Career Advice

COVID-19 has erased job certainty and spread economic upheaval in Canada, and that leaves us stressed, anxious and fearful about what the future holds.

Being authentic at work means bringing your true self to the job. For people who are LGBTQ, that isn’t always easy. Lingering prejudices can be barriers to inclusiveness. Which is why you should consider the best employers to work for that are LGBTQ positive. These hirers go above and beyond the laws that protect against discrimination. They actively promote diversity and celebrate Pride at the office.

The Class of 2020 is graduating into what must feel like an apocalypse. Lockdown and layoffs have hijacked summer internships and placements. Graduate recruitment is on hold, face-to-face interviews cancelled, onboarding delayed. Exciting post-grad career plans are in the shredder.

For people who are used to office life, the adjustment to working from home isn’t as liberating as it might seem. Sure, there’s no commute, and you can work in your pyjamas, or even from bed if you want. But for many of the newly home-based workforce, it’s a struggle.

When people are being downsized in a crisis, take steps to prepare for change.

Plenty of professions let you amass a cool million of pay over 10 years or less. No surprise that lots of them are medical, technical or business-related. Yet some don’t require advanced degrees, like realtor or plumber.

Dreading the company’s holiday party is a December ritual. Except it’s also an excellent time to sneak in some self-advancement. All the important players will be there. So even if you hate insincerity, attend strategically and score some points.

If you’re earning minimum wage and think you’re at the bottom of the food chain, don’t feel lonely. Nearly 1.6 million Canadians – that’s about 10% of all salaried employees – took home the lowest hourly wage legally payable to most people. By late 2019 the average minimum wage in Canada was about $12.63 per hour. That compares to $11.41 in 2017 and an increase of nearly 11%. More impressive is the jump of over a third vs. 2010, when the average minimum was $9.25.

There’s no such thing as a fairy tale workplace. If an interviewer asks about your ideal work environment, a bit of reality’s called.