Is work supposed to make you happy?
You may have heard the saying that the average person changes jobs 7 times in their lifetime. What if I told you that in today’s world job changes are even more common than that? In fact, some stats indicate that many people will have over 10 different jobs by the...
Visible Disabilities … the unseen problems in the workplace
A while back I wrote about the experience of silently struggling with invisible disabilities. Sometimes, a person does not label themselves as living with a physical, psychological, or neurological challenge because they have been dealing with the issue or problem for...
March, Forward: Change is in the air; are you ready?
March, Forward View this email in your browser Do you feel it too? This season, people are marching to a different beat, going against the status quo and insisting on progressive changes in many aspects of life. For the first time that I can remember, the movie...
Are you a newcomer with career drive? Find out how not to crash.
It’s not uncommon for me to share real-life experiences that relate to careers or HR in my blogs. Sometimes they are about myself, occasionally they are (disguised but) about friends, family, acquaintances or clients. This time it’s about an Uber driver who I...
The fine line between being fired and being retired … before you’re ready
A while back, I had just finished writing a blog about “How not to fire an employee” when I saw an article pop up on my phone about a man who was fired after 43 years of loyal service. Even if you’re not a ‘math-lete’ it’s clear that this mature worker must be close...
What not to do when you need to fire someone
I’ve always thought of myself as an optimistic person, especially when it comes to helping people find an occupation that optimizes their professional strengths. In my experience, most people who have been fired from their jobs are not bad, lazy, or incompetent...Q&A with Dr. Helen on Neurodiversity
Q1. What is neurodiversity? A1. Neurodiversity describes neurological differences that may be familiar, such as attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD), being on the autism spectrum and dyslexia. Neurodiversity also...
Career passions versus romantic love … do you have to choose?
It seems that the moment February arrives so do advertisements with decorations of chocolate hearts, plump-faced cupids with arrows, and red-stemmed roses that precipitously sprout in store windows. Love is suddenly and rather unavoidably in the air like a...
Careers and happily ever after … what you need to know about both
Lately, it’s been almost impossible to be on social media, flip through a magazine, or watch TV without seeing the face of former Suits Actress Meghan Markel, who will soon change her career and become a fulltime Princess. As she flashes her smile and engagement...
Returning to work after a long absence
It’s not surprising that many people describe looking for a job after a long work absence as ‘job-hunting’ because it’s just that, a breathless pursuit that often tires a person out. If this statement rings true to you then you understand that the struggle is...
The Challenges of Hiring Staff to Work in the Cannabis Industry
In recent blog articles, I’ve described emerging careers related to exponential technologies, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. I’ve also addressed some of the difficulties associated with hiring staff to work in new fields (read this for an...
Q&A with Dr. Helen – What You Need to Know About Reference Checks
Q1. In 2015 you wrote a blog article that asked if the reference check process is still worthwhile. The short answer was a definite yes. Is this still true 3 years later despite the growing reliance on online job applications and electronic/social networking? A1. In...
Bitcoin … it’s more than a little change
2018 is making some changes … find out how now. View this email in your browser A New Year – Emerging Career Opportunities. Can you believe that it’s 2018? Yes, the weather is freezing but certain career opportunities are white hot. If you’re like...
Hiring and HR at the Start of the Blockchain Era
In my last blog post, I described seven emerging careers that are linked to blockchain technology. Besides the fact that they’re all related to the same technology, these career options have another thing in common: it’s not easy to get a degree or diploma in anything...
Blockchain and CryptoCurrency Careers
In recent months, Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies, and the blockchain have become very popular topics of conversation. Usually, these discussions revolve around the value of Bitcoin and other digital currencies. As a Career Coach and HR Consultant, I’m more focused on...
Think your job’s immune from being replaced by technology … think again.
With industries and organizations increasingly relying on automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and other forms of technology it’s important to ask yourself who is at risk of being replaced in the workplace? and how do I stay relevant in the era of AI? The...Ghosts from HR’s past …
Many of us love the winter holidays, and I don’t think I am alone when I say that certain Christmas themed movies only add to the celebration. But, as we prepare to clock out from the places where we work for that much-anticipated vacation including...
Jobs can be hard to get … and even harder to keep without training
As children, we looked to our parents, our teachers, and other authority figures for guidance so that we could be properly equipped to navigate the world successfully. Some of my fondest memories are pedalling with newfound courage after those pesky training wheels...