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Career Coaching: Cultivating Growth and Development

TalentEgg was granted the opportunity to speak with Stefanie Ince, a certified and experienced career coach based in Toronto, Ontario. She is the founder of March Management, a business that offers its clients strategic career coaching services. Stefanie’s vision is to provide the finest personalized professional development services while empowering her clients to thrive at work and in their daily lives. We delved into why she chose career coaching, her most outstanding achievements, and her thoughts on imperative topics like DEI, mental health, and more.

Stefanie’s Career Inspiration

Before becoming a career coach, Stefanie had a storied 20-year career in the not-for-profit sector. What caused this drastic career pivot after such a long tenure in the not-for-profit sector? Stefanie explains, “I have always been passionate about having an impact in my professional life.” This passion and drive led her to start her own company. “I started March Management with a goal to provide coaching services to help individuals really see themselves and gain clarity about their objectives for their professional lives.”

Stefanie’s Greatest Achievements

As a career coach, Stefanie works with a lot of students. This field can be highly rewarding, helping emerging professionals find success and accomplishment in the workplace. She has had many achievements helping others in this sector, but she shared with us her greatest one. “I would say that my greatest achievement is when I can help my clients to really see themselves – through the identification of their strengths and superpowers.”

Stefanie believes instilling confidence in students and helping them align their interests with a particular professional path is the ultimate feat. Building a plan for a professional life starts with believing in who you are as a person, and she wants to help students accomplish this.

Going forward, Stefanie hopes to use her own knowledge and advice internally. “I hope to do what I encourage my clients to do – continue to learn and grow, and share what I learn with my clients!”

Successfully Transitioning Students from School-to-Work

The school-to-work transition is a massive challenge for students. Recently, the current economy has made it more difficult than previous years to break into an entry-level position. Given her role as a career coach, it’s intriguing to learn about the advice Stefanie provides students aiming to break into the industry. She told us she encourages students and young professionals to be “brutally honest” with themselves about what they want to do.

“We can all get caught up in doing what we think we are supposed to do rather than what really lights us up inside, and I try to challenge my clients to think about that.”

Students’ Biggest Pain Points

The school-to-work transition is not simple, many hurdles are in the way of these students. She emphasizes a common struggle she sees, “confidence is a real challenge for students, because in many cases, they don’t give themselves enough credit for the experiences that they already have.”

The pandemic unfortunately has amplified this problem, “I think that confidence has always been an issue, but because of the pandemic, people may have been more isolated in the last few years, which can amplify their anxiety or lack of confidence.” According to Stefanie, creating a safe space for students to come out of their comfort zones is also essential.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Among Students And New Grads

DEI has become a significantly noted topic in the modern workplace. Many workplaces and companies are adopting more diversity and more inclusive policies. This topic has also become an essential part of career coaching in the modern era.

That is why Stefanie has added a twist on her DEI philosophy. “I have been using the term DEIB, with the “B”, standing for ‘belonging,’” she continues, “my coaching philosophy is grounded in encouraging people to see themselves as they are.” She stresses the importance of celebrating what makes us different. “An important part of really seeing ourselves, and understanding what value we bring to an organization or community.”

It can be seen that the new generation of workers place high importance on these issues, and for good reason. But what can employers do to make sure they are respecting DEI? “I think what employers need to understand is that being inclusive, creating and sustaining a culture that is dedicated to DEIB principles is essential for recruiting and retaining top talent.”

Stefanie is amazed to see emerging professionals and students demanding these principles in the workplace. “It makes me excited to be able to work in this area – where candidates are creating such impactful culture shifts in the industry.”

Mental Health In The Workplace

Since the pandemic, mental health has deteriorated amongst Gen Z. It has become more and more important that employees’ mental health and wellbeing is respected. “In my opinion, mental health is the most important issue we are facing right now.” She emphasizes, “that it all starts at the top” and that mental health impacts all of us, and having conversations within your organization and having a safe corporate culture is crucial.

With that in mind, there are important strides employers need to take to make sure mental health is held in high regard. Stefanie shared the findings of a study with a corporate client, “which found that when an employer is committed to mental health, their employees HAVE better mental health. What this means is that creating a corporate culture that breaks down stigma and encourages open conversations about mental health can and will have an impact.”

She continues by saying that the importance of one-to-one conversations can’t be understated. Encouraging honest and open discussions about hopes and fears can be a vulnerable subject, but those are the types of conversations she thinks we should be having in the workplace.

