jobpostings magazine (march 2011)

thefineprint

march 2011 | careers. education. ideas. all of it.

contracts attack†when

†the fine print

& Wine, Food, BusinessRun your own restaurant

environmental ProFessionalsThe Mining industry needs you

How to read and understand an employment contract. And what to watch out for…

BUSINESS DEGREES

business.humber.ca

BUSINESS DEGREES IN:

Accounting e-Business Marketing Fashion Management Human Resources Management International Business Tourism Management

1jobpostings.ca | march 2011

7 The Home Depot (Merchandising Execution Team) 9 Chair-man Mills Inc. 9 NAV Canada 9 Tim Hortons 11 College Pro 11 The New England Center for Children 13 The Home Depot (Part-time) 20 Sun Life Financial 23 Air Canada Jazz 23 Delta Hotels and Resorts 27 College Pro 29 Cameco 29 P&H MinePro Services

who’shiring

stuff to buy

yay! more school

Hey. Did you know that these companies have lots of entry level positions? Visit their websites to see a full list of positions available.

who else?

IFC Humber, The Business School (Undergrad) 3 Humber, School of Social and Community Services 15 Humber, Accounting 30 Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology 30 Queen’s University 31 Brock University 31 Canada’s Automotive School of Business, Georgian College 31 Centennial College 31 Conestoga College 31 Fanshawe College 31 Ithaca College 31 Queen’s University 31 Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry 31 Sheridan College 31 Trent University IBC Humber, The Business School (Postgrad) OBC Humber, Global Business

4Success Story — Danijela

Covic on how to take advantage

of unexpected change. Brought to

you by Rogers Wireless.

6From our blogs — Travelling

on the Company Dime.

30Edu-ma-cation — The won-

derfully awesome and practical

uses of an Agricultural Econom-

ics MA.

32JobLife — Lessons Learned: fail-

ing a course paid for by the com-

pany. Whoops.

6 Insurance Institute of Canada 25 Scholarships Canada 3 Mining Industry Human Resources Council

5 Rogers Wireless

8interviewsmarts — This

month: What is a challenge you

have faced while working on an

important project?

10careercupid — Does the

thought of networking make you

want to hide under your bed?

You’re not alone.

12oneonone — From non-

profit to politics. We get some

sage advice from Calgary’s Teresa

Woo-Paw, MLA.

14startup — Milun Tesovic on

communication, running a com-

pany while attending school, and

song lyrics.

The Fine PrinT

Employment contracts can be tangled, technical

knots to untie. Not to mention utterly boring to

read. But before you sign on the dotted line, you

should know the standard clauses and

how they pertain to you.

16

22Into the Frying Pan, Lov-ingly — Want to start your own

restaurant? Networking and pay-

ing your dues will get you there.

24Found in Translation — From

financial institutions to govern-

ments, translators are in high de-

mand. Inside this often unappre-

ciated, but highly lucrative, career.

26Hard Science — The wildly

fascinating and utterly important

work of a pharmaceutical chemist.

28Getting in Step — The mining

industry has plenty of opportuni-

ties for environmental profession-

als: A look at the nature and im-

portance of a growing profession.

Imag

es: i

Stoc

kpho

to/T

hink

stoc

k

Plus: When Contracts Attack! (p. 19)

2 march 2011 | jobpostings.ca

This past January I attended a conference called CANNEXUS, the annual get-together of Canada’s career counsellors/practitioners/advisors/consultants — basically anyone who helps other people with their careers. Former Prime Min-ister Paul Martin stopped by on the last day of the confer-ence to talk about the Martin Aboriginal Initiative; he ex-plained the challenges they were facing implementing their programs(mostly educational in nature), and the role of ca-reer practitioners in regards to education and career issues facing Aboriginals. He also threw some cold-water on our inflated sense of Canadian do-gooderness. How can we, as Canadians, wrap ourselves in our human rights flag, saddle-up our high horse, and lecture other countries about their violation of human rights when we are home to some of the world’s most impoverished communities (read: Aboriginal population)? It was the right crowd to talk to about this issue: a collection of very passionate, very caring people. Martin’s speech, as well as the conference itself, got me thinking, and not for the first time, about how much we can affect change in the world around us by simply having a job.

We can use examples like doctors, and teachers, and of course electrical engineers (thanks for keeping the power on!) or food inspectors (thanks for keeping the salmonella out!), but what about trades people? As Mike Holmes point-ed out in a past interview with jobpostings, trades people construct the buildings where doctors operate on patients. And what about those other jobs that really don’t get re-spect? Like retail or serving? Do we affect change by helping somebody find the right size of pants?

During my first year of post-secondary, I worked at a then-growing retail outlet that sold clothes to teenage men. On one very slow evening shift, a mother came in with her son. He was maybe 13 years old, a bit pudgy and very self-

Jason Rhyno

conscious. “He’s going to a school dance,” his mom told me, “and needs some clothes.” As I started to pick out some clothes, the mother, to my surprise, said “I’m going to leave him with you guys. I have some other shopping to do.” It was a quiet night in the store, so myself and the other associate were able to give the boy lots of attention, and we dressed him to the nines. Two weeks later, during a busy Christmas rush, his mother popped in and dropped off a large gift bas-ket. “The other kids loved his clothes, he’s been beaming for weeks,” she said. “He’s got a girlfriend,” she said proudly, be-fore thanking us for giving him the attention we did. See? Change! While I didn’t topple a dictatorship, it was still vis-ible change, albeit on a small scale — but I’m of the mind that there are no such things as “little things.”

Too often, I think we undersell the far-reaching implications of the work we do, only fully noticing it when we hear of oil spills or the unethical decisions made by CEOs and politi-cians. If we can nearly destroy an entire ecosystem through our work, then can’t we do the opposite? If thousands of jobs are lost because we make a bad investment, can’t we create a thousand jobs by making a good investment? In fact, I wonder: what would have happened had we dressed that boy with only our commission in mind, loading him up with pricey clothes that didn’t fit his frame, and sent him off to that dance looking like a fashion victim?

We should never forget how, who, and what our work affects. And by using our unique skills to help overcome shared challenges such as Paul Martin using his skills as a politician to tackle education issues among Aboriginals, and Mike Holmes building stable shelters for families in New Orleans, we can (in our own little 9-5 way) change the world.

publisher Nathan Laurie

[email protected]

associate publisher Mark Laurie

[email protected]

editor Jason Rhyno

[email protected]

graphic designer Sonya van Heyningen

[email protected]

web editor Emily Minthorn [email protected]

contributors Christine Fader, Ross

Harrhy, Naoise Hefferon,

Rodney Larmand, Allison

Mitchell, Kevin Nelson, Eleni

Papavasiliou, Jeff Sebanc

editorial intern Andrew Williams

national account managers Sarah-Lyn Amaral,

Lori Blanchard,

Mary Vanderpas

jobpostings

Published by Passion Inc. 25 Imperial Street, Suite 100 Toronto, ON M5P 1B9

jobpostings.ca 1-877-900-5627 ext. 221

jobpostings is published eight times in the school year. Issue dates are September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and May. Copies of jobpostings are distributed to over 105 universities and colleges across Canada. Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reprinted in whole or part without permission of the publishers. Is spring here yet?

on the cover: © iStockphoto | Anne Clark

our favourite quote this month:

"Some people only want success and status, to work in a good restaurant or start their own without putting in the time to really learn the business, to learn the subtleties that make it the craft that it is, instead of a mere trade. It’s not enough to want it, you have to live it."

Jennifer Mooers, Into the Frying Pan, Lovingly (p. 22)

noteeditor’s

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Taking Advantage of Change

Where did you go to school? What program did you attend? I first attended Conestoga College where I re-ceived a diploma in Human Service Founda-tions. I then moved to Niagara on the Lake and received a diploma from the Business Sales and Marketing program at Niagara College.

How did you find your current position?After graduating, I decided to take some time and explore my options and see what careers were suitable to me and my education. During this time I had a meeting with my advisor to re-view my personal finances and that’s when he asked me about considering a career as an advi-sor. This was a career that I didn’t entertain en-tering into; however, since my initial interview, I have never looked back.

