Jack Layton has passed away. He was a great leader and a great person, judging by the accounts of those who knew him. I met Jack Layton a long time ago when he came to our school (Ryerson) to talk to students. I was really impressed by his message and his enthusiasm and always found it telling that he "bothered" coming to talk to students. He told us that our opinions were important, that we mattered. No one ever told us this before, at least not in such a convincing, passionate way. There was a madman spark to him, but a good type of madman, the one that causes bloodless revolutions and brings on good change. I remember leaving the auditorium with my friends and feeling energized and ready to snap out of the apathy that tends to be really common when you're young and not sure what to do with your life. I didn't get politically involved but I realized then that my voice was important, however small. So that was my memory of Layton.

I don't recall any other politicians ever visiting our school. But Layton was always interested in young people and his final letter proves it. In it, he writes: "All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future."

If you're one of those young people, maybe freshly out of school, unsure of where to go next, frustrated with your job search, seeing your aspirations clashing with reality, keep Layton's words in mind and don't give up. You are in charge.

Jowita

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This morning I had a conversation with a young friend (24) who's been living in Toronto for about two years. It went like this:

Me: "Who you’re voting for?"
Friend: "Voting?"

I explained about the mayoral and city council representatives elections. This is because I'm a patient and kind person (I'm being sarcastic.) But I tried to understand because I was once 24 and a little lazy myself.

After reading a little bit about the mayoral candidates and even discussing one of them who is quite controversial, the friend and I talked again:

Me: "We can go together if you want."
Friend: "I'm probably not going to anyway. I need to get a proof of address."

Seriously? I was a little horrified. Here is this educated young person who seemingly cares about world issues but who has zero idea about what's going on right under her nose, and, worse, has zero desire to do something about it. Which brings me to the Toronto Youth Election Survey and one of its slogans: "Apathy is Boring."

If you agree, do fill out the survey -- the deadline is Oct.10 so hurry! Help people like my young friend to snap out of it (apathy) and let's all figure out how to engage young Canadians in the democratic process. (Oh, you can win a free iPod, too, if you do the survey.)

Jowita

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Around this time, for me, there's always a mix of excitement, anxiety and sadness over the summer gone by. When I walk by bins of binders and walls of school supplies at the local superstore I try to remember what I was hoping for the last time I was shopping for these items. In university, this time was always tinged with financial woes, but there was always, too, a sense of hope and new adventure, and the thought that the world was finally opening itself to me.

Unfortunately, by the time I got to my graduate degree I wasn't excited about shopping for school supplies because I was too stressed about money and later I was just stressed all the time in general. And as a result I forgot what I was hoping for. Now, in retrospect, I wish I had tried to worry less and enjoy the learning time better. I wish I had told my anxiety to go on a long vacation and just focused on hitting the books and sharpening pencils.

Despite all that worry, I graduated, went onto get my first real job and eventually, as time went by, things got easier. I paid off most of my loans and mellowed down a little about having adventures. Perhaps this is because I'm okay where I am today, or maybe in the end I just got a bit worn down by anxiety to have any energy left to do any more adventuring. Who knows. Still, I'm happy to see kids and parents shopping together for school supplies and I can't wait till my kid is old enough to partake in this activity. I will tell him not to worry, and I'll tell him that anything is possible and that if he studies hard and hopes even harder, he'll get to that anything-is-possible place for sure.

Jowita

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For years now we've been hearing about internships that don't pay students, use them to do menial, unrelated tasks and even require that the applicants pay for their placement. Karen* (see Poss Exclusive: One Intern Reveals the Truth!) didn't have to pay a penny to work at the Royal Academy of Arts but there were some major challenges that have made her experience somewhat frustrating. Here she outlines things she didn't like about her internship:

• Reports! Writing reports is tedious.
• Applying theory to work. Sometimes theory is hard to apply. Things happen and you cannot go by the measures of a textbook to explain them.
• I found getting involved difficult. It's hard to network when you're just thrown into a situation and expected to become personable and chatty.
• Making sure people take you seriously and give you a combination of practical and research-based tasks. Know what you need to make it a successful internship and don't be afraid to ask for it.

