May 16, 2016 3 Comments

Disclosing your Disability in the Job Interview

In my work over the past 10 years as a Job Developer and Job Coach with individuals with disabilities and multi-barriers here at a JVS Toronto, I have observed that one of the most challenging aspects of the job search process for my clients is dealing with disclosure at the job interview. Not all disabilities are visible, and for job seekers dealing with challenges such as hearing or visual impairments, learning disabilities or mental illness, there are often questions about whether, how and when to disclose these to employers.

Employment specialists, Hoff, Gandolfo, Gold and Jordan point out that one of the most challenging aspects of dealing with an invisible disability is deciding when, or even whether, you should disclose, thereby identifying and giving details about your disability to a stranger in a job interview. There are pros and cons of disclosing during the job interview and the authors offer some information and suggestions to help you make that decision:

[Read more…]

May 9, 2016 2 Comments

Six Strategies for a Successful Job Search for Mature Workers

There is no shortage of age discrimination in the labour market. In my capacity as a Job Developer/Coach at JVS Toronto, I have worked with countless of our unemployed and underemployed clients who belong to the “mature worker” category — anyone over 50 years old. Many talented job seekers from this group have reported cases of age discrimination that have resulted in unfairly not getting a job offer. The challenges facing these demographics can be daunting as I have met individuals who have been out of the workforce for at least 30 years, or have been stay-at-home moms raising children and are grandparents or are forced to return to work due to widowhood and new financial problems. I cannot imagine what it is like to be forced to return to the competitive labour force after an absence of over 30 years due to financial concerns intensified by widowhood.

I have observed that such clients, who have not looked for work for a while, often do not have a suitable resume or cover letter and do not always have the computer or social media skills required in today’s labour market. Needless to say, the job hunt is overwhelming and causes tremendous stress and anxiety, and the labour market has significantly changed since the last time these clients have looked for work. Whereas such job seekers might not have the up-to-date computer skills, many definitely have invaluable transferable skills, such as excellent customer service, coordinating, and multi-tasking abilities, to name a few. Their extensive past work history means that they do have an in-depth understanding of a specific sector and I have no doubt that they could be responsible, reliable and trustworthy employees.

The following six strategies have been useful in my work to help this client group with securing employment, and dealing with possible age discrimination:

1. Do not look for work alone.

Job seekers of all ages in Ontario can register with an Employment Ontario centre closest to their home. JVS has five such Employment Source Centres, located throughout the city, which provide a range of job search skills, free of charge for eligible job seekers. Call our intake line at the location nearest your home and secure an appointment with the counsellor. Consider attending job search workshops (to learn such skills such as resume writing, interviewing or using LinkedIn), as well as career decision making workshops which would help clarify your current skills, experiences, and strengths, as well as your possible limitations (what is needed to learn to become more competitive) to ensure that you have selected a realistic employment goal.

2. Brush up on your computer skills.

One of the biggest concerns I hear from employers about older workers is about their computer skills. It’s an especially good idea for older job seekers to make a special effort to gain or update computer skills. It doesn’t have to be expensive — there are short courses online (look for the continuing education departments of the community colleges in Ontario, who offer courses via OntarioLearn, or the free courses offered on sites such as GCFLearnFree, at the local community centre or the adult education centre nearby. To figure out which skills are needed, seek out suitable job postings online, and figure out which computer skills are most often listed as required qualifications. Generally, skills such as Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel), as well as social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) are often needed by employers.

3. Research the labour market in your field to gain sector knowledge.

Consider joining professional associations, clubs, sector-specific groups, to network and gain industry knowledge and information regarding your target field.

Look up job postings in your target field — sign up for job alerts with sites such as Indeed, and review the job postings that come into your email inbox, to read the job descriptions as well as volume of the jobs in your field.

Set up a good LinkedIn profile, research other professionals who are employed in your field in the local market and connect with them. Review their work history, education, training, etc. This information should give you a sense of how fellow built their careers and where they are now. Join groups in LinkedIn; research the ones which are appropriate for your sector and industry.

