After a great year, it's time to say goodbye!

I’ve just come back from the mall, which is usually a wonderful experience for me, but today was quite a different story…

I was walking through the mall when I passed one of those mall booth vendors. I averted my eyes, sped up, fumbled through my purse looking for my phone (the fake phone call usually works). I was almost free from her grasp, when she backed me up against a store window with her hand held out. “Hi, can I show you something?”

"Ughh huh?", I so eloquently replied.

Before I knew it, she’d corralled me over to her booth and sat me down in chair. By then, I knew I was a goner. She was demo-ing a flat iron (that’s a hair straightener for you guys out there).

Now, naturally I have pin-straight, flat hair. Earlier this morning, I spent hours curling it. So naturally, I was pissed when she decided to show me how my “frizzy, curly hair” could become straight and shiny. Great.

When she finally let me get a word in, I told her I really didn’t need a flat iron and while I was grateful for her styling, I had shopping to do. I jumped off her styling stool and ran into the first store I saw. Tabi? What the heck am I doing in here? Did I black out? I walked around the old lady cardigan section for a couple minutes, just catching my breath. When I was good and ready, I left to store and made a mad dash to the mall exit. Round two, baby…

I dodged the girl with the flat iron, the vendor with the nail file and the dude holding out a bottle of hand cream to me. I made it back to my car safely, but never actually got what I came to the mall for in the first place.

Ugh, mall vendors…

This blog entry is probably echoing remnants of inspiration from David Suzuki’s speech at the FLICK OFF finale in Ottawa, but since then I’ve been thinking more and more about my commitment to reduce carbon emissions. I’m definitely switching to reusable water bottles (especially since I scored a sweet aluminum one for free at the concert). I’ve been making sure to flick off all of my electronics, laptop, printer, tv and (enviro-friendly) lights… I’ve even been on the lookout for leaky taps!

While the small changes I’ve made may have only benefited the environment in a miniscule way, I know at least it’s a step in the right direction. But as I notice the lights in commercial buildings outside my apartment flicker on and off throughout the night, I can’t help but think that
there’s something troubling about the lack of green-efforts coming from the private sector.

It’s no question that the private sector is largely responsible for carbon-emissions and waste, but the feat of challenging a multinational corporation over its green policies would be a huge undertaking. As students, I think there’s an easier way to lobby for changes for the greater environmental good. As students, an easy way to act is within the organizations, companies, institutions that we are already a part of! Are they being socially responsible? Are they being accountable to the communities in which they operate? If we can rally for lower tuition costs, surely we can mobilize student groups to pressure companies, organizations and institutions who aren’t supporting the movement to reduce carbon emissions!

But where to start?

For a few years now, I’ve been hearing that the University of Ottawa is a green campus, a paperless campus, one dedicated to promoting green practices throughout. But I’m starting to wonder how much my student federation is actually doing to deliver on these claims.

I still receive a paper syllabus in all of my classes. I’m required to submit hard-copy (paper) format. I have never been given the option to purchase an e-book. Vending machines on campus still sell plastic water bottles… so what action has really be taken to make uOttawa green?

As a member by default of the student federation (a flawed system in my eyes and another blog for another time), I wanted to see what my student federation was doing about the environment…
Ironic that this particular month I take notice of how environmentally un-friendly my campus is because the student federation at uOttawa has declared the month of October: “Green Weeks”.

I checked out the University of Ottawa’s Student Federation to see what green policies were actually in place. I was somewhat disappointed to see that few of the “initiatives” entailed real action. Instead, it looks like students at uOttawa can look forward to a ‘green website’, a new framework and improved recycling at the SFUO headquarters.

Student federations are supposed to act in the interest of its students. Find out what your student federation is doing to protect our environment. Are some campuses doing it right?

Political junkies finally have something interesting to talk about. The news reports from the past few weeks about Black Monday, the crash of multiple stock markets and the election debates have now caught even non-political enthusiasts’ attention. I have to admit, all the excitement about the election even have me on the edge of my seat.

Election news has flooded the social media scene: facebook fan pages, YouTube fan videos and blogs have come alive with political discourse. Has hell frozen over? You can’t walk down the street without hearing the chatter of election debates and party platforms. And what’s more, the news is interesting! Can it be? Are politics becoming sexy?

