Career and Job Search Help Blog

So you want to get into House Flipping? Come and Learn!

Entrepreneurship is booming right now in Ontario, there are all sorts of paths which people choose, including real estate investments. People have been investing into properties in order to make a profit for a very long time. Now people are taking it further and completely overhauling broken homes, renovating them, re-selling them and making a nice profit! There are so many shows about house flipping like Flip That House, Flip This House, Flipping Out, Property Ladder etc. The problem is most of the shows are American and in Canada the rules are a little different. I enjoy watching them and dreaming of flipping a house myself too!

 

Come join us Next Monday for our last program in our Small Business Series From Renos to Riches: The Canadian Real Estate Guide:

Join Ian Szabo, expert house flipper, and author of the only Canadian title in the field of investing in renovations - From Renos to Riches: The Canadian Real Estate Investor's Guide to Practical and Profitable Renovations. He will discuss how to assess the scope of a renovation project and make wise renovation investments for maximum returns. Learn how to attract and keep tenants, improve cash flow, keep maintenance to a minimum, and how to really flip a house!

 

Hope to see you there!

 

 

Careers in the Financial Sector

By Ra

If you're in a part-time job and want a solid career, or deciding what to study, or even considering a change in career, read on! Professions in financial industries are booming, so if you have the training and aptitude for one of these positions, you can expect good money, a relative amount of job security and the knowledge that companies are vying to hire you. And remember, the average worker, in his or her lifetime, changes careers - not jobs - three to seven times. So don't be afraid to take the plunge into something new.

Financial manager
Demand for money managers is increasing as the private and government sectors are looking for whizzes who know the complexities of financial management.

What to expect: An unemployment rate half of the Canadian average.

Tip: If you have knowledge of foreign finance or are fluent in a foreign language, consider yourself doubly attractive -- and pack your bags for a potentially international career.

Getting started:

1. Visit the International Financial Management Association's website at www.fma.org.
2.  Some books:

       

  

 

What should I do NEXT? Take a Gap year, an apprenticeship, budget perhaps...

 

So, you may be wondering - what do all these things have in common? Well, for one thing they are all things that many young people consider with regards to their career choices,  but they are also part of North York Central Library's Business department's Generation Next Series of free educational programs.

Generation Next refers to a demographic cohort of  individuals born between 1980-1999. Other names for Generation Next are Generation Y, Millennial Generation or the Net Generation many of them are the children of Baby Boomers. People of this generation are known for:

• Being technologically savvy, being the first generation to experience social media
• Having a strong belief in equal opportunity,they are very ethnically and racially diverse.
• Their ability to multitask and think quickly
• Having a greater tolerance for differences than their predecessors.

This is the newest generation and will be the future leaders of tomorrow, they are currently our teens and twenty somethings - and many of them are either just starting their careers, thinking about their careers or transitioning from school to career. So, if you or someone you know is part of this generation why not join us (but remember, all are welcome!):

 The Gap Year Alternative...What You Need to Know, Thursday, April 19, 2012, Auditorium

A Gap Year is a time away from normal routine, a time for you to experience personal growth through volunteerism, travel and work. Find out about the benefits and changing perceptions of taking a "Gap Year" and how it can help you expand your horizons and find new excitement. All are welcome!

 

 

Apprenticeships: Earn As You Learn! Tuesday, April 23, 2012, 6:30 -8:00, Auditorium

Come join us for the second program of our Generation Next Series. Prof. Angelo Palantzas will discuss apprenticeship training for construction and industrial trades. Apprentices learn a skilled occupation by combining college courses with paid on the job training. Skilled workers are in high demand in current industries. All are welcome!

For more information on apprenticeships, check out this blog!

Juggling Student Loans, Credit Card Debt, & an Entry Level Salary? Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 6:30 - 8:00, Auditorium

In this session financial advisor Anthony Romano will share the single biggest money mistake we all make and how to avoid it. He will discuss how to venture past a regular savings account into the world of mutual funds and TFSAs and the impact the world's financial situation could have on you.
Learn to manage your money, pay off debt, and control your financial future. All are welcome.

If you'd like to register call the Business Department @ 416-395-5613, or just come!

Baby Boomers and Delayed Retirement or, 80 is the new 65!

Baby boomers are starting to join the ranks of those aged 65 and over, and the 'greying' of the workforce is only just beginning. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 1995 and 2007, the number of older workers working full-time nearly doubled.

