With the rising cost of tuition and the struggle to find jobs after graduation, many young people are wondering if the time and money spent on their education will be worth it.
Do employers really care about a university degree? The answer is, “it depends”. Savvy employers are realizing that for many jobs what they really need are individuals with talent, character, and work ethic. Show an employer you are good at something, a skill they need, and a lack of post-secondary education is not likely a factor in the hiring decision.
Here are a few careers that don’t require a degree:
There has been a lot of media coverage surrounding the life of Steve Jobs since his passing last month. Though I have been a big fan of Apple products since my son got his first iPod a few years ago, I must admit I didn’t know much about Apple’s founder and CEO.
In the last few weeks, Steve Jobs’ life story has been told and retold on the internet, radio, television and in his already published biography. I took some time, during a road trip with my son’s hockey team recently, to learn more about him. I read an interesting Maclean’s Magazine article about him and watched an inspiring speech Jobs made at Stanford University’s 2005 Commencement Ceremony.
Like many great visionaries, Jobs was faced with obstacles and setbacks during his life and career but he pursued his ideas and the things he loved with passion and did not back down under pressure. In his Stanford address, Jobs reflects back on some of the defining moments in his life. He told the graduates to “Trust your gut” and “Love what you do”.
The challenge of finding a job you love and pursuing it with passion applies to both new graduates and seasoned professionals. Reflecting on our lives and asking ourselves “Is this where I want to be?”, as Jobs did many times during his career, is important.
Among the many things he did, Steve Jobs shared some career advice that is worth repeating. Take a look at Steve Job’s entire speech to Stanford’s 2005 graduating class.
There is a lot of talk in the news these days about activity and growth in the Canadian Mining sector.
The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) has highlighted in its recent submission to Canada’s natural resource ministers that Canada is one of the global leaders in mining facility expansion, new project exploration and in developing and attracting exploration dollars.
Canadian mining sector employees should be excited: as this sector continues to grow, so do the employment opportunities. It is a fantastic time for experienced job seekers to move up the career ladder in this sector. People just starting their careers in the mining can now take advantage of new entry-level positions.
Developing their careers in Canada has many advantages for mining professionals. Canada is known globally for good employment and safety standards in mining and an overall excellent quality of living. Canada’s Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR) has reported that up to 100,000 new mining jobs will become available in Canada in the next few years.
Being an engaged part of this active and growing employment sector makes a lot of sense.
A recent post at the Engineering Blogs claims that the engineers are unhappy with their income levels.
The author pointed out two interesting facts about engineering salaries…
“Over time, engineering salaries tend to level off, and one has to go into management to make more money.”, and
“Despite this plateau, engineers make more money over time than high school grads and nearly every other major.”
Are engineers as a group unhappy with their salaries? If yes, how does this affect their job satisfaction?
Overall, engineers are a well-paid group. Those engineers struggling to find a job that makes them happy should remember that salary is not the only factor affecting job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is an individual experience, yet most people will agree that it takes more than a good salary to be happy at work.
Not everyone feels the need to use a recruiter when looking for a job or making a career change. However there are many advantages to using expert help.
When unemployed and searching for a new career opportunity, we recommend that you use all the means available: job boards, friends, your professional network, as well as a recruiter.
What if you are currently employed and considering a career change? In this case, a recruiter’s services are a must! Here are some of the benefits of working with one:
Confidential job searches When using a recruiter, you can search for new opportunities without worrying that your current employer will find out. There is no need to post your resume on a job board and have your boss find it.
Save time Searching for a new job takes a lot of time and effort. Working with a recruiter allows you to focus on you current job and saves you time chasing potential dead-ends.
Career direction Recruiters will take the time to understand what is important to you in your next role, and then match you with the right job to achieve your career goals.
Resume advice Many professionals find it difficult to articulate their skills and experience on paper and communicate the advantage of hiring them. An experienced recruiter can help polish your resume so it stands out amongst your peers.
Interview guidance Recruiters are in tune with what their client company is looking for and understand the interview process. This valuable information can help you to successfully handle the interview.
Access to the decision makers Recruiters work closely with their clients and have the ability to fast-track and put it in front of the right people.
Access to private opportunities Some opportunities are never posted on the public boards. A company may choose to keep the information “quiet” for a number of reasons and will use recruiters to fill these positions.
Working with a recruiter can be a very rewarding experience. Give us a try:
Interviewing is an art. If you want to be noticed, you have to be able to make yourself stand out, which is not an easy task.
The first step is having a resume that would make the interviewer choose you for an interview. Customizing your resume to each potential job opportunity is very important. You need to articulate on paper why you are the right candidate for the company, but this is just the first hurdle in your job quest. Once selected you need to be able to navigate your way through the job interview or – more likely – a series of interviews with the potential new employer.
Each face-to-face interview is different and each interviewer has their own way of leading the process. As the interviewee, your goal is to not only having the skills for the position but to be able to make yourself stand out and be remembered by the interviewer. This is a challenge since the interviewer may be interviewing ten or more individuals for this one position, plus dozens of others for various other positions within the organization.
