Career Options - Winter / Spring 2013

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careeroptionsmagazine.com winter/spring 2013 / Volume 27 No. 1

*

FIND OUT * ABOUT SMES

Small and medium-sized enterprises: where the jobs are! Independent Canadian video game developers score with Sound Shapes for Sony PlayStation p. 10

14 The hidden job

market: How to find SME employers

41 Get a Tan While

Getting Your Degree: Studying Abroad

45 NEW CO FEATURE:

Career Turning Point

career options winter/spring 2013

14

Search a little harder, and you’ll find great SME jobs!

10

Video game developer Shaw-han Liem

34

Sheep farmer Matthew Fleguel

Special section

On the cover: Jonathan Mak and Shaw-han Liem (right); Photo: Mark Rabo

Young SME Workers

10 A Whole New Level Innovative Independent Video Game Developers B y Simon Osborne 18 From Mad Men to Micro-Targeting Advertising in the 21st Century

By Daniel McDonald

6 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises The Backbone of Canada’s Economy

By Danielle Klassen

14 Accessing the Hidden

26 The Evolution of Business

By Jordan Adams

By Danielle Klassen

Job Market How to Find an SME Job

16 SME Job Search SOS?

34 Growing the Business An Enterprising Family Farm

By Lisa Dalla Vecchia

By Simon Osborne

What Do They Look For? An Inside Look at the Event Management Industry

By Jordan Adams

28 In the Health and Fitness Industry, Your Work Is Working Out

By Grace Kennedy

23 SME Owners:

LinkedIn to the Rescue!

20 Chambers of Commerce

A Wealth of Opportunity

SMEs Succeed by Adapting to Changing Markets

38 jobpostings

A Story of Career Success

By Jordan Adams

41 Studying in the Sun

By Danielle Klassen

45

NEW feature

30 Good Chemistry

Career Turning Point My Career, My Self

SMEs Offer Science Grads a Strong Mix of Job Benefits

By Allison Whalen

By Laura Jakobschuk

36 Start Your Career in

Oil and Gas SME Jobs Available for All Education Backgrounds

By Megan Stacey

Career O ption s

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career options EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Paul D. Smith MANAGING EDITOR | GORDONGROUP

Simon Osborne PROJECT MANAGEMENT | GORDONGROUP

Matei Savulescu

What’s on at Careeroptionsmagazine.com

»

[ even more] career options

editing | proofreading | gordongroup

Jordan Adams ART DIRECTION | PRINT MANAGEMENT | GORDONGROUP

Leslie Miles DESIGN & production | GORDONGROUP

Kelly Read-Lyon, Alina Oliveira, Renée Depocas DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES | GORDONGROUP

Kirill Kornilov ADVERTISING SALES | GORDONGROUP

Pauline de Gonzague, Colleen Hayes, Andrew Moore DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVE | GORDONGROUP

Denise Damecour CONTRIBUTORS

Jordan Adams Laura Jakobschuk Grace Kennedy Danielle Klassen Daniel McDonald Simon Osborne Megan Stacey Lisa Dalla Vecchia Allison Whalen Career Options is published bi-annually in January and September by the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE), 720 Spadina Avenue, Suite 202, Toronto ON M5S 2T9 FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION, CONTACT PAUL D. SMITH:

Tel.: 613-634-2359 Fax: 416-929-5256 Email: pauls@cacee.com Website: careeroptionsmagazine.com FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT KIRILL KORNILOV, Director of Advertising SALES, GORDONGROUP:

As always, you can check out the latest issue of Career Options online, or browse the archives for more great feature articles from past issues. But there’s a lot more in store at our website, careeroptionsmagazine.com.

Blogspot is a space where guest bloggers share their thoughts about post-secondary education, entering the workforce, finding the “right” job and getting a career on track. Submit your own blog ideas at careeroptionsmagazine.com/blogspot

Tel.: 613-288-5363 Fax: 613-722-6496 Email: kkornilov@gordongroup.com Website: gordongroup.com ISSN: 1712-1183 The Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) is a national, non-profit partnership of employer recruiters and career services professionals. Our mission is to provide authoritative information, advice, professional development opportunities and other services to employers, career services professionals and students.

Career Options is distributed to students at post-secondary institutions across Canada. Career Options is available free of charge through campus career centres.

PINTEREST is the latest social media craze, and Career Options has hopped on the bandwagon. The virtual pinboard is used to share interesting photos and ideas—we use it to help students and recent graduates in all aspects of their careers. Check out our boards for job interview tips, office outfit ideas, easy lunch recipes, office decoration, books worth reading and much more. Visit pinterest.com/careeroptions

NOTE: The opinions expressed within are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect CACEE policy. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher.

The National Student Resource of: Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers 720 Spadina Ave., Suite 202, Toronto ON M5S 2T9 cacee.com 4

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careeroption smaga zi n e .com

EDITOR’S LETTER

SMEs: A job market for students to discover

S

mall and medium-sized enterprises (known as SMEs) are the most important segment of the Canadian economy, contributing over 40 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product.

They create more jobs than large corporations and the public service, and the jobs they create are often more flexible, engaging and inspiring than positions available within such institutions. SMEs would be the natural target of imaginative job applicants from all backgrounds, except for one overriding issue—they are virtually absent from the field of campus recruiting.

During recruiting season, campuses are overtaken by literally hundreds of employers seeking to hire new grads and to find interns/co-op participants. These employers come from all major economic sectors, and they are based in cities and towns across the country. Yet even within this diversity, the great majority share a common feature: they are relatively huge companies, at least from a Canadian perspective. The primary reason for this relates to how campus recruiting is conducted: companies that have committed to campus recruiting campaigns invest weeks of staff time and thousands of dollars to get their message out to students. Recruiters start visiting campuses around Labour Day, and don’t finish signing off on job offers until Remembrance Day. The average cost per hire in 2012 was over $10,000. Clearly, the process can be very expensive in terms of time and money—both of which are in shorter supply among SMEs. Most of these big employers are looking to hire grads from a limited number of programs, for a short list of positions. This leaves the majority of university and college graduates left out of these efforts, and looking for the employers who are interested in what they have to offer. These students, and you probably know if you are one of them, should be available for recruitment by the great number of SMEs—but the challenge is finding each other. We’ve established that small businesses are not able to devote the resources to recruiting that Fortune 500 companies do, so they are not likely to spend much time on campus. Students must therefore take the initiative, but they are also pressed for time.

What is to be done? First, students should ensure that they are aware of and open to the opportunities provided by SMEs. That means looking beyond the traditional campus recruiting models to make connections. Chances are that you have family and friends who work in small businesses—talk to them. Find out what their career looks like, and how they got there. Ask them if there are any opportunities to get your foot in the door. These friends and family members will know more people—talk to them, too. When you have these conversations, be open to different types of opportunities. SMEs tend to operate from project to project, and often hire staff on a project basis. Your first opportunity with an SME is most likely to be short-term and very project-oriented. If you demonstrate your value to the company, however, this project may well lead to the next one, and eventually to more stable and long-term employment. It takes a bit of nerve and a lot of patience to start your career this way, but the outcome is truly rewarding.

What else can you do? Learn more by reading this issue of Career Options, and since you’re already doing that, you’re on your way.

Cheers! CO

Paul D. Smith is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers and Editor-in-Chief of Career Options magazine. Email Paul at pauls@cacee.com

For more information, please visit: cacee.com, careeroptionsmagazine.com

Career O ption s

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ut e layo articltudent by s er designpocas de renée

SMALL AND MEDIUMSIZED

By Danielle Klassen

THE BACKBONE OF CANADA’S ECONOMY

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hat do Canadians value more than the country’s public schools, legal systems, banks and even health care systems?

The answer may surprise you: small businesses win favour over all of these institutions because of their contributions to the nation’s economy. Small businesses ranked second most valuable to Canadians, closely behind the farming industry, according to an opinion poll by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are businesses that have less than 500 employees, but all together they employ 64 percent of Canada’s active workforce, according to Statistics Canada.

SMEs account for about 40 percent of Canada’s gross domestic product, according to Industry Canada—meaning that combined, they form the foundation of the country’s diverse economy.

University of Ottawa business professor Martine Spence confirms what most Canadians seemingly already know: “Without SMEs, our economy wouldn’t be diverse, innovative, relatively thriving— what it is now.”

SMEs are often highly specialized and serve dedicated pockets of the Canadian market. Niche markets, whether regional or industry-based, are of less interest to larger firms as they cannot generate the revenue necessary to sustain high fixed costs. By contrast, small companies can serve fewer clients while remaining profitable because they have lower operating expenses.

“Innovative products and services come from SMEs. They don’t have the budget that larger firms have, so they constantly try to improve in various areas in order to keep up-to-date with competitors.

We call this global innovation,” says Spence.

More job opportunities and a variety of experiences SMEs provide a vast range of employment opportunities for new graduates—another advantage over larger enterprises, where the options for entry-level positions are often much more limited.

“You can get jobs you wouldn’t get right out of school [at large companies],” says Spence.

