Jobpostings Magazine: September 2013 Vol 16, No. 1 by jobpostings Magazine

sept 2013 | VOL.16 | NO. 1

CAREERS. EDUCATION. IDEAS. ALL OF IT.

Special reports

JOBPOSTINGS.CA

whoa, Robots are everywhere! Overseas master’s programs

choose accounting

do you

what

love business.humber.ca

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE FRONT PAGES THE FRONT PAGES 07 Crunchin’ Numbers

Feeling anxious? So is everyone else. Check out these back-to-school stats.

08 Success Stories

Mark Clements, senior analyst at Grant Thornton, talks taxes, finance, and hard work.

10 Interview Tips

Cheryl Probert, recruitment partner at Bayer Canada, asks and answers “Tell us about the biggest mistake you’ve made a -t work.”

12 Startup

Having trouble shaving? Nick May of REMAY introduces a new product that could revolutionize common hair removal.

INDUSTRY REPORTS 15 Electrify your career!

Electrical power line and cable workers are in high demand. We tell you about the perks of this charged profession.

16 Revolutionizing Robotics

Robots are used in every industry, from construction to medicine. Find out how to land in this niche branch of engineering.

SPECIAL REPORTS 19 ACCOUNTING

No longer just number crunchers, accountants are integral members of every company. We talk to recent grads to find out what being an accountant is actually like, and discuss the accounting designation merger.

29 Oil & Gas

26 43

Oil & gas is one of Canada’s leading sources of employment. In this extensive report, we look into working on a seismic line crew, becoming a geophysicist, and the many other career paths and advancements in the field. We also have an exclusive with Naheed Nenshi, mayor of Calgary.

37 Mining

16 19

Chipping away at rock with a pickaxe is so centuries ago. We examine modern career paths, how an education in trade school can help you out, and the emergence of women in a traditionally male-dominated field.

EDUCATION 43 Grad degrees go international

Why stay here when you can go around the world for your grad degree? We look at a bunch of international options to whet your curiosity.

44 Inside the kitchen

Know the difference between braising and searing? Culinary school is the path for the foodie in all of us.

THE BACK PAGES 48 Navigating a career fair

It’s already career fair season! Find out how to stand out in the crowd and be memorable to recruiters.

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

THE FRONT PAGES

AD INDEX

Masthead

WHOSHIRING

Nav Canada

The Home Depot

Target

Aecon

Grant Thorton

TD Canada Trust

College Pro

Ontario Power Authority

SaskPower

MDA

Hydro One

BDO Canada LLP

PwC

Ernst & Young

Bayer CropScience

Imperial Oil

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.

Petroleum HR Council of Canada

Nexen

Teck

Department of National Defence

IBC

KPMG

schoolINDEX IFC

Humber, The Business School, Accounting

CGA of Ontario

Brock University

Queen’s University

American University of the Caribbean

UC Berkeley Master of Engineering

Sheridan College

University of Lethbridge

Vancouver Island University

Dalhousie University

Ross University

Conestoga College

GENERALADs 10

Insurance Institute of Canada

Canada’s Luckiest Student

OBC

Rogers Wireless

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

publisher

Have what it takes to beco

me an

AIR TRAFFIC

CONTROLLER?

Air traffic controllers combine quick thinking and foresight to keep aircraft at a safe distance as they take off and land at the country’s busiest airports and during the enroute portion of a flight. They do their job from airport control towers and area control centres across the country. We’re looking for individuals who have good judgement, great information processing skills and who have an interest in aviation. We offer exciting careers with great pay, great benefits and a great future. No experience is necessary - we offer complete training.

Up for a challenge?

Learn more and take charge at www.takecharge.navcanada.ca

Nathan Laurie nlaurie@jobpostings.ca

associate publisher Mark Laurie mlaurie@jobpostings.ca

COMMUNICATIONS AND PROJECT MANAGER David Tal dtal@jobpostings.ca @DavidTalWrites

editor

James Michael McDonald jmcdonald@jobpostings.ca @mcjamdonald

ART DIRECTOR

Anthony Capano acapano@jobpostings.ca

DEVELOPER

Mishraz Ahmad Bhounr mbhounr@jobpostings.ca

contributors

Michelle Hampson, Kiera Obbard, Heidi Murphy

national account manager Mary Vanderpas

EDUCATION ACCOUNT MANAGER Shannon Tracey

interns

Lauren Della Vedova, Sam Weltmen, Jamie Bertolini, Laura Eley, Kyle Reynolds

Published by Passion Inc. 25 Imperial Street, Suite 100 Toronto, ON M5P 1B9 jobpostings.ca 1-877-900-5627 ext. 221

Photos from istockphoto.com are used throughout this issue; individual artists have been credited. Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reprinted in whole or part without permission of the publishers. “He who opens a school door closes a prison.” - Victor Hugo

Successful projects start with

serious know-how. And a warm smile. Because working here is about more than helping customers choose the

right product. It’s about making a difference in our customers’ lives and their homes. We call it “unleashing your inner orange” and

it’s my ability to tap into my inner potential to

help them create a space worth calling home. The first thing I do when I greet a customer

is smile. It lets them know I’m there to help, and that I’m confident in my ability to make

a difference in their projects—no matter how large or small, I know that my customers

value my product knowledge and that drives me to go above and beyond to help them

complete their projects. Through extensive training, tuition reimbursement and more, The Home Depot gives me the support I need to build a promising future.

– Jordan, Home Depot Associate

A variety of part-time and seasonal opportunities are available for college and university students.

We are committed to diversity as an equal opportunity employer.

Apply online at homedepotjobs.ca/5762 or text HOMEDEPOT to 998899 for information on upcoming career fairs and opportunities in your area.

THE FRONT PAGES

EDITOR’S NOTE

Back at it! From the desk of

James Michael McDonald September is an interesting month. As a kid, it’s the time you jump into a new grade, catch up with your friends that have eluded you all summer, and buy a bunch of shiny new school supplies. As you get older though, September can be a stressful time: transitioning from summer sun and paycheques to student loans and constant studying can be jarring, to say the least. But you know the drill. Register for a bunch of courses, pray the instructors are friendly and know what they’re talking about, and fight to finish at least one assignment this semester earlier than the night before.

For many students, September is the time to refocus and start thinking again about your career path, asking yourself some needed questions: Is this the program for me? Is this the field I want to work in? To give you some perspective of the many opportunities out there, we focused our back to school issue this year on prominent industries and fields that are crying out for all sorts of experienced professionals. We take a look at the accounting field, discussing the strategic role of accountants in all forms of business across Canada. We also talk to recent accounting grads to learn about their experiences in the real world, and highlight the changes in accounting designations, in case you’re debating between your CGA, CMA, CA, or even the new CPA. (Don’t worry. We break it down for you.) The oil and gas industry, as one of the largest fields for jobs in Canada, loves hiring eager young employees, (which include people who aren’t engineers). We delve into the careers of geophysicists and seismic line crew workers, finding out what you need to know to make a career out of oil, and we also discuss the

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

many other jobs that need to be filled— anywhere from law to logistics. We even have an interview with Mayor Naheed Nenshi of Calgary to hear his thoughts on Alberta’s oil boom and why Alberta is drawing in so much young talent. Wondering what education you need to dig for diamonds and gold? We’ve got you covered. We look at trade school paths to the lucrative industry of mining, and discuss the emergence of women in the field, as well as all the jobs in mining that don’t involve a pickaxe. And that’s not all: recruitment fairs, culi-

nary school, how to ace an interview, the future of robotics—all in this issue. So take a look, take in the last rays of sun, and hunker down. (Remember: summer’s only eight months away!) Happy reading!

There’s lots of excitement in store for you as Executive Team Leader. We’re getting our Store Leadership team in place and are seeking ambitious people who can create the best shopping experience for our guests. If you have a passion for developing dynamic, sales-driven teams and are looking to grow your career, we can’t wait to hear from you.

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aecon.com

INFRASTRUCTURE ENERGY

MINING

crunchin’ numbers

THE FRONT PAGES

CRUNCHIN’ NUMBERS The term “back-to-school jitters” doesn’t just apply to kids. The transition to post-secondary education can be scary, but it’s important to know you’re not alone. Before taking the plunge this fall, consider preparing yourself for the following:

Words Kyle Reynolds // Illustrations Anthony Capano

THE MOST COMMON EMOTIONS DURING EXAM TIME:

YOU’RE TRAVELLING MORE! LOCATION OF STUDY FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AGED 25-64 IN 2011: OUTSIDE OF CANADA

ANOTHER PROVINCE

56% ANXIOUS

16%

10% SUICIDAL

DOCTORATE

MASTER’S DEGREE

NUMBER OF SUMMER WORKING HOURS YOU LIKELY WORKED THIS SUMMER TO PAY OFF TUITION FEES FOR ONE YEAR COMPARED TO WHAT YOUR PARENTS WOULD HAVE WORKED:

60 40

MAY 15 MAY 22

MAY 29

JUNE 5 JUNE 12 JUNE 19 JUNE 26

JULY 3

68%

53%

43%

If you do feel any of these extremes, know that you’re not alone and there are plenty of on-campus resources available to you!

MAY 8

12%

50% HOPELESS

MAY 1

21%

34%

LONELY

SAME AS RESIDENCE

EXHAUSTED

JULY 10 JULY 17 JULY 24 JULY 31

BACHELOR’S DEGREE WEEKS WORKED IN 1980 WEEKS WORKED IN 2013

AUG 7

AUG 14 AUG 21

PERCENTAGE OF 20- TO 24-YEAR-OLDS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, BY COUNTRY.

67% OF THE ADULT POPULATION REPORTED HAVING POST-SECONDARY QUALIFICATIONS IN 2012. THAT'S UP FROM 60% IN 2006, AND A STUNNING TURNAROUND FROM THE 4% WHO HAD A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN 1961.