Karen found the actual process of looking for internship quite challenging, too, and the actual placement a little disillusioning. She says, "The frustrating aspect of this entire thing was the realization that people may not want your free work. The idea sounds awesome -- in theory -- but the reality is that even if you want to work for free it will cost you a lot of time and effort including countless applications, references, interviews and so on." She says that after coming to Royal Academy she realized that there was no guarantee that she'd get to do what she needs to do to get specific experience.

Overall, however, Karen seems to be happy with her experience and says that it taught her one extra lesson she never expected to learn: "Finding an internship was an eye-opener to the realities of the working world. I can only worry about how hard it is going to be to get a job with a salary," she says.

Either way, as hard as it all seems to be, I think nothing beats getting home via a double-decker bus.

Jowita

(*Not her real name -- she asked to protect her privacy as the internship is still going on.)

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Karen*, a 23-year-old Canadian student, works for one of the top art institutions in the world: the Royal Academy of Arts (RA). She had applied to a few places and never counted on even hearing back from her first choice despite being a top student. When she did hear -- they wanted her -- she squealed in delight (her words), arranged a flat rental, booked her ticket and off she went.

Two months into the internship we checked with her to find out how things are working out.

What does she like about her internship?

• Being invited to awesome events. I have only gone to a handful of events but they were great for meeting people.
• I do what I want. I walk into my office, do some work and then I can go have lunch and walk around. The freedom given with doing free work can be good.
• The location is awesome! Being situated in the heart of London is amazing. There are galleries and auction houses everywhere. Sotheby's and Christie's anyone? It is important to consider where you will be placed for your internship. Even if things do not work out and it gets boring, if you are in an awesome place then you can make up for it.
• What's in a name? Considering the name of the institution and the reputation is important.
• Working in a medium-sized institution means I got to dabble in the entire Collections Department. A smaller museum would likely mean more tasks and a larger one would translate into more focused tasks.
• I was able to combine my internship with the chance to make my own work (a print). I am working on an edition and I get to put up a work in the staff exhibition at the RA. The fact that I can build my artist CV while pursuing a museum studies degree is amazing.

Sounds great but there must've been some things that annoyed her, no? Yes! Tune into our next and final installment.

Jowita

(*Not her real name – she asked to protect her privacy as the internship is still going on.)

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Internships are meant to teach young people about the work environment they're interested in. And, hopefully, they put theoretical knowledge into practice and test all the assumptions people may have about their goals. So it makes sense that internships would be accessible and should at least partially reflect what a person wants to do for living. Sadly, according to Summer Interns: Few Jobs, Modest Pay, Less Partying, working as an intern means little (or no) pay coupled with menial and often unrelated tasks. Occasionally, applicants even have to pay for their placement.

I was always encouraged to get experience in fields that I wanted to work in. First, during my undergrad Psych degree, I volunteered as a counselor for a distress centre and discovered I was not cut out to deal with people's mental health issues. It was a gratifying experience but I just wasn't that committed to it. Second, I worked at a small-town paper as their Arts & Culture reporter on a very short stint, which, in turn confirmed that I enjoyed telling more than listening.

In both cases, it was the hands-on experiences that gave me a glimpse of what my possible working environment could be like and I'm grateful for it. Over the years, I volunteered and interned at many other places, using what I learned to deduct what worked and what didn't. For example, I couldn't spend a whole day on the phone dealing with people; I needed quiet time. I couldn't do data entry for long periods because I needed variety. I dealt amazingly well with deadlines, however, and produced a lot in a short period of time. I learned all of this by actually doing it.

This is what I think internships are meant to do. I'm curious to find out if things really have gotten so dire -- is it really all about making coffee, copying papers and being broke? Tune into our next two blogs to read about one Canadian intern's experience working for the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England.

Jowita

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If you're amongst the many bicycle riders in our fair city, you're undoubtedly aware that knowing basic bicycle repair can save you a few headaches and quite a bit of money. Ask anybody who's been stuck between point A and B because of a bike mishap and they'll tell you that bike repair skills sure could have come in handy.