Well, yes… but not Canadian politics. That is, unless of course you have been taken by the latest Canadian election news: the move from a podium-style debate to a revolutionary ‘oval table’, intended to level the playing field. Sweet…

I am as patriotic as the next Canadian, its hard to ignore the dominant role that the US election is taking even here in the nation’s capital. There was no question which election debates I was watching last week. I had been anxiously anticipating Palin/Biden showdown since I had caught Tina Fey’s SNL skit . Not to mention that the current economic downtown and bailout debatably have just as much of an impact on our economy as our parties’ plans.

That being said, I actually did flip back and forth between debates on October 2nd. Only to catch the 4-on-1 squabble at an oval table, that is Canadian politics.

But maybe my judgment of the Canadian politics game has been a little harsh. What do you think? Are Canadian politics taking a backseat to the circus that is American politics? Which debates have you been watching?

Whichever election you’ve been most consumed by, don’t forget to cast your ballot in the Canadian election on Tuesday October 14th!

Since Michaëlle Jean dissolved parliament on September 7th, Ottawa has been gearing up for an election. On October 14th, Canadians (of age) will have the opportunity to exercise their political rights in the federal election of our 40th Canadian Parliament.

Although you may be living away from home and might not be following the political parties’ every move (I am certainly guilty of this), I encourage students to take a look at the political platforms that the main parties are presenting so that you can make an educated decision at the voting booth this month.

But before you make your way to the booth, some of you might be wondering if, how, when or where to vote… so here’s some information I’ve collected from the Elections Canada website about your voting rights.

Am I eligible to vote?

If you’re wondering whether you’re eligible to vote in this campaign, here are the criteria that must be satisfied. You can vote in this election if:

• You are a Canadian citizen
• You are at least 18 years old on October, 14th 2008
• You can prove your identity and address

When can I vote?

The following, are dates during which you can vote in this election:

• At an advance poll established for your polling division, on October 3rd, 4th or 6th.
• Using a special ballot, by mail or at your local Elections Canada office
• On election day, October 14th.

How do I register?

• If you’re not already registered to vote, you can do so up to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at the local Elections Canada office, OR
• You can register in person on election day, if you prove your identity and address.

Living away from home?

Check out this link to see which documents are required in order to register to vote in your current electoral district!

What is my electoral district?

You can find out which electoral district you live in by clicking here.

Hopefully, this covers some of the basic questions you might have had about your participation in this month’s election!

For any additional questions and a list of FAQs, please consult the Elections Canada website!

An article I read this week, has me once again questioning the value-add worth of social networking site Facebook, in society.

Now, Facebook has been discussed previously on this blog. This certainly isn’t the first time that I’ve suspected Facebook to have been given more than due credit for its social networking capabilities, but this article shows just how far-reaching Facebook really is.

Facebook-stalking or ‘creeping’ is nothing new to the avid user. By now, I’m sure you’ve successfully stalked a ton of people on Facebook: people you go to school with, old friends you’ve lost touch with, people you work with, that cute guy from class… of course you have. And while, in any other context this level of stalking would be deserving of a restraining order, granting semi-strangers access to personal information seems to be half of Facebook’s purpose. You’ve probably also heard that many employers have been using Facebook as an alternative way of screening you, too.

I don’t really have too much of a problem with potential employers jumping on Facebook to conduct social background checks. There are privacy settings that can be adjusted to filter the information readily available to unknown facebook-ers. And really, it’s a risk-taker who readily posts pictures or videos of themselves that could jeopardize a job prospect. People have even lost their jobs over Facebook!

My suggestion: during job hunting (at least), take down or un-tag any incriminating pictures and tighten-up your privacy settings so as not to expose any information you wouldn’t readily reveal during an interview. You can be sure that potential employers will make good use of this social profiling tool to determine whether or not you are the type of person they’d want working for them. Be sure that, if you’re in the job market, your Facebook profile reflects the professional ‘brand’ you’re going for.

This might be old news to you. What I really wanted to get at in this entry is the ease in which total strangers can pull up an overwhelming amount of personal information about you on the web. The author of the article mentioned above boasts being able to construct an extensive biography of a 17-year-old girl he has never met. Address, cell phone number, map to her work, even information about her boyfriend and pictures of her and her friends in a hot tub came up in his search in which he used nothing more than public sites such as Facebook, Google Maps and Canada411.com. Effectively illustrating the fine art of the ‘creep’, the author cautions online social networkers to the amount of information that is readily available for any stranger’s perusal.

