Did your family have a piano when you were growing up? Mine did.

And I remember the day my dad got it in his head that my brother, sister and I were going to be the next famous family band—like the brother-sister duo The Carpenters—that lasted about ten minutes! (Watch Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, for a rather creepy movie of her tragic death using Barbie and Ken dolls to tell the story!)

When my piano teacher used to scold me every week to cut my nails shorter because they were clicking on the keys, I did not know how to do that—without making my fingertips bleed—so I quit piano. And let go of any lingering hopes I had about becoming a famous singer! Then, in another strange development in high school—with math and science my best subjects—my right brain felt starved so I didn't go into chemistry or engineering but instead turned to my passion for sewing... and entered Fashion Design at Ryerson in Toronto!

What a disaster! I lasted 2 years in the 4 year program. We joked about being taught by unsuccessful fashion designers. Quaked at the idea of making just $12K per year, if we were lucky enough to find a junior designer job upon graduation. But the reality was, only about 5 of the 150 students had the talent, the ambition, and the focus to get anywhere in this competitive field. (Note: I don't regret the 2 years of study, I learned tonnes - about myself and about what I did and didn't want to do!)

Recently, I addressed a roomful of parents at the Halton Board's annual PIC Conference. The topic for our discussion was whether their children should "do what they love" or if we have put unreasonable expectations upon our young people today in suggesting that the money will follow if they follow their passions. When I asked the parents in the room to raise their hand if they were working in the field they first attended school for, just 3 parents raised their hands: a doctor, an architect, and a school teacher. So if my generation rarely went to school for their ultimate career, why do we expect our children to be able to pick a career or the right education at eighteen?

We also spoke about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. We all know the feeling of intrinsic motivation. It's when we do something because we like to do it... not because someone dangled a carrot or threatened to punish us if we didn't. So what happens when you take something you are intrinsically motivated to do, sewing for example (to continue my fashion design tale), and you try to turn it into a career? A career where you are extrinsically rewarded with money to design clothing and where you have to provide "creative on demand," to quote my GD husband (that's graphic designer husband, not goddamn!)? I'll tell you, it can ruin your intrinsic motivation to do something, and as a commercial artist, I can confirm my husband does art only for pay now, not for his own enjoyment.

And while we're on the subject of intrinsic motivation, it coincidentally turned out one of my colleagues was reading the 2009 book by Daniel Pink entitled Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

In his book, Pink suggests, "Carrots & Sticks are so last Century. Drive says for 21st century work, we need to upgrade to autonomy, mastery and purpose" (note he does not mention passion!). He says autonomy is our need to be self directed, mastery is our urge to improve our skills, and purpose feeds our desire to do that which has meaning for us.

So the warning to parents is that following the popular media's advice to encourage your son or daughter to follow their passion is probably not the right answer to the career question... it might just ruin their hobby! I'm not suggesting your child needs to do something they don't like doing for a living. But we need to start expanding our possible careers and passions from beyond a narrow scope to a more general arena... like "helping people" or "problem solving" or "trouble shooting," for just a few examples.

Parents can find clues to their children's general motivations in what they enjoy doing (do they like exploring under rocks, riding a bike, reading a book, building a fort, tutoring a friend, etc.). But it's rarely a straight line from education to a career.

There was a happy ending for me after college spoiled my interest in Fashion Design. Six years later when I married, my uncle shipped me my grandmother's 20s wedding gown and I remade it into my own wedding dress. Since then, I've also enjoyed sewing countless Halloween costumes and Play costumes for my children. So I did not ruin my passion forever... just for a number of years!

And I expect my husband will not return to art for pleasure until he retires. I look forward to that day when he creates art for himself again, instead of his clients.

I hope there are things you do for yourself too, for the simple pleasure of doing them.

I was first introduced to this turn of phrase in an undergrad psychology course in the early nineties. The expression stuck with me for two reasons:

1. It was incredibly offensive as it contained the word “retarded.” Better word choices are now “intellectual disability” or “developmental disability.” (Although the currently acceptable word of “disability” can be problematic too! More on that in another blog.)
2. My sister always told me I had “book smarts” but not “street smarts” and I certainly knew plenty of people I could outperform at school... but not in day-to-day living.

If we define the word “retard” (with a short 'e' and the emphasis on the second syllable!) it means to “delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.” And we all know plenty of students, perhaps you are or were one, whose progress has been held back at school... and sometimes it was simply an incompatibility between how one learns or what one is interested in learning and what the curriculum is trying to teach us!

My husband sometimes revisits the trauma in school of when his teacher insisted he needed to read more, but would not count what he was reading as acceptable. He was into Archie comics, Minibike Manuals, Mad Magazine and the TV Guide! His mother argued, unsuccessfully, that the teacher should allow him to practice his skills with topics he was interested in reading.

How many intelligences do you think our school systems tend to foster, and measure, and grade?