Because I'm always interested in innovative programs that encourage youth to learn new skills, my curiosity was piqued when I came across a Yonge Street Media article, Bikes Are on a Roll in Regent Park. The article recounts the success story of Charlie's Freewheels, a volunteer-based program that invites 10 youth from the Regent Park community to learn basic bicycle mechanics and bike safety by assembling a bike which they later get to keep. The program combines hands-on practice, cooperative work, discussion and mentoring.

With the recent announcement that Bixi, a public bicycle sharing program, will be coming to Toronto, the little wheels in my brain have started turning: youth from Charlie's Freewheels should be hired to maintain Bixi bikes! By creating an opportunity for youth to learn new skills and make a little cash at the same time, we can help them develop a sense of responsibility, discipline, and self-worth -- good traits to have when it comes to eventually building a career, even under tough economic circumstances.

Learning how to fix a bike might seem insignificant, but who knows? Maybe tinkering with inner tubes, spokes and chains will get youth riding in the right direction.

Veronica

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If another summer serving up hamburger and fries just doesn't appeal to you, know there's still time to find work that might be a bit more engaging. Though you may have missed the boat for some jobs (the deadline for most City of Toronto summer jobs was mid-February), you can still apply for a few summer trainee positions at the City. Deadlines are fast approaching ...

As well, check out "Hot Jobs", part-time recreation and culture positions that come up periodically in the City. Right now, lifeguard/swimming instructors are needed -- applications are due April 1.

(While you're on the City of Toronto site, look at the job possibilities for next year. In addition to supervising kids at a city-run camp, you could teach fitness, tai chi or cycling. Some of the summer jobs (PDF) take place on the Toronto Islands, where you could drive a tram, lead a tour, or welcome visitors to a garden inspired by Franklin the turtle.)

But let's go back to the present, where you can still apply to the Ontario Summer Experience Program. There are some bang-up jobs in the program, like:

• OPP Summer Marine Student
• Geological Assistant
• Veterinary Science Researcher Assistant

You have to be between 15 and 24 (or 29 if you are a person with a disability), but you don't need to be a student. These positions are posted every two weeks through until May 24. Although they only pay minimum wage ($10.25 per hour), a summer job with the province could give you solid and relevant job experience and a great opportunity to network.

The same could be said about working for the federal government. Check out the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP), which hooks full-time students up to jobs related to their field of study. Positions include Ontario Storm Prediction Centre assistant and student border services officer. (Here is a list of the government departments participating in FSWEP.) You can apply throughout the year, but March to June is the peak recruitment time for summer jobs.

Young Canada Works (YCW) is another federal summer program to check out. It offers:

• YCW in Both Official Languages, where students can acquire work experience related to their studies while improving second-language skills.
• YCW in Heritage Organizations, where students can gain practical knowledge in research, new media, exhibitions and conservation.
• YCW for Aboriginal Urban Youth, where Aboriginal students can organize cultural, sports or recreational projects in a friendship centre.

For More Information:

• Toronto Public Library's Ramp Youth Site: Summer Employment

kathyo

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In the final year of our journalism program we had to make a prototype magazine that would have a chance of being launched were we all to have millions of dollars and the infinite amount of optimism needed to succeed in the Canadian magazine publishing industry. Each group of students was given a niche target market. Our group got “family” and we came up with a magazine for couples, which we called 2. (Interestingly, a completely independent publication launched the following fall with the same name and agenda.)

None of our magazines launched for real but that exercise showed us all that with enough creative ambition, youthful enthusiasm and a solid idea it is possible to start something great. A new magazine is going to be launching in September and it’s being run by recent graduates and students, who are aware more than anyone of all the ups and downs of being freshly grown-up.

The magazine is called Luminosus and it’s going to be a biannual publication focusing on fashion, music, business, social issues and careers. “Even with guidance counselors, students don’t really know what careers are available to them in relation to their major,” said magazine founder,Julene Chang, in Masthead. The magazine may be able to fulfill that gap.

ttyl

Jowita

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