20 0 1961

1970

1980

1990

2000

2006

73%

2012

DURING STRESSFUL TIMES, STUDENTS MAY ENCOUNTER:

58% 48%

14%

ALCOHOL/DRUG USE

43%

DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS

58%

SLEEP DIFFICULTIES

SOURCES: STATCAN.GC.CA, CANADA.COM, THESTAR.COM, CFSONTARIO.CA

U.S.A

50%

BELGIUM

CANADA

FRANCE

POLAND

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

THE FRONT PAGES

Mark Clements

SUCCESS STORIES

Wondering how to get to the top? Read on to find out how this young professional is succeeding in the business world.

COMPANY: Grant Thornton

Where did you go to school? What program did you attend?

Position: Senior Analyst

I attended the business program at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

EMPLOYED: 3 years Degree: Honours Bachelor of Commerce

What drew you to your current field? Working in the tax department, I find that each client engagement is unique. We tend to work on smaller engagement teams here, which has allowed me to gain a great deal of exposure to many different aspects of accountancy very quickly. The work is constantly challenging and it keeps me interested on a daily basis. How did you find your current position? Lakehead University has a job bank for its students and I saw a summer position advertised at Grant Thornton. At the end of the summer, the partners in our office offered me a full-time position.

Tell us a bit about your responsibilities. I’m involved in a lot of cross-border US tax work. I prepare income tax returns for both individuals and corporations both in the US and here in Canada. My responsibilities also include doing research on in-depth technical issues in order to allow us to complete these returns, and providing mentoring for some of the junior members of the team. What is the most challenging aspect of your position? I would say it is the vast amount of technical knowledge required to be good at this job. I remember when I first started, my manager saying to me that I should expect it to take five years before I could consider myself highly proficient! Fortunately, the firm has provided me with the opportunity to take the In-Depth Tax course, which has really helped increase my level of knowledge.

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

What is the most rewarding part of your job? Sometimes when you’re dealing with taxation issues, you encounter clients who are facing real problems. These clients are often very stressed, and being able to help them resolve some of these serious issues is really gratifying. What skills have you learned through your work experience? Being in this role has definitely allowed me to increase my client service skills, as well as providing me with opportunities to use my analytical skills. It has also helped improve my presentation skills, and taught me how to manage upwards with senior members of the team. What do you think it takes to be successful in this career? Definitely hard work and determination. I also believe it takes a real willingness to learn. You discover very quickly that the road to true proficiency is a long one, so having a commitment to continuous, lifelong learning is very important. What are your future career aspirations? Of course it would be fantastic to be a partner one day, but ultimately I would love to be considered highly technically competent and knowledgeable in the tax field, and feel like I was a trusted source of information for others. Any advice you have for students looking to land their first job? It was a real challenge to land my first job. I think it’s important to persevere and keep putting your best foot forward. Also, the people interviewing you understand that your education will continue long past university, and they won’t expect you to know everything. What they’re really looking to see is if you’re a good fit for the organization, so make sure you’re always yourself in an interview.

THE FRONT PAGES

INTERVIEW TIPS

Do interviews make you sweat? Our HR connections and recruitment friends on the inside let you know what they ask and exactly what they want to hear.

Cheryl Probert

Recruitment Partner, Bayer Canada Our question this issue: Tell us about the biggest mistake you’ve made at work. Many people have a hard time discussing their weaknesses and mistakes in an interview, so a candidate’s response to this question is always interesting. For most people, their initial reaction is to say (either jokingly or not): “Oh, I’ve never made a mistake!” If they truly stand by the statement that they have never made a mistake, I would question their honesty and their level of awareness of their own behaviour. On the other hand, what I’m looking for in a good response is for a candidate to tell me about a mistake—we all make them! I’m looking for plenty of detail: How was it found? Did you identify it yourself ? Or did someone else find it and tell you about it? Discussing how the problem arose shows awareness and the ability to take criticism. How did you fix it? What was the impact

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

of the error? Who did you have to communicate with? How did you communicate? This demonstrates how the individual works in a team and, possibly, how the person handles stress and pressure. What did you learn? And, more specifically, what did you learn that will help you prevent or mitigate future mistakes? I want to know that a person can problem solve and create solutions. I may help the candidate along the way to get to all those details by asking probing questions, but it’s this kind of information that provides valuable insights into how someone may handle a difficult situation in the future. Remember that behavioural interviews are intended to help an employer predict future behaviour based on past behaviour, so I expect candidates to come prepared with specific situations they can discuss in detail, including the mistakes they’ve made.

Proud to be your bank.

And equally proud of our diverse and inclusive work environment. To learn more, and for job opportunities, visit www.td.com

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THE FRONT PAGES

STARTUP

Raze-ing the bar Nick May takes his invention from idea to reality.

We’ve all been there: shaving at the sink or in the shower and battling with globs of shaving cream that have dripped in every direction. This annoying predicament has led many to abandon their cream altogether, but not entrepreneur Nick May. The Carleton University student was recently named 2013 Student Entrepreneur National Champion by Enactus Canada for his shaving cream alternative, REMAY. “I was in the shower and gazed at a new razor blade’s lubricating strip,” he explains. “I thought to myself ‘why isn’t there a massive lubricating strip that would make my razor feel like it is always new, and at the same time replace the use of messy shaving cream?’”

Only 14 at the time of his cosmetic epiphany, May did not yet have the knowledge needed to develop what would become Vanilla Shower Time, a solid, water-activated shaving bar with his trademarked Natraglide formulation. “After hundreds of hours of work, all it took was an accident in the kitchen for it to all come together.” With the formula created, May employed focus groups to determine a viable audience. “I discovered that women were looking for a more efficient way to quickly shave, either in or out of the shower,” he explains, adding that on average we spend approximately two months of our lives shaving. “I wanted to make those months healthier and more enjoyable for my friends, family, and those around the globe.” After a friend asked him to mentor a project through Enactus Canada, May became hooked on the organization that connects students with communities and businesses to progress their entrepreneurial ventures. “I signed up online and, before I knew it, their extremely friendly staff welcomed me in,” he says. Designed to facilitate and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in students, Enactus annually runs the Student Entrepreneur

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

National Competition. Through partnerships and initiatives, Enactus Canada and community businesses were able to create 110 full-time and 189 part-time positions this past year. The competition was founded in 1997 and focuses on full-time Canadian university and college students that are simultaneously running their own businesses. Other stipulations include

Some people just like to help; some people just want a piece. Both ways are great and part of the game. You just have to know which audience you are working with to help respect everyone’s time and to build meaningful relationships.

owning at least 50 per cent of their company and having been operational for at least six months prior to registration. Regional champions receive a $1,000 cash prize as well as paid travel and lodging costs to attend the Enactus conference. The student entrepreneur champion is awarded $10,000 on top of travel and accommodation costs.

Having recently won first place, May moves forward with not only financial support, but knowledge gained from networking with other Enactus members. “I have realized that there is a slight variation in business practice in different communities,” he says. “Some people just like to help; some people just want a piece. Both ways are great and part of the game. You just have to know which audience you are working with to help respect everyone’s time and to build meaningful relationships.” As for other young entrepreneurs starting out, May advises that they start their businesses early, while still in school. Using learning environments to build connections with professors and students is not only socially advantageous, but may give you an unexpected leg up with future endeavours. “Ask the business professors about student entrepreneur programs or competitions, which may be available at your university,” he says. “Whether or not you win or are accepted into the programs, it will force you to begin your business plan. Follow the path of least resistance and everything will come your way.” | Laura Eley

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We inspire. We provoke. We educate.

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POWER LINE TECH

INDUSTRY REPORT

Electrify your career! How power line technicians are mixing brawn with brains. For those interested in pursuing a physically demanding job that requires plenty of thinking, power line technician (also known as lineman/woman) may be just the career for you. Whether it’s maintaining outdated power lines or restoring electricity to communities after Mother Nature strikes, this profession is a demanding but rewarding way to earn your keep. Working conditions Power line technicians work primarily outdoors, often in remote locations, and are constantly on the move. Those in this profession must be physically fit, manually dextrous, able to work at high heights for long periods, and have good co-ordination and colour vision. “You get to cover a lot of territory because you work with power lines all across the grid, all across the country,” says Michelle Branigan, CEO of the non-profit organization Electricity HR Canada. “It’s not a job for those that like office work or the stability of a rigid nine-to-five schedule.” Cole Crooks, a power line technician coordinator with SaskPower, was a journeyman electrician before training for the power line trade. “I was looking for a change and found this trade appealing due to the opportunities it offered along with being able to work outside,” he explains. It’s a field that’s also expanding throughout the female demographic. “There are more women starting to go into our industry and to go into the trades,” says Branigan. Primary duties of this trade include: erecting and maintaining electrical poles, towers, and guy wires; installing and repairing things like overhead and underground power lines, cables, transformers, and conductors; and working with power distribution and transmission networks. Typically they are employed by electric power companies, electrical contractors, and public utility commissions. The power line technician trade is provincially governed by the Red Seal Program, an organization that guarantees skilled trades workers have completed proper qualifications before they receive certification. “Employers in Canada and around the world increasingly require highly skilled workers and the Red Seal Program promotes a national standard

for training excellence,” says Anna Maddison, media relations spokesperson of ministerial communications services with Employment and Social Development Canada. Education Maddison explains that apprenticeship programs are generally administered by provincial and territorial departments responsible for education, labour, and training, (under the direction of the provincial and territorial director of apprenticeship), with authority delegated from the legislation in each province and territory. The length of time and training involved in becoming a power line technician varies from province to province, and most provinces offer college programs that lay out a path that provides courses and co-op placements to build the required apprenticing hours. The inherent risks involved in working with high voltage systems are diminished through in-depth apprenticing and training. “If you learn to identify hazards, look after your tools and equipment, stay focused on your work, and follow approved work procedures, the risk can be virtually eliminated,” says Crooks. Prospects The trade’s job prospects and salary are both stable and promising. According to a Service Canada survey of Quebec, electrical power line and cable workers on average make $71,526 per year, with 97 per cent of these workers in full-time positions. There are also multiple opportunities for advancement. “You can advance to foreman, line supervisor positions, and even training roles,” explains Branigan, adding that most in this profession are also offered strong benefits packages. Whether just starting your career or considering a switch, the power line technician trade will keep you both mentally and physically active. Crooks’ advice? “If you take pride in your work, believe in always doing your best, and thrive in challenging situations then this will be a very rewarding career.” | Laura Eley

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

INDUSTRY REPORT

ROBOTICS

Revolutionizing robotics Earn your postgrad while working full-time, managing family life, or living overseas. Whether the goal is to make repetitive or dangerous tasks less drudging, boost efficiency and productivity, or simply provide a means of entertainment, robotic engineering is pivotal to our ever-growing, technological world. When you think of robots, it’s hard to resist images of Hollywood characters like WallE, Robocop, and Marvin the Paranoid Android. Of course, these are fairly animated depictions of the future of technology and the world itself, but today’s integration of mechanical and electronic components is making once-imagined technology more possible every day.

