The Career Foundation

Developing Human Potential

We Believe in Youth 2017 Raffle Lottery Winners

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We Believe in Youth - Poster Image

Congratulations to the following winners of our We Believe in Youth 2017 Raffle Lottery, which took place Friday, December 15th!

For full terms, conditions and contest rules, please click here.

WestJet Roundtrip Voucher for 2 Guests ($3,000 value): 
  • Ticket No. 2607 (Craig Rowsell)
Sirius XM Boombox Bundle + 1 Year Free Subscription ($616.83 value):
  • Ticket No. 433 (Sunhee Park)
Samsung Gear Fit 2 ($320 value):
  • Ticket No. 44 (Carol Festa)
Modalu Black Grab Bag ($302.55 value):
  • Ticket No. 1 (Ren Jianping)
Staples Carry-on Luggage ($226 value):
  • Ticket No. 201 (Yuhong He)
Donato Salon & Spa Package ($170 value):
  • Ticket No. 2420 (Andrew Daley)
Rotblott’s Discount Warehouse Gift Certificates ($100 value):
  • Ticket No. 2010 (Karsimran Grewal)
LUSH Bath Balm Package ($100 value):
  • Ticket No. 1017 (Daliah Ince)
5-class Pass, Moksha Yoga St. Clair ($96 value):
  • Ticket No. 571 (Halima Jimale)
1-Year Family Membership, Textile Museum ($85 value):
  • Ticket No. 690 (Kat Mayes)
4 General Admission Tickets to the Art Gallery of Ontario ($78 value): 
  • Ticket No. 2088 (Anthony Montauti)
2-Person Pass to Any Conservation Park in Ontario & 4-Person Pass to Black Creek Pioneer Village ($73 value):
  • Ticket No. 2350 (Renee Wilkinson)
Bicycle Tune-up, Bicycles on St. Clair ($67.80 value):
  • Ticket No. 450 (Kris Ufholz)
Fruits & Passion Gift Set ($60 value):
  • Ticket No. 3103 (Ailton Lopes)
D Spa Gift Certificate ($50 value):
  • Ticket No. 133 (Ren Jianping)
Shoppers Beauty Boutique Gift Card ($40 value):
  • Ticket No. 451 (Kris Ufholz)
1 General Admission Ticket to the ROM ($30 value): 
  • Ticket No. 3110 (Migdalia Jones)

How to Survive Holiday Parties When You’re Currently Out of Work

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Staff Celebrating the Holidays at Lawrence Square

It’s the holiday season, which means your cash flow may be running low — especially if you’ve recently been impacted by a layoff or you’re currently looking for work. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! Other then avoiding “BYOB” parties, there are plenty of other things you can do to stay on budget while decking the halls.

Here’s a few suggestions to keep you on track:

1. Go with a friend and offer to split the “gift,” then skip on the bill because that’s what friends are for, right? Just kidding! If you do that you’re sure to get a lump of coal from Santa!

2. Bring something handmade or re-gift (just make sure you remember who gave the original item or things could get awkward).

3. Offer to help with cooking or other tasks before the other guests arrive.

4. Ask if the host or hostess would be open to an “exchange” party, such as a cookie exchange. That way you won’t have to cook as much and waste money on expensive ingredients, plus you’ll get a variety of cookies to munch on. Just watch the waistline!

Mitigating the Mingling

How do you counter the most common and potentially awkward introduction question of all? (You know the one: “What do you do?”) For starters, you don’t have to answer with, “I’m unemployed” or “I’m out of work.” Instead, you can always say: “I’m in between jobs” or “I’m working on some leads,” which should be enough to satisfy a stranger’s curiosity. If you’re taking classes or upgrading your skills you can mention those, too.

But how about taking it up a notch and giving an answer that’ll really get the conversation started? “I’m pursing/looking at new opportunities in my field” — or even better: “I’m exploring and open to change.”

These answers will open up the conversation (if that’s your intention), so you can talk about your skills and what you’re specifically looking for, which will sound much more proactive and positive. It may even open up some doors for you if the person happens to be well-connected. Now who doesn’t like to party with someone like that?

So grab the eggnog and have some fun – the New Year is upon us!

This blog was written by Elaine Logie, Program Manager of the General Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship Program for Youth. 

3 Reasons I’ve Loved Working in the Skilled Trades

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Made in the Trades - Female student participating in The Career Foundation's Pre-Apprenticeship Arborist Program.

If you have a mental image when you see the word “arborist”, it’s probably not a mental image of me. For those who don’t know, an arborist is a skilled tradesperson who specializes in cultivating and managing trees and woody plants – sort of like a specialized lumberjack.  I’m 5’7”, I’m smallish by most standards, and I couldn’t grow a beard to save my life, so archetypal lumberjack I am not.  I have ended up with a career in the skilled trades, however, and would recommend anyone who likes working with their hands to give the skilled trades a shot.

The major impetus for me happened in fall 2012, when I spotted an ad for The Career Foundation’s Arborist Pre-Apprenticeship program, to which I applied for, was accepted and successfully completed. When the General Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship program at The Career Foundation started in early 2016, I encouraged my brother, Will, to apply, and neither of us have looked back.