Tell us a bit about your responsibilities.The biggest responsibility I have is ensuring that all “prospects” and clients are fully educated on the importance of having life and health cover-age for their entire family, as well as having a well-versed investment portfolio.

What is the most challenging aspect of your position?The most challenging aspect of my position is time management. While running your own business has many positives, it presents challenges. You have to be accountable for all of your clients and your office. So, delegating your time in a proper manner is very impor-tant. It takes time to get a system in place and get accustomed to it.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?The most rewarding part of this career is the feeling that you have made a difference in someone’s life. My clients trust that I will always do the right thing for them and their family. That is a very big responsibility but also a rewarding one to know someone believes in you that much to entrust their current and future plans to you.

What skills have you learned through your work experience?Time management and organizational skills are the first two I have learned the most about. Knowing how to organize your calendar is so important in this industry. The more organized you are the more work you will be able to get ac-complished. Another important skill this job will teach you is troubleshooting. Things can always change in a split second, and through experi-ence you can learn how to take advantage of those changes.

What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and hon-esty. You have to be prepared to work seven days a week if needed and love every moment of it. It’s not hard work if you love and believe in what you do.

Is there one accomplishment you are most proud of to date?In my first full year as an advisor, I was able to achieve a company target goal to get invited to a conference in Hawaii. This was not an easy goal to set or even achieve, but I managed to accom-plish it with a lot of hard work. This great success has allowed me to prove to myself that with the proper drive and tools you are able to achieve any goal, no matter how big or small it is.

What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job?Make sure that you look at all of your options,. Sometimes the careers that you don’t see in the limelight and that are not always the most obvious ones turn out to be the best ones. Also make sure that you walk into every opportunity with an open mind because until you fully un-derstand what you are being offered, you can’t make the most educated decision.

Name Danijela Covic

Company Century Group Financial Solutions Inc. Sun Life Financial

Position Advisor

Time in Role 2 years

Degree Business Sales and Marketing

Sponsored by

successstories

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march 2011 | jobpostings.ca

travelling on the comPany dime

from our blogs | 01/21/2011

I always wanted to have a job where the com-

pany flew me out to meet with clients, and

attend conferences. I thought, "Man, how cool

would that be?" Friends would ask me, "Hey,

Jason, wanna get together this Monday?" and I

would say, "No, sorry. I'm flying out to New York

for a quick conference — I got important con-

nections to make, and deals to sign over a few

fancy-pants dinners, but I'll be taking the red-

eye back Wednesday so I'll meet you for squash

in the a.m." (In other words: I’m a big deal.)

Well, I finally have a job at a company that pe-

riodically flies me out to attend conferences,

and it's great, but it's not as fun as I envisioned

it. In fact, it's actually serious work and kind of

takes its toll on you.

This Sunday I'm flying to Ottawa to attend

CANNEXUS, the national conference for career

counsellors/consultants (and a few recruiters).

Saturday I'll be working from home research-

ing the conference (there's a ton of sessions

each day, and I like to have a little background

knowledge on each subject), finishing off a few

things I didn't get to this past week, and trying

to pack 50 copies of the magazine, my clothes,

dress shoes, toiletries, and Jay Z's Decoded into

one small carry-on bag.

The first day will be a long day of sessions,

broken up with brief phone calls back to job-

postings' HQ as we are going to print while

I'm away, followed by a dinner with some ca-

reer counsellors, and then back to the hotel

to check emails, do some proofreading, and

prepare for the next day. And I have to keep

track of all my purchases, including receipts,

for obvious company finance reasons. (Wanna

know how I keep track of all my receipts? I

stuff them into a ziploc bag and worry about

them later.) Everyday is long, exhausting, and

requires excellent time management skills.

Still, though, I'm pretty excited... Just wish I

had room to bring my skates. I can hear the

Rideau Canal calling my name from here.

P

Imag

e: G

oods

hoot

RF/

Thin

ksto

ck

Q

by Jason Rhyno

Merchandising Execution Associates Are you a self-motivated team player with an eye for the details? The Home Depot, one of Canada’s top 100 employers, is currently hiring Merchandising Execution Associates (MEAs).

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Apply online at:

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Unleash Your Vision

march 2011 | jobpostings.ca8

aQWhat is an example of a challenge you have faced while working on an important project?

So you screwed up in the interview,

huh? They asked the ol’ “What’s your

greatest weakness” question and you

responded with “cupcakes,” hoping to

get a laugh. Awkward.

Lucky for you we have friends on the

inside – recruiting friends (the people

who’ll be interviewing you). It cost

us a few favours, but they finally

agreed to explain why they ask what

they ask, and what the best answers

are. It’s a cheatsheet for interviews.

Good luck!

smarts* interview

by Rodney Larmand

President @ College Pro

Painters Canada

I like this question because it’s general enough that it makes you think of an example, process through it and then explain it back to me. You can bet I’ll be following up with lots of questions to learn the details of how you worked through the challenge.

First though, I’ll try to establish why the project was meaningful. I want to make sure this project was important to you because we all like to think that when you come work with us you’re going to find all the work you do to be very meaningful — or we hope so anyway! Throughout your professional life you will face setbacks, and when something is important to you and it isn’t going well, your emotions can really begin to get in the way of your performance. What I want to know is what does that emotional rollercoaster look like? How did you react in the situation? Were you able to control your emotions? Perhaps you flipped out but then moved on and still got the job done? Or did it take you several weeks to process and get over the issue?

We are all emotional beings, and as much as we don’t like to admit it, our emotions govern our behaviours. We are all going to have hard times keeping it together at some point — especially when we have a lot on the line — but some people are better than others at taking that stress, pushing it aside and still executing at a high level. You can see this in high level athletes in how they train with sports psychologists. For athletes, the difference in performance is often being able to deal with the stress of competition and pushing it aside so that they can go and execute at a high level. This ability to control your emotions in pursuit of a meaningful goal is one of the major traits I look for in a good candidate.

Imag

e: ©

And

rew

Will

iam

s


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career cuPid

Despite my aversion to net-

working, I do understand

and agree with the notion

that one path to satisfy-

ing work — or any work at

all — is through connecting

with others in both infor-

mal and professional situa-

tions, rather than exclu-

sively through job postings.

And, since most employers

tend not to advertise jobs if

they can avoid it (expensive

and time-consuming), we

are much more able to offer

and consider opportunities

if we are actively engag-

ing in conversations and

building relationships on a

regular basis around topics

of mutual interest.

But, knowing that network-

ing is helpful and actually

wanting to do it are two

different things. Why is it

that I can comfortably talk

for one and a half hours to

a room with 700 people in

it but I get clammy

just thinking about “work-

ing a room” full of 30

potential contacts?

Cathy Keates, Career Coun-

sellor and former Associate

Director of Career Services

at York University, delves

into a possible answer. In

her book, “Not for Sale –

Why We Need a New Job

Search Mindset” (Career

Considerations, 2009),

Cathy argues that in being

traditionally encouraged

to think of ourselves in

the job search process as

“products” that need pro-

motion and selling, we turn

career communication into

sales pitches — something

that is uncomfortable, if

not downright unfathom-

able, for many people.

Many people equate net-

working with “schmooz-

Christine Fader works as a career counsellor at Queen’s University and is the author of, “Career

Cupid: Your Guide to Landing and Loving Your Dream Job.” Visit her website at careercupid.com

Don’t tell anyone, but I hate

networking. Yes, I know that

I work as a career counsel-

lor and I’m supposed to be

all “networking is the way

to success” but I personally

don’t like doing it.

Don’t get me wrong. I

am a people person but

I have residual shyness

left over from my child-

hood and teenage years as

a four-eyed, braces- and

acne-endowed bookworm.

Walking into a room full

of strangers and feeling

as if I have to confidently

deliver a rehearsed “blurb”

that sells my attributes to

as many people as possible

makes me feel nauseous.

And, even if I did manage

to blurt it out, what if there

was spinach in my teeth or

something? I’d rather pitch

myself down an elevator

shaft than actually recite

the oft-touted-as-the-way-

to-career-success “elevator

pitch.” And, I’m more

than a little certain that

I’m not alone.

the wall-flower’s reprieve

by Christine Fader

ing” and for some of us,

schmoozing comes more

naturally than for others.