Today, the field of robotics needs engineers who can design intelligent electromechanical systems such as industrial robots, medical tools, and autonomous vehicles. Take Derek Scherer, for example, a robotic engineer who is currently developing the robot platform for a project called Therabot. “This robot functions in a way similar to how we employ therapy animals,” says Scherer. “A dog in the room of a recovering patient can help her mood tremendously. Similarly, the act of talking to an animal has shown some therapeutic value. The Therabot is designed to be responsive and comforting to the human in these sorts of scenarios.” Scherer puts his expertise to use in a variety of niches, including film. He has done animatronics (think dinosaurs, large animals, and mythical creatures) for Man of Steel, Elysium, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, for which he has sculpted and painted fictional characters that can only be brought to life with special motors and mechanisms. Scherer thanks Star Wars, The Dark Crystal, and his memories of Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride for inspiring him at a young age to get involved with robotics. “Robots have always been pretty special to me,” says Scherer. “During my graduate work, the interest led me into artificial intelligence. After getting a real taste for AI, natural language processing, machine learning, etc., I decided that what the machine thinks doesn’t really amount to much if the system can’t express it right to a person.” Soon, the experiences that robots

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

created for people (with movement, sound, expressions, gestures, and so on) became his focal point.

Doing the robot According to CEO of Geisel Software Brian Geisel, there are a number of ways to get involved with robotics. Earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or mechanical engineering is the best place to start. Some of Canada’s most prestigious robotics-specific programs belong to the British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of Alberta, and University of Western Ontario. “The other way to enter robotics is directly from a similar field,” says Geisel, who spent much of his career working on embedded projects for mobile storage applications. “Having been a software engineer with a good handle on hardware, it was a good fit for the robotics industry where a crossbreed of disciplines is essential. Coming from a solid background in a mesh of technical disciplines is a great way to get into the industry.” He adds that the field is continuing to grow and diversify, especially since you can now work on everything from the robots that handle the warehouses to stock Walmart stores to assisting with a NASA (or private) mission to Mars. In fact, according to Geisel, robotics remains one of very few fields where the moon is a viable travel destination.

No need for a robotic personality “Don’t get into robotics if you think trigonometry is a bad word,” Geisel advises. “However, if you’re the kind of person who loves immersing themselves in a complex problem, you’re going to love robotics. There is a tendency to be a little idealistic about things, though. Keep a firm head on your shoulders and remember that it’s still a job with ups and downs like any other field. It isn’t all sitting around conceptualizing artificial intelligence beings à la Hollywood. For those ready to work hard, have a lot of fun, and invent something legitimately original, there’s nothing quite like robotics.” | Kyle Reynolds

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Student opportunities Join us in Actuarial, Audit and Assurance, Consulting, Deals, Risk and Controls or Tax Your career is just that, yours. You choose it. You live it. You make it happen. To get the best from it, you need the best opportunities. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why opportunities are at the heart of PwC careers. Opportunities to grow as an individual, to work flexibly, to build lasting relationships and make an impact in a place where people, quality and value mean everything.

Discover your opportunity www.pwc.com/ca/campus www.facebook.com/pwccareerscanada @PwC_ca_campus

THE AVERAGE ENTRY-LEVEL SALARIES IN 2010 60K 50K 40K 30K

INTERNAL AUDITOR ANALYST ACCOUNTANT

accounting

SPECIAL REPORT

CALCULATORS TO CORNER OFFICES Leave your pocket protector behind. Accountants are moving past the abacus to key roles in companies and organizations across the globe.

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

ACCOUNTING

STRATEGIC ROLE

Accounting’s changing role The shifting responsibilities of accountants in the corporate and global market.

Words Laura Eley // Illustrations Saul Herrera

Many envision accountants as strict number crunchers set up in cubicles with a calculator and stack of invoices. But this evolving career is shifting in both role and focus. Whether assisting in corporate restructuring or creating environmental assessments, accountants are in demand for both their financial and strategic knowledge.

efficiency, productivity, and financial risk management in the workplace. This equips them to deal with a wide range of business needs including the development of corporate strategies, critical thinking, analyzing financial information, and tackling complex management issues.

“Accountants know the company from the inside out,” says Vanda Mulrooney, a senior staff accountant with the public accounting firm Sone & Rovet. “In addition to working with numbers, accountants have a deeper understanding of the business, as they must understand the processes and controls in place, business risks and opportunities, and the objectives and goals of the company.”

Mulrooney adds that accountants play a large role in corporate restructuring on both a small and large scale. “There are different lines of work involved in this: reorganization for tax purposes, due diligence work on acquisitions, wind-ups and amalgamations, the use of trusts,” she says. “An accountant can recommend the necessary changes with regards to share ownership, share structure, and association rules for related persons or companies.”

Evidence of their important role can be seen through mega corporations like Torstar Corporation and Rogers Communications Inc., both of which have accountants employed in top-level positions.

Given the volatility of our current economy, it’s understandable that employees who can both understand and offer tactical guidance promoting financial stability would be highly valued.

Strategizing

D’Alessandro says accountants can create financial models to identify probable outcomes and offer information essential to critical business and financial decisions.

Steve D’Alessandro, vice-president of finance with CGA Ontario, explains that CGAs possess a solid understanding of

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | OCTOBER 2012

They can also lead to more streamlined restructuring processes and help to quickly achieve outcomes. Pertaining to acquisition of other companies, you have to ask: “is a company you are purchasing worth what they say they are worth?” Mulrooney asks.

Global employment These skills are not esteemed in Canada alone. Worldwide, accounting is globalizing into a universal community. “Whether you’re working at a Big 4 firm with opportunities for secondment, (a period of time where you work [internationally] in one of their offices and then come back to Canada), or visiting clients across the world,” there are many prospects for accountants to work abroad, says Mulrooney. GoAbroad.com, an international travel resource, lists several international postings for accountants that include placements in Central America, Africa, and Asia. PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the Big 4 firms, runs the Early PwC International Challenge that encourages employees to work abroad early in their careers. They not only offer assistance with immigration

and compliance requirements, but temporary living arrangements for employees and their dependents as well. Business Development Manager for CGA Ontario Carmen Jacques explains that the CGA designation is recognized in over 80 countries. Reversely, internationally educated professionals are given access to pursue accounting employment within Canada.

Managing the environment Working within traditional auditing and professional services firms is not the only route for global involvement. Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) is increasing in both influence and recognition. “Today’s young students and qualified accountants are concerned about social issues and the environmental impacts of the clients of firms,” says Roger Burritt, professor in accounting and director for the Centre for Accounting, Governance, and Sustainability at the University of South Australia (UniSA). “They look to a future in which accountants, through their employers and professional accountancy bodies, take public interest seriously.” EMA is a developing field focused on creating proactive environmental man-

agement decisions within businesses. It is designed to modify managerial and production processes to be more environmentally conscious. Katherine Christ, a PhD scholar at UniSA, shares a perspective similar to Burritt’s. “With initiatives such as emissions trading and carbon tax schemes, as well as an increasingly complex assortment of environmental regulations, environmental issues are no longer solely concerned with the notion of a corporate conscience; they are synonymous with business strategy and economic survival,” she says. Christ also explains how major accounting companies, including the Big 4, are continually offering clients a range of environmental services such as “environmental risk assessment and audit, assistance with regulatory compliance, environmental strategy development, and benchmarking.”

Implementing change And EMAs are working to make ecological conservation not only about philanthropy, but about economic growth too. “Environmental management accounting presents one possible way of increasing

awareness while being cost-effective and cost-efficient for firms and their clients,” says Burritt. “New [accounting] graduates can become a driving part of the change towards recognizing social and environmental impacts of business for the benefit of practitioners, academic researchers, policy makers, and future communities.” Christ explains that environmental awareness is an opportunity that can be used for corporations, shareholders, and society as a whole. “It is no longer necessary to sacrifice the environment for the sake of corporate economic gain or vice versa,” she says. As the global community deals with the inevitable impacts of climate change, it is encouraging that the focus of entrepreneurial ventures is beginning to incorporate ecological significance. “Excited, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable students are needed to eventually lead the profession to a new dawn where the balance between private and public interest is the primary concern,” says Burritt. Better buckle-up, accountants! Your industry is helping steer the future.

Which path will you take? Graduation

CGA program

Success

Move in with parents

Call headhunter

Work for dad

Wait for headhunter to call back

Get fired by dad

Get rejected by headhunter

CGA program

The CGA program lets you transfer credits so you can get ahead. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be the campus track star to fast track your way to success. The CGA program allows you to transfer credits from your post-secondary education towards your CGA designation, giving you a head start on the path to a fulfilling career.

See what CGA program courses you may be exempt from at cga-domore.org/transfer

Profile Profile

The The

Profile

BoTTom Line BoTTom Line The Sharon SharonBarnes-Simmonds, Barnes-Simmonds,CGA CGA

BoTTom Line

Director ofof Accounting Director Accounting Toronto International Film Festival Toronto International Film Festival

Sharon Barnes-Simmonds, CGA

I’m surrounded byby brilliant, I’m surrounded brilliant, Director of Accounting Toronto International Film Festival creative people every day; creative people every day; working with them helps working with them helps me grow asas a professional. me grow a professional. I’m surrounded by brilliant, creative people every day; working with them helps me grow as a professional.

