1210212.us16.myftpupload.com Managed WordPress Site

Tag: the future

Goal-Setting: Tips and Tricks

Need to get something done? A strategy may be in order. Conscientious people know what they want and make concrete plans to get it, completing small tasks each day and slowly but steadily progressing towards their desired result. In other words, they’ve mastered the art of goal-setting, a fantastic skill that can help you further your achievement.

Goal-setting is an asset when you’re working on long-term projects or towards your own self-fulfillment. It is also a skill that transfers well into higher education as well as into the workforce, where you will have more and more tasks and responsibilities to manage—and where it becomes even more important to keep your eye on the ball.

Here is some advice that will help you develop your goal-setting skills, and that may, in turn, contribute to your long-term success.

Dream big, start small.

I’m sure a part of you secretly dreams of saving the world—whether it’s discovering the cure for cancer or being on the first human expedition to Pluto, we all have dreams that are certainly worth investing it. That being said, it takes small steps to accomplish any goal. Keep your long-term ambitions in mind, but stay focused on what you can do today that will bring you one step closer to achieving them.

Keep it regular.

Turn goal-setting into a habit. For instance, you can start your morning off by making a list of three things you want to accomplish by the end of the day. Though these things can be related to your long-term goals, don’t forget about daily chores and tasks to accomplish—even small things like completing your overdue homework or cooking a healthy meal can turn a regular day into a productive one.

Motivate yourself.

Most people want to be productive, but laziness or apathy often gets in the way of their accomplishments. Solve your potential lack of motivation by having a long-term vision that will pull you out of bed when all you want to do is sleep in. It’s also recommended that you reward yourself for your hard work: for example, when you reach 10 successfully completed goals, you can have a day off to relax.

Hold yourself accountable.

We all slip up from time to time, and that’s perfectly normal, but try not to let getting sidetracked become a bad habit. If you slack off or forget your responsibilities, make a commitment to yourself that you’ll do better next time—after all, you owe it to yourself and to your future. To help you keep track of your progress, you can use a goal-setting journal for personal reflection.

September 22, 2015
School to Work

Whether you plan to go to college or university, or you want to get right into the workplace after high school, there is co-operative education, internship, and apprenticeship programs all designed to aid students in making the transition from school to the workforce.

Co-operative Education programs are available at the secondary and post-secondary levels. High school co-ops earn you credits toward your high school diploma, and provide you with first-hand experience in a potential career. Skills learned through a co-op also help to build up your resume, which will help you with future schooling or job applications. Check with your guidance counsellor to arrange a co-op program. Usually a teacher must monitor these programs, and provide a study curriculum related to your co-op work placement.

Post-secondary co-op programs exist through many of Canada’s universities and colleges. These offer an educational experience combining work placements and academic studies. These tend to be complete degree or diploma programs, requiring formal enrollment in the program the same as any other college or university degree. Co-op programs may take longer to complete than a standard degree, since the work placements are interspersed between your class semesters. These programs are a great way to get hands-on experience in your chosen field, which will give you a competitive edge when applying for jobs after graduation.

Internships operate a bit differently than a co-op. Many internships are posted, and applied for, in the same way regular jobs are: you need to apply with a resume and cover letter, perform an interview, and get hired for the position. Internships are great for students and recent graduates because you have a chance to work at a job to see if it is right for you, without committing to a permanent position, since most internships are only a few months or a year in length. Also, more awareness of un-paid internships is being recognized and in the future, laws may change to benefit the intern more than the corporation they are working at. When you become an intern, make sure you are getting what you deserve and want out of the internship; it needs to benefit the next step in your career path. There are too many grads walking around busting their backs for companies that do not pay them, or don’t pay them enough.

