The other night driving home on Dupont Street I saw a giant billboard of a pretty woman in a sparkly, one-sleeve shirt and tiny shorts, smiling ear to ear as she was doing some kind of a twirl on a stage (?). Not sure. Either way, the line above it was "XYZ College Gets You the Job!" I'm not telling you which college because I actually believe they have some useful programs there and that this ad was just a little big, dumb advertising mistake. Because, seriously, what kind of a job is she going to get?

"In theatre," my driving instructor said in a solemn, earnest tone as we passed the poster. He's an older gentleman and I didn't want to further distract him -- he was teaching me to drive -- by saying something about how there weren't that many jobs in theatre, and where were her books, and how she'd probably had to supplement her income by dancing on some other stage. I just said, "I don't think you need to go to college for that kind of job," and he looked at me and told me to pay attention to how he was shifting gears. I shut up but thought to myself that overall this was a very bad advertisement for XYZ. I mean, couldn't they pick a less "undressed" job?

I remember applying to schools, leafing through dozens of catalogues of pictures of mostly white young people, smiling in lab coats with beakers in their hands, or throwing their heads back in laughter as they chatted, with books under their arms or spread in front of them, on rolling green hills, in front of pretty buildings. It was so clean and perfect. And I liked that there were books in the pictures. I applied to one of those places and went through four years of throwing my head back in laughter on rolling green hills whenever the tuition bills would come. Still, back then I got the degree (in psychology, not journalism) but no job because going to school is only part of the deal, right? And as much as I couldn't quite relate to the perfectly picturesque people in lab coats, it was still closer to my idea of what going to school meant. So I question how relatable the lady in one sleeve from XYZ college is to today's students ... is she? I hope not.

Jowita

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I've worked in retail. The longest was probably a bunch of months sometime in my 20s when I was in school and also a miserable employee of La Vie En Rose. The actual store, which sells lingerie, was a nice enough environment where, it seemed, we were all be cocooned in pink and lace and frills -- I have a girly girl side to me and I appreciated that. To a point. After a while the pink got to be a bit too much and there was nothing nice about working in a store. Okay, almost nothing. The only "things" that come to mind were two girls that I made friends with, Jennifer and Anita, but even friendships were hard to come by in that place. My manager was an unhappy lady who said bitter, undermining things to us, and one of her assistants was a troubled girl who really got off on the fact that she was a "key holder," meaning she could open and close the store, which, in turn kept her on a power trip from hell. But even that wasn't the worst thing. No, the worst thing was the customers who treated us all equally badly and complained about every single thing -- from a dust bunny in the corner of a change room to the music we played. (And the music was a whole other issue -- the main office insisted we play certain tunes, so, for example, the entire Christmas season it was Madonna's "Santa Baby" and All-Sinatra-All-the-Time. On repeat.)

I loved reading At Your Service by Caitlin Kelly, who "after three decades as a reporter [entered] the low-wage world of retail." She writes, "I had met impossibly tight deadlines at The Globe and Mail and [the] Daily News, but being shouted at for running out of gift boxes? Our job was the classic exemplar of stress -- responsibility without authority. Yet whether customers are finger-snappingly imperious or monosyllabically indecisive, the associate must inveigle them into actually buying something." Kelly now has a book out of the deal, (Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail), so it all worked out in the end but reading her article made me appreciate my own retail time that was far, far behind me.

By the way, I'm not knocking it (retail) by any means -- I'm simply being reminded, again, that those lovely (or even not so lovely) people standing on their feet all day to sell me or you a pair of socks or a book are hard-working, underpaid and possibly tougher than many writers I've met (myself included). Remember that, this time of year (holiday rush) and I'll sign off with this quote from Kelly: "In retail, I had to be on from the minute I clocked in and donned my plastic name badge to the second, feet burning with exhaustion, I staggered home. Retail work resembles acting: employees are minutely observed by co-workers, managers, customers -- and those ever-present security cameras. [...] Holiday-season shifts offered a Chaplinesque workplace frenzy as long lines of toe-tapping shoppers stared at us impatiently. Why couldn't we work even faster? And, oh, the fury when we disappointed them!"

