MAY 2013 | VOL.15 | NO. 8
CAREERS. EDUCATION. IDEAS. ALL OF IT.
JOBPOSTINGS.CA
Most queer-positive businesses in Canada
THE LGBT ISSUE Trans at work Community leaders
Breaking workplace barriers
THE LGBT ISSUE Gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, and everyone in between are changing the landscape of workplaces across the world. With an estimated $10 billion in untapped spending dollars and gay marriage in over a dozen countries, equality has never been such a pressing matter for LGBT people. We take a look at issues facing the community, as well as Canadian success stories and initiatives that are pushing for fair and friendly work environments everywhere.
finance, this program offers the
TABLE OF CONTENTS JOBPOSTINGS.CA
unique skills you will need to launch
FEATURES
INDUSTRY REPORTS
your career as a communications
18 Transgender at work
Attitudes toward the LGBT community have improved exponentially, yet discrimination still affects transgender individuals in the workplace. We talk to trans people about what it’s like to transition in different work environments, and hear their successes and struggles.
14 Blue sky government
From project management to public
officer, program officer, policy analyst, business analyst and many other exciting career options.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE
22 SUPPORTING OUR LGBTS
There are exceptional individuals that have devoted their lives to building Canada’s LGBT community. Find out about what it’s like working to better the lives of others.
26 Breaking barriers
While people are encouraged to be out and proud in many different careers, there are still some in which it’s more challenging to be out. We interview two gay men that have worked in predominantly straight industries, and two straight men breaking traditional roles.
Not all government jobs are behind a desk. We look at the greener side of official jobs.
16 Service with a :)
Insurance is changing with the times: as social media and e-methods of communication take over, brokers are adapting to contact their clients.
LEARN ABOUT 07 Crunchin’ numbers
We’ve compiled some stats on struggles for and opinions by LGBT individuals in the workplace.
08 Success stories
Bryan Hui, senior staff accountant at Ernst and Young, discusses working in finance and how being honest about his sexuality helped him land his job.
10 INTERVIEW SMARTS
LGBT FOCUS 24 The pink dollar
Businesses are catching on that the LGBT market is an untapped demographic with lots of money to spend.
31 Working for Pride
Pride festivals are some of the biggest celebrations of the year, so they take time, planning, and manpower.
32 Flag-waving corporations
There are a number of companies that have pushed LGBT rights and helped the community grow. We highlight a number of these courageous organizations promoting equal rights.
Pauline Streete and Dave Gwilliam at SaskPower ask and answer “Give us an example of a work environment you thrived in.”
12 Startup
Massey Whiteknife started ICEIS Safety to fill a niche in the north while staying true to himself as a hard worker and the self-proclaimed first out gay man in Fort McMurray.
34 Edu-ma-cation
Produce and design products with a master’s in industrial design.
36 Navigating offers
If you know what to ask for, more than just salary could be up for grabs.
Jobpostings.ca is Canada’s leading career lifestyle magazine for students and recent grads—but since you’re holding a copy, you probably already knew that. But did you know we’re also Canada’s biggest job board for entry-level, internship, and co-op opportunities? No? Well, now you do.
Lucas Silveira: how being true to yourself helps your career confidence
The Cliks’ frontman has been through more than the average lead singer, transitioning while being a musician. Find out how he did it and what advice he has for other transgender people.
Canada’s Bill C-279 makes our country a leader in LGBT rights
Over on the blog, our editor looks at the recent bill that protects transgender people from discrimination at work, and the overall current situation of LGBT rights worldwide.
Ballyhoo Media’s Cai Sepulis and her dazzling designs
Superstar graphic artist Cai Sepulis has won awards and become a local celebrity in Guelph, Ontario. Check out what it’s like to be a successful graphic designer and how she made it to the top.
JPtv
Know what it takes to get into marketing? Want to become an accountant? What skills do you need to be a broadcast journalist? Find out at JPtv, Jobpostings’ YouTube channel.
business.humber.ca/postgrad MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
WHOSHIRING 02
SaskPower
03
Target
05
TD Canada Trust
06
College Pro
13
Enactus
17
SGI
25
The New England Center for Children
30
The Home Depot
OBC CSIS
schoolINDEX
Masthead Get plugged into a great career.
publisher
Nathan Laurie nlaurie@jobpostings.ca
associate publisher At SaskPower, we generate more than just electricity for Saskatchewan residents. We also offer some of the best career opportunities in the province. Visit saskpower.com/careers to learn more and find the latest job listings.
Mark Laurie mlaurie@jobpostings.ca
COMMUNICATIONS AND PROJECT MANAGER David Tal dtal@jobpostings.ca @DavidTalWrites
editor
James Michael McDonald jmcdonald@jobpostings.ca @mcjamdonald
IFC
Humber, The Business School, Public Administration
ART DIRECTOR
34
Humber, School of Media Studies and Information Technology
Mishraz Ahmad Bhounr mbhounr@jobpostings.ca
34
Centennial College
35
Brock University
35
Niagara College
35
Queen’s University
35
Ross University
35
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine
35
Sheridan College
35 University of Lethbridge
GENERALADs 09
DEVELOPER
contributors
Laura Beeston, Samuel Dunsiger, Allison Mitchell
national account manager Mary Vanderpas
EDUCATION ACCOUNT MANAGER Shannon Tracey
interns
Megan Santos, Kate Aenlle, Angelina Attisano, Arthy Thuraisingam, Lauren Della Vedova
Published by Passion Inc. 25 Imperial Street, Suite 100 Toronto, ON M5P 1B9 jobpostings.ca 1-877-900-5627 ext. 221
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11 Insurance Institute of Canada 15
Anthony Capano acapano@jobpostings.ca
Dell
17 Insurance Institute of Canada IBC Canada’s Luckiest Student
Jobpostings Magazine is published eight times in the school year. Issue dates are September, October, November, January, February, March, April, and May. Copies of jobpostings are distributed to over 105 universities and colleges across Canada. Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may not be reprinted in whole or part without permission of the publishers. “Hope will never be silent.” - Harvey Milk
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JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
EDITOR’S NOTE
04
Proud to be your bank. James Michael McDonald
As a gay man, I feel like it’s an exciting time to be alive. The pioneers of gay rights and sexual liberation laid a strong foundation in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, leaving a world that would actually listen to our fight and extend rights and protection to the LGBT community. In April, Uruguay, New Zealand, and France all passed bills to legalize same-sex marriage. While many countries (like our neighbours to the south) fight internally regarding gay rights, much of the rest of the world is progressing toward equality and equal rights for all people. Here at home, Bill C-279 passed in March, protecting trans individuals from discrimination, including at work. As you’ll see in Crunchin’ Numbers, a large number of LGBT people feel uncomfortable at work, ex-
18 Transgender at work
5%
OF ALL CANADIANS IDENTIFY AS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, OR TRANSGENDER
periencing different forms of discrimination that affect their performance and promotion opportunities, among other aspects of their careers. It’s unfortunate that in a country as forwardthinking as Canada that we require Bill C-279 at all, that we still have people that feel entitled to act superior to others because of their sexuality or gender expression. Hopefully, as more nations move with Uruguay, New Zealand, Canada, and others towards equality, the amount of discrimination will decrease. This year, we decided to produce an entire issue devoted to LGBT rights and challenges in the workplace, to showcase what we’re doing right and highlight what needs improvement. Kate looks at what it’s like to transition and be transgender in the workplace, an area
26 Breaking workplace barriers
CLOSETED LGBTS WHO FEEL ISOLATED AT WORK ARE
that many companies are still developing policy for. Megan interviews a couple guys that work in industries that are dominated by heterosexual males, and also talks to a few others that have built their careers in fields that are not traditionally for straight men. We’ve also listed some of the top queer-positive businesses in Canada, and found out what it’s like to work for Pride festivals, the biggest celebrations across the world. We’re promoting equality in the workplace and highlighting Canadian successes not only to help those of us here in our country, but hopefully to show that equal opportunity and rights for all is not only feasible, but helps a good country become a great nation. Happy reading!
And equally proud of our diverse and inclusive work environment.
32 Flag-waving corporations
85%
OF FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES HAVE PROTECTIVE POLICIES THAT ADDRESS SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
To learn more, and for job opportunities, visit www.td.com
73% MORE LIKELY TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS WITHIN THREE YEARS THAN THEIR OUT GAY COUNTERPARTS
M04200 (0610)
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
CRUNCHIN’ NUMBERS
07
Generally, finding a great job and starting your career can be a difficult process. Employment rates, economic climates, and your previous work experience are just some of the elements that can determine how easy or difficult it will be for you to find your dream job. However—and unfortunately— if you’re part of the LGBT community, you may have some extra hurdles to get over. Here is some information we’ve gathered to help you in your (LGBT-friendly) job search. | Kate Aenlle
THE MOST COMMON FORMS OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION REPORTED ARE:
LAID OFF
HARASSED
OVER 70% OF PEOPLE SURVEYED FEEL THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO BE OUT IN THEIR WORKPLACE.
PASSED OVER FOR ADVANCEMENT RIDICULE
SOCIAL EXCLUSION
9%
PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT COME OUT AT WORK: SAID IT’S BECAUSE THEIR PRIVATE LIFE IS PRIVATE. FEEL THAT THEY JUST DON’T NEED TO. ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
26% 28%
2 IN 5 LGBTS HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME SORT OF WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION AT SOME POINT IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES.
42%
3 IN 4 RESPONDENTS OF THE LGBT COMMUNITY FELT THAT ATTITUDES IN THEIR WORKPLACE CONCERNING THE LGBT COMMUNITY HAD IMPROVED.
43%
BELOW IS A TIMELINE OF THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE
2000
2003
2005
Sources: cglcc.ca, angus-reid.com
2005
2006
2008
2009
2010
2010
2010
2012
2013
2013
MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
SUCCESS STORIES
08
THERE’S A REAL ADVANTAGE TO CHOOSING ROGERS.
SUCCESS STORIES Bryan Hui
What drew you to your current field?
Degree: Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting Specialist ___________________________
I knew I was not a science guy right from the start. So I explored other facets of my interests during high school. I was fascinated with accounting because it made so much sense to me. It was methodical and logical just like my personality. When I was applying for university, I looked through the catalogue and decided that I should go into accounting—better yet, the accounting specialist stream to be on my way to becoming a Chartered Accountant, (now also known as Chartered Professional Accountant).
OTHER EXPERINCE: Director of Events, Out on Bay Street
How did you find your current position?
COMPANY: Ernst & Young LLP ___________________________ Position: Senior Staff Accountant ___________________________ Length of Employment: 2.5 years ___________________________
It was definitely through hard work in my third and fourth year of university after not giving my best effort in the first couple of years. Recruiting season for accounting students is stressful. You have about an hour or so to impress representatives from each accounting firm through networking. It is extremely competitive—no doubt about that. At the networking session, I must have impressed the senior manager and partner because I was invited for the interview! At the interview itself, I demonstrated to the hiring partner at Ernst & Young that I learned from my mistake (of not doing my best in the beginning of university) and have corrected myself. I also mentioned that I am capable of allocating time to be involved with extracurricular events. I shared with the partner my involvement with Out On Bay Street while being myself. I had no trouble expressing that I am gay and am active with an LGBTQA organization. I believe employers value candidates who can do the job and be honest about who they are. Lo and behold, I received a call a half hour after the interview and I got the offer!
Tell us a bit about your responsibilities: As a senior staff member, I project-manage the overall audit by coordinating internally
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
and also with the client, supervising and guiding staff, and actually doing the audit work! The senior staff on each audit ensures things go smoothly and the audit field work is completed at a reasonable time for audit executives to review.
What is the most challenging aspect of your position? Deadlines may change frequently so it is challenging to prioritize what may have significant impact to the audit.
What skills have you learned through your work experience? I have definitely enhanced my analytical skills and attention to detail. After reviewing and analyzing so many different types of system-generated or client-prepared reports, I have an easier time picking up a report now and digesting it. I definitely think it’s an acquired skill.
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What do you think it takes to be successful in this career?
ROGERS TECHXPERT TM Get access to your own personal support expert whenever you need technical help. Available 24/7 online or by phone.3
Willingness to learn and be patient. It will definitely pay off despite the steep learning curve initially. As long as you are willing to learn, there is always someone at Ernst & Young who can guide you through it.
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What advice do you have for students looking to land their first job? This will sound cliché but be yourself and be confident. Know what you want! Do not take just any job upon graduation but rather take the time to research and find what career you would like to go into.
NEW
PRICE MATCH Upgrading? Find the same nationally advertised smartphone on the same term and Rogers will match the price. Exclusively for Rogers customers.5
What is it like to work with Out On Bay Street? I have met some extraordinary people on the Out On Bay Street team. These people have become great friends whom I go to for personal and professional advice. It has been an honour to work with everyone.
SPONSORED BY ROGERS
rogers.com/freedomadvantage Offer available for a limited time and subject to change without notice. 1 If customer purchased a discounted device based on satisfying plan eligibility criteria, customer must switch to a plan that maintains such eligibility to switch at no charge. 2 FLEXtab customers must pay remaining FLEXtab balance corresponding to the sum of the Device Savings Recovery Fee and the Additional Device Savings Recovery Fee. For non-FLEXtab customers, please call or visit your Rogers store for your applicable remaining balance. A $35 Hardware Upgrade Administration Fee will also apply. 3 Monthly $7.99 fee applies (unless included in selected DP plan). Services only provided for the wireless device attributable to telephone number for which it was subscribed. Some exclusions apply (e.g. hardware/software training; product repair/replacement etc.); visit rogers.com/terms for details. 4 Lost/stolen coverage not available in NL, SK & PQ. Anti-theft/anti-virus tools on select devices only. Monthly service fee applies (varies based on device/ plan selected). Service replacement fee (varies based on device) applies for claims. Other conditions apply. Visit rogers.com/protection or see brochure in store for details. Visit rogers.com/phonefinder for phone finder details. 5 Offer only available at participating Rogers branded locations to existing Rogers wireless customers (excluding corporate) with hardware upgrade on a 2 or 3-yr. Rogers plan (new activations and existing customers wishing to add a line excluded). Customer must satisfy hardware upgrade eligibility requirements (e.g. active customer in good standing for min. 1 month prior to upgrade). Price match only applies to competitor’s nationally advertised pricing for the same device (including same colour) on the same term. Match applies to device price only. Any applicable plan restrictions to be eligible for Rogers device price must be met. If eligible, customer will be charged the matched price at point of sale wherever possible (upon eligibility verification by Rogers systems). Alternatively, if immediate verification not possible, price difference between Rogers and nationally advertised competitor applied as: (a) a one-time bill credit applied to customer’s 2nd or 3rd invoice; and/or (b) mail-in hardware upgrade rebate. For full details, visit Rogers.com/freedomadvantage. ©2013 Rogers Communications.
INTERVIEW SMARTS
10
INTERVIEW
SMARTS
So you screwed up in the interview, huh? They asked the ol’ “What’s your greatest weakness” question and you answered with “cupcakes,” hoping to get a laugh. Awkward. Lucky for you, we have friends on the inside—recruiting friends (the people who’ll be interviewing you). It cost us a few favours, but they finally agreed to explain why they ask what they ask, and what the best answers are. It’s a cheatsheet for interviews. Good luck!
Pauline Streete & Dave Gwilliam, SaskPower Give us an example of a work environment you thrived in. What type of work environment do you prefer? We spoke to Pauline Streete, diversity leader at SaskPower, and her colleague Dave Gwilliam, supervisor of recruitment, and asked them how an ideal candidate would respond to the above question. “For me, a big part of [asking candidates this question] is it’s an opportunity to make sure they’re going to fit into the environment that we have, which is team-building, busy, and innovative,” says Gwilliam. “We want someone who is interested in working in that environment, someone who’s supportive of that environment.” Gwilliam adds that they look for someone who indicates a desire to work with a diverse work group. “If someone was to sit there and say ‘I want ten people just like me to be in my work environment,’ that would be a flag that we’d be concerned about.” Streete says, “there’s usually a question like ‘What do you know about SaskPower’ that couples nicely with the question ‘What type of environment did you thrive and flourish in?’ Because we promote our diversity initiatives on our SaskPower careers page as a part of what our organization offers, the applicants who have done their research recog-
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
nize the social piece, which speaks to the type of environment we are striving for: a diverse, engaged work environment. We want to know that people have looked at our diversity initiatives and recognize that individual differences are respected and valued in our organization.” And that’s just the basic stuff, says Gwilliam. “You don’t want someone to say ‘Well, I want it to be very quiet, people to leave me alone, no one to bug me.’” He explains that expressing a genuine enjoyment in learning from others’ different ideas and approaches goes a long way. “That’s one of the things that takes the answer to the next level because everybody is going to say ‘I want to be in an environment that’s part of a team, and I want to be busy.’” Gwilliam emphasises the importance of collaborative attitudes towards work, because “the days of employees being able to hide in an office and work by themselves are over.” Instead, they really want candidates to talk about being part of a team and desiring an environment where they can discuss ideas with other people. “It’s about wanting a safe environment where they can talk about their ideas, and they could pry feedback from each other. You really want them to stress that because everything we do here is by group or by project, so that’s very important.” Gwilliam adds that innovation and teamwork may not be the first thing that comes to candidates’ minds when they think about working for a power utility, but it is becoming increasingly embedded into the company’s culture, one hire at a time. “We are innovative, we are team-building, we are becoming more diverse. We are trying to become all those things, so on our end that’s becoming more important when we go to hire because we want people to realize what we really are—not so much what our image is.”
Where do you want your education to take you? Where dodo you want your Where you want your Here’s atocareer path with education take you? education to take you? unlimited potential. Here’s a career Here’s a careerpath pathwith with What are you looking for in a career? Earning potential? Security? unlimited potential. Having the chance topotential. face a new and different challenge every day? unlimited
Whatever you've learned in school and in life, you’ll have the chance to use it in What are you looking for in a career? Earning potential? Security? the insurance What are youindustry. looking for in a career? Earning potential? Security? Having the chance to face a new and different challenge every day? Having the chance to face a new and different challenge every day? Whatever you've learneda in school and in life, you’ll have the chance to usetoit use in It’s hard toyou've imagine career choice where you’ll have thethe opportunity Whatever learned in school and in life, you’ll have chance to use it in the insurance industry. more of your skills than insurance. Why? Because insurance is already a part of the insurance industry. everything you do. It protects homes, jobs, cars, property and the continuity of It’s hard toAnd imagine a career choiceis where you’llus,have the opportunity to use lives. all around the industry has a wide variety It’s hard to because imagine insurance a career choice where you’ll have the opportunity to use of moremore of your skills than insurance. Why? Because insurance is already a of of careers match amazing toischange directions of to your skillsyour thaneducation insurance.and Why? Becauseflexibility insurance alreadypart a part everything youway. do. Itdo. protects homes, jobs,jobs, cars,cars, property andand thethe continuity of of along the everything you It protects homes, property continuity lives.lives. AndAnd because insurance is allisaround us, the industry hashas a wide variety of of because insurance all around us, the industry a wide variety careers to match your education and amazing flexibility to change directions There are Canadians working in the property casualty careers to more matchthan your110,000 education and amazing flexibility to change& directions along the way. along the way. insurance sector. It’s an industry that reflects the face and the values of Canadian society and has a constant need for talented, creative, motivated people. There are more thanthan 110,000 Canadians working in the property & casualty There are more 110,000 Canadians working in the property & casualty insurance sector. It’s an industry that reflects the face and the values Canadian insurance It’sperson? an industry that reflects theclients face and values of Canadian Are you asector. people Brokers work with to the create aofstrategy to society and has a constant need for talented, creative, motivated people. society a constant need for talented, creative, motivated people. protectand theirhas assets. Are Are you a people person? Brokers work with clients to create a strategy to to you people person? Brokers with clients to create a strategy Gifted ata math? You could thrive aswork an actuary. protect theirtheir assets. protect assets. Good at listening? As a claims professional, you’ll help people who are coping Gifted at an math? You You could as an Gifted ataccident, math? thrive asactuary. an actuary. with firecould orthrive theft. Good at listening? As aYou claims professional, helphelp people whowho are are coping Good at listening? As a could claims professional, you’ll people coping Strategic thinker? work as anyou’ll underwriter and develop the withwith an accident, fire or theft. an accident, fire or theft. products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss. Strategic thinker? You could work as an develop thethe Strategic thinker? You could work asunderwriter anevery underwriter develop As your career in insurance progresses, day and canand present interesting new products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss. products that keep people protected from unforeseen loss. opportunities, new challenges, and the flexibility to pursue new goals. As your career inmore insurance day present interesting new As career in insurance progresses, every can present interesting new To your find out aboutprogresses, where you every might fit day incan with your post-secondary opportunities, new challenges, and the flexibility to pursue new goals. opportunities, newvisit challenges, flexibility to pursue new goals. You may education, please our Weband sitethe at www.career-connections.info. be surprised to find that insurance isn’t what you think. It’s a whole lot more. To find out more about where youyou might fit infitwith youryour post-secondary To find out more about where might in with post-secondary education, please visitvisit our our WebWeb site site at www.career-connections.info. YouYou maymay education, please at www.career-connections.info. be surprised to find thatthat insurance isn’tisn’t what youyou think. It’s aIt’swhole lot more. be surprised to find insurance what think. a whole lot more.
Your interests and your experience may add up to Your interests and your Your interests and a great career in your insurance. experiencemay mayadd addupuptoto experience a greatcareer careerinininsurance. insurance. a great
Sara Runnalls Broker
“A college diploma or university
Sara Runnalls degree in any subject is helpful Sara Runnalls Broker for entry into the profession, Broker although those who have
“A college diploma or university studieddiploma finance,ormanagement, “A college university degree in any subject is helpful mathematics or business degree anyprofession, subject is helpful for entry intointhe wouldinto have advantage.” for entry thean profession, although those who have although those who have studied finance, management, studied finance, management, mathematics You’re a people person and a greator business communicator mathematics or business would have an advantage.” would have anconsumers advantage.” Insurance brokers and agents help find the right coverage to protect their cars, You’rehomes, a people person andboats a great communicator businesses, and belongings You’re a people person and a great fire communicator against loss through accident, or theft. Insurance brokers and agents help consumers While brokers usually represent several and findInsurance the right brokers coverage toagents protecthelp theirconsumers cars, insurance aretheir more likely find the rightcompanies, coverage toagents protect cars, homes, businesses, boats and belongings to sellbusinesses, policies for boats just one. are the homes, andThese belongings against loss through accident, fire or theft. entrepreneurs of the insurance against loss through accident, fire industry or theft. While brokers usually represent several While several withbrokers many ofusually them represent working for themselves insurance companies, agents are more likely insurance companies, agents are more likely or for small independent firms. to sell policies for just one. These are the to sell policies for just one. These are the entrepreneurs of the insurance industry entrepreneurs of the insurance industry with many of them working for themselves with many of them working for themselves or for small independent firms. Gavin Mascarenhas or for small independent firms.
Broker / Agent
Broker Broker/ Agent / Agent
Loss Adjuster
“The best advice is to
in law or Gavinspecialize Mascarenhas Gavin Mascarenhas LossLoss Adjuster business-related Adjuster
courses.” “The“The bestbest advice is tois to advice specialize in law or or specialize in law business-related business-related courses.” courses.”
Loss Adjuster
You’re part private investigator and part therapist The loss adjuster is responsible for ensuring
Loss thatAdjuster those who have suffered a loss receive the Loss Adjuster
You’re partpart private investigator andand part therapist compensation and assistance they aretherapist eligible You’re private investigator part to receive. Whether employed by the insurance TheThe lossloss adjuster is responsible for ensuring adjuster is responsible for ensuring company or working as an independent thatthat those who have suffered a loss receive thethe those who loss receive contractor, thehave losssuffered adjusterainvestigates compensation andand assistance they areare eligible compensation assistance they eligible the accident, arranges medical treatment to receive. Whether employed by by the insurance toifreceive. Whether employed necessary and negotiates the the finalinsurance settlement company or working as an independent company or working as an independent to restore policy holders to where they were, contractor, the lossloss adjuster investigates contractor, adjuster investigates as closelythe as possible, before their loss. thethe accident, arranges medical treatment accident, arranges medical treatment if necessary andand negotiates thethe final settlement if necessary negotiates final settlement to restore policy holders to where they were, to restore policy holders to where they were, as closely as possible, before their loss. as closely as possible, before their loss. Michelle Snowdon Underwriter
“For a greater advantage,
and the highest placement Michelle Snowdon Michelle Snowdon value, I would recommend Underwriter Underwriter
courses in law as well as “For“For a greater advantage, a greater advantage, successful completion of a highest placement andand the the highest placement business or insurance value, I would recommend value, I would recommend program.” courses in law as well courses in law as well as as successful completion successful completion of aof a business or insurance business or insurance You’re a relationship developer and decision-maker program.” program.” Underwriters accept or reject risk on behalf of insurance companies. They assess the kind of You’re a relationship developer decision-maker You’re a relationship developer andand decision-maker insurance required by organizations as diverse as a shopping mall,ora reject professional sports team, Underwriters accept risk on behalf Underwriters accept or reject risk on behalf of of a manufacturer, a city government or a of insurance companies. They assess kind insurance companies. They assess thethe kind of construction company. Underwriters examine insurance required organizations diverse insurance required by by organizations as as diverse every facet ofmall, the aorganization’s operation a shopping professional sports team,and as aasshopping mall, a professional sports team, its request for ainsurance, then decide what the a manufacturer, city government or a a manufacturer, a city government or a insurance company should cover and how construction company. Underwriters examine construction company. Underwriters examine much it should charge. every facet of the organization’s operation and every facet of the organization’s operation and its request insurance, then decide what its request for for insurance, then decide what thethe insurance company should cover how insurance company should cover andand how much it should charge. much it should charge.
Underwriter
Underwriter Underwriter
STARTUP
12
ICEIS Safety
Strength of character leads to success By: James Michael McDonald
“I made it a mission with my own company and myself that I will stand up and I will defend those who can’t defend themselves,” says Massey Whiteknife, owner and president of ICEIS Safety Consulting based in Fort McMurray, Alberta. His company provides safety consulting and training to clients, as well as safety manuals and supplies, and basic camp supplies. As an openly gay, aboriginal man living in a small community, Whiteknife has fought discrimination and bullying his entire life, including when he started his company. “When I was younger, a lot of the industry was telling me that I’d never make it because ‘you have to be straight,’” he says. “‘You have to tell people you’re married with two kids and that you have the picket fence. You have to dress like everyone else.’ I was just cringing.” Whiteknife believes he was the first openly gay man in Fort McMurray, a situation that helped him develop a strong sense of self. “I’ve been told all my life, over and over, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ just because of my sexuality.” He embraces his sexuality, performing drag and not hiding who he is. He even went so far as to name his company after his drag persona, Iceis Rain. “I thought about what I wanted my company to be and I knew that I would be a little fish in a big pond, that I was going to have to work twice as hard,” he says. “I wasn’t going to go out there and be that scared little company. I’m going to be bold and aggressive and dominate the competition. I’m going to be proud of my company, stand tall, and look good.” Whiteknife’s commanding ideology has led to much success. In a few short years, ICEIS Safety went from a $100,000 company to a multimillion-dollar company. He has also landed a spot on the board of the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association, (a position elected by his peers), won the 2011 Youth Entrepreneur of Alberta Award of Distinction, and was nomi-
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
I wasn’t going to go out there and be that scared little company. I’m going to be bold and aggressive and dominate the competition. nated in March for the Eagle Feather Business Award of Distinction by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce. He attributes his success to getting his hands dirty and never giving up. After working as a custodian then a manager, he went into safety, learning the business from the ground up. When he first started his company, it failed, as many fledgling companies do. Instead of giving up, Whiteknife worked, saved up enough money, and started again. “I worked really hard for one year with a $3,000 beat-up bus. Clients would laugh and say ‘Oh,
here comes ICEIS Safety with their beat-up bus.’ I told them to just give me a shot.” Luckily, his customers gave him a year, after which he hired employees, bought proper transportation, and really began to see growth. He now has 14 employees and many major clients. After all his challenges, Whiteknife is living his dream, and encourages other young people to follow their entrepreneurial spirit too. “If you’re thinking of starting a business, do what you have a passion for, not what you think is a quick money-maker,” he says. “Stay positive, never burn bridges, and when you have to roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty, do it with a smile.”
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OUTDOOR GOVERNMENT
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Outdoor government opportunities The role of park managers and urban designers
Government jobs = office jobs, right? As a matter of fact, not all careers with the government mean sitting behind a desk from 9–5, and with spring underway, finding summer employment with the government that gives you more experience outdoors might change your initial perception. Owen Croy, manager of parks in Surrey, BC, says there are ample opportunities for student summer employment in the city’s parks system. “Very often we’re able to attract people when they’re doing seasonal work in the summer time and we work with some of those students for several years,” he says. And sometimes, Croy explains, those summer jobs can lead to permanent employment in the future. “We can evaluate them and they can evaluate us. We can see what the fit is and who has the passion.” As manager of parks, Croy’s responsibilities are endless: he manages anything from public beaches, athletic fields, cemeteries, to thousands of acres of parkland. (So yes, not just “parks” like his title suggests.) “I get out of the office every day but sometimes that’s on my way to the office,” he says. “I go by different park sites each day, so I can see and keep in touch with what’s going on in the community—our new development sites, areas where we’ve had problems and issues, and that sort of thing.” Croy says that although he gets to visit different sites each day, it’s the supervisors, groundskeepers, and technicians that spend the most time outdoors. For students and new grads interested in outdoor entry-level employment with the government, Croy suggests a position as a parks groundskeeper. Aside from the diploma and degree requirements, (with a bonus if you graduated from a horticulture program in college or university), a personal skill like leadership is an important trait to have. “What we want to do is look for people who demonstrate some capacity of leadership,” he says. “We’re looking for people who have a passion for working with the public...have great customer service skills, [and] people who
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
can convey their passion for beautiful things to the public that we serve.” And if you don’t have a knack for gardening, there are other opportunities that await you. Although the majority of time is spent planning and negotiating indoors, a career as an urban designer might just be in your best interest if you have an exceptional imagination and a passion for city streetscapes. “There’s lots of people who see something and can’t imagine it [being] anything else,” says Leo DeSorcy, manager of urban design in Toronto’s North York district. “So what makes an urban designer or a landscape architect is they go to some place and they can imagine various futures for it and they can draw pictures of it.” On occasion, urban designers venture outdoors to visit sites, observe the city, and attend public meetings, but it is mainly the job of staff who do capital construction that spend most of their workdays outdoors. “We get a small amount of capital in our capital budgets and what we do is we take relatively utilitarian streetscapes...add our money into it and make it a more interesting place.” As an urban designer, he says it’s a profession for those who aren’t shy. “You have to learn how to speak everybody else’s language,” he says. “You have to talk to the engineers, the water guys, and traffic guys to learn enough of their language to speak to them and understand their issues.” To top that off, DeSorcy says it’s a requirement to be able to draw either by computer or by hand; (it is a design profession, after all). As an imaginative person with a passion for the city where he’s spent the last 25 years working, DeSorcy shares his love for the job and says “transforming the city is about making it greener, more pedestrian-friendly, more connected, so at some point it stops being a job and it’s just how you see the world—although it makes your partner or spouse crazy because, at some point, you can’t just walk down the street.” | Megan Santos
IMAGES: ISTOCK.COM
INSURANCE BROKERS
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Insurance brokers adapt to changing communication methods
When you think of people who work in the insurance industry, the many movie characters that have worked for insurance companies come to mind: Mr. Incredible of The Incredibles, who spent his days daydreaming about doing something more and re-living his superhero past; and Edward Norton’s character in Fight Club, whose job causes him to have a mental breakdown. While intricate plots to tear down society and save the world from evil super-villains seems far more interesting than insurance, insurance brokers play a large role in the lives of many people. They’re the ones who help protect you and all the things you’ve worked so hard to attain. For Diane Jones, vice-president of marketing and sales and partial owner at Silvercrest Insurance Group, insurance is a lot more than just “pumping out insurance policies.” She says that being an insurance broker is about “providing clients with education on insurance, being there for them, and giving them customer service that they require.” She says it’s also important to treat her clients with respect and understanding during clients’ most tragic times. Caleb Maksymchuk, vice-president of operations at Ravenhill Agencies says that, on one hand, “sales are a large portion of the position. Without sales, there is no income.” On the other, he says “there is a lot more to being a broker than strictly sales.” At times, insurance brokers have had to “console family members when there has been a death in the family.” With such an emphasis on customer service and client relations, social media and advances in the way we communicate have changed
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
what being an insurance broker means. “The foundation of the insurance industry is built upon creating and developing relationships,” says Dustin Nakonechny, branch manager and area vice-president for commercial lines at Alpine Insurance & Financial Inc. “From the outside looking in, it doesn’t really seem this way. However, once you get into the industry, you realize it very quickly. As a broker, we develop important relationships with our clients, suppliers (insurance companies), and of course coworkers. The relationship development in these areas is the aspect of my job that I love most.” Now, more than ever, it seems businesses need to have every avenue of communication open, particularly in industries that rely heavily on customer service. “Technology is a huge gamechanger in all industries,” says Maksymchuk. This means maintaining the use of traditional or old-school methods of communication like face-to-face meetings and conference calls, as well as newer methods like emails and instant messaging via sites like Facebook. “The world’s changed now,” says Jones. “[Brokers] will do their insurance at midnight, and they will send you a message whenever they feel like it. In my office, we have emails and clients can send us a Facebook message; they can reach us pretty much any way they want, any time they want. We also have online forms if they’d like to fill out a change request at 11 o’clock at night, they can do that on our website.” She says that many of their clients who fall in a younger demographic (early to late twenties) are particularly keen on keeping in
touch, as they often have many questions for Jones “because they want to understand the policy [they’re buying] inside and out.” Maksymchuk says that within their brokerage, they are completely paperless, which is “huge, as our world revolves around documentation.” He says that this shift in the way they do business has created greater efficiency and has allowed them to better help service their clients. Despite all of these great advancements in technology, and the efficiency it’s creating for businesses, Jones feels “we can’t go completely online because you need to have phones when people aren’t comfortable communicating online.” However, at the speed that technology is going, Maksymchuk says that “social media is not a craze or a phenomenon that is going away any time soon. I do feel that it is important to have an online presence and to tie in all forms.” The key to social media, in his opinion, is to “inform clients or potential clients.” He says that if a client asks you a question via your Twitter, you need to respond in a timely manner because clients expect it. “Social media and technology have made instantaneous satisfaction—question answered, purchase made, whatever you are attempting to accomplish—a mandatory requirement. Although much of our business is done by email, and upload or download media, there is still a need for personal contact,” he says. “It provides assurance and trust. We are pushing for greater call-backs, broker meetings in office, and client visits out of office, to maintain the personal touch.” | Kate Aenlle
IMAGES: ISTOCK.COM
TRANSGENDER AT WORK
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Transgender at work Navigating the workforce during a transition By: Kate Aenlle Workplace discrimination is not a new issue. Fortunately, it is an issue that is no longer regularly making headlines, since the Canadian Human Rights Act and, most recently, Bill C-279, a bill that would make violence against transgender people a hate crime, have ensured that all Canadians work in safe, positive environments. However, while attitudes toward the LGBT community have become far more positive than before, it seems that some trans people are still being left out of the inclusion umbrella, particularly in the workforce. Considering all of the progress we’ve made towards inclusion of all people in the LGBT community, it’s quite surprising that there is still a lack of education and, more importantly, acceptance and understanding in some of our work-
IMAGES: ISTOCK.COM
places. Trans PULSE, a “community-based research project that was created to respond to problems identified within Ontario trans communities regarding access to health and social services,” conducted a survey completed by 433 trans people who live, work, or receive healthcare in Ontario, to determine what the general climate is like in the workforce for trans people. Through this survey, they found that trans Ontarians who are visibly identifiable as transgender feel that their appearance leaves them vulnerable to discrimination.They also found that “while 71 per cent of trans people have at least college or university education, about half make $15,000 per year or less,” an alarming statistic according to Jordan Zaitzow, trans health connection coordinator at
MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
TRANSGENDER AT WORK
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You have to be a really strong advocate for yourself and know what your rights are, and know what your demands are when moving forward with transitioning in your workplace. Rainbow Health Ontario. “We see that discrepancy in a lot of the data,” he says about the startling information available about trans individuals in the workforce. Part of the reason for this disparity is that sometimes, due to the feeling of exclusion and discrimination, people wishing to transition leave the workforce in order to do so, then find it challenging to re-enter the workforce after they’ve transitioned. Brad Sensabaugh, IT manager at TD Bank and trans committee lead at Pride at Work Canada, says that trans individuals may find it challenging to re-enter the workforce once they’ve left because “most trans individuals have difficulties obtaining documents in their [new] chosen name.” For example, if an individual has already completed university and has already received a diploma or a degree prior to their transition, it may become very challenging for that individual to then obtain a degree or a diploma in their new name and gender. (He himself has had challenges in the past with regards to getting his identification listed in a corresponding gender that he identified with.) As well, he says providing potential employers with references is difficult because “when [a trans individual is] seeking employment, obviously employers are going to ask for a reference and, in many cases, that causes or forces the individual to have to come out and explain why they would be unable to provide a reference for their current name or current gender.” Fortunately for Sensabaugh, who started his transition approximately 12 years ago, while maintaining corporate employment with companies like IBM and TD Bank, his transition was a positive experience because the companies he’s worked for “understand and accommodate their trans employees to the best of their abilities, and they work with their trans employees to understand how they can improve the [work] climate.” Kelly Worrall, a producer for Electronic Arts, is another example of a successful transition in the workplace. She chronicles her transition— as well as her life during her transition—in her blog, Locating Kelly. She recounts the many ups and downs faced by most people going
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | OCTOBER MAY 2013 2012
through a transition. She often refers to her coworkers positively, as they themselves remain positive during her transition. She speaks a lot about her “wonderful HR manager,” and their plans to meet with her boss to disclose her “transitioned status to him.” This meeting goes well, and Worrall describes the experience of coming out to her boss as such: “The meeting…was wonderful. Air was cleared. Behaviors and sensitivities I’d exhibited were explained medically and understood. The transgender battle for rights was discussed. Courage was noted. Plans were made to draw up further plans for how to approach transition tactically. We agreed to speak directly to the transgendered situation in real terms, rather than dance around uncomfortable terminology with linguistic acrobatics.” Even her other co-workers show Worrall support. She speaks about one of her co-workers and friends, Christina, who says, “I’m so glad there is finally another female producer!” after Worrall comes out as a transgender woman. Despite the many examples of people with positive experiences in their workplace during their transition, there are still many people out there who encounter challenges. Zaitzow says, “even when people have done a lot of research and are very literate on what their rights are, it doesn’t always mean that the road is easy for them.” Jillian Page, a journalist who blogs about LGBT issues, feels employers can always find a way around anti-discrimination laws if they really want to “get rid of employees.” However, Bill C-279, which passed the House of Commons in March, could help raise awareness in the workplace. “Just how much it will truly protect trans people, though, remains to be seen,” she says. Despite trans individuals being protected by anti-discrimination laws in most jurisdictions in Canada, Page says, “if employers are really uncomfortable with transitioning employees, they can and do find other ways to suddenly make the trans person’s job redundant; it happens all the time.” For companies who have yet to adopt the essential policies for trans individuals to get support, Zaitzow says “my social-justice brain
wants to tell [comapnies]: ‘You should do this, because if you don’t, you’re not a decent person. It’s discrimination.’ According to the Ontario Human Rights (OHR) policy that has recently been updated, it’s actually illegal for you to discriminate against your trans employees, and to not make the proper accommodation [for them]. So, I bring in the OHR as well as the legal ramifications around a company’s responsibility to accommodate their workers—and sometimes that works.” He says that, when transitioning, “you have to be a really strong advocate for yourself and know what your rights are, and know what your demands are when moving forward with transitioning in your workplace.” For people who want to transition while remaining in the workforce, Sensabaugh advises that people ensure that their HR department also recognizes what types of support they are looking for. “I think one of the common misconceptions that we can see now in the trans community is that if an individual identifies as trans, we may make the assumption that they are just going to immediately start hormones, and then surgery, and changing many to all things in their life—but that’s actually not the case,” he says. “For many trans people, they might identify as trans, but not pursue taking hormones or not pursue any type of surgery.” Page suggests that people “aim for as little fuss as possible, and try to assure their bosses and colleagues that it will be business as usual.” If things still aren’t working, however, Sensabaugh, as well as other trans individuals and advocates for trans individuals, say that people should seek the support of organizations like Pride at Work that aim to “improve the climate of inclusiveness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified (LGBT) employees in the workplace.” For employers, Sensabaugh says, “one of the biggest areas for improvement for employers, to become more open or welcoming to trans employees, would be to look at their use of gender markers. Obviously, for one, expand the applicable options between male and female to include alternative options.” The company he works for has a transition guide that he and his employer reviewed during his transition. “Ultimately, the individual that the company has hired—that’s the individual that continues to come to work everyday and do their function,” says Sensabaugh, “regardless of how they dress or how they express their gender identity.”
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SUPPORTING OUR LGBTS
SUPPORTING OUR LGBTS
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your career can help build Canada’s LGBT community Equality, diversity, multiculturalism: these are things Canadians are best known for, and take pride in. It’s no surprise that with Canada’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-identified (LGBT) community, the aforementioned applies. While there’s a plethora of organizations throughout the country that preach equality, diversity, and multiculturalism, there’s also a growing number of resources that offer support to our LGBT community. Involvement with organizations, teaching, and resource centre counselling are just a few opportunities that await you if your passion is to help build and offer continued support to LGBT individuals in Canada.
Organizations If you’re an avid volunteer with a genuine desire to make your community a better place, Pride at Work Canada may just be the right gig for you. The non-profit organization based in Toronto focuses on LGBT people in the workplace. Specifically, their goal is to improve the climate of inclusiveness for the LGBTs in today’s offices, departments, or any given workspace. “Our vision is to create a nation where all LGBT Canadians can achieve their full potential at work,” says Brent Chamberlain, executive director at Pride at Work Canada. “What that means is they can be themselves, bring their whole selves into work, and engage in a work environment that’s open and inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity.” The organization is made up of two full-time staff members, Chamberlain being one of them, and a volunteer-based board of directors. Its members have backgrounds in a number of sectors and industries like business, education, and healthcare, just to name a few. Since the organization’s establishment in 2008 (and celebrating their five-year anniversary this month), Pride at Work Canada’s efforts have focused on three main categories according to Chamberlain: employee re-
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
source groups, diversity in HR professionals, and executive sponsorship. Altogether those are the organization’s three main focuses, with hopes of ultimately “making this dream [inclusiveness for LGBT] a reality,” says Chamberlain. Rewinding to five years ago and back to the premature days of the Canadian economic recession, Chamberlain says that marked the birth of many LGBT-supporting organizations and companies we see today. “They saw that there was a need to link up with one another,” says Chamberlain. “Not just individual organizations doing this by themselves, but [by] linking with like-minded organizations who were doing similar projects so that they could share some lessons learned amongst themselves.” In response to the outpour of support, the efforts of these organizations translated into a strong desire to coordinate events not only open to individual groups, but celebrated by more than one. Since 2008, Pride at Work Canada has collaborated with more than 45 organizations provincially and nationally in a wide range of sectors, thus contributing to the increase in inclusiveness of LGBTs in Canada’s workplaces.
RESOURCE CENTRES
Canadian youth are more likely to say they are LGBT than THEIR OLDER COUNTERPARTS — 10% for YOUNG PEOPLE compared to 2.5% for MEN AND WOMEN OVER 35.
RESEARCH & EDUCATION If your knack is gathering data and digging for numbers, a career in research or education is likely best suited for you. Dr. Wendy Cukier, founder of the Diversity Institute stationed in Toronto’s Ryerson University says that supporting LGBTs in the workplace is not only important from an equality perspective, but also from a business standpoint. “If people don’t get that they’re running a hotel, and when two men check in they could potentially be partners and not friends,” she says, “making assumptions about what facilities they want could actually be offensive.” Cukier continues and says that ensuring staff within companies are well-educated and aware of these issues is an essential component to their growth and success. The Diversity Institute, whose goal is to provide companies in the private and public sectors with evidence-based information and strategies to encourage inclusion in the workplace, has been in existence since 1999. Although the institute supports diversity and equality of all sorts—gender, Aboriginal, visible minority, those with disabilities—it also focuses heavily on sexual orientation and gender identities. Specifically, Cukier concentrates on what she calls an “ecological model,” which essentially means effecting change at several levels. She uses the examples of media representation and company marketing, and compares LGBT existence within those categories. “The way in which our culture
represents people with different gender identities and sexual orientations has a profound impact on stereotypes and assumptions that then shape behaviour in organizations,” she says. “At the end of the day, organizations don’t do things; people do things.” And all of her research efforts don’t go unnoticed. According to Cukier, the response to inclusiveness in the workplace for the LGBT community has been a positive one. What impresses Cukier the most is the existence of advertisements from companies and universities (like Ryerson) that encourage equity groups to apply. “For a long time, Ryerson didn’t specifically mention sexual orientation and gender identity, and it was actually after we got a new vice-president of Finance and Human Resources… [that she made] sure it was in all of our advertisements,” she says. “That was really an important gesture, not just to the external community but for what it signaled to the internal community, so that’s an example of very concrete change.” And change is essential. A career in research to ensure the maintenance of equality whether it is in the workplace—like the Diversity Institute’s mission—or just in general between straight and queer Canadians is important to the social sphere of this country. But also, a career in teaching can also be an effective way to relay support to our LGBT community.
If you find small joys in connecting with others on a daily basis and making a lasting difference, a career as a counsellor may be your perfect match. “It feels like a privilege to be able to work in an organization where you’re doing work that you’re passionate about, that is making a positive impact in the community and that is driven by human rights,” says Dara Parker, executive director of Qmunity, BC’s queer resource centre. “I got involved because I saw an opportunity to make the difference, and that’s always been important and meaningful in my work.” Qmunity’s mission is to offer support to the Canadian LGBT community through programs, training, and efficacies. The resource centre doesn’t only cater to one age group, but to anyone from BC’s youth to its seniors. Resource centers like Qmunity offer a number of services to guide and support the LGBTs, but also continue to advocate for social change for BC’s queer community. “We make sure that queer stories are visible in the media, and we do a lot of referrals information for people who are reaching out for support,” says Parker. “We go into private and public sector organizations and other service sector organizations.” Although Canada has witnessed a positive evolution of LGBT rights, for instance through the legalization of same-sex marriage, Parker says there’s plenty of work to be done. “There’s still a lot of core issues that remain for young people and seniors. There’s still a lot of homophobia and transphobia that’s safe to say on a daily basis, that shows up in bullying in schools, or homophobic care institutions.” That’s where your passion can come into play. Whether your degree is in social work or communications, Parker says as long as you have some LGBT knowledge and desire to make social change, a career in counselling and resource centre work can evolve into a rewarding experience. | Megan Santos
MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
Pink dollar marketing
Pink dollar marketing
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LGBT population that is aged 35 and under—will have huge implications for a number of industries,” he predicted. North of the border, the grown-up gay image has played itself out most markedly in the banks, specifically TD Canada Trust, who became an industry leader in corporate diversity initiatives. Targeting their ads to LGBT media in 2007 before hitting the mainstream Canadian circuit in 2009, TD aims to position itself as the LGBT “bank of choice.” Their concerted efforts got people talking and their media strategy set them apart, even garnering recognition from Egale Canada. “As a big bank, we have a responsibility to our communities. It’s how we make the bank human,” explains Hilary Woods, TD’s Senior Manager of Marketing and Planning. “Diversity and inclusion at TD is more than advertising; it’s what defines our success.” Woods added that TD has supported LGBT community initiatives since 2003, began sponsoring Toronto Pride in 2005, and has since partnered with 18 festivals across North America. “Through [this] leadership, we’ve demonstrated we’re in it for the long run,” she says, stressing that the benefit TD sees in marketing to the LGBT consumers goes beyond an attempt to tap into the so-called “pink dollar” purchasing power of the community. But certainly money is something that marketers must consider, as the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce suggests gay
Pink dollar marketing As gay marriage reaches a tipping point of mass acceptance south of the border, it seems like more advertisers and retailers than ever are promoting LGBT visibility in their communications and corporate strategy.
To access this wealth, however, takes credibility, say the marketing pros. “We see study after study that shows that gay people are brand loyal ... and are, in general, supportive of the brands that support them,” explains Elderkin, adding that as the social tide continues to turn towards diversity and acceptance, an even bigger market and opportunity is emerging. “[Targeting advertising] can generate more brand affinity within the gay community, certainly, but you’re also attracting more progressive, socially conscious allies of the gay community,” he says. “It’s the best of both worlds.” So when businesses choose to sell their commitment to diversity, they are no longer simply marketing to the estimated five per cent of LGBT Canadians out there, but to the 34 million of us. By marketing to the gays, brands are “making a valuable and profitable statement of intent to [those] who support their friends, family members, and colleagues ... The leverage of LGBT marketing has become far greater than it was when we started,” agrees Johnson. “Smart brands understand that the personal is political and that marketing actions speak to brand values. “It was once enough for brands to just turn up and expect the LGBT market to react favourably to their overtures. Those days are far behind us.” | Laura Beeston
...to bring out human potential and create productive lives.
How LGBT inclusion is changing the game for advertisers Commercials are queerer than ever.
buying power in Canada is hovering around $100 billion.
magazines to multiple platforms and “gaying-up” big name brands like Absolut Vodka, Amazon, and Microsoft. Today, modern retailers aren’t afraid to show their pride; quite the opposite: they’re coming right out. Commercials such as the most recent one from Kindle are great examples of the new gay blatancy.
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“Things have changed beyond all recognition in the last 20 years,” says Ian Johnson, founder and CEO of the international marketing firm Out Now, adding that the breakthrough of LGBT people into mainstream advertising is evidence of this.
But advertisers have had to get smarter and more inclusive in how they relate their message to LGBT audiences, says Mark Elderkin, CEO of the Gay Ad Network, a company currently working with the Museum of Vancouver.
• Join us and earn your master's degree in one of our on campus programs.
“Even a few years ago, the thinking was that any association with gays or lesbians was nothing short of brand suicide, so why risk it? Today, brands are increasingly realizing that if they appear to be on the wrong side of the case for equality, they’ll now look like (and go the way of the) dinosaurs.”
“We have such diversity within the market. The stereotypes just aren’t accurate anymore,” he says. “It’s not just one type of user; it’s not single white men with high household income. The gay community is much broader and our research shows that.”
Johnson suggested many brands embrace cultural and sexual diversity to show consumers they understand society is a better and more interesting place because of it. And, luckily, the commercials are also getting better as a result.
“Advertisers today have also had to keep moving away from rainbows and stock images of young, fit, party-going males with their tops off,” agrees Johnson, who believes the marriage equality debate has especially challenged LGBT stereotyping about being capable (or interested in) long-term relationships and becoming parents.
Once relegated to vague and ambiguous innuendo, advertising featuring LGBT actors has exploded, expanding its reach beyond niche
“The extent to which younger LGBT people wish to marry and become parents in the future—which increases dramatically with the
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
IMAGES: ISTOCK.COM
• Work with colleagues in a world renowned school on the leading edge of research and treatment for Autism. • Learn to use the principles of ABA to improve the lives of children with special needs.
Send your resume to jobs@necc.org 33 Turnpike Road • Southborough, Massachusetts 01772-2108 | 508.481.1015 Fax 508.485.3421
www.necc.org MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
BREAKING BARRIERS
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Breaking barriers in the workplace What it’s like to be gay in a straight industry and straight in a gay or female industry By: Megan Santos Work is where most adults spend five out of seven days of the week, and eight of the 24 hours in a day. It’s safe to say that after graduation, we spend more time with coworkers than with our own families. With that said, maintaining an inclusive work environment is a crucial part to ensuring a safe and diverse space, and is an obvious indicator of the success of a business. We’re taking a look at work inclusiveness from an LGBT angle in both gay and straight industries; how’s the interaction behind closed doors?
so I just kept going back every summer. Eventually, I just became interested in geology and decided to study that.” For Chalut and MacKenzie, the coming-outof-the-closet process was a different experience for both individuals. Prior to admitting he was gay, Chalut encountered rejection on many accounts while working to pursue a career in acting. MacKenzie, on the other hand, felt the need to come out after spending the summer weeks with fellow colleagues and having minimal privacy.
Outside the closet doors
After years of auditioning, jobs in restaurants, and zero acting opportunities, Chalut opted to tackle the gay role at 27 and landed a spot on Canadian show Wedding SOS. “I was the dumb, gay assistant,” he recalls. “The unfortunate part was I had to be dumb and gay. It was a move in media that they could have gay people in TV, but the fact of the matter was it was still sad because I had to play dumb and gay.” After coming out and accepting a career in TV as a gay individual, Chalut landed one more role in television before securing his spot as an afternoon host on ProudFM.
“We didn’t have any home to go back to so we basically lived with our coworkers,” MacKenzie explains, as travel was a component in his job description—working in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and BC. “When you’re in that setting, it’s kind of hard to have a personal life; there’re no secrets.” Thinking about the reaction to admitting he was gay, MacKenzie feared the result would affect his work performance. “I tried to keep it as secret as possible, and with that, I became stressed,” he says. “It was really important that I was able to express myself, and I eventually did come out three years later and that helped [me] a lot to feel happier in the workplace.”
“For such a long time I fought it, but why am I going to fight who I am? And guess what, gay is cool,” says Chalut about his zero-to-hero success in the media sector. “But the reality is, for someone who is just coming out of the closet and trying to get in the workforce and they’re gay, it’s hard.” Although Chalut lists being uncomfortable with expressing his sexual preferences and pursuing a career in show business as his biggest challenge, he says he received the most support from his father. “When I was coming out of the closet and I said, ‘Dad, I’m sorry. I’m gay.’ My dad said to me, ‘I don’t have a gay son; I have a son that I love,’ and that was the bottom line.”
Upon graduating from a drama and theatre program in university, Chalut had dreams of landing gigs in the acting business. Because of his sexual orientation and his unwillingness to play the gay card in his roles, he found it challenging to secure positions in acting. “My agent said ‘listen, I’m going to send you out for gay roles’ and I was like, ‘no, you can’t send me out for gay roles because it’s going to ruin my career,’” he says. “‘I don’t want to be gay, and I don’t want everyone to think Mike Chalut is gay.’”
For MacKenzie and the predominantly heterosexual field of mining, he received surprisingly positive support from his colleagues. “I didn’t do it publicly or through a mass email or whatever, but I started telling my friends that I was close with up there,” he says. “They took it well because being more educated and more cultured, it wasn’t a big deal for them.
“I didn’t want to live a lie,” says Mike Chalut, host of The Mike Chalut Show on Toronto’s ProudFM. “If you live a lie with yourself, then how are you going to succeed at work?” Chalut has now found his niche working for a radio station that caters to gay audiences; however, the job market had slim-pickings when he was searching for a career in media over a decade ago. “I went to the University of Windsor for theatre and communications (the drama and theatre program), and I moved to Toronto to basically pursue an acting career,” he says. “The biggest problem with becoming an actor at that time was that I was gay. I told my agent time and time again, ‘I’m not going to get any work in media if I’m openly gay.’” Mark MacKenzie, a geology student at Memorial University, has spent his summers since 2005 working in the mining industry. Now, as an openly gay man, MacKenzie attributes his father, who was a geologist and spent time moving his family from place to place for his work, as the reason he secured a job in mining. “I needed a summer job so he hooked me up with one,” he says. “It was a great experience
JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
MacKenzie, however, explains one instance of harassment while working in the mining industry. “It involved vandalism of my property,
IMAGES: ISTOCK.COM
BREAKING BARRIERS
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A colleague of ProudFM’s afternoon host Mike Chalut is a part of the straight minority at the Toronto gay radio station. Bob Willette, program director, says he is one of only a few employees who classify themselves as straight. “Everybody who is on-air identifies themselves as part of the [LGBT] community…the general sales manager is a member of the community, [and] our music director is a part of the community,” he says. “I would say more people are part of the community than not.” And after Pride Toronto added ‘A’ for ‘allies’ to LGBT, Willette says all of those employed with ProudFM consider themselves an ally to the Canadian LGBT community.
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some questioning looks from his friends and outsiders. “At the very beginning I would get kind of a raised eyebrow from people who found out that I was not gay and essentially running a gay radio station,” he explains. “There were times when people were like, ‘How can you do that?’” Rather than letting the criticism affect his work performance, Willette approached his new position with a positive outlook. “The point was radio is radio, and whether you’re doing radio for a gay or straight audience (or a combination of both), there are certain things that are universal and I could bring those things to light given my experience.” Although Willette is a strong supporter of the
la
How many straight friends can you name who have pursued a career for a gay company or for one that caters to the LGBT community? (Not many, right?) Now, count how many straight male friends you have who are passionate about a career in a predominantly female industry. As inclusive as workplaces in Canada are today, there are still minor sexuality and gender barriers that exist.
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employers’ attitu
ProudFM is one of many Canadian companies today that thrive on building an inclusive work environment. “We are for everybody,” says Willette. “Yes, we are providing a voice for and by the LGBT community, but we’re not going to exclude anybody.” ProudFM encourages listeners of all genders and sexual orientations, and more importantly, is open to having a staff of both gay and straight individuals. “One of the ways we describe ourselves right out of the gates is that we’re an all-inclusive radio station and work environment.”
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LGBT community, he says that since he started with the company in 2007, working as program director with ProudFM (where he is ultimately in charge of anything that comes out of the speakers) has been a learning experience. “The community taught me a whole heck of a lot of things too,” he says. “The nuances, the intricacies, the politics of the community which exist, and the sensitivities—some of which I was aware of before—but it’s still a learning process every day.”
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For those who remain closeted and are uncomfortable with uncovering their sexual preferences with their coworkers and colleagues, Chalut offers some advice. “Until you’re comfortable in your own skin, you’re never going to go to the next level,” he says. ”You have to take care of number one, and you have to realize that no matter what anyone thinks, you are the prize.” Cheesy, Chalut admits, but “the only way is you have to believe in yourself and who you are. It’s simple.”
After taking the position with ProudFM, Willette says he received
ce
Surprisingly, that one stint of harassment, according to MacKenzie, wasn’t the biggest challenge he faced after opening up to his colleagues. “Sometimes I had to talk about what being gay was because people would ask me, and I’d kind of just answer that it’s totally normal,” he says. Answering to the curiosity of his colleagues puzzled MacKenzie the most. “They had more of a conservative attitude; they wanted to know more about me.”
But as a straight man, what attracted Willette to the position as program director for a radio station that caters to a gay audience? He says he’s always been a supporter of the gay community, and with 15 years of experience in the radio industry, this opportunity was no different. “It was a job posting that I applied for when I first started over six years ago. It was supposed to be for the morning show as a producer, and within a year I became the program director,” he says. “The posting said you don’t have to be a member of the [LGBT] community, but you have to be sensitive to the community’s needs and a friend of the community. I considered myself that, so I applied.”
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like writing of slander on my stuff. It was really upsetting when it happened, and to this day they don’t know who did it, but they reported it to the human resources department. It kind of affected my desire to keep working there, so I kind of sought other employment after that, but you have to have thick skin after this.” Looking back, he says it made him a stronger person having gone through it.
break gender roles For MAC Cosmetics artist and freelance makeup artist Azrael Rodriguez, his background touches upon gender barriers in the workplace. He always dreamed of pursuing a career in a more artistic industry, but as a straight male, Rodriguez often faced criticism for his interest in makeup artistry which, to most, is considered a career path for women.
“First comes the assumption that because I’m a male makeup artist, I must be gay (not that there’s anything wrong with that),” he says. “Second, which may be the biggest barrier to overcome, was the discomfort that many women possess upon finding out that I am straight and doing their makeup, which can become a very intimate encounter.” Female clients often forget that Rodriguez is simply a professional on the job, and not interested in much more than applying makeup and body art. “The workplace should not be biased toward any sexual orientation,” he says. With a little under a year of experience in the industry and a lifelong of passion, Rodriguez encourages those who remain unsure of pursuing a career in an often taboo position to follow their dreams. “When your doubts consume your aspirations you will be left with nothing more than missed opportunities and life-long regret,” he says. “After all, at the end of the day, I’m a straight guy surrounded by beautiful women doing something I love.”
MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
WORKING FOR PRIDE
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.
31
Working for Pride Diverse opportunities from a diverse community
Finding worthwhile work experience is one thing. However, finding worthwhile work experience that also gives you a chance to get involved with your community is something entirely different, and arguably more rewarding. “I think the only challenge would be if you haven’t been exposed to this community before, maybe there are some preconceived notions that you might have, but the best way to engage with diversity is to jump right in,” says Elizabeth Reynolds, national manager of diversity equity and inclusion at KPMG, about working in the LGBT community. “I think the more you learn about different, diverse people, the more you learn about yourself.” There are many opportunities to gain valuable, career-building work experience through work with the LGBT community, like volunteering for Pride events all around Canada. Whether grassroots or corporate, they’re always looking for people to share their talents and help out. Ray Lam, general manager of the Vancouver Pride Society, says, “our primary challenge is having enough hands and feet on the ground.” Vancouver Pride is the largest, single-day event in Vancouver, as well as the largest creative festival in Western Canada and, according to Lam, this gives people looking to gain work experience many options. “All of the positions we’ve created have direct ties to [university and college] programs. We try to make sure that our positions complement their [volunteers’] education,” he says. “Basically, you’re getting to test the knowledge you’re learning in school in a real-world situation.” For example, they have the B2B (business-tobusiness) coordinator job, which involves a lot of work with Vancouver Pride partners and the media firms that they work with. Lam says that this job is geared for those students who want real-world work experience because “we have this massive, international marketing firm that’s working with two or three of our different [corporate] partners, and if you get that position, you get to work directly with these firms, brainstorm ideas with them on how to turn a festival booth into something of an attraction, and how to create on-site activation so people know you’re there, know you’re supporting Pride, and they can engage with your organization.”
Grassroots Pride events are also great places to gain work experience because there are more opportunities to take on leadership roles. “It’s a big workload to plan a week of events,” says Noah Davis-Power, chairman of St. John’s Pride. “When we get our volunteers, they’re just as much a part of the organizational aspect as the people on the board. Students will gain a lot of organizational and leadership experience. Putting on your resumé that you helped organize Pride week is a plus, no matter what, whether it’s in Newfoundland or Toronto.” Davis-Power, the youngest member of the board at 19 years-old, understands the value of participating in Pride events to expand your work experience. He has done a lot of work for the LGBT community, particularly in the high schools here in Newfoundland, like start one of the first gay-straight alliances in the province. He says that working with the LGBT community for events like Pride “gives us a chance to all come together and see each other in the best light, where we are united and coming out and celebrating the diversity that is in our community. I think that that’s what Pride week is all about, and that’s what we make it about here in Newfoundland and Labrador.” Some people find the experience so rewarding that they return and continue their work with Pride, and even start to branch out and do different things within the community, because there are always new things to learn. “When it comes to work experience, being
a part of the machine of the parade team offers few hard skills,” says Sean Nauth, a master of arts, sustainable energy and policy student who has worked in different aspects of Pride Toronto. “I learned about event management and organization. My tasks were to hire brand ambassadors, procure uniforms in the right sizes, arrange the schedule for the day of when our truck was to arrive and organize a pick up of our team after the parade. This work allowed me to work on my organization and working under pressure skills, as money, time, and keeping the client happy were stresses I had to confront, leading up to and during the event.” Whether it be corporate- or communitydriven, supporting the LGBT community through work for Pride events around Canada is a win-win for everyone involved, especially students who want to expand their knowledge and gain real-world work experience. Lam says, “the more you invest in Pride, the more Pride will invest in you.” Kate Aenlle
LGBT-FRIENDLY COMPANIES
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Telus “The future is friendly.” Telus continues to be a recognizable brand in the telecommunications sector across Canada. In addition to its success as a mobile business, Telus also strives to create and maintain an inclusive workspace for its LGBT employees through company initiatives. One way Telus has shown its support for the LGBT community was through its participation in the It Gets Better project. It Gets Better is a movement that started in 2010 through a YouTube video by columnist and author Dan Savage. Since then, it has inspired thousands of everyday people, celebrities, and companies (like Telus) to create their own short videos proving that through the struggle LGBT youth endure, “it gets better” in the end. “We were one of the first corporations to get involved in It Gets Better,” says Shawn Hall, manager and media relations in Telus’ BC region. “That encouragement of being open where everybody is being treated with dignity and respect is just a part of who we are.”
The most LGBT-friendly companies in Canada Where being out of the closet is cool
It’s a place where every individual can be themselves, can share stories of their weekend festivities, and can embrace being a part of a diverse space. An LGBT-friendly work environment is what many Canadian companies have been striving for as work inclusion continues to be an important component for each business. As featured in a 2012 Minyanville report, we take a deeper look into some companies in Canada that have pushed for equality in the workplace. JOBPOSTINGS.CA | MAY 2013
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In 2009, the company launched Spectrum, a resource group for Telus’ LGBTQ team members that was driven by employees for employees. “It’s about providing support for people who might need it,” says Hall, “[through] formal and informal mentorship, an opportunity to speak to people whose experiences might be similar to yours.” The Spectrum team also works closely with Pride at Work Canada events throughout the country. Hall explains the importance of having an inclusive work environment, to ensure each individual is confident in bringing their whole selves to their job, which ultimately strengthens the team. Telus values diversity as a whole, says Hall. “It’s a key competitive advantage because it brings the broadest possible array of ideas and insight into what we do. If we reflect the customers we’re serving and the diversity, we’re going to be better able to serve them.” Overall, the response to Telus’ LGBT support has been nothing short of positive. “I think people want to work for an organization that’s going to respect not just them and who they are, but everybody (their friends, their colleagues, their family members),” says Hall. “People want to do business with an organization like that.”
