Survey says work/life balance, learning opportunities have greatest impact on job satisfaction

Want to know the way to an employee’s heart? Thirty-eight per cent of professionals interviewed by OfficeTeam identified work/life balance as the top contributor to their job satisfaction.

Opportunities to learn and grow came in second, with 20% of the response.

The survey asked workers, “Aside from salary, which one of the following aspects of your job is most tied to your satisfaction?” Their responses:
•work/life balance: 38%;
•opportunities to learn and grow: 20%;
•camaraderie with co-workers: 16%;
•a good working relationship with the boss: 10%;
•ability to accomplish goals: 9%; and
•don’t know: 6%.

The Private Career Training Institutions Agency helps protect students in B.C.

In 2004 the Province of British Columbia established the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA) with a mandate to provide consumer protection for students enrolled in private career training institutions.

There are protections in place for B.C. students enrolling in private career schools, but students need to do their homework first to ensure the school is properly registered and in good standing.

Students who pay tuition to a school not registered with the PCTIA do not have their tuition dollars protected.

For this and other reasons, in B.C., any institution offering a career-training program with tuition of $1,000 or more and 40 hours or more in duration is required to register with the PCTIA. The agency maintains a list of all registered institutions, including a five-year history of any suspensions, on its website at www.pctia.bc.ca.

Find out how you can get paid for doing what you love

BY COLLEEN CLARKE

If you find yourself working at a job or in a company that does not have you leaping out of bed every Monday morning, try following these tips from Richard Bolles, the guru of work search and author of What Color is Your Parachute?
1. View your job as temporary. Over 54% of the working population labours for someone else, so longevity at a job is dictated by the company not you.
Never stop networking and updating your resumé. Certainly live in the moment and be a focused, dedicated employee but always keep your ears and eyes open to opportunities that really turn you on! The average length of employment today is 2.4 to three years, so don’t decorate your workspace too lavishly.
2. View your job as a seminar. To keep your job alive, you have to stay motivated. Constantly look for chances to increase your expertise and skills and volunteer for difficult or out-of-the-norm assignments. Sign up for training and look for opportunities to get yourself out of your comfort zone. Offer to attend conferences and workshops and report back to the department with your learning. Ask questions and then ask more questions. Read trade magazines and business books related to your profession and industry. When you enter the work world your education is only just beginning.

Tips on how to handle an employment meeting that doesn’t go well

BY RENEE SYLVESTRE-WILLIAMS

I once interviewed for a communications position but spent the time watching as one of the interviewers texted on his phone, played with his coffee and generally showed no interest in the interview.

Interviews can be tedious to companies trying to find the right fit for their open positions but this gentleman had obviously checked out for the day. His co-interviewer did try to conduct the interview but it was obvious that the process had been derailed.

When I received a follow-up phone call in a few days asking if I was willing to come in for a second interview, I turned it down. I explained that the actions of his colleague soured me on the position.