Jowita

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I admit it: when I'm really tired and sick of reading, I watch reality television. In fact, I watch it so much that I think I may be seriously harming my brain. I don't know why it is but the dumber it is, the harder time I have turning it off. But not only that -- I also seek it out. I don't have a television at home but you can find a lot of this stuff online and find it I do. When I was younger I used to joke that the reason I watched talk shows (a form of reality television) was because I was fascinated by how idiotic people acted; now, I don’t even bother making excuses. I watch because it's easy and because most of it provides all the elements of a successful story: conflict and its resolution. That’s all I want at the end of an exhausting day. And then there are cliffhangers that make me want to watch what happens next and before I know it, I care.

Yes, I know that there's very little "reality" in this "reality" television. I found a fascinating interview with someone who claims to be a producer of this type of television where he explains, "The first thing I do on a series is write a 10-15 page treatment for an episode, laying out, in an ideal world exactly how the episode will lay out. Where we begin shooting, what the story is, who is upset with who[m], why and where. The dramatic arc, the A story, the B story and the C story are all determined so we know how to schedule the series. There are sample arguments, thoughts and ideas about what the characters most likely will say in the situations we create on paper. Based on casting and pre-existing relationships on camera, we have gotten pretty good at predicting the story."

I have no way of checking if what this person says is true or not but it's good to be reassured that what we see on the screen is not at all what life is really like. And as for myself I hope that I'll soon reach my BS quota and stop searching for those stupid shows and move onto something more challenging to fill up my free time. Like Lego.

Jowita

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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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I didn't think there was much demand for witches these days beyond the occasional Hallowe'en-related gig. Turns out that's not entirely the case. Although opportunities are not exactly bubbling for Canadian sorceresses, the global employment scene is not quite the hell-broth I imagined. Seems that a few employers appreciate a good cackle now and then.

For instance, in 2008, a Swedish company specializing in fortunes, predictions and other advice went searching for 20 witches who had experience in "contact with the other side, runes, tarots, crystals, herbs, rituals, exorcism, meditation, personal coaching, and more."

And, in 2009, a Lithuanian firm hired a famous witch, who uses hypnosis, herbal medicines and "the bio-energy field" to provide "magical" services, to hunt down debtors.

There also was a lot of hype last year about the competition for Witch of Wookey Hole. The position at this British tourist attraction comes with a salary of £50,000 (that's over $80,000 CAD) -- no wonder more than 3,000 people requested application forms. Hell, I’d ride on a broomstick for that kind of money!

Currently, the New York website How To Become A Wizard is looking for spellcasters, exorcists, demonologists and writers (!) in connection with the Oct. 31 launch of an online/offline magic academy.

Opportunities to practise the craft in other countries may be few, far between and a little bizarre -- but they're better than in Canada, where the climate for those with an interest in the "other side" is a little on the scary side.

In Saskatchewan, for example, a local museum was pressured into cancelling a Halloween fundraiser where participants could "attempt to make contact with the spirits." According to cbc.ca, religious leaders and residents expressed fears that the seance would conjure up evil spirits.

Closer to home, a former pageant winner, invited to be a judge at the 2008 Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant, was later rejected because it was discovered that she read tarot cards. According to a letter written by the Toronto Tourism board of directors: "Tarot card reading is witchcraft and is used by witches, spiritists and mediums to consult the dark world."

As someone who has played around with tarot cards, it makes me want to cry into my eye of newt soup.

kathyo

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I had no idea where the career office was at the University of Western Ontario. Probably somewhere in the building where you could find the tanning salon and the student daily newspaper, but no one ever talked about the career office and I don't know a single person who went there during my undergrad years. It's too bad because I'm sure there were some valuable resources in that centre, ones that I had to access in panic, years later when I was freshly unemployed and in debt.

In the Expert: Career Office Should Be Part of College Tour press release, the importance of career preparation as part of education is emphasized. "In this competitive job market, the tools and resources that a career office provides have become nearly as important as academics when choosing a college or university," said Patrick Sullivan, associate director of experiential education at Wake Forest University.

I wholeheartedly agree. What good is a degree or a high average if you have no idea how to include this information in a CV or your cover letter? Besides applying for internships -- which, often offer very valuable work experience -- students should get used to writing cover letters and CVs, interviewing for jobs and dealing with other career challenges long before they start working.