If you’re at all concerned about how much of your personal life is out there on the web, do what you can to control how much of your personal life appears on social networking sites and blogs. Take a look at your privacy settings, take down some of those pictures from last weekend’s kegger, re-think that embarrassing blog entry about your latest romance and clean up your online image! Then again, if you’re looking to improve your e-stalking capabilities, check out Stalkerati and Internet Address Book. Sites like these are a creeper’s best friend!

Happy surfing!

If all goes as planned, I’m going to be graduating in April. I haven’t even begun my last year at school and I’m already a little nervous about job applications. It dawned on me earlier this summer, that this ‘summer’ was indeed my last. Not my last season, but my last ‘summer’. Next year, there will be no summer internship, no summer vacation, no summer break. Next year, school’s out… for life! Or at least until I’m ready for my master’s.

Maybe I’m jumping the gun a little on this one, but I’ve already been thinking/planning/stressing out over my next career move. I’m going to have to start applying in January! I’ve already been looking into a couple different positions at different companies, but the truth is that there are so many opportunities out there! All kinds of different positions and different training programs, there are a ton of opportunities for recent grads! There are SO many options in fact, that sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin applying.

If you didn’t already know, I’m into finance. Although I’m not in a business program at school, business and finance has just become a passion of mine over the last couple years, strange for an International Development student huh? Anyway, now that my time as a student is soon to run out, I’ve been looking into entry-level positions at various financial institutions to find one that is the perfect fit for me.

Hoping that my intern summers have equipped me with the knowledge to know a good gig from a dead-end, I’ve been sifting through job requisitions trying to find one that really strikes a cord.
It really isn’t as easy as it sounds though. Even finding a job description that resonates can be difficult. All the requisitions have vague descriptions like: “The ideal candidate has a positive attitude and a general interest in finance.” Well no duh. Basically, I think what a lot of requisitions are trying to get across is “Your resume should be decent, but we’ll decide if we really like you when we meet you.”

A couple weeks ago, I met with a new mentor in the financial industry who told me that, how far you get in this industry, has a lot to do with what you’re like to work with. It’s too early for me to tell, but I think she was right. Some positions in the financial industry have a lot of required accreditations, CSC, CPH, MBA, CFA, CA, CFP, but once you get those under your belt, a lot of your successes will have to do with your attitude and if you’re pleasant to work with.

Maybe that’s what those vague job requisitions are talking about…

Either way, you can probably look forward to a couple more blog entries from me about job hunting and life after university, because that’s what’s on my mind this month! (Isn’t blogging the best thing ever?) Feel free to leave a comment about any thoughts or concerns you might have about life after graduation and job hunting!

Okay, this is what’s on my mind this week. After being dealt the syllabus for my first couple classes, I’ve realized that already, among a ton of incredibly long readings, seminars and lectures, I’m going to be asked to perform a most dreaded task: Group work. And not just group projects, but group presentations and group essays, too!

Group work might just be the thing I hate the most about university school work. I’ve always been a team player, but when it comes to university work, there is nothing worse than a 6-member group assignment on which 40% of your mark is dependent.

It’s been my experience that most of the time, university generally encourages an individualistic approach to academics. University tends to be ultra-competitive by reinforcing the importance of individual performance and damning most kinds of collaborative work under the title of ‘academic fraud’ or ‘plagiarism’. This is something I understand. However, what I’ve found is that professors then justify assigning group work by suggesting that it mirrors the nature of real-life work.

Sort of a double-edged sword, no? Remember that Ryerson student that was being charged for sharing academic info on Facebook? Whatever happened to him anyway?

