Friday, 12 July 2013

RISKS ARE RELATIVE

LIFE DEMANDS RISK - EXCITING AND UNCOMFORTABLE

My friend was telling me the other day that her boss said that "If you don't take risks in life you will NEVER get anywhere in life" (if not word for word this was definitely the gist). While I do believe in risk taking whole heartedly I started to really think about what that meant? Why did people feel so strong about this and why do we still  think there are people out there not taking risks? Its almost like we look down on them and view them as useless scared losers. My dad, a huge proponent of risk taking made me feel this way a few times and I have always questioned this narcissist sort of view. Risks are important in life and I would count myself as a risk taker but the fact is someone else might not....For me, it is important to make sure my risks are calculated - which granted may have others say I am not a real risk taker. The thing is- most importantly I believe that risks always starts with an individual personal comfort zone.
Some people are in a more economically or socially positive position where certain risks are easier example the risk of starting your own business when your dad is rich...Yes, it is risk but it is more of a risk if you are using all of your life savings which is not much to go after this business dream. My point is, WE MUST MAKE SURE TO NOT HAVE AN ELITIST PERSPECTIVE ON RISKS.

I would argue, that everyone has to take risks in life not necessarily because they want to but its more a function of life like getting older (a necessity in other words). It may not be to leave and go to Germany to live but it may be to finally go back to school or finally leave that SOB of a boyfriend you've been with for like 8 years. Yes, some people take more risks than others and others take greater risks than some but that uncomfortable excited feeling is what you know you need in your life. There are always risks that happen in life, sometimes they are successful and sometimes they are not but you doing it is ALWAYS a learning experience.

So my purpose today is to empower people to realize that they are risk takers even though traditionally not thought to be and that just because something they may be facing now is a much bigger risk than usual doesn't mean they shouldn't have the confidence in themselves to face it.... YOU CAN FACE WHATEVER IT IS. They should not feel like a loser when talking to others about risks, everyone knows about risks. You have always taken risks, you just have to realize what those risks were even if they don't seem that big to you because they may have been a bigger deal to someone else - and you know it.
Of-course there are positive and negative risks. Example  - a positive risk would be moving to a different city to pursue a career option to better yourself and  - a negative risk would be going to a store and stealing when you know its wrong. Regardless both are risks you generally hope for positive outcomes for knowing that the outcome can be positive or negative. Hence why they are called risks... Ofcourse you may feel nervous or an adreneline rush of some kind because this thing call risk is putting you in an uncomfortable but somehow exciting situation.
And there you have it RISK ARE EXCITING-UNCOMFORTABLE motions in life and thats how you know you are doing it! YOU ARE TAKING A RISK!

Positive Risks you may have taken (Which should be you goal in life);

Telling someone how they are impacting your life negatively or even positively if you tend to be a shy person.

Or leaving a negative friendship, relationship or even job situation completely for the betterment of your mental state

Moving to another country or city for love or opportunity

Learning how to drive or ride a bicycle

Going away for school

Being the bigger person to someone and letting them back into your life

And then there is Always Bungee jumping and facing an obvious fear...

Regardless they are all risk..Which have to be personal...It doesn't work if its just someone else risks for you as good-minded as their intentions are.

My point is, risks take on different shapes and forms, so don't be scared to say that you are a risk taker! Risk taking feels uncomfortable but exciting almost giving you an adrenaline rush of some sort. But in my point of view it is important to take calculated risks. Example you move to another city with the intention to find better work. You crazy you moved there without a job!!! Yes, you're a brave person and your risk threshold is a little bit higher than some. But what you do..Is do a lot of research before you go out there and even make contact. Figure out the demand for jobs and what they look for and what you are capable of. Like maybe its an advantage to have a DZ license and your a great driver..So why the hell NOT????  So you get that before you leave and you have just now opened yourself to a lot of opportunity. You make sure and work like a sweaty pig and save money so you have a nice cushion to begin with...and you set up interviews for immediately after arriving.....

RISK IS RELATIVE we just need to figure out what challenges us enough to take that uncomfortable and exciting journey into something new.  We all want our choices to impact us positively for the most part and in the moment we don't know if our risk will or not pay off but we know when we are in a situation where we HAVE to try..Life demands risks of us and maybe this risk is what you NEED!!!!

RISK ON!!!

Friday, 5 July 2013

Work Travel Visa

Title: You wanna take a leap of faith in another country? Here's how you can.

Hey World,

As you guys all know I am blogging from work  which is just where it has to happen these days...I went from a boring to busy life in literally 60 seconds, be careful what you wish for. Anyways as usual in my blogs I like to rant about my own life and offer some information and even guidance to my faithful readers. Yes, I am aware that my blogging has decreased but I was working 7 days a week and I am getting ready to move to Germany in 2 weeks. YEs, If you didn't already know I WILL BE MOVING TO GERMANY TO LIVE IN 2 WEEKS! CRazyyyy.,.....