Instead of working in one specific area, as is typical in large firms, SME employees are often invited to take on a wide variety of tasks. Carleton University business professor Francois Brouard says in a small business “you’ll use your training

more.” Recent grads are likely to see the impact of their education right away, he says.

Spence agrees that students see more action in smaller companies. “I talk to former students who say it’s really thrilling for them to be given so many opportunities at such a young age,” she says.

“They tackle tasks that they could not even envision doing in large companies.” Both professors say that new employees in SMEs will be given more opportunities to make decisions that impact the business than those starting off in large businesses.

Employees are drawn to SMEs for countless reasons—as diverse as the companies themselves— but some patterns do emerge. Nearly half of SME employees said they chose to work in a small business because they support the business’s mission, according to a CFIB report. Other perks cited were the option of a flexible schedule, and the opportunity to contribute to the business. Many preferred small businesses because they tend to have less bureaucracy than large organizations.

In 2011, 63.7 percent of private sector employees worked for SMEs, according to the Business Development Bank of Canada. SMEs exist in virtually every major industry, so career seekers are certain to find companies that align with their unique interests.

SMEs can be found everywhere in Canada, but they’re most frequently located within cities and metropolitan hubs. Not surprisingly, most Canadian SMEs are in Ontario, the most populous province, followed by Quebec and British Columbia.

Locating in densely populated areas is typically easier for SMEs because they can draw upon a larger customer base.

How SMEs survive and thrive SMEs benefit from geographic proximity to the businesses they partner with, according to Brouard.

They are particularly reliant on partnerships. “Businesses partner with each other to exchange services and to draw on competences they can only get from outside their own companies,” says Spence.

Compared to large corporations, SMEs tend to be fragile because they have limited resources and less leeway to make mistakes, according to Spence. Only about 51 percent of firms that entered the marketplace in 2005 lasted five years, according to Industry Canada. This survival rate reflects productivity, innovation and resourcefulness

Career O ption s

What are Businesses with fewer than 500 employees fall under the category of a small or medium-sized enterprise.

The breakdown

MICRO-

ENTERPRISE

5 employees SMALL

ENTERPRISE

100 employees MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISE

100-499 employees Source: Industry Canada.

in a firm, but also the ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

For those that do adapt, the payoff tends to be high. The most profitable firms, in terms of return on assets, tend to be firms of five to 19 employees, according to Statistics Canada. These firms on average enjoy returns of about seven to eight percent. By contrast, firms of 500 or more employees tend to get the lowest return on assets, and those numbers are declining, sinking below an average of six percent returns.

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“ Without SMEs, our economy wouldn’t be diverse, innovative, relatively thriving.”

small businesses by the numbers

Professionals and academics are unanimous in the fact that the most successful companies have a clear vision as well as the swift ability to learn and change, says Spence. Management in these companies tends to be confident of their company’s identity and the direction it is headed.

These businesses plan for growth long before they benefit from it.

Most Canadians know that starting a business isn’t easy, according to the CFIB. For Brouard and Spence, the biggest challenge for management in small business is being able to marry business smarts with the innovation it takes to captivate a market. CO

Danielle Klassen is a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton University.

RENÉE DEPOCAS is a third-year design student at Algonquin College.

For more information, please visit: cfib-fcei.ca, ic.gc.ca, bdc.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

21,000

number of jobs that small businesses created in 2011

100,000

average number of new small businesses created each year

1,000,000+

number of small businesses in Canada

5,000,000 number of Canadians that work for small businesses

98 percentage of Canadian businesses with less than 100 employees

31.4

percentage that small businesses contribute to Canada’s GDP Source: Industry Canada.

Industry Breakdowns: Where are the jobs?

HEALTH CARE

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Medium

Large

10%

1.8%

Large

26.5%

Small

58.3%

Based on 2011 numbers. Source: Industry Canada.

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15.2%

Small

88.2%

8

Medium

careeroption smaga zi n e .com

CONSTRUCTION Large

12.6%

Medium

14.5%

Small

72.9%

top industries for small businesses

1 2 3 4 5

Retail

2012 Best Medium-sized Workplaces in Canada SaskCentral

PROtegRa

HabaĂąero Consulting Group

A credit union based in Saskatchewan

Software developers and Technology experts business consultants that create internal and external sites for companies

97 97

51

L.V. Lomas Limited

Intelex Technologies Inc.

Chemical distributors of raw materials for business across Canada

Management software experts

Accommodation and Food

Construction

Manufacturing

Professional Services

employees employees

87

employees employees

employees employees

Based on 2011 numbers.

Source: Industry Canada.

Number of Private GDP Contribution Sector Employees Medium-sized

by Size of Business businesses Large

36.3%

Medium

160

9.3%

Large businesses

15.9% 34.4%

employees employees

Public sector

25%

Small

Small businesses

47.8% Based on 2011 numbers. Source: Industry Canada.

31.4%

Based on 2005 numbers. Source: Industry Canada.

Career O ption s

220 employees

Source: Great Place to Work Institute.

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Young SME workers

A Whole New Level: Innovative Independent Video Game Developers

By Simon Osborne

Liem and his business partner, Jonathan Mak, are the core creative team behind Sound Shapes, a video game developed for the Sony PlayStation and Sony Vita gaming platforms. It’s unique in its musical focus: the object is to clear levels and “worlds” like a traditional game, but every move triggers changes to a constantly evolving rhythmic soundtrack. Players can even design their own levels and share them online.

It’s hard to describe—the game trailer at soundshapesgame.com helps.

Sound Shapes has won rave reviews at high-profile gamer events such as E3, an annual global trade show in Los Angeles, and from critics since its release in summer 2012. But the real satisfaction, Liem says, has been seeing an audience build up around the game. “Within the first month of launch, our users had created over 10,000 unique levels and songs, sharing them through our online community. To us, that’s a huge success!”

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But this payoff was a long way off when Liem, an electronic musician with several albums as I Am Robot and Proud, and Mak, a game developer who had previously partnered with Sony for his first title, Everyday Shooter, first began working together in Toronto in 2007.

“We were basically working nights and weekends, trying ideas and putting together prototypes,” Liem says. “We applied for a production grant from the Ontario Media Development Corporation and got it, which allowed me to quit my job and for us to work together full-time.

At this point, Sound Shapes didn’t exist yet—the idea would happen a year later.”

This bare-bones arrangement—Liem says the grant covered only basic living expenses, and that “a lot of KFC and Chinese food was eaten”—highlights the difference between independent (“indie”) game developers and the mainstream industry, where franchises like Call of Duty and Madden NFL employ thousands and outearn the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Indie developers generally work alone or in small teams to pursue their vision, and then make deals with larger companies to help get their games into wide release.

Once Liem and Mak successfully pitched Sound Shapes to Sony at the 2009 Game

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Developers Conference in San Francisco, the project moved from the drawing board to development—and the pair were suddenly in business. “Technically I was the first employee of Queasy Games [Mak’s existing company] for this project,” says Liem. “However, Jon and I did all the hiring together, and manage the studio together.”

Securing the deal meant new responsibilities. “I came onto the project because of my musical background,” says Liem.

“But over the years Jon and I have also had to learn the ropes of running a game studio, so in that capacity I also handle things like scheduling, project management, meetings with publishers, managing artists and programmers.”

Adding more staff was crucial as Sound Shapes gathered steam. “During the last year or so, we started ramping up. We had five people on the team going into E3 2011. After that, the response was so great that we went into overdrive adding new content and features. At the high point there were 15 people working on the project,” says Liem.

Sony’s support aside, Liem and Queasy rely on the tight-knit Toronto indie gaming community for both technical assistance and encouragement. “We’re a small business that works within a community

Photo: Mark Rabo

“D

o what you love, and the money will come”: it’s a positive affirmation for creative people everywhere, and Shaw-han Liem is proof that it’s true. Of course, in his case it didn’t hurt that the result of his work was a cool new product to bring to a billion-dollar market.

(Left) Shaw-han Liem (Top to bottom) Images and levels from Sound Shapes

Career O ption s

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of like-minded companies... Capy Games is the same office building as us, and are good friends.”

With Capy’s Sword and Sworcery, another musically minded title, being released to acclaim in 2012, Liem admits to some friendly competition.

“In another industry, it may be normal to hope all your competitors fail, but in the indie game scene, in Toronto at least, it’s exactly the opposite,” he says.

“We’re all friends and hang out outside of work with the other studios we know, and share expertise and advice.”

For now, Liem and Queasy are working to support Sound Shapes while considering their next move: “We’re doing things like fixing problems that come up and working on new content that people will be able to download and play in the future.”

something that seems obvious: make games,” says Liem to those interested in getting into the gaming industry.

“Spend all your time making games, learning everything you can, and following all your crazy ideas. It will make you more attractive to potential employers if you want to join a company, or get you closer to making something truly innovative and great, if you want to go into business for yourself. And either way, you’ll have a lot of fun in the process.” CO

Simon Osborne is the managing editor of Career Options.

