CareerVision - February 2009

• Beat work-life blahs with more
  optimism and resilience

• Career Profile: Peter R. Stephen,
  Partner, Ernst & Young
• Questions in Conflict: Why Do
  You Ask?
  
• Recession Proofing Your Position
  and Career in Turbulent Times
• Featured Jobs

• Tips for New Managers
• It's All About the Right People
• HR Q+A: Social Networking

• Rating Corporate Culture

Register today for CICA's free webinar: Beat work-life blahs with more optimism and resilience
Date: February 19, 2009. Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Receive a one hour CPD credit for attending this webinar

Is work and/or life getting you down these days? It’s not uncommon to experience work-life blahs now and again, and February in particular can be wearing after a long, cold winter. This year, the economic landscape has added even more challenge and complexity for many of us in our work and personal lives. Perhaps it’s time to recharge with some renewal strategies and learn new ways to cope and navigate work and life with more optimism and resilience.

If you need a jolt to energize yourself, this webinar will provide you with a heartier and more fulfilling approach to navigating work (and life) — no matter what the circumstances.

Click here to register for webinar

Career Profile: Peter R. Stephen, Partner, Ernst & Young

Peter R. Stephen is certainly a most adaptable CA having occupied Ernst & Young offices in five Canadian cities — plus an affiliate in Australia — during his 34-year career with the firm. “It seemed like the opportunities were limitless,” he says from Edmonton about choosing this profession. “And, it has been a journey, to say the least.”

Questions in Conflict: Why Do You Ask?

Who hasn’t flinched when a friend asks “are you doing anything Saturday?” We can’t help but wonder “do they want me to help them move? — or are they going to give me free tickets to the big game?” Questions often contain underlying agendas, based on the context and the way in which they are asked. In conversation, these can usually be sorted out, but in conflict this ambiguity fans the flames of defensiveness. Why? Because over 90% of meaning in face to face communication comes not from words, but from tone of voice, facial expression and other body language.

Recession Proofing Your Position and Career in Turbulent Times
By Marc Belaiche, CA

When the time comes for organizations to make crucial business decisions in difficult economic times, salaries may be one of the first expenses that are scrutinized to determine if cutbacks should be made. Even if you’re aware of the financial affairs of a corporation as a result of your position, the larger the company the more difficult it may be to foresee an announcement of layoffs.

There are proactive steps, however, you can take to safeguard yourself against receiving a pink slip. This article provides you with some tips to help you recession proof your position and career.

Featured Jobs

The job postings listed below are a sample of the 100+ postings on CA Source. To search all current CA Source postings, go to Search CA Jobs

1. Senior Manager
   Daunheimer Lynch Anderson LLP
   Calgary, Alberta
   Link to Job Posting
    
2. Sr. Audit Manager, Professional Practice
   Scotiabank
   Toronto, Ontario
   Link to Job Posting
    
3. Financial Analyst
   BC Hydro
   Vancouver, British Columbia
   Link to Job Posting
    

Tips for New Managers

When new on the job, your ability to achieve your career goals is largely dependent on how well you perform on each new project you’re assigned. But as you begin to progress in your firm, it’s almost inevitable that your career success will also depend on your ability to manage other people.

While there’s no denying that the job of supervising the output of one or more professionals is a major responsibility, you should congratulate yourself on your move upward. You’ve no doubt been promoted to a management role because you’ve demonstrated a capacity for leadership. By studying and adopting a few basic techniques, you can avoid becoming overwhelmed by your new role, especially when unexpected management challenges arise.

It's All About the Right People
By Steve McIntyre-Smith

The 1990's ended with hiring authorities preaching that it's all about the people. And we believed them. Little did we know at the time that this approach was to change in a subtle but significant way. From Human Resource Managers at Fortune 500 companies, to sole practitioners looking for their first member of staff as their firm grew, everyone placed the focus on the people, not the job. At first, this swing seemed to work, particularly during the 'dot-com boom', but those 'in the know' have come to learn that this wasn't going far enough.

HR Q+A: Social Networking

Q. I’m looking for a new accounting position, and I’ve heard that I can use my online networks such as Facebook for a job search as well. Is this true, and if so, what tips can you offer on making effective use of these media?

Rating Corporate Culture

When it comes to defining corporate culture, leadership's behaviours rank first (80%), according to a survey of 340 Canadian companies. Organizational values come second (74.4%) followed by employees' behaviours (72.4%), work environment (63.8%) and employees' attitudes (59.7%). And when it comes to the impact on corporate performance, 54.9% say corporate culture has a strong impact.

How corporate culture impacts organizational performance

Source: Waterstone Human Capital