How Employers Can Support Young Talent

Stefanie shares how employers can better support their young talent. “Students want to work for companies that care about them and about making the world a better place. So, I think the most important thing that employers can do is just that.”

That’s not all. A manager committed to developing young talent, an inclusive company culture, and flexibility are other ways she pinpoints.

How Employers Can Attract Top Students

It is crucial for employers to stay on top of modern issues like DEI and mental health if they want to continue to attract emerging professionals. Stefanie mentioned previously “DEIB” principles are essential for recruiting talent, but what else?

Stressing the importance of employee support, “to invest in people – providing a fair salary, tools and supports required to ensure employees are doing the best job they can do, emotional support, coaching, and other ways that demonstrate that they really care is also really important.”

“To create a corporate culture that encourages growth, development, safety, DEIB Principles and a healthy workplace is the first step,” she also highlights.

Stefanie offers one last piece of advice for fellow career educators in this field. She explains,

“I think that students have a lot to teach us. We should remember that, pay attention, listen and learn.”

Stefanie Ince is a certified career coach in Toronto, providing personalized, leadership coaching for her clients for whatever part of their journey. She founded March Management with a vision to provide career and leadership coaching services that will empower her clients to live their best, most authentic lives at home and work.

Career Coaching: Navigating Challenges and Inspiring Success

June 22, 2023 / Charlie Gibbons / 0 Comments

TalentEgg had the privilege of interviewing Shelly Elsliger, a seasoned Career Consultant/Coach. She has a rich background of 20 years in higher education career coaching at renowned university business schools like John Molson School of Business at Concordia University and Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. DEI is an integral part of all her endeavours. When working with students, she diligently prepares them for interviews and addresses DEI-related inquiries.

Shelly’s Career Inspiration

We were curious to know what inspired Shelly to pursue career education, to which she responded, “I think Career Coaching found me.” She states how she checked out a local Youth Employment Services Center in Montreal during her early twenties. She spoke to the director and felt an immediate connection, promptly asking for mentorship. Her wish was granted, and she shadowed the director for months, quickly realizing she had found her passion and never looked back.

Shelly told us, “I find it a rewarding career that constantly changes and challenges me. I am always looking for ways to challenge students, build their confidence, and help them explore and find ways to design their career development process. I never just settle and always believe that there is always more I can do as a Career Coach.”

Shelly’s Greatest Achievements

When asked about her most significant achievements in her career, Shelly answered, “My greatest achievement must be my ability to help students understand professional branding .” She explained how many students face imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and FOMO to the point where they feel they can’t progress in their careers.

She harnesses her extensive knowledge in this field, offering valuable guidance to students. Shelly enables them to grasp the mechanics of LinkedIn algorithms and effectively construct their narratives as practical tools for in-person and online networking. When she sees that her work helps students transform and achieve this (she calls it an Oprah Ah-ha moment), it makes her “heart and soul full.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Among Students’ And New Grads’

As mentioned prior, DEI is a significant aspect of Shelly’s work. She touches on her qualifications and values, “I am certified in Leadership and Inclusion. When it comes to serving students, I place an important goal on making each coaching, workshop, or event experience as inclusive as I can. I have never been someone who treats students with a “buffet” style approach. I get to know students at a deeper level and always try to build their confidence and their sense of belonging.” Shelly adds that each student she interacts with is different from the last. She must wear a “different hat” for each student.

Shelly’s diverse “hat collection” enhances her readiness to support students from various cultures and backgrounds. “I hope to model an important lesson for students: an understanding that fostering inclusive behaviours will help them be better in terms of individual, team, and organizational contributions when they move from the world of school to the world of work,” she concludes.

Mental Health Among Students’ And New Grads’

We wondered how mental health factors into what Shelly does. “Everyone has a story we know nothing about. I always keep that in mind when working with students. Knowing the signs and doing something about it is so important in the work I do. I got certified in Mental Health CPR from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and LivingWorks Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) so I can know the signs and lessen the barriers that exist,” she explains.

Shelly mentions that she provides a safe space for students, who can depend on her if they need help or just someone to talk to. She expands further, stating, “in some cases, a conversation and safe place to come is not enough. In some cases, students are experiencing thoughts of suicide, and it is part of my role to make sure they have the right resources available.”

Successfully Transitioning Students from School-to-Work

As a primary focus of her position, we asked Shelly how she helps students transition from school to the workplace, especially in the post-pandemic digital age. She responded, “There is still the catch-22 when it comes to experience, so incorporating different programs and offerings on campus to simulate real-world situations and build skills is important. I am a big believer that diverse experiences can help students grow in diverse ways. Students often lack confidence and confidence is key.” Shelly states it is important to stay outside the box when assisting in this area with services like workshops, guest speakers, coaching sessions, and more.

