Author Archives: Guest Author

The cult of personality: how to deal with difficult co-workers

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In many ways, the workplace is just like high school. A bunch of people who would never ordinarily choose to be in close proximity are expected to work together on shared goals, for long hours in often stressful conditions. It’s not surprising that sometimes we don’t get on. Writer Fiona Tapp has advice on how to keep your cool – and your job.

According to the Globe and Mail two-thirds of Canadians are working more than 45 hours a week. And love it or not, you spend a lot of time at work. Often with people you like even less, so it’s worth thinking about how to cope with the worst offenders.

Who: Time-wasters

These people turn up late every day, they never meet deadlines, they ask you to help them with tasks, they steal ideas and manage to have an air of entitlement all the while. Continue reading →

Got looks? You’re hired: a tale of frustration and discrimination

Guest Author

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Age discrimination is against the law, but it happens every day. Doubtful? Have a look around you…when last did you see a beautiful woman in the unemployment line? Conny Manero sounds off.

A few years ago, I was working for an investment company when one of the admin assistants was promoted, and thus a vacancy opened up.

A temp agency was contacted, and the next day a woman in her forties showed up who barely stood five feet tall. By the end of the day, her assignment was terminated.

The second temp had all eyes on her because of her flamboyant appearance. Her long, straggly grey hair was in sharp contrast with her bright orange blouse, ankle long green skirt, and multi-coloured fringed shawl. She was given her walking papers by lunchtime. Continue reading →

How to include your boss in your career plans

Guest Author

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You just landed a great role with a company you love. Your success will be defined by your ability to manage the objectives of your role, but your long-term happiness will be influenced by your development and growth. A good insurance for career happiness starts with a thoughtful career development plan. Writer Dayton English explains.

If you’re a superstar, or showed potential, you’d better believe that a hiring manager is going to want to maximize the ROI that comes with hiring you. What does this mean? Quite simply, to keep you happy and productive, if you provide them with a plan that encourages your commitment to supporting the company, they’ll likely do everything they can to help you honour that commitment. Continue reading →

Need-to-know basis: The personal information your boss should be privy to (or not)

Guest Author

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No boss knows everything there is to know about their employees. It’s impossible – unless of course, your boss doubles as a secret agent on the weekend. Writer Anna Goode explains.

So what is a boss allowed to know about you anyway? Can they ask if you’ve been ever been fired? They sure can. Can they ask if you’ve ever been arrested? How about whether or not you’ve been blacklisted.

In short, yes, no, and yes. So how do you handle these and other “hot seat questions” if they ever come up? Here are a few pointers to get you started. Continue reading →

Nine reasons why co-working is awesome

Guest Author

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With remote working becoming increasingly prevalent, employees and contractors alike have more options when it comes to getting work done outside of the office. Working from home is nice, but it can get boring or lonely. Working from a coffeeshop is fine, but sometimes the din can get distracting. In cases like these, Michelle Bogle likes co-working – and has a bunch of reasons why you might, too.

If you’re relatively new to freelance life, like me, you’ve likely considered joining a local coworking space. But, for those of us just starting out, it may seem like an added expense that you – or your business – are not ready to shoulder. After all, working out of your home or even your favourite coffee shop is “free” – if you don’t count all of those Americanos or iced coffees.

For me, coworking is definitely on the horizon for my freelance business. In my quest to find the right coworking environment to transition into, I’ve learned of a number of benefits along the way. Continue reading →

What your body language says about you during a job interview

Guest Author

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For job seekers, few things are more frustrating than going on interview after interview and not getting hired. They have the perfect resume and cover letter reflecting their education, qualifications and experience, yet for some reason they don’t get the job. Could it be that there is something wrong with their body language? Conny Manero explains.

If you’re the perfect job candidate on paper but haven’t managed to get yourself hired, you might want to take a closer look at your body language. Or, ask a friend to help you with a mock interview and to give you some feedback.

According to Daisy Wright, author of the book Tell Stories, Get Hired, “An interview is a form of story-telling. You need to capture your audience’s attention and convince the hiring manager to choose you.” Continue reading →

Use these 7 tactics to handle any challenge at work

Guest Author

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It’s natural to feel a little nervous when taking on an unfamiliar task, but doubting yourself can seriously hinder your career growth. Whether you’re taking on a project that’s completely outside your comfort zone or starting a new job, fearlessly face new challenges head-on with these tips.

View the Challenge Positively

You’ll never wake up one day to find you’ve magically acquired a new skill. You need to push the envelope in order to develop, so rather than being stressed or fearful of a new challenge, accept it as an opportunity to grow and improve your skillset. Continue reading →

Your next resume: get creative to get hired

Guest Author

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Sure, landing a job interview can seem difficult, but with some creative twists to your resume you can be sure to stand out among the crowd and make a memorable impression on any hiring manager. Writer Chandra Lye tells you how.

When applying for jobs it helps if you think of your resume as your marketing document. Adding a creative element to your application will also highlight your talents. Some of the top ways to make your resume stand out can include anything from an infographic resume to a video version of your work experience. Continue reading →

Endgame: how to deal when you’ve lost your job

Guest Author

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Here’s the scenario: You score a great job with the perfect organization. Life is humming along nicely and then, seemingly out of nowhere, it happens: you’re downsized. Or outsized. Restructured. Let go. Fired. Laid off. Dunzo.

Whatever the ca(u)se, suddenly losing a job means that you’re the casualty in the company’s endgame.

While it’s tempting to want to stay in bed with the covers over your face (and actually, you should throw yourself a small, inexpensive pity-party), how you move on from the disappoint could be a key factor in how long it takes you to find your next – better, more suitable – gig. Continue reading →

The 3 critical soft skills you’ll need in a creative career

Guest Author

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Developing one’s soft skills, particularly in creative fields that often require a holistic expertise, can help develop your career whether you’re a novice intern, a motivated employee or an experienced manager. Laura Burton-Bloom delves into her top three.

Soft skills are intangible skills associated with a person’s personality and their ability to emotionally relate to those around them. However, the value of soft skills is frequently downplayed; hiring managers make the assumption that people “just know” how to behave, cope and survive the working environment. Not so. There’s a list of soft skills floating around someplace, and it lists over 80 of them (!) – the three listed below are a good starting point.

Self-Confidence

It’s easy to let uncertainty define our approach to the world, especially when we’re just starting out. We look at the art that inspires us and are all but overwhelmed at the technical prowess and creative depth needed to achieve it. Continue reading →