If you said the first two, you are right. For many years now, we have been stuck on literacy and numeracy in our society (read “Our Life Out of Balance: The Rise of Literacy and the Demise of Pattern Languages” or anything else by Derek Rasmussen for a new perspective). We measure our students by how well they perform in English and how well they perform in Math. If you can do both, it seems you are a superstar, if you can do one and not the other you still rock... but if you cannot do either you are obviously never going to make a decent living.

Really? Is that true? Then how did a father of a friend of mine rise to an Executive at Bell Canada? He only ever completed a grade 2 education because he had to quit school to work the family farm when his father died. There was certainly a time when reported literacy and numeracy were not the measure of a person's worth or a predictor of their success. What happened?

Do you know a student who consistently under-performs and may be considered a “six-hour retarded child” at school? Sometimes students are disadvantaged in their schooling by an exceptionality. It may be autism, dyslexia, a slow processing speed, a visual-motor integration issue or distractibility, to name just a few that can add challenges to literacy or numeracy lessons.

What do you do if you are the parent of such a student? Many just pray for school to be over because we cannot all afford to send our kids to special private schools that foster other abilities like hockey or art or music or inventiveness.

As a Dr. James E. Allen, Jr. so wisely put it at the same 1969 conference:
“Is it possible that we are so awed by the complex psychological constructions of learning and cognition that we have overlooked some of the simpler principles of human development?”

Unfortunately, educational reform that honours and develops individual strengths or multiple intelligences is not about to happen any day soon (see Gardner's Four Factors below). But consider that numeracy and literacy may just be the two intelligences we emphasize... especially if they are not your strongest suit. Figure out where you (or your child or your students) shine... and then spend lots of time there!

Many of us interested in efforts at educational reform have focused on the learner or student, be she a young child in preschool or an adult bent on acquiring a new skill. It is clarifying to have such a focus and, indeed, any efforts at reform are doomed to fail unless they concentrate on the properties and potentials of the individual learner. My own work on multiple intelligences has partaken of this general focus; colleagues and I have sought to foster a range of intellectual strengths in our students.

But after several years of active involvement in efforts at educational reform, I am convinced that success depends upon the active involvement of at least four factors:

1. Assessment—Unless one is able to assess the learning that takes place in different domains, and by different cognitive processes, even superior curricular innovations are destined to remain unutilized. In this country, assessment drives instruction. We must devise procedures and instruments which are "intelligence-fair" and which allow us to look directly at the kinds of learning in which we are interested.
   
2. Curriculum—Far too much of what is taught today is included primarily for historical reasons. Even teachers, not to mention students, often cannot explain why a certain topic needs to be covered in school. We need to reconfigure curricula so that they focus on skills, knowledge, and above all, understandings that are truly desirable in our country today. And we need to adapt those curricula as much as possible to the particular learning styles and strengths of students.
   
3. Teacher Education—While most teacher education institutions make an honest effort to produce teaching candidates of high quality, these institutions have not been at the forefront of efforts at educational improvement. Too often they are weighted down by students of indifferent quality and by excessive – and often counterproductive – requirements which surround training and certification. We need to attract stronger individuals into teaching, improve conditions so that they will remain in teaching, and use our master teachers to help train the next generation of students and teachers.
   
4. Community Participation—In the past, Americans have been content to place most educational burdens on the schools. This is no longer a viable option. The increasing cognitive demands of schooling, the severe problems in our society today, and the need for support of students which extends well beyond the 9-3 period each day, all make it essential that other individuals and institutions contribute to the educational process. In addition to support from family members and other mentoring adults, such institutions as business, the professions, and especially museums need to be involved much more intimately in the educational process.
   

Howard Gardner is an American developmental psychologist and Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. Click here to learn more about Howard Gardner's unvalidated  but fascinating Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

When spring hits, university students (quickly followed by high school students) hit the pavement—or their computer—looking for that perfect summer job. Although, sometimes perfect is simply one that pays! Recently, I had the pleasure of presenting tips on getting a first job to some special teenagers. Here I share with you 4 simple steps...

Step 1
Think about what you're interested in and why... do yourself a favour and “aim low!”

Are you interested in working with children because you enjoy their energy and think about being a teacher?
Apply at a local kids’ program or find a good babysitting gig.

Do you enjoy music because you’re addicted to spotify, play guitar and want to start a band some day?
Apply at a local mall's CD store or with a musical instrument seller or equipment renter.

What does "aim low" mean exactly? Particularly if this is your first job, it means getting any job and not being too picky about what you’re doing! There are many fun examples on the internet of people’s early jobs. Most notably, Brad Pitt wore a chicken costume and danced around in front of a restaurant to attract customers... that’s sort of like acting! And Canada's new prime minister, Justin Trudeau, worked as a camp counsellor... that’s sort of like running a country!

Step 2
Tell everyone you know you are looking for work—they may know, or learn of, a job just for you!

This includes relatives—be sure they tell their coworkers—and also friends, neighbours and even that nice lady at the corner store.

You recall the expression "it's who you know." This is how you tap into the “hidden job market.” The majority of jobs are never even advertised and are filled through networking and connections. So be sure to tap into the way most people find jobs!

Step 3
Create a great resume that reflects who you are and what you’re good at!