Personally, every time I

think about networking,

I flash back to grade two

when I spent what felt

like hours standing on

my various neighbours’

front steps, shifting from

one foot to the other, eyes

downcast, stomach in

knots, trying to sell Girl

Guide cookies. Networking

certainly feels like sales to

me — and sales are not my

thing. But does networking

really mean schmoozing?

Or, has the good name of

job search (and networking

by extension) been sullied

by the sales slant perpe-

trated upon it by career

practitioners, recruiters,

best-selling motivational

speakers and authors?

Cathy acknowledges that I

am not alone in my dread

and suggests thinking

about job search differ-

ently, using something

she coins, The Integrity

Mindset. She proposes that

the entire process of job

search could be a lot more

comfortable and rewarding

if we chose not to adopt

the sales mindset and

instead, considered three

pillars of a new job search

mindset: ethics, dignity

and authenticity.

It’s a radical yet completely

common-sense idea, and

career counsellors might

need to be the first ones

in line to learn this new

way of thinking about job

search. After all, if you’ve

ever visited a career centre,

you have probably realized

that, as a rule, we tend

to be well entrenched

in propagating the sales

metaphor. Our advice and

literature is littered with

phrases that come from

that model such as “your

marketing documents” and

“selling your skills” and

even, “your 30-second info-

mercial.” No wonder many

students would rather just

hit the ‘refresh’ button on

GreatGigs.com over and

over and over…

So, speaking as both a vic-

tim and perpetrator of this

sales mindset, let me re-

cap. Instead of feeling like

networking and job search

are competitive sales

situations where I have to

schmooze, memorize and

deliver an “elevator pitch,”

I can instead choose to

navigate through these

situations in a way that is

authentic for me. Instead

of feeling pressured to

“work a room,” I can focus

on enjoying as little as one

naturally-occurring con-

versation that is meaning-

ful to me and the person

with which I’m having it.

Hunh. Suddenly, network-

ing feels a lot more com-

fortable and achievable for

me — and for the students

with whom I work.

So, I’m ready to boldly try

this au naturel-networking

(my term, not Cathy’s) and

to recommend it to others.

I can handle this idea of job

search done the authentic,

non-salesy way. But, I have

one question before I head

into the fray: Is there any

spinach in my teeth?



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When it comes to Female rePresentation in Politics, canada is 55th on the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s ranking system behind Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq and even Afghanistan. The results are counter-intuitive considering that comparatively, Canadian women enjoy more personal freedoms. Clearly, being a woman in a man’s world isn’t easy. So how does a female immigrant become a politician in Canada?

mentor /' mentor/ 1 n. an experienced and trusted advisor or

guide (who usually buys lunch, too). 2. Yoda 3. Or Mr. Miyagi

(“wax on, wax off”). 4. Professor Dumbledore – he was a

mentor. 5. So was Gandalf. 6. Morpheus! Nearly forgot about

Morpheus! He was a pretty sick mentor. Man, how cool would

it be to have Morpheus as your mentor? (Hey, why aren’t

there any women mentors in pop culture?) 7. v.tr. act as a

mentor to (a person). mentoring n. & adj. mentorship n.

From non-profit to politics, how did you manage the transition?

I never planned on a career in politics, but looking back, the non-profit in-dustry laid the foundation for my present career. It started when I found-ed the Calgary Chinese Community Services Association in my basement while raising three children. After years in non-profit and diversity man-agement, I saw how my experience and resources could be used to give a voice for those who are never heard. Becoming a politician seemed like the obvious next step.

Have you experienced racism and/or sexism during your career?

Sexism was more subtle, while racism was more blatant. For example, people would ask me rhetorical questions like, “What kind of last name is that?” Facing attitudes like “the yellow race is taking over” was typical. My credibility was also undermined by people who believed I wouldn’t represent all of my constituents’ needs because of my race.

Non-profit equals Left, and Conservative equals Right. You’re both, huh?

Conservatism runs across a broad spectrum and where you stand depends on how you interpret the ideology. Peter Lougheed [former Premier of Al-berta] was a visionary leader who embraced fiscal responsibility and pro-gressive social changes. Likewise, the non-profit world encourages you to live within your means. With these principles I merge the two polarities.

What skills are required to be an effective politician?

Aside from committing to working long hours and remaining flexible, people skills are crucial. The ability to find common ground, work collab-

oratively and make compromises is essential. Being a good listener and being empathetic are valuable skills too. Lastly, mastering the art of time management is a given.

What are the major challenges facing women in politics today?

The lack of representation is the most damaging. As a result, we can’t put forward any analysis from a woman’s perspective for major issues. Currently, there is also a lack of willingness to work together across party lines to embrace our common ground.

Are politicians “married” to their jobs?

Yes. Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, having young chil-dren while in office is very challenging. Fortunately for me, my children are grown and my husband has always been supportive. Non-profit jobs are also very demanding so when I got into politics the impact on my family was minimal; they were already accustomed to me being away from home.

Got any advice for those pursuing a career in politics?

Determine your guiding principles and stick to them, because it is both a privilege and an opportunity to influence change. Demonstrate a com-mitment to public service, set goals and focus on building your networks and credentials early. Your attitude will make or break you; always remain optimistic, even in the face of adversity.

oneononeTeresa Woo-Paw, Member of the Legislative Assembly in Calgary

Interviewed by Eleni Papavasiliou


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Milun TesovicInterviewed by Jason Rhyno

startup

Owner of MetroLeap Media Inc. Studying Business Admin at

Simon Fraser U. (but currently taking a

semester off), 25 years

old. 2009 ACE National Student

Entrepreneur Competition

Champion

Can you tell me a little bit about MetroLeap Inc., what it aims to do, and what makes it unique both from a user perspective and a client perspective?

We’re a content based company, and our primary asset is metrolyrics.com — the third largest music website in the world and North America. We get about 50 million unique visitors a month and we serve over a billion ad impressions every month. From an advertisers standpoint, we have a very large audience that’s closely related to the music industry, so for any brands looking to penetrate the music market, or relate to the music market, we are a natural fit.

As a company, we strive to be the most compre-hensive and accurate lyrics database out there, and we add secondary content, such as music, news, videos and pictures to keep the users engaged and give them the entire music picture rather that just the lyrics. We’re making sure we provide anything and everything about song lyrics; it’s really about encompassing the entire music experience around music lyrics, and bringing that to the user.

You’re a student and a CTO. Can you describe an average day in your life, in terms of balancing the school books and maintaining your company?

Typically, I wake up between 6:00am and 6:30am. The first thing I do is check my email — usually be-fore breakfast — send off any important emails, then I head off to work or school. The way I sched-ule school is a maximum three hours a day, either first thing in the morning or at the very end of the day, and night classes if possible. From the office, I have an early morning meeting with all of the de-velopers, make sure everyone is on track, and from there either go to school or catch up on the rest of my emails. Studying is usually over the weekend, but what I find is key is paying attention in class. If you pay attention in class, you can spend half the time studying and do equally well, if not better. Once I clued into that, I didn’t have to study more than a couple of hours every couple of days.

So when the business started taking off, were you ever tempted to leave school?

School for me is not what school means for a lot of other people. For me, it’s more about educating

myself and making myself better than a means to a career. I have my career, I have my job and I’m not looking for anything other than this. So I take a different approach to school: ‘What am I going to learn’ rather than ‘I can’t wait to finish so I can go out and get a job’.

Aside from confidence, what type of personality traits do you think an entrepreneur needs?

You need to be vocal, and you need to communi-cate your ideas the right way, and you need to have leadership qualities. At some point in time it’s go-ing to be more than just you. You’re the leader, and if you can’t communicate a proper vision, if you can’t communicate the product, the values, and

everything in a meaningful way, you’re really not setting yourself up for success. So communication is being able to formulate your thoughts and con-nect with other people so they believe in you and the product as much as you do to help give the product the best chance of success.

Any advice?