A A

s the director of of accounting forfor thethe Toronto Internas the director accounting Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I’mI’m surrounded by by brilliant, tional Film Festival (TIFF), surrounded brilliant, creative people every dayday who aren’t familiar with thethe creative people every who aren’t familiar with accounting discipline. Working with them challenges accounting discipline. Working with them challenges sgrow the director of accounting for the Toronto Internameme andand helps meme as as a professional. helps grow a professional.

Movies communicate thethe world through film. Two of of mymy Movies communicate world through film. Two favourites at at lastlast year’s festival areare now Oscar winners: Argo favourites year’s festival now Oscar winners: Argo andand Silver Linings Playbook. Films likelike that bring so so much awareSilver Linings Playbook. Films that bring much awareness to to what’s happening in the world andand provide a common ness what’s happening in the world provide a common Movies ground forcommunicate dialogue. ground for dialogue. the world through film. Two of my

finished thethe CGA program when CGA Canada and thethe ACCA MyMy favourite movie of all time is The Gods Must be be Crazy. I I finished CGA program when CGA Canada and ACCA sports. sports. favourite movie of all time is The Gods Must Crazy. signed aI mutual recognition agreement. It was perfect timing — — was a teenager the first time IIsaw itrecommend, and laughed thethe entire time. signed a mutual recognition agreement. It was perfect timing was a teenager the first time I saw it and laughed entire time. moved from Jamaica to Canada in 2003. I was an ACCA Moneyball is a movie that also especially to mymy ACCA was acknowledged I became a CGA. ACCA was acknowledged and I became aalmost CGA. butdesignation I designation needed a Canadian accounting and designation. I was accountants. It speaks to the numbers behind professional September, TIFF brings a heightened energy, prestige finished the CGA program when CGA Canada and the ACCA Every sports. My favourite movie of brings all time The Gods Must be Crazy. I Every September, TIFF ais heightened energy, prestige signed a mutual recognition agreement. It was perfect timing — and was apride teenager the first I sawI’m it and laughed theto entire After my first few jobs in in Canada, I joined PTC Accounting pride to to thethe citycity of time Toronto. really proud be be atime. part of of After my first few jobs Canada, I joined PTC Accounting and of Toronto. I’m really proud to a part my ACCAaccountant designation acknowledged and I became awas CGA. as as a freelance inwas 2008. MyMy first assignment was to to it and I encourage everyone to to go.go. a freelance accountant in 2008. first assignment it and I encourage everyone Every September, TIFF brings a heightened energy, prestige assist thethe director of financial analysis andand planning at TIFF. NotNot assist director of financial analysis planning at TIFF. After my firstthe few jobs inbecame Canada,vacant. I joinedI PTC Accounting and pride toline city of Toronto. I’m really Itproud to beyou part of as My bottom is aissound education. will take as as far long after I started, position was offered My bottomthe line a sound education. It will takea you far as long after I started, the position became vacant. I was offered as a freelance accountant in 2008. My first assignment was to it and I encourage everyone to go. you want to to go.go. MyMy advice to to students? GetGet a designation andand thethe role andand I accepted. you want advice students? a designation role I accepted. assist the director of financial analysis and planning at TIFF. Not letlet it work forfor you. Mine gives meme credibility, options and endit work Mine gives credibility, options My bottom lineyou. is a sound education. It will take you as farand as endlong after I started, the position became vacant. I was offered TIFF delivers days a year, including thethe less opportunities. seen another side of movies, thanks TIFF delivers 365 days a year, including less opportunities. I’ve seen another side of movies, thanks you want to go. My I’ve advice to students? Get a designation and to to the role programming andprogramming I accepted. 365 10-day filmfilm festival every September. In In 2010 wewe opened thethe mylet CGA designation. 10-day festival every September. 2010 opened my designation. itCGA work for you. Mine gives me credibility, options and endTIFF Bell Lightbox in downtown Toronto. a five-storey complex TIFF Bell Lightbox inprogramming downtown Toronto. It’s aafive-storey complex – Jacquelin CGA Ontario TIFF delivers 365It’s days year, including the less opportunities. I’ve seen another side ofCorrado, movies, thanks to – Jacquelin Corrado, CGA Ontario that contains theatres, galleries, studios, twotwo restaurants that contains five theatres, galleries, studios, 10-day five film festival every September. In 2010 werestaurants opened the my CGA designation. andand a gift shop. Bell Lightbox in downtown Toronto. It’s a five-storey complex aTIFF gift shop. – Jacquelin Corrado, CGA Ontario that contains five theatres, galleries, studios, two restaurants

andto a to giftcelebrate shop. thethe This year, celebrate release of of Skyfall, thethe 23rd James This year, release Skyfall, 23rd James Bond film, we presented a major exhibition called Designing 007: Bond film, we presented a major exhibition called Designing 007: This year, to celebrate the release of Skyfall, the 23rd James 5050 Years of Bond Style. Years of Bond Style. PhoTogrAPhy: GARY BEECHEY, BDS STuDIoS

PhoTogrAPhy: GARY BEECHEY, BDS STuDIoS

tional Film Festival (TIFF), I’m surrounded by brilliant, favourites at last year’s festival are now Oscar winners: Argo creative people every day who aren’t familiar with the and Silver Linings Playbook. Films like that bring so much awareI moved from Jamaica to to Canada in in 2003. I was an an ACCA is a movie that I also recommend, especially to to I moved from Jamaica Canada 2003. I was ACCA Moneyball Moneyball a movie that also recommend, especially accounting discipline. Working with them challenges ness to what’sishappening in theI world and provide a common butbut I needed a Canadian accounting designation. I was almost accountants. It speaks to the numbers behind professional I me needed a Canadian accounting designation. I was almost accountants. It speaks to the numbers behind professional and helps me grow as a professional. ground for dialogue.

Bond film, we presented a major exhibition called Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style.

I’mI’m notnot really anan artistic person, I’mI’m a straight-laced ac-acreally artistic person, a straight-laced countant, but I do find ways to blend in with the artistic countant, but I do find ways to blend in with the artistic I’m not really an artistic person, I’m a straight-laced acculture at TIFF. MyMy team oversees accounts payable, culture at TIFF. team oversees accounts payable, receivable countant, but I do find ways to blend in withreceivable the artistic andand every transaction that hits thethe general ledger, from festivals every transaction that hits general ledger, from festivals culture at TIFF. My team oversees accounts payable, receivable to to concessions thethe giftgift shop. concessions to shop. and everyto transaction that hits the general ledger, from festivals to concessions to the gift shop.

I’ve seen I’ve seen another another side I’ve seen side of movies, of movies, another side thanks toto thanks of movies, mymy CGA CGA thanks to designation. my CGA designation. designation.

ACCOUNTING

DESIGNATIONS

Merging the accounting gap How the CPA is altering the future of accounting.

Words Laura Eley // Illustrations Saul Herrera

Change is afoot in Canada’s largest governing accountant organizations. With a proposed motion to merge the three current designations Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified General Accountant (CGA), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) into the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), provincial discussions are underway to decide if and when this shift will happen, (if it hasn’t already).

Tashia Batstone, vice-president of education for CPA, explains that the new designation “will eliminate a lot of confusion in the marketplace.” She adds that with fewer businesses making distinctions between the CA, CMA, and CGA statuses, it makes sense “that we would create a new designation where members get consistent training, and the training is reflective of the work they’re actually going to be doing in the marketplace.”

In Ontario, a recent vote determined that CMA Ontario and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario will merge into one body under the CPA umbrella. The CPA has already moved forward in other provinces and continues to be negotiated. Some institutes, including CGA Ontario and CGA Manitoba, are continuing to express their desire to remain as separate entities.

But what does this mean for accountants and accounting students in Canada?

According to the Chartered Accountants of Ontario’s website, the move to establish the CPA is a reflection of the industry’s desire to be globally recognized. “The CPA is currently the most widely used accounting designation in the world, with the ratio of individual CPAs to CAs being 2:1,” it states. “Looking ahead, in a rapidly changing landscape, we want to be aligned with both the CA and CPA, in case either of the designations emerges as globally dominant.”

Designations CGA candidate Zafar Alam believes the CPA will bring positive changes for the accounting community. “It will create a unified accounting profession in Canada,” he explains, adding that the program will “provide candidates with a competitive edge in the job market and ensure high demand with business and organizations.” He also notes that the new designation will meet respected global standards in business and allow future accountants career mobility. “I think the interesting thing is that when you look on a local scale, Canada definitely punches above its weight in terms of

population; we only have to look at the financial crisis and see how well we weathered it,” says Batstone. “There’s always this debate whether it will be a CGA, CMA, or CA who will actually get to fill that seat, whereas now you come to the table with a unified voice that can be stronger. We can be a better representative for the unique needs of Canadian business and I think that serves the public better, our membership better, and I believe it serves our financial market better.” Set to unfold over a ten-year transition period, CPA explains that current designations like CA and CMA will still be valid and included with the CPA title, as “CPA, CA” for example. The CPA qualification process will consist of an undergraduate degree focused on business, a graduate level CPA professional education program, individual and team-based evaluations, a comprehensive final examination, and a required period of workplace experience. There will also be an accelerated bridging program to facilitate mature students who are immigrants, have non-business degrees, or have been working in a different field and want to switch over to accounting.

AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE FOR FINANCIAL AUDITORS/ACCOUNTANTS $35 $30 $25 $20 $15 $10 $5

“The CPA program is a challenging program, but it’s been built upon the attributes [of the other designations] and taking what we think is the best from the three programs,” says Batstone.

VANCOUVER

MONTREAL

TORONTO

SASKATOON

HALIFAX

CALGARY

However, not all accountants believe a merger to be beneficial. Doug Brooks, FCGA and chief executive officer at CGA Ontario, explains that CGA Ontario’s board believes a merger without commitment to member protection could have serious implications. He adds that CGAs depend on their association to protect their professional status and to ensure that they earn the trust of employers and clients. Brooks also explains that students enrolled in the CGA program face no transition or uncertainty in regards to career preparation. CGA has created a strong, reputable, and accessible program that builds information and skills through practical application.

63%

OF CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS WORK IN AREAS THAT INCLUDE ENTERTAINMENT, NON-PROFIT, AND SPORTS.