There are lots of great resume templates. Click here for one I use or find a template you like online (students who use myBlueprint.ca or another tool at school can find a resume generator there).

Your resume will be informed by Steps 1 and 2 above. A good resume will incorporate what you’re interested in—and why—in your "objective statement," click here for how to write great objectives. Networking and connecting to people will help you see what type of work might be available, and allow you to potentially target your resume content towards that specific position, for example...

Is there a pet daycare around the corner from you that you would just love to work or volunteer at?
Make sure your resume includes all that time you spent at the stables mucking out horse stalls.

Applying to work at an amusement park for the summer?
You could list roller coasters as one of your hobbies or interests to make the connection!

Step 4
Approach people with your resume, ideally with specific work opportunities in mind!

Your uncle owns a golf course and you think about being a landscaper?
Approach him to do greens maintenance… although you might aim lower and start off as a ball picker!

The people you approach can range from your personal network to local businesses. A favourite pastime of mine (seriously, I love it) with my many nieces and nephews (and I’ve even occasionally been hired to do this) is going on a Great Job Hunt (it’s like an Easter Egg Hunt… but without the chocolate eggs!). We jump in my car, armed with twenty great resumes, a clipboard, paper and pen. My niece/nephew points out a place they would deign to work at and jumps out…

“Is the manager in? I was wondering if you are hiring? Here is a copy of my resume, I’d be very interested in working here. I will be right back with that application filled out  (that’s what the clipboard in the car is for!)… or …Yes, I will fill out your online application. Thank you, I look forward to an interview.”

Except hopefully it’s a two-sided conversation! And don’t forget to record where you applied and who’s hiring and who to follow up with. I might even reward us with a treat at the end. Remember, if you don’t get any interviews or a job from this round... repeat the whole process. You'll be less and less picky about where you’re willing to work (aim lower and lower!), especially if it's your first job!

Don’t want to aim quite so low for next summer?
Start now by thinking about where you’d like to work during the school year or next summer and plant the seeds. This means cultivating a network of contacts at companies you’d like to work at or accepting a volunteer position. It takes work, but it pays off big.

Think it’s a waste of time to work at a probably go-nowhere job?
A friend’s son with autism who was not really suited to a typical entry-level retail job got his start as a lettuce picker and eventually became a coder.

What in the world can a future programmer learn from working a summer job with a local lettuce farmer?
Like Brad Pitt in a chicken suit or Prime Minister Trudeau as a camp counsellor, don’t undervalue the lessons learned at your first jobs. My friend’s son learned a lot from his job on that farm—he planted, cultivated and picked lettuce, beets and other produce—which he now uses in his current role as a software engineer (the skills, that is, not the vegetables he picked). Necessary skills that everyone needs to learn, like:
• How to make conversation with coworkers.
• How to read the boss and see when he’s not happy.
• What good quality means and how to get there.
• How to work hard even when you're tired and working conditions are bad.

To this wise worker, it is better to learn and practice these job skills in a position like lettuce picker than on your dream job! So aim low and get that perfect job... the job to build your resume... and to build your character!

You like making art?    
                                                You think you’re good at art? 
       You love being creative?
            So you want to be an artist?

All of these are good questions to ask yourself, but I’m afraid the stamp of “Artist” with a big “A” will be a long time coming… besides it is NOT, nor will it ever be, your job title - so forget the label and begin your quest to work in or around “art.”

Last winter Gabby, my little 8-year-old granddaughter, sent me an email wanting to know how I became a sculptor and why I became an artist?

This was just plain curiosity on her part and not a school project. She herself loves to dabble in arts & crafts, especially when she visits her grand-maman’s Toucan Studio, where she gets opportunities to try all types of materials to play “art” with. At home, creative projects are encouraged: brushes, paints ,crayons, etc. are available at a moment's notice. Dad provides card stock and scrap paper from his office and scrap paper whenever he is asked and the girls have fun turning packing boxes into something for their dolls or make believe fashion play.... Grand-maman is a big promoter too such as taking a sketch book along when going for a bike ride to stop and draw people or birds or whatever we may encounter along the way.

by Colette Dionne

I’m elaborating on a home setting here because often this is where the artistic kernels begin to form and may, or may not be, encouraged at an early age. You might have been told you are a good artist and your peers may have told you how well you draw, etc. Preschools are wonderful at developing creative projects for pupils even before they can write. Unfortunately grade schools often fail at continuing these projects and art is left for those whose parents can afford to encourage them on the side. By high school, art becomes a subject to learn and those who are told they have talent may develop it from then onwards.

You BECOME an artist, you are not born one. To become one, you have to devote much time and practice – just as you do in sports if you want to make the team. You have to exercise the kernel of talent you may have discovered in yourself. This means playing at making things, colouring, drawing, sketching. So many ways to practice art and as many opportunities to pursue this practice. Looking for these opportunities is a training in itself, one that will propel you forward in your chosen field later in life.

