If July is all about picnics and BBQ’s, September is about getting back to business. For students everywhere, it’s back to school. Around the same time, the pace seems to pick up at most organizations, as everyone returns from summer holidays. September is also known to be a busy month for hiring, with a myriad of college, university, independent and niche job fairs for employers to participate in, giving them the opportunity to meet diverse job-seekers including a large cohort of ... read more

By guest contributor, Sydney Helland, Career Edge intern at Career Edge Organization Career Edge Organization has connected thousands of prospective interns with host employers for over a decade, and I am delighted to be one of these fortunate job seekers to land a role that has already allowed me to make leaps and bounds in my professional development after only a few months. In contrast to my fellow 500-odd interns currently filling positions at host organizations across Canada, I believe I have ... read more

I came across an interesting editorial today written by Rick Spence for the Financial Post. The article, entitled "Why not hire newcomers?" also appears in the Montreal Gazette, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal, the Ottawa Citizen and many others. The stats are surprising, considering the skills shortages felt by businesses across Canada:

A survey by the Canadian federation of Independent Business shows 78% of small business owners reported not hiring any recent immigrants between 2003 and 2006.

Checking references are a critical part of the hiring process. At the very least, it is a basic form of risk management that allows employers the peace of mind of knowing they did their due diligence. Reference checks can also act as a tie-breaker for an indecisive hiring manager, when two or more candidates are a qualified fit for the role and organization. As employers, we know the importance and value of checking a candidate’s references and so when we’re called upon ... read more

August is almost upon us. That means more sunshine, long weekends and for many of us, vacation! But before you hit the road, you’re well aware that there are a few key things you need to do first, to ensure that your vacation is truly relaxing and that you can leave the office with peace of mind. #1 Make a list and check it twice Make a list of all the things you need to do before you leave, and I cannot stress ... read more

This week, some of us with Career Edge Organization's marketing team registered for the "unGeeked Elite" conference in Toronto - a three day social media, branding and marketing retreat. Their website explains it best:

unGeeked Elite Retreat is your three day retreat where you will experience "some of the formality of a conference," and a lot of the informality of retreat. The 3-days are designed to foster not only an "intimate learning experience," but

Today we received a beautiful thank-you card from Eric, our intern at Kraft whom we recently blogged about. I think the note speaks for itself:

At Career Edge Organization, we not only “talk the talk,” we transcribe the talk too. For over ten years now our Ability Edge program has worked with incredible employers in Canada to provide paid internship opportunities for recent graduates with disabilities. We have worked with a number of employers to provide expertise in sourcing and accommodating persons with disabilities. Given our mandate and ... read more

By guest contributor, Paula Calderon, Client Relations Manager/Applicant Screener There is often a misconception that Career Edge Organization is a government funded agency that places people in internships.  This may not be surprising given the successful partnership between the Ontario Government and Career Edge Organization and the number of Career Bridge interns who have been placed in the Ontario Public Service Internship Program for Internationally Trained Individuals and the presence of the Career Bridge logo and links on the government’s ... read more

Next week, Career Edge Organization will be sending out our latest issue of CareerBulletin, our quarterly e-Newsletter for interns, alumni, partners and host employers. In this month's issues, the topic of "organizational fit" has emerged as a central theme (in addition to the theme of "sweets" given our recent successes with Kraft and Lindt!). It is natural for us to talk about "fit" because that concept is such an integral part of what we do here. Whether through our Career Edge, Ability ... read more