For the period 2006-2016, their data projects an 8.5 percent increase in the workforce, but when analyzed by age categories, different trends emerge. The number of workers in the youngest group, age 16-24, is projected to decline during the period, while the number of workers age 25-54 will rise only slightly. In sharp contrast, workers aged 55-64 are expected to climb by 36.5 percent. But the most dramatic growth is projected for the two oldest groups. The number of workers between the ages of 65 and 74, and those aged 75 and up, are predicted to soar by more than 80 percent!!!

Statistics Canada also reports that older workers have been increasingly delaying retirement since the mid-1990's. There are a number of reasons for this: individuals are living longer and are in good health, and there are greater opportunities for boomers since the cohort following them into the labour market is smaller. Also, rising debt levels and shrinking nest eggs may be a factor.

Recently, the executive vice-president of the Wells Fargo Insitutional Retirement & Trust, Joseph Ready was quoted as saying "80 is the new 65...people are starting to move toward understanding...what they're gong to have to do to make it in retirement."

 

 

Student Loan Payments

Unemployed or underemployed with student loans to pay off? Low income? If you are finding student loan payments difficult, check into interest relief on your loan. You are not alone! Check out the default rates for students at Ontario universities and colleges.

Interest relief: don't pay for 6 months  There are income caps and you must reside in Canada. Most important, you must not be in default, so don't put it off if you are having problems. You can apply if you have missed one month - there are several recommended remedies. Check the site.

Ontario Student Loans Plan Interest Relief Program  explains eligibility details and has a printable application form. The Ontario Student Loans Plan Interest Relief Program is for borrowers who have previous Ontario Student Loans but do not have Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loans.

If you don't happen to live in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, or New Brunswick, check out the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada site.

Read about one student's plight in this Toronto Star article, Post-graduate Hangover.

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Outside the "Get a Job" Box Part 3 Co-ops

In her 1996 book, Survivability: Career Strategies for the New World of Work, Janice Foord anticipated today's current, individualistic philosopy of job searching.  She called it "Me Inc." 

I heard this same philosophy at a job search seminar last week.  Esentially, the idea is that we, as job searchers, are the presidents of our own company of one.  We are the product/service that we sell to prospective "customers" (i.e. employers).   The emphasis is firmly on the lone individual.  I admit, that I found this philosophy empowering.

But wait a minute.  Aren't we often stronger together than separately?  What about those of us who are not cut out to be rugged, me-oriented contractors and entrepreneurs?  What about cooperation as a survival tool? 

Fuelled by such questions, I looked for books on the subject of cooperatives, but only found a couple of older titles!   My search was rewarded on the Internet, a cooperative venture in itself.  There I found a good selection of websites for organizations that promote cooperative business, and lifestyle, as a viable alternative to the "me" culture. 
 

What is a Co-op?

Co-operatives are owned by their members who use their services or purchase their products. Co-ops can provide virtually any product or service, and can be either non-profit or for-profit enterprises. The co-operative sector keeps dollars circulating within the local economy, provides secure employment and is a means to revitalize and sustain healthy communities.

What the media and experts are saying about co-operative businesses

Statistics Canada (To view the full article, click on the link and enter your Toronto Public Library card and PIN numbers.).  -  StatsCan survey shows more investment in co-ops needed
Co-ops represent an important but often unrecognized sector of the economy, providing a wide range of products and services to Canadians across the country.

Co-ops Secretariat -  There are more than 8,800 co-ops in Canada, and they directly employ 150,000 people. Across Canada, an additional 250,000 independent producers rely on marketing and production co-operatives for their livelihood. These co-ops are especially significant in rural and remote regions of the country, where they meet the economic needs of producers in agriculture, the fisheries, arts and crafts production, and manufacturing.

Canada's co-operatives hold more than $210 billion in assets, which is owned by the members and communities they serve. Non-financial co-ops do nearly $30 billion a year in business. At least 7 co-ops are listed in the top 500 companies in Canada, and several financial co-operatives have been rated the best places to work in Canada.

Co-ops might be what's needed in harder times.    ... retail co-ops grew out of hard economic times. ... the first one in Canada was started by miners in Cape Breton in the early 1900s looking for an alternative to the high prices of the company store. ...Because they aren't under pressure to make a profit, co-ops are better equipped to survive an economic downturn. ...in each of the last five years, 250 new co-ops have been incorporated across Canada.