If your interest is on the artistic side or you have a certain passion for visual arts: BEWARE. You will encounter many road blocks. Most parents or adults believe you cannot make a living at “doing art”... or writing, or composing music, or acting drama. This is the bane of all artistic pursuits.

My own parents did not want me to pursue an art career!

After my high school I wanted to be an architect. Still, to this day, it is my utmost quest to view great buildings when I travel the world. But my parents insisted I obtain a basic BA before I would be allowed to pursue my own passion for art. If I did, they would reward me with different extra-curricular art courses. I bargained my way to art training. I did receive a formal academic training, which my parents believed would give me job opportunities, as well as my formal art training on the side, which they paid for just to please me. I had thus found a way to get accreditation in the graphic arts as well as liberal arts. The more you know, the better equipped you are to pursue your dreams. My liberal arts taught me how to research subject matter, how to express myself verbally and literally, how to calculate and figure problems out. Did you know that art is very mathematical? So try to keep up that geometry and calculus course – nothing is lost.

 In my past career, I have touched upon many areas. I never made money at art directly – unless you count the 600 paintings I sold while managing my own art gallery, submitting works in different group shows and exhibits. The bread and butter, that which paid the rent of the gallery was the framing business. That too required a certain aesthetic judgement, a flair for composition and color, a knowledge of decor and so much more coming from that art kernel!

Later on, and because my first passion was ballet, I found myself in an amateur dance group which needed sets for shows and I offered my services to do that and discovered a whole new career which later lead me to go back to theatre school and concentrate on set and costume design, construction and camera angles. Thus I became an art director for commercials and television and later got hired by the CBC.

Then my career took its own twists and turns and evolved with technology where I moved into graphic design and CD ROM interface designing and publishing. I was a pioneer in that field creating my first CD ROM in 1991 and forming a company to publish CD ROMs for the educational market. As such we were the first ones to put video on a CD and I was invited to speak at Macworld in San Francisco, telling of our experience and methods. Later, I retired to open my own restaurant. Again, wanting to promote art, I used it as an art gallery to promote emerging artists.

After 50 years devoted to art, I’ve earned the accreditation and title of “artist.” Now, I’m retired – but only from the marketing of my art – I'm still an artist! The main concept to retain here is this:

No matter what or how you end up in the “art” business, you will ALWAYS be in the “selling” business and marketing of your art will always be 75% or more of that business.

Make sure you develop your selling skills along the way and develop the flexibility to catch the opportunities that may come your way.

Today I’m still trying to answer my granddaughter’s questions for myself.
             How did I become an artist?
                                              Why did I become an artist?
I will work on these answers and share them with you soon!

Click here to enter the So You Want to Be an Artist contest! Make artwork about something you care about and the 12 artworks with the most votes will be displayed at the National Gallery of Canada. You have to be a resident of Canada and 16 to 19 years old. Enter by October 5, 2015.

what is mechanical engineering?
Mechanical Engineering is a very large and very general discipline of Engineering that deals with physics and material sciences for analysis, design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical Engineering can be dated back hundreds of years in the archives of ancient and medieval societies but emerged as an organized field during the industrial revolution. Back then Mechanical Engineers would mainly enjoy tasks such as repairing machines and keeping engines but now Engineers often deal mostly with management and constructing 3D mockups with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software. 

A Mechanical Engineer—as opposed to an MET (Mechanical Engineering Technologist)—works in a wide variety of fields in which he or she can occupy a variety of positions. This includes conceptual design, systems engineering, manufacturing or product research and development. Mechanical Engineers can be found in almost every field including pharmaceuticals, aerospace, defense, consumer goods and utilities.

A majority of the work an engineer does is planning and development. This is highly theoretical and there is sometimes little room for hands-on practice. Different sub-disciplines of Mechanical Engineers focus on designing and developing different infrastructure. For example someone who specializes in mechatronics and robotics may work at a robotics facility or an automated factory while someone who specializes in welding and joining may work alongside civil engineers building a bridge or other large structures. Mechanical Engineers also do consultation where they are hired by a company to improve their processes or give advice, this can include advice on how to cut energy costs, production costs or pollution.

A Mechanical Engineer's pay ranges from $42,000 to $96,000 with a median of $62,000. This is dependent on many factors, such as experience, location and the employer. Pay continues to rise as a Mechanical Engineer progresses to higher positions (see below).

how do I become a mechanical engineer?
To become a Mechanical Engineer you will need to have the required high school prerequisites and successfully complete a 4-year program at an accredited Canadian university. There are many universities that offer Mechanical Engineering programs and others that start with general Engineering but allow for further specialization into Mechanical Engineering. Most Engineers obtain a Bachelors degree before going to work, but some return for either a MEng (Master of Engineering) or an MBA (Master of Business Administration). Engineers can obtain a P.Eng. (Professional Engineer) licence so that they may pursue more challenging and rewarding work. A P.Eng. designation is very useful and can sometimes be required by law, i.e. if you are responsible for work that is defined as professional engineering according to the professional engineering act than a P.Eng. licence is necessary. Wondering "What type of Engineering is right for you?" Click here to take University of Waterloo's quiz!