Jowita

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Before I had a kid I always thought that being a child care worker was a fun, easy-breezy job. I often saw daycare workers in my neighbourhood. They were walking together, chatting, pushing huge prams that could hold up to six kids, the children looking somewhat neglected, strapped to their assigned seats. I thought it must be nice to spend a whole day playing, singing nonsense songs, going for leisure walks, gossiping with your co-workers.

Now that my son is in daycare I've changed my mind about childcare workers completely. It's not an easy job. In fact, I've no idea how these women (it's mostly women) deal with hordes of screaming, wobbling, drooling, giggling, crying, clapping, shrieking, falling, bouncing infants. And these are just some of the many, many activities I've observed upon visiting the daycare. I don't even want to think about things like serial diaper changing.

Back when I was on mat leave, a mommy friend and I joked that we should start our own daycare to have more time to do our dream jobs since the children would happily play in the designated area. Yeah, right. By the time our mat leaves were over, we both concluded that that was the worst idea ever. We were both looking forward to going back to work. You see, our jobs are way easier than what daycare workers have to put up with.

In the article Before You Consider a Career in Child Care author, Robin McClure, writes "Your temperament, organization, the physical environment you offer, ability to work well with all types of kids, adaptability, and patience are a few things you need to consider. Do you have experience working with youngsters for an extended time?"

Well, no. Just with one youngster. And let me tell you, as much as I love him, I'm really relieved that there are people out there who have the disposition and the skills to deal with him all day. It's not an easy-breezy task at all.

Jowita

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The other day, when visiting a hospital, I saw an interesting notice on the wall of the Starbucks. It said to talk to the staff about the possibility of becoming a barista for a day for 15 minutes. The program seemed to be directed at the health personnel -- on the poster cartoon doctors and nurses smiled manically (perhaps from too much coffee, as free coffee was how they got "paid"). There was a gallery, too, with photographs of those 15-minute baristas. Everyone looked like they were having a fun time.

What a great idea, I thought, to let people try on other people's jobs. It's probably less feasible for the baristas to try on 15-minute surgeries, but I loved the idea that educated, specialized medical workers got a chance to experience what it's like to work in the deceptively simple customer service industry. I'm sure many had their "How hard is it to make my Grande-sugar-free-non-fat-lactose-free-double-shot-decaf-no-foam-extra-hot-Cinnamon-White-Chocolate-Mocha-with-light-whip-and-extra-syrup" questions answered by taking on the barista challenge.

I admit it, there were a few times when I acted like a jerk toward customer service reps -- despite the fact that I've done some of that work myself! I'd let my own frustrations and bad mood take over when standing in many impatient line-ups. I'd get especially irritated when I'd see customer service reps ignoring their customers. I'm so quick to forget how tiring and monotone those jobs can be too. I forget how I'd done the same thing, during crazy-busy days of dealing with rude customers -- how I pretended that people weren't standing in the line-up because it was either that or my head was going to explode. I forget how sometimes people talked down to me and how they felt entitled to way too much, tip-free.

So I think that the barista initiative will get everyone appreciate everyone else's business and help the medical staff understand that making coffee may not be as easy as it seems. True, baristas don't save lives per se, but I'm sure they've saved many wavering, headachy mornings of those who do.

Jowita

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The other day I was at Sick Kids hospital with my kid and I tried to put on a brave face as dozens of kids in wheelchairs and with IVs, bald heads and bruised eyes passed by. I couldn't help but notice the little boy curled up in a chair in the waiting room, looking way too familiar with the surroundings or the wispy-haired girl who wouldn't smile and clung onto her mom.

Then a clown girl showed up with a ukulele. She slumped down on the floor and started to sing things she obviously just made up on the spot -- her voice wavered all over the place and she couldn't play her ukulele at all. But she played on and sang off key and rolled her eyes and commented on kids' outfits and such, and joked and made funny sounds, and all the little feet pattered over to her and soon she was surrounded by a big crowd of kids. It included the sad girl who was now smiling a little and, of course, my son who I suspect is a bit of a clown himself.