Lastly, if you plan to go into one of the skilled trades, an apprenticeship is the way to go. Apprenticeships differ from co-ops and internships in that most of your learning takes place as a paid working apprentice, where you learn on the job in order to develop and refine the technical skills specific to that particular trade. Only a small part of an apprenticeship is comprised of class time, usually taking place at a technical school, union training centre, or through online study. You do have to register with your local or provincial apprenticeship office, who will help you track your hours, inform you of grants to help pay for your apprenticeship, and assist you in obtaining your professional certifications.

While asking your school guidance department, and family or friends, are good places to start your search for a co-op, internship, or apprenticeship, there are also a number of online resources dedicated to helping Canadian students connect with these opportunities.

Sources:

Canadian Association for Co-operative Education

http://www.cafce.ca/

Public Service Commission of Canada – Post Secondary Co-op and Internship Program

www.cappa.ca/index.php/en/students/post-secondary-co-op-internship-program

Careers in Trades

http://www.careersintrades.ca/

Government of Canada Services for Youth

www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/career_planning/coop.shtml

August 26, 2015
Money and You; What is Your Future Worth?

When I got my first job at the fast food restaurant, McDonalds, I was 14 years old. I was paid a “student wage” of $6.45 per hour. That may seem like nothing today, but when I was 14, it was everything. Labour laws and rules have changed for youth over the years, and now minimum wage is the law for all persons working in an establishment like McDonalds. Regardless of how ridiculous and unfair getting paid $6.45 per hour is, it was really important for me to earn that money. When I was on the school bus one day, I happened to have my bank statement in my hands; it read $1000.00. My friend looked up at me like I was the richest person in the world. I managed to keep earning money without spending it. I don’t know how or why, but I did. I think it was because at 14, I didn’t really understand how money could work for me. After I got off the bus that day, I went home and thought about all the things I could buy- big mistake! A few years later, when I was broke before going into university, I thought back to that day on the bus; if I kept saving the money I was making (even if it was $6.45 per hour), I would now be in a good place financially.

You and your future are worth more than anything you could ever buy. It’s great to go to the movies, buy clothes and eat out. However, if you don’t start saving as soon as you get your first job, you might have regrets like I did. Relying on your parents for dough to get you through college and university is not the greatest feeling.

Here is some advice and some tips to get you in the mindset of saving for your future:

Open a Checking AND Savings account. You may already have a checking’s account at your local bank. Some youth are getting bank accounts as early as 5 years old (set up by parents, of course). Alongside your checking’s account, you should think about investing in a Savings account, too. So, when you get your paychecks from your job, you can budget yourself between play money and money for your Savings account. Make sure that you aren’t paying a high fee each month for your Savings account- some banks will charge this.

Just because you take money out, doesn’t mean you have to spend it. If you take money out for play, it doesn’t mean that you have to use it. If you have something planned, you are obviously going to use it. However, if you are just taking it out as an allowance, you don’t have to spend it. Play a game with yourself; see how long you can keep your money in your pocket. Practice restraint. If you don’t spend your money for a week or two, put it back into your savings account and be proud of your accomplishment; some adults have a hard time doing this!

Don’t tell anyone what you’re worth (or how much money you have in your account). Your earnings are your business alone. You don’t need to flash around how much money you have, or tell people how much money you don’t have. It creates an atmosphere of strange odds. If you have a bank full of savings and your friend doesn’t, your friend might feel unaccomplished and maybe, jealous. Instead, encourage your peers to join the working world and give them information on how they can get a job, too.

Always search for alternative methods of earning money. If you have a job already, that is great. However, don’t stop there. To cushion yourself for the future, you should always keep in search of scholarships and bursaries. Between school and work, there may be an essay contest you could enter that could earn you some extra cash to put away. Or maybe there is a sports scholarship you could receive if you play on your school’s football team. There are always alternative ways of earning cash, other than your part-time job.

There is a certain Buddhistic calm that comes from having….money in the bank. ~ Tom Robbins [1]

Saving comes too late when you get to the bottom. ~ Seneca[2]

[1] http://www.alwaysfrugal.com/saving-money.html

[2] http://www.alwaysfrugal.com/saving-money.html

June 26, 2015