next_september11

By Tracy Nesdoly

Other than the lucky few who really do become rock stars,

the path to the future as a grown- up is straight, narrow and predict-able: go to school, get into univer-sity, land a decent job.

But before rushing off to get that degree in English literature, wise high-school students and their parents might want to listen to an inf luential group of U.S.-based economists who are pushing for alternatives like vocational and ca-reer training or corporate appren-ticeships.

This makes good sense in Can-ada, too, where the bulk of skilled workers – plumbers or electricians for example – are nearing retire-ment age.

“It is true that we need more nanosurgeons than we did 10 to 15 years ago. But the numbers are still relatively small compared to the numbers of nurses’ aides we’re going to need. We will need hun-dreds of thousands of them over the next decade,” Richard Vedder, an economist and founder of the Centre for College Affordability and Productivity, a research non-profit in Washington, D.C., told the New York Times.

According to American statis-

LEARN MORE ➧ GET THE JOB


Maggie B. asks: “How can I get a job with no work experience?” 6

Legal professions still proving plentiful 3

Pharmacy techs’, assistants’ roles evolving 10

Do edgy, creative resumés get the job done? 11

Think before you quit 12

How to handle the toughest, oddest interview questions 15

tics, of the top 10 growing job cat-egories only two require univer-sity degrees: accounting (a bach-elor’s degree) and post-secondary teachers (a PhD). But this growth is expected to be tiny compared with the need for registered nurses, home health aides, customer ser-vice representatives and store clerks – jobs where a bachelor’s degree is strictly optional.

Further, this coterie of contrar-ian economists parade evidence such as data showing the high like-lihood that no more than half of those who began a four-year bach-elor’s degree program in the fall of 2006 will get that degree within six years – that’s a lot of time and money spent with no degree, or job opportunity, to show for it.

In this country, about two-thirds of all job openings over the next several years will be in occu-pations that usually require post-

While a university education

may still be its own reward, it

is no longer the one and only

way to a bright shiny future

Future jobsIs it still worth getting a university degree?

expert advice

INSIDE

Call today: 604-580-2772 · www.stenbergcollege.comOver 94% of our grads are employed in their fi eld of study within 6 months of graduation.

It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is. – Hermann HesseIn partnership with PHS Community Services Society and the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, this unique curriculum has been prepared to support individuals with mental heath challenges and addictions. Based on the input received from these industry partners, this program has been speci� cally designed to prepare students – philosophically, mentally/intellectually, emotionally, and experientially – for a successful career with longevity and the potential for advancement.

Community Mental Health and Addictions Worker diploma program

In partnership with:

Apply for a full tuition scholarship Change your life today!

Trading up: about two-thirds of all job openings over the next several years will be in occupations usually requiring post-secondary education, but that can mean college or apprenticeship trainingsee Major, 2

September 2011learn more ➧ Get tHe Job

secondary education, but that can mean college or ap-prenticeship training, not just university, according to studies by Human Resour-ces and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

The two areas facing im-minent labour shortages? Management (what with all those baby boomers retiring) and health care. HRSDC sug-gests shortages will mean an acute need for physicians (ob-viously this requires a uni-

versity education), therapy and assessment profession-als, head nurses and nurse aides (which may not).

Other health occupations, such as registered nursing assistants, audiology techni-cians, physiotherapy techni-cians and medical radiation technologists, are also facing shortages.

Outside of the health-care system, HRSDC pre-dicts shortages in oil and gas drilling and services,

Major labour shortage: Health carehomebuilders and renova-tors, contractors and super-visors in trades.

So, while a university education may still be its own reward, it is no longer the one and only way to a bright shiny future. In fair-ness however, for most of us, it remains a better bet than rock stardom. •

Originally published on the Workopolis Blog at www.blog.workopolis.com.

from Future, 1

Enroll in the PArA-LegAL PrOgrAM

today for a brighter tomorrow.

Vancouver: 604-320-3332 | Abbotsford: 604-826-3107

Face the future with

a new career!

www.metropolitancollege.ca

Enjoy 24 weeks of Para-Legal paid work experience before graduation!

Also short BC Employment Programs (BCEP) available in:Canadian Securities Course (CSC)Fraud Examination Course (FEC)

Fundamentals of Insurance (CAIB1)Medical Office Assistant (MOA)

Care-Aide & Social Service Support WorkerBuilding Service Worker (BSW)

6 months course startsSeptember 12th, 2011

START YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!

Become a Personal TrainerTurn your passion for fitness into a lucrative career!In just 40 hours you can become a fully certified personal trainer.

On The Edge offers:➤ One-on-one instruction ➤ Start anytime➤ Payment plan options ➤ Flexible scheduling

On The Edge takes you from certification to paycheck.

Call 604.998.3379 or email [email protected]

Certificate valid for 3 years

Now AvAilAble iN A commuNity ceNter NeAr you!!!!

Red Cross First Aid & CPRTraining Partner

Visit our website:communitycarefirstaid.comfor more details about courses in your area

Standard First Aid and CPR C + AED Aug 27-28 Creekside Centre. Register: 604-257-3050 Sep 10-11 Strathcona Centre. Register: 604-713-1838

Emergency Child Care First Aid and CPR Aug 28 Roundhouse Centre. Register: 604-713-1800

Emergency First Aid and CPR C + AED Sep 10 West End Centre. Register: 604-257-8333 Sep 11 Roundhouse Centre. Register: 604-713-1800

September 2011 learn more ➧ Get tHe Job2

By Noa Glouberman

According to research conducted earlier this

year by Robert Half Inter-national (RHI), hiring in the legal field remained strong in the second quarter of 2011, with 45% of lawyers inter-viewed planning to add legal staff in the months of May and June.

“The majority of lawyers polled are at least somewhat confident in their organiza-tions’ ability to expand,” RHI reported at the time. “Hiring activity is expected to take place predominantly at law firms.”

“I think the current job market is pretty good,” agrees Bill Maclagan, office man-aging partner for Vancou-ver law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. “The general business economy … is re-bounding. This increases the demand for legal services.

“At this time, there is a strong demand in the se-curities, mergers and acqui-sitions, finance and com-mercial litigation areas,” he

adds. “This is simply driven by client demand.”

When asked if baby boomer retirement will have an impact on legal hir-ing, Maclagan says, “More women will take on key sen-ior management roles in law firms and … more and more significant client relationship roles. This change is already taking place.”

If you want to be a law-yer, Farris , Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP part-ner Ludmila Herbst says your first step will be to en-ter law school after complet-ing an undergraduate degree (or, the first three years of a course of study leading to an undergraduate degree) and writing the law school ad-mission test.

At law schools like the University of British Col-umbia (UBC) and Univer-sity of Victoria, she adds, a law degree requires a further three years of study.

In order to qualify to practise law in B.C., which means having been “called to the B.C. bar,” Herbst says

Getting on the right side of the lawlawyers, paralegals and legal administrative assistants appear to be in high demand in 2011

Order in the court: legal administrative assistants look after various secretarial duties in a legal office like filing and keeping track of paperworksee Paralegals, 8

graduates must complete a one-year Law Society of BC (LSBC) admission program comprised of nine months of articles (practice and train-ing) at a law firm or other legal workplace, a 10-week professional legal training course and two qualification exams.

While the steps to be-coming a lawyer are numer-ous, the rewards seem well worth it.

“The law is a great ca-reer that offers many oppor-tunities,” says Maclagan. “A lawyer gets exposed to many people, many challenges and many exciting opportunities. It also can be a great entry to a business career or public office if one chooses. I can-not think of a more interest-ing career.”

There are other types of legal careers, too. Among the most popular: legal admin-istrative assistants and para-legals.

Paralegals assist lawyers by taking care of duties like filing, preparing and writing

[email protected] or visit www.bcipmac.ca

B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A I N S T I T U T E P M A C

P U R C H A S I N G M A N A G E M E N T A S S O C I A T I O N O F C A N A D A

Supply Chain Management Professional

The BC Institute PMAC’s 19th Annual Workshop is BC’s key event for networking and knowledge sharing with your professional peers in Supply Chain Management, connecting key people within organizations who are acquiring goods, works, and services, and those in-volved with setting their organization’s SCM strategies, participating in a variety of keynote and breakout sessions with varied speakers and topics covering supply chain management, business skills and soft skills.

Keynotes and breakouts this year are planned to include:

Circle of Excellence

September 28th – 30th, 2011 ➧ Victoria, BC

19thAnnuAl Workshop

REgiStRAtionS ARE noW BEing ACCEptEd!

thanks to our Sponsors!