For more information, please visit: soundshapesgame.com, theesa.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

Fast Facts on the Canadian Gaming Industry Number of people working in the industry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,000 Number of companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348 Average employees per company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Average salary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $40,000 to $73,000 Economic contribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.7 billion in 2011

An Industry on the Rise Percentage of companies hiring new grads

2011 2013

Average number of new grads hired per company

2011 2013

Average number of new grads hired at medium-sized or large companies

2011 2013

60% 77% 3

8 10–16 24–26

Source: The Entertainment Software Association of Canada, 2011

“I would say the best advice is

Career O ption s

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13

accessing the Hidden Job Market

By Jordan Adams

How to Find an sme job

to ask about job opportunities as well—sometimes the positions aren’t advertised at all. “You may have to do a little more digging to find [SMEs],” Ingles says. One way to find them is through the business directories available in your campus career centre. “You can search for organizations based on industry codes and get a listing of companies, and even do those searches geographically as well,” he says. “That’s a good way to uncover a lot of small and mediumsized organizations that don’t have well-known brands out there.”

I

f you’re tired of the long, tedious, competitive process of applying to large companies, why not try tapping the “hidden job market” of SMEs? While the opportunities are sometimes under the radar, the rewards can be great.

Many students are unaware of how many SMEs are out there—and similarly, SMEs face difficulties with recruiting. Because they have less brand recognition and fewer resources dedicated to hiring, SMEs reach students in different ways than larger organizations.

ager of the career centre at Humber College.

At campus recruitment events, the smaller companies don’t get as high a turnout as the large ones. “Sometimes it can be challenging for them to draw attendance out of an information session.

It comes down to students just don’t know what they have to offer, and it can be a competitive marketplace for employers,” says Ian Ingles, manager of employer services at Ryerson University’s Career Development and Employment Centre.

Thus it’s much easier and more cost-effective for SMEs to post through job boards.

Most SMEs recruit students through university and college job boards, says Karen Fast, man-

But students can seek out SMEs themselves

14

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A more personal process Once you’ve found a company that interests you, it’s time to apply. You’ll find the process of applying to SMEs is a lot more personal than applying to large companies. Instead of filling out lengthy online questionnaires and completing several interviews with various managers in the company, the application process is shorter and more direct.

“You get a personal email address to send it to, rather than ‘Info@’ or ‘Recruiting@.’ And there’s usually a phone number, so give them a call and chat with them,” Fast says. “Also, your chance of having your resumé actually seen by

the employer is way higher, like 80 to 90 percent higher. So you want to make sure that your resumé is in amazing shape.”

It’s always important to tailor your resumé to the company you’re applying for, but even more so for SMEs. “One comment those employers have made to me is that a generic resumé won’t work.

You have to customize and target your resumé to their company and industry,” Fast says. “They want not only technical skills, but also that personal fit.”

Other ways of hiring Fast says that SMEs are less likely to use social media to recruit—they tend to stick with email or fax. However, if a small company is using social media, she says they are likely using LinkedIn (see “SME Job Search SOS? LinkedIn to the Rescue!” on page 16).

Though campus recruitment events are a popular way to find out about jobs, they’re not an effective way to find SMEs, Fast and Ingles say. SMEs often only have a handful of positions to hire for, and

don’t have the resources to send an employee to represent them at these events. However, they can be seen at other job fairs. Daniel Levesque, president of the National Job Fair & Training Expo, says there are always SMEs at his fair, and if you speak with them there you will get a much more personal experience.

“Often... the president is at the show recruiting.

So if you talk to the president, you cannot talk to anyone higher than that to get a job,” Levesque says. He also says that you can actually get hired and start working at an SME much sooner than with large organizations. “You don’t have a lot of levels between the first step of the hiring process to the last step for hiring,” he says.

Less competition “I would say 90 percent of students go for the large companies, the companies with a popular name,” Fast says. “Because 98 percent of all companies are SMEs, why would you continue to think about large companies, when if you go to the smaller companies your chance of employment is much higher?”

Ca reer O p t io n s

Ingles also says that the competition for SME jobs is less steep, and students will find lots of opportunities that aren’t attracting tons of applicants if they do a little digging. Plus, the benefits that come from working at an SME make the hunt worth it. “There are some unique advantages.

In a lot of cases you get a more varied type of position in terms of a wider range of duties and responsibilities,” he says.

Fast agrees: “They get to build their skills and make themselves more marketable. As a new graduate, I think that is one of the best things that they can do.” CO

Jordan Adams is a Carleton University journalism graduate.

For more information, please visit: careers.humber.ca, ryerson.ca/career, thenationaljobfair.com, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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SME Job Search SOS?

By Lisa Dalla Vecchia, Manager of Alumni and Career Communications at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business

LinkedIn to the Rescue!

C

ongrats! You’ve done your homework—researched your industry of choice and determined your functional area of interest—and have decided that you want to make your mark working for an SME. But how do you go about finding SMEs that are hiring?

With LinkedIn, it’s easy.

It only takes a few simple steps:

1 / From the top menu bar, select

“Companies” > “Search Companies.”

2 / Refine your search by: » Location: Decide if you want to work locally, within Canada or internationally. » Industry: Select from the options presented or enter an industry name, e.g. “accounting.” » company size: This is key. By definition, small companies have less than 100 employees; mediumsized, less than 500. Select the options that fit the SME definition. » Job Opportunities: Select companies with active job postings on LinkedIn. You should now have a list of companies that fit your criteria. The beauty of LinkedIn is that it will show the people in your network who can connect you with these companies.

Also, if you come across a company that interests you, you can either follow that company or look at similar companies (these options appear when you hover over the company name).

Easy, right? However, before you use LinkedIn for your job search, you should focus on making your profile stand out— 16

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for the right reasons. It should be searchable and memorable. While not an exhaustive list, here are some simple things you can do: » Use LinkedIn tips and suggestions to make your profile 100 percent complete. » Create a headline that is an extension of your professional brand (e.g. “Accounting Honours graduate, University Name, seeking articling position with a medium-sized firm”). » Select a photo that is of you alone, well-lit and professional.

A warm smile doesn’t hurt. » In short blocks of text or bullet points, write a summary of your professional goals, relevant experience, and how you can help an employer solve their (workrelated) problems. If you’re passionate about what you do, show it! » Use keywords—skills, specialties and expertise that recruiters might type into a search engine.

Don’t simply use a string of keywords, but weave them throughout various sections of your profile. Job postings are rich with keywords you could use in your profile.

It’s time to show off your education, experience and hard work. Good luck! CO

Young SME workers

By Daniel McDonald

From Mad Men to Micro-Targeting: Advertising in the 21st Century

T

he world of advertising has changed drastically in recent years. Gone are the Mad Men days of the 1960s, when advertising companies only had to measure how many copies of each ad were printed, and how many people were likely to see it. With the widespread use of social media for sales and marketing, today’s companies can—and must— evaluate a great deal more. Facebook and other social media platforms provide measurable feedback that shows exactly how successful an ad campaign has been in terms of its public response.

If a video doesn’t go viral, for example, an analyst must be able to explain why.

Today’s advertisers are held strictly accountable for results, which has led to an increased demand for industry professionals with digital technology expertise and an understanding of social media.

Ross Simmonds is one of these professionals. He works as a digital strategist at Colour, a marketing and advertising company based in Halifax and Toronto.

Ross is one of 32 people employed there.

After graduating with a double major in marketing and human resources/industrial relations from St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Simmonds landed a six-month internship with the CBC. His job was to implement social media strategies across

the Maritimes. Sensing the growing trend towards social media, Simmonds seized the opportunity and got the kick-start he needed to begin making a name for himself.

Following his stint at the CBC, Ross started up his own social media company, Altego, and took on work for several local clients. He built up his agency’s reputation through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and by blogging about his passion for technology and social media.

“I set out on my own with the understanding that I did want to take on larger clients, so I started to strategically follow people on Twitter and make connections online,” Simmonds says.

It didn’t take long for him to land a permanent job, as Simmonds’s online work piqued Colour’s interest. After a coffee with the vice-president of the company, Simmonds was offered a position to deliver his media expertise. Colour seemed to provide the best fit with his skill set, and its vision of social networking aligned with the trends he had observed and acted upon.

The company understood the importance of integrating social media into traditional marketing campaigns.

Simmonds started out as the digital coordinator at Colour, and eventually grew into the role of digital strategist. He’s in charge of everything from account management, to handling client expectations, to making sure individual projects don’t stray over budget. He is also responsible

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for ensuring that Colour’s clients generate healthy results from social networking activities. For example, if a client wants to market a product or service through Facebook, Simmonds analyzes the data gathered through Facebook insights to make sure the target audience is taking notice.

He also works with a creative team of marketing experts, who devise concepts for a specific user experience and then bring them to life.

Simmonds’s work day begins with caffeine and a quick email check to see if anything urgent has come in from one of Colour’s many clients. Next, he goes into planning mode, thinking strategically about how Colour can achieve what each client needs and how long it will take. He develops strategy documents and definition briefs that highlight how certain applications would perform for clients.

He explains to clients what Colour has developed so far, the progress they are making with the current applications and marketing campaigns, and strategic improvements that could be made.

Simmonds also delivers Social Media 101 training sessions to groups as small as three and as large as 150. Attendees want to learn about best practices

rapid rate. Individual employees can apply the entire spectrum of their skills, and they also gain new skills and improve upon existing ones faster than in a larger organization.