The way that I made this happen is what I would like to share with you today as it may be something you may already be considering or want to consider. And no, you do not have to move to Germany like I am, in fact, there are a lot of countries that are in the program I have partaken in.

I am talking about the  "Youth Mobility Program"

The main perk of using a program such as this, is that if you are in the age of 18-35, you will receive a hassel free and yes FREE visa to live and work in your desired country providing that they are a part of this program.
According the website;
Canada has formal agreements with many countries to allow youth to work there temporarily. Those countries include:
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Chile
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • France
  • Germany
  • Hong Kong
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Korea, Republic of
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Mexico
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • United Kingdom
Yes, it is up to you to find your own job and accommodation in these countries but many do as I am doing which is teaching English! As you may know my lover lives in Germany and therefore accommodation was not a real issue for me. But I know many people who have gone to teach in the Asian countries and had accommodation accounted for as part of their teacher's package. What is even better is that if you have an official teaching degree (something I do not personally have) you can teach  in an official international school in your desired area and country as education in Canada is pretty much taken in any country. In  some countries you may be able to teach in an official international school without a teaching degree, so it depends, but as I am going to degree obsessed Germany, this is a no no so I am teaching for a private school.

Questions you may have:

Do I have to speak the country's language?
No, but I am sure it helps - especially if you want more money

What if I don't have a degree and I want to teach?
Honestly, most places require a university degree as a minimum so that may be a struggle for you unless you have an ECE diploma.

Do I have to teach?
No - I know for a fact if you're in the IT or Engineering field, most countries will leap at you and invite you to stay long term..You just have to apply like you would anywhere else with the pre-requisite that the job allows you to speak English if thats' your only language and use your skills whatever they are.

Okay, but what if I have no post-secondary education, will I be able to find employment and qualify for the visa?
Yes, this visa is for people mainly interested in work and travel for their stay. As long as you can work to get enough money to support your travel and living - your good to go (plus if you have enough money, who cares - but those kinds of people generally never read my blog I assume) . Many people who do this program work at bars, do sales and work as English speaking tour guides.

Is getting a teaching job really that easy?
Yes, I got mines within a week!  No, its not the best school in Germany but as expats do we really care? Everyone wants to learn English these days, its the language of business don't you know? And, as Canadians our English tends to be much easier for foreigners to understand which is a natural perk.

Does doing a TELF program help?
Absolutely. It is not impossible to get a teaching job without this as I am an example, but you might have to do it eventually whilst in the job which is what needs to be done in my case. So if you can get an affordable approved program here in Canada before you go.. complete it. And remember it must have a practical/practicum section to be a approved program such as CELTA. They are pricey which is why this broke girl could not do it before she left.

Should I save money before I leave?
Absolutely! This country will be foreign to you so you need to have your own safety net incase your roomates are heroin junkies, you don't get paid on time or you get a really cool opportunity to travel in your region.. And ofcourse even broke girls need to eat!

How long did it take to complete the process?
like 3 months for me because I am broke but if you have enough money it can be done in 1 month. This included taking a new passport picture and then getting the passport done, getting extended coverage issued (you don't need to wait for the pysical card as you will be issued a temp. paper), travel/medical insurance and getting my flight.

Can I get just any insurance?
No, there are minimum requirements that must be followed. But Travel Cuts does a great job of offering affordable insurance.

Additional Info:
Under the YMA, Foreign Missions may issue a visa to the following individuals:
  • young Canadians interested in work and travel during their stay
  • young Canadians who wish to do an internship
  • Canadian post-secondary students
  • young professionals
Is there things I will need before I can apply for the visa?
Yes, they include a valid passport that will be valid for your whole trip and valid travel/medical Insurance that is valid for your whole trip (which means you need to apply for extended health coverage) and a one way ticket to the country you desire. It has to be within 3 month of when you apply..

Applying for extended health coverage is very easy and pretty much requires you to sign your life away, take a new health card picture and tell them you need a vacation extension - don't say you want a work extension even if you did get a job offer from that great bar or school because that will require a work permit which you won't have. This visa will give you a residence permit which will allow you to find work.

I personally found the toytown website very helpful and can be helpful for you to find jobs,accomodation/roomates and just knowing the lay of the land. Just search the country you want and toytown.

Sources: My own experience AND
http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/jobs/abroad.shtml
http://www.canada.diplo.de/Vertretung/kanada/en/02/visa/yma.html

If you got any questions just give me a shout!!

Monday, 1 July 2013

Best Programs to Study

Title: Best Potential Programs to Study in Canada (Good Demand, Good Pay, dont Cost Much!)


Hey World,

Because I am a true observer or I love to observe people or because I am a snoop, I enjoy people watching. I started to think about the careers people could take on that didn't cost a lot of money to aquire here in Canada, had good demand, and had the potential to pay well. SO here it goes yall, p.s. I wish someone created this list and showed me it before I went to university and paid all that money, some of these job you only need to complete grade 10 to enter the program. Okay so really, here we go...