➧ Canada/China Global Trade Professor Paul Evans, Director,

Institute of Asian Research, UBC

➧ Legal Update CCDC 5A and 5B Construction Services Contracts, and CCDC 17 Trade Contracts Roy Nieuwenburg, Lawyer, Clark Wilson, LLP

➧ An Innovative look at Problem Solving Skills

Brian Thwaits – Brainspeaker

➧ Updates on International Customs and Trade

Laurie Turnbull, SCM Consultant, The Cole Group

➧ Corporate Social Responsibility Ian Powell, Managing Director,

Inn at Laurel Point

➧ The RFX Communication Gap Breakout Panel Discussion

➧ BOOST! Re-energize Your Team Linda Edgecombe, award winning author and motivation coach

➧ Gala Networking Dinner With Entertainer/political satirist Bob Robertson

September 2011learn more ➧ Get tHe Job 3

Monday–Friday / 9am–5pmwww.bgccs.bc.ca

Start here ...RICHMOND EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE CENTRECall 604.244.9262290-3631 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC

SOUTH DELTA EMPLOYMENT RESOURCE CENTRECall 604.946.03244899 Delta Street, Ladner, BC

Need aJob?STOP

“Funded in whole or partthrough the Canada-BritishColumbia Labour MarketDevelopment Agreement”

FREE ConvEniEnt 1/2 Day WoRkshops

604-683-2335

Adult EmploymEnt progrAm Workshop sEriEs

Personalized Employment Coaching & Job Search Support

Gordon neighbourhood house1019 Broughton St, Vancouver (West End)

Funded in whole or part through the Canada-British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement

• Targeted Resumes• Interview Strategies• Strategies for the Older Worker

• Cover Letter Creation • Intro to MS Word & Internet• Hidden Jobs & Labour Market Trends

Do you have a Disability or Chronic Condition? Are You Unemployed?

Looking For work?IAM CARES SOCIETY

FREE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES for people with all types of disabilities

Coquitlam 604-468-7301Surrey 604-580-2226North Shore 604-990-0800

Call IAM CARES SOCIETY [email protected] | www.iamcares.ca

Funded in part or whole through the Canada - British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement

Take the LEAPwith your business

idea and we’llhelp you GROW it.

Funding provided throughthe Canada-British Columbia

Labour Market Agreement

CanadaSuite 104 7565 132nd Street, Surrey

Please call or drop by any Thursday.

Funded in whole or part through the Canada-�British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement

YWCA Employment Resource Centre

Unemployed? Working less than 20 hours per week?

Need ideas? We can help.FREE job search and training assistance for men and women

METRO VANCOUVER

CALL 604.263.5005ywcajobseeker.org

5th Floor -� 5750 Oak Street(at 41st Avenue)

CAREER

SERVICES

This program is part of WelcomeBC, a suite of programs

funded by the Government of Canada and the Province

of British Columbia. WelcomeBC helps newcomers settle,

integrate and find employment in their new communities.

Helping skilled immigrants launch their careers in BC

Skills Connect for Immigrants provides:

n Partial funding for qualifications upgrading and credential evaluation

n Soft skills training to help you succeed in the Canadian workplace

n Personalized one-on-one coaching with an experienced employment counsellor

n Free innovative workshops to help you take charge of your job search

Find out more:

E-MAIL: [email protected]: www.issbc.org/skillsconnectPHONE: 604-684-2561 (ext. 2123) (Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam and Richmond)

604-590-4021 (Surrey)

Skills Connect for Immigrants

www.issbc.org/skillsconnect











Find out more:


604-590-4021 (Surrey)













Find out more:


604-590-4021 (Surrey)













Find out more:


604-590-4021 (Surrey)



Y W C A C AREER ZONE

Drop-in for free employment resources and career services to help you find meaningful employment.

MONDAY & TUESDAY 9:30-5:00

WEDNESDAY 10:00-6:00

THURSDAY 9:30-5:00

FRIDAY 9:30-4:00

1260 Granville Street (Between Davie and Drake) Vancouver, BC V6Z 1M4 604-605-4666 ywcavan.org/careerzone

Need Skills? Need Experience? Need A Job?

Funded through the Canada - BC Labour Market Development Agreement


CAREER

SERVICESYWCA

FOCUSAt WorkFree Job Search for Women of All Ages

Support Growth Success

Monday – Friday: 9am to 4pm

(604) [email protected]

Funded through the Canada-BC Labour Market Development Agreement

• Pre-Screening • LD Assessment• Career Decision Making • Skills enhancement

• Resume Renewal • Job and Trades placement help

Suite 608 - 409 Granville St.(at Hastings), Vancouver

In-Depth Employment Assistance Services

Call: 604.683.5554Funded in part or whole through the

Canada - British Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement

For anyone unemployed! FREE, Confidential

& One-on-One!

You want people to ask questions for the right rea-sons. Answer any questions in your cover letter that might be red flags to a pro-spective employer, and make him or her want to know more about you – in person.

The following is a list of a few other items to leave off the resumé.

SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER (SIN)Perhaps this is an obvious exclusion, but it does hap-pen. Your SIN is the key to all of your personal informa-tion. When sending out your resumé, you never know who might receive or pick up a discarded copy. Don’t com-promise your privacy when applying for jobs.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONSYour resumé isn’t a classified ad. No one reading your CV needs to know what you look like. Your experience should be judged on its own merits. Even if you think you should be a contestant on Canada’s Next Top Model, your physic-al appearance is not a work-ing highlight.

VERY OLD JOBSJobs that you held a decade ago or that bear no relevance to the position you are apply-ing for should not be listed on your resumé. Very few employers will be motivated to hire you based on reading a description of your high-school paper route.

By Jenna Charlton

I was recently having coffee with a friend who was in

the process of hiring. He was telling me about resumés he had reviewed.

It was interesting to hear someone discuss the hiring process from the other side – I have always been on the applying end. This was his first hiring experience and he seemed amazed at the re-sumés that had piled up on his desk – and not always in a good way.

Far from professional protocol, he revealed some amusing and disheartening anecdotes. People with more experience than he has were applying for positions that would report to him – pos-itions that would surely pay less than what the applicant was currently earning.

Other applicants were highly educated but had no experience in the field that they were applying for a job in. I have heard this from other friends who have re-ceived resumés from, for ex-ample, lawyers applying for

a horticulture position be-cause they no longer want to deal with the office grind.

A career change is a great idea, but you have to prove you have some knowledge or experience in your new chosen field.

Some rather interesting resumés, according to my friend, included attached photos of friends and family, irrelevant information such as sexual preference and declarations that should go without saying, like: “I like to work hard,” or “I like to try to do a good job.” These statements should be evident from your past experience. Your resumé should high-light your achievements, so there is no need to blatantly tell someone you work hard and try to do good work.

It’s similarly not neces-sary to state your sexual orientation in your resumé – this does not have an im-pact on your abilities to do a job.

As for pictures – leave them out unless you are ap-plying for a position where a photo is required. Also leave out religious and political beliefs. Again, there are ca-veats (for instance, you’re in politics or applying to be a priest).

While it ’s terrif ic to switch careers or move to a position that requires less re-sponsibility, be prepared to explain yourself. It might be worth acknowledging this in your cover letter and briefly providing some reasons.

What not to include on your resuméSocial insurance number, photos and spelling mistakes should be omitted from your CV

SPELLING & GRAMMAR MISTAKESProbably another obvious point, but it is truly amaz-ing how many resumés are sent out that clearly have not been spell-checked. A spelling mistake may take your resumé from the top of the pile straight to the

Best foot forward: because your resumé is your first impression, you ought to make it count

Your resumé should

highlight your

achievements, so there is

no need to blatantly tell

someone you work hard

and try to do good work

AIM FOR WHAT YOU WANT

Contact Open Door Group today to get started!

Do you have a disability or barrier to employment? AIM can help!

“Funded in whole or part through the Canada-British Columbia Labour

Market Development Agreement”.

Burnaby office: 210-5066 Kingsway604 434-0770

Richmond office: 415-5900 No. 3 Road604 247-0770

OPENDOORGROUP.ORG

NO COST TO ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS

• Individualized career plans• Employment counselors• Resource Centres• Community connections

• Cover letter, resume, and interview techniques

• Accommodations and supports• Job search workshops

trash. Make sure that you have used spell-check, and then have a friend or col-league review your CV one more time, just to be certain. “REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST”It is assumed that you will provide references when a

potential employer requests them, so this statement isn’t necessary on your resumé. Leave it out. Remember, your resumé is your first impres-sion. Make it count. •

Originally published on the Workopolis Blog at www.blog.workopolis.com.


To obtain information or to pre-register for a FREE INFORMATION SESSION, please call: 604-713-4500 orvisit: www.continuinged.ca

Free Information Sessions Available:Education Centre, 1580 W. Broadway

10:00am - 11:00amTuesday, August 9, 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Vancouver School Board

Building Service Worker DiplomaA full time program designed for those who wish to enter the building service industry. Train-ing includes all aspects of sani-tation and cleaning operation of equipment, correct application of chemicals, WHMIS, operating your own cleaning business and two weeks of on-the-job train-ing with industry professionals. Topics also include: stripping and buffing floors, waxing, wall washing, washroom and window cleaning, fire prevention, car-pet cleaning and equipment training.Next Program begins Monday, September 26, 2011

11-058

Since 1995, more than 3,250 businesses have been launched through the Douglas College Self Employment Program.Practical training, business advice and group support. Income support available to those who qualify.