Bridging the gap While the CPA may provide a broader accounting focus, could this generalized versatility also have a limiting affect on the accounting job market? “This is a good profession to find yourself in these days because obviously working with growth opportunities and the complexities involved in financial exporting now, people need people with an expertise,” explains Batstone. “The CPA certification program is going to create jobs and find jobs in the business world where they’re going to be able to add value.” On their website, the Chartered Accountants of Ontario state that the CPA will transform Canada’s accounting industry into a recognized and respected entity, and that “specialty programs would be developed to offer CPAs the opportunity to enhance their expertise and advance their careers.”

CORPORATE VS PUBLIC. BIG VS SMALL. AVERAGE FIRST-YEAR SALARY FOR ACCOUNTANTS WORKING IN CORPORATE VS PUBLIC/BIG VS SMALL FIRMS. 50K 40K

For future accounting graduates, obtaining the updated certification may prove more rigorous, but could also prove beneficial. They will be held to a set of standardized industry regulations and eligible for positions the previous system does not afford.

30K

“Determination and discipline are needed throughout the certification process to remain focused and punctual with the milestones of the program,” says Alam. Hard work that, if and when the CPA is implemented across all of Canada’s accounting bodies, is likely to have a major influence.

10K

20K

CORPORATE FIRMS *ANNUAL SALARY

PUBLIC FIRMS

MIDSIZE/SMALL FIRMS

LARGE FIRMS

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

ACCOUNTING

THE BIG FOUR

Accountants in the Big Four Recent graduates weigh in on life in the largest firms in the country.

In the accounting world, four companies (the ‘Big 4’) reign as leaders in employment and revenue. Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, and KPMG make up this assemblage and annually receive a large number of applications from new graduates. But what can today’s fresh-faced, young graduates really expect as employees in these jumbo firms? Tony Nikolovski, a senior associate with the Audit and Assurance Group at PwC, graduated from York University in 2010. He found the initial student-to-employee transition a learning curve both in scheduling flexibility and increased responsibilities.

“Once you enter the real world, there are clear working hours and client commitments that at times can interfere with the flexibility you once had as a student,” he says, adding “you must take ownership of your schedule, plan accordingly, and take responsibility for poor planning or execution and mismanagement of your time.” An associate with the Audit and Assurance Group at PwC, Carolyn Harriss first joined the company as a co-op student. “Both school and work are challenging in different ways, but taking a co-op placement at PwC really gave me a chance to learn on the job and get practical experience,” she says. Accounting graduate Ryan Glynn initially worked at Ernst & Young after finishing school. While he found the transition daunting, it was eased by the company “conducting an in-depth orientation week in which they explained our roles and what we should expect, as well as organizing graduate activities and team-building exercises.”

Work and study As most accounting graduates go on to pursue designations—typically CA, CMA, or CGA—engaging in double duty with work and study presents another hurdle to overcome. Fortunately, most large firms offer

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

recent graduates ample support to successfully complete their designations. “The firms have an invested interest in the successful completion of the examination by their staff and, as a result, give you the appropriate training and time to study for such a challenging examination which is, in fact, one of the most demanding in the world,” Nikolovski explains.

Building work experience is essential in securing future positions, both internally and externally.

Glynn says that smaller firms may not be able to offer as much support with designation pursuits, and that the peer pool and resulting peer support system could also be limited. “The PwC network of firms has offices all over the world, which gives me access to a global network I would not have at a smaller firm,” adds Harriss. She explains that the ‘Big 4’ companies also offer a variety of professional services, providing many internal positions outside of audit and tax. At smaller companies, recent graduates are more likely to take on roles of greater responsibility earlier in their careers, says Glynn. He adds that “working closer with individuals, [co-workers]… can provide a better mentoring role as they have more time to spend with each individual.”

Bright future Glynn adds that while it was difficult balancing both work and study, especially during the busy tax season, Ernst & Young was especially supportive by “organizing sessions whereby an experienced accountant would go through the material and explain important concepts.”

Big or small? While work experience in both big and small firms is valuable, they also carry strengths and weaknesses, as does any position.

All ‘Big 4’ firms offer opportunities for accounting graduates to learn, grow, and create solid career foundations. This in-depth experience also has the potential to give them a leg up on other graduates who may still be finishing their designations or simply not have the same level of work exposure. Nikolovski shares that a very important person and role model in his life once said: ‘The decisions you make today will have a dramatic impact on the life you have tomorrow.” | Laura Eley

Ready to build a better world? Start with us.

If you’re ready to build your career and a better working world, we’re ready for you. Explore a world of opportunities with us. ey.com/ca/careers

Come grow with us! If you have a passion for agriculture and want to work with the best people in the industry, we have the opportunities for you. With over 150 summer associate positions across Canada to choose from, you can join the Bayer CropScience team in one of the following areas: Seeds Sales Market Development Research & Development

Visit bayercropscience.ca/careers. facebook.com/bcscanadacareers

Discover what’s possible for your career. There’s more than one way to make a difference. That’s why at Imperial Oil we offer multiple career paths that align with your ambitions. From the exploration and development of the oil sands to delivering high quality petroleum products, whatever your career, you’ll always have a place on a team that’s working towards creating a better future.

Hiring students and graduates from engineering, science, business and trades & technology.

imperialoil.ca/careers

1,000,000 900,000 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000

550,000 OIL & GAS JOBS ACROSS CANADA. THERE ARE 905,000 NEW JOBS FORECASTED BY 2035.

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

OIL & GAS

SPECIAL REPORT

THE BLACK GOLD RUSH

Recent grads are heading to oil and gas fields across the country to kick-start their careers in Canada’s fastest-growing industry. SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

OIL & GAS IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS...

OPPORTUNITIES

The other side of oil and gas Where you can go with a business, law, or accounting degree.

23% OF THE INDUSTRY’S WORKFORCE WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE,

With full-time employment rates increasing steadily in oil-producing provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador, there is little wonder why so many recent graduates and young professionals are finally fleeing their parents’ homes to spark a career in the oil and gas industry.

WHICH WILL HELP CREATE

45,000

NEW JOB VACANCIES.

INVESTMENTS BEING MADE

78% OF EMPLOYERS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE DEVELOPING THEIR CURRENT STAFF THROUGH TRAINING AND SUCCESSION PLANNING.

EMPLOYMENT RATES FOR CANADIAN MEN AND WOMEN 80% 70%

She suggests people with a background in business, accounting, law, and even human resources could “go into careers such as energy asset management, which is essentially developing, negotiating, and monitoring formal agreements around joint-ventures.” There are a variety of accounting roles, such as operations and production accounting, where responsibilities include compiling, managing, and reporting financial and production data for companies in the oil and gas sector. Additionally, there are a number of active law firms that specialize in oil and gas, which makes an understanding of economic and environmental perspectives indispensible.

always hiring

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 1989 24–35 YEARS OLD

But what about those accounting, law, and business graduates who may feel left behind by those new and successful groups of engineers, geologists, and technicians? Is there any room for them, too? According to Cheryl Knight, executive director of the Petroleum Human Resources Council (PHRC), this blend of office-oriented professionals aren’t as stuck for career options as they might believe.

1999

2007

OIL-PRODUCING PROVINCES

2012 OTHER PROVINCES

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

According to a 2013 report by the PHRC, Canada’s oil and gas industry will sustain an estimated annual average of 890,000 to 1,000,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs across the country by 2022. The study also notes that employers will be most rampant in Western Canada, with Alberta employing nearly 65 per cent of the total workforce. Most noteworthy, the business and operations sector—including those with business, legal, or accounting experience—accounts for 37 per cent of all sectors in the oil and gas industry, (followed by drilling and servicing labourers at six per cent, to give perspective).

“There’s a high demand for human resources professionals, just given our labour demands, our shortages, and the growth prospects for the industry,” says Knight. She adds that in this industry, “people can progress through their careers and develop their interests, and there’s a great flexibility to change career paths with knowhow and experience.” She adds that the industry is currently making huge investments in technology.

Importance of education Clara Lippert Glenn, president and CEO of The Oxford Princeton Programme, warns that prospective business and operation professionals should understand that they may need to update their credentials before advancing in the industry. “Let’s say, for example, you just joined a large oil company as an accountant,” says Lippert Glenn. “You’ve just come out of school and you have fabulous knowledge of accounting, and you’ve passed all of your exams. What you don’t know is the oil industry; if you’re going to be sitting there every day doing accounting in the oil industry, you’ve got to understand the lifeblood of that business.” Fortunately, many workplaces offer specific courses that provide professionals the opportunity to develop their skills and advance in the industry. If not, you can always seek training from various programs, such as The Oxford Princeton Programme which offers a wide selection of online courses. According to Lippert Glenn, it’s the increase in technology that has allowed the oil, gas, and energy industry to boom. “I find the energy industry to be the most fascinating industry to work in,” says Lippert Glenn. “Because it’s such a global commodity. It impacts everybody’s life. Even if you’ve never worked in the industry, guess what? You care about it because you probably drive a car or you flip a light switch every day … I can talk to my grandmother and she knows exactly what I’m talking about. There aren’t many sectors where you can say that.” | Kyle Reynolds

SEISMIC LINE WORKER

Get in line! An adventure awaits you on a seismic line crew. Not every job is a walk in the park. (And I’m not speaking metaphorically, here.) You may be hard-pressed to find many careers with an emphasis on hiking and adventure, but setting your feet in motion can be as simple as joining a seismic line crew. You’ll have to pay for a flight to the middle of nowhere in Western Canada, but the crew you’ll be working for takes care of the rest. (Seriously, they’ll give you a free place to stay and $40 per day for food. Need you ask more?) The job’s main challenges include flying to site via helicopter, scaling cliffs, trudging through swamps and summiting mountains—all while supporting several pounds of cables, wires, and equipment. As demanding as it may sound, geophysicist Joe Havlik says the money is great and the experience even greater. “But it’s hard work,” says Havlik. “I would equate it to tree planting … where you’re out in the field and really hoofing it. You need to be somewhat athletic or at least somewhat fit in order to not suffer. But you’re hiking around all day long; you’re

on your feet for 12 hours a day.” Line crew workers spend a typical day laying out and retrieving seismic recording equipment, called geophones, for the purposes of both 2D and 3D land seismic data acquisition. As many as 50 crew members walk up to 20 kilometres per day laying out or picking up the 90-pound cables. Most work is done during the winter months, so the job is well-suited for high school graduates who want to save money for post-secondary.

