's going through a stressful legal dispute with her former employers -- it seems that there's no end to the back and forth testimonials between her and the other party, I worry that this will wear her down before she sees any results.

And then there's the disgruntled former employee who does more than just complain on a news blog (me) or to a lawyer (my friend) about the workplace. This is the former Whole Foods employee who writes a letter so detailed and so full of disappointment, rage and humour that it gets picked up by Gawker and subsequently turned into a whole news story. The letter is not without faults -- there are parts where the former Whole Foods employee gets personal, naming people and detailing their offences. That was perhaps (or most certainly) unnecessary although it may be considered bitingly funny. After the letter was published many more former and current Whole Foods employees wrote in and now you can spend a good few hours reading the endless discussion about the store and its policies and treatment of employees.

The formerly abused employee in me roots for these guys who send letters and expose the evils and hypocrisies of businesses -- I'm sure writing that letter was deeply cathartic for its author. The place he described sounds like a nightmare (complete with its own Orwellian newspeak encouraged among the employees). Hopefully it will at least illuminate the problem of badly treated employees even if it doesn't change things for those who still work at Whole Foods.

Jowita

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Although summer is supposedly the perfect time to find a job, not everyone gets so lucky. I know someone who's been looking for more than a month now and still nothing. And his friends are in the same boat, he tells me, even though a few brave ones have moved to different provinces when job opportunities came up. Whenever I hear this story I'm always reminded of the time years ago when I spent an entire summer looking for work, giving out my resumés to every store and restaurant in my neighbourhood. I would sit in the library first thing in the morning, polish my new batch before noon and gave away pounds of paper before it was time to go for lunch. I finally had some callbacks but by the time they happened it was mid-August and I was tucked away safely at a friend's cottage miles away from home, broke and resigned to staying broke for the next school year. It wasn't the easiest year.

Thankfully, summertime hiring isn't over for Toronto yet for 2011. We just received a message from the Service Canada Centre for Youth reminding us that it's hosting the annual CNE Hiring Fair. The hiring fair is located onsite at the exhibition grounds and helps CNE vendors and concessionaires connect with youth to fill their seasonal jobs.

The fair begins on Monday, Aug. 8 till Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (excluding weekends). People between the ages of 15 to 30 are invited to attend and to learn about Service Canada Centre for Youth programs and services. For more information contact manal.hossain@servicescanada.gc.ca or call 416-583-4849.

Don't miss this opportunity and good luck!

Jowita

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The intro paragraph of the The Globe and Mail article Canada's Seniors: The Doctor Will See You Now reads: "Seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population, with 4.8 million Canadians aged 65 and older. That figure will double to 10.4 million in 2036 and by 2051, one in four will be older than 65. But who will be their doctors? Today, there are only 238 certified geriatricians in Canada, and experts say an additional 500 more are required, plus more family physicians to treat the elderly."

It's a no-brainer that Canada needs more doctors specialized to work with seniors. In Canada, there’s a tradition of hospitalizing the ill, including seniors, who often become so-called bed-blockers, and would benefit much more from visits at home, not constant hospitalization. But in Canada, being a doctor to the elderly can be quite an ordeal: "Becoming a geriatrician requires significant training: three years of internal medicine training, plus two more years in geriatrics, for a total of five years. Geriatricians look at the medical, social and psychological issues affecting older adults and deal with memory loss, urinary incontinence, osteoporosis and multiple-medication issues." No wonder not many want to go through all this training.

Seniors fall and often need medication but they are also often overmedicated and over-hospitalized when, instead, their assessment could be done on much more subtle terms for better results. My grandmother fell at home (this is not in Canada but in Poland where the system of hospitalizing seniors is almost identical) and -- mostly because of how things are done with fragile ill seniors and for convenience -- was quickly taken to the hospital. She never left the hospital.

Jowita

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I'll be happy to admit it. Here at Poss.ca we are not always perfect when it comes to career-related stuff. For example, it hasn't occurred to us to let you know here, through this blog, that we're looking to fill in the position of French writer for Possibilités. We've had a really tough time finding someone who would be a good fit. And this is not because we haven't tried hard enough. We came close twice; once, someone actually accepted the job.

The person we're looking for would be working with a really great bunch of people -- our team is small, laid-back but engaged -- and for an organization that provides a plethora of useful services in Toronto and across Ontario.

Check out the job posting below and apply if you think you qualify. We'd love to meet you!

POSITION VACANCY
Writer/Researcher | Bilingual French
Permanent Full-Time
Findhelp Information Services is a nonprofit United Way member agency that provides information about community, social, health and related government services in Ontario.
Findhelp is currently seeking a Bilingual Writer / Researcher for Possibilities, an online magazine providing information and resources for job seekers in Toronto. This full time position reports to the Manager, Programs and Projects.