To see if you’re eligible for our FREE program call 604 527 5020 New Westminster Campus604 777 6012 Coquitlam Campus or visit douglascollege.ca/selfemployment

11-13

8

Your Career: Own it.

Angela CrockerProgram GraduateOwner, Author, Speaker, Social Media Trainerwww.beachcombercommunications.com

ASK AN EMPLOYMENT EXPERT

OZZIE SAUNDSMaggie B. asks: “As a recent graduate, how can I get a job with no work experience?”

Your question came up in a discussion I had

with Sumayya Randera, who works as an IT recruit-er. During our interview, this recent McMaster com-merce graduate told me how she successfully secured em-ployment with limited work experience.

One of the challenges that recent graduates encounter is a lack of work experience needed to land that first job. How did you overcome this?I knew this was going to be a problem when I gradu-ated. So what I tried to do

during university was extra-curricular activities. I also volunteered and was part of a committee for “Canada’s Next Top Ad Executive,” which is a marketing com-petition. I developed strong relationships with profes-sors and stayed very active within my school. One of my professors ended up intro-ducing me to a lawyer who was looking for a marketing student in my third year and it allowed me to put some-thing on my resumé along with all my volunteering roles and school activities. When I graduated I used all the connections I made to

help me find a job.

Did you find it difficult to secure your first job after graduation?No, not really. When I gradu-ated I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was sending my resumé all over the place. A friend recom-mended that I send my resu-mé to a staffing agency and they called me in the next day to meet with me. A week later they had a position available with a hedge fund company and I got the job. After a few months working in invest-ment relations, I got a new job as an IT recruiter.

What is your job like now?I love it! I get to meet people and I find people work. It’s a challenging position be-cause you’re basically work-ing the phone all day and every day. You’re trying to match the right job with the right person. You also work under tight deadlines. It’s a very high-pressure position but the payoff financially is great.

As a recruiter, what mistakes do you see people making during job searches?One of the biggest miscon-ceptions I had after gradu-

ation was that a resumé should be no more than two pages. During an inter-view I had for my current job, I was talking about all my strengths and skills. The interviewer who is now my boss asked me, “Where are these skills you’re telling me about on your resumé?” I told her, “I was advised that my resumé should only be two pages.” She answered, “How am I ever supposed to know what you can do if you don’t have it on your resumé?” I learned that if you can do it, make sure you say it on your resumé. Don’t limit your resumé to just two pages.

What advice do you have for new graduates?Network, because very few jobs are posted for the public. A lot of jobs you will find out about through your network and personal connections. A lot of companies look at re-ferrals given to them from their employees before ad-vertising vacant jobs, so try to find friends that can refer you. •

Ozzie Saunds is founder and owner of the Inspired-Minds Group. This column was originally published on the Workopolis Blog at www.blog.workopolis.com.

BANK TELLER TRAINING PROGRAM - The Bank Teller Training Program sets the foundation to start acareer in the banking industry in Canada. By learning the basics of being a Teller, you gain the skills and knowledge necessary to enter this exciting field. The course covers customer service, productsales, security, Canadian banking procedures and policies, and application process and employment opportunities with different banks. Next class starts September 10th for 3 Saturday sessionsfrom 9am to 4pm.

For more information or to register for a course please call 604-597-3448.202 – 7380 – 137th Street, Surrey, BC | www.dcrs.ca

Warehousing Training Program - An ideal course for people wanting to start a career in the warehousing industry. Course components include: Introduction to Warehousing, Elements of a Warehouse, Warehouse Functions/Activities, Warehouse Documentation, Inventory and Inventory Control, Health and Safety and more. Duration: 3 days from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Cost: $300.00start Date: saturday, august 27th – 3 saturday sessions.

For more information or to register for a course please call 604-597-3448.202 – 7380 – 137th street, surrey, BC | www.dcrs.ca


And yes...gradsKEEP their iPads!

ASK usabout ourAcute CareProgram

604-730-1106Info Sessions Daily. Reserve Yours!

All HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT PROGRAM Students Receive an...

Apple iPadThe most user-friendly textbook EVER!

Next Class StartsAugust 22nd.

Hurry and sign up for the next intake!• A FULL 27 WEEK PROGRAM - A hands-on and clinically focused Program• 8 ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATES including NVCI, Palliative Care, St. John’s First Aid &

CPR,WHMIS, Foodsafe, Diabetes, Footcare, and Medication Administration• 3 CLINICAL PRACTICUMS... Prepare you to work in a variety of Healthcare settings• JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE Our Unique Job Club is included

and open to to all graduates during and after graduation


Are you:• Permanent Resident of Canada?• Unemployed and ineligible for Employment Insurance?• Currently employed but lacking • Local credentials, or • Full-time hours, or • Essential skills?

Contact: Bruce Ratcliffe Email: [email protected] Cell: 604.218.5162Office: 604.517.0884 Fax: 604.517.517.1918 Website: www.success.bc.ca/itti

Funding provided by the Industry Training Authority, through theLabour Market Agreement between the Governments of British Columbia and Canada

If your answer is “YES” to any one of these questions, this project might be for you!

Immigrant Trades Training InitiativeAssisting immigrants towards their

trade certification in B.C.

ITTIInitiativ

Find your Trade Route to a Better Future

Funding provided by the Industry Training Authority, through the Labour Market Agreement between the Governments of British Columbia and Canada

Cashier Training & CusTomer serviCe - $275.00 Duration 18 hours. Become confident with operating a cash register & learn customer service, policies, procedures and laws that pertain to working in this field. next classes august 29th to 31stor september 12th to 14th from 9am to 3:30pm

For more information or to register for a course please call 604-597-3448.

202 – 7380 – 137th street, surrey, BC | www.dcrs.ca

SIMPLY ACCOUNTING LEVEL 1 & 2 Duration: 30 hours per level. Fee: $380 per level or $700 when registering for both levels at the same time. Textbook and Training Software for practiceat home are provided for FREE. After completing level 1 & 2 with us,�students receive a course completion certificate,� and will also beeligible to write the Certificate in Simply Accounting for FREE. The official Certificate in Simply Accounting will be issued by Sage Software,� who developed Simply Accounting. Next Class Starts: Sep 24 for 5 Saturday sessions

For more information or to register for a course please call 604-597-3448.202 – 7380 – 137th Street, Surrey, BC | www.dcrs.ca

legal documents, handling correspondence, drafting minutes and reports and do-ing research. They may also handle simple legal proced-ures such as files for small claims court, property dis-putes and disability appeals.

And, thanks to recent plans by the LSBC to revisit talks on expanding their roles, paralegals in this prov-ince may soon be in greater demand than ever before.

“The implementation of such talks may result in a dramatic growth of para-legal practice in B.C.,” con-firms Cyril Okoye, president and consultant criminologist at Metropolitan Commun-ity College.

He quotes the sum-mer issue of LSBC’s Bench-er’s Bulletin, which reported that “the law society has a vision that would see para-legals taking on a broader range of legal tasks than are currently permitted. It is ex-citing, new ground that will be good for … paralegals.”

To become a paralegal, a post-secondary education either to a diploma or degree level is essential. While some institutions require previous work experience as a pre-requisite for admission to a paralegal program, Okoye says that isn’t the case at Metropolitan “because of its 24-week, paid co-op/intern-ship program, which pro-vides students with work ex-perience before graduation.”

Bohdan Bilan, vice-president of academics for Vancouver Career College, agrees that hands-on train-ing within the Canadian legal system is a key to success.

“Our students not only receive their paralegal dip-loma, but also graduate with Internet and core computing certification and a five-week practicum on their resumé,” he says. “From here, gradu-ates can apply for paralegal positions in the employment field.”

Legal administrative as-sistants, on the other hand, look after various secretarial duties in a legal office like fil-ing and keeping track of the significant amount of paper-work that’s typically gener-

Paralegals: May soon take on new tasksfrom Getting, 3 ated by a busy law firm.

Vancouver Career Col-lege offers a legal administra-tive assistant diploma that fo-cuses on developing comput-er application and software skills specific to the legal in-dustry.

“Students take courses in civic litigation, family, real estate, corporate, commer-cial and wills and estates law,” says Bilan. “All of this training, along with a hands-on, five-week practicum, pre-pares graduates for their role in maintaining an organized workflow in a legal office.”

He adds that the current job market for the Canadian legal sector is “looking up for qualified paralegals and legal administrative assistants.”

“Since their work provides support for lawyers and other legal staff, they are valuable assets to well-organized, fast-paced legal work environ-ments,” he explains.

“Depending on the divers-ity of practice, law firms often attract a number of practi-tioners whose services are complementary to the daily law practice,” Okoye adds.

“These include forensic accountants, certified fraud investigators and immigra-tion consultants.”

On the immigration front, newcomers to Canada are often in need of legal pro-fessionals to help them re-solve immigration matters. As such, court interpreters are currently in high de-mand.