Try to meet with relevant colleagues for information interviews, where you can learn more about the companies and meet people in your field.

4. Set goals and develop a plan.

“Go to the market” suggests Tudor Robins in one of her fantastic 10 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change in Canadian Living magazine. She is adamant that career changers need to get out and make contacts. Develop a project plan for your career change, complete with 30, 60 and 90 day goals to keep your search on track. Focus about 30 percent of your efforts on “public” positions — those posted in want ads or on job boards — and spend the rest of your time exploring opportunities you find through research and your network.

5. Volunteer.

While you in the process of learning about careers and gaining skills, try to start building your resume on your own. Contact the volunteer managers or even the executive directors of the organizations that you have identified in your research. Cold call the individual and ask for opportunities to contribute (research the organization and employees on LinkedIn and Google, etc, if possible before you call).

As I suggest to anyone who is struggling with job search, and gaining experience and references, approach the volunteer coordinators with an idea that you will do the jobs which no one likes to do. This is no time to be proud. Do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door and start by building a reputation that you are a “Go-To” person. Get noticed through volunteering!

You would be surprised how quickly the word spreads quickly. Once you prove yourself to your supervisor and team where you volunteer, you can start asking for more related work in your field. Be flexible regarding your volunteer tasks. This is a great strategy to network, secure some concrete and relevant experience on your resume, learn about your field, gain some references and be engaged in your field of choice and start building your career.

6. Keep busy.

Keep a structure in your daily life while you look for work; use an online calendar or your day-timer. Break the day down into hours. Each hour should be dedicated to a different activity related to achieving your dream career goal. For example, from 8:30 – 9:30 am: check your emails, 9 – 10 am: respond to the emails, between 10 – 11 am: research companies. After lunch, use the afternoon to cold-call for information sessions with professionals in your field. You can work at your desk at home, or you can work at the library. Insert time for a break and meal time. I recommend always getting dressed up as if you were going to work. Don’t hang around in your pyjamas. Get out as much as possible from your home. Participating in programs such as those offered by JVS`s Employment Sources locations will help — attend job search workshops, receive individual employment counselling, and access to employer information sessions and job opportunities in your field.

“It’s important to remember that that time flies quickly”, says JVS Employment Counsellor, Karin Lewis. Don’t get stuck in the trap of your fears related to returning to school, or changing your career. “If you don’t do this now, you will have regrets, which will probably be more painful and difficult than actually pursuing your dream job. I often see clients come back a year after meeting me for the first time, still not having made any progress, lamenting how far they might have come by now, if they had taken that big step already”.

Together with an Employment Counsellor, you can prepare a suitable resume based on your current skills and experience. I suggest that you clarify how many hours you can work, your realistic salary expectations, and how far you will travel for work. Make sure you have a telephone number with a voicemail and a professional message while you are looking for work. Once you learn the basics of computers including emails, create a professional email as well. These are the preferred ways of communication of employers these days. Once you have a resume targeted to your employment goal, and understand the interview and the hiring processes, you can hit the road by dropping into retail stores, and accessing job opportunities at JVS.

What could be an overwhelming and scary event — the search for work — can become manageable once you prepare for it with the support of an employment counsellor, regardless of your age or stage.

_{Joanna Samuels B.Ed. (Adult Education), M.Ed., CMF, CTDP, RRP is a certified Life Skills Coach, and certified Personality Dimensions Facilitator who works at JVS Toronto as a Job Developer/Job Coach/Workshop Facilitator. Also, Joanna is a part-time instructor of employment counselling with people with disabilities at George Brown College.}

May 2, 2016 2 Comments

When is it Too Late to Make a Career Change?

Making a change is never easy.