WHAT DOES IT PAY? $2,800 – $5,900/month

WICKED! WHAT ARE THE HOURS? 12–14 hours per day, 21–28 days on, 4–7 days off.

“There are crews that probably run in areas over the summer, but there’s a lot of farming communities out here, so you can’t get summer access,” says Havlik. “Northern Alberta is sort of boggy. The ground is soft and you can’t take equipment out there, so you have to wait until [the ground] freezes up. So it’s not dirty, but it’s snowy and cold.”

OIL & GAS

Sound intimidating? For some, it’s a chance to explore Canada and its culture beyond the confines of large, urban centres. Featured in a video by Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, senior observer Travis Giles discusses the ways in which a young worker can advance and benefit from taking on a position as line crew helper: “Most people can go from line crew, and they can be line boss within a week—a month at the most. After that, you’ll be advancing up to troubleshooter. They’re the ones who go out there and fix all the stations. And after troubleshooting you’ll be shooter, which I think is actually the most fun job out here. It’s where you get to go ride the skidoos and blow up dynamite … After that, you get into the senior roles: coordinator, observer, [and] safety management.” According to Havlik, there are no minimum educational requirements to become a line crew helper; however, completion of Grade 12 is highly encouraged. Additionally, the job does not discriminate against gender. Although it is male-dominated labour, Havlik generally sees about one female per ten males whenever he visits the field. So whether you’re stuck between careers or hoping to earn good money that you’ll actually save, joining a seismic line crew might just be the adventure you’ve been waiting for. | Kyle Reynolds

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

OIL & GAS

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

step into The digital oilfield Oil and gas technologies are impacting our lives for the better. It’s difficult to think of careers without a digital component these days. The influences of technology are transparent in fields related to retail, entertainment, telecommunications, and healthcare. We seldom hear about advancements in sectors related to natural resources extraction or the oil and gas industry, yet the term “digital” is everywhere. And it’s quickly becoming synonymous with everything, especially oil and gas.

themselves with. A 2011 McKinsey report discusses the emerging era of “big data” and describes a digital oilfield where “instruments constantly read data on wellhead conditions, pipelines, and mechanical systems. That information is analyzed by clusters of computers which feed their results to real-time operations centres that adjust oil flows to optimize production and minimize downtimes.”

In fact, a significant portion of government funding is being invested in the development of innovative technologies in oil and gas organizations. Oil refineries won’t be going out of business anytime soon, so advancements in this particular sector can and do impact everyone. If technology can make oil and gas safer, cleaner, and cheaper to extract, the cost of energy and overall quality of life will improve substantially.

What does that even mean?

And so comes to light the notion of the “digital oilfield,” a buzzword of sorts that major oil and gas companies have familiarized

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

In other words, more instruments are being developed in order to make better, faster decisions, reduce risk, and maximize recovery. Organizations like EMC, Baker Hughes, and Schlumberger use digital oilfield technologies to better process, understand, and apply big data, which are essentially large volumes of data that require organizing and analyzing. Today, it’s not a matter of how much data you have, but what you do with it. With this comes a sudden increase in technological innovations and a flux of new

business opportunities. Baker Hughes, for example, recently announced a drilling fluid system called MPRESS, which increases rates of penetration, provides more power to motors and bits, and saves wear and tear on surface equipment. Essentially, it allows for the efficient and timely drilling of difficult lateral sections in unconventional reservoirs. Also, EMC Corporation is currently undergoing a $100-million project to construct a research and development centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The facility will house an applied research centre, solutions laboratories, and an executive briefing centre. “The R&D centre is located in Brazil, but it’s not for Brazil,” says Dr. Karin Breitman, general manager of Rio de Janeiro’s research and development centre. “All of the new inventions, innovations, methods, tools, and techniques that are being developed by the centre need to be general enough so that they can drive value all over the world. If you think about arctic exploration, that should be useful to the new algorithms that we’re developing, the logistics models for extraction, and the distribution of resources should be useful or should be easy to transpose to shale gas situations as well.” According to Breitman, “the digital oilfield is the Holy Grail of every oil and gas company; it’s the combination of newer technologies—cloud technologies—that enable the pooling of resources and the rational use of those resources.” It’s also about the ability to process data that comes in every other second, measuring and monitoring things like pressure and temperature of reservoir fluids.

Along the lines of new technology, some companies are discovering ways to turn waste into energy. SunCoal Industries, for example, regularly turns organic waste (compost, manure, and straw) into carbon-neutral coal. Enerkem has pioneered a technology that allows actual garbage to act as a form of petroleum. Advancements such as these are the reason Breitman and EMC decided to invest in the Brazil facility: “the centre of the world for ultra deep water and oil exploration.”

Today’s sexiest career According to an article in Harvard Business Review, the “sexiest” up-and-coming job—and Breitman agrees—belongs to the “data scientist.” Hundreds of scientists are already working at both startup and well-established companies. Businesses are now dealing with a vast assortment of data that haven’t been measured or even seen before. As Breitman describes, the job is “a huge world of opportunity and it relates to oil and gas, it relates to retail, it relates to finances, to health, to just about any area where there’s human activity. It’s amazing how important data is going to be, but more so people who actually know what to do with data.” A job catered to “people in all stems of the sciences: science, technology, statistics, and mathematics,” it also holds a special place for people from the humanities. “We need to have people who are able to ask the right questions,;that’s what big data is really all about.” | Kyle Reynolds

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

OIL & GAS

GEOPHYSICISTS

Exploring Earth’s subsurface A career in geophysics can truly make your bedrock!

Words Kyle Reynolds // Illustrations Anthony Capano

There’s no denying that Jurassic Park was a staple of the 1990s: a trilogy (and soon-to-be quadrilogy) that likely inspired the newest generation of archeologists, paleontologists, and geneticists. Who can forget the opening scenes when a much younger Sam Neill used those cool, seismic technologies to uncover the ancient remains of a velociraptor?

Anil Sharma, an active environmental geophysicist and president of AKS Geoscience, looks for contamination and subsurface pollution caused by manmade effects, such as those brought on by broken pipelines. Today, geophysical methods typically come into play in subsurface exploration since they produce the most efficient and accurate results.

If you don’t remember or haven’t seen the original Jurassic Park, Devon Energy geophysicist Alanna Caldwell can help lift the rock you’re living under. She may not dig for dinosaur bones, but she’s part of a career that’s erupting with innovative technologies and a fast-growing number of jobs to match.

Alberta: a humble (and oily) abode

From her high-tech office in Calgary, Alberta, Caldwell regularly interprets seismic data—sound waves that are released into the earth—and these data, called shot records, are compiled together and processed into an image of the subsurface. According to Caldwell, the cycle of her duties includes acquiring data, processing and interpreting it, and working closely with geologists and engineers to collaborate on choosing ideal oil and gas locations.

Oil, gas, and a bad rap? Generally, geophysicists use a variety of tools to locate oil, natural gas, coal, copper, iron, and other minerals, which can be helpful in identifying environmental hazards and evaluating potential oil and gas sites. As an added bonus, the job doesn’t harm the Earth’s surface with drills or other destructive tools. But, according to Caldwell, the oil and gas industry tends to be riddled with negative criticism from the public. “I think what people need to remember is that the economy of this city—of this country—is largely dependent on oil and gas,” says Caldwell. “Everybody in this city benefits indirectly from the oil and gas industry, so when I hear my friends ragging on it, I see it as my duty to educate them about the facts … I think there is a lot of misinformation floating around about the ‘big, bad’ oil and gas companies.”

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

According to Sharma, there are about 1,300 geophysicists in Calgary, (primarily involved in oil and gas exploration), and the city will be welcoming plenty more in the coming years. He attributes this to the fact that exploration is global in nature and the demand is expected to rise. Today there are hundreds of geophysicist positions, whether they are affiliated with petroleum, mining, or the environment. “Because [most] projects in environmental geophysics are relatively small, you actually go out and collect your own data, process, and interpret it,” says Sharma. “You’re kind of doing everything, and it can be pretty intense, physically. I personally really like that because it gets me out into the outdoors and you see places you would normally never see.” Caldwell agrees with Sharma on the future of geophysics: “The demand for geophysicists is only going to increase in this industry, especially considering a lot of our more seasoned geophysicists are going to be retiring soon … I recommend to any student who has a passion for math, physics, [and] geology, to pursue it.” But don’t take it for granite. (Err … granted!) A career in geophysics is a career hard-earned. The more experience you can nab with various computer platforms and software programs, the better. A bachelor’s degree in physics, math, or geology is also highly encouraged. “I’m educated, not just in a technical sense, but also from a personal growth perspective,” says Caldwell. “It’s a very challenging job, but it’s very rewarding.”

ONE-ON-ONE WITH MAYOR NAHEED NENSHI

OIL & GAS

Follow that boom! The prosperity in Calgary can lead you to a promising career. Imagine Alberta: endless fields of wheat, an array of ice-capped mountains, dazzling glacial lakes, and cows galore. Despite its wide perception as a wilderness province, Alberta is now seeing a surge in population growth, business investments, and employment opportunities.

Nenshi, the world’s brightest chemical and environmental engineers are flocking to the province to show off their knowledge and ideally boost Canada’s energy economy. “If you’re an environmental engineer, there’s nowhere you’d rather work than in the oil sands industry because the opportunity is huge to make a big difference,” says Nenshi. “So there is no reason that we should not also be the centre of alternative energy in the world because we have people who know energy better than anybody else.”

In the southern portion of the province lies Calgary, a city that Mayor Naheed Nenshi has helped place on the map as a global force in the energy market. For three years, Nenshi has led a city that now boasts 14 per cent of all jobs in Canada, and more than Electricity strikes 200,000 employment opportunities are expected to emerge over the balance of this According to Nenshi, approximately 80 per decade. A self-professed lover and avid user cent of Canadians live in urban centres. As of transit systems, Nenshi says he is proud such, he encourages Calgarians and other curious Canadians to live and work in to “be a part of the one of the youngest energy.” and highest-educated workforces in Calgary is one of the few “We’re not just the country. talking about the

places in the world where our primary concern right now is not unemployment but, in fact, a labour crunch.