Ross Simmonds

for social media—how to get effective results from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Simmonds shows them how to keep up with digital trends, while also achieving their own business goals.

In Simmonds’s view, there are definite advantages to working at an SME as opposed to a larger company. In a small business, you get to take on multiple roles instead of being shoehorned into a single niche. This means that young professionals get to participate in all aspects of the business, and can gain different kinds of experience at a

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The people factor is important, too. Working for an SME also allows you to stroll into the CEO or VP’s office and enjoy a spontaneous chat. The horizontal structure of an SME provides easier access to new connections and new business opportunities, and allows you to learn from seasoned professionals. The individuals in an SME all share a similar passionate vision of taking the organization to new heights, and energy and enthusiasm always seems to run high. “The people that you work with are always excited,” Simmonds says. “There are no days when I don’t want to come into the office.” CO

Daniel McDonald is a freelance writer and blogger for Career Options.

For more information, please visit: colour.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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Chambers Commerce of

A Wealth of Opportunity

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ondering how to raise your profile within the business community, and access SME employers in your area?

Look no further than your local chamber of commerce.

With plenty of networking events and student programs available, young people can take advantage of the opportunities that chambers of commerce provide. Career Options spoke with Cate Proctor, executive director of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, about student involvement in the Chamber.

Career Options: Can you explain what a chamber of commerce is?

Cate Proctor: A chamber of commerce is a non-profit organization that represents “the voice of business” in its community. It is a member of a worldwide organization, serving the business community through advocacy and involvement on various issues. It also involves itself in the areas of business development, which includes the topics of human resources, government policy, trade and export, economic development, immigration and anything else that affects business. A chamber also provides networking opportunities through events, mixers and programs that support these opportunities, and communicates directly to the business community through various platforms.

Boards of Trade. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss commercial difficulties that existed between the two countries. In 1970, the Board of Trade changed its name to the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce.

CO: How do chambers of commerce relate to students, and how can they get involved?

Proctor: The GCACC has a Biz Under 40 program that encourages student involvement so they get to know their peers and feel comfortable under the Chamber umbrella of activities. We also offer student memberships at a reduced fee to encourage them to participate as a full Chamber member.

The GCACC works closely with the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) to promote its Student Co-Op Program offered through the School of Business. This program helps business students gain hands-on experience outside of their studies.

We also work with Holland College and students in its various event and marketing programs to provide volunteer opportunities so they can put their newfound skills to use at numerous events we host throughout the year.

Proctor: For the youth, there is the Biz Under 40 program at GCACC; for all others (including the youth), there are numerous events: monthly mixers held at a new location each month; business lunches; lunch ‘n’ learn programs; a variety of other events (golf tournament, curling tournament, Ultimate Girls’ Night Out); the President’s Excellence Awards and President’s Annual Luncheon; and many other events.

Specifically, the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce (GCACC) is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2012. It began as the Charlottetown Board of Trade in 1887 and was formed on the request of Mayor Heath Haviland.

The mayor asked merchants, traders and others to consider forming a board of trade so that representatives of the commercial sector of Charlottetown could participate in the International Congress of the Canadian and American 20

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CO: Are there any networking opportunities?

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There are also the opportunities provided by volunteering on numerous committees or on the Board itself. These are great opportunities to actively participate and meet others while supporting the work of the Chamber.

CO: How can students learn from business people?

“by watching, listening and building their network, a person has access to a wealth of information.”

between the Chamber and the SMEs (as well as all businesses), the economy is well positioned to move in a positive direction.

CO: Why should students seek out their local chamber? Are there opportunities for accessing SME employers?

Proctor: By being involved and building relationships, a person builds their network. Gaining business knowledge is not always based on “the business relationship” at first, but after initial discussion, areas of common interest will emerge and valuable information sharing will ensue. Further to this, by watching, listening and building their network, a person has access to a wealth of information that is available for free—they only have to ask.

Proctor: There are programs currently available that match up SMEs with recent university graduates, in addition to the specific Student Co-Op Program initiative we share with UPEI. The Chamber is often asked to partner on this type of project by bringing awareness to the business community of such opportunities and potential program results. There is no guarantee a student will gain long-term employment, but it is an avenue worth considering for both parties.

CO: What role do SMEs play in your chamber?

Beyond specific programs, any opportunity to build a personal network with business is a positive step forward for anyone looking to build a relationship with SME employers. The Chamber offers those networking opportunities in spades. CO

Proctor: The majority of our 1,000 membership are SMEs; by Statistics Canada’s definition, they employ less than 500 people. Coincidentally, SMEs are the largest percentage of business owners across Canada and certainly in Charlottetown. These companies are the drivers of our economy and they play a very important role to be involved in the work of the Chamber, both by providing input to the Chamber and by staying informed of information distributed by the Chamber (for their benefit). By exchange and support

For more information, please visit: charlottetownchamber.com, chamber.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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SME Owners: What Do They Look For?

By Jordan Adams

» an Inside Look at the Event Management Industry

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he event management industry can be a tough one to crack, but SME owner Jenny Faucher says that with the right attitude, you can make a name for yourself.

Faucher founded her event and association management company Managing Matters in 2004. The 15-person firm is based in Toronto, but puts on events all across Canada and around the world. The firm also provides companies with management services such as communications and website management.

She hires mostly business and communications graduates, but says a candidate’s attitude is essential: “We hire for attitude and approach, and will train for specific skills.” The hiring process is “targeted and competitive,” but candidates with a strong work ethic and great communication skills are one step ahead.

“It’s so important to have exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and this is mandatory in everyone we hire,” Faucher says. “It starts there, and other qualifications and attributes get layered on top of this, depending on the role.”

Carly Ekstein said it was tough to find a job in this industry.

“After completing a post-graduate marketing degree and working full-time at a corporate event management company in London, Ontario, I had finally figured out what I wanted to do as a career,” she says. “However, making the move from London to Toronto proved to be difficult, at least where my career was concerned. Despite my educational background and substantial work experience, it was a full-time job looking for a job. The job market is saturated, the competition is high and the jobs are scarce. But if you differentiate yourself, your resumé and your interview approach, then you can set yourself apart.” Fortunately, persistence and the right attitude landed her an event coordinator position at Managing Matters.

Other traits that employers value in new employees are originality and imagination. “We put a strong focus on creativity and innovation, and encourage team members to come forward with new ideas and approaches,” Faucher says.

Those without experience in the industry can often opt for an internship to gain skills and experience. Nadya Sayenko landed a job as an event coordinator at Managing Matters after her internship there. “I didn’t study event management at all, but after completing my internship, I know how to plan an event, do the budget and communicate with suppliers and clients,” she says. At SMEs, the internship experience often provides more autonomy and responsibility—the small size allows for it.

Ekstein says she is happy to be applying her degree in a small business. “I have always been very ambitious, goal-oriented, results-driven and thirsty for success, and while these values

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are very much aligned with large enterprises, I would never thrive in such an environment,” she says. “SMEs perfectly intertwine business initiatives with humanistic characteristics to create the perfect place to work, develop a career and grow both personally and professionally.” CO

Jordan Adams is a Carleton University journalism graduate.

For more information, please visit: managingmatters.com, careeroptionsmagazine.com

SMES: Small but Amazing There are a plethora of reasons why job seekers are flocking to SMEs over large organizations: There are more opportunities to get to know everyone in the company. From the intern to the boss, everyone has a rapport with one another.

There’s a family feel to the office. Everyone is willing to pitch in and help out. It’s very much a team effort.

You have the chance to wear more hats.

Roles are not as defined or constraining. For example, at Managing Matters there are a number of different committees that you can join depending on your interest (website, decor, charity, eco-friendly, recognition, celebrations, etc.).

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There’s less red tape.

While small businesses do not necessarily have the same ability as large companies to offer extravagant benefits packages, they typically have fewer rules and therefore more flexibility in the worklife balance they offer.

SMEs make every effort to ensure working conditions are really good.

They foster change.

Money is not the sole motivator for many people— employees seek satisfaction from making a difference. It is much more likely that you can effect change at a small company and be recognized for doing so.

To learn about job opportunities and internships at Managing Matters, visit managingmatters.com.

By Jenny Faucher, president of Managing Matters, and Carly Ekstein, event coordinator at Managing Matters

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the Evolution of Business

SMEs Succeed by Adapting to Changing Markets

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By Danielle Klassen

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he dreaded “R” word: it was on everyone’s lips not so long ago, and now it’s scarcely uttered. The recession of 2008 hit hard all over the world, and forced companies of all sizes to change the way they operate. Since then, however, many SMEs have harnessed the new market climate to grow their business. Their smaller size gives them agility—and that’s a huge advantage in volatile economic times.

For Arnold Leung, the recession was an opportunity. In 2007, Leung started the Vancouver-based business tech company Appnovation.

“I was able to see the trend that more and more companies were using open-source,” says Leung.

Open-source refers to software that is licensed for free public use. Appnovation customizes these programs for clients to meet the needs of consumers, businesses and even government departments.