As part of our Employment Source and Career Exploration services at JVS Toronto, we offer clients an opportunity to rethink their career direction. As an Employment Counsellor, I am often asked by clients if it is too late in life for them to make a career change. My answer: don’t dismiss the possibility of a career change, no matter how old you are. People can succeed, no matter their age, if they plan the transition carefully. As inspiration, consider some of the examples of successful late career changers in this video:

However, career change, like all life’s changes, does come at a cost, which must be carefully considered:

Expect to take longer to find your next job. If you make a change, you will be stepping outside of your network and expertise, and competing with people who have more experience than you. In this tight economy, employers are anxious about making hiring mistakes, and they often prefer to hire people with established reputations in their field.
Be prepared to take a pay cut. No matter how well experienced and skilled you are in your former field, remember there is always someone out there who has established experience and a reputation in your new sector, and you will be expected by employers and customers to pay your dues and start at the bottom.
Make sure to grow and extend your network. Don’t expect to be able to rely on your present contacts to recommend you for new opportunities in which you do not have experience. It will be necessary to tap into your current network for new contacts who might be in your target field. Consider joining new professional associations, finding new LinkedIn groups and getting involved in activities where you might meet such people.
Consider investing time and possibly money in gaining new skills. Investigate your target field to find out about new software, certifications, or knowledge (such as legislation) that you might need to enter the field — read job postings and speak to people in the field. Seek out the skills via courses, volunteer work or through self directed learning.
Volunteer or shadow in the field. Try to get to know the field from the inside out. If you can volunteer or job shadow in your target field, you might be able to learn something about the difficulties and rewards it brings, and to decide if it is worth the challenge.

Once you weigh the pros and cons, you might find that age is not an issue. If so, take the chance and make it work. You won’t be the first person to challenge the norms and prove that it can be done.

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age”.

– Sophia Loren

^{Karin Lewis is the Blog Editor and a contributing writer. With almost 20 years experience working in employment in Canada and internationally, she presently balances the roles of Employment Counsellor, Consultant to Toronto’s Jewish Family and Child, as well as Communications and Marketing (Social Media) Specialist at JVS. She also wrote for The Examiner about labour market trends and job search, and has been featured on CTV National News.}

April 11, 2016 Leave a Comment

New Support for Precarious Workers

Michelle, a 36-year-old single mother, came to see me after her most recent job ended – a maternity contract – seeking help finding what calls a “proper job.” Despite impressive administrative skills and extensive experience, Michelle has been unsuccessful in securing a full-time, permanent role for over seven years. In 2009, after her high conflict marriage ended, Michelle – now a single mother of a special needs child – had to leave her demanding job to seek work that would enable her to take the time needed to attend to her daughter’s needs. Since that time, she has struggled to find meaningful work, instead finding short-term, low pay contracts, mostly via agencies. In seven years, Michelle has not received any paid vacation or sick leave, has not been able to contribute to a pension and, most importantly, has had no health benefits. Her and her daughter’s dental care has been compromised, and she struggles to afford the cost of her daughter’s medications. She has begun sinking into deeper credit card debt, having had to use her credit card to pay for health and other needed costs, in hopes of paying her debt once she gets the “next” job. Michelle shared with me that while her new flexibility was initially helpful in being able to attend to her daughter’s needs, the ongoing stress that came from a lack of resources and from the constant pressure to find the next job, was corrosive, taking a toll her mental health.

Michelle is one of millions of Torontonians, about half of the workforce, who are described as “precarious workers,” according to a study from McMaster University. The study described the impact of precarious work as “not sustainable for most workers, and carries serious health and social consequences. Limited and eroding levels of support compound the health-risks of nonpermanent employment.” The United Way went on to produce a report from this study, documenting the impacts that workers such as Michelle experience in detail.

What is Precarious Work?

The United Way report describes ‘precarity’ as “states of employment that do not have the security or benefits enjoyed in more traditional employment relationships. These precarious employment relationships are becoming the ‘new normal’ for many in our workforce.”

In a recent editorial by the Toronto Star, precarious workers (also called Urban Workers) were described as “the silent — indeed, practically invisible — majority”… ”composed of independent contractors, part-time employees, self-employed entrepreneurs, and creative types”, working in what they call “the gig economy“, lurching from contract to contract, gig to gig.