5 Jobs that pay well, are cheap to acquire education for and are in high demand in Canada!

Industrial/Construction Millright:

Millwrights work in construction and in manufacturing. They install, maintain, and repair stationary construction and industrial machinery and other mechanical equipment.
  • complete a four-year apprenticeship in Ontario. Apprenticeship includes on-the-job training (about 90 per cent of the apprenticeship) and some in-school training (about 10 per cent of the apprenticeship). It is a training agreement between a person who wants to learn a skilled trade and an employer who needs a skilled worker. An apprentice earns at least minimum wage while working and learning the skills necessary to become a qualified tradesperson or journeyperson. Apprentices receive a Certificate of Apprenticeship when they complete their training, and are automatically eligible to challenge the Certificate of Qualification examination.
Pay:
1-2 years experience 42,000-87,262
20 years or more 52,481 - 98,304

Tuition @ George Brown - $5, 120.00 whole program
Length of Program - 3 semesters
To read up more about this;
http://www.payscale.com/research/CA/Job=Millwright/Salary
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/working/OI_HOW_WORK_MILLWRIGHT_CM.html
http://www.millwrightsontario.com/eng/become2.htm


Electrician:

Using government labour market indicators, it is expected that the number of job seekers will be sufficient to fill the job openings in this occupation for the near future. The anticipated large increase in capital spending on infrastructure and engineering projects, mainly in the energy and mining sectors, should help to sustain growth in construction activities and should benefit electricians.

Average Salary: 42,000 - 57, 000
Fees according to Humber College Program; The 2013/2014 fee for this program is -
  • Basic $450
  • Intermediate $550
  • Advanced $550.
Fee for  Electrician Liscence exam cost about $515.00 and require a 70% to pass

To read up more about this;
http://www.georgebrown.ca/apprenticeship/how_to_become_an_apprentice.aspx#get_started
http://www.humber.ca/program/electrician-construction-and-maintenance-apprenticeship#fees-scholarships
http://www.electricianlicense.com/industrial-c-of-q/
http://www.livingin-canada.com/salaries-for-electricians-canada.html


Oil & Gas Administrative Assistant:

Job outlook in this industry is projected to grow faster than average over the next decade. Oil and gas exportation accounts for a significant portion of Canada's economy and will flourish even more as the demand for oil increases. As the industry grows, companies will need more support from those in administrative assistant positions. Employers highly value administrative assistants who are proficient in industry terminology.
  • According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), the Median Hourly Wage for Oil – Gas Administrative Assistant was $32.70.Whereas the Median Hourly Wage for all occupations was $21.00
  • High Demand: From 2011-2020, job openings are expected to total 13,154. while only 5,514 job seekers will be available to fill these job openings.
  • 17% of workers in this occupation worked full-time, compared to the average of 16%. for all occupations.
For this job you mostly need experience, however there are great programs that will set you apart especially if it is done in Alberta.

CDI College Program -  40weeks

http://www.careercourses.ca/business-program/Oil-Gas-Administrative-Assistant.aspx
http://www.cdicollege.ca/programs-and-courses/oil-and-gas-administration/

Rail Conductor

Railway conductors co-ordinate and supervise the activities of passenger and freight train crew members. Brakemen check train brakes and other systems and equipment prior to train run, and assist railway conductors in activities en route.

The railway industry is facing retirement rates as high as 70% over the next ten years which will result in a high demand for graduates. Graduates are rewarded with good salaries and opportunities for advancement to positions of greater responsibility. Railway conductors are paid based on the number of miles they accrue during the course of their work. Average annual starting salaries are $40,000, which can quickly grow to $80,000. Railway conductors are often promoted within a railway organization to locomotive engineer, as well as management positions. Railways operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekend 365 days a year. Railway conductors work out of specific pools with irregular hours, weekends and holidays depending upon workload position within the pool. This job requires excellent physical health and conditioning. Constant vigilance and situational awareness are key factors in performing safely and efficiently. 
In 2012, Canadian Conductors earned an average salary of $85,000

You can get into this job with a valid drivers liscence and a highschool diploma as the companies do their own training however for an edge you can do a program like the on offered by George Brown College
Tuition $9, 949.00 according to GBC
Program length: 1 semester

Library Technicians

Your Career

Bringing together people, information and materials, library technicians meet the challenges of a constantly changing information environment. To do this, they use the latest technologies to organize and retrieve information, and, along with librarians, they are the mainstay of libraries. They are service– oriented, work with minimal supervision and are adaptable to change. 
  1. Technical jobs in libraries, archives, museums and galleries – 45% of jobs unfilled – College degree required according to workopolis
According to Salary.com Library Technicians or Assistants in Toronto average salary is 51,729 however it seems like this could vary dramatically

Tuition for Year One: $3,449.00 2 year program at Seneca College

http://swz.salary.com/CanadaSalaryWizard/Assistant-Librarian-Salary-Details-Toronto-ON.aspx

http://www.senecac.on.ca/fulltime/LIT.html#layer3

http://www.workopolis.com/content/advice/article/what-to-study-preparing-for-the-20-most-in-demand-jobs-from-now-through-2020/