The company hardly had time to get off the ground when the recession started. By 2009, Leung says he saw clients tightening their budgets and growing less willing to spend on services.

Rather than cutting back in his own business, though, Leung decided to focus on meeting his clients’ needs in new ways.

Leung says SMEs are in a unique position to adapt quickly to changes in the market. “[SMEs are] pretty agile and we’re able to focus on areas that are actually in demand when the economy is not great,” he says. This agility allowed SMEs across Canada to weather the recession arguably better than large businesses. While large employers shed 11.8 percent of their pre-recession workforce during 2008–2009, small businesses shed only 2.1 percent, according to Industry Canada.

SMEs have an advantage because they’re able to reorganize quicker, says Francois Brouard, a business professor at Carleton University. When small companies are met with rocky waters, he likens it to the difference between trying to turn around a kayak rather than a cruise ship. Large firms are reluctant to rock the boat, so it takes them longer to chart a new course.

When small companies are met with rocky waters, he likens it to the difference between trying to turn around a kayak rather than a cruise ship.

In a large firm, there are often many layers between decision-makers and the employees implementing new strategies, while in SMEs, decisions are typically made more centrally. So, while SMEs develop and move on new ways to meet consumer needs, large companies are still working through the change.

Across the country, the most common ways that small business owners changed their strategies were through adding new selections of products or services, increasing advertising and promotional efforts, and reducing prices. Rather than cutting costs, successful businesses focused on growing their revenue, according to a 2011 survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

During the recession, 42 percent of small business owners decreased their staff, while only 12 percent increased their staff, according to the CFIB. Appnovation kept hiring because, for Leung, when the market changes it’s more important than ever to get the company noticed. “Make sure to put together a financial plan of having a strong marketing team and sales team to push your business and get whatever small piece of the market you can get,” he says.

With this strategy, Leung was able to grow his business in the recession. In 2010, Appnovation was ranked 16th on Profit magazine’s Profit Hot 50 list, which measures Canada’s top new growth companies. The award was based on Appnovation more than doubling its revenue between 2007 and 2009.

Not all companies were able to keep up in the recession, though. Leung noticed common mistakes of failing competitors. “I see a lot of them

Career O ption s

following an old path,” he says. “They keep on selling what they were selling before. And I also see them cutting their budget in marketing and sales.”

Business academics agree that SMEs failing in the recession were often too complacent in their business model. Rather than focusing on developing core strengths, they would slash their budget across the board.

A common fatality, Brouard says, was operating with tunnel vision. In a recession, many businesses will have to cut back. This can be fatal to an SME that primarily relies on one customer, because the SME’s success is directly tied to its client.

Leung’s strategy for growth goes beyond marketing. He stresses the importance of research and development to stay ahead of competitors: “When you fall behind, it’s hard to get back on track.

Innovation is the key.”

Moving forward, the market for SMEs appears to be improving. Small businesses have now surpassed pre-recession employment levels, Industry Canada reports. “As long as SMEs remain entrepreneurial, innovative, proactive, aligned with market needs, there remain many opportunities for them,” says University of Ottawa business professor Martine Spence.

Spence says that SMEs should begin to pursue increasing potential overseas, as the domestic markets become stagnant because of competition.

SMEs have yet to tap the emerging markets in Latin America and Eastern Europe.

As for Leung, he does have one regret about holding back in the recession: “I actually think we should’ve gone more global early on. We should have been more aggressive.” CO

Danielle Klassen is a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton University.

For more information, please visit: appnovation.com, ic.gc.ca, cfib-fcei.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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Young SME workers

By Grace Kennedy

In the Health and Fitness Industry, Your Work Is Working Out

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indsay Goetz has always been active. Whether participating in dance, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, swimming or CrossFit, she is always on the move, and applies this enthusiasm to her career in the health and fitness industry.

She completed the recreation and leisure program at Conestoga College in 2010, and then moved into the fitness and health promotion program, graduating in 2012.

She also has her personal trainer and fitness instructor specialist certification.

and their duties vary with each location.

Goetz works as the fitness and wellness consultant at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) in Woodstock, the wellness consultant at Corporate Benefits Analysts (CBA) in Kitchener, and is also a personal trainer and fitness instructor at Studio Energi in Waterloo, apart from her career at Tri Fit. Her job at Studio Energi allows her to focus more on personal training and instructing, which includes teaching three boot camps a week, one of which involves training a rep girls’ soccer team.

“I am so fortunate to be using the knowledge I have gained from both programs every single day, and I can honestly say that I love what I do,” Goetz says about her job at Tri Fit, an Ontario-based SME. “You should leave work every day with a smile on your face—I do.”

At TMMC, her day mostly consists of workouts, fitness assessments and nutrition consultations with the team members as well as wellness planning and programming, such as posting healthy tips and recipes on bulletin boards and implementing plant-wide fitness challenges.

Inside the industry Tri Fit employs health promotion consultants, kinesiologists, personal trainers, dieticians and holistic nutritionists.

These specialists work with companies that contract Tri Fit to provide a specific health or wellness service. These services enhance employee engagement and create a healthier workplace culture, the company says.

At CBA, she is more focused on spreading knowledge about wellness, through stretch breaks and individual consultations, as well as roves, which are quick facts provided in small groups or on a desk-to-desk basis. “It’s basically just to teach them something about health or fitness that they may not be aware of,” she says. “For example, I recently conducted a back fit clinic, which explained why back pain occurs, such as lack of core strength, poor posture and muscular imbalances. Then I offered solutions,

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core strength exercise and stretching routines that can be done right at their desks, in their chairs or on a stability ball.

Another one was an apple rove, where I brought in different types of apples to sample. Roves are typically based on more stimulating topics delivered in an interactive method, which allows the clientele to relax, reduce stress and have some fun all while learning ways to improve their overall health.”

However, these aren’t the most important parts of her job. “Basically, it doesn’t matter what I have on my To Do list that day—if a team member approaches me and they would like me to work out with them, or they have questions or need support, I put everything aside and spend time with them,” she says.

Small business benefits Naturally, in a small business like Tri Fit there is a close, friendly atmosphere, which makes for a supportive workplace.

The presidents of the company go to staff meetings and share their stories and knowledge with the employees, Goetz says.

“It wasn’t scary or intimidating, even as a new employee,” Goetz recalls of her first conversation with the presidents. “They wanted to really get to know me, and they clearly valued and appreciated me as an employee.”

Goetz spotting a shoulder press at TMMC

Tri Fit also has a buddy system, which pairs a new employee with another staff member who offers them support, checks up on them and makes sure they are doing well.

“Having that connection with another Tri Fit employee has made me feel even more confident in my position...

I feel that in big companies you tend to just be another number in the system, whereas with Tri Fit, a smaller-scaled company, I know I am cared about. My success matters to them,” she says.

Putting your foot in a smaller door For students interested in working in the health and fitness industry, networking is key—and especially important among smaller companies.

Goetz got her job at Tri Fit through her college placement, and she says making herself known to the company was crucial. She also recommends getting as many degrees, diplomas and certifications in the health and fitness field as you can.

A diverse knowledge base qualifies you for a wider range of jobs and sets you apart from other candidates.

Your personality is also a big part of working in a company like Tri Fit.

“Definitely being outgoing and bubbly—that really helps as well. And just a passion for it, a passion for helping other people. That’s what we all have. We want to make a difference in everyone’s lives. That’s very, very important in this field,” she says.

When you do get the job, Goetz says, the work is amazing. “I just walked across the stage five months ago to collect my second diploma. I did not foresee upon graduating that this is where I would be so soon. I really work for an amazing company, and I did work very, very hard to get to where I am… Working in the health and fitness field, as well, is very rewarding. You make that connection and you make a difference in that individual’s life. That really feels wonderful.” CO

Grace Kennedy is a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax.

For more information, please visit: trifit.com, conestogac.on.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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Good V Chemistry SMEs Offer Science Grads a Strong Mix of Job Benefits

By Laura Jakobschuk

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ariety is the spice of life, and science students looking for an interesting career path may find more excitement in small businesses.

In many fields, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) offer more opportunities than larger companies for graduates entering the workforce.

The work is usually more diverse and less repetitive, which provides a broader base for training and work experience. Young workers also find they have more of a say in what goes on day-to-day in a smaller company.

Bruce McLeod is vice-president of human resources at Bioniche Life Sciences, a Canadian biopharmaceutical company with 240 employees in three different countries. He says his employees find many advantages in working for a smaller company. “We often hear from employees that because we’re smaller, there are more opportunities to get your hands on more aspects of the operation,� McLeod says.

Bioniche researches, develops and manufactures products intended for human or animal health markets, which requires employees with a wide range of skills. McLeod says in large companies within this market, employees usually have much more streamlined roles that tend to be very specific. “In smaller companies, you have the chance to try on different hats, and get cross-trained in a variety of areas relative to your field,” he says.

He says they often hire recent bachelor of science graduates from a wide range of programs. Employees can be hired for technical or management streams, and can use their skill sets for anything from quality assurance to manufacturing a product. “We’re a firm believer of promoting people from within, so we try to hire not just for a particular position, but for the future,” McLeod says.