“There are many work as-signments in the courts but there is a big lack of qualified court interpreters,” confirms Tisha Nixon, director of in-terpretation and translation services for Aquinas Insti-tute Corp., which specializes in court-judicial-legal inter-preting services.

A legal interpreter, ac-cording to Nixon, is a pro-fessional who “conveys in the first person exactly what a speaker says in one language in a different foreign lan-guage to another person or people. Generally, the state-ments are related to legal topics, matters or cases.”

As such, legal interpreting requires proficiency in the source language and the tar-

get language as well as a good knowledge of legal terminol-ogy. This requires profession-al training.

“B.C. courts require that we send only experienced or trained court interpreters to court trials,” she stresses. “As an interpretation service company, [our] challenge … is recruiting qualified in-terpreters and how to make those with no experience realize that court interpreter training is necessary.”

To be considered an ac-credited interpreter by the Ministry of Attor-ney General’s Court Ser-vices Branch, you must have one of the following: • a court interpreting cer-t i f icate f rom Vancou-ver Community College; • certification as a court interpreter by the Society of Translators and Inter-preters of BC (STIBC); or • certification as a court in-terpreter from a society be-longing to the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council.

Aquinas also offers a court-judicial-legal inter-preter training seminar to help new, inexperienced in-terpreters launch their ca-reers by learning more about basic court interpreting dut-ies, ethics, the Canadian court system and legal ter-minology, and provides prac-tical interpreting exercises, as well.

Though only the STIBC can designate a certified court interpreter and only the Min-istry of Attorney General can designate an accredited court interpreter, Aquinas’ seminar provides an excellent profes-sional development oppor-tunity to any interpreter or translator.

“A UBC student took the seminar … and within three months she sent an email stating that the seminar came in handy as she has been do-ing a lot of interpreting, es-pecially court interpreting,” says Nixon.

“Other seminar atten-dees are now working in the government sector and with other agencies or have their own interpreting business-es.” •[email protected]

102 East 4th Avenue, Vancouver B.C., V5T 1G2Phone: (604) 688-8828 ➧ Fax: (604) 669-2154

E-mail: [email protected] ➧ www.employmentinvancouver.com

Publisher Cheryl Carter

Editor noa Glouberman

Sales Manager Deborah Hamilton

Advertising Sales Kim De Wildt

Graphics & Production Soraya romão

Accounting/Administration angela Foster

reach a wide variety of adults, students and job seekers interested in further learning and upgrading their skills to advance their career prospects.

business in Vancouver media Group, publishers of neXt, offers post-secondary schools, career colleges, service providers a unique advertising vehicle to market full and part-time programs. Visit us at biv.com for more information.



You can help make neXt the best carer training resource. Send your comments and suggestions to the address below:

Members


604-580-2772 · www.stenbergcollege.comOver 94% of our grads are employed in their fi eld of study within 6 months of graduation.

You want a better life. Job satisfaction. Financial security. Respect. You want to help others.

Change your life todayCardiology TechnologistThe Canadian Medical Association (CMA) has granted this program its highest accreditation status, a 6 year accreditation.

Community Mental Health & Addictions WorkerIn partnership with PHS Community Services Society and the Lookout Emergency Aid Society, the unique curriculum for this program has been prepared to support individuals with mental heath challenges and addictions. Entry level wages range from $18.03 to $19.72/hr. Apply for a full tuition scholarship today.

Early Childhood Educator“The most important job in the world.” According to the 2008 ECE Registry Survey commissioned by the BC Ministry of Children & Family Development, the average wage for Early Childhood Educators in BC is $17.43/hr. Graduates may qualify for $3000 bursary though the BC Family Child Care Association.

Health Care Assistant (formerly Resident Care Attendant / Home Support)Make a difference in the lives of others! Graduates will be registered with the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry which will allow you to work in government funded health care facilities. The starting wage for Health Care Assistants is $17 - $21/hr.

Hospital Support SpecialistWork in hospital and healthcare administration as an Admitting/Registration Clerk, Health Records Clerk, Diagnostic Imaging Clerk, Hospital Switchboard Operator, Medical Secretary and much more. Entry level wages from $18.16 - $21/hr.

Medical Laboratory AssistantThis program has been reviewed and approved by British Columbia Society of Laboratory Science and exceeds their requirements in many areas. The wage range of Stenberg MLA grads working in their fi eld of study is $18.04 - $23.70 per hour.

Medical Offi ce AssistantConsider a rewarding career in healthcare administration or expand your career options as a Hospital Support Specialist (see above).

Nursing Unit ClerkNursing Unit Clerks, originally known as ward clerks and sometimes referred to as Nursing Unit Coordinators, act as the anchors of patient care departments. The average wage for Stenberg grads is $20.77/hr. plus 12.2% in lieu of benefi ts.

Practical NursingWe offer Free Biology 12!

Psychiatric NursingThere is an urgent need for more Registered Psychiatric Nurses (RPN) in BC. The only program of its kind in BC, students can learn within their local communities via distance education, local and/or regional clinical placements, and some regional classroom delivery. Entry-level earnings start at $29/hr. This 23 month program is recognized by the CRPNBC.

Special Education AssistantOur program includes training and certifi cation from the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism & Related Disorders (POPARD). Two POPARD courses are offered in this program: Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders & Introduction to Applied Behaviour Analysis. Starting wage for Special Education Assistants is approx. $22/hr. Starting wage for Special Education Assistants is approx. $22/hr.

Professional Studies for working healthcare professionals• Advanced Leadership Skills for LPNs• Immunization Skills Workshop• Phlebotomy Course

FREE College Preparatory program and ongoing ESL support.

You may be eligible for government student loans and funding.

“The teachers and staff at Stenberg were very supportive throughout my entire program … Working towards completion of this program requires a lot of hard work but because everyone in the class cooperates and encourages each other to succeed, it helped me a lot.”– Amanda P.


Visit our Campus at12160-88th Ave in Surrey

604-635-2226 • www.lovecars.ca

Start Earning What You Deserve!

In under 1 year you can be trained and working in the Automotive Industry! Grade 12 and Driver's License not required.

Most programs are eligible for funding.

Call for more information.

WORTH SWITCHING CAREERS FOR

Shift Your New Career into firSt Gear!

Program: Duration: Potential WagesAutomotive Service Technician 42 weeks $100k/yrAuto Body & Refinishing Technician 42 weeks $80k/yrAuto Body Technician 24 weeks $80k/yrAutomotive Refinishing Prep Technician 24 weeks $80k/yrBusiness Manager 2 weeks $50-$100k/yrCollision Estimator 13 weeks $36-60k/yrService Advisor 13 weeks $36-$60k/yrParts & Warehousing 6 weeks $32-$48k/yr Auto Detailing 2 weeks $15-$20/hr Sales & Leasing 1 week $36-$75k/yrDispatching and Transportation Operations 25weeks $36-65k/yrNEW

pharmacists in providing health services to B.C. residents. In early 2009, pharmacists were given the authority to renew prescriptions and, in some cases, to modify pre-scriptions originally written by a doctor.

In the fall of 2009, pharmacists who completed a training and ac-creditation program were approved to administer drugs by injection.

And, earlier this year, pharma-cists were given the authority to consult with patients to give them a more comprehensive understand-ing about all the medications they may be taking and identify any issues that could arise from the use of those drugs.

All of these new services will likely add to the demand for phar-macists and could increase the al-lure of the profession to prospective students, according to Mitchell.

“A lot of members are very en-thusiastic about it, saying things like, ‘This is why I went into phar-macy,’” she says. “They’re excited about the opportunity.

“I know the UBC faculty gets a very substantial number of appli-cants each year, and when you think about the importance of pharma-ceutical products for so many of us for managing our health, there’s no sign that the demand for pharmacy services is easing off.”

By Richard Chu, BIV & Noa Glouberman

The growing use of medication in B.C. promises to keep phar-

macy one of the province’s fastest-growing professions.

Marnie Mitchell, CEO of the BC Pharmacy Association, says that the use of pharmaceuticals continues to grow by about 10% a year, partly because of rising rates of chronic diseases and the increased availability of drugs to treat them.

She also notes, however, that while some of the increase might be attributable to conditions as-sociated with an aging popula-tion, younger people are facing a growing number of chronic con-ditions ranging from hypertension and high cholesterol to Type-2 dia-betes.

“That part is a little concerning, but there are more treatments avail-able, so people are able to manage those conditions fairly effectively on the whole.”

The growing need for medica-tion has increased growth in the profession. The number of regis-tered pharmacists in B.C. has risen by 23% over the past five years to 4,800 from 3,900 in 2006.

But another pharmacy growth driver is the expanding role of

Newly defined roles raise pharmacy’s allureJob prospects for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and assistants look “very good” in b.C.