“Calgary is one of the few places in the world where our primary concern right now is not unemployment but, in fact, a labour crunch,” says Nenshi. “We have the second-largest concentration of head offices in Canada, not only in the energy industry, but in everything from transportation logistics to consumer goods, and, of course, finance and tourism and hospitality.”

Opportunities are endless Voted sexiest and most-beloved Calgarian in a Best of Calgary poll, Nenshi jokes, “if you’re an eye doctor, there’s a shortage.” But Calgary isn’t Alberta’s only hub seeking young, innovative, and hardworking thinkers. According to the Alberta Energy website, the province ranks third, after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, in proven global crude oil reserves. About 98 per cent of Canada’s oil reserves cover 140,200 square kilometres of land in the Athabasca, Cold Lake, and Peace River areas in Northern Alberta. According to

energy industry; we’re talking about something that everyone in Calgary notices right away,” says Nenshi. “And that is the excitement and electricity in the air—the fact that there is an attitude that anything is possible and everyone can succeed.” According to Nenshi, Calgary’s current challenge is to attract and retain the best engineers and graduating artists globally. And when it comes to energy production and job opportunities, it’s the cities that draw global talent, not just the country. Addressing negative criticism of the future of Alberta’s sectors, Nenshi remains optimistic: “Yes, we happen to have a natural resource-based economy. Let’s not begrudge that. It’s the hand we’ve been dealt and it’s our job as Canadians to figure out how best to play that hand. But you know what? It’s a really good hand. We’ve been dealt a royal flush on the first deal. Let’s figure out what we do with that in a thoughtful public policy way to ensure prosperity for all Canadians.” | Kyle Reynolds

Your life. Your career. Your choice. that takes ‘open concept’ to a whole new level? Put your skills, your passions to work for YOU in the oil and gas industry. You can make a sky’s the limit! Visit us online to see how you can be a part of it.

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SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

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CANADA IS THE WORLD’S THIRD-LARGEST PRODUCER OF DIAMONDS. BOTSWANA RUSSIA CANADA CARATS = 2.5K PER YEAR

7.5K

10K 12.5K 15K 17.5K 20K 22.5K 25K

MINING

SPECIAL REPORT

DIG DEEP AND GO FAR

Canadians are putting on their hard hats and heading into the Earth for career opportunities in the expanding mining industry. SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

Find your future career in mining Exploring the various careers there are to be had in the mining industry.

Words Jamie Bertolini // Illustrations Anthony Capano

A career in mining doesn’t necessarily mean wielding pickaxes through unexplored caves, all the while singing, “Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to work we go!” Being an actual underground miner is only one job of the hundreds available in this diverse industry. If you’re interested in the field but not into mirroring the profession of those well-known dwarves, fear not! According to the Mining Association of Canada, this industry employs around 320,000 people throughout the country in sectors such as mineral extraction, smelting, fabrication, and manufacturing. Here are three careers to explore in the field of mining:

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

CAREER OPTIONS

Geologists can branch into two areas of mining: exploration and underground. Exploration geologists are typically responsible for finding mineral deposits on new sites where mines will eventually be constructed. Underground, mining geologists take care of the miners, ensuring they are blasting in the right places, as well as taking samples of minerals and rock sheets.

Geologist

Luke Willis, senior geologist and director of resource modelling with McEwen Mining, has worked in the field for the past 16 years. He says the most enjoyable aspect of his job is being able to travel to various sites around the world. “It’s all very well going on vacation maybe for a week or two, but actually getting the chance to go work out in the bush in Australia or something is exciting,” he says. As a geologist, Willis worked on a rotation schedule with two weeks on and two weeks off. During his time on site, he generally was required to work 11-hour days.

If the technology around mining is more suited to your interests, mining engineering could be for you, as engineers are needed in different areas of mining. Electrical engineers, for example, are responsible for planning and overseeing the site’s power generators. Mineral process engineers take care of the extraction of metallic and nonmetallic minerals, while mining engineers help plan, design, and build new mines.

Engineer

Marc Clauser, a previous field engineer for ConeTec in Fort Mc-

After spending a number of years as an engineer, you could then move your way up to be a director.

Director of Mining Services

That’s what happened for Kevin Morris, director of mining services for Kinross Gold Corporation, who has been in the industry for over 31 years. Much of his time as director is spent interacting with various people via email or phone while explaining and providing technical support and information about the company and its many ongoing projects. Pit design and pit optimization are two other jobs Morris would be taking care of on particularly busy days. Pit design is the physical design work that goes into the creation of the site. Pit optimization is the first step that occurs prior to the designing of it. It is based on a three dimensional block model that is created with software to determine which of the designs are the most economic given the set of costs.

MINING

His morning consisted of arriving at the mine at 6 a.m., organizing their plan for the day, and recapping what was done the night before by the night shift geologists. Between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., Willis says he could be found underground taking samples of the rock face, marking it up for the miners so that they knew where to drill and blast, and drawing up maps of the face. “Half the day [is spent] pretty much underground,” says Willis. “Getting your feet wet and taking samples and the next half of the day you’re usually just writing up all the paperwork.” Willis’ paperwork typically involved re-drawing face maps onto neat copy, updating the blasting sequence and the progress that had been made that day, and writing up notes and instructions for the senior geologist, mining supervisor, and incoming night shift geologists. According to the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR), there is a lot of opportunity for growth with a career as a mining geologist. Starting out as a geologist right out of university, you can then move up to senior geologist, management, and then into senior management or the launching of your own firm.

Murray, Alberta, says it was his role to acquire data in the field. “It was a specialized role for determining soil strengths and things of that nature in the oil sands,” he says. “You’re in the field. You’re constantly dealing with a whole array of challenges and changing environments.” A typical day is spent collecting data and working with drillers to test areas of the mine. According to Clauser, he had to be prepared to troubleshoot any issues that could arise, especially when temperatures in Alberta dip well below freezing in the winter.

“I tell people, when they ask me what it is I do for a living, I say I solve Rubik’s cubes; we deal a lot with block models here in mining,” says Morris. “[Where] a typical Rubik’s cube will have 27 blocks, ours will have 2.7 million blocks.” However, Morris says he has software that helps to come up with the answer to those. Unlike many other fields today, mining is a field in need of workers. According to MiHR, Canada has one of the largest mining industries in the world, producing over 60 different minerals and metals. Clauser offers one final word of advice for those thinking of a career in mining: “It’s one of those things that you have to be aware of what you’re getting into. It takes a commitment to move up the ladder but a lot of these companies appreciate that early commitment and if you do work hard at the start of your career, your opportunities are endless.”

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

MINING

OVERSEAS

the perks. While adjusting to new cultures can be difficult, it can also be a rewarding experience. “For me, the opportunity to go all over the world has been a great experience that I wouldn’t change for anything,” says Ball. Those in the mining industry often spend large amounts of time, about six weeks straight, working at the mine site. This is followed by several weeks off, when you can choose to fly home or stay in the area and make it a vacation. Companies will often pay some of your expenses during this time off too. Exploration geologists may spend most of their time working, but can often linger and explore the region after their work is done.

The ups and downs of mining Find your overseas adventure through a career in mining.

Travelling to places like Russia, Kazakhstan, Argentina, Brazil, and Nevada isn’t commonplace for most people, but Stephen Ball has been to them all, thanks to his job.

James Leader, an instructor of the mining and mineral exploration program at BCIT, says junior engineers are generally more likely to be assigned overseas for a long period of time, compared to senior engineers.

The lifestyle they experience depends on He came across the mining industry “by how well-established or large the mine site fluke” while talking to an administrator of the mining program at the British Columis, but most of the time mines are in very bia Institute of Technology (BCIT). “I just remote places with few luxuries. Geologists gravitated towards also have travel [the mining indusopportunities, but try],” says Ball. It they are more likewas “the allure of ly to work on exthis whole other We’ve got people in the desert ploration projects world that I wasn’t that require shorter of Africa to a high-altitude aware of.” trips. Lifestylemine at 55,000 metres in Chile wise, geologists are After completing a and far east Russia. more likely to be technical diploma working in a campin mining from setting during an BCIT, Ball studied exploration. mining engineering at the University of Montana. Since his graduation in 2005, the Calgary native has worked in six countries over seven years. While mining is a global industry that involves opportunities for overseas adventures, some jobs within the sector offer more travel time than others. Ball’s excessively stamped passport proves that mining engineers get their fair share of globetrotting.

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

For both roles, “the challenges can be numerous, from fighting off nasty animals that bite, all the way through to the frustrations of trying to work in a foreign culture, where things don’t work and get done quite the same as in North America or Europe,” says Leader. However, the challenges of working and travelling in the mining industry are also

And unlike most other industries, you get to the exciting part fast. Many mining companies have programs to give recent graduates travel experience right away. For example, Kinross Gold Corporation has new graduate and student job programs, including the annual “Generation Gold” where ten recent graduates are admitted to the four-year program putting them in different locations each year. “We’ve got people in the desert of Africa to a high-altitude mine at 55,000 metres in Chile and far east Russia,” says Colleen Gillis, manager of global university affairs at Kinross. “The program allows students to get on-the-job training. It allows you to learn new languages and get very specific mentorships from people in those locations.” She says Kinross looks for people who are adaptable, flexible, and involved in their community. Some previous work experience, such as summer exploration projects, co-op experience, or internships are important as well. Working at several mine sites around the world can really boost your career too. Ball, who has been managing mines for the past two years, took an engineering professional development course to demonstrate that he’s keeping up with the industry. “What it really boils down to is: what are your experiences and what kind of situations have you been involved with? I’ve been quite lucky to be involved in some world class projects around the world. Those experiences are what employers really look at,” he says. And of course, travelling on its own is a pretty big perk. FYI, Ball recommends Brazil—the weather is more agreeable than Russia. | Michelle Hampson

WOMEN IN MINING

HELP WANTED. APPLY WITHIN. 100,000 90,000 80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000

Opportunities in the deep Women find gold in Canada’s growing mining sector.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS IN CANADA, AROUND 92,000 WORKERS WILL NEED TO BE HIRED DUE TO RETIREES IN THE MINING INDUSTRY.