Many science graduates will gain a diverse set of skills from working at an SME because they are likely to have more than just one specific task, says Mandi Crespo, a science student success officer at Carleton University. “It’s great for new graduates to get a variety of experience, because

it can lead them into a more specific career path in the future,” she says.

Although many science students choose to pursue graduate school, Crespo says high-achieving students will still find many opportunities in the workforce, especially in smaller companies. Within SMEs, entry-level employees generally have more opportunities to interact with high-level management. “Some people really feel like they have more of a connection or say as to what goes on overall in the business,” Crespo says. This level of interaction, combined with fewer employees, may also give them a chance to move up faster within the organization.

However, there can be drawbacks to working for an SME as well. Crespo warns that it could be riskier in some instances to go with an SME, as employees may make less money or have fewer benefits than they would in a larger organization. Smaller companies don’t always have the resources to provide employees with a lot of benefits or retirement plans.

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Science graduates entering the workforce generally choose careers within government departments, education or the private sector, says Fred Michel, an environmental science professor at Carleton University. Those interested in entering the private sector and working for an SME have a choice between hundreds of small consulting companies throughout the country, he says.

“As opposed to a big institutional type of environment, smaller businesses tend to have a lot more flexibility in the type of work and the hours,” he says. They also offer the chance for more independence; in larger companies you are just one person within a large team.

Environmental science students have an advantage in these types of workplaces because the program tends to be more interdisciplinary than traditional sciences, Michel says. This allows students to integrate information from different subjects, or excel in a variety of positions in the workplace.

However, Michel warns that small companies need to be more aggressive in winning contracts

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and growing their business. Failing to do this can lead to downtimes when there isn’t a lot of work to do, and employers may cut hours. “As long as work is being generated, you’re fine. But when things slow down, often the small ones are hit significantly,” he says.

No matter where science graduates end up, Crespo encourages them to get some background in research, such as volunteering at a lab on campus, because many employers look for these skills. She also suggests that students put more focus on their writing skills if they want to be competitive in the workplace; they can do this by taking a writing-intensive course. “It can really help them out in looking for the jobs in the future. There’s a lot of opportunity for science and technical writing out there,” Crespo says.

Overall, employers tend to want students who are dependable, involved in extracurricular activities, and who achieve good grades, Crespo says: “Employers want people with a good work and personal balance, who can achieve decent grades while involved in other activities.” CO

Five Interesting Careers for...

Biology Majors: » Dietitian/Nutritionist » Wildlife Biologist » Biohazard Risk Analyst » Genetic Engineering Researcher » Medical Illustrator

Chemistry Majors: » Brewmaster » Technical Writer » Forensic Lab Analyst » Pollution Controller » Chemical Safety Officer Environmental Science Majors: » Urban Planner » Environmental Researcher »H azardous Waste Manager » Natural Resources Conservationist » Agricultural Technologist Source: Carleton University Co-op and Career Services

Laura Jakobschuk is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For more information, please visit: bioniche.com, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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Young SME workers

By Simon Osborne

Growing the Business An Enterprising Family Farm

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hy push papers when you can drive a flock?

Matthew Fleguel is far from chained to a desk when running his small business: a thriving sheep farm on Waupoos Island in Ontario’s scenic Prince Edward County.

It may be hard to think of a farm as a small business. In Canada we often hear about small family farms that are struggling to stay afloat, while the model of successful farming is a multi-million-dollar, factory-like operation with a regulated supply arrangement in place—in essence an expensive government “license to produce” its milk, eggs, meat or wheat. To an extent, Fleguel confirms this picture.

“To work yourself up to an average-sized milking herd in Canada is somewhere in the range of a million dollars, and that’s before you actually buy the cows or build the barn,” he says. “Building a pig barn or

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buying a large combine and large tractors to be able to grow crops—there’s hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary before you’re even buying the animals or buying the seed.”

For this reason, Fleguel says, “It’s a very ‘old boys’ club’ kind of thing. If your dad’s not in farming, then it’s very hard to get into.” But fear not, enterprising young people with dreams of life on the range: with sheep, those barriers disappear.

Because there is no supply arrangement required, “you actually only need to buy the flock... It’s much more free-market.

So for that reason, you can have a small sheep farm. Having a small dairy farm is a bit of an oxymoron. But there are lots of people who get into sheep, and they have another job, they grow their flock a bit more and more, and then eventually they quit their day job,” he says.

That said, Fleguel is something of an “old

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boy” himself, coming from sheep farming stock on both sides. His father grew up on a farm in eastern Ontario, and his mother on a farm in New Zealand. They met and married in New Zealand, later returning to Canada, and began renting land on Waupoos Island in 1980. The sheep they raised there were the family’s chief source of income for over three decades, eventually allowing them to buy the land in 2007.

“We do a little bit of cash cropping—we grow some oats and some wheat—but I’d say if you split it up by income then the sheep make up at least 95 percent,” says Fleguel of the farm he runs today with his wife, Elizabeth Johnston. The sheep’s wool is sold in bulk to the Canadian Wool Co-op located in nearby Carleton Place, but the majority of the farm’s income comes from selling lambs for meat. The lambs are transported live to Toronto and butchered there;

Fleguel says the demand for fresh, high-quality Canadian lamb is great, as it’s prized in the cuisines of many ethnic communities.

However, like many a smart small business owner, Fleguel has moved on opportunities to diversify. As well as a successful recent trial run with a small herd of goats—he has about 30 now, and plans to acquire more—he has also taken advantage of Prince Edward County’s popularity as a tourist destination known for its top-notch wineries. When his family bought the property, it came with several cottages that hadn’t been used in years, despite great waterfront locations.

They needed renovations, but the potential was clear. “So we kind of got thrust into tourism,” says Fleguel.

A family friend helped develop a website (www.waupoosisland.com), but marketing for the resort has remained deliberately low-key, through online ads on Ontario cottage rental sites as well as a booking agent. “Because both me and Elizabeth are so busy in the middle of the summer with the sheep, we haven’t really been pushing to book it solid,” says Fleguel.

“We’ve considered hiring on some experienced staff to actually manage the place so it could run at capacity, but I’d say we’re closer to maybe 50 or 60 percent now, by design.”

Guests choose Waupoos Island for a number of reasons. “A lot of our renters will get a ride off the island for the day to take one of the wine tours—a lot of companies offer wine tours to different wineries, and also [trips] to Sandbanks Provincial Park, which is a big draw down in this area,” says Fleguel. But many

guests are enticed by the experience of farming life. They are welcome to explore the grounds, watch sheep being herded and sheared, and ask lots of questions.

Some people even come to get their hands dirty: the farm participates in the volunteer-based Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program, which Fleguel describes as “an online community of travelling workers who work for room and board on different farms... During the summer we get quite a few volunteers coming through, and we set aside one of the cottages for them to live in.” He says they’ve had a great experience with WWOOF and plan to continue.

When asked about job satisfaction, Fleguel cites the simple things.

“Because the whole farm is pasturebased—the vast majority of the feed for the sheep is pasture—we spend a lot of time moving sheep. It’s kind of like a miniaturized version of a cattle drive. Driving them to fresh pasture, with the four-wheelers and the working dogs, I enjoy very much,” he says. “Also I feel very lucky to be farming on the water. Basically my workplace is where most people would like to be able to put a cottage, know what I mean?” CO

Simon Osborne is the managing editor of Career Options.

For more information, please visit: waupoosisland.com, wwoof.org, careeroptionsmagazine.com

Career O ption s

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Start Your Career in Oil and Gas:

By Megan Stacey

SME Jobs Available for All Education Backgrounds

Vista Projects Limited is a medium-sized enterprise based in Calgary that designs projects focused mainly on oil recovery. Queen’s University School of Business recently named Vista one of Canada’s Top 50 Best Small and Medium Employers for the fourth year in a row.

“We have many career opportunities in a variety of disciplines,” says Leah Eggen, human resources manager at Vista. “They include engineering, project controls, project management, procurement, document control, accounting, human resources and piping design.”

Vista is part of the EPC sector, which covers engineering, procurement and construction. Almost all of Vista’s job opportunities require a professional engineering certification, which involves either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering.

However, there are many careers in the oilfield service side of the industry that don’t require a university education. These jobs emphasize ­training instead.

I

Can I advance?

f small and medium-sized oil and gas companies aren’t already on your job watch list, they should be. In such a broad industry, the career possibilities are virtually endless.

Jobs vary in their scope, location and required education—there’s something for everyone!

Whether you’re graduating high school and thinking about entering the workforce, or leaving university wondering where to put your degree to use, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the oil and gas industry have a place for you.

As long as people around the world continue to heat their houses and drive cars, you can be fairly certain the industry—and the jobs it creates—will be around for a while. Within the next few years, the industry in Canada will face a labour shortage, according to the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada. The Council says that by 2015, Canada’s oil and gas companies will need a minimum of 9,500 additional workers. Emerging and existing SMEs will help fill this need.

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What types of jobs are available?

SMEs partner with larger corporations to ensure that all aspects of the industry are covered, from planning to drilling to producing.