Beyond the difficulties that usually arise when different personalities have to mesh together for a good grade, there are also schedule conflicts, dominance or slacker issues, and general feelings of awkwardness when you’re thrust into a group of unknown people and immediately have to depend on them knowing full well that there is a possibility that one or many members could:

1. Become “ill” and not be able to fulfill their portion of the work
2. Drop the class halfway through the semester without telling you, leaving you with extra work to hand-in around exam time
3. Refuse to co-operate (those oppositional types who get a kick out of constantly playing ‘Devil’s advocate’)
4. Be a work hog (the team members who insist on doing all the work their own way)
5. Be a deadbeat group member

I just don’t think that university academics is the place to force group interactions. For the most part, group projects are wildly inconvenient, time-consuming and frustrating! Many times, I’ve felt like I’ve done more than my share of work, or worse, felt that I could receive a better grade if I could only go it alone.

I understand the value of learning to work in groups, with people you might not usually work with, but sometimes I can’t help but think that group work is assigned to lighten the prof’s load, and not entirely for the sake of a real-life experience.

That’s my bit…

If it isn’t already abundantly clear, I’m a bit of an analytical geek. I love to dissect everything: motives, personalities, relationships. I’m a bit of a nut, and I truly do get a sense of accomplishment from achieving a better understanding and appreciation for another’s perspective, background or philosophy. While the tendency of scrutinizing the fine details has held me back on many occasions, I’ve also found it to be a very powerful tool when properly harnessed.

The past couple years have been crucial in my personal development. I don’t know if it was going away to school for the first time, living on my own or just growing up, but university or college can be a really interesting time as you start to come into your own and figure out who you are in this world.

Although I don’t by any means consider to have the world and the role I play in it figured out, I do know that I have gained some great insight through books that I’ve read and many leadership workshops that I’ve attended at school, at work and in my community. The books and workshops that I’ve found to be particularly interesting are the ones that help you analyze yourself. After all, how can we perfect interactions with others when we are not fully aware of own standpoint and biases?

Sometimes, a couple surveys and workshops is all it takes to reassure you of the personality traits that you have subconsciously always been exhibiting. Owning these traits, allowing them to become part of your brand, and learning to use them to your advantage in different situations can be key to your success in any kind of professional, academic or personal relationship you engage in.

Coincidently, my analytical nature originally made it difficult for me to fully buy into the Myers-Briggs-type tests which claim to pinpoint psychological personalities. Like you, I was sceptical. To this day, I don’t really believe that all these personality tests are 100% accurate or that all of them are entirely legit. However, I do think that there is something to be gained from exploring different tools and learning from the ones that truly speak to you.

I know, it sounds a bit hokey and maybe even narcissistic to be analyzing yourself, but I’ve found that it has helped me in so many of my personal and professional relationships to not only understand different types of personalities, but to know my own type as well. Understanding what motivates you, what type of people you work best with and how you communicate is actually really important in the interactions you have with others.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend checking out some of these personality typing exercises. The first or second one you try out might be a total flop, but keep at it! They generally don’t take too long and the lessons you take away from the results might bring you some of the clarity and reassurance that it has brought me!

Here are some exercises to look into:

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

This is the classic personality test used in many organizations. You can probably even take it for free at your school!

DISC Profile

I particularly liked this one and really identified with my ‘conscientious’ profile.

True Colours

This link leads to an actual test!

Also check out the book: Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham

This book includes an online test that identifies the strengths in your personality. The chapters in the book explain how to properly utilize and exercise your strengths.

Have you taken any of these personality tests? What were your results? If you’ve taken others that you’ve really liked, feel free to leave a comment and link below!

It’s just about that time of the year again. With September fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about “back to school”. The substantial hike in living expenses is accompanied by the stress of assignments, readings and exams. Oh what fun! But the truth is, gearing up for a new school year is pretty exciting.

I’ve always seen the back-to-school period as a great time to re-invent myself. Be it a fresh start in new classes, new profs, new assignments, new friends, or just new gym shoes; they all present opportunities to start over with a blank slate. What better time to come up with a winning game plan on how you will succeed academically, financially and socially?

The end of August and beginning of September is usually a time for me to reflect on past experiences and decide what my direction is going to be for the school year. I usually try to reorganize my priorities, set out some tangible objectives and commit to testing out a new study plan like: spending more hours in the library. While I know throughout the course of the year, seldom will I be found in the library I think a good balance of objectives and interests is key. In this, I’ve always found that a game plan helps to keep me focused and motivated.

Surely, there will be times throughout the semester when you feel like the work in insurmountable and never-ending, but a good plan and set of objectives can keep you driving right through even the most challenging parts of the year.

