Personal Challenge

Hello my wonderful followers. I hope those of you in Winnipeg, braved the snow today. I had to take transit home today and had snow way past my ankles. I didn't wear boots today and wish I had. Today's topic is about making changes.

I thought to write about making changes because I have been transfixed all afternoon with watching what is happening in Egypt. Wow. All curfews, internet cut off, phone lines down, really scared me. Young people protesting, images of fires in the streets. That got me to thinking how lucky we are to live in a place like Canada. I see these people, fighting for their freedoms and stepping up. Then I think about people who have a dream that they don't follow, or a job they go to because they have to. We live in Canada where change and lifelong learning is at our fingertips. My challenge to you if you are in a job you don't like is to change it. Make that change starting now.
It is in your reach, just reach for it. It is something you deserve. You are worth it. Please don't ever think that you are not worth fighting for something you want.
So, for those of you who want to change jobs, I challenge you to check out the career section in the Winnipeg Free Press this Saturday and visit www.workopolis.com. I urge you to think about what you are interested in.
If you are at a company where you can move up, I challenge you to create your own action plan with ideas how you can stand out from your co-workers. I challenge you to think of new initiatives to make your workplace a better place to be. Think how you can streamline operations and save your organization money.
You can do this! If Egypt can try this hard, so can you. Don't give up!
I would love to hear about any of your efforts. Please, let me know about your changes that you have made. I am genuinely interested in your progress.
Kindly,
Anrea

Turning a Negative into A Positive

Hello my wonderful followers. I hope you are able to move around in the terrible cold. To make your life easier while you are on the hunt, I challene to think about ways you can turn this situation into a positive one.
Take this time to think about what you actually want to do. Think about what type of work environment you would thrive the most in. While you are looking at job postings, take a look at the skill sets you don't have on the list and try to find out how you can get them.

The reason I say this is because when you are on EI, your training opportunities are vast. If you visit a Employment Manitoba office, you will go through steps that can help you secure funding for a course you may want to take for example. Take my situation for example. I has been working at Osborne House four days a week as their Community Development and Partnerships Coordinator. I was there for about a year and a bit when my position when down to two days a week. I couldn't live on that and eventually I decided to leave. I employed for Employment Insurance and was successful. I decided to research what options were avilable to me as far as training and went to the Manitoba Employment office at 3338 Portage Avenue. I made an appointment and was told to come back for an information session that was held on Wednesday mornings. After that, I met with an Employment Councillor.
I knew exactly what course I was interested in and that sped up the process especially to that I had already been accepted into the program. My councillor was great as she encouraged me to return to school and said that she would be able to provide me with a living allowance so I wouldn't have to work part time. I have been able to change my life because of this opportunity. I hope you can take your situation and turn a negative situation into a positive situation. It can really change the direction you thought your life would go. There are a few Employment Manitoba offices in Winnipeg. Thir main phone number is 204-945-0575. They are online at:www.gov.mb.ca/employment.
Good luck!
Anrea

Out of the Box Job Searching ideas

Hello my fantabulous followers.  For those of you that have started the new year off with a new career, way to go! For those of you that are still on the hunt, I challenge you to think out of the box for your next target. I remember a few years ago, my husband was looking for a job. I remember him telling me that he would love to work for xerox if he had the opportunity. I don't know how I thought of this at thet time but I thought for his birthday that I was going to line up an interview for him at xerox. I didn't know how I was going to do it but I knew that is the goal I wanted to achieve. So, when I was at work a few days before his birthday, the idea came to me.  I picked up the phone and called the human resources department at xerox and said to them that my husband's best birthday wish would be to have an interview with xerox and could they help me with making his wish come true. You would  think that they would say no, but they didn't! The hiring manager phoned me back and we arranged an interview time for my husband!

I remember the day of his interview and trying to help him choose the best interview outfit and I ironed his shirt for him. He went to the interview and felt great. He didn't get the job but it was the journey he was so proud of. Below is a video off of you tube that I though would be helpful.

I do suggest being creative as well as professional in your out of the box job search tactis. Please feel free to let me know of your tactic before trying it out should you want me to let you know if it is appropriate or not.
Good luck to you and happy hunting!
Kindly,
Anrea

Back To The Search

hello my fantastic followers. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I hope the new year brings you happiness both in your work and personal lives. I wanted to give those of you that are looking for work a pat on the back. You made it through the holiday season. You survived all of your engagements personal or professional. That is hard to do when you are struggling to find work. However, you did it and for that, I tip my hat to you.  It is a good idea to now tackle your career searching strategy with a fresh perspective but please don't forget to follow up with contacts you made in 2009.

Take this time to call these contacts now and asking them how they enjoyed their holidays is an ideal ice breaker to start your conversation. You have nothing to lose right?

I also want  you to keep in mind that many organizations fiscal year ends in April so that is when many changes happen to budgets and it is good to get your foot into an organization you are interested in working for now so they can get to know you and your work style. My suggestion now is to find somewhere you can volunteer. I remember I volunteered for the Alzheimer Society and started in January and was hired for a year contract in April. They didn't even have to post the position.
Well, this is the first post for me in 2011!  Times flies.
Kindly,
Anrea Zaslov

The Legacy of Frances Bay

Hello my fabulous followers. I wanted to share with you my wonderful memory of ensuring my cousin Frances Bay received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

If you click on this link and view the video of the Legacy of Frances Bay, you will see the wonderful experience we shared. Please viesit: www.youtube.com/user/nipoon36.

Frances Bay was the loving grandma in Happy Gilmore with Adam Sandler and she was also Fonzie's grandmother on Happy Days and also played in three David Lynch movies. For those of you that watched Seinfeld, you will remember her from the episode where she was coined the Marble Rye Lady. She is from Dauphin Manitoba and in 2008, I had an online petition and campaign to ensure she receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame for her 90 birthday. My dream came true with much hard work and dedication. The Walk of Fame office declared it the most aggressive public relations campaign they had ever seen. I am sharing this with you to inspire you to never give up on your career search. When we put our minds to things, we do achieve our dreams.
Enjoy the video and happy holidays.
Anrea

How To Find A Credible Volunteer Opportunity

Sometimes when you are looking for a volunteer opportunity to commit to, it is easier said than done. That is why it is best to start your volunteering journey at Volunteer Manitoba. Volunteer Manitoba offers a volunteer referral service matching agencies with volunteers. Not-for-profits are allowed to list their volunteer positions free of charge on the Volunteer Manitoba website and current volunteer opportunities all across Manitoba are listed on the site as well.
Volunteer Manitoba offers guidance to individuals who are searching for a volunteer placement and are there to assist in matching your skills and interests up with the current volunteer opportunities available. The future of your volunteer journey starts by simply visiting http://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/.

How To Find A Credible Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteering is a great way to gain experience and get your foot in the door to an organization you want to work for.  A great place to find volunteer opportunities is at Volunteer Manitoba. They offer a  referral services matchimg agencies looking for volunteers with people seeking volunteer opportunities with non-profit agencies. Non-profit agencies can register their volunteer opportunities on the Centre's website - free of charge. Current listings are posted on the Centre's website and sent to media, universities, colleges, high schools, trade schools, and selected agencies on a weekly basis.

Individuals who are interested in volunteering may search the Volunteer Manitoba website for current listings or meet with one of our trained interviewers. The interviewer will discuss available volunteer positions and assist in matching the individual's personal skills and interests. Following a successful interview, individuals can directly contact agencies of their choice or ask the interviewer to initiate a referral on their behalf.

You can also sign up to follow Volunteer Manitoba's Twitter page!