Easy pill to swallow: the number of registered pharmacists in B.C. has risen by 23% over the past five years

In fact, the job prospects for other pharmacy team members – including pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants – look similarly positive, according to Bev Reid, president and owner of MTI Community College – a pri-vate training career college with six campuses throughout the Low-er Mainland and Fraser Valley of-fering both pharmacy technician and pharmacy assistant diploma

programs.We sat down with Reid to ask

about both professions, how they’re evolving and what the job market looks like now and in the future.

What is a pharmacy technician?A pharmacy technician is a health-care worker who performs phar-macy-related functions, generally working under the direct super-vision of a licensed pharmacist.

Start your career as aHEALTH CARE ASSISTANT this fall.

Get an education and a guaranteed job interview.Employment opportunities in BC and across Canada.

At Saint Elizabeth we know the adult learner and can support you with

ESL • Study skills • Computer skills • Flexible class scheduling

Includes: CPR/FirstAid, FoodSafe,WHMIS CertificatesPracticum training provided in Complex Care, Dementia Care,

Assisted Living, Group home, Home SupportTuition scholarships and Financial Aid may be available

What is the difference between a pharmacist and a pharmacy technician?Pharmacists are the experts on drug therapy and are the primary health professionals who optimize medi-cation use to provide patients with positive health outcomes. Pharma-cists in Canada attend university and attain a degree to become a pharmacist. Regulated pharmacy

see Counter, 13


If you’re applying to a conserv-ative law firm, the edgy approach probably won’t f ly. But if you’re hoping to get noticed by a trendy social media company, a unique application may get you noticed.

“Advertising and job searches have some similar principles,” says Morris. “You need to know who your target market is, capture its attention and differentiate yourself as a product.”

By Trina Rehberg

What would happen if you took your job application,

added some humour and laced it with profanity? It might get tossed in the trash. Or, if you’re one of a lucky few, you may actually get hired.

I came across such a job appli-cation online and laughed, think-ing it was a joke. Not so – the guy

was hired by a software company.Wait, what? Does this mean I

need to forget all those resumé-writing tips I learned in college and take advice from this guy instead?

Maybe, or maybe not, says Iain Morris, a partner at Mercer, a hu-man resources consulting firm.

“I think it depends on what organization you’re applying to and what style they have,” Mor-ris says.

Getting edgy with itDo candidates risk rejection with experimental job applications?

Ad-ing up: could promoting yourself as the ideal candidate on a billboard – say, in New York City’s Times Square – really result in a job offer?

No matter what approach you take, follow these few tips and you’ll be more likely to get the out-come you want.

Do your research. Get a feel for the organization you’re applying to. Does it have a blog you can read to get a sense of the language em-ployees use and the style of the or-ganization? Scour the company’s website and job ads for more hints about the company culture.

Make your cover letter and resumé visually appealing. That means simple formatting and not a lot of text. According to Morris, HR professionals are likely to decide if your application is a keeper based on the look of it alone, before they even read what you have to say.

Use straightforward, results-oriented language. HR profession-als don’t care what you did at your last job – they want to know what the results were. Write clearly and always do a spelling and grammar check before you send your appli-cation in.

If you have a good idea of the kind of person the organization is looking for and can show them you’d be a suitable fit, you’ll have a better chance of getting hired. •

Originally published on the Workop-olis Blog at www.blog.workopolis.com.

Six wickedly creative job applications for the digital age

1. The Google search resumé. on his linkedIn profile, Eric Gandhi included his CV, mocked up to look like a Google search engine results page. an employee at Google spot-ted it and recommended Gandhi for a job.2. If in doubt, rent a billboard. In Ireland, a marketing grad hired out a central billboard to launch his “job-less paddy” campaign. the billboard included links to his social profiles and his email address.3. Clever use of Google ads. Alec Brownstein figured directors of ad agencies, where he wanted to work, would likely search their own names on Google from time to time, to see what people were saying about them. brownstein bought Google ads against the names of these directors with a link to his CV.4. Interactive video. Graeme Anthony applied for a role at a social media agency by creating an interactive video that encouraged the potential employer to find out more about him.5. Don’t ask for a job at all. Andrew Horner, an unemployed programmer, created what he calls the reverse job application – a website that would allow employ-ers to apply for him (yes, it actually worked). 6. Create a game. Games developer Tim Schafer wrote and illustrated the storyboard of a gaming scenario that showed him applying – and getting – his dream job at a video game company.

So

ng

qu

an

De

ng

/ S

hu

tt

er

St

oc

k.c

om

REWARDING CAREERS ARE NEVER HANDED TO YOU. AT CDI COLLEGE, WE’LL HELP YOU EARN ONE.CDI College has been helping people like you launch successful careers for more than four decades. Choose from over 50 market-driven programs in Business, Art & Design, Technology and Health Care. A new career can be in the palm of your hand. Call CDI College today!

f fa

cebo

ok.c

om/C

DIC

olle

ge

t tw

itte

r.com

/CD

ICol

lege

Y

you

tube

.com

/CD

ICar

eerC

olle

ge

Medical

Office

Assista

nt

- Just

one o

f many

progra

ms to

use iP

ads in

the cla

ssroom

Canada’s Leading Career Training Provider.

To get started today, visit study.cdicollege.ca

or call 1.888.654.4181

CDI_NEXT_Quarter Pg_runs Aug.indd 5 8/12/2011 10:45:39 AM

Step into the career you’ve been dreaming of. Call today!bc.vccollege.ca • 1.866.573.3087

.com/VancouverCareerCollege .com/VCCollege .com/VCCollege

Train today for:• Paralegal • Legal Administrative Assistant • Accounting & Payroll Admin • Human Resources Professional• Business Admin / E-Commerce Management • Hospitality Management

The Shortest Path To A Business Career

To career.From here.

We’re taking your education to the next level! Starting Sept 2011, you will receive an iPad when you begin classes at Vancouver Career College. All iPads will come with e-books and educational apps, provid-ing you with a more interactive learning experience!

Rev_VCC_NEXT_runs Aug.indd 1 8/10/2011 4:05:58 PM


sources expert Sarah Paul says, “It is never professional to walk out and there will be very few situations that would warrant this type of drastic action.”

Paul recommends that if you are leaving, it is always a good idea to have a job lined up: “Gaps on a re-sumé are very hard to justify to a new employer and if you start get-ting desperate, recruiters can smell it a mile away.

“Once you have determined you are going to quit, start to quietly net-work and get the word out that you are looking, interview headhunters and find one you connect with. Then let him or her do the legwork.” KEEP YOUR EMOTIONS IN CHECKPaul says, “Take a step back and make sure you are not acting out of emotion. No job is perfect and no boss is a dream. Think of all the rea-

By Renee Sylvestre-Williams

Who hasn’t sat in their cubicle, stared at their computer

screen and daydreamed of quitting their job?

If you’ve decided to take the plunge (and it can be terrifying) there are a few things you need to check off before you tell your boss, “See ya!”

SHOW YOURSELF THE MONEYThe most important thing on this list. Unless you’re quitting your cur-rent job to go to another one or are planning on starting your own busi-

ness, then you need to have enough money.

Experts used to say three months of living expenses should be enough but with the economy still not quite as vibrant, it might be better to have at least six months of living expenses saved before you quit.

Money isn’t the only thing you should do before you quit. We’re not recommending you quit in a haze of rage – after all, you might want a reference later on. ALWAYS HAVE A PLANQuitting in a haze of glory only works in the movies. As human re-

Your quitting checklistSome valuable things to know before you go

Walking papers: there are a few things you need to check off your list before you bid your boss “bye bye”

references and make your leaving unpleasant.

Don’t tell anyone until you of-ficially resign. After that, remain professional and don’t indulge the curiosity of your soon-to-be ex-col-leagues.

HAVE A GOOD STORYPaul says, “Always tell people that the reason you are leaving is be-cause you were looking for a job that aligned with your career goals. Do not tell people that you wanted more money or that you hated your boss.

“Focus on the positive and spin it in a way that makes you look as-sertive and in control of your ca-reer. Create a list of all of the things you accomplished in your position and what you learned. Make sure you communicate how you can use these skills and accomplishments to add value in the new role.”

LEAVE ON GOOD TERMS You never know when you may find yourself working with those former colleagues or when you might need a reference. As Paul says, “No matter how big you think the city or indus-try is … it’s not.” •


sons you took the job and what you used to love about it.

“Instill excitement and chal-lenge by taking on another pro-ject, join a task force or commit-tee or asking for additional re-sponsibilities,” she continues. “As with any relationship, being happy in your job takes work. Don’t bail at the first sign of distress.” CONSIDER THE PROS AND CONSPaul calls it a “force field analysis.” She suggests that you make a “pros and cons” list of your job. If the cons on your list outweigh the pros, then she suggests creating your exit strategy. TALK TO A LAWYER OR OTHER PRO-FESSIONALSWe’re not saying anything bad will happen, but talking to a labour law-yer might make the transition easi-er because you’ll be fully informed about what to expect in terms of remaining salaries, vacation days and benefits.