I am an Idealist... and if you've ever taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), and were lucky enough to have the letters N (for iNtuition) and F (for Feeling) in your four-letter type, then you, like me, are a fellow Idealist! We Idealists are a tricky bunch, full of ideas and ambitions that seem to grow and change as we do—but which are sometimes misunderstood by those around us. While it’s great to be full of passion for a multitude of subjects and causes, this desire to try everything can sometimes lead to challenges.

How is an Idealist supposed to decide on one career path, when he or she is constantly wondering if the grass is greener as a writer, or a dental hygienist, or a teacher, or an accountant? This grass-is-greener-syndrome, along with a tendency for Idealists to have incredibly high expectations for our future careers, is a common trait of our type. When the reality of our chosen profession doesn’t live up to the image we had of it in our inexperienced minds, we sometimes get discouraged and start wondering if we might be better pursuing something else.... I can say, without a doubt, that this is the story of my life.

Fortunately, there is hope! While I think it might take some of us longer to figure out what it is we want to do, we can eventually get there. Life is a journey, and every experience we have helps to narrow down our choices and guide us into a job that is just as ideal as we’ve imagined. I’d like to share my career story with you thus far, and hopefully I can provide some helpful advice along the way. This post isn’t just for Idealists either—any type might be interested to read about my experience and insights.

I am a twenty-something-year-old INFX. “X” is for undecided—I score J (judging) on the MBTI, but align well with the P (perceiving) type. I would say I am a typical Idealist (NF). As a high school student, my career ambitions were what others might consider a little… ummmm… unrealistic. I wanted to be either a famous actress, or a weather girl, or some sort of world traveller who immersed herself in other cultures and learned their ways—and somehow got paid for it at the same time. Needless to say I became none of those, but that isn’t so bad. Now, I would never want to be a famous actress, nor a weather girl, and while I haven’t exactly gotten paid to travel, I have been able to do a lot of it through other means.

Taking a gap year post high school to work in Mexico for a few months, I then began my studies at the University of Western Ontario (now just Western University). True to the nature of an Idealist, I switched majors twice in my four years, starting out in International and Comparative Studies, moving to a half college/half university program in Media, Theory and Production, and finally graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Media, Information and Technoculture (MIT).

After graduating from Western, I felt like a huge burden had been lifted off of my shoulders, and like my life was finally about to begin. Although I didn’t enjoy “the Western experience” as much as some alumni, I would say that graduating provided me with a huge sense of accomplishment and a lot of newfound self-confidence. It also provided me with the qualification to teach English abroad! So off I went to South Korea to teach English, and as a one year contract came to an end, and another began, I thanked my past self for sticking out my Bachelor’s degree. The two years that I spent in South Korea were as different as night and day to my four years at Western. If anyone reading this is considering teaching English abroad, I encourage you to get out there and do it! It is one of the best experiences you will ever have! Living in a foreign country is so exciting, and so profoundly different from living in Canada. You will be changed forever from the experience in a way that is so, so good. There are a lot of books and blogs about teaching ESL abroad, so I won’t go into much detail here, but if you would like more information from me, please feel free to contact me by sending a message through this site's contact form.

As great as it was living abroad, I did start to miss Canada. So after two years in Korea, I started looking for what to do next. I kind of randomly decided that I would like to be a Librarian, and after getting accepted into the Master of Library and Information Studies program at McGill, I decided that would be my next move. When starting the Library program I had a lot of people ask me, “Why do you need a master's degree to shelve books?” I agree...

it does seem like a lot of education: four years of undergrad, plus a one- or two-year master’s degree, depending on which school you attend. However, a Master of Library Studies is not intended to teach you to shelve books. The people who hold this degree are trained Information Professionals. You will not see them checking out books for you at your public library, as they are more behind the scenes, making the executive decisions and doing the brain work for whatever organization they work at.

There are a number of career routes one can take with a Master of Library and Information Science degree (see the long list of example job titles below). You can go the academic library route, and work in a university or college library, helping students and professors with research, overseeing collection development, giving seminars to students on how to perform research, and managing the day-to-day operations of the library. I found that most of the students in my program were interested in getting a job in an academic setting after graduation.

Another option is to work in a Special Library. Special Libraries are typically libraries owned by private companies or organizations, that house resources on topics that support the work of the organization. For instance, many law firms, government bodies and huge corporations have their own libraries, and hire professional Librarians to work in them, doing research and organizing company resources. Companies also hire professionals in Library and Information Science to work for their Competitive Intelligence departments as well. Competitive Intelligence basically involves managing, organizing, and finding ways to use company information to generate profits for the organization. A person with a Master of Library and Information Science degree can expect a high position, potentially running his or her department and managing employees as well.

Yet another place some graduates work is in the public library. Individuals with master’s degrees are the people who run the library. They might be in charge of the library’s finances, human resources, and making executive decisions for the library, like implementing new technologies and other big changes. They are also the ones who decide upon the library programming. This could involve bringing guest speakers to the library, children’s programming and other events for the general public, like seminars or adult education classes.