We came home that day with cautiously good news about our son. After I put him to bed, I Googled "clowns" and "Sick Kids" and learned about the Therapeutic Clown Program. It's a job! And, despite appearances, the job does not just involve clowning around: according to The Canadian Association of Therapeutic Clowns, it's a regulated position with specific training that is abided by a code of ethics. In the article Clowning at Sick Kids Lucia Cino, manager of the clown program, explained how the work is done: "Therapeutic clowns are not entertainment clowns. In the hospital environment, therapeutic clowns at Sick Kids work solo with patients and partners who lead the play. Patients decide if, when, how and where this safe play will occur, empowering the children when they feel least empowered."

I don't know how these clowns are able to deal with such depth of misery that is a sick child but I have nothing but admiration for them. In the short documentary Prescribing Play, Teegan Jones (Rose, the clown) said that it's only the moment that matters and that all you have to focus on is what you do now, even if it's something as seemingly trivial as a twirling around with a little girl. There's no point of thinking that the same little girl is in palliative care -- all you need to do is make that day special for her. It was actually Rose that played ukulele for the kids when we were there. Despite the stress of being there, she certainly made our day at the hospital special.

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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A few years ago, I worked on a contract for a company that boasted great employee morale and frequently organized events devoted to entertaining their employees. There were golf matches, movie nights, fun lectures on wine tasting and meditating, yoga classes, dancing lessons and a number of BBQs throughout the year. One Friday, at the end of the workweek, a cart filled with beer rolled through the building and stopped at everyone's desk! The company often landed on the list of best employers in the city and even in the country.

Recently, The Toronto Star published its 50 Best Employers list. The ranking is based on a study that is supposed to figure out how much of a company's workforce is truly engaged, according to Neil Crawford, the leader for the annual Best Employers in Canada survey. Engagement is measured according to how well employees speak about their company and whether they show "eagerness to be part of the organization and the degree to which they are inspired by leadership, the culture and what the company is doing for stakeholders and customers."

A company I worked for while in university is currently on the list but the one I did contract work for is not mentioned. Why? It doesn't exist anymore. The coddled and courted workers got the shock of their lives when this Canadian company's president and founder sold it to a U.S. conglomerate. The conglomerate quickly ate it up but not before spitting out all of those ever-so-satisfied employees.

Jowita

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As we were sipping beers on the patio of a local watering hole last week, my friend and I joked that we should switch careers and become "brewski-ologists." We laughed at how funny we were (giggles mostly prompted by the number of beers ingested), but little did we know that a career in beer is no joking matter.

If you're like me and don't know the difference between a lager and a pilsner, beer is just a sudsy liquid that you drink on a hot summer day or alongside a serving of fish and chips. But the mystery behind this amber elixir can be unveiled to those who are committed to diligent studying (and possibly diligent drinking as well). The Toronto Star recently reported on a Toronto-based certification program that can turn an amateur beer drinker into an official suds expert. Sign up for courses at Cicerone and you can move your way from Certified Beer Server to Certified Cicerone and then finally Master Cicerone. (While a "cicerone" is a guide who conducts sightseers, the term is being used here to designate someone who is knowledgeable in all things beer, similar to a wine sommelier.)

Although you may think you developed beer expertise during your university days or while spending summer nights drinking Labatt 50s on the porch, the sample questions at the end of the Toronto Star article might prove you wrong. In fact, they’re kind of sobering.

With Canadians taking pride in the beer we produce and Toronto being home to a few well reputed microbreweries as well as the upcoming Festival of Beer, I wouldn't be surprised if the beer certification movement catches on. That could mean your next liquid lunch could be part of a very productive workday, all in the name of dedication.

Veronica

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As summer begins to unfold in Toronto, many of us are thinking about embarking on a little vacation to get away from it all. But what if, instead of scheduling in some R&R on your break from the daily grind, you sign up to do more work? Scary idea, isn't it? But for Brian Kurth, founder of Vocation Vacations, trying out a new job while on vacation from your current one is an exciting adventure.

Vocation Vacations is a company that specializes in career mentorship for individuals who are considering a career transition. With over 125 careers to explore, from alpaca rancher to pit crew member to wine sommelier, the program could be an avenue leading you to your dream job. It's an opportunity, however, that comes with a hefty price tag: most two-day mentoring blocks cost between $849 and $1099. Sounds like this might be a vacation for the rich!