Jobs in the industry fall into two main categories.

Some companies engineer and design projects, while oilfield service companies employ skilled workers that run the equipment needed to execute these plans.

In this sector, you could be working as anything from a rig technician, to a geophysicist, to an engineer, to a human resources professional.

The beauty of SMEs is that they are so diverse.

These companies work in a variety of fields that deal with different aspects of the industry. For example, service companies deal with drilling or maintaining rigs. Some companies work exclusively in consulting or communications, while others might specialize in water transport or off-shore projects. careeroption smaga zi n e .com

Cindy Soderstrom at the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors said one of the best places to enter the services side of the industry is as a junior crew member on a rig. Then, you can work your way up to higher positions. Crew positions are open to anyone over the age of 18—you don’t even need a high school diploma.

(However, the organization recommends finishing high school to help with advancing to operations, corporate or sales positions later in your career.)

“A lot of the executives that run drilling and service rig companies started on a rig. There’s a lot of experience that you take with you as you move into senior positions,” Soderstrom says.

Beginning your career on a rig is also a good way to keep future opportunities open. Soderstrom explains that companies fill senior positions by looking to junior members working on rigs.

“We know we have a retirement issue coming up, we’re going to lose a lot of that senior workforce,” she says. “We’re trying to pull more

people in because we’ve got to be promoting the entry-level positions to fill that hole.”

Most of the job opportunities available as a result of retirement are with oilfield service companies.

At SMEs on the planning side of the industry, job progression happens a bit differently.

Eggen says that while smaller companies like Vista sometimes have less room for career advancement because the organization is “flatter,” it can still happen within particular job areas.

“We have opportunities for internal progression in the organization. For example, if you start off as a junior mechanical engineer within the company, you can progress to an intermediate and then senior or lead position, which involves leading a small team,” Eggen says.

So where are the jobs?

Careers in the oil and gas industry are not just in Alberta! Jobs are centralized in four main locations across Canada:

Alberta: The oil sands obviously create a large number of jobs, but they also create a “hub” for the industry. With companies of all sizes and specialties operating out of Alberta, SMEs are able to grow and sustain themselves quite well there. This offers a variety of careers: physical, hands-on jobs in the oil sands, as well as a wealth of professional positions that operate outside the sphere of trucks and rigs.

Southern Saskatchewan: The Bakken region, which includes southern Saskatchewan and parts of Manitoba, and extends into the northern United States, is a hot area for oil production.

Northern British Columbia: Different types of natural gas in B.C. require different methods of extraction. Some naturally rise to the ground’s surface, while others like shale gas are buried within rock formations. This variety of gas and extraction techniques provides jobs in the area.

Newfoundland: Both on- and offshore operations create jobs in eastern Canada. Off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador is a key area for drilling operations, while on-shore projects have been

Career O ption s

discovered around the Port au Port Peninsula, Deer Lake and Parson’s Pond.

Oil and gas companies provide a wealth of job prospects across the country. If you’re looking to find a job in the industry out of high school, companies that run equipment in the field are your best bet. But if you already have a university degree or want to work on planning and engineering projects, smaller investment organizations may have a place for you.

The diversity of the industry will continue to help provide opportunities in future years as well. As Eggen says, “Yes, this industry is here to stay.” CO

Megan Stacey is a journalism student at Carleton University.

For more information, please visit: careersinoilandgas.com, vistaprojects.com, caodc.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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By Jordan Adams

A

OF

story

Career

Success

Nathan Laurie

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hat began as a student-run small business has grown into one of the biggest job hunting resources for Canadian students: jobpostings.ca. And it all started with a calendar.

While completing his bachelor of commerce at Dalhousie University, Nathan Laurie came up with an idea to connect advertisers to students.

Along with his brother, Mark, Nathan produced a dry-erase calendar with a border of advertisements from companies that wanted to reach students, and the calendars were distributed free in the Dalhousie residence buildings. They were so successful that the brothers expanded to the University of Toronto and UWO the next year.

After graduation and a second prosperous year in the calendar business, Nathan took off to Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia for six months.

During his travels, he received an email from Mark telling him he better come back—the company was getting even bigger. The brothers’ distribution grew to more schools with each passing year, eventually reaching the entire country. They are still distributing calendars to this day.

After the calendar business’s success, they had another idea—a magazine that would connect students to employers. “If you’re looking for a job, and if you went to the newspaper, all the jobs were for experienced hires. What about a magazine that would help students find jobs?” says Nathan.

And so jobpostings magazine was born in 1998.

The pair had never produced a magazine, but found themselves quickly increasing the number of issues per year—it was a hit. jobpostings features articles that provide practical advice about education and careers. It is distributed in the campus career centres as well as the co-op offices of business, engineering and computer science departments of 105 universities and colleges, and is also available online.

Their website, jobpostings.ca, features both articles and job postings from around Canada.

What sets jobpostings apart from other job boards like Monster and Workopolis is that it features only entry-level positions—which helps to make it one of the top job search website used by students across Canada. “I find the work very rewarding because we’re helping students launch their careers and find meaningful work at great companies,” says Nathan.

Career O ption s

Meanwhile, the versatile Laurie brothers also run a business that links teachers with employers and streamlines the application process. Apply to Education is an online hiring resource for school boards that makes it easy and efficient for teachers to apply for jobs—just one application will reach over 210 Canadian school boards as well as 280 independent schools and teach abroad agencies. “It has given school boards a strong database that allows them to search for hard-tosell positions, and keep track of all the candidates who want to work for their board. It’s a lot easier to do a search for a keyword than go through a stack of resumés,” says Nathan.

The Lauries’ three ventures—jobpostings, Apply to Education, and the calendars—all fall under the umbrella of Passion Inc., their Toronto-based company. They employ about 25 people and have seven student interns who work on four-month rotations. Nathan says internships are great for both students and small businesses. “It’s a winwin where we get really good work from them, and they get the experience to get a full-time job when they graduate,” he says. “But where you might save on the dollar value, it’s important that you give the interns your time and ensure that they’re doing meaningful work.”

There are several different internships available at jobpostings: social media, sales, campus relations, video production and editorial. Nathan says that students who do internships at a small business will probably get more out of the experience. “You learn a wider array of skills and you are more likely to get more hands-on experience quicker than you would at a larger company. At a big company, you have a role. It’s defined, and that’s what you do,” he says. “At smaller companies, there are usually opportunities to work outside that role and get your hands dirty in other things that are going on.”

Laurie says running a small business means he is close with all of his employees: “It still feels like a small family business and it has a personal feel versus a corporate feel.” CO Jordan Adams is a Carleton University journalism graduate.

For more information, please visit: jobpostings.ca, applytoeducation.com, careeroptionsmagazine.com

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Advertorial

Interview with Pascal Saffache President of the University of the French West Indies and French Guiana (UAG)

What attracts Canadian students to study in the French West Indies?

Canadian students come to UAG for several reasons. First, and this is no secret, they come for the climate: the tropical setting is very different from their home environment. Second, UAG offers all the advantages of the French education system without the disadvantage of having to travel to France. As French departments and territories, we have exactly the same education system, but we’re a lot closer to Canada.

What programs are popular at UAG? We have campuses in three different territories—Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana—and each one offers specific programs that attract a certain student body. For example, in Martinique the focus is on literary studies and various subjects related to Creole culture... In Martinique we also offer programs in political science, and those attract a lot of students because the region’s political profile is so interesting: it comprises independent states, associate states and overseas departments... In Guadeloupe, the sciences are most popular, particularly marine biology... In French Guiana, the biggest draw is our university and technological institute, which provides training in the engineering sciences. It’s located right next to the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, where the Ariane space transportation system is based, and some of our courses are taught by engineers from the space centre.

How do your study programs reflect the particular features of the French West Indies?

Our courses are directly connected to local issues and realities. For example, our geography department offers environmental courses that are particularly relevant in the Caribbean context, with subjects like seismology, volcanology and meteorology. And of course our marine biology students can go diving and snorkelling on various coral reefs. We strive to offer study programs that complement the core curriculum with courses that are relevant to the particular territorial and regional issues faced by all regions of the Caribbean.

Why would you recommend studying abroad at UAG? Simply put, it’s an unforgettable experience in an exotic setting with a wonderful climate. Second, UAG provides all the rigour and discipline of a French university education, but in the French West Indies and Guiana.

Finally, students can discover a world that is completely different from North America, and whose cultural diversity presents many advantages.

For more information, please visit www.univ-ag.fr.

To find out more about education in the French Caribbean, read the full interview at www.careeroptionsmagazine.com.

By Danielle Klassen

Studying in the Sun

I

magine a world where your classroom overlooks the ocean and your walk to campus is on sand, not concrete. Imagine working toward your degree while you work on your tan. The Caribbean provides numerous opportunities for Canadian students looking for more than a week at an all-inclusive resort— here’s a snapshot.

“I would say a typical Canadian experience in the Caribbean tends to be fairly short, pretty touristy,” says Bronwen Tucker. “Not to say there’s anything wrong with that, but studying here for four months

definitely means you get to know a country a lot better.” Tucker spent her fall semester in Holetown, Barbados. She enjoyed spotting monkeys while on afternoon runs, ocean dips with tropical fish, and south coast surfing lessons. Somehow, she still found time to earn course credits.