Some final places where graduates typically find work are in museums, archives and Records Management. Museums hire Information Professionals for research and management positions, as well as to be in charge of the preservation of old artifacts and documents. Records Management is a form of archiving that most companies and big organizations use. This department is responsible for managing the lifecycle of a company’s records. They must store and organize every record that the company generates, and determine when a record is no longer needed by the company.

There are eight universities in Canada that offer the Master of Library and Information Studies (LIS) program (sometimes just called Master of Information Studies). They are:

• University of British Columbia
  

• University of Alberta
  

• Western University
  

• University of Toronto
  

• University of Ottawa
  

• McGill University
  

• University of Montreal (in French)
  

• Dalhousie University

If you are interested in learning more about a Master’s degree in Library or Information Science, I encourage you to take a look at the above links. I am not finished my degree yet, as I’ve had a bit of a change of heart after a summer internship in the field. The main thing that changed my mind about continuing the degree, which I did not realize before starting it, is that it will lead to a job that works more with information and data rather than people. This is perfectly suited for some, but I think my INFX personality craves human interaction and connection in my career, and so I am still searching!

If you have any more questions about graduate school or the library industry, please feel free to contact me for more information. And good luck on your professional journey!

why choose a career in nursing?
Now is the perfect time to become a registered nurse (RN) in Canada. There are many career opportunities in hospitals, homes and even in the classroom. Every Canadian at some point in their life will require the services of a nurse. Currently Canada is facing a shortage of registered nurses, as many RNs are retiring and others will soon retire. Canada needs dedicated people to choose nursing as a career. Nursing offers men and women alike a wide range of opportunities for career challenges, travel, professional development, competitive wages (click here) and the personal satisfaction of working in a caring profession that helps people to get well or stay healthy.

what to expect as a registered nurse
Becoming a nurse opens you up to a lot of possibilities as nurses in Canada work in a variety of positions. RNs support people to attain, maintain and regain health across their lifespan. Nurses practice in five major areas of responsibility: education, administration, research, policy and direct care. Education and administration are fairly self-explanatory, nurses who work in education can either work at high-schools in specialized programs for nursing or at nursing colleges; nurses working in administration can work at long-term care homes, hospitals and other locations where nursing services are available; and nurses in policy advocate, critique and advise on health-care issues; and direct care nurses work directly with their patients. 

There are other options to becoming a nurse if you are interested in diirect care, from home care aide to nursing assistant to direct support professional, personal care attendant, and more. Although they work in different settings, they all provide hands-on care to people who need long-term supports and services. Examples of direct care work range from working as a nurse's aide in a hospice providing comfort to patients and families to providing support for people with severe illnesses in their homes and helping them with the activities of daily living. 

how to become a registered nurse
To work as a nurse in Canada you require a bachelor's degree in nursing (BN or BScN) or you must be in the process of obtaining this educational requirement. Many Canadian universities, and colleges in combination with universities, offer degrees in nursing (click here for a listing). A typical bachelor's degree will take approximately 4 years and you are eligible for some clinical work while in the process of obtaining your degree. Along with a bachelor's degree you must write the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination as part of the registration or licensure process. At present, this exam can only be written in Canada on the
recommendation of a provincial or a territorial nurses association.

A little history here. I went to public school. My husband went to public school (well, a publicly-funded Catholic school). Just about everyone I knew went to public school or publicly-funded separate school. (That was back when everyone thought they were going to grow up to be an astronaut—I still think that’d be cool.)

So I was always a big supporter of the public school system and I always thought I’d continue to support it and send my kids to public school.

Then two things happened: my first born was a boy… and my husband’s brother became a teacher. I was sure a boy meant extra challenges at school, especially if he took after his father or my brother (I apologize to all boys for the generalization, but “30 Helens Agree” traditional education is more suited to girls)... and if my brother-in-law was a teacher, they’d let anyone teach! (Just kidding, we love you, Hubert.)

Bro-in-law bashing aside, when it came time to consider a school for our son, a couple of other political factors intervened to help us make our decision. First, the public school teachers went on an extended strike, and second, they pushed the grade one reading curriculum down into kindergarten (and eventually junior kindergarten) so that what a child was once learning as a 6-year old in grade one—5 if autumn born—was now being taught to 5 and 4-year olds (and eventually to 4 and 3-year olds). After a massive dive into private-school approaches and alternative schools in our neck of the woods—Halton Region in Ontario—we chose a private elementary education over public/separate school, for both of our sons.

Now people don’t think their kids are going to grow up to be astronauts anymore, but they do think they might be famous, or at least that they should continue their education, or at least get a job and move out on their own... eventually. So there are lots of stressors today around whether one’s child is getting the education they need—let alone deserve—at their local public or separate school. According to one study on Ontario private schools, "Decade by decade, the percentage of Ontario students enrolled in private schools has increased" (click here to read the study). Across the country, it's estimated there are approximately 348,656 students enrolled in 1,700 private schools (click here for more). A generation ago "only 1.9% of the student population in 1960" received private education, today, "up to 8% of children [are] enrolled in a private school... in Canada" (click here for this article).

