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How to choose an occupation

Career choice is one of the most important, yet difficult, decisions you'll ever have to make. You'll spend at least eight hours a day at work so it's essential you make a well-informed decision. Here are resources that can help you with your career choice.  More here.

Persons with disabilities

$2 Million fund to assist B.C. Employers and Communities to measure up.  Source.

Trades are a first class career

Kwantlen University College officially opened its trades and technology training centre in Cloverdale on Friday -- 17,000 square metres of soaring glass and bright classrooms.  Key trade programs: automotive, electrical, welding, carpentry, millwright, farrier, appliance repair and public-safety 911 communications. Source.

Province lures grads with student aid

The provincial government plans to dole out nearly $2 million annually in new scholarships, research fellowships and student loan repayments to entice talent to the B.C. public service.  The plan will have a major impact in the Greater Victoria area where about 12,000 of B.C.'s approximately 30,000 public servants live and work. It will cost $1.75 million in the first year. Campbell said the new incentives are part of a program to give the public service a competitive edge in recruiting and retaining employees. That's important since 45 per cent of managers and 35 per cent of current employees are eligible to retire from the public service by 2015. Source.

What is a Knowledge Worker?

The Future of Work

The broadest view of knowledge work is that it is an activity that either requires specialized knowledge or skills, or creates new knowledge. In contrast to physical labor, knowledge work focuses primarily on creating or applying information or knowledge to create value.

So what exactly is a knowledge worker, and how can the nature of his or her work be described? At the most generic level, the term "knowledge worker" refers to individuals who possess high levels of education and/or expertise in a particular area, and who use their cognitive skills to engage in complex problem solving.

Wikipedia defines a knowledge worker as:

Someone who works primarily with information or one who develops and uses knowledge in the workplace (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_worker ).

The Work Place

Useful sites that offer quality information on many aspects of creating and finding opportunities for employment. We have assembled this one stop resource for quickly finding some effective tools you will need to make your search for work successful. 

Lifelong Learning Plan

The Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) allows individuals to withdraw funds from their Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) to finance training or education for themselves or their spouse or common-law partner.  Source.

Are you "market ready"?

I use the term "market ready" because when you try and make a career move, you are usually in competition with others, or a decision maker needs to say yes in order for you to successfully make your move. In order to win that job, get that promotion, or successfully make a career change, you need to market yourself. And that means connecting the dots between what you have to offer and what your target is looking for.

So, how do you know when you are truly prepared? How do you know when you have the Ready, Aim parts nailed?

You are ready when you have covered these 8 Steps
1. You have captured your starting position and defined your next career step
2. You have a deep understanding of your professional background, including your accomplishments, your strengths, skills and abilities
3. You understand in which kinds of jobs, teams and organizations you fit
4. You have then defined the specific kinds of position and organization you are targeting
5. You have prepared persuasive reasons, backed up with concrete proof why you make an excellent candidate for your target(s)
6. You have created an effective, focused, compelling, proof-based resume that shows the reader "why you?"
7. You have prepared for networking conversations, and have mastered interviews, including the ability to prove your candidacy when faced with behavioural-based interview questions
8. And, you have carefully defined your criteria for making a decision when the time comes.

Source.

Reaching the gatekeeper to the decider

Most of us have experienced challenges getting past gatekeepers. Gatekeepers are their supervisor's designated agents charged with limiting unnecessary, potentially wasteful and unexpected interruptions that may negatively affect the executive's productivity.  Most are, however, anxious to help superiors identify cost-saving opportunities, new products and services, or creative employees that could add value to their organizations.  How do you connect with the decision maker?  Here are some tips.

Hot jobs for your horoscope

Come on, admit it. You sneak a peak at your horoscope now and then, don't you? And even though horoscopes aren't always correct, every once in a while you read one so dead-on it makes you reconsider your feelings about this whole astrology thing.  Amazingly, horoscopes can occasionally tip even a cynic toward reluctant self-discovery. Here's a list of characteristic personality traits and suggested career options for each sign of the zodiac (with help from www.findyourfate.com). Who knows? This list might just predict your future.  Full article here.