Although the cost of the Vocation Vacations experience may be exorbitant, thus gearing the program to more affluent individuals who are trying on a new career for kicks, experimenting with different jobs is an idea worth pursuing. It's sort of like sampling a few flavours of ice cream before committing to an entire cone. While a job may look great on paper, you might find that it's not all you dreamed it would be once you hunker down to work. But if you start out with just a taste, you're not bound to an ultimately unsavoury position.

With more and more people holding multiple careers in their lifetimes, it would be great if opportunities to test drive different livelihoods were more readily available. In the absence of such opportunities, why not create your own? Volunteering or job shadowing, for example, can determine whether a particular career or industry strikes your fancy. By finding ways to sample a new job, you may find your favourite occupational flavour and be on your way to savouring a brand new career.

Veronica

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It's no secret that the entertainment business can be very volatile. It seems that some clubs and restaurants are part of a magic act -- they disappear as fast as they appear.

A few months ago, I congratulated a friend who had landed a job in a soon-to-open hip restaurant/club. Her present nightclub job is pretty erratic -- her hours vary according to the season, the economic climate and the day-to-day ebb and flow of patrons.

The opening date has now been postponed so many times that I've stopped asking her, "How's the new job going?" Fortunately, my friend knows the ropes. She didn't immediately quit her old job at the offer of a brand new and more exciting one. She knows that restaurants and clubs can't easily guarantee a steady 35-hour week. So, her plan is to manage both jobs for a while until she's assured that this new place picks up speed.

College and university students are already hitting the pavement in search of a summer job. Working in a nightclub presents an attractive proposition. It allows them to enjoy the great summer days while making pretty lucrative earnings in the evenings. Like all good things, there's a hitch. These jobs can also be unreliable. So, before accepting a night job, do your research and as Cheryl Gorski warns in her article How to Work at a Nightclub, "[b]e wary of a nightclub with high staff turnover and one that frequently changes ownership". That way, you'll be sure that your four-month summer assignment doesn't turn out to be a two-week test.

Josée

For More Information:

• Working in a Night Club

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Getting swamped with rejection letters can be discouraging if you're unemployed, but with the right attitude and a little creativity, your life doesn't have to spiral downward. Take the case of communications grad Jason Paul, 22, who unsuccessfully applied to 180 American newspapers before he decided to try a new approach: quitting the conventional lifestyle and living off Craigslist for nine months, spending three months in three different cities.

Craigslist proved to have everything Jason needed. He found work as a street canvasser in Oakland and, while in Denver, worked at Denny's restaurant and at Lovesacs, "fluffing, stocking and chilling in gigantic furniture 'sacs.'" On St. Paddy's Day he pranced around as a leprechaun, handing out promotion cards for a bar.

Paul finds housing, jobs and rideshares through Craigslist. He also uses it for less mundane things, like finding people to go pheasant hunting with or to play underwater hockey or trampoline dodgeball.

"He's scored a free Thanksgiving dinner with strangers, found a friend he meets weekly for crochet lessons, and experienced the highs and lows of searching for roommates online," according to an interview in The Globe and Mail.

Paul may not have yet racked up a communications job, but through contacting strangers on Craigslist he's sharpening his networking skills. Because he has blogged about his Craigslist experiences Paul now has a website he can show to potential employers. He has gotten some media attention (in addition to The Globe, he's been interviewed by the CBC, Mediabistro, and others). I suspect that more than a few employers, impressed with the initiative that Paul has shown, will offer him a job in his field.

In addition to all of that, it seems that Paul has made great connections and collected a series of life experiences he'll be able to tell his future grandkids about.

kathyo

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Every time I hear the word "matchmaking," I can't help but think of the well-known "Matchmaker" song sequence from Fiddler on the Roof. Or, maybe the meddling aunt in everyone's family who desperately tries to set up her single niece with "the nice guy next door." Maybe I'm out of touch, but matchmaking has always seemed old fashioned and outdated to me.

But then I came across Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker, a TV show that features Patti Stanger, a Beverly Hills matchmaker who created a millionaires club for rich singles looking for love. And I thought, "Hmm ... is this a new trend?"