And not only is the private-school landscape changing, public schools are no longer created equal. Real estate agents continue to use school's academic rankings—click here for elementary school rankings in Ontario—to sell homes near the "best" schools (hmm, I think maybe I would pick a lower performing school so my kid had a good chance at being voted most likely to grow up to be an astronaut). Different schools offer different clubs or interest groups in addition to the more traditional athletics programs or "schools for the arts." For example, to name just a very few:

• Robotics clubs
  
• Literature groups
  
• Model UN
• DECA clubs
  

Unless you move to be near a school—like we did for my boys' elementary education—it's often just fortuitous if the school in your neighbourhood offers something exceptional and perfect for your child. After attending private elementary, we lucked out with our local public high school for our sons because it offered an IB stream. Our eldest attended when the International Baccalaureate (IB) Computer Science Certificate was available and I think that helped him get into Software Engineering at university. Our youngest attended our local public high school when they started up a FIRST Robotics club and I think that helped him get into Mechatronics Engineering. Some would call this fate, but both were certainly blessed with some good fortune... and a good work ethic—it skipped a generation! (Note that I'm still waiting for the public "schools for the sciences" where a kid can start studying to become an astronaut, or a space scientist, or at least a physicist... because I still think that'd be cool.)

There are certainly reasons to consider the question "public or private school?" right out of the gate. Would my young child's needs be better served by public or private school? Can we afford private school? Can we afford NOT to consider private school? (Personally, we drove older cars and skipped some family vacations in order to afford private school.) Many families begin at public school and only look elsewhere when problems occur. (We chose to preempt any problems by starting at private school.) According to the summary of a report produced by the Fraser Institute, "Fully 94% of respondents said that disappointment with public or separate schools was a factor in their choice of private school" (click here for the full report).

And let's not stop at public versus private elementary or high school. There are private universities and colleges to consider as well. According to an article in Maclean's, “There seems to be an almost philosophical opposition in Canada to private universities and colleges, except religious ones” (click here to read the full article). However, IMHO, private colleges offer an excellent alternative for many individuals. A good friend of mine became an RMT (Registered Massage Therapist) by topping off her university degree with a private college program. You can learn more about private career colleges through the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities or the Association for Career Colleges Canada. Private universities are less abundant than colleges—many affiliated with a religion or religious training—but they certainly offer some distinct advantages. Take Quest University, a new non-secular, private university in BC, or Redeemer University College, a Christian University in Ontario. Both are smaller than my sons' high school... with less than a thousand students! Friends of mine chose to send their son who is on the autism spectrum to Redeemer for their Bachelor of Science program in Computer Science. They felt Redeemer was well worth the higher tuition as it met their son's needs and "he would have been lost at a large university." You can learn more about "Privately Funded Ontario Institutions with Degree-Granting Authority" through the Ontario Ministry website.

Now, if I've confused you on the question of private or public school, I'm not surprised. There are many considerations, topmost your child. Both our boys went to private elementary as prevention based on family history—we felt this was money-well-invested—but we switched them both to public school the same year, one at junior-high age and one at high-school age—we felt public high school was time-well-spent and independence-well-learned not commuting to private school. It is certainly not an easy question to answer. But I can tell you one thing: don't assume your kids will do fine in public school because you did. Look at it on a kid-by-kid and a year-by-year basis... I'm glad I did.

And if you ever find yourself thinking, around the same time each year, "We can make it to June with this teacher..." it might be time to consider your private school options! I continue to be a staunch supporter of public education (and that old dream of landing on the moon, or in my son's updated vision, landing in Silicon Valley). Although the vast majority of people still send their children to public school—I know there are many, many reasons to pick a private school to fit your child instead of expecting your child to morph him/herself to fit a school.

Answer these questions if you are considering a career in technical repair: Do you takes things apart to figure out how they work? Do you like to work with machines as much or even more than people? Are you a hands-on learner? If so, then good news, a career as a 310T Truck and Coach Technician might be right for you!

Truck & Coach Technicians (trade code 310T) are responsible to service, repair, overhaul, diagnose and inspect motor coaches, heavy trucks and truck-trailers. This job entails detecting and diagnosing problems in various parts of a mechanical system including the brakes, ignition and suspension systems.

how do you become a 310T?
There are a few different ways to go about becoming a 310T, but the simplest is through OYAP - the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. OYAP provides opportunities to students to participate in an apprenticeship occupation while enrolled in a secondary school program leading to an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The requirements to become a 310T consist of completing 6720 hours of apprenticeship, 6000 hours on-job training, as well as three 8-week blocks of training in-school. After this you are required to successfully pass a written examination for your certificate of qualification .

The skills of this trade include repairing, testing and maintaining trucks, coaches and other heavy motorized vehicles. The job involves working mostly independently on repairs while working on site with a team of similarly trained professionals . A typical day consists of working on one or several repairs throughout the day that come in as work orders. Each repair would be a different and unique experience where the tools and knowledge would differ case-by-case.