It couldn’t hurt to talk to a human resources professional as well, just not one involved in the same company. KEEP IT QUIETCompanies are notorious for gossip. You don’t want to be the latest hot topic; it could affect your relation-ship with the company, affect your

“No job is perfect and no boss

is a dream. Think of all the

reasons you took the job and

what you used to love about it”

– Sarah Paul,human resources expert

A c c e l e r a t e y o u r c a r e e rGet what you need to succeed, enrol in a Supply Chain Management program.

Register now, call1 800 411-7622 orvisit www.bcipmac.ca

B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A I N S T I T U T E P M A C

P U R C H A S I N G M A N A G E M E N T A S S O C I A T I O N O F C A N A D A

Supply Chain Management Professional


Funding provided through theCanada-British Columbia Labour Market Agreement

Get the help you need for the job you seek

JobOptionsBC provides: 5-week classroom-based sessions

Up to 5 weeks of work experience

Possible short-term skills training

Contact us:

E-MAIL: [email protected]: www.issbc.org/joboptionsbc

Areas served:Vancouver 604-684-2561 ext. 1135

Surrey 604-598-8545

Port Coquitlam* 604-468-6262* Serving the following communities:Port Coquitlam BelcarraAnmore Port MoodyPitt Meadows Maple Ridge

Training allowance during theclassroom-based sessions.

JobOptionsBC

www.issbc.org/joboptionsbc

technicians have independent authority, re-sponsibility and liability to prepare, process and compound prescriptions. Pharmacists have this same authority to prepare, process and compound prescriptions, but pharma-cists also do clinical counselling of patients.

What training does a pharmacy technician have?Pharmacy technicians in B.C. must attend a pharmacy technician training program that has been accredited through the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP) and then pass the nation-al and provincial pharmacy technician exams.MTI Community College is one of only a few colleges in the province with an accredited pharmacy technician program. Most phar-macy technician training programs are 10-12 months in length.

Where do pharmacy technicians work?Pharmacy technicians work in hospital phar-macy settings and retail (community) phar-macy settings.

How does one achieve “registered” status?To become regulated in B.C. as a pharmacy technician you must successfully complete an accredited pharmacy technician training pro-gram; successfully complete the structured practical training component through the College of Pharmacists of BC (the regula-tory body); pass the jurisprudence exam; pass the PEBC Qualifying Exam; and apply for registration with the College of Pharmacists of BC.

How is the role of a pharmacy technician changing in B.C.?Regulated pharmacy technicians have a new role within the pharmacy team. Their role has expanded to include: receiving and transcrib-ing verbal prescriptions from practitioners; ensuring that a prescription is complete and authentic; transferring prescriptions to and re-ceiving prescriptions from other pharmacies; ensuring the accuracy of a prepared prescrip-tion; performing the final check of a prepared prescription; and ensuring the accuracy of drug and personal health information in the PharmaNet patient record.

Previously the roles listed above were with-in the scope of practice of a pharmacist. Phar-macists may still perform these duties but over the next few years more and more hospital and community pharmacies will have regulated pharmacy technicians take on these roles to allow for pharmacists to take on more clinical duties with patients.

What do the job prospects look like for pharmacy technicians in B.C.?The future job prospects for regulated techni-cians in B.C. are very good. Prior to 2010 phar-macy technician training programs were not regulated in B.C. and anyone who completed a training program took on the title of phar-macy technician. As of January 1, 2011, the term “pharmacy technician” became a reserved designation in B.C. and, like the title of doctor or nurse, only those that have completed all of the steps for regulation can use the title.

Those people who were calling themselves technicians, but were not regulated, are now designated as pharmacy assistants. In order to use the term ‘pharmacy technician,’ they must take a series of upgrading courses and exams to meet the requirements for regulation.

There are a lot of currently designated as-sistants who worked for years as pharmacy

technicians but have decided not to become a regulated technician, and to remain as their new designation of pharmacy assistant. Most of these people have found that the 18 months it takes to do the upgrading courses and the cost associated with the upgrading and the regula-tions exam – approximately $3,500 – is beyond what they want to do.

Using regulated pharmacy technicians in both the community and hospital pharma-cies will allow the use of pharmacists in a more clinical role, and will allow for more effective staffing. With limited training programs for pharmacy technicians, there is a limit on the number of technicians that will be able to feed into the workforce each year. Pharmacy tech-nician training programs must provide a hos-pital practicum component to their program and there are limited hospital practicum op-tions available in the province. This will al-ways be a barrier for increasing the number of trained pharmacy technicians in the prov-ince. Hence there will be a large demand for regulated pharmacy technicians, but a limited availability of training spots in the province.

What is a pharmacy assistant?Pharmacy assistants will mainly work in com-munity pharmacy settings as their training program does not involve any training in hos-pital pharmacy. A pharmacy assistant can be supervised by both regulated pharmacy tech-nicians and licensed pharmacists.

Assistants usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication, such as counting tablets and labelling bottles. They also perform administrative duties, such as an-swering phones, stocking shelves and operat-ing cash registers. Technicians refer any ques-tions regarding prescriptions, drug informa-tion or health matters to a pharmacist.

What is the difference between a pharmacy technician and a pharmacy assistant?Assistants are non-regulated members of the pharmacy team and technicians are regulated members of the pharmacy team. Assistants perform routine tasks while technicians have a role with more responsibility and profession-al liability. Technicians are trained to a much higher level than assistants.

What training does a pharmacy assistant have?A pharmacy assistant takes a non-regulated training program that is approximately seven, eight months in length. There is no regulatory body for pharmacy assistants.

How is the role of a pharmacy assistant changing in B.C.?A pharmacy assistant provides an essential role on the pharmacy team. By completing the more routine tasks of assisting with prescrip-tion dispensing, compounding of prescrip-tion drugs and administrative tasks within the pharmacy it allows regulated pharmacy tech-nicians and licensed pharmacists to focus on the safety of the prescription being dispensed and the needs of the patient.

What do the job prospects look like for pharmacy assistants in B.C.?Current and future job prospects for assistants remain high. Well-trained assistants are a vital part of the pharmacy team and are required to give the technicians and pharmacists the time to do their jobs effectively. A well-functioning pharmacy will include pharmacy assistants, pharmacy technicians and pharmacists. •[email protected]

Counter culture: Pharmacy jobs growing from Newly, 11

Employment Services for immigrant job seekers

Services available in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian & Vietnnamese

Individual employment counselling & support

Resource Centre (Computer, Internet,

Laser Printer, Photocopier & Fax)

Quality job matches with employers

Assistance with resume & El-funded training. Information

on English Language Training & Interview Preparation

If you are on EI and need skills development, we can help.

#150 - 8400 Alexandra Road, RichmondNear Lansdowne Skytrain Station | Free Parking Available

FREE service - Make an appointment TODAY! Tel: 604-233-7031 • [email protected]

Job Searching? Call the Experts!


The following jobs recently appeared in our Twitter feed. Follow the links for more information; follow us on Twitter @employmentinvan for more local jobs.

ADMINISTRATIONExpert Recruiters, on behalf of its client, seeks an executive assist-ant (Vancouver) to assist in the co-ordination and production of proposals and qualifications. http://bit.ly/nrUwRp

Aparc Systems, on behalf of its client, seeks an administrative assistant (Vancouver) to sup-port the CEO, COO and other members of the leadership team by performing essential admin-istrative tasks. This role is multi-dimensional and requires an indi-vidual who can co-ordinate and balance several activities, is flex-ible, well organized and will-ing to take on new challenges as requested. http://bit.ly/qdBbu5

Angus One Professional Recruit-ment, on behalf of its client, seeks a bookkeeper/administrative assistant (Granville Island) to perform all payroll duties, using ADP and SAP; perform full-cycle bookkeeping; HST filings; WCB filings; and perform various administrative duties, as required. http://ow.ly/60cNd

COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONSMcNeill Nakamoto Recruit-ment Group, on behalf of its client, seeks a communications advisor for aboriginal affairs (Vancouver) to act as day-to-day liaison between projects and First Nations issues, activities and interests, among other duties. http://ow.ly/5ZZWT

CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENTThe City of Richmond seeks a building technologist (Rich-mond) to provide an effective plan-checking service to ensure that proposed construction pro-jects, alterations and additions to existing buildings and struc-tures meet the general design and life-safety standards of the muni-cipality prior to the issuance of building permits. http://tinyurl.com/3atgrj5

The City of Vancouver seeks a planner II (Vancouver) to per-form highly complex profes-sional urban design and develop-ment planning work consisting of consultation, negotiation, pro-ject review, analysis and develop-ment of urban design concepts for major developments subject to

discretionary zoning throughout the city. http://tinyurl.com/3rquqwt

EDUCATIONThe Fraser Institute seeks an education programs co-ordin-ator (Vancouver) to assist with the planning and execution of the Institute’s educational out-reach, including such things as, student seminars, teacher work-shops, conferences, video contests, internships, essay contests and newsletters. http://bit.ly/mOPFTe

