Sandra
Boyd is the manager of community relations for Covenant House in Vancouver,
a non-profit agency providing shelter and services to homeless and runaway
youth across North and Central America. Sandra shares her insights on how
to maintain your identity while holding down a job. "Part of being a young
person is that you want to be considered as an individual, so your dress,
your style, is part of the way you define yourself," she says. At work,
however, everyone sacrifices a bit of individuality. "Whether you're the
Prime Minister, a cashier at Wal-Mart or a garbage man, you're not taking
100 per cent of who you are to the workplace," says Sandra. But that's actually
a good thing, because you reduce the risk of becoming all about your job.
"Think about people we know in our lives," she says. "We don't think of
them first and foremost as their job, we think of them as the individual
that we know. You might have to wear a dirty uniform because of where you're
working, but it doesn't take away from who you are." At the end of the working
day, you can make the transition from being an employee to just being you
again. "When you get back home or back into your community, you don't redefine
yourself as much as you let go of the fact that you're no longer the employee.
And at that point you can change your clothes, put your piercings back in,
let your hair down and take your shoes off," Sandra says. "Employee is just
a part of what we are. Work is not what makes us individuals."
Individuality is important. By distinguishing ourselves from the adults in our lives
and from other youth, we define who we are. Clothing, tattoos, piercings,
lingo and body language are some of the tools we use to express ourselves-which
is why the workplace can feel like another planet. Many companies use
uniforms, attitude and catchy phrases to establish a unique identity or
brand. In some ways, a company acts like an individual, using style, appearance
and personality to define itself. Some people are lucky enough to work
in an environment they can mesh with, but if your style and attitude conflict
with your employer's needs, you'll need some tools to navigate the workplace
without ditching your identity.
Video Game Development:"Our company works hard
to maintain an environment that's both creative and inspiring-enforcing
any sort of dress or appearance code would only inhibit that. So in general,
if it's acceptable in public, it's acceptable in our workplace."
-David Catlin, co-owner/co-founder, Next Level Games, Vancouver.
Telecommunications:
"If a team member is dealing with our customers, we encourage business-style
clothing. If a team member is in a position that involves physical work,
like a warehouse job, then the clothing is more casual and comfortable.
When attending interviews, it's prudent to dress conservatively-you never
know who's going to be interviewing you and what their views of business
clothing might be. You can't go wrong if you dress conservatively."
-Pauline Elliott, director of recruiting and staffing, Telus, Vancouver.
Construction:
"For us, work ethic, showing up on time, willingness
to learn and attitude outweigh any kind of appearance. It doesn't matter
what you look like, but we want to see people comfortable. We work outside,
so you're going to want to dress for the weather. Torn jeans and ripped
T-shirts can be a safety issue. And things like rings and piercings can
get caught in the machinery. At the end of the day, we respect individuality."
-Randy Callaghan, field personnel coordinator, PCL Constructors Canada Inc.,
Richmond.
Regardless
of your current situation or the amount of work experience you have (or
don't have), your glass is definitely full because you possess employability
skills. Everybody has these skills, which they develop through daily activities
like school, household chores and even socializing. In the world of work,
your employability skills are important and can help you to get and keep
a job. There are three types of employability skills:
Fundamental Skills are the basics that allow
you to develop as a person and include:
A. Communication B. Managing Information C. Using Numbers D. Thinking and Solving Problems
Personal Management Skills define how you carry
yourself and include:
E.Demonstrating Positive Attitudes
and Behaviours F. Being Responsible G. Being Adaptable H. Learning Continuously I. Working Safely
Teamwork Skills allow you to contribute to
a team and include:
J. Working with Others K. Participating in Projects and Tasks
Employers need to see you demonstrating your employability skills to
determine if you have what they're looking for. But exactly how do you
show employers your skills? Take this quiz and find out.
By being aware of and recognizing the employability skills in others, you
can identify your own skills and learn how to put them to action, at work
and in life.
Directions: Read each of the scenarios.
From the list of employability skills provided, identify the two skills
being demonstrated in these examples and write down the corresponding letters.
1. You walk into a restaurant and the hostess nods and smiles, makes eye
contact and listens intently to your seating requests. Skills:
and
2. Construction workers are paving a sidewalk: one worker directs the flow
of concrete, a few others spread it out and two more workers level it and
make it smooth. Skills:
and
3. A drive-thru cashier takes your order. She politely asks what you'd
like, enters the various items on her computer, clearly reads your order
back to you, gives you the total and directs you to the next window. Skills:
and
4. A bike courier must deliver a package across town but, due to construction,
her usual routes are closed. She takes a minute to read her map and finds
an alternate route that'll get her there in time.
Skills:
and
5. A window washer prepares to clean a building. He places a "Caution, Workers
Above" sign on the sidewalk and ensures he's harnessed up tightly
before slowly making his way down the side of the building. Skills:
and
6. A babysitter is looking after two children and secures the guardrail
by the stairs while ensuring the kids stay where she can see them. She smiles,
laughs and encourages the kids as they play.
Skills:
and
7. A clerk at a music store sells CDs: he helps customers choose music and
also processes their purchases. He slowly counts back change on cash sales
and puts Interac and credit card payments through. During slow periods,
he reads the latest issues of Rolling Stone and Billboard magazine. Skills:
and