As an alternative to OYAP, a trade courses and certificate of apprenticeship can be acquired from a number of Ontario colleges including Mohawk, Conestoga and Fanshawe, among others. A career as a 310T offers a high salary, plenty of potential for career advancement and a chance for on-the-job learning.

why become a 310T?
Apart from being one of the most in-demand trade jobs in Canada, choosing a career as a Truck and Coach Technician can be very rewarding. On average, a certified 310T can expect to make $26 an hour, but along with this there are other incentives on site including reaching a sales goal for bonuses and overtime pay.

The skills you learn to become a 310T are also very applicable in other similar fields including Heavy Equipment, Aircraft Maintenance and Industrial Maintenance.

what can you expect as a 310T?
Working as a Truck and Coach Technician requires finely tuned critical thinking skills. You are required to make assessments and decisions in a fairly short amount of time. Each repair you do may use different diagnostics tools and it is up to you to find out where the problem is, what the problem is and how to fix it. Typically you'll be given a few hours for a work order but in some cases it can be bumped up to over a day. If you like a challenge and this all sounds like a good fit for you, maybe a 310T apprenticeship is the way to go!

When my eldest son turned 12, we took him to the barber and he left shorn of his long locks with a short, short (did I say short?) buzz cut. Exactly four days after his birthday we marched to our local Army Cadet Corps and he spent one night a week at the Armoury for nearly the next seven years of his life.

The benefits of Army Cadets were numerous. My son, who used to be too shy to request crickets for his lizard at the local pet store, was soon collecting the most money for the Legion Veterans selling poppies for Remembrance Day. He was participating in parades, earning star levels, rising through the ranks from Private to Warrant Officer, instructing junior Cadets at various star levels and in drill, achieving his National Star Certification, Wilderness First Aid, Belaying proficiency, Duke of Ed, map and compass...

In the summer, my son was spending six weeks at Expedition training camp at the Forces base in Borden, and one summer he was flown out for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Rocky Mountain Cadet Summer Training Centre. The Cadets experienced a new expedition each week: hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, white-water canoeing or kayaking, mountain climbing and glacier climbing (whew! just listing the activities is exhausting, never mind doing them at high altitude!). My son's favourite experience was glacier climbing with its 360° view from the top of the mountain. In his own poetic words (okay, granted they were written for an English assignment, not at his own initiative!), "The mountains were like frozen waves in an endless ocean that drown you in their beauty." And that's not all, other Army Cadet summer camps focus on Basic Training, Drill and Ceremonial and Marksmanship. The Sea and Air Cadet summer camps offer everything from Seamanship or Aviation to Survival (click here for more). A few of our Corps' Army Cadets followed the elite para training route and earned their parachutist wings jumping from airplanes. A well-earned distinction for theses Cadets who have gone on to become Reservists of the Canadian Forces while they attend university.

And that's my segue into speaking of the incredible military co-op program that exists for high school students (as I did not intend to just write about my son's experience as an Army Cadet!). At age 17, some Cadets leave their Corps and join the Reservists. As an alternative, through this co-op program, high school students can earn 2 co-op credits, 1 phys-ed credit and 1 math, English or other credit over a semester. Plus they are on their way to earning a SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) in Justice, Community Safety and Emergency Services.

If a student is accepted into the Forces co-op, a whole semester is spent at their participating Armoury. In Hamilton it's with the Primary Reserves for the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (the RHLIs or "the Rileys") or the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders ("the Argylls" - who incidentally have a real badger head for their "sporran" or waist pouch with their kilt... I've seen it!).

As Reservists, students earn approximately $45 per half day or $90 per full day for their training. Additionally, they may choose this as a part-time job for life... and if they do decide to further their education after high school, they  receive money towards their tuition! Sound like a grand opportunity? Borrowing the cautionary words of one of my colleagues (he spent 5 years in cadets and 8 years in the Forces), "The army taught me a lot. I guess my feeling is that if a kid has an ambition to do it, it is good to support them in that, but it is also good to make sure they have an opportunity to see that there is always more than one path to take."

The application process for this military co-op program is quite rigorous and can take up to 3 or 4 months. It includes going to your school's guidance office, filling out applications, including the online Forces app, a PT test, practicing and writing an aptitude test and more (click here for a "how to" in the Halton/Hamilton area). Before going ahead with applying, you will want to put more research into the Primary Reserves and the expectations of you as a Reservist (click here for more information) and consider attending an information night (contact your local Reserves to find out if they support this co-op program and have an event planned for students and parents/guardians).

The decision to join the Forces or the Reserves is a big one. This co-op program allows students the opportunity to have a hands-on experience in the military that they may or may not choose to pursue after high school. In the words of another friend of mine who was a Reservist for 9 years (4 in school and 5 in service), "I think most young men [and some young women!] think about the military at some point. In retrospect, I don't regret it because it allowed me to learn a bunch about myself and about society... and remember: the vast majority of people that join the forces do so because they want to make things better in the world and the military seems to offer this chance. So this desire to join is probably coming from the right place."