FINANCECanadian Western Bank Group seeks a sales and service repre-sentative II (Vancouver) to pro-vide a high level of customer ser-vice that consistently exceeds expectations and enhances the relationship with the client. http://bit.ly/q16IDI

HEALTH & MEDICALWestminster House seeks a health-care worker/social worker (Langley) to provide care to cli-ents in a manner that will respect the individuals and maintain their dignity, among other duties. http://bit.ly/oRukaa

BC Cancer Agency seeks a recruitment clerk, HPV focal study (Vancouver) to communi-cate regularly with women par-ticipating in a study looking to improve cervical cancer screen-ing for women; performing such duties as determining eligibil-ity, administering study consent forms and questionnaires that contain questions of a personal health and sexual nature; main-taining consistent contact with study participants; collecting data and entering into study database; and utilizing a variety of com-munication methods to meet study procedures and follow-up, among other duties. http://bit.ly/pAJ4z5

HOSPITALITY & TOURISMVancouver Airport Marri-ott seeks a guest services agent (Richmond) with previous hotel experience, preferably in the front office. http://bit.ly/o2ysos

LEGALOverwaitea Food Group LP seeks a senior legal assistant (Lang-ley) to provide legal administra-tive support to legal counsel in the delivery of legal services, includ-ing managing and preparing vari-ous legal documents, among other duties. http://bit.ly/otKHJY

MANAGEMENTSNC-Lavalin seeks a project team manager (Vancouver) to provide leadership, guidance, control and mentoring to a pro-ject management team charged with all aspects of project delivery within the B.C. portfolio, includ-ing tenant and base building improvements, among other dut-ies. http://bit.ly/mPxTvy

Deloitte seeks a senior manager, employee engagement (Vancou-ver) to act as an expert for the firm in the development of pro-grams and policies related to an outstanding talent experience at Deloitte. http://bit.ly/pTEyMv

MARKETING & SALESInvesco Trimark seeks a sales co-ordinator (Vancouver) to pro-vide office/administrative sup-port to a team of wholesalers, regional sales associates and the VP regional sales manager. http://bit.ly/pqoCHe

R. Johnson Recruitment, on behalf of its client, seeks a junior marketing assistant (Vancouver) to manage a customer relation-ship database and perform related activities, among other duties. http://bit.ly/q1ZOGQ

McNeill Nakamoto Recruitment Group, on behalf of its client, seeks an outbound sales representative (Richmond) for outbound calling, solution-based selling, Internet-based product demonstrations and consistent customer follow-up to achieve maximum sales, among other duties. http://ow.ly/6003p

Path Marketing seeks an Internet marketing consultant/account manager (Vancouver) to attend quarterly strategy sessions that are run by senior marketing strat-egy team and work with senior strategists to develop and exe-cute a quarterly plan; work closely with customers and see that we deliver on our promises; and man-age multiple deadlines, review cre-ative and copywriting and ensure that the client is in the loop. http://www.techvibes.com/job/internet-marketing-consultant-account-manager

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENTHays Specialist Recruitment (Canada) Inc., on behalf of its client, seeks a live-in residential maintenance person to support two apartment buildings by main-taining the property in a first-class operational and maintenance standard to enhance the property’s curb appeal and increase resident

TWITTER JOB BOARD BullETIn BOARD

retention and satisfaction. http://bit.ly/mUF7ZE

RETAILSave-On-Foods seeks a price change clerk (North Vancouver) to update prices on merchandise throughout the store as well as do administration work in the payroll office. http://bit.ly/qnAXNQ

PriceSmart Foods seeks a gro-cery reline clerk (Vancouver) to assist with the re-organization of the store and to ensure the depart-ments are well stocked and clean. http://bit.ly/pkSRn5

PriceSmart Foods seeks a pro-duce clerk (North Vancouver) to help our customers and ensure the departments are always well stocked and clean. http://bit.ly/qu6Ry1

PriceSmart Foods seeks a cashier (North Vancouver) to ensure cus-tomers always have a great experi-ence shopping at the store. http://bit.ly/p2Mas6

PriceSmart Foods seeks a grocery clerk (North Vancouver) to help customers and ensure the depart-ments are always well stocked and clean. http://bit.ly/o4feWB

TECHNOLOGYTEKsystems seeks a desktop sup-port specialist (Vancouver) to maintain, analyze, troubleshoot and support desktop computer systems, hardware and periph-erals, among other duties. http://bit.ly/nMICQC

TEKsystems seeks a network engineer (Vancouver) to design, implement and administer LAN/WAN, among other duties. http://bit.ly/rlcyRp

WPCG, on behalf of its client, seeks an SSRS developer (Van-couver) to work directly with the end users and create and docu-ment report specifications, as well as be proactive and a natural prob-lem solver. http://bit.ly/pK02ex

WPCG, on behalf of its client, seeks a senior Java developer (Vancouver) to work with a small team of like-minded develop-ers and play an integral role in the architecture and development of the product, which will involve taking ownership of a business objective and bringing it all the way to the finish line, among other duties. http://bit.ly/olo4bJ

WPCG, on behalf of its client, seeks a senior C++ developer (Vancouver) who has an under-standing of N-tier development specifically focusing on the mid-dle and front end. http://bit.ly/neZYEk •

BREAKFAST, LUNCHEON, DINNER MEETINGSProfessor Stephen ToopeS eptem b er 14 , 20 1 1 , 1 1 :45 a m : professor Stephen toope, president & Vice-Chancellor University of british Columbia. $69 members and guests/$96 future-members (+HSt). the Fairmont Waterfront, Waterfront ballroom, 900 Canada place Way. Vancouver, bC. [email protected]. www.boardoftrade.com.

CONFERENCES, CONVENTIONS, TRADESHOWS20/20 SMART Session: Market Research and AssessmentAugust 18, 2011, 8:00 am: effective market research will increase the probability of a successful product launch. this session will introduce tools and techniques for conducting effective market research and assessment in the product development process. $25 members/$35 non-members. Hampton Inn & Suites, 19500 langley bypass (route 10). Surrey. Kimberly Hall: 604-713-7809, [email protected]. http://bc.cme-mec.ca/.

COURSES, WORKSHOPS, SEMINARSSharePoint 2010 as a Records Management and Retention SolutionAugust 19, 2011, 1:30 pm: attend a free seminar on how Sharepoint 2010 can be used for records management and retention. the presenter is marcel roy, Sharepoint Specialist and records manager. Free. bCIt Downtown Campus, rm 281, 555 Seymour Street. Vancouver. [email protected]. www.tracrecords.ca/events.

Canadian Securities Course (CSC)September 8, 2011 , 8 :00 am: be qualified to apply for licensing as a mutual funds salesperson. Sign up for the CSC at ashton College. Contact an admissions adviser now. ashton College. Vancouver. 604-899-0803, [email protected]. www.ashtoncollege.com.

Foundation in Sustainable Community DevelopmentSeptember 15, 2011, 9:00 am: this course addresses the confusion sur roun d in g sus ta inab i l i t y an d presents the certificate’s vision of sustainable community development and related principles. $900. 515 W. Hastings St. Vancouver. Joshua randall, 778-782-5254. http://www.sfu.ca/city/course1popup.htm.

DATEBOOk is Vancouver's business calendar. It is produced by Business in Vancouver newspaper (www.biv.com). the complete Datebook is available on-line at www.bivdatebook.ca


http://bit.ly/nrUwRp

http://bit.ly/qdBbu5

http://ow.ly/60cNd

http://ow.ly/5ZZWT

http://tinyurl.com/3atgrj5

http://tinyurl.com/3atgrj5

http://tinyurl.com/3rquqwt

http://bit.ly/mOPFTe

http://bit.ly/q16IDI

http://bit.ly/q16IDI

http://bit.ly/oRukaa

http://bit.ly/pAJ4z5

http://bit.ly/pAJ4z5

http://bit.ly/o2ysos

http://bit.ly/otKHJY

http://bit.ly/mPxTvy

http://bit.ly/pTEyMv

http://bit.ly/pqoCHe

http://bit.ly/pqoCHe

http://bit.ly/q1ZOGQ

http://ow.ly/6003p

http://www.techvibes.com/job/internet-marketing-consultant-account-manager




http://bit.ly/mUF7ZE

http://bit.ly/mUF7ZE

http://bit.ly/qnAXNQ

http://bit.ly/pkSRn5

http://bit.ly/qu6Ry1

http://bit.ly/qu6Ry1

http://bit.ly/p2Mas6

http://bit.ly/p2Mas6

http://bit.ly/o4feWB

http://bit.ly/nMICQC

http://bit.ly/nMICQC

http://bit.ly/rlcyRp

http://bit.ly/rlcyRp

http://bit.ly/pK02ex

http://bit.ly/olo4bJ

http://bit.ly/neZYEk

http://bit.ly/neZYEk

where decisions are made on per-ception rather than concrete ac-complishments.