Tucker was initially drawn to Barbados for her program, studying at the Bellairs Research Institute—a McGill University science facility—but she quickly became captivated by the beaches, wildlife and scuba diving. “Studying abroad anywhere is obviously an amazing opportunity, but

Career O ption s

the Caribbean is just such a polar opposite from Canada in so many ways that there’s constantly new things to try,” she says.

In her arts and science degree, she’s opted for a concentration on the environment that she’s been able to develop in ways she says would never have been possible in Canada. With their more fragile ecosystems, Caribbean countries see first-hand the effects of climate change, she says: “Environmental problems especially don’t stay within borders, so I think being able to see them from as many angles as possible is crucial.”

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Tucker’s Bellairs classmate Jodi McNeill says studying in Barbados is an experience like no other: “Since Barbados is a small island, we have been able to really embrace the culture... It’s a great mix with the school component to have that.” On days off, the group of about 22 students could be found appreciating the Bajan culture at street parties called “fish fries,” or unwinding at “rum shops,” which Tucker describes as a corner store and bar hybrid.

With all the exploring, it’s a wonder that the students get anything done, but Tucker explains that it’s all about group encouragement. “Everyone really wants to get outside. We all motivate each other and plan when we’re going to do our work around what we want to do,” she says. For both students, the experience is still about learning.

Through her program, Tucker also found an internship that allowed her to work with the Sustainable Barbados Recycling Centre. In Barbados, she says, there are no separate recycling pickups, so the government contracts the centre to filter out reusable materials before they end up in a landfill.

“This is pretty important on such a small island, because there are only so many places they can put their waste,” she says.

McNeill was able to complement her studies in international development through an internship in the food security industry. She says the experience will be an incredible career asset, because the organization she worked for is closely linked to her ideal employer: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN. “I like the hands-on approach to learning in this program,” she says.

“It feels really good to be getting some practical experience in my field.”

Largest Caribbean countries (by population) »

G u l f o f M e x i c o

1 / Cuba

3 / Haiti 4 / Jamaica

C a r i b b e a n

A t l a n t i c

O c e a n

S e a

There are 152 Caribbean universities and colleges to choose from on Webometrics’s Ranking of Universities.

Visit webometrics.info to learn more.

5 / Trinidad and Tobago

The Canada-Latin America and the Caribbean Research Exchange Grants program (LACREG) was created to strengthen ties between Canada and South and Central American countries.

It provides funding for researchers interested in international development.

Visit aucc.ca to learn more.

Jodi McNeill

Tucker and McNeill both say studying in the Caribbean allows for a taste of coastal culture different than any other. “It’s a beautiful place to be, and it’s really interesting to be in the same region you are learning about in the classroom to actually perceive dynamics and lifestyles,” says McNeill.

For McNeill, the biggest adjustment has been learning to work on “Bajan time.” In this laid-back culture, being prompt does not tend to be a priority, which clashes with her project’s dependency on time.

“Getting people to commit to filling out our audits has been challenging at times,” she says. “But you learn to work with the differences and adapt.”

With 30 territories in the region to explore, all with diverse landscape and wildlife, the Caribbean offers limitless opportunities for students to explore and learn more. “Each country in the Caribbean has its own personality as well. I only really know Barbados, but I’d say there’s probably an island

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2 / Dominican Republic

out there for everyone. It’s a pretty diverse region,” says Tucker. Surely there’s an island for you—so why not find out? CO

Danielle Klassen is a fourth-year journalism student at Carleton University.

For more information, please visit: mcgill.ca/bellairs, webometrics.info, aucc.ca, careeroptionsmagazine.com

Photos: Lou-Anne Daoust-Filiatrault

Outside the classroom, Tucker gets around the island on hot, crowded, reggae-blaring buses. She says with the cheap travel, she was able to explore every corner of the island. “The east coast of Barbados is not nearly as developed and there are barely any resorts or hotels there, but it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to,” she says.

Career Turning Point

By Allison Whalen

My Career, My Self

D

uring my university years, I often envied friends in career-oriented programs such as law or physiotherapy—they had a goal in sight, a clear direction to move in. Their proverbial finish line was both graduation and the start of a career, whereas I seemed to float from class to class, eager to do well in my English Literature program but lacking motivation. As my convocation date grew nearer, I sought an answer to a question that had haunted me for some time: What now?

I completed my master’s degree, but it was still hard to find work here in Ottawa without significant office experience. I was determined to get it and join so many of my friends who had ascended to adulthood by having email addresses ending in “gc.ca.” How I envied their careers, with cubicles or offices to themselves, co-workers to go for coffee with at Starbucks (you could afford Starbucks when you had a career!). I eventually got there, a late bloomer who quickly learned that my dream of a career had not become reality. I sat in my cube under buzzing fluorescent lights, politely smiled as my colleague told me about her neighbour’s wiener dog again, and booked meeting rooms. This can’t be it, I thought. What now?

Let’s digress: remember an elementary classroom activity where the teacher would lead a chalkboard brainstorming session? For example, let’s say a Grade Five class is asked what they think of when they see the word “Politics” written on the blackboard. A brown-noser raises her hand first: “Prime Minister,” she says. The teacher writes it on the board, and another hand goes up: “Obama.” In a few moments the whole class is involved, hands raised: “Voting!” “Parliament Hill!” They all have ideas and are encouraged by the contributions of others. Someone suggests “Boring!” and everyone laughs, but the teacher still writes it down—the kid has a point. The real point is, the children are learning that their ideas are reasonable and acceptable. Better yet, that thinking is fun!

Back to reality: we’re not kids. We all have bills to pay, and the learning curve looks a lot steeper when your new manager is counting on

you. We don’t necessarily have time to ask ourselves questions or consider new ideas when we’re just trying to keep up. Even when I had an idea or suggestion for improvement at work, my main goal was to avoid pissing anyone off—I was putting in my eight hours in exchange for money and benefits, and I didn’t want that to go away.

But after a year or so at my most recent office job, I heard that inner voice again, this time sharper and more frustrated: What now?

And there’s the rub. (For those who didn’t major in English Lit, when Hamlet says, “Ay, there’s the rub!” he means, there’s the problem, the “Catch-22” that halts progress.) It took another year to balance my inner frustration with a desire to work to my full potential before I made a move.

My turning point came when my frustration was overshadowed by my ideas. I started to seek advice from successful entrepreneurs and CEOs to find out how they achieved greatness. I also started to realize that I had some good ideas that were worth sharing, even if they didn’t belong at my workplace. I began to blog, to write articles for a local publication that earned me a little money on the side, and to create. When I wasn’t at work, I painted, wrote, learned to make my own digital music, and surrounded myself with my favourite people. This high quality of life at home resulted in a major realization: I am, at my core, an artist. But because artists generally don’t make much money (especially in a government town like Ottawa), I had rejected this idea long ago. I didn’t realize that by dismissing the art-as-a-career option, I had dismissed my own identity.

Leaving my job coincided with my decision to stop limiting myself.

Since my Career Turning Point, I’ve started my own writing/editing business; created my website and logo; learned graphic design; developed an innovative new logo for a university-based health research group; started my own gift shop on Etsy.com; obtained a writing gig to enhance my exposure to new clients; started a web resource for women; and released my first set of homemade music on Soundcloud.com. The list goes on. I wake up excited about

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innovation, combining my business skills with a heady dose of creativity. The lack of steady paycheques coming in every two weeks is scary, but fear and negativity are unproductive emotions, so I choose to have faith in my abilities. I love what I do, and although I’m still finding my feet in the world of selfemployment, I am driven by passion and happiness. I do good work, and so can you.

It turns out that my “arts degree aimlessness” makes more sense in hindsight. Some things have to simmer for a while before being served, and this definitely applies to my selfconfidence. Working at several uninspiring jobs actually pushed my inner creativity forward, as I would skip my lunch hour to create posters on my graphic design program or work on my writing portfolio. What are you doing on your lunch hour that might launch you into a new echelon of Careerdom?

You too can be an entrepreneur, a person with the confidence and intelligence to think up an idea, refine it and bring it to life.

It doesn’t necessarily require an Ivy League degree or a group of investors, but it does take guts. There is risk involved, but this can be bested by initiative and passion, a refusal to be anything but the hardest worker assigned to the greatest project.

If you find yourself at a crossroads in a job you can’t possibly call your career, I dare you to put your “grown-up” hat on for a second and ask yourself these questions:

What do I enjoy doing?

What do I value? What do I do well?

Your Career Turning Point lies in the answers, a big “Aha!” waiting in the dark like a surprise party. And you may indeed be surprised, but only at the brilliance you’ve uncovered. CO Career Turning Point is a new, recurring CO feature for people going through a career transition. Geared to those who have been recently laid off, newcomers to Canada or people looking to retrain, this section will provide advice and present the different options available for starting a new career.

Allison Whalen is a freelance writer and blogger for Career Options.

For more information, please visit: careeroptionsmagazine.com

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