One of things I keep noticing is that when I go to different universities to speak, is one full seat, one empty seat. Not taking that opportunity to network and start communicating early on, and building up your skills as a communicator, as someone who is approachable and somebody who is confident in approaching other people, is a shame. School is an ideal place to do that, so start building your skills early on, and start getting that support group.


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The Fine PrinT

You may have had a job before, but have you had to sign an employment agreement? As you embark on an internship, a co-op work term, a summer job, or your first job after gradu-ation, you may be faced with having to sign an employment agreement. Signing your first employment agreement can be a daunting task. Instead of breaking out into a cold sweat and wondering what you are getting yourself into, you need to un-derstand the different parts of an employment agreement so that you can anticipate what to expect.

Employment agreements are meant to protect the employer and the employee by clearly establishing the terms of employ-ment. The obligations that each party has to the other, as well as the benefits that each party will receive from the other should be clearly documented. Employment agreements dif-fer from company to company in terms of format, length, lan-guage and content. Companies may use a 1-2 page offer letter that includes elements of an employment agreement; some may use thicker agreements that incorporate elements of an

by Allison Mitchell

The Fine PrinT

offer letter; while others will use a combination and ask you to sign both an offer letter and an em-ployment agreement. Some agreements may be very easy to read while others require a law degree to understand. There are some common elements in employment agreements, however the content will change depending on the company. So, what can you expect to find in an employment agree-ment? Read on…

how to read and understand an employment contract


of time attached to this clause. In other words, if you leave, you can’t ask your work friends to leave and join you at your new company. You’ll just have to make new work friends.

† Intellectual Property

Intellectual property is the product of the creations of the mind, such as trademarks, designs, copyrights, slogans, etc. Since a company’s success is dependent on its intellectual property, it is important for companies to include this clause in the employment agreements. The degree of emphasis on intellectual property will depend on the type of business that you are working for. Obviously, technology companies tend to have a strong emphasis on intellectual property.

† Termination Clause

This clause establishes any period of notice that the employer or employee needs to give the other party in the event that the employment relationship ends. This clause will also out-line the elements of termination for cause to reduce as much ambiguity as possible.

† Other Clauses

There are many other clauses that can be included in an employment agreement. Some other clauses that you may encounter include a clarification clause stating that the com-pany owns all customer lists, customers’ records, copyrights, patents, etc. This is often covered in the Intellectual Property clause, however you may see it separately.

The employment agreement should also outline the com-pany’s policies. If they do not summarize the policies in the agreement itself, then they may reference the company poli-cies and require you to abide by these policies. If you have any questions about the policies before you sign, then ask!

This list of employment agreement clauses is not exclusive; there are other clauses that can be included in an employment agreement. When you are presented with an agreement, en-sure that you take the time to read. It is important that you un-derstand the agreement so that you make an informed choice as to whether or not you should sign it. Don’t assume that the agreement is okay to sign without careful review. Make sure that the duties and responsibilities in the agreement accu-rately reflect what you understand the responsibilities of the position to be. At the end of the day, it is going to come down to what is written into the employment agreement and not what you were told in the interview process so make sure that you are comfortable with the information that is written into the agreement. Some agreements will be easier to read than others. If you have questions or need clarification, then it is your duty to ask questions.

Remember that employment law will dictate certain minimum requirements including minimum wage and the number of hours that you can work in a week, to name a couple. Agree-ments can offer you more than the minimum stipulated in the applicable employment law (for example, more vacation

† Job Related Information

Title, start date, compensation, duties and responsibilities, probationary period, and term of agreement should all be included in the offer letter and/or the employment agreement. The compensation will include details about salary, benefits, bonus/incentives, and vacation.

A probationary period is a period of time following a start date where the employer and employee can ensure that each party is meeting the employment requirements of the other. The length of the probationary period may differ among compa-nies, if there is one at all. If there is a probationary period, it will most likely be between three and six months. Whether or not there is a probationary period for a co-op term or internship will depend on the length of the work term.

The agreement should also specify if the position is a fixed-term assignment — meaning there is an end date — or is an indefi-nite term assignment. For example, your co-op terms or intern-ships will be fixed-term assignments as they are temporary.

† Confidentiality

Confidentiality clauses, also called non-disclosure clauses, are a key part of any employment agreement. Companies need to protect their information in order to maintain a competitive edge. These clauses generally include provisions for product or service related information, client information (including client lists), and other information that you acquire simply because you are an employee. Most agreements will specify what is classified as confidential information. It’s important to note that confidentiality clauses are not only in effect while you are an employee, but also after you leave the company. Once you are no longer an employee, you will still be covered under the confidentiality clause of the agreement, which means that you cannot disclose any information deemed to be confidential even after you are gone.

† Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation

The non-competition clause means that you will not work for the employer’s competition during or after your employment with them for a certain period of time after you have left, and usually within a certain geographical region. The last thing your employer needs is for you to take all of that confidential information and go work for the competition down the street.

Non-solicitation clauses mean that you are not going to solicit business or employees away from the employer during or after your employment relationship has ended. There is also a period

…if you leave, you can’t ask your

work friends to leave and join

you at your new company. you’ll

just have to make new work friends.

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jobpostings.ca | march 2011

or more termination notice), but it cannot offer less than what you would be entitled to under the appropriate em-ployment law.

At some point in your career, you will be presented with an employment agreement. Don’t take signing an em-ployment agreement lightly. Ensure that you understand what you are signing before you sign it. Ask the employer to go through the agree-ment with you so that you can ask questions along the way. If you are not comfort-able with the answers that you are getting, then take

the agreement to a lawyer to review. Before you put pen to paper to sign the agreement, you need to know what you are signing. Always remem-ber to get a signed copy of any offer letter and/or em-ployment agreement.

f or most jobs, at least those that pay you over the table, you must sign on the dotted line before you can say “Show me the money!” But of course, wad-ing through a contract’s tangled technical language might seem like translating Klingon. It’s also, well,

boring to read. So we skim through the sheets, glossing over paragraphs, and sign our life away with no regards as to what we just did. Eventually, the-you-know-what hits the proverbial fan.

“I see up to 500 clients a year,” says Daniel A. Lublin, an em-ployment lawyer at Whitten & Lublin LLP. “Approximately half of those clients have a dispute concerning a contract in one form or another.” Here are just a few (kinda scary) ex-amples that Lublin has shared with us where employer and employee have butted heads:

A 21-year-old landed a job with a large financial services com-pany as a financial advisor. The heads of the company were thoughtful enough to conveniently bury some fine print under pages of documents in her contract. Unbeknownst to her, it stipulated that if she quit she would have to fork up the money it cost to train her, a small fee of $75,000 (which I’m sure most would agree is completely reasonable). As luck would have it, she had to leave after a year and a half when the employer turned out to be less than diligent in meeting the job conditions they had previously agreed upon. True to its not-so-obvious word, the company sued the young lady for the 75 grand, claiming she had “agreed” to it. “We are still fighting this one in the courts,” says Lublin, who suspects the employer will find it difficult to win. Companies have an ob-ligation to bring clauses or unclear details to the employee’s attention for clarification, according to Lublin. “Courts do not appreciate when an employer hides the language it later wishes to rely upon, especially from an entry level employee.”

Another example tells of an employee who was talked into leaving one job for another after the hiring manager made him certain promises. After being told to sign a “standard” employment contract, he tried to negotiate the conditions with the employer, but was slapped with one of those “ev-eryone has to sign the contract, otherwise they couldn’t work

for the company” arguments. “He did what he felt was the only option and signed the contract,” says Lublin. Due to the recent recession, he ended up losing the job shortly thereaf-ter, but was denied any compensation for leaving his previ-ous, secure job thanks to the contract he was made to sign, which had relegated him to a probationary employee. “Had he known what he was agreeing to, he would have never left his old job and would probably still be employed today.”

According to Lublin, the most common stipulations that are a source of grief for employees are the contractual clauses about termination. Also, if you’re planning on leaving that dead-end job at the Beans & Chili Shack to open your very own Beans & Chili R’ Us, you might want to think twice. “Clauses preventing past employees from working for a competitor or soliciting old clients or contacts cause a lot of conflict between employers and employees,” explains Lublin.