The editorial called on federal and provincial governments, as well as unions, to act to support these workers better. It also referred readers to the newly formed Urban Worker Project, a new initiative which aims to bring these workers together, to advocate for solutions for the challenges facing precarious workers.

The Challenges Facing Precarious Workers

Workers who are self-employed, contract, part-time or freelance often struggle with a lack of the benefits and protections usually afforded permanently employed staff.

This may include:

Lower pay, with no protections for overtime, or ability to negotiate raises or equity pay
Lack of benefits, such as sick leave, paid vacation, pensions or extended health coverage
Ineligibility for government programs such as Employment Insurance, including Maternity or Disability Leave
No union protections

Identifying Possible Solutions

Andrew Cash, co-founder of the Urban Worker Project, and Member of Parliament for Davenport in Toronto outlines a set of proposals, titled The National Urban Worker Strategy, which include:

“Extending unemployment benefits (…), while improving access to Employment Insurance. This would include exploring options to improve income security for the self-employed.”
“Fixing current taxation practices (…). This includes studying options such as income averaging for vulnerable workers with highly volatile incomes and reviewing the challenges of complicated tax filing requirements for contract workers and the self-employed.
“Making sure everyone has access to a livable pension. This includes working with provinces to increase overall CPP benefits and developing retirement savings solutions that better meet the needs of Urban Workers, and finally reversing the increase to the age of eligibility for OAS”.
“Working with the Provinces and Territories to address other factors arising from the changing type of work in urban areas, including:
1. Cracking down on the misclassification of employees as ‘independent contractors,’
2. Preventing the misuse of unpaid internships,
3. Ensuring temp agencies adhere to existing labour laws,
4. Addressing the lack of additional benefits (health, dental, drug) for many Urban Workers,
5. Examining ways to address other factors which compound precarious employment including lack of affordable housing, childcare and transportation.”

What We Can Do

Presently, the Urban Worker Project has initiated a campaign focusing on fairness for contract workers, calling on government to extend employment standards protections “so that solo self-employed, freelance and contract workers can access better pay, benefits and protections.” The campaign includes a petition, to which it is well worth adding voices.

The Project invites workers and others to sign up, donate and invite others to do the same. Precarious workers are the most vulnerable and isolated of all workers. This is an opportunity to break through the isolation and find strength in numbers.

As for workers who are currently struggling with issues related to precarious work, previous posts in this blog have recommended services such as The Worker Action Centre for supports and information.

March 21, 2016 Leave a Comment

Choosing the Right Employer: Canada’s Best Employers in 2016

Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine set out to identify the top employers in Canada, as rated by their employees. A survey was conducted of more than 8,000 workers, who were contacted anonymously without the involvement of their employer. Respondents, who were chosen carefully to be representative of the Canadian workforce by gender, age, region, education, and ethnicity, were asked how likely they were to recommend their employers and how they felt about other employers in their industry.

250 employers were rated across 25 industries. Overall, the list includes a good mix of Canadian and local businesses, with a range of large corporations to medium sized and non profits. The results revealed that many of highest rated companies are Canadian, including BC Hydro, the University of Guelph, and the publicly funded Toronto-based Metrolinx. Some of the highly rated multinationals included Costco and Google, companies which appear to frequently appear on listings of best employers.

To help job seekers find employers in their sector, Forbes sorted the companies by industry:

Increasingly in north America, the labour market is one where skilled employees are in high demand, and where company loyalty cannot be taken for granted. As a result, employers are beginning to appreciate the importance of ensuring that they have a reputation for keeping their employees happy, and surveys such as this are taken seriously by employers, job seekers and even investors.

For job seekers, it is clear that there are some excellent employers from a wide range of industries who are strongly committed to employee satisfaction. This list, as well as reviews from sites such as Glassdoor Canada, should be a helpful tool to direct candidates toward employers who treat their employees well.