Students’ Biggest Pain Points

Shelly was kind enough to provide insights on the most considerable pain points her students often encounter in a job search in 2023. She highlighted eight:

Branding and standing out for recruitment
Interview tips and practice
Job search and where to find diverse opportunities
Navigating job search as an international student and what employers are open to hiring international students
Lack of work experience
The competitive and changing job market
Knowing what jobs match their academic background
Their approach to building relationships and approaching decision-makers

Shelly mentions that the prominence of technology has transformed the recruitment landscape, introducing ambiguity and a sense of unpreparedness due to constant change. This shift has heightened the need to anticipate the unexpected, creating a heightened sense of urgency. She adds that students perceive how technology poses new challenges. Previously, creating an attractive resume was difficult enough. Now, insecurity and frustration arise as they wonder if their resume will navigate the ATS pipeline and reach recruiters. “There is definitely an increased feeling of not ‘being enough’ or ‘having enough’ and this constant message and nagging of keeping up in terms of skill demands and expectations,” Shelly closes.

How Employers Can Support Young Talent

Shelly shared her advice for employers on better supporting their student personnel. She advises employers to highlight expectations clearly; there should be no ambiguity. A thorough onboarding process is another suggestion, as well as ensuring students are accommodated for whatever they may need in their position. Furthermore, transparency, training, and collaboration are keywords she underscores as essential for employers to focus on when supporting students in the workplace.

How Employers Can Connect with Top Students

We were curious to know Shelly’s thoughts on the best ways for employers to connect with students. She mentions an on-campus presence is crucial. “This is a way to be involved in something unique and a way to stand out. My only suggestion is to put some thought and consideration into what you will do and how you will do it. Students want to show you what they have, and they want to know your ‘WHY,'” she explains. Employers must tap into what students are looking for and make themselves memorable. Info Sessions, workshops, and case competitions are all great ways to have a campus presence. She adds that free merch and food won’t cut it. Make your company feel meaningful, and do not waste the student’s time. Make a lasting impression.

Advice for Fellow Career Educators

We asked Shelly for advice she has for other career educators who are getting started in the field, as well as some guidance for the post-pandemic era. She provided five tips for career educators who are starting out:

Take a coaching certificate; it will change the way you interact with students, support dialogue, and build trust
Take time to figure out the lay of the land and set up times to meet people to gather perspective. Make sure to meet people beyond who you will directly be working with daily but the important folk involved in the student journey
Be open to collaboration. Great things happen when diverse stakeholders work to create learning experiences
Ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundation of all you do so that every student feels like they belong
Build your resource library so you always have more to offer

She adds five tips for career educators in the post-pandemic landscape:

Understand that things are different and accept that adapting will take time.
Prepare to see some new graduates or even older alums return for career help due to layoffs, especially in tech
Commit to understanding the new way of doing things and be up to date on trends like; recruitment strategies, the gig economy, the importance of networking, applicant tracking systems and resume development, virtual interviewing and virtual recruitment, micro-certifications, and ChatGPT to name a few
Make sure you know where students can go for the right resources in case they need additional support in other areas, for example, mental health resources on campus
Give students the opportunity and the space to explore and “develop many possible career selves” and provide support and insight into new career options

Conclusion

Shelly concluded our discussion by sharing her “quote of the day.” She mentioned that she has an “inspiration board” that always includes inspirational quotes for students. She stated that students had told her that her quotes had provided affirmation for them when they needed it most. She shared her quote with us from Thomas Edison, who stated, “If we all did the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”

Shelly Elsliger has been a Career Coach for more than 20 years. She has worked at both John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) and Rotman Commerce (University of Toronto). Currently, Shelly is a Consultant who now operates her own business, Linked-Express and is also a Senior Career, Leadership, and Inclusion Coach for CareerJoy.

Habits to Become the Best Version of Yourself

January 18, 2022 / Luki Danukarjanto / 0 Comments

I’ve been asked more and more to share my insights on developing habits with various organizations since the start of the pandemic. Many have found themselves with extra time with their commutes removed from their day. Some are choosing to feel that extra time with habits like exercise, reading, meditation, and a multitude of other activities. Some are successful at turning them into habits. Many or not. I share my insights as to why.

Why are habits important in the first place?

For anyone who has ever tried to start a new routine, oftentimes an act of sheer willpower is needed to get started. That willpower often drains energy and you don’t want to be using that much energy every time you do something. Habits can help you reduce that energy train so you can use that energy for other things.