What has working in the trades done for me?

1) CONFIDENCE

Learning to safely use, maintain, and repair a chainsaw changed me, and not just because it’s one of the coolest power tools out there.  Before I got into the trades, I’d probably held a drill once or twice, hammered a few nails, and would have looked for someone else to do anything more involved than putting together Ikea furniture.  The first few dozen times I used a chainsaw, the uncertainty of whether I’d be able to get the thing to start put a knot in my stomach.

Fast forward a few years, and I’ve been in more situations than I can count where I had the most training and experience with tools on a job site, and was best prepared to tackle a job safely, or troubleshoot a problem effectively.  Beyond the obvious practical applications of having gained this level of skill, it also made me realize that, just because something is an enormous challenge at first, doesn’t mean I can’t overcome and eventually master it.  That feeling is infinitely transferable to other tools, to sports, to hobbies, and to challenges at work and in life.

2) EMPOWERMENT

With a couple major exceptions, most of the skilled trades have traditionally been male dominated. (Kudos to chefs and hairdressers!)  Today, the world is changing.  Every day I know that by showing up for work and being a professional in my field, I am setting an example: for my bosses and coworkers, for other women, for other skilled trades companies, for clients, for the public.

I really believe that tapping a broader pool of talent is beneficial: for individuals faced with a wider range of options, for industry, and for society.  Working in a male-dominated field as a woman certainly has its challenges, but I do so with the knowledge that I’m helping to pave the way for non-traditional demographics, including women, people of colour, and LGBT+ people, to take a shot at this really rewarding career.

3) RESULTS

Working in the trades, there is never any question at the end of the day as to what you’ve accomplished.  Your achievement is right in front of you, whether it be a tree pruned, a section framed, or a pipe laid.  As a tradesperson, you have made a measurable and tangible contribution to society by the end of every day at work.  In many cases, it will be a contribution that you’ll be able to physically show your children and grandchildren.

Kate Raycraft currently works as Pre-Apprenticeship Project Assistant with the General Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship program at The Career Foundation’s Hamilton office. For anyone interested in our General Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship program, please visit our website. 

Navigating a Networking Event: 8 Tips That Will Make Even a Shy Person Comfortable

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Nervous woman at networking event

For some of us, walking into a room full of strangers can be intimidating, especially if you’re one of the quiet types. With every step, the lump in your throat gets more constricting and your stomach feels like it could bottom out at any moment – much like climbing Mount Everest, I assume. While you can live happily-ever-after never having climbed Everest, networking is something you can’t really avoid if you want to make connections with the “Who’s Who” of the business world. Being able to network effectively is a great tool to have in your arsenal for career success.

Here are eight tips to help you step out of your comfort zone and network like a boss:

Research

If you’re attending a networking event, do a little investigating beforehand. Find out who the host is and search their name on Google or LinkedIn. They could be an old schoolmate or maybe they recently achieved a milestone. A quick search can help you find a way to break the ice with the host of the event.

Dress like a boss

Ensure you are dressed professionally. Iron everything!

Just do it

Take a deep breath before walking into the room. Keep your head up, shoulders back and stand up straight. Stepping into a room full of strangers gets easier each time.

Perfect you elevator pitch

No matter what you do or the purpose of the event, always come prepared with strong talking points. If you’re a job seeker networking with potential employers, ensure you’re able to convey how you would be an asset to the company. If you’re a business owner, who knows your business better than you?

Be prepared to talk about yourself or your business if the occasion calls for it. Keep your pitch short and to the point – no more than 30 seconds.

If you’re simply trying to make connections, go with casual talking points; something current or newsworthy like a new book or movie release will do. Try to steer clear from politics and religion.

And don’t forget to bring your business card if you have one!

Don’t go alone

Go with a colleague or friend. Having someone you know in the room can help calm your nerves.  However, don’t treat your buddy like a crutch – be sure to mingle on your own as well.

Ask for an introduction

If you know the host of the event, ask them to introduce you to some of their guests. Don’t be afraid to ask someone you know to introduce you around.

Focus on the person standing alone

You might be a nervous wreck, but you’re not the only one. There’s usually someone standing in the room by themselves, likely just as nervous about networking. Make eye contact with him or her. Smile and introduce yourself. Find something to compliment, such as their shoes, briefcase, watch, and so on (but keep it professional, of course!)

Practice

Use your colleagues as guinea pigs! Don’t shy away from work events and staff meetings. Practice your networking skills by talking to people from different departments. This will help you get comfortable speaking with people and will also help improve your conversation skills.

Practice makes perfect, so implement some of the tips above to help you navigate any networking event.

PS – Keep in mind that a lot of people like to talk in general, so you’ll often find that sometimes all it takes is a smile, friendly introduction, and quick icebreaker to steal someone’s attention – and ideally lead to the next stage in your career!

Jodi Darby is a Business Developer with The Career Foundation’s Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) Program, and has successfully navigated her way through dozens of nerve-racking networking events over the past few years. Connect with Jodi on LinkedIn.