Ontario Co-operative Associaton  - The co-op sector is vast.  As part of your job search, look to the co-op and credit union systems. Co-ops are in every imaginable sector of the economy -- this means you can probably find a job in the co-op or credit union movements in whatever field interests you.. (The Ontario Co-operative Association develops, unites and promotes co-operatives througout the Province of Ontario).

Books

The case for workers' co-ops

Worker co.op : the voice of economic democracy in Canada

More Websites

Co-op Lists and Links - Searchable Directory of Ontario Co-Ops, Credit Unions and Caisses Populaire

Toronto: Farmers' Markets, Co-Ops and CSAs
 

See the previous two parts in this series:

Going Outside the "GET-A-Job" Box!

Barter: Better for your Budget?
 

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Outside the "Get-a-Job" Box Series - Part # 2 Barter

Barter : Better for Your Budget?

In developed countries like Canada, especially in urban areas, barter may seem downright old fashioned.  My experience of barter has been confined to casual  exchanges of  stuff and good deeds between family members, friends and neighbours.   My sister-in-law gave me a dress she didn't want. I gave her that china flower pot that she’s always admired. 

But in older times, and in developing countries to this day, barter has been an essential form of commerce.  Barter can be an economy in its own right, or operate alongside a money economy.  

There is something appealingly solid about barter systems.  Ask yourself what money really is?  Well, increasingly, money is a number in a bank's computer records.  Money only has the value that we, collectively,  assign to it.   Its value goes up and down, as world stock market’s rise and fall, with the waves of our collective confidence.   But, barter is about real stuff, real services.  Because of this, it is an attractive form of getting the things you need when times are uncertain. Barter may not be so old fashioned after all.

What is barter?

Simply put – Barter is the exchange (goods or services) without using money. – Canadian Oxford Dictionary.  

Wikipedia adds – …Barter usually replaces money as the method of exchange in times of monetary crisis, when the currency is unstable and devalued by hyperinflation.

Both individuals and businesses can use barter as a method of exchange.

Hopefully, our money economy will weather the current storms.  But for individuals and businesses who are floundering in the recession, barter is something to consider as one method of minimizing some of the current hardships,  and staying afloat.

What the experts and media are saying

"... Businesses such as Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and even Rogers Communications Inc.,  are finding innovative and old-school ways of getting the goods and services they need by trading with one another..."  read more.

There is a catch.  The dollar value of exchanged goods and services must still be recorded for income tax.  In 1998, Canada Revenue Agency, released a statement saying that every dollar bartered is equal to one Canadian dollar and should be accounted for as such. read more

Bartering ads on Craigslist have increased about 100 percent since last year, according to a recent article entitled, A haircut for a paint job.  The author provides this advice:

Don’t assume anything. Be sure to agree on the details of exactly what will be provided. Be sure expectations are clear to all.

In some cases a contract or written agreement may be a good idea.

Keep the receiver well-informed of your progress on the job [or delivery of the goods].

Inform the receiver also of any problems or delays.

 

Books                    

                                      

Websites

[Note: The Toronto Public Library does not endorse any of the websites cited below. For more information, see TPL's Internet Use Policy.]

Barter network
http://www.barternetworkltd.com  - The FAQ section of this site explains how pricing works in bartering.

Craigslist
http://Toronto.en.craigslist.ca/bar/

U-Exchange
http://www.u-exchange.com  [U.S.]

Goldbook
http://wwww.goldbook.ca/goldbook/toronto/Barter-Exchanges.html  - directory of barter exchanges in Toronto.

Toronto Dollar Community Projects
http://www.torontothebetter.net/2todollar.htm

Your experiences?

We would like to know if any of our readers have tried barter as a way of saving money either for business or personal reasons?  Were you happy with your experience(s)?  What worked best for you?   Other readers may benefit from your comments. Please share your stories with us!

Book Therapy for the Debt Demon

 My parents were against debt.  Some debts, like our mortgage and car loan were necessary evils. But everything else was cash only.  How different things are now!  Credit cards, lines of credit, loans for this and that, are commonplace. 

According to a 2008 report from the Vanier Institute for the Family:

"In late 2008, the average total debt load ... per household was about $90,700. This is up by 71% in real terms between 1990 and 2008. This is over six times faster than the increase in incomes. Total debt is now equal to a record of 140% of disposable household income… this compares to only 91% in 1990."

Click here if you'd like to read the full report and learn more about the Vanier Institute.