A great game plan has balance, academic goals of achieving highest marks and performing in assignments are only one piece of this puzzle. Setting out a budget at the beginning of the year can save you from financial woes that notoriously hit hard (for me): 1) each semester, after buying textbooks and 2) after the holiday season. Personally, this is a huge source of stress for me, but I’ve found that planning my budget and setting some cash aside as an ‘emergency fund’ to cover these fluxes is all it takes to make it through the rough patches. Do yourself the favour, plan out your finances today, before the times of economic uncertainty hit!

Last and certainly not least, take the time to connect with friends. Especially if you’re going to school away from home, your friends can be your greatest support network. Take time to enjoy and relax. Get away from the stresses of the studying and working the part-time job to enjoy the student experience. It’s just as important as the other parts of the equation and together will result in a happy and healthy school year!

Hopefully, planning for the school year that lies ahead will work as well for you as it has for me! Feel free to drop me a comment about your strategic plan for this year’s challenges, too!

All the best to 1st-year and returning students!

Sure, landing a summer job is great: the steady income and new networking opportunities are terrific, and hey, now you even have someplace air conditioned to hang out during the hot summer months!

But seriously, the summer intern experience shouldn’t end here. The best intern positions are as challenging as they are exciting. They should offer exposure and development. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. The problem is: many departments are so busy during the summer months that the professional development of summer students doesn’t always top the list of priorities.

But the onus doesn’t just fall on your manager; you can take action to ensure you’re making the best use of your summer job. Assuming that summer students are typically looking to expand their knowledge of their respective industries, here are some tips for making the most of your summer internship:

• Do your homework: Find out what developmental programs might be available to you through your company. Many times, these info sessions are free for your company to send you to.
• Make an appointment: set aside some time to talk to your boss specifically about growth opportunities, he/she might have some suggestions for you.
• Ask for contacts: talk to your boss or someone who has been in the company long enough to have established a reliable network of contacts in the company or industry. Meet with them during the summer while you’re affiliated with the company. Once school starts, it can be much more difficult to correspond with a network.
• Look for clubs that are organized through your work: They will help you expand your network and develop a new skill set. I really enjoyed taking part in Toastmasters’ meetings that took place in my building last summer.
• The summer will be over soon, you have resources at your disposal today, take advantage.
• Be a keener: You’ve got nothing to lose! Your workplace is full of opportunities but you’ll have to take the initiative to seek them out, don’t be shy!

I truly do believe that the best job experiences offer you a view at different areas of the organization, a chance to explore and learn new programs, new systems and develop new skills. But don’t wait for opportunity to come knocking, go beyond the cubicle, get off you swivel chair and take action today!

After the past couple weeks of iPhone hype, I was relieved to see a Globe and Mail article about how RIM hasn’t been sweating the release of the iPhone. At the RIM shareholders meeting, in fact, RIM CEO Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis spoke of the iPhone only during question period. Balsillie’s response to the iPhone threat is that he’d rather set his sights on moving forward and releasing the next new product (talk about a positive outlook). This, I think is an important approach for a company like RIM that is trying to maintain market share while in competition with one of the most influential brands around.

In an interview earlier this month, RBC Capital Markets’ analyst Mike Abramsky went so far as to call the Apple following somewhat “cult-like”. Mike feels Apple has been tremendously successful in producing an emotional appeal; people feel an emotional attachment to and desire for their products.

This got me thinking, that perhaps a stronger branding campaign to emphasize the work/data functions of the BlackBerry over the media function-driven iPhone could help drive sales for RIM. Needless to say I was surprised to read about RIM’s new advertizing campaign “Blackberry for Life”, designed to promote the media capabilities of their devices. While the Blackberry and iPhone may have similar functions (e-mail, texting, web browsing, media functions, etc) they deliver these features from different perspectives.

While Mike seemed to think that we would be seeing more innovation from RIM, there is no doubt in my mind of the distinct differences in these devices today: Blackberrys may be all the rage on Bay Street, but iPhone kills in cool factor.

Considering RIM’s success in its given (professional/business) market,

If Blackberry abandons its ‘professional’ roots, it risks being eclipsed by the iPhone in the media department. I’m not yet convinced that this is a market the BlackBerry should play in, but only time will tell what RIM has up its sleeve.