I hate it when the news paints things in black and white. I admit that I, too, have occasionally presented a one-sided argument and expected the world to accept my ideas without a squeak of protest. I suppose my hope has always been that someone would call me out on my assertions and we would…
Tag: university
Ways to Stay Optimistic during the Job Search
This week I’ve been reflecting on the nature of the job market and increasingly finding reasons to be happy and relaxed about the whole situation in which I currently find myself. Yes, it’s true that I’ve graduated from university (twice) with stellar marks, an excellent track record, and lots of supporters – yet still can’t…
In Praise of “Brain Pickings”
To anyone who is craving some intellectual fulfillment this week, I would highly recommend that you make your way over to the Brain Pickings website and either browse through their articles or subscribe to their weekly newsletter. In the most recent weekly newsletter that I received, Brain Pickings touched on topics ranging from the meaning…
Viewpoint: Sponsorship, Mentoring, and Counselling for your Career
For every young person who is currently struggling to find a job, a support system is ready and waiting to help them. Since beginning our search for a ‘career’ (i.e. something more than stocking shelves or walking dogs), my partner and I have been fortunate to find many hidden resources and support mechanisms lying in…
Money for Nothing and Your Chicks for Free
This morning, one of the first tweets that I noticed was an interview from CTV’s Canada AM on the jobs available to new graduates. The interview was with Tara Talbot, vice-president of human resources at Workopolis. Tara suggests that the “top 5 hot jobs” are (note that these are the top jobs that – dramatic…
Urgent Desires
So the stress-filled, hazy dream of early September is over – my frantic scramble to find a way of shaking up the status quo, my critique of the university system, and my need to overcome a sense of emasculation after the PARE test. I admit that, since I took the PARE test and subsequently failed…
Redefining the “Gap Year”
Perhaps writing this post will be superfluous, but it will make me feel better. Today I went to Conestoga College and interviewed as a candidate for inclusion in the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program. It’s a program that I’ve been silently fascinated with for some time now; I have the ruthless desire to take…
Buying Employment?
As I reflect on my post (“Lost but not Alone“) earlier today, I realize that there is one major thing that requires clarification; I do not in any way mean to defame the value of the university system. I’ve been in university for 6 years now, and I’ve gotten a lot of value out of…
Lost but Not Alone
As I sit and write this post, I’m staring at the wash of first-year undergraduates pouring by the library on the University of Waterloo campus. I find it hard to fathom how many of us there are. Newly-minted university students and graduates are, of course, the subject of many recent news article and public discussion…
Training for Employment
Today I’ll be participating in my first Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation (PARE) test, as a single component of my ongoing application to be a park warden with the Federal Government. I’m nervous, but have many supporters and cheerleaders behind me, so I am simply going to do my best. I first saw the posting for…
Maria Legault 