Lublin also dishes on what occupations and positions have the highest frequency of contract grievances. “Unfortunate-ly, the average Joe and average Jane have the most lopsided contracts, in favour of their employers,” says Lublin. “This is because they have less leverage in the negotiations sur-rounding that contract, and are often given little to no choice but to sign what the employer asks. Executives tend to nego-tiate contracts more and are often treated more generously upon termination, leading to a lower likelihood of dispute.”

So are employees and employers actually trying to screw each other over, or are contracts just convoluted by nature with both parties genuinely trying to discern them fairly? “I would say that twenty-five percent of the time, the employ-er or employee is trying to take advantage of the other,” says Lublin. “Twenty-five percent of the time, there is a general misunderstanding. The remaining fifty percent is generally ignorance of the law.” Obviously, I’m not saying you should grab a law text book, study it day and night until you’re a legal consultant for Law & Order (though I won’t stop you). Nonetheless, it’s important to be cautious of what you’re signing, and of course, understand what it entails. As I much as I hate to use clichés, prevention is better than cure.

at the end of the day, it is going to come down to what is written into the employ-ment agreement and not what you were told in the interview process.

When ConTraCTs aTTaCk

by Andrew Williams

Pets aren’t the only thing that might turn around and bite you. Words on a sheet of paper could

be just as dangerous when not properly leashed.

Interested in learning more about becoming a Sun Life Financial advisor?E-mail your resume to [email protected]. Visit our website at www.sunlife.ca/careers/advisor or scan the tag with your mobile:© Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2011.

SEE YOURSELF There is great opportunity to join the Sun Life Financial Career Sales Force, as these career starters demonstrate. Life’s brighter under the sun for new grads.

This could be you.

Ali Akbari York University

Janine AubeLakehead University

Annie BarréUQAM

Carole BélangerUniversité de Moncton

François BoivinCégep de Sainte-Foy

Nicola Borzomi Vanier College

Jean BrunetSaint Mary’s University

Marko MacarUniversity of Waterloo

Tessa MacDougallSyracuse University

Christopher Bryan McCormickMohawk College

Caissie McGrathCarleton University

Matthew MckayAlgonquin College

Shawn MetheCollege Boreal

Sasa MisicWilfrid Laurier University

Jacob Ronald CarriereNipissing University

Alex CassellLoyalist College

Amin ChehadiCarleton University

Huan ChenUniversité Concordia

Telma CirinoMcMaster University

Erin CoghlanUniversity of Fraser Valley

Sarah ConnollyMount Allison University

Marc MoraisUniversity of Western Ontario

Trever John Morris, B.CommUniversity of Northern BC

Cole MorrisonGeorgian College

Amanda Moss Algonquin College

Desmond NwaeronduUniversity of Lethbridge

Jason (Myung) Hoon ParkUniversity of Toronto

Michael Joseph PischUniversity of Regina

Jean-Philippe CôtéUQAM

Christina Di PietroCarleton University

Graeme DietrickUniversity of Saskatchewan

Ryan Douglas Lakehead University

Jodi FrancoeurUniversity of Saskatchewan

Marc FultonColgate University

Anita GandhiUniversity of Toronto

Edgardo Poce Concordia University

Mike PostMohawk College

Ashleigh QuinnUniversity of Western Ontario

Yue Shao University of Western Ontario

Sina ShiraliRyerson University

Eric Therrien Université de Moncton

Dean Van CampUniversity of Victoria

Monika Van Vliet Nathan WolfeSt. Clair College

Andrew Young, B.CommMemorial University of Newfoundland

Andrew Di PieroYork University

Addy DosanjhBritish Columbia Institute of Technology

Edwin FloresUniversity of BC

Raj (Antony) GiranUniversity of Alberta

Julia GorbanUniversity of Toronto

Tom HazlewoodFanshawe College

Adam HennessyConestoga College

Ulrick Michel Joly Stephanie KaiserAlgonquin College

Shaaista LalaniRyerson University

Shawn LeeUniversity of Guelph

Xiaowen LinUniversity of Toronto

Ruchi GroverUniversity of Manitoba

Julie HooCarleton University

Michelle HoweLaurentian University

Gary KalerDouglas College

Chang (Maggie) LiuUniversity of Surrey

Geng (Marshal) Liu East India University of Science & Technology

Jennifer LuuUniversity of Windsor

Sun Life Financial welcomes our New grad recruits of 2010.

Marc Anderson Humber College

Godfrey Bacheyie University of Kansas

Zheng (Christine) CaoYork University

Emily Chan Vancouver Premier College of Hotel Management

Lawrence Denicolai Collège Montmorency

Marc DeRochieUniversity of Waterloo

Get the free mobile app at

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Jennifer Mooers and Joel Kechnie have had big

dreams ever since they met at The Stratford

Chef School in 2004 but they have no intention

of taking the culinary world by storm. Yet.

The restaurant business is as relentless and un-

forgiving as it is rewarding and invigorating, but

bright young sparks with heads full of hope will

need more than a hefty backer and a clever con-

cept to become the next Oliver & Bonacini. In an

industry where countless more businesses fail

than succeed, with both outcomes fuelled by

vast amounts of blood, sweat and personal time,

there is little room for passing fancies and ego-

fed notions. “Cooking isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle,”

explains Jennifer, Sous Chef for C5 Catering at the

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) who cut her teeth

working at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Grateful

for the privilege of learning from the bottom up,

she is in no rush to get anywhere. “There is no

such thing as a fast track. Some people only want

success and status, to work in a good restaurant

or start their own without putting in the time to

really learn the business, to learn the subtleties

that make it the craft that it is, instead of a mere

trade. It’s not enough to want it, you have to live

it. And love food… and wine. A lot!”

Jennifer’s partner, Joel, spent a time at Auberge du

Pommier, Toronto, ON before moving on to Har-

bour 60 where he continues to hone his front-of-

house career path. “I grew up in the service indus-

try and, honestly, I just love helping people have

positive experiences. Working in service to others

is at the crux of this industry and it’s something I

find very fulfilling. That’s why we do it.”

Like fine wines and Anthony Hopkins, the chanc-

es of making Head Chef or Restauranteur Ex-

traordinaire only get better

with time. And for two good

reasons, experience being

the first and most important. If every kitchen

is a training ground, an opportunity to learn

more from those who know more, clever culi-

naries will see the benefit of watching the epic

wins and staggering defeats of their co-workers

without having to risk a penny. “It’s the best deal

going — the longer you stay working for others,

the more you walk away with, especially where

contacts are concerned.” And contacts are the

second must-have.

Restaurants become make-shift families where

members work under pressure in close quarters.

The more eateries you work in, the more families

you are a part of, then the more support you’ll

have when and if you do venture solo. Such close

ties may just land you your dream job. Jennifer

muses on her boss’ experience: “When C5 was in

its early stages, Lorenzo Loseto was at the top of

Wanna run your own restaurant? You’ve got some dues to pay first.

“ it’s not enough to want it, you have to live it. and love food… and wine. a lot!”

into the frying pan, lovingly.

the list. Lorenzo was happy [working] at

George and, having worked closely with

Ted before, recommended him highly.

Now Teddy’s the Executive Chef of Ev-

erything at the ROM. He’s got the golden

ticket — he’ll do whatever he wants

when his contract is up.”

Carolyn Hogg and Teri Cordileone,

owners of Three’s Company, a restau-

rant, catering company and café tri-

fecta, have over 30 years of experience

between them in leading hotels and

restaurants across Canada and in the

Pacific Rim, and echo the need for expe-

rience across all areas of the business.

They recommend going everywhere

and learning how it’s ALL done because,

if there are 100 restaurants, there are at

least 110 different ways of doing things.

The more experience, and the more var-

ied experience, one acquires along the way, the

more valuable she will be as a chef or entrepre-

neur. Especially as general consensus dictates

that a lack of experience leads to failed exploits.

Carolyn underlines that there is no room for ego

in restaurants. “No job can be beneath you and

you need to know how to do every job in your

restaurant better than your employees.”

And whether aspiring to create the next Canoe

or just wanting to grow a local bistro, the require-

ments for success are the same: Impeccable

service, exquisitely prepared food, and prowess

— real prowess — in the business and your craft.