Responsibilities:

• Researching, writing, and editing articles related to job search, job etiquette, career development, community resources and interactive tools geared to find employment; primarily for an online magazine primarily in French
• Editorial planning for the website, and development
• Generating article ideas, section updates and other content designed to bring in web traffic
• Writing employment news and views, research and blog updates
• Planning and creating promotional material as well as bi-monthly newsletters
• Participating in community outreach (workshops, job fairs, agency visits)
• Providing client feedback

Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated ability in writing and researching in French
• Connections in the French employment community
• Bilingual (English and French)
• Familiarity with writing and editing for online publications
• Knowledge and understanding of the job-seeker's environment
• Interest and familiarity with non-profit organizations, standards and techniques as well as trends in social and human services
• Knowledge and understanding of available community resources
• Excellent writing, editing and copy-editing skills
• Strong verbal communications and interviewing skills
• Excellent research skills and Internet savvy
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong computer skills with a variety of applications
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
• Self-directing skills, initiative and interest
• Creative skills
• Ability to work with speed and accuracy
• Ability to prioritize and meet strict deadlines

Education:

• Post-secondary degree in journalism, communications, or related field

Salary and benefits:

• 35 hours per week
• Hourly rate range $22.50 to $26.72
• Benefits include a minimum of four-weeks vacation, plus extended health and dental benefits, life insurance and an employer-paid pension plan.

Application procedure:

Please provide cover letter and resume to:
Cristina Umana, HR and Administration Manager
543 Richmond Street West, Suite 125, Box 203
Toronto, ON M5V 1Y6
Fax 416-392-4404 | e-mail: job@findhelp.ca

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The Government of Ontario has some exciting news not only for the employment market but also for the environment, thanks to clean energy. According to the press release, we (Canadians) are a becoming a global clean energy leader, and the industry is growing in Ontario, creating not only a healthier environment but also thousands of openings in the province. The amount of clean, renewable energy that is going to be produced due to this project means powering up to 200,000 homes and investment in 31 communities with job openings to be created in construction, maintenance and operation.

Clean energy is energy that has the least impact on future generations and uses renewable energy sources such as wind power or solar energy. According to the press release, Ontario now has more than 1,500 megawatts of wind power online generated by more than 800 wind turbines with more than 3,700 small-scale solar projects feeding electricity into Ontario's grid and coal generation that was two-thirds less in 2010 compared to 2003 levels. It is predicted that by the end of 2014, coal-fired generation will be eliminated.

Here, at poss.ca we wrote about clean energy job opportunities in our Whatever-the-Weather Careers article and the wind energy industry being on the rise. Back in 2010, we told you that you might have to relocate if you were keen on working in this industry right away, but it seems that now you can stay put and wait till this project goes through. It won't be long!

Jowita

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I like my job. Would I like to get paid more? Of course. Who wouldn't like to get paid more? But this is not a cry for help (boss), I'm just stating something that, as it turns out, is not such a rare state of mind for the average Canadian employee.

Most of us are happy with our jobs, would like more money, but have no plans to leave. In fact, 81 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their jobs and 88 per cent agreed they liked their co-workers (I'm in that group ... um, hi there, Ian and Kathy!). The statistics showed other trends; for example, networking scores really high and the hidden (unadvertised) job market emerges as the top outlet responsible for hiring.

Here at Possibilities we're aware of these new trends, and plan to spend this year immersing ourselves -- and you -- in the world of social (Internet) networking. Although the Internet itself scores third for hiring, it's a popular way of keeping in touch with not only your friends but also professional networks. For this month we've got a LinkedIn article, next month tune in to a Twitter how-to.

Jowita

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I think it's sad that we don't really get surprised by statistics that tell us that women make less money, are less present in top earning job spots, or are significantly less prominent in the arts. I thought that there were some interesting observations about this in the Women Still a Rarity in Top Film Jobs article, which talked about how movie studios didn't keep statistics on gender differences and the only numbers they paid attention to were the ones related to box office sales.

According to this article, "in 2010, women were most likely to work in the romantic comedy, documentary and romantic drama genres, and least likely to work in the horror, action and comedy genres." Marissa Silverstein, a co-founder of the Athena Film Festival -- which celebrates women's leadership in film -- is quoted in the article saying, "If this were a Fortune 500 company and they looked at these statistics, they would have a diversity committee working on this immediately. ... How could you have a company in the 21st century and less than 10 per cent of its leaders are women?"

Right now only two per cent of people shooting movies are women, and people in the industry – and I'm sure outside of it -- hope for the change to take place sooner rather than later. Because there are more Kathryn Bigelows out there.

Jowita

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At the time of writing this blog post the situation in Egypt remains unclear. Every day there is news of more riots. No one seems to be immune from the attacks, including journalists and representatives of human rights agencies -- two groups that usually -- at least theoretically -- benefit from some immunity even during a state of war. (The Egyptian government said that journalists are not being arrested but are rather taken into "protective custody.") (Um. Okay.)

And what about the employment situation in Egypt? In the New York Times article Jobs and Age Reign as Risk Factors for Mideast Uprisings, Tristan Cooper, the head analyst of Middle East Sovereigns for Moody's Investors Services, is quoted as saying, "Contagion into the wider region is more likely in countries that have large numbers of frustrated, unemployed citizens who are eager for political change." The unemployment rate is close to 10 per cent. This may not seem like a lot but it is, especially if you consider the fact that in Egypt nearly half of a household's income is spent on food due to inflated food prices.

