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.

Putting your funny bone to work can help you fit in at the office

Is it good to LOL at work? A new survey from Accountemps – a specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals – suggests it could be.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said that an employee’s sense of humour is important when it comes to fitting into the company’s corporate culture.

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with more than 270 chief financial offers from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.

Chief financial officers were asked the following question: “How important is an employee’s sense of humour in him or her fitting into your company’s corporate culture?”

Their responses:
•very important: 32%;
•somewhat important: 41%; and
•not at all important: 27%.