When you think of mining, you probably picture headlamps, coal, and men with pickaxes. With advancements in technology and a diversifying workforce, however, the mining industry of today is much different from the past. Although women only represent 14 to 16 per cent of the industry and fill mostly administrative roles, opportunities for women in mining are growing.

30,000 20,000 10,000 # OF YEARS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ONE IN EVERY TEN JOBS IN THE GOODS PRODUCING SECTOR ARE IN MINING.

“Over the next ten years, we’re estimating that about 112,000 people are going to be needed in the mining industry,” says Melanie Sturk, director of attraction, retention, and transition with the Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MiHR). “Women can work in any position in the mining industry, and there are actually over 120 different occupations in the sector.” Employment opportunities range from administrative, technical, and operational roles to finance, human resources, and executive positions. Not only are there many opportunities, but the number of women in the sector is rising as well.

CANADA’S MINING INDUSTRY IS WORTH $50.3 BILLION! $11

“We’re seeing more and more women join GoldCorp and joining the mining industry in general, in everything from truck drivers to trades roles to engineering to geology,” says Jenine Ellefson, director of talent and recruiting at GoldCorp, a senior gold producer with headquarters in Vancouver, BC. To enter the industry, generally grade 12 education is the bare minimum. Students should also consider intern positions to expose them to the industry.

$10 $9 $8

“The mining industry sees work experience as incredibly important,” says Sturk. “Not only that, but joining professional associations like the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) and Women in Mining (WIM). Also, MiHR has a virtual mine mentor program that can connect students with workers in the field before they graduate—all of these things are important on a resumé.”

$7 $6 $5 $4 $3 $2 $1 TOP FOUR

QC $7.7

BC $8.5

SK $9.2

MINING

ON $10.6

Trista Dobratz, a recent graduate from Northern College in Porcupine, Ontario, began working in the underground department at the dome mine for GoldCorp Por-

cupine Gold Mines (PGM) as a student. “I loved my job from day one,” says Dobratz. “I found the environment so intriguing and I was constantly learning something new.” Changing perspectives on women in mining is one of the greatest benefits to working in the field, says Dobratz. “The compliments I receive from my coworkers and management are reassurance that it’s possible to change the stereotype that mining is just for men.” Dobratz cautions that working at the operational level may not be for everyone. “In production and development mining, you have to be physically fit,” says Dobratz. “The job is very physically demanding and requires a certain amount of strength.” But it also has its perks. “The mining industry is a global industry, and [GoldCorp has] ten mine sites that are located all across the Americas,” says Ellefson. “So there are lots of diverse opportunities, and also the opportunity to travel to different locations as part of training.” Once inside the industry, there are a number of training opportunities available. “We’re very supportive of ongoing education development,” says Ellefson. “You can get a lot of on-the-job training, as well as in-house training, for a broad range of activities … and then of course we have people wanting to continue their education, so we always support that as well.” Going forward, emphasis will continue to be placed on attracting more women to the industry as job opportunities become increasingly available. “People may have thought traditionally that women may not be a good fit for the sector,” says Sturk, “but things have changed and there’s absolutely no reason why women couldn’t take on any role.” So if you’re considering mining, use the resources you have at your disposal. Sign up for MiHR’s virtual mine mentor program, join an organization, or apply for a student position. In such a diverse industry, the possibilities are endless. | Kiera Obbard

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

OVERSEAS

EDUCATION

Grad degrees go international Mastering your education, experience, and passport.

When Canadian PhD student Katelynn Perrault first set foot on Australian soil, she was convinced she made the right decision. Upon completing her first year of the applied bioscience master’s program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Perrault decided to embark on an even bigger journey by following her research supervisor to the Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). There, she partook in a candidacy upgrade examination that allowed her to advance to a PhD, saving her valuable time and money. “This was easily the best decision that I’ve ever made for my career and myself,” says Perrault. “I really enjoy my research that I’m doing here, the people are amazing, and I have developed a passion for travel that I never knew I really had before. I have gotten to see so many places and meet people that I never even dreamed of.” Increasingly, employers are seeking students with an international scope—an awareness of and interaction with various cultures and an enhanced skill set that appeals to employers, stakeholders, and customers around the world. If you’re considering a master’s degree, there are several institutions and programs to consider beyond North America. We’ll give you a few to absorb for now: MSc/PhD in forensic science (research) University of Technology Sydney invests millions of dollars in forensic and analytical equipment, which Perrault has benefited from and embraced while conducting her research. “My research field is forensic science and I specifically study decomposition chemistry or, in other words, the chemical breakdown of the human body after death,” says Perrault. Forensic science graduates may find jobs in police forensic laboratories, federal law enforcement agencies, government and private forensic or drug detection laboratories, and environmental protection agencies. Students can expect to pay upwards of $40,000 for tuition; however, there are several scholarship opportunities. International MBA China’s oldest post-secondary institution, Peking University, boasts a two-year international MBA program that is taught in English

and directed at professionals aspiring to become international business leaders. Located in Beijing, the school teaches core business practices that promise to enhance students’ abilities as leaders and entrepreneurs. Deborah Grayson Riegel, communication and presentation skills expert and managing director of Engineers Are People Too, often travels to Beijing from the US to pass on her expertise to international students. “I think the recognition that China is a superpower and that understanding Chinese culture, Chinese business practices, and how to do business with and for China are invaluable for international students,” says Riegel. “I think they recognize and anticipate that this will give them a leg-up in business.” Students will also receive high-quality business Chinese language training, so it may be wise to start learning Mandarin if you plan to stay in China long term. Tuition costs approximately $40,000. International MSc in fire safety engineering Engineering students leaning towards a European dwelling may be wooed by the MSc in fire safety engineering program, coordinated by Belgium’s Ghent University, Sweden’s University of Lund, and the UK’s University of Edinburgh. Students spend at least one semester in each location over the course of four semesters, learning structural engineering as it relates to fire safety, enclosure fire dynamics, risk analysis, and human behaviour. Graduates of this program will soon find themselves fulfilling a broad range of duties in the context of fire safety, such as designing fire protection for space stations and ensuring proper safety protocols are being followed in highrise residential buildings. These engineers are in high demand by corporations, consulting firms, educational institutions, and governments across the globe. Tuition fees fall far below the international standard for international master’s programs at approximately $10,000 CAD per year. “This experience was really worth it,” says Joshua Reichert, a student of the program. “In total, I visited about 25 different countries, used about a dozen different currencies, got to travel by train, bus, boats, etc. into different countries, stayed in hostels for two months straight, and got to meet a ton of people, both as friends and professionally.” | Kyle Reynolds

SEPTEMBER 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA

EDUCATION

CULINARY

Inside the kitchen How hard work in school can reap the rewards of a culinary career. It was beloved chef-turned-television-star Julia Child who said: “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” Whipping up a cheese soufflé or creating the latest trend in pomegranate infusion requires dedication, creativity, and the patience for trial and error. But if you have a developed palate and flair for adventure, a career in the culinary arts could be right up your alley. Ellen Cameron originally started her post-secondary education in pursuit of a social work degree. “I attended social work in university for three years, but cooking school was my original plan,” she says, adding that she switched programs after realizing her true passion lay in the kitchen. Currently a student in the culinary management program at Humber College, she is on track to receive a two-year diploma and hopes to one day establish her own catering business.

Choosing the right mix

The options are seemingly endless in the culinary field; there are programs from baking and pastry arts to specialization in French regional cuisine. George Brown College offers a postgraduate program in Italian cooking and baking, with a semester abroad in Italy that provides students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in Italy’s language and culture. Culinary programs also provide skills for a trade that is globally recognized and can lead to international employment. In Canada, cooks and bakers can become Red Seal ceritified, which gives them interprovincial recognition. Regardless of your area of interest, anyone considering a career in the culinary arts should be prepared for hard work. “The reality of cooking school is pretty close to how I imagined it,” Cameron explains. “I imagined it being fairly strict and hardcore—very early mornings and a strict work ethic. For the most part, I’ve been right about the early mornings. 5 a.m. is my usual wake up alarm and keeping a strict work ethic has been incredibly important.” She also says that any tardiness is unaccepted and uniforms are expected to be kept clean at all times.

Letting it simmer

Every plate is going to be different, taste-wise and in presentation. It’s an excellent way to present your skills and express your creativity. used in a positive way to improve culinary abilities, and that one small improvement could give you an edge over another candidate in this highly competitive field.

Reaping the harvest While the turnover rate for new restaurants remains quite high, according to a Service Canada report, the demand for chefs is predicted to increase as Canada’s population ages. This is a result of healthcare providers turning to catering companies for food services. The public’s increasing appetite for trying different fare is also likely to boost chef and sous chef employment.

This no-nonsense approach in school instills a strong sense of responsibility in students and prepares them for the high expectations placed on chefs in busy kitchens. Long shifts and working evenings and weekends is standard in the food industry, and employers often seek workers with trained specialties, a developed sense of taste and smell, knowledge of dietetics, and speed and accuracy. Students must also be open to criticism, which can be a steep learning curve.

If establishing your own restaurant is in your plans, enrolling in restaurant or hotel management courses could help prepare you for all aspects of the business. Once trained, cooks generally work for several years before attaining sous chef or chef status.

“Taking criticism has been really difficult for me because I’m a fairly sensitive person,” says Cameron, adding that despite this, she has learned to use it to her advantage. Any criticism can be

Her advice for those considering joining the culinary field? “Get ready for a lot of early mornings and stay confident. Confidence is key.” | Laura Eley

JOBPOSTINGS.CA | SEPTEMBER 2013

For Cameron, it’s the opportunity to express herself through cooking that is most appealing. “Every plate is going to be different, taste-wise and in presentation. It’s an excellent way to present your skills and express your creativity,” she says.

EDUCATION