About 11 years ago I moved from Europe to Canada armed with a master's degree in law, recruiting experience and the ability to speak French. I hoped and thought that I should be able to find employment here.

I had a simple plan of attack -- build on my strengths. I wasn't prepared to redo my legal studies so using my legal background was unfortunately out of the question. But my recruiting experience and French language skills were a good start. I soon realized that my French skills were an enormous asset in Toronto and applied for jobs at two bilingual recruitment agencies. I got two offers.

Although my transition from Europe to Canada was fairly smooth, I clearly remember feeling overwhelmed and a bit lost at the beginning. I recall trying to send out a candidate to Etobicoke -- not being able to place it on the map and pronouncing it "Etobicoke!" I also had no idea of distances and thought that you can easily commute from Burlington to Ajax. And, I couldn't figure out why people lined up at Tim Hortons in the morning.

Now a recruiter and owner of a bilingual recruitment agency I find myself on the other side of the fence! Instead of looking for work, I assist other people in finding jobs. I deal with Francophones from around the world -- who like me – feel a little lost and overwhelmed at first and are faced with three main hurdles:

• Language skills - Employers have to be made aware that an accent doesn't mean a low level of proficiency. English is taught throughout the world and the level is often quite high. Moreover, accents can be very charming! Also, too much concern is put on European French accents not being understood by Canadian clients. Would you consider it a problem if someone with a British accent was speaking with one of your clients?
• Work permits/visa - Employers hesitate to invest in people who are here on a one-year visa or a temporary work permit. But these permits or visas can usually be extended once employment is secured and a lot has been done to simplify the process.
• Canadian experience - Everybody has to start somewhere. International candidates are mostly educated at a high level and bring interesting experience to the table. They also tend to be hard workers with a different point of view – wouldn't that be refreshing? Why not capitalize on their specific talents and skills?

And, in regards to adapting to the Canadian culture? Personally, I think that everyone will soon figure out that Etobicoke is not another kind of pop, that North York – Richmond Hill is a much better commute and that yes Tim Hortons does sell good coffee!

Marijke Kanters

Owner of Nevian Consulting and Placement Services

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"They've asked me to stay on after my internship," says a former classmate of mine, beaming with pride.

"Congrats! That's great news. Are you happy with the salary they've offered?" I ask.

"Oh, there's no salary -- they've just agreed to extend my internship."

For good manners' sake, I said nothing. My mind, on the other hand, was far from quiet. It took a lot of self-discipline to prevent my jaw from physically dropping. This company is so happy with her work that they've decided to keep her on -- for free…

Seriously?! I couldn't decide what was worse: their offer, or her acceptance of it.

In creative industries, internships are an expected rite of passage. I did one -- in fact, I did more than one. I worked as an intern at two different magazines, the second of which expects its interns to work four days a week for four Kraft Dinner-filled unpaid months.

I learned tons from my internships; especially at the second stint, my dream-job magazine that was home to my favourite writers. And though both experiences were exceedingly worthwhile, I could rant for hours about the rampant exploitation within journalism's faux-apprenticeship system. But I'm over it (can't you tell?!), and so I turn your attention to something even more outrageous.

Apparently, this wretched economy has spurred on a whole new slew of unpaid labour: some of us with seemingly stable, paid jobs are being asked to work for free. According to a reuters.com article, in June, British Airways asked some of its employees to volunteer for an entire month. As an American policy expert points out in the article, this practice is not only "a bad idea" (and if you ask me, overall yucky), it's illegal -- and, yes, if your employer starts asking for freebies, let him/her know the same is true north of the border. According to Ontario's Employment Standards Act, companies must pay at least the standard minimum wage (currently set at $9.50), within the time agreed upon in your contract.

Unfortunately, people may be so afraid that they'll lose their jobs that this could feel like a Catch-22: stay, and feel like a chump, or leave and feel, well, indefinitely jobless. But if your employer devalues your contribution so much that they've deemed your paycheque dispensable, you may want to ask yourself if the job is actually worth keeping.

Labour abuses and exploitation are not an unexpected symptom of a struggling economy. Still, we all have rights, and if those rights are trampled upon, the Ontario Labour Board should know about it. If you're being taken advantage of, stand up for your rights; I happen to know a few formerly exploited interns who've got your back.