Bad debts, corporate and personal,  underlie  our economy's present troubles. And, of course, the worse the recession gets, the more jobs are lost. For anyone living with the threat of job loss, a big debt load seriously undermines your financial and emotional health.

Good money and debt management is a key factor in helping you to cope with our uncertain times.

My credit card doesn't look as friendly to me as it did just a year ago. If nothing else, the recession has given me a whole new appreciation for my parents' philosophy - "cash only!"

Battling a "Debt Demon": Armour up with a few good books.

David Scott's guide to managing credit and debt.
By: Scott, David Logan, 1942- | Year of publication: c2005.

Deal with your debt : the right way to manage your bills and pay off what you owe. By: Weston, Liz Pulliam. | Year of publication: c2006.

 

Debt cures "they" don't want you to know about. By: Trudeau, Kevin. | Year of publication: c2008.

Fight for your money : how to stop getting ripped off and save a fortune, Canadian ed.  By: Bach, David. | Year of publication: c2009.

Personal finance. Canadian In-Class edition. By: Madura, Jeff. | Year of publication: [2008], c2009.

Personal finance for Canadians. By: Currie, Elliott J. | Year of publication: c2008.

The smart Canadian's guide to saving money : Pat Foran is on your side, helping you to stop wasting money, start saving it, and build your wealth.  By: Foran, Pat. | Year of publication: 2009

Upcoming Seminar

Wednesday April 8, 2009

Surviving Tough Times

In hard economic times, good money management is more important than ever.  A representative from Credit Canada will speak about:

• Ten Rules of money management and budgeting
• How to create a realistic budget
• How to deal with creditors and collectors
• Consumer rights

Credit Canada is a non-profit agency that provides credit management and debt counselling.

Place: North York Central Library, Auditorium
Date: Wednesday April 8, 2009
Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Free

What can you borrow that involves interest but need not put you in debt?         Books!  :)

Income tax clinics and seminars

Tax-reporting time is fast approaching. We cannot avoid it so let us make the best of it. Several libraries are offering tax clinics and seminars. Check them out – they’re free!

  

Income Tax Clinics

This is a free, community income tax program offered by volunteers who are trained by the Canada Revenue Agency.

 

Burrows Hall – 416-396-8740

Tuesdays, Mar. 3-Apr. 28

6:30-8:30 pm

Available for people with a single income under $20,000 per year or a family income under $25,000 per year. Call the library to book an appointment.

 

Evelyn Gregory - 416-394-1006

Starts in March.

Income tax returns will be completed for people with a household income of less than $15,000 per year with no dependents or $22,500 with dependents. Call the library to book an appointment.

 

Mount Dennis - 416-394-1008

Tuesdays, Mar. 3-31

6-8 pm

One tax form will be completed per appointment. Call the library to book an appointment.

 

North York Central Library - 416-395-5535

Tuesdays-Fridays, Mar. 3-31

9 am-2 pm

The Clinic will be closed on April 10.

Income tax returns will be completed for single persons with incomes under $25,000 or families with an income of under $30,000. This service is offered on a first come/first served basis. Call the library if you need more information.

 

Oakwood Village - 416-394-1040

Mondays, Tuesdays, Mar. 2-31

6-8 pm

Assistance is provided to seniors and families/persons with low income. One tax form will be completed per appointment. Call the library for an appointment.

 

How to Prepare Your Personal Income Tax Return

 

York Woods - 416-395-5980

Saturday, Mar. 28

10 am-1 pm

Meeting Room 2/3

A Canada Revenue Agency representative discusses preparing and filing your income tax form. Individual returns are not prepared. Call the library to register.

 

 

BOOKS TO HELP YOU IN TAX PLANNING

 

           

 

To find more books on tax tips for Canadians, have a look at the following list:

 

tax planning canada

 

 

 

 

Wage subsidies and benefits

There are a variety of government programs designed to help the unemployed, underemployed and lower income Canadians. Check out the Wage Subsidy Programs on the Service Canada page. The Benefits Finder retrieves health and income programs and rebates.

If you prefer to browse through a list rather than use the Benefits Finder, look at the income assistance page from Service Canada.

The Ontario Targeted Wage Subsidy program can give you the opportunity to get on-the-job work experience. Certain categories of employers are eligible for funding too.

Ontario Self-Employment Subsidy helps unemployed people start their own businesses. 

Need more help? Check out the resources listed on the City of Toronto website for the topics listed under Do you need financial supports?  Find information about applying for Ontario Works, the provincial social assistance program, about help with a financial crisis like eviction.