“People make food so complicated,” laments Teri.

“It’s not mysterious and there are really only a

few ways to cook it. It’s more important to be au-

thentic, to be good at what you do, to cook the

food you like than it is to try to come up with the

[next big thing] just for the sake of being differ-

ent.” Truly, we eat for nourishment and comfort.

So while it may be ideal to have a sizeable

bankroll, experience and a hot idea to run with,

humility and undying passion will be the fuel

that drives your success. “You’ll always under-

estimate how much money and time it costs to

start up, and then once you start making money,

something will break,” Carolyn warns. “But if you

know your market and listen to your custom-

ers, if you know your weaknesses and work with

those who make you stronger, your odds [for

success] improve.” And… love food.

by Naoise Hefferon industryinsiders


Our guests aren’t the only ones who like to stay here.With 44 hotels and resorts across Canada, Delta Hotels and Resorts excels at offering guests both exceptional service and value. We are looking for creative, bright and ambitious graduates to join our team. Come and grow with a company that values your skills, your determination and your goals. Check in at Delta.

Delta Hotels and Resorts is committed to employment equity throughout all levels of the organization.

For more information about career opportunities, contact the Director of People Resources at your nearest Delta hotel or resort or visit deltahotels.com/careers

www.deltahotels.com

Canada’s second largest airline, Air Canada Jazz, currentlyserves 85 destinations in Canada and the United Stateswith a fleet of regional jet and turboprop aircraft. We operateover 848 flights a day and carry approximately 8 millionpassengers each year. Headquartered in Halifax with anemployee base of close to 5,000 people, Jazz offers aprofessional working environment and opportunities forindividual career growth.

Air Canada Jazz is an Employment Equity employer.All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

We are currently hiring for the following positions:• administration• customer service• operations• ramp operations

Interested candidates may apply for positions online atwww.flyjazz.ca under Careers.

We would like to thank in advance everyone who applies, as only candidates to beinterviewed will be contacted. No telephone inquiries please

Deuxième transporteur en importance au Canada, AirCanada Jazz dessert actuellement 85 destinations auCanada et aux États-Unis grâce à un parc aérien composéde jets régionaux et d’avions à turbopropulseurs. Elleexploite plus de 848 vols par jour et transporte quelque huitmillions de passagers annuellement. Ayant son siège àHalifax, Air Canada Jazz est dotée d’un effectif de plus de5 000 employés et offre un environnement de travailprofessionnel ainsi que des possibilités d’avancement.

Air Canada Jazz pratique l’équité en matière d’emploi etinvite les candidats qualifiés à postuler un emploi dansles secteurs ci-dessous :• Administration• Service clientèle• Opérations• Opérations de piste

Les personnes qualifiées sont priées de poser leur candidatureen ligne sous « Carrières » à www.voljazz.ca.

Nous vous remercions à l’avance de poser votre candidature. Nous communiqueronsuniquement avec les candidats retenus pour une entrevue. Veuillez ne pas téléphoner.

24

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industryinsidersby Andrew Williams

As diversity rises, so do language barriers. But those who serve to break these barriers are in short supply.

found ıntranslation

Although translator and interpreter may be used

interchangeably, there is a distinction. Transla-

tion involves converting a written text from one

language to another. An interpreter, in particular

a conference interpreter, acts as an intermedi-

ary between speakers. People who work in these

fields typically need a BA in translation, offered

by a number of schools in Canada such as Glen-

don College’s School of Translation, in Toronto.

For interpreters, a Masters in conference inter-

preting is the minimum requirement.

Donald Barabé is vice president of the Trans-

lation Bureau, a division of Public Works and

Government Services Canada. The Translation

Bureau has a staff of about 1,200 translators,

interpreters, and terminologists in all major de-

partments of the government. He explains that

the past decade has seen a staggering increase in

demand for translation services. “Demand is ac-

tually doubling up every three to seven years,” he

says. “And we don’t see any end in sight.” Barabé

names globalization as one of the factors that

accounts for this increase.

Most of the 9-5 jobs in interpreting are in the var-

ious levels of the government. Staff interpreters

are used in the senate, the House of Commons,

and parliamentary committees. Interpreters

also work for government agencies, such as the

Canadian International Development Agency.

Aside from those, there is also the International

Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Na-

tions agency based in Montreal. Outside of these

circles, most interpreters work as freelancers.

For translators there are plenty of options as

well. Like interpreting, many positions are with

the government but there are a number in the

private sector. CLS Lexi-tech is perhaps the larg-

est translation company in Canada, but given

growing population trends, the skills of transla-

tors can be applied to just about any industry.

“Major areas where there is work available [in-

clude] pharmaceuticals, law firms, accounting

and consulting, public administration, insurance

companies, big retail chains, anything,” explains

Barabé. Even exporters and supply chains need

translators for their target countries.

According to Andrew Clifford, chair of the School

of Translation at Toronto’s Glendon College, most

banks have translators, but lately have been of-

fering more work to freelancers. The type of in-

come you can receive in this industry varies. Free-

lancers in the private sector can make anywhere

from $80,000 to around $120,000, provided they’re

putting in a serious amount of work. Translation

for the government would usually start around

$45,000-$65,000. Federal interpreters, on the oth-

er hand, can expect $65,000-$85,000.

Although we have a well-established infrastruc-

ture for French and English, Canada has been

slow adapting to languages of immigration

and acknowledging indigenous languages. “In

Canada, French is king,” says Clifford. “Ninety

percent of the translating jobs out there are be-

tween English and French.” Clifford explains that

change is on the horizon, with Canada’s diversity

encouraging growth in other language markets.

Across the pond, Europe is already seeing the im-

portance of translation and interpreting services

for economic growth. “You go outside of Canada

and the story changes dramatically,” says Clifford.

“The European Commission works with 24 differ-

ent languages, so the situation is very different

there. Sometimes I have students who say, ‘I’m

really interested in working in Europe.’” He also

notes that in Europe, knowing an Eastern Europe-

an language would really make you attractive to

an employer. “In Canada we have a lot of expertise

in [translation and interpreting],” he continues.

“To take advantage of that and acquire more mar-

ket share, nationally and internationally, we need

to get our act together and consolidate things,

because the room for growth is absolutely huge.”

Among the financial services taking this into ac-

count is TD Bank, which has an in-house transla-

tion group. “Language skills are important when

it comes to connecting with the customer,” says

Anna Zec, a human resource representative at

TD. “If you look at our customer base, it’s very

multicultural. We have multi-language online

services and automated banking networks where

various languages are being used.” She explains

how reflecting the face of a community is always

a priority when serving the customer. “When you

think of our branch locations in various ethnic

communities, we would speak their languages,

and of course our advertising and marketing

material would correspond with their languages.”

In Canada, Barabé points out that more services

in Spanish, Chinese, and Punjabi are needed.

“[Demand] varies from year to year, according

to the relationships we have with specific coun-

tries at that point in time,” he explains. Although

translators and interpreters are in demand, the

supply is low. “The demand is for 1000 graduates

per year, and the output is around 300 per year.”

Barabé attributes this deficiency to competition

from more popular university and college pro-

grams. “You don’t hear about translation a lot,”

he says. “You hear about business schools, med

schools, law schools, things like that.”

Clifford explains that schools and organizations

are taking steps towards building more opportu-

nities for translators and interpreters, allowing

services to go beyond our two official languages

and keep up with Canada’s accelerating diversity.

At the same time, there are a number of intern-

ships and programs to help young translators and

interpreters get off the ground. The Translation

Bureau itself works with 200 students per year.

For more information, check out this story online at

jobpostings.ca

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front lines of healthcare

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Address

as_a_Pharmaceutical_Chemist

What kind of person is attracted to the phar-

maceuticals industry? While still relatively

new, the pharmaceutical chemistry program

at the University of Toronto has been draw-

ing in students who are anxious to speak the

different “languages” of medicinal fields. Ac-

cording to associate professor and current

acting program director Dr. Heiko Heerklotz,

it “should be attractive for people who want to

learn and apply and contribute good interdisci-

plinary science to, ultimately, medical issues.”