Worse, some candidates have been so frustrated by this experi-ence that it affected the rest of their interview. Often the problem is that one becomes so focused on pro-viding the perfect story that little information of use is actually of-fered. Remember, an interviewer is asking for the story as a way of working back to your skill.

“Conversely, there will be times when the story comes readily, but that’s all the interviewer hears from you. If you just tell good stories, you may be competing against better storytellers,” says Brian Bassett of Toronto’s Bassett Communica-tion Clinics.

“Also, if you don’t spell out the point of your story in terms of your ability, the interviewer may not make that connection,” he adds, offering the following tips for an-swering behavioural questions.

1. Think of what you are good at, or what you find important in the situation you’ve been asked to describe.

2. Provide a story that demon-strates that point. Use strong action verbs to describe what you did in the situation to solve the problem or unravel the challenge.

3. At the end of your answer, spell out what you brought to the situation (the result) and what part you played in the result. Use the word “I,” not “we” (unless it was a team effort and even then, as part of the team, highlight your contri-bution).

We know words are import-ant but in an interview remember to bring your personality along. Make good use of your eyes, hands, pitch and voice modulation to keep the interviewer captivated and you

By Colleen Clarke & Elizabeth Bromstein

You’re sitting in a job interview when the person that you’d

like to call your future employer hits you with a question that you’re just not sure how to answer. Our experts weigh in on how to handle this uneasy situation.

THE TOUGH QUESTIONSTo outshine other incumbents be-ing interviewed for the same job as you, you must do your homework and be very prepared to stand out as the organized, prepared profes-sional you are.

Here are a few of the tougher interview questions that are often flubbed, with the appropriate an-swers.

“Tell me a bit about yourself.” Give no more than a three-minute synopsis of your career to date (interviewers do not want to hear anything personal about you in this three-minute period): “I am a cus-tomer service rep with two years of experience. My most recent pos-ition was as a call centre rep with Acme Co. My areas of expertise are in sales, customer service and relationship-building, and here are some examples of those areas …”

“Where do you want to be in five years from now?” Say some-thing like, “I hope to still be work-ing for this company, with newly acquired skills and ongoing re-sponsibility.”

“Why do you want to work for this company?” Don’t say, “Be-cause there is an opening and I really need a job.” This is where you talk about what you gleaned from the research you have conducted on the company and possibly mention a common shared value.

Show excitement and passion in your voice and tone: “This job post-ing so closely matched my qualifi-cations and, as a client, I really like the customer service I get when I call with a problem.”

“Why should we hire you?” This is a freeze-up question. Men-tion the benefits you will bring to the position and to the company. Say that you are going to save them money, increase productivity or free them up to do their job by tak-ing care of everything else using the skills that you have. Do not re-hash your skills but, rather, go for the benefits!

“What is your greatest accom-plishment to date?” Try to use a recent example that is relevant to the position and the company that you are interviewing with (but this is not mandatory). Be sure to de-scribe the situation, your action and the result. Tell the accomplish-ment with pride, and smile.

“What skill do you believe needs development?” No one likes to be asked the weakness question, but when you are prepared for it it’s

easier to address.For example, tell them some-

thing you would like to be better at; you can do it now but you would like to excel at it in the near future. Or, your weakness could be some-thing that was a weakness but is now a strength. Whatever you say, be sure to always turn it around to sound positive.

“Why did you leave your last job?” This question is to determine fit. If you weren’t fired, then ex-plain exactly what happened. If you quit due to conflict with a manager or colleagues, say that your values were not congruent with those of

the new manager. Everyone can relate to this response because it is the truth. If you were fired you have to craft your explanation to be short, succinct and truthful but not totally disclosing. Stick to a one-sentence response.

“Is there any skill or know-ledge area required in this job that you would not be able to per-form?” As long as the answer is no, you are not obliged to share any personal or health issue with the interviewer. If you have a condition that needs special attention or ac-commodation, as long as it doesn’t prevent you from carrying out the responsibilities as advertised you do not have to mention it until you have signed off on the offer.

Whatever you do, be yourself, be honest and don’t feel like you have to over-explain yourself. Remem-ber that people remember stories; they don’t remember words. So, give heartfelt examples and prac-tice, practice, practice.

THE BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS“Describe a time when you made an unpopular decision and had to stick with it under pressure.”

Behavioural questions like this assume the best way to pre-dict your future performance is by listening to you talk specific-ally about how you’ve worked in the past. The interviewer wants to confirm whether you have the re-quired skill.

That sounds reasonable enough. However, there are traps. You may have gone through the intimidat-ing experience of not being able to recall a situation exactly like the one being asked about. Maybe you appeared nervous in an interview

Could you please repeat the question?How to answer tough, weird and behavioural interview queries

Odd job interview question: “how many ridges are there around a quarter?”

how you behave under pressure by asking questions that cannot be answered easily and that you can-not prepare for. Given that, the best way to cope with them is to antici-pate that you may be asked ques-tions of this nature.”

Other questions on the Glass-door list include: “How many ridges [are there] around a quar-ter?” and “Given the numbers 1 to 1,000, what is the minimum num-ber [of] guesses needed to find a specific number if you are given the hint ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ for each guess you make?”

Levit adds that you shouldn’t stress about the answer.

“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to answer these ques-tions perfectly, as that will cause you to appear stressed out and flus-tered,” she advises. “Keep in mind that most of the time it’s your ap-proach and attitude toward the question rather than the actual an-swer that interviewers are paying attention to.”

So, what have we learned? There are no right answers. But, don’t kid yourself – there are probably wrong answers. Just be prepared. •


memorable. Translation: make it easy for the interviewer to want you.

THE WEIRD QUESTIONS“If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?” Impossible, right? It could happen to you.

Glassdoor.com, an online “ca-reer community where anyone can find and anonymously share an in-side look at jobs and companies,” has compiled a list of the most off-the-wall job interview questions.

Among them: the above head-scratcher from Goldman Sachs, which we could only imagine might be answered with, “Well, if I lived in a world where I can be shrunk to the size of a pencil, then I could just as easily grow right back at will, right? So, I’d just grow back and get out.”

It’s a terrible answer, even with hours to think about it and none of the pressure or stress of being in an actual job interview. In truth, our put-on-the-spot answer would most likely sound a little closer to, “Uh, uh, umm, uh … could you please repeat the question?”

We probably wouldn’t get that job. But, by asking the question in the first place, we had to won-der: what kind of answer was the Goldman Sachs interviewer look-ing for?

Alexandra Levit, author of They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, How’d You Score that Gig?, Success for Hire and New Job, New You, says he or she may have been looking for a variety of things.

“Depending on the specific odd question, employers are trying to assess your creativity, problem-solving ability or analytical abil-ity,” says Levit.

“They may also be feeling out

“Most of the time it’s your

approach and attitude toward

the question rather than the

actual answer that interviewers

are paying attention to”

– Alexandra Levit,author,

Success for Hire

The top 10 weirdest questions on Glassdoor.com1. “If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?” asked at Gold-man Sachs.2. “How many ridges [are there] around a quarter?” asked at Deloitte.3. “What is the philosophy of martial arts?” asked at Aflac.4. “explain … what has happened in this country during the last 10 years.” asked at boston Consulting.5. “rate yourself on a scale of one to 10 how weird you are.” asked at Capital One.6. “How many basketball[s] can you fit in this room?” asked at Google.7. “out of 25 horses, pick the fastest three horses. In each race, only five horses can run at the same time. What is the minimum number of races required?” asked at Bloomb-erg lP.8. “If you could be any superhero, who would it be?” asked at AT&T.9. “You have a birthday cake and have exactly three slices to cut it into eight equal pieces. How do you do it?” asked at Blackrock.10. “Given the numbers 1 to 1,000, what is the minimum number [of] guesses needed to find a specific number if you are given the hint ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ for each guess you make?” asked at Facebook.


AND CHECK OUT THESE OTHER NEW IT PROGRAMS AT CDI COLLEGE:

CALL: 1.888.654.4181study.cdicollege.caor VISIT:

NETWORK & DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR

COMPUTER SUPPORT TECHNICIAN

NETWORK SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

CompTIA A+CompTIA Network+CompTIA Security+

Cisco CertifiedNetwork Associate (CCNA)

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

*Number of industry certifications varies by program

IT NOW HERE'S HOW TO MAKE IT YOUR CAREER...is your life

NETWORK SYSTEMS ENGINEERWith the new NETWORK SYSTEMSENGINEER program at CDI College, you can train for an exciting CAREER in Information Technology in just over

1 YEAR!

Tell us how IT can transform the workplace and you could win one of seven Future Shop gift cards! First 50 people to enter will also receive an IT-themed T-shirt!

Find out more at Facebook.com/CDICollege | Twitter.com/CDICollege

"I Was Made For IT" Contest

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

CDI_NEXT_ad1of4_IT runs July, August.ai 1 8/4/2011 3:00:42 PM


next_september11

Documents

university degree

bachelors degree

job openings

decent job

job opportunity

growing job categories

community mental health

numbers of nurses aides