Category Archives: Work

A facebook Quiz: 10 questions and they know what you can do with your life?

Posted by Daria on

What Careers Suit My Personality Type?

I’ve taken this silly quiz on Facebook…. I guess the questions were ok… Here are the results. Plus what i think about the results- edited version! : ) 

Facebook said: “You are lucky because you have the ability to be good at many different types of tasks. You introverted and thinking style lets you concentrate and focus on solving problems. To be the happiest, you need to have a career with a lot of independence and autonomy. You hate to be micro-managed and will do best working for yourself or in very flexible environments. Your natural interests tend towards using your excellent reasoning skills and love of facts and data to find solutions to practical questions.

Some of your personality traits include:

* Interested in how and why things work
* Do not function well in regimented, structured environments; you will either feel stifled or become intensely bored
* Constantly gather facts about your environment and store them away
* Ability to use logic to understand “how things work”
* Learn best “hands-on”
* Usually able to master theory and abstract thinking, but don’t particularly like dealing with it unless you see a practical application
* Action-oriented “doers”
* Focused on living in the present, rather than the future
* Love variety and new experiences
* Highly practical and realistic
* Excellent “trouble-shooter”, able to quickly find solutions to a wide variety of practical problems
* Results-oriented; you like to see immediate results for your efforts
* Usually laid-back and easy-going with people
* Risk-taker who thrives on action
* Independent and determined – usually dislike committing
* Usually quite self-confident

Some of your suggested careers are:

* Police and Detective Work
* Forensic Pathologist
* Computer Programmer, System Analyst and Computer Specialist
* Engineer
* Carpenter
* Mechanic
* Pilot, Driver, Motorcyclist
* Athlete
* Entrepreneur”

Career help: Alberta

Posted by Daria on

I have spent many hours on the Internet looking for the correct resources. I have looked at the staffing agencies, various books, blogs and sites… My desire to better myself and other work spaces led me to people who are in charge of helping Albertans to find jobs (of their dreams?). There are people out there that spend money on research and various publications in order to keep the unemployment at its lowest. 

I would like to recommend,  familiar to many, site www.alis.gov.ab.ca. I think that it is very helpful for  Career Planning, Education, Jobs questions… I mean I did learn about this site when I was in High School, taking Career and Life Management Course. I am still not sure that I have learned too much from the course itself, but the resources were there, except when you are in Grade 10 you care very little about real job and thus real income. 

So the point is if you want to get help check out  www.alis.gov.ab.ca

Career Information Hotline was superb and I did use e-Resumé Review Service (https://alis.alberta.ca//ep/eps/hotline/resume.html). You can also submit your resume on-line and it will get read, edited, and sent back to you with very helpful remarks. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home! It is always good to get other people to suggest new ways to improve things.  

You can also view their Publications, most of which are available in the PDF format. Many of the publications are for Employees as well as Employers. Great resources for small offices, big companies, career sites, and for you and me at home!

I had looked at many of their publications. Here! a couple to start:

1. Creating a New Future: The job-loss workbook   

 excellent little workbook, cheesy graphics, all about managing change with a positive spin, Q&A re: Employment Insurance, Dealing with the loss (job-loss), Tips and Tools to help with coping and hoping, Developing a new Plan, plus Resources info. Good pencil and paper excercise for the new jobless.

2. Advanced Techniques for Work Search (the best one!!!)

104 pages of work excercise, helps to identify your own work skills, help with resume and cover letter, interviews, awesome for just sitting down and re-examining your self and work even better than just aimlessly searching the net for tips. very glad that this book is available to people.
There are many other publications on that site… go check some of them out. Let me know what you think! I hope this information was useful!

 

Staffing Agencies Experiment: To Friday or not?

Posted by Daria on

Last week I have received a phone call from the Friday Professional Group Inc.. They wanted me to come in for the staffing agency interview…. nothing new there I guess. I however did not feel comfortable with the amount of information they requested to bring: 3 employer business references, SIN, Alberta Health Card, Drivers, and some other sort of ID…. All IDs requested were of great importance and I know that according to the  Alberta Employment Standards not all of that information is required for the interview! (?) Bah! I might as well give them the key to my house and my bank account! No Way!

The conversation made me feel uncomfortable and I did not go. I am sure some people will find a job through them, but it won’t be me.

 :(

Have you ever had that problem? Is it ok to request so much information over the phone? Scam? What are the regulations regarding collection of private information for the staffing agencies? Why would they need my AHC?

Staffing agencies experiment: Bowen, works?

Posted by Daria on

About a month ago I’ve started working on my social experiment and at the same time waiting for the positive results… I have been to a few screening interviews. My last S.A.E. was with Bowen. I came in with a lot of expectations and a lot of hope for a better future. I did think that their office was conveniently located on the 7th Avenue, easily locatable and accessible by the Calgary Transit.

When I walked into the office, I was offered a coffee/tea and had a chance to sign in and have a look around. After a short wait I was introduced to my recruitment specialist and we had a short and straight to the point interview…  Turns out that there are very few jobs available. End of summer is a very slow season, because those who have jobs- end up going on vacations, while our resumes collect dust. Others, who do not have jobs- make sure that those piles grow bigger and the competition gets harder!

I did learn a lot about my resume, however. I have changed my resume yet again and I hope it will help me to find an administrative job of my dreams. :) I know I say that a lot, but how else does one stay positive!?

Overall, I felt that Bowen had a more personal touch, but nothing has come out of it just yet… 

S: Service

(plus) Good. Pleasant atmosphere. Very personal. They have a great site and a Bowen Blog that has some great tips on employment.

(minus) Results of the computer tests I took were not explained at all… How does one improve?

A: Attitude

Positive, but a bit dull. It might have been dull due to the rainy day.

E: Employment

No offers yet.

Staffing agencies experiment: What About Staffing?

Posted by Daria on

This morning I had my S.A.E. experience. I got a phone call from the staffing agency yesterday, to book my initial interview for today. Quick and professional. The e-mail they sent me provided me with time, location, and more info regarding my initial interview. Everything went smooth, or so I thought. :) I also liked their Calgary office; it is big, open and comfortable. The environment made me feel relaxed and that always helps at any interview. Computer tests went well and the only concern that I had -was a sticky ‘shift’ on the keyboard that might have cost me a few missed capital letters.

This has been my recent interview and one of the first with the staffing agency… I’d say it went good, however there are things I need to work on, like answers to polish and make other things more clear. Plus: practice short interviews- 20 minutes long to make sure that I show the best of me!

S: Service

Very good. Pleasant atmosphere.

A: Attitude

Positive. It is all about customer service. It was nice to see happy faces, even when we all knew that there will be many more people like me looking for a job during the day. These guys even asked me if I want a drink! Water, I assume.

E: Employment

No offers yet.

 

Have you been to About Staffing? What kind of results did you get? Positive? Negative? Neutral? Let me know!