What’s New @ ContactPoint

Welcome to Paula Wansbrough

We welcomed Paula to the CERIC team this March. As ContactPoint’s new web content administrator, Paula will be responsible for future Bulletins as well as all other ContactPoint resources and services.

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Do Recessions Hurt “Sustainable Business” Jobs?

By Mark Swartz, MBA, M.Ed.

The Prospects for Socially Responsible Employment in a Downturn

Question:  Dear Mark, I work in a large firm that prides itself on setting up “Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) initiatives that help its many stakeholders. For example, we were the first in our industry to go green with our production process, we have negotiated “fair labour” contracts with indigenous populations in less developed countries, and we insist that our major suppliers adhere to high levels of environmental and social ethics. I have been leading up a fair number of these programs over the last two years and feel that there is a bright future in this area. But do you think that our economic slowdown will cause employers to cut back on CSR for now?

Rashid D., Edmonton, Alberta

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Book Reviews: Considerations When Counselling Deaf Clients

Review by Tami Ali

Dee Dee (Diana) Kay MC., C.I., C.T. & Lynn Ashley Davis Ph.D., R. Psych.
H.O.P.E. Incorporated Calgary, Alberta
ISBN 0-9813625

Although this book was written with psychological counselling professionals in mind, it is easily adapted to career counsellors. It is designed for professionals who are unfamiliar with the Deaf community or culture. It gives great insight into how Deaf people view themselves.

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Conference Sketch: Cannexus 2010 – Web 2.0 and More

by Miranda Vande Kuyt

My time at the Cannexus Conference exceeded my expectations. I went to Ottawa hoping to come back with a few good ideas to explore. What I found was each session chocked-full of interesting resources and ideas. Even the breaks were strategically set up to maximize delegates’ networking opportunities.

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Conference Sketch: Cannex 2010 – Stories Worth Sharing

by Jan Bottomer

What attracted me to career counselling in the first place was the stories; specifically, those of my Czech and German students, professionals in Prague and Berlin, where I worked for several years as a Business English Teacher. While I enjoyed many aspects of teaching, it was the stories that really had me hooked; my students’ backgrounds, their life and work, and crucially, their journey to their current positions and their dreams and ideas for where they wanted to go next. Now, as a Career Advisor at McGill, I revel in the opportunities we have in this field to delve deeply into the stories of our clients and to help them build and move towards the next chapters of their life and work.

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Getting Ready for Cannexus 2011

Cannexus 2011 is designed to promote the exchange of information and explore innovative approaches in the areas of career counselling and career development. Presenters and delegates interested in career development from all over Canada as well as the rest of the world gather for Cannexus in the heart of Ottawa at the newly renovated Westin Ottawa.

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Hot Sites

  • TalentEgg: Hatching Graduate Careers
    http://talentegg.ca
    A national hub for students and new graduates who are looking for entry level careers, summer jobs or internships, and co-op job opportunities.
  • One Week Job: 1 man, 1 year, 52 jobs
    http://www.oneweekjob.com/
    In search of a rewarding career, recent college graduate Sean Aiken worked 52 jobs over 52 weeks. This blog web site describes his experience and promotes the upcoming book and documentary.
  • Hire Prospects
    http://www.hireprospects.org
    A national social networking space for job-seeking youth and their career counsellors. Offers youth driven videos on employment issues, regional discussion groups for practitioners, and entertaining and informative blogging.
  • Employment and Career Development, University of Saskatchewan
    https://careers.usask.ca/

    Lots of online resources including assessment tools, job boards, information on occupations and listings of post-secondary education options. Focuses on but not limited to Saskatchewan.
  • Environmental Careers Association
    http://www.eco.ca

    Resources for youth, educators and career practitioners, as well as those working in the environmental sector and employers. Includes a popular national job board.
  • Tweet My Jobs
    http://tweetmyjobs.com

    Helps employers reach targeted job-seekers as well as the millions of Twitter users world-wide. Organizations learn to use social media effectively, reduce recruiting costs and connect with qualified candidates.
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Feuding and Failure vs. Motivation and Performance: A Study of Leadership in the Canadian Workplace

by Shawn Bakker

Psychometrics Canada surveyed Canadian HR professionals to find out what they see as the strengths and weaknesses of leaders in the workplace. Five hundred and seventeen professionals provided a broad and insightful look at the positive influence that leadership has at work as well as the developmental needs of many of today’s leaders.

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