Anne Carbert, Career Counsellor

A toast for #worldintrovertday Cheers!

If you are looking for a reflection tool to pause as we reach the year's end and look ahead to 2021, check out this Year Compass booklet that my friend and colleague Nicola Holmes (Nicola Holmes Coaching) recommends and shares with coaching groups. The booklet is full of reflection prompts to look both back and forward with compassion and intention. I just downloaded my copy and you can find it here in a digital version or to print: https://yearcompass.com

Sometimes it's helpful to put labels on emotions. A lot of them swirling around here these days!

So grateful for all kinds of workers’ advocacy groups in this tough year, including the arts and cultural associations that met with government representatives to obtain this clarification below. Thank you! If you received CERB payments and a letter about repayments, please read this reassuring post.

If you're feeling trapped because the pandemic economic uncertainty has derailed your career change plans for the time being, this article from Careershifