NOW WHAT?

You’ve spent 4+ years working your way through University in order to say you have a VERY expensive piece of paper. “Now What?” you may ask yourself? Well, we have some answers to many of the questions you, yourself, may be pondering.

We realize that the world is big. No doubt. We want to assist you, the recent graduate, in navigating your way through the professional world. It is our intent to assist you with a seamless transition from school to work. 

Here you will be able to find the answers about everything one must consider in a post-degree world. From job opportunities, interview tips, real estate, working/travelling abroad, we hope to provide answers. If there are any topics that you would like us to cover, please send us a message and we would be more than happy to include a feature on that.

Welcome to “Now What?”

One of the expectations that comes with obtaining a University Degree is that you take that education and turn it into a career. There will always be a transition period, where one might have to deal with working a gas pump, or a warehouse. Even if it feels like being stuck in limbo, sometimes a nudge in the right direction is all that is really needed to get a foot in the door of your dream job.  Do some research. Know who the top employers are for recent graduates and make connections. Knowing who is looking can often be half the battle.

*For those of you still searching, do you know what not to do? http://www.donaldsonjames.com/2011/10/top-10-job-search-mistakes-college-grads-are-making/

I am not writing this to tell you what to do, rather I am attempting to provide you with information on some of the top employers for recent graduates in the Edmonton area. Here is a list of some Alberta employers that made the national top 100 employers list, compiled by Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (http://www.canadastop100.com/alberta/ ) :

1.       Alberta Blue Cross:

a.       Offers retirement planning assistance, phased in work options and a defined benefit pension plan.

b.      Encourages ongoing skills development with generous tuition subsidies (to $4,000), in-house and online training programs, subsidies for professional accreditation and a formal mentoring program.

c.       Also manages an academic scholarship program for children of employees who pursue post-secondary education (to $1,000 per child).

d.      Supports employees who are new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments (to 95% of salary for 5 weeks) and health benefits that extend through their leave.

2.       Edmonton Regional Airport Authority

a.       New employees start at three weeks of paid vacation allowance and receive additional personal paid days-off that can be used throughout the year.

b.      Provides maternity leave top up payments to employees who are new mothers (to 93% of salary for 15 weeks) and parental top-up payments for new fathers and adoptive parents (to 93% of salary for 15 weeks).

c.       Helps employees save for retirement with generous contributions to defined benefit and contribution pension plans (depending on their position).

3.       Encana Corporation

a.       Offers great financial rewards including signing bonuses for some employees, generous referral bonuses (to $5,000) and a share purchase plan that is available to all employees.

b.      Encourages ongoing employee development with tuition subsidies for job-related courses, in-house and online training programs, subsidies for professional accreditation.

c.       Also manages an academic scholarship program for children of employees who pursue post-secondary education (to $2,500 per child).

4.       Syncrude Canada LTD.

a.       Supports employees who are new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments (to 100% of salary for 6 weeks) and extended health benefit coverage during their leave.

b.      Helps employees balance work and their personal life with a variety of alternative work arrangements including flexible hours, telecommuting, formal earned days-off program and shortened and compressed work week options.

c.       Also manages an academic scholarship program for children of employees who pursue post-secondary education (to $2,400 per child)

5.       University of Alberta

a.       The campus features several onsite amenities including a fully-equipped fitness facility, employee lounge, quiet room for meditation or religious observance and nap room for employees who need a quick break during the busy day.

b.      Invests in ongoing employee development with subsidies for tuition and professional accreditation, a range of in-house and online training options and a formal mentoring program.            

c.       Supports employees who are new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments (to 95% of salary for 25 weeks) and parental leave top-up for new fathers and adoptive parents (to 95% of salary for 10 weeks).

d.      Also operates subsidized daycare facilities onsite for employees with young children and provides an offsite daycare subsidy (to $2,000 per child) for employees looking for care closer to home.

-Nick

Graduation is supposed to signify the beginning of many things. It can be the beginning of a career, the beginning of adulthood and in many ways when you begin developing a niche in life. Finding a job, getting your own place and developing stable relationships are the paths that are often embarked on, but there are other options.

One option that is present is traveling and working abroad. Thousands of Canadians live and work abroad, the majority finding successful and enriching experiences. This is when the Anthropology major can go get firsthand experience with foreign cultures, and the Communications grad can build on skills by learning a new language. A few years of living and working abroad can be very rewarding to not only your future professionally, but on a personal level as well.

But wait! Before you go packing your bags and booking your next flight to your destination of choice, there is some research to be done.

A good place to begin, as usual, is the good ol’ internet. http://www.voyage.gc.ca/publications/work-abroad_travail-etranger-eng is published by the government of Canada and offers great insight into finding and analyzing job or volunteer opportunities, links to destination information and provides very good details into the proper documentation you will need.

Finding a job that suits your lifestyle, abilities as well as your field of study, although not completely necessary, can be helpful in building your future career, and having the most rewarding experience for the duration of your stay. For example, there are many options for E.S.L. teachers abroad, which could be very beneficial to Communications or Arts grads. These chances to apply what you’ve been learning for the past four years, while immersing yourself in a new culture and society can do wonders developing your job skills and becoming a more versatile human being.

Learning from, observing and being a member of a new culture can offer a whole other world of lifestyles and perspectives at your fingertips.  Use these opportunities to build and further yourself. Learn a new language, drive on the left side of the road, and make some new friends, and possibly future colleagues, from some vastly different backgrounds. Exposing yourself outside your comfort zone is a key way to learn how to adapt to new circumstances and develop a wider scope of perspectives on everyday life when you return home.

The bottom line is, there are many options and choices that are there for post graduates, as graduation signifies new beginnings and life as an adult. It is important to not just limit yourself to opportunities that reside within our borders. The chance to see the world, work and develop many important life skills and perspectives is in your hands with a decision to work and travel abroad. These can be professional skills, new viewpoints and opinions, or even something as simple as learning to eat with chop sticks. Never miss the chance to grow as a person and even if that chance formulates across the globe, it would be wise to take consideration of everything that can come with it.

-Nick

Gone are the days when waking up 10 minutes before class and throwing on a t-shirt and ripped jeans was appropriate. Making the transition from school to a full time professional job requires full commitment. Investing in an appropriate wardrobe for business is crucial.

Employers can be very judgemental. The minute you walk into an interview, a judgement has been passed. If you look like a slob, chances are great that the interviewer will disregard everything you say, even if you possess the proper credentials. It is hard to imagine that people are this shallow; however, if you were to get the job, you would be representing the company or organization.

In relation to the video that was posted on the Now What? page, 55% of people pass judgement solely on appearance.

There are certain expectations that employers have when hiring new employees. Credentials, of course, are important; however, you should also have the professional look. 

Many people worry that investing in this proper look is too expensive. There are many inexpensive clothing options that anyone, even a new graduate, can afford.

 As well, some people worry that dressing in a professional manner means giving up a personal style and looking boring. Many designers have added eye-pooping accessories to their current collections. You can still look professional while retaining accent pieces that pay homage to your character. For men, a bold-petterned tie would be an appropriate accent paired with a conservative suit for an interview while women could sport an eye-popping piece of jewellery.

Although transitioning from school clothes to work-appropriate clothes seems rather intimidating, you mustn’t fret. Many other people feel the same way as you. In most of the stores that sell business-appropriate attire, the workers are more than willing to give their expertise and provide you with assistance. 

There are many stores that cater to the young professional. Fashionable clothing is not in short supply. I have attached links to some of my favourite stores that carry apparel appropriate for the office. All of these stores can be found in Edmonton. I have listed the name of the store and where it is found in the city.

Banana Republic — West Edmonton Mall, Southgate Centre, South Edmonton Common

http://www.bananarepublic.ca

Club Monaco — West Edmonton Mall, City Centre Mall

http://www.clubmonaco.com

Urban — West Edmonton Mall, City Centre Mall

http://www.urbanfashiongroup.com/

The Bay — Kingsway Garden Mall, Londonderry Mall, West Edmonton Mall, City Centre Mall, Southgate Centre

http://www.thebay.com/

Zara — Southgate Centre, West Edmonton Mall

Best of luck in the interview process!

- Bretton