The world is watching Egypt very closely. There are dramatic photographs popping up all over the Internet and the numbers of victims keep rising (the death toll is speculated to be more than 300 as of Feb. 3). And then there are the smaller stories. Someone told me a story about an Egyptian friend who had just got a job offer with Microsoft, after beating out dozens of candidates and right before the riots started. He hasn't been able to go to work yet and I'm sure that's not the most nerve-wracking situation to be in, but it's strangely sad for me to think of this guy, stuck at home (?), waiting and waiting, so unsure of ... anything.

Jowita

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If you're looking for a temporary gig and need some great experience, consider checking out Census jobs and send your application asap. This year the census team will need crew leaders and enumerators who are over 18 years old, are a Canadian citizen (or are in possession of a valid work permit or permanent residence status). As a candidate it would be a good idea if you knew your neighbourhood, were able to travel and were somewhat flexible with your schedule.

The economy may be on the rise but many of us are still looking to find jobs. This may be one of those opportunities that will not only get your foot in the door, but will also provide you with a number of valuable connections in your community.

Oh, and what's the big deal about this census stuff? Well, according to the Stats Canada "Communities depend on census information when planning for new schools, roads, waterworks, public transit, and police and fire services. Town planners use census information on households and families to plan current and future housing needs, health care, and day-care centres."

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I was never too crazy for chocolate, even as a child, I could take it or leave it. I grew up with a grandmother who loved dark chocolate and that was my first exposure to it. So all I knew of chocolate was that it could be quite strong tasting and bitter (although full of flavour). Chocolate was more of a grown-up thing but not nearly as taboo as coffee or cigarettes. Chocolate was kind of boring. I lived most of my childhood with nibbles here and there, sure, but my cavities were strictly related to the consumption of candy.

In the Chocolate Chronicles: Rogue Chocolatier article, Colin Gasko, an artisan chocolate maker and owner of Rouge Chocolatier not only makes chocolate, he actually roasts and grinds his own beans to make the delicious concoctions. He got interested in chocolate after working in a specialty food store and says he "fell into it." He only makes four distinctively flavoured bars but they do "earn rave reviews from discerning critics and chocolate aficionados, including Martha Stewart who featured the bars in her TV show."

The chocolate Gasko makes is dark chocolate, much like what I grew up with. And now that I'm older I love the bitterness and especially appreciate the quirky descriptions of what it tastes like: "earthy and woody with a subtle hint of blood orange." That makes my mouth water, actually. Too bad I'm stuck with vending machine choices here at work (but I'm very close to a gourmet food shop, so not all hope is lost). If you're especially passionate about chocolate yourself check out the Professional Chocolatier Certificate at George Brown. You never know -- what may start as a hobby may end up inspiring a career.

Jowita

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One of the first big employment stories at the beginning of this year was the story of Ted Williams, a man who has a wonderful radio voice but lived on the street begging for money. The story spread all over the Internet on the morning of Jan. 5 and by that afternoon the man had been offered a job by the Cleveland Cavaliers, a professional basketball team. The New York Post reported that the job was a full-time voice-over gig. Williams was also offered a free home in Cleveland.

I love it that this man was not just looking to rest on his laurels and be an Internet sensation, but he actually used his big moment to talk about what he was trained to do (radio announcing) and how it was something he's trying to get back into. He said he went to school for voice training and worked in this field before getting sidetracked (he's now been two years sober from alcohol and drugs).

Williams took advantage of being noticed in the best way possible: he advertised his job skills to the entire world. I imagine that he had hoped for a moment like this one for awhile, and maybe even had his elevator-pitch prepared. I sincerely hope that he takes up the Cavs on the job offer and make his dreams come true.* What would you say to the world if the world was suddenly listening to your elevator pitch?

* Personal-life updates on Williams are not encouraging but professionally he seems to be faring fine: so far he has signed a contract with Kraft's Mac and Cheese, and voiced over a MSNBC promo.

Jowita

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I rarely think of actor celebrities as workers because, well, they're celebrities and they make millions of dollars. And I even bristle a bit when I read interviews with them and they talk about their "craft" and "performing" and being an "artist." All that baloney about hard work. Really? How hard could it be to be Nicole Kidman? But then I think about it again and it occurs to me that it's harder than it looks. And looks -- pun intended -- are very deceiving. Even despite all the money and fame, I'm sure being an actor is difficult. Probably way more difficult than they make it seem.

Because what happens when you destroy the thing which actually makes you money? Such as your face. In the article The Fascinating Story of Nicole Kidman's Forehead, Mary Elizabeth Williams asks: "Why would a performer, whose whole business is devoted to expressiveness, elect to have any procedure that would restrict facial movement? As a colleague recently mused, isn't that like a musician deliberately breaking his hands?"

It is sad that even celebrities, the demigods of our modern Pantheon, are rife with insecurities and worries about keeping their jobs. They keep giving in to plastic surgery and other procedures to ensure they stay on top of their game but the game is brutal and doesn't spare even the most revered performers (remember Michael Jackson anyone?). So next time you feel particularly jealous over Angelina or Nicole, just remind yourself that surfaces say nothing about what goes on inside.

Jowita

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