Parts of a habit

Habits can be sliced and diced into various segments. I like to use Charles Duhigg’s version.

Cue: A trigger that signals the habit to start
Action: The activity of the habit itself
Reward: A reinforcement for the behaviour

Habits don’t always form when you start doing things primarily because without the cue or the reward, The habit has nothing to anchor itself to in your brain.

Getting rid of a habit or starting a new habit

One of the most surefire ways to get rid of a habit is to remove all cues for that habit. Unfortunately that is easier said than done if you cannot completely control your environment.

Consider the FOGG behavioural model. Think of one vertical axis for Motivation and a horizontal axis for Ability. There would be an action line that starts from high Motivation and low Ability and curves down and flattens towards low Motivation and high Ability. When something is above the line then it occurs and happens. When something is “below” the line then it does not occur or happen.

That means to get rid of a habit you need to decrease your motivation or decrease your ability.

You can decrease your motivation by pairing your habit with a consequence.

Want to stop snoozing and sleeping in? Set an embarrassing social media post to go out just after your alarm wakes you up. You better get up, or that post will tell the world about your embarrassing moment!

You can decrease your ability by making your habit more difficult to do.

Want to stop snacking on some junk food? Stash it way towards the back of your cupboard where you have to inconveniently take out other items to get to it.
Want to stop spending so much? Put your credit card in a hard to access spot. Or even freeze it in a block of ice so that you literally have to melt it to access it – Hopefully by the time you get your credit card out, your impulse to buy has subsided. Make sure you also delete any saved credit cards on your browser for online sites.

On the other hand, if you want to start a habit, you need to increase your motivation or increase your ability. You can increase your

You can increase your motivation by finding the core purpose for wanting to set up the habit or finding a partner to hold you accountable for your actions.

To find your core purpose or why for the habit, ask yourself: why is that habit important to you? With whatever answer you provide, ask yourself: why is that important to you? Repeat that five more times. If you don’t repeat yourself and really focus on it’s important to you then you’ll often find the core reason
An accountability partner can help many stay on task. That’s why study buddies, gym buddies and other type of accountability partners can’t be so helpful

NOTE: for most people one or the other works better. Take a look at when you’ve been successful in starting a habit in the past and repeat your success.

To increase your ability, understand your tendencies.

The acronym SPACEBEAR can help you to find some of your tendencies.

Step-type: Do you prefer small steps, or do you “go big or go home”?
Pace-type: Are you a marathoner (consistently spend time to move towards your goal), sprinter (hit things hard, then take a break then hard and break), procrastinator (wait until the last minute before you get something done)
Aversion-type: Do you react better to a “carrot”, or a “stick”?
Chrono-type: Are you a Lion (get stuff done early in the morning often before anybody else is awake), Bear (slower to rise and get stuff done in the middle of the day), or Wolf (our most productive late night)
Expectations-type: Are you an Obliger (need someone to help hold them accountable) or a Questioner (need to know why something is important to them)
Buying-type: Are you an Under-buyer (buy just enough or wait until you’re almost out), or an over-buyer (buy so much that you’ll never run out and always have some in reserve)
End-type: Are you a Finisher (like to check things off your to-do list), or an opener (like to start new things – though not necessarily finish them)
Availability-type: do you prefer simplicity, or abundance
Recognition-type: do you prefer familiarity, or novelty?

Knowing your tendencies can do wonders to get that habit going. For example: you might start a habit like exercise and only continue it if you constantly find new and novel parts of it to do. Or you might need to start with familiar and easy to do exercises before you gradually move on two more difficult exercises.

Summary

Wow there are many more ways and considerations to effectively start or stop a habit, these will hopefully be some useful tips to get you started.

By setting up habits, you might find that you have more energy to do other things throughout the day.

Pick something from the above to implement. Try it out for a few days or weeks. If it sticks then keep it. If it doesn’t, then try something new.

You’ll likely find that when you set up these habits you become even more productive in your work and life.

About Luki

Luki is a career coach and likes to say that he has found his purpose helping others find theirs. A former management consultant and campus recruiting lead, he shares his SIWIKE Stuff I Wish I Knew Earlier through books, podcasts, videos and other content. Connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukidanu/ or Subscribe on YouTube to access other content https://youtube.com/focusinspired

COVID-19 and the Workplace: Frequently Asked Questions

March 5, 2020 / Guest Author / 0 Comments

Originally posted on March 3rd, 2020 by Paul D. McLean* at Global HR Lawyers – In A Flash – Matthews Dinsdale.