Calling the pharmacist a link between the

many aspects of the pharmaceuticals indus-

try, Dr. Heerklotz explains that “pharmacists

have become primarily active in the dispens-

ing, prescription and supervision of drugs.” As

a result of being the proverbial gate-keepers

to medicinal drugs, he says, “pharmacy edu-

cation must include a great deal of adminis-

trative and legal matters, skills to deal with

patients, et cetera. In my view, the pharma-

ceutical chemist is required to fill the gap that

has been created by this development. Drug

discovery, development, and production have

become an interdisciplinary effort of physical

chemistry, organic chemistry, pharmacology,

molecular biology and a grain of soft matter

and chemical physics.” All of which, he says,

should be the responsibility of the pharma-

ceutical chemist.

Dr. Heerklotz explains that understand-

ing the many pieces of the pharmaceuticals

machine “renders [the pharmacist] perfectly

suited to coordinate and integrate an inter-

disciplinary research team and work in it in a

broad variety of ways.”

As far as getting a high-profile research posi-

tion in the industry — a typical goal, Dr. Heerk-

programs in several Canadian universities

enable students to undertake a three to four

month internship in drug-discovery research

labs. This is a great opportunity for students

to get real life experience [in the] industry and

improve their chances of being recruited into

medicinal chemistry.”

Catherine Chiu, president of the U of T Phar-

maceutical Chemistry Student Union, re-

cently finished a co-op, or Professional Expe-

rience Year as U of T calls it, with Bayer Inc.

A useful experience, she says, as she’s still

in touch with former colleagues, keeping her

up to date with potential job opportunities.

However if you choose not to apply for this

optional internship, old fashioned network-

ing within the school is the next best option.

“Various professors… also have connections

in the industry, so it may be possible to get

recommended that way if you’ve worked for

the professor in their laboratory for under-

graduate or graduate research.”

While pharmaceutical chemistry may natu-

rally seem geared toward left brain thinkers,

Walpole praises the satisfaction of creative

inventiveness that the job provides. He de-

scribes his fascination in the business with

obvious enthusiasm. “Medicinal chemists

design and create the molecular entity which

ultimately becomes the drug substance…

Medicinal chemists possess the multidimen-

sional skill-set which is needed to understand

and translate desired properties, defined by

the profile of candidate drugs, to molecular

structures which can then be physically cre-

ated, using synthetic chemistry, to deliver

this profile as innovative potential drugs.”

lotz says, of the average student — a graduate

will need a masters or PhD degree. Because

the U of T program is still in its infancy (the

specialist program began in 2005) the program

coordinators have yet to see what positions

have been taken by graduates. “Quite a few…

graduates are actually in grad school now,” he

explains. “However, since the first students

graduated from this new program only a

few years ago, few, maybe none, [have] had a

chance to finish their PhD yet. That means it

will take a few more years to assess the suc-

cess of the graduates on the job market.”

Unfortunately, according to Christopher Wal-

pole, executive director of medicinal chem-

istry at AstraZeneca Research and Develop-

ment Montreal, job opportunities in Canada

are limited when compared to those in the

United States and Asia. However, he says,

“there are attractive opportunities in Canada

in pharma, biotech, and in contract research

organizations, which provide pharmaceutical

chemical synthesis, sometimes together with

biological screening, to pharma companies.”

Most job opportunities tend to concentrate in

the research-based pharmaceutical industry,

he says, “both in major pharma and smaller

biotechs, as opposed to the generic-drug in-

dustry which engages in little research. In

Canada, the research-based pharmaceutical

industry tends to be largely concentrated in

Quebec. Medicinal chemistry requires a very

highly educated workforce with most posi-

tions requiring PhDs or MScs.”

While getting these jobs often isn’t as simple

as heading to the local career centre and

checking out job postings, there is another

way to get that foot in the door. “The co-op

by Jeff Sebanc industryinsiders

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by Kevin Nelson

There’s more to modern mining than just dig-

ging a big hole in the ground. Unlike the old days,

governmental regulations aimed at keeping

mining operations in step with environmental

laws are enforced aggressively, and large firms

are taking care to distance themselves from the

ways of the past. Companies hire environmental

professionals to interface with regulatory bodies

and communities, and to ensure best practices.

While they may not be doing any of the actual

digging, there’s no shortage of things for an envi-

ronmental professional to do at a mine. “Duties

can include permitting and approvals, which is a

large task when opening or re-opening a mine,”

says Nancy Duquet-Harvey, a 14-year industry

vet currently employed as environmental co-

ordinator at Northgate Minerals Corporation’s

Young-Davidson Mine. “You could also be out in

the field collecting samples and managing data

in preparation for reporting results, or oversee-

ing the implementation of permit conditions

and ensuring compliance with rules and regu-

lations, and the training of the workforce.” To

add further variability to the job, the work may

change depending on how a mine matures. “At

this stage of the project, I’m heavily involved in

the permitting aspect,” she says of her current

assignment. “It’s mostly paperwork and liason

with aboriginal and community groups and

government agencies. As permits are received,

programs that include manuals, procedures and

training have to be created and implemented.”

Linda Byron-Fortin is the director of Blue Heron

Solutions for Environmental Management, Inc.,

and has been working in the industry for 21

years. Of her time as an environmental coor-

dinator she remembers that, in addition to the

paperwork, there was also a strong social com-

ponent to the job. “Some days might be spent

being inspected by regulatory agencies or re-

sponding to audit/inspection findings,” she says.

“Some time is also spent conducting regular site

inspections and doing emergency response drills

to ensure environmental emergency plans are

up to date and effective.”

The challenges of the job can be as varied as the

tasks involved. “The workload is a big challenge

— there are pressures from regulators to ensure

compliance with their requirements; pressures

from corporate office that all corporate stan-

dards are being adhered to,” says Byron-Fortin.

“There’s an additional challenge in that the most

environmentally friendly way of doing things

isn’t always the most inexpensive, efficient or

the involved Work oF an environmental ProFessional in the

mining industry.

simple way, so you’ve got to keep mine person-

nel educated on environmental responsibilities.”

Coordinating and communicating with so many

varied groups of people is also a complex task.

“A mining company must work closely with gov-

ernment agencies during the permitting stage

to make sure that everyone is on the regulatory

path forward,” says Duquet-Harvey. “Working

with community groups through newsletters,

open houses and meetings helps provide infor-

mation to all about the project and address any

concerns of community members.”

Blake Schreiner worked as a chemical technolo-

gist for over 5 years before deciding to pursue his

interest in Geochemistry in the mining industry.

Currently, he’s in the midst of completing his

Geological Sciences degree at the University of

Saskatchewan, but he’s already planning his en-

try into his chosen field. “The biggest advantage

I’ve obtained is from embracing opportunities

like mentorship, scholarships and trade shows,

and becoming a part of associations related to

the mining industry,” he says. He’s also been

helping his fellow students segue into the in-

dustry as well by sharing what’s worked for him.

“There are a lot of ways to become familiarized

with what you’ll actually be doing, like labs or

classes with real scenarios you’ll encounter in

the field.” Of course, networking is also a key to

success. “Become involved with associations like

MiHR, CIM and PDAC, regardless of your grades,”

he offers. “It’ll let you become aware of what lays

beyond the classroom through conversing with

experienced people, and likely land you a sum-

mer job, which is a great way to gain experience

before graduation. Many companies will hire you

back year after year.”

Numerous graduates enter the field with little

to no experience and expect to start earning top

wages. “In this industry, experience rather than

the number of letters after your name is more

valuable,” cautions Byron-Fortin. “Volunteer for

job-shadowing, or take a summer job as a tech-

nician,” she advises. “Be willing to spend time in

the trenches.”

Times have changed, and so has the mining in-

dustry. “Mining is no longer about big, burly men

working only with their muscles,” says Duquet-

Harvey. “It’s sophisticated, high-tech, diverse,

challenging and fun.”

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We often hear of organic farming and fair-trade coffee, but those are just a few causes célebrés in the complex web of food produc-tion. Economics can be baffling to the more fiscally-flummoxed among us, which is why Agricultural Econom-ics — increasingly known as Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics — is such a misunder-stood field. It is, however, a burgeoning field, and quickly becoming more renowned for its crucial analysis of a significant issue.