The answer is yes. It seems that with the growing popularity of new dating strategies, such as online and speed dating, comes the rebirth of the matchmaker. According to Career Pro News, there are 114 million single people in North America -- a huge potential client pool to draw from. But is matchmaking a lucrative career? The Matchmaking Institute, which offers a certificate in matchmaking as well as a Professional Matchmakers Association, claims that a full-time matchmaker can earn between $20,000 and $100,000 per year. Lisa Clampitt, the co-founder of the Matchmaking Institute also stated in an interview that "a successful professional matchmaker can make an average of $200,000 dollars a year," depending on where they operate.

If, after hearing these figures, you're now seeing huge dollar signs in your future, be forewarned that matchmaking is still work. A successful matchmaker needs to possess the right combination of entrepreneurial savvy and well-developed social skills. You have to be an individual who reads people well, knows about the psychology of personality, and enjoys being out and about at social events and schmooze fests. As matchmaker and relationship coach Rachel Russo describes, it's a busy lifestyle: "My career is more of a lifestyle than a nine-to-five. Whether I am calling new leads, making matches, writing profiles, or updating my blog, I do what needs to be done!"

But, hey, playing cupid for a living still sounds like a heck of a lot of fun to me.

Veronica

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I recently began seeing an osteopath who was a street nurse in her previous career. Although "Diana" liked her previous job, she ultimately wanted a career where she could provide more in-depth solutions to health problems. So sometime in early middle age (I'm guessing), Diana took the plunge.

What an intriguing career transition, I thought to myself. But then I remembered "Frank," a massage therapist I see from time to time, who had an even more drastic career change.

Frank used to be a steelworker. He's a big man with a full beard and at first glance he reminded me of a bear. His gentleness surprised me. Some years ago, Frank started massaging his son, who had been in an accident, and in doing this discovered his calling. Frank hadn't been very happy in his old job and then, as fate would have it, his plant closed down, he took a package and -- in his 50's -- retrained as a massage therapist.

I also marvel at the career path of Kevin Budd, who started teaching English in Shanghai over three years ago. Teaching English in China is not so uncommon these days. But what seems remarkable to me is that Kevin was 43 when he made the transition. (I naively thought only twenty-somethings taught English overseas.)

Prior to teaching, Kevin worked on a drilling rig out West, did cleaning and driving jobs, and, for 13 years, worked in a warehouse. "I wanted a change of pace," says Kevin. "I had been doing a lot of physically demanding work that wasn’t very challenging intellectually. I didn't want to be doing this work in my 50s or 60s." So Kevin learned some basic Chinese, got a couple of TESOL certificates and, lo and behold, completely changed his life.

If you're contemplating a career change and want even more inspiration, take a look at this Chicago Tribune article. It chronicles three people who have made radical career/life changes. I particularly love the opening line: "Some think that changing careers takes deep pockets, but people who have successfully retooled say it's more about having a steely gut, thick skin and, above all, heart." I think that Diana, Frank and Kevin qualify.

kathyo

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I recently washed my husband's cell phone. It was left in the pocket of his shorts and ended up happily tumbling through the washing machine. Although a little wet, the phone appeared to have survived the experience -- at first. We quickly discovered that it had lost the ability to dial the number "3". This meant a trip to the phone store to see if we could get it patched up.

We made our way to the customer support desk naively thinking that we could find the answer to our problem. We were ignored by two students on their summer jobs chewing gum while madly texting with their friends. I guess they took the job for the free phone. We had little choice but to intrude and boldly ask to be served. One of them finally obliged. He examined the phone and without making eye contact announced (between chews), "Yeah! You need a new phone!"

Wikipedia explains that customer service "is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction". This is not what we had just experienced. We felt frustrated, even angry, as we stormed out of the store.

I couldn't help thinking that these people didn't deserve to have a job while so many others are unemployed. But could it just be that they didn't have the right job? Could it be lack of management support -- lack of proper training? Could it be the way that the company treats its employees? While I'll never have the answers to these questions, the fact remains that they didn't do a good job and that affected my experience as a customer.

They definitely hadn't asked themselves: Would I be good at customer service? before accepting this job because they would have concluded that "this path is not for everyone. It requires strong people skills and the ability to adapt well to stress." (Not that stress in this particular case was at all part of the equation.)

Customer service is an important and complex job. It requires excellent communication and problem solving skills as well as all around professionalism. It is the face of the company. My experience certainly makes me feel like changing suppliers. And, if "3" doesn't exist in your phone directory, just let me know, the phone is all yours.

Josée

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