Google Canada While Google employees worldwide refer to themselves as ‘Googlers,’ the company’s LGBT employees call themselves ‘Gayglers.’ Google Canada teamed up with Toronto’s
Pride Parade in 2012, where they entered a float and also produced videos featuring a number of LGBT staff members sharing their personal stories. This effort is attributed to Google Canada’s product marketing manager Xavier Pepion, who is also a part of the LGBT community.
Royal Bank You know your company is LGBT-friendly when they celebrate National Coming Out Day. Royal Bank started commemorating the civil awareness day in 2009 after CEO Gordon Nixon hosted an event alongside two RBC employees who shared their coming out stories. It was published on the company’s intranet in 2011, which reached RBC’s 74,000 employees worldwide.
TD Bank Group To most, TD Bank is best recognized as the company with the two adorably humourous seniors in its commercials, but the company is also well-known for its continued dedication to work inclusion. “It supports our mission and vision to be the best-run bank,” says Hilary Woods, marketing planner with TD Bank. “The key to our success [is] that we stick to what we say we’re going to do, and it’s about creating a really inclusive employee culture.” Woods rewinds to 2003 and recounts a time when internal results showed some employees were uncomfortable as an LGBT at TD. “We’ve been on this journey since then to make sure that the LGBT community feels extremely comfortable at TD, and then by extension customers would,” she says. There isn’t one initiative that stands out, but Woods says it started with focusing on the internal process and policies, and sustaining commitments through community-giving, thus explaining how TD expresses itself locally as a brand. The response to the LGBT support is tremendous, says Woods. “That’s probably one of the greatest things about my job; my job is to use very human connections to build awareness for our brand. ...We get accolades from our employees about being inclusive, we get support from the community internally on our approach to the community, so it deepens the engagement piece.”
Bank of Montreal To show their commitment and support for the LGBT community, BMO hired Enza Anderson in 2008, a Canadian transgender political activist to work at a branch in Toronto’s gay district. In 2012, the bank hosted a discussion forum in honour of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
The Home Depot Although not listed in the Minyanville report but still a strong LGBT-supporter is The Home Depot. “Diversity has been a part of our company; it’s part of our founding values. Our company has been around since 1979,” says Ray Goral, store manager of a Home Depot location in Toronto. For Goral, who has been with the company for almost 13 years, maintaining an inclusive work environment and embracing diversity has always been instilled in The Home Depot’s associates through the company’s core values. “We’re [in] Canada; it’s part of our Canadian culture to acceptance and recognition of everybody’s diversity.” Diversity programs at The Home Depot include: Orange Women’s Network, Power of Possibilities, and Orange Unity. As an LGBT chair member for The Home Depot’s Orange Unity, Goral along with roughly 40 other LGBT and ally associates exchange feedback and meet with four other LGBT subcommittees to discuss special projects, and the communication and celebration aspect within the company’s LGBT employees. Goral takes pride in his career as the “gay store manager with Home Depot” and shares his passion for workplace diversity through associate orientations. “[I say] this is what we have, this is what we do, and here’s our associate resource groups, here’s our commitment to diversity. Not only do we celebrate being LGBT, we celebrate being every different culture and everything within our organization.”
The Bank of Nova Scotia
The internal and external response to The Home Depot’s ongoing demonstration of diversity and support to LGBTs has been positive, according to Goral. “I don’t see people backing away from anything—it’s just part of our culture, it’s accepted, it’s who we are. From the customers, I don’t see any negative response from them.”
Otherwise known as Scotiabank, the Bank of Nova Scotia opted to avoid advertising in gay publications and instead began its support through sponsoring. Since 2007, the bank has been the sponsor for Canada’s AIDS Walk for Life, and started an internal employee resource group called Scotiabank Pride in 2008.
He says in his 13 years, it was never an issue. “We have very great human resource practices, so if anyone ever felt they were being discriminated against by anything, there’s a process for that and would be dealt with swiftly—whether it’s LGBT, or any other religion, or anything else.” | Megan Santos
MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
EDU-MA-CATION
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Product production Want to apply your art and design skills to build innovative products? You can do so by pursuing a career in industrial design. “It’s about building aesthetically pleasing, massmanufactured objects that help people’s lives,” says Christopher Rudwal, an industrial designer with Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. and board member of the Association of Canadian Industrial Designers. “Industrial design means designing, manufacturing, or packaging. It’s a very exciting and innovative profession.” And the industry is growing, says Tim Antoniuk, associate professor with the University of Alberta’s department of Art and Design. “Because we live in a globalized society, companies are forced to design better products. It doesn’t mean prettier [products], but products that work better.” To meet the demand, universities and colleges across Canada offer programs—at the graduate and undergraduate levels—that specialize in industrial design. Consider University of Alberta’s Masters of Design (MDes) program in industrial design. “Our focus is quite diverse,” Antoniuk says. “It’s leveraging all the faculty research areas, which include medical design, sustainable design research, and aboriginal design. In their first year, they do a bit of everything. They do facultybased research projects. In subsequent years, they can choose their own projects.” Peter Wehrspann earned an MDes in industrial design from Carleton University in Ottawa. “It’s very research-based,” he says. “We’ve got these problems and we’re figuring out how new ingredients work together.”
The greatest benefit is to be able to see [your] product mass-produced and used by hundreds of people and seeing the response. Wehrspann operates Holtzundmental Designs, a furniture design company. He says he learned how to “research the market and consumer needs to develop well-informed and hopefully popular products, and use the iterative process: ideate, prototype, test, redo. I now apply these concepts to my design and business practice.” Rudwal recommends augmenting your education with a master’s degree. “A bachelor’s degree is a good way to see industrial design as a whole. With a master’s, you can specialize according to your interests, such as cars or electronics.” However, a bachelor’s degree in industrial design may not be required. “We’re getting more and more students from different faculties such as engineering,” Antoniuk says. “They have good technical design backgrounds, but lack a little bit in art and creative visualization.” Graduates, who can earn anywhere from $35,000 to $180,000, have a range of opportunities, Rudwal says. “The highest demand for graduates comes from manufacturing companies of consumer goods. Sports, electronics, and transportation are amongst the top opportunities.” In any case, “the major commonality is that it involves understanding who is going to be using your product,” says Rudwal. “You have to un-
derstand how humans interact with each other. Visual and oral communication [skills] are key ingredients, as well as a good sense of trends and thinking long-term.”
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Niagara College
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Wehrspann found the MDes program “very interdisciplinary,” as you’re working with folks from other disciplines, including business, engineering, and architecture. As Antoniuk says, “you’re collaborating with students from all sorts of different fields. You have to be able to negotiate that space.”
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Just like any career, there are benefits. “The greatest benefit is to be able to see [your] product mass-produced and used by hundreds of people and seeing the response,” says Rudwal. In terms of challenges, “consumer goods are in constant evolution,” he says. “The high level of competition for market share and innovation challenges the designer to constantly find solutions for the future. He or she must come up with functional, environmentally friendly, innovative products.”
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)
Nevertheless, Wehrspann says it’s an exciting career. “You can change the world in a small or big way. It’s hard not to enjoy creating, building, and envisioning as a career.” | Samuel Dunsiger
AUC has provided a quality medical education to more than 5,000 graduates and provides a US-model education beginning with two years of medical sciences taught at the St. Maarten campus, followed by clinical education in affiliated hospitals in the US and UK. AUCmed.edu.
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MAY 2013 | JOBPOSTINGS.CA
NAVIGATING OFFERS
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Navigating offer negotiations
More than salary could be up for grabs if you know what to ask for Before you hunt for a job, you learn to write a stand-out resumé and impress the interviewer with your polished interview skills. However, you should also be working on offer negotiation skills once you’ve landed the job. Offer negotiation can be difficult and most certainly needs practice in order to learn what terms you can negotiate and how to best approach a negotiation. Let’s start with the “what” and then we will tackle the “how” of offer negotiations. Negotiating an offer is more than just asking for more money. You can try to bargain for other terms within an offer, such as your start date, vacation entitlement, and benefits eligibility, to name a few. If you’re trying to negotiate money in your offer, ensure that you are considering the entire compensation package.
Things to negotiate Bonus or commission target: the amount that you receive will depend upon performance (yours and/or the company’s).
Health Benefits: are the premiums paid by the employee or the company? It can make a big difference. If the company is footing the bill, it’s part of the total compensation.
don’t use the right tactic, then the company might not be willing to negotiate with you or, worse, you could tarnish the employment relationship before you step through the door.
Pension or RRSP matching program: determine if the company has a retirement plan and how much the company contributes to these plans on your behalf.
In my experience, the best negotiations are those where candidates are realistic and reasonable about their requests. Ask the company how they prefer to receive your response to the offer, (over the phone or by email), and respond with a clear outline of your requests that includes a brief explanation of your point of view. Your attitude could also affect the negotiation process, so professionalism is essential. Exuding confidence is great, but be cautious that you aren’t over-confident. Giving off an air of arrogance or pride will risk derailing negotiations.
Other perks or subsidies: these may include car allowance, gym membership subsidy, parking pass, etc. Don’t skip over the perks in an offer and take them for granted. Each added bonus that a company provides may not seem like a lot to you, however it’s one less expense that you have to worry about and, together, all of the perks can add up to be a significant amount. If you decide to negotiate your offer, you should determine your bottom line. You first need to determine which terms of the offer you would like to negotiate, then respond to the company. How you approach the negotiation is important; if you
Thoroughly review any offer that you are presented with and ensure that you understand the entire package that is being offered. If you would like to negotiate, clearly outline what terms you would like to change and approach the employer in a professional and confident manner. The more you negotiate, the better you will become. | Allison Mitchell
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