The following provides general guidance to employers in dealing with the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the workplace. All should appreciate that this is a fluid situation and we will continue to update our clients as matters change. For specific issues, please speak with your Mathews Dinsdale lawyer.

Where can employers get regular updates on COVID-19?

The Government of Canada’s Public Health Agency

Infection Prevention and Control Canada (ipac)

Is COVID-19 in Canada?

As of March 3, 2020, COVID-19 has been confirmed in three provinces: British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec.

While the Public Health Agency of Canada expects those numbers to increase, without sustained human-to-human transmission, most Canadian employees are not at significant risk of infection.

Can an employer restrict international travel?

As of March 3, 2020, the Government of Canada has posted travel health notices for non-essential travel to areas of China, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Northern Italy, Singapore and South Korea due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Based on these advisories, employers should restrict business travel to these areas. Should employees travel to these regions for person reasons, they should be advised that their ability to return to the workplace will be assessed upon their return to Canada.

Can an employer stop employees who travelled in an area affected by COVID-19 from returning to work?

Depending on where they have travelled and the nature of the employer’s business, an employer may assess risks in the circumstances, and could restrict an employee from immediately returning to the workplace. For example, an employer who operates a senior’s community will have a dramatically different assessment than an employer operating a warehouse.

Prior to an employee returning to work, they should be asked to confirm that they have no symptoms of illness. Again, depending on the workplace and the risk associated with potential COVID-19 exposure, the employee may be asked to self-isolate even absent symptoms depending on where they have travelled.

Patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If the employee has these symptoms, they should seek medical attention and should not be permitted to return to work until they are confirmed by medical testing to either not be suffering from COVID-19 or that they no longer carry the virus.

If an employer holds an employee without symptoms out of work, is there a requirement to still compensate the employee?

This will depend on the circumstances, including where the employee has travelled from, the nature of the specific workplace, alternatives available (i.e. working from home) and any potential collective agreement requirements. While each situation will have to be assessed individually, there will be circumstances where holding an employee out of service, without pay, may be deemed reasonable.

What if an employee has COVID-19 and cannot work?

Where an employee contracts COVID-19 and is unable to work, an employer must grant any applicable legislative leave to the employee, in addition to meeting any sick leave obligations outlined in employment agreements or collective agreements.

What if employees refuse to work because they are afraid of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace?

Employers have a positive obligation to take reasonable care in the circumstances to protect the health and safety of employees under occupational health and safety legislation. Where an employee has a reasonable basis to believe that there is a dangerous condition in the workplace, or that their duties present a danger to their health and safety, the employee may be able to refuse to attend work or perform certain duties.

In the event of a work refusal, the employer must respond in accordance with occupational health and safety legislation, which response will include an investigation into the concerns and, if appropriate, adopting measures to eliminate or reduce the workplace danger. This investigation will, in large part, be based upon the current scientific understanding of COVID-19 and the specific facts in the individual workplace. No reprisal for properly exercising a health and safety right may occur.

Can an employer fire an employee if they contract COVID19?

No. Employers may not terminate an employee or otherwise discriminate against an employee due to physical disability (which includes certain illnesses) under human rights legislation.

What if an employer needs to replace sick employees on a temporary basis to operate?

An employer can hire employees on a temporary basis. An employer may also ask healthy employees to work additional hours, provided the employer is complying with legislative provisions regarding overtime and excessive hours of work.

The time to prepare for such a contingency is now: employers should be assessing how many employees they require to operate effectively and what will happen if a large number of employees are unable to attend work.

Can an employer force employees to work from home?

Whether or not an employer can direct all or a portion of its workforce to work from home will depend on the reasons for the request. For example, if there has been potential exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace, it may be reasonable to request certain employee self-isolate and work from home for at least a 14 day period.

Can an employer close their business due to COVID-19 outbreak?

An employer must ensure a safe working environment. Depending on the situation, it may be necessary to close a business location. An employer’s obligation for providing notice or pay in lieu of notice to employees will be governed by the specific facts of each case.

Do employers have to buy personal protective equipment for employees?

Employers have a duty to provide a safe working environment. If employees run the risk of becoming infected at work, the employer must provide personal protective equipment.

Previous Mathews Dinsdale articles on COVID-19

Workplace Pandemic Plans: What Employers Should Know

Novel Coronavirus: What Employers Need to Know

If you have any questions about this topic or would like assistance with developing and/or reviewing pandemic plans, please do not hesitate to contact a Mathews Dinsdale lawyer.

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