“The agriculture and food sector is the biggest employer in Ontario,” says Alan Ker, giving some perspective. As professor and chair of the Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics depart-ment at the University of Guelph, he’s found that the discipline is blossoming. “The ‘food’ part is expanding exponentially, [in terms of] where and how it is grown, how and where it is processed, and how it’s sold, [and] is becoming of much greater interest to society,” he says.

As far as applied aspects of economics go, it doesn’t get much more hands-on. “Agricultural Economics addresses a wide variety of real-world issues associated with food-production, agri-food markets and marketing, as well as in-ternational trade and development, and natural resources and the environment,” explains James Vercammen, a professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. “We use

the tools of economics and statistical methods to identify market failures, analyze government policies and examine how markets function.” And Agricultural Economics also differs from the general field of Economics in a noteworthy way. “Our degree is significantly more applied and focused on real-world problems and issues than a straight economics degree,” says Ker. Vercam-men adds, “There’s less emphasis on theory and more on institutions and data analysis.”

A highly practical field demands highly practical students with sharp mental tools. “The ability to question and think critically is very important. At the graduate level, an affinity for math is very helpful,” says Ker. A touch of creative magic also doesn’t hurt. “Agricultural economists must be creative thinkers,” says Vercammen, “because solving real-world problems is the central goal. Students who are narrow and technique-orient-ed are less successful than students who learn to collaborate in disciplinary and inter-disciplinary teams, and who learn a variety of methods to tackle problems.”

With all sorts of looming issues surrounding food, the pressure can be tough. “Because of the sig-nificance of food — and of course its reliance on

agriculture — there’s a lot to deliver on to society,” says Ker, before listing the significant challenges like the use of food for health; food sustainability in a growing world; and the existence and sus-tainability of rural communities, to name a few.

As in any field with world-class issues to tackle, there are opportunities to be had. “All of our grad-uates have jobs usually before the end of their fourth year,” says Ker. “In fact, it’s difficult for us to recruit into our graduate program because of the opportunities students have coming out of our undergrad program.” Vercammen’s experi-ence is similar. “Students with a bachelor degree in agricultural economics tend to do well in the job market because of their diverse and valuable skill set and problem-solving approach,” he says, although he’s quick to add that, “like many disci-plines, the really good jobs are available to stu-dents with a masters — they’re routinely hired by government agencies, NGOs, banks and consult-ing firms.” Ker notes that the opportunities are many and diverse. “Most students work in food or agricultural businesses, as well as government agencies, and these are very well-paying jobs with great opportunities for upward mobility.”

The highly practical world of Food, Agri-cultural and Resource Economics.

If you’re in the right place, one idea – your idea – can have a profound impact in far-reaching and unexpected places.

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Located in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of New York, halfway between Toronto and New York City, IC offers 20 graduate degrees, many of which can be completed in 1 year or less, leading to professional certification.

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Queen’s UniversityQueen’s 50+ graduate programs provide students with world-class research opportunities and strong support to enrich your educational experience and advance your academic career. Expect an ideal environment to set your ideas in motion.

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Fanshawe CollegeIf you want to hit the job market with advanced skills and stand out from the competition, check out Fanshawe’s Graduate Studies. In less than one year you could have the training you need. Theseprograms complement your post-secondary edu-cation – so you land not just a job but a career!

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Centennial CollegeCentennial College is committed to successful career education. The college offers more than 120 diploma, post-diploma and certificate programs in business, communication and media arts, community and consumer services, engineering technology, health, hospitality and transportation.

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The Canadian Automotive Institute at Georgian College has proudly boasted over 90% grad placement rate for the last 25 years! If you are passionate about business and love cars consider our Bachelor of Business - Automotive Management degree or our Automotive Business diploma program.

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Canada’s Automotive School of Business

Conestoga CollegeConestoga has been the number one rated college in Ontario for nine of the last twelve years. Our graduates get jobs with a job placement rate of well over 90%! We have campuses in Kitchener, Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford, Ingersoll and Cambridge.

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Sheridan CollegeOur one-year graduate certificate programs enhance your diploma or degree with a blend of theoretical knowledge and work experience that fully prepare you to launch your career. Choose from more than 20 programs in the arts, business, technology and community service fields.

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Trent UniversityTrent’s commitment to research excellence, innovation, and collaboration has earned us a reputation as a progressive leader in graduate education. Whether we are talking about disciplinary or interdisciplinary programs, Trent is known for nurturing a vibrant intellectual community and scholars who are engaged, critical thinkers.

trentu.ca/graduatestudies


with Ross Harrhy

joblife

You’re ambitious. You’re self-motivated. You’re always open to opportunities to learn and get better at what you do. And a good employer will make sure you, as an employee, have the opportunity to learn, grow, and be a more valuable employee. I’m lucky and I work for a large com-pany that is willing to invest in its employees' growth and excellence. I’ve taken day-long professional courses aimed at enhancing my abilities with Microsoft Office, I’ve been able to attend trade shows and conferences relating to my industry, and I’ve even been able to take university level courses to further my education. More and more companies these days are getting on this track; incorporating educational benefit pro-grams for their employees in order to add value to their investment: you — and I encourage you to take advantage of those opportunities. But let me tell you a little cautionary tale based on my own recent experience in furthering my education — I definitely learned something.

When I first got my job I was encouraged by my boss to take some of the single-day courses for computer and software skills available as soon as I could get into them. I jumped on the opportunity knowing that anything I learned would help me be more efficient in my job and help me enhance my boss’ perception of me. I started with two separate courses, one day out of the office each, and soon after took two more, and have since taken another two. They helped me do my job bet-ter, they expanded my skill set, they got me out of the office for a day, and best of all, they were paid for by the company!

Of course, other opportunities for growth and professional development started popping-up (and tend to occur annu-ally) in the form of trade seminars, conferences, and panels. These were great chances to head out with some of my other lower-on-the-ladder colleagues and get some great insider information, be a part of the bigger conversation in regards to my trade, and also network with people doing the same type of work at other companies.

I was getting comfortable enough with being out of the office here and there for the chance to educate myself, and I started to yearn for a little bit more. I discovered that my employer would pay for up to two courses per semester in a university or college program, and I figured I may as well take up the offer.

I come from an arts background, and knowing what my company wanted and needed, I thought it would be best to start working my way towards a business degree, starting with two basic Accounting and Statistics courses. I proposed the idea to my boss, and she welcomed it, and next thing I knew I had registered with a university to do the two courses through distance education (online). Now, taking a day long course is one thing the company will invest in no problem, but

Lessons learned: Failing a course paid for by the company

when we’re talking university level, the price tends to go up, and so do the stakes. My company was willing to pay for half the tuition up front while I covered the other half, and to keep me motivated they would pay me the remainder on comple-tion of the courses. And so it began.

I work in a busy office, and I’m in a busy, busy position. When my textbooks for my new courses arrived in the mail I was a little stunned. At roughly 600 pages each, I knew I was go-ing to have to cut out reading the newspaper on my way to work every day. Soon, I was spending eight to ten hours at the office, and then coming home and doing another two hours of homework before going to bed. My weekend afternoons were spent graphing and filling in dummy accounting led-gers. And then work got a lot more busy — by the time my workday was over and I made it home, all I wanted to do was clear my head and veg-out in front of the TV.

A month passed. I tried to get back into the swing of doing homework every evening. Work at the office wasn’t letting up, so my time for doing homework lessened. Suddenly, it was time to start booking my exam because my time was running out. I did a tally: I was 60% through the course work for one class, 35% done for another. I wasn’t going to make it.

In the end, I had overstepped my own capabilities. Since I wasn’t able to finish the course the company requested the first half of the tuition they had paid back. They weren’t out anything, but suddenly I was out $1500, and in my opinion had only learned $50 worth of Accounting and Statistics. It may pay to let the company treat you to a better education and higher skill set, but make sure you know what you’re get-ting yourself into, and know your own abilities before you end up learning a different lesson the hard way.

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