SKY

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The last time I was unemployed I joined a now-defunct networking group called EARN. (If you're interested in joining a networking group check out HAPPEN.) Every Tuesday morning, we would sit around big tables and listen to a career professional talk about how we could market ourselves to employers. After the presentation we would feverishly write a 30- to 60-second infomercial about our skills, which we would then pitch to fellow networkers. Business cards were whipped out dutifully at each encounter.

Infomercials, also known as elevator pitches, are descriptions of your career background, so named because they are concise enough to be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride.

People have different perspectives about the effectiveness of these pitches.

On the pro side, Scott Brown, writer of Developing Your Job Search Elevator Pitch says: "One of the most critical things about effective networking is being able to succinctly communicate why someone should be interested in you ... What if you ran into the president of GE, IBM, or some other company you wanted to work for in an elevator and they casually asked what you did? Having an elevator pitch ready is the key to getting someone like this interested in you."

Now the con side: "I scribbled a few (elevator pitches) on paper but I could never bring myself to actually keep them, much less use them," writes Amber Shah in Why I Don't Have an Elevator Pitch. "They were so trite, so riddled with buzzwords and swirling with their own self-importance," she explains.

As for me: I see both sides. Although the idea could incite over-smarmy pitches on the part of some job searchers, being able to clearly and concisely communicate your skills and background is all-important when you are networking or at job interviews. I think the key is learning how to pitch yourself in a natural manner without going into super sales mode.

And lastly -- call me cynical, but I just can't picture standing beside Sam Palmisano in a near-empty elevator anytime soon.

kathyo

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I've been bullied twice in my life. Once, when I was a shy and all-too-sensitive 13-year-old, I was verbally harassed, rigorously and religiously, by a classmate who had the uncanny ability to zero in on classmates who would be most bothered by his taunts and torments. (Over here -- pick me, pick me.)

Some 15 years later, I got a job in an insurance company; it was my first and only experience in the corporate world. When it came to my emotional landscape, it was as if I had returned to my Grade 8 classroom.

Every morning I'd feel an increasing sense of doom as the elevator moved closer to the 18th floor; there I worked under the watchful eyes of my supervisor, Mary B., who faithfully and frequently honed in on the many errors she saw me making in the insurance claims I reviewed. Sometimes it wasn't what she said but rather her tone of voice that led me to doubt my very competency.

I am not alone in my experience. According to Monster.ca's Workplace Bullying article, one in six workers report having been bullied by colleagues who have a pattern of intimidating, offending or humiliating others. In a related article, Monster gives some tips on dealing with a workplace bully, including: documenting events, speaking to an HR rep. and calmly and civilly standing up to your harasser.

What I did back then was a) work overtime in an effort to impress Mary (it didn't), b) cry in the bathroom (cathartic but ineffective), and c) storm into my manager's office and rage about Mary's behaviour (as futile as my other techniques -- too little to late.)

I wish I could go back in time.

kathyo

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"See you tonite!" reads your latest text to a friend. So you've spelled the last word wrong -- who cares? Think of all the time you’ve saved leaving out the "g" and the "h" (er, never mind about adding the "e") -- time is money!

Fine. While the word-nerd in me may cringe, I get it -- a text is a text, and in the realm of instant messaging and emails, spelling mistakes are not only acceptable, they're downright common.

But grammar-negligent typing should have no place in your job search. If you're sending out tons of resumés and cover letters, chances are you've committed a few grammatical transgressions. And that -- particularly in this economy -- almost certainly guarantees one thing: no matter how qualified you may be for the position, you can say sayonara to your chances for an interview.

A recent study shows that when encountering a spelling error, one in four executives will immediately send the mistake-maker's resumé into the "no" pile. With mass layoffs this year, the number of applicants you're competing with has likely increased quite a bit; as potential applicant piles grow tall, the last thing you want to do is give a hiring manager an instant reason to dismiss your application.

For tips on proofreading, such as reading your resumé backwards or getting a fresh pair of eyes to look over your work, check out this article on ten proofreading tips.

If you find yourself in a crunch, with little time for a thorough proofreading, at least do a quick scan for some of the most common typos:

• "Your" when you really mean "you're"
• "They're" vs. "their" vs. "there"
• "Write" vs. "right"
• "Then" vs. "than"
• "Its" vs. "it's"

It may seem time-consuming to go over your work, especially if you like to churn out lots of applications. But as your resumé is the first piece a hiring manager sees, it's probably worthwhile to give it one more glance. You could even ask your friend to look it over tonite tonight.

SKY

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Nintendonitis aside, it's encouraging to hear that a leading video game publisher and developer plans to set up shop in Toronto.

Ubisoft's new Toronto studio is expected to create 800 jobs: positions that will, I believe, require a high level of skill, technical savvy and creativity. According to a Canoe Money article, the Ontario government, which invested $263 million to bring Ubisoft to Toronto, is chasing after other large companies in the digital media sector. It's all part of a plan to attract tech-based, creative industries to offset the loss of manufacturing jobs in the province.

In a recent interview, Ubisoft Toronto head Yannis Mallatt said the company chose to open a new studio here partly because of the number of university and training programs in the area. "We know that Toronto is a cultural and artistic city. It gathers all of the elements for creativity and innovation, which are our main values," Mallatt added.

I've heard a lot lately about the importance of fostering a creative economy. (The Martin Prosperity Institute estimates that creativity-oriented jobs and the services they generate will make up almost 90 per cent of new positions in the next seven years. See my Aug. 6 blog entry for more on this.) The Ubisoft deal seems to be evidence that the McGuinty government is also listening.

I confess, I wouldn't know a gib from a frag, but I am heartened to know that a creative company is coming to Toronto.

kathyo

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You may not know it from the dismal reports of mass layoffs and high unemployment rates, but Canada is in the midst of an ongoing labour shortage. According to the Financial Post Magazine article Help Desperately Wanted, the Conference Board of Canada claims that by 2020, Ontario alone could face a shortfall of as many as 190,000 workers. "The economy can turn around -- for better or worse -- in mere months, but overall skill levels and demographic patterns take years or decades to change, and it's these long-term trends that are behind the coming crunch," says FP writer, Dan Bortolotti. (One key demographic pattern: the crop of baby boomers set to retire between 2011 and 2027.)

This big picture labour shortage is not within the manufacturing sector. Rather, it's in the wide-ranging service sector, especially in creativity-oriented jobs, such as scientists, managers, lawyers and IT workers, and, of course, nurses.

The Martin Prosperity Institute, which is referenced frequently in the article, estimates that creativity-oriented jobs and the services they spawn will make up almost 90 per cent of new positions by 2016.

There are even some faint glimmerings of hope for the short-term: in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report released July 23, the Bank of Canada pronounced the end of the recession. Still, Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, quoted in CBCnews.ca, thinks that unemployment will continue to rise.

While this may seem like cold comfort to the currently unemployed, knowing the long-term job market forecast may help you plan whether to go back to school or search for a more stable industry.

kathyo

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When asked to write about the skilled trades I usually don't jump; I don't even make a small leap. Partly I'm reluctant because most trades are foreign territory to me. As stereotypical as it sounds, baking is the only trade I've had a taste of, so to speak. I naturally gravitate towards making muffins, breads or cakes; I've never felt a similar inclination to explore the pipes under my bathroom sink, figure out how an engine works or, heaven forbid, renovate a fixer-upper.

But a few months ago, I found I was looking forward to the hours when I worked on my article about the masonry and plastering trades. For some reason I could understand and appreciate what went into bricklaying, plastering and the like. Along with technical skills and physical strength, I discovered that these tradespersons also need to possess an element of creativity. And I really enjoyed interviewing Solomon King, bricklayer, stonemason and artist, who emphasized the attention to detail and meticulousness needed for brick masonry.

I love old houses and have always enjoyed looking at them. These days when I go for walks, I stop and take a closer look at the brickwork on buildings, particularly Victorian ones. I like identifying when bricks have been replaced (or should be) or noticing different types of arches. I recently saw a demolished building at the Distillery District and wondered whether the piles of old bricks would be used by masons like King who match old bricks to existing ones.

I even caught myself thinking about how neat it would be to restore heritage homes, brick by brick. Of course, in my mind's eye I see the bricks as slabs of cake and the mortar as icing. Problem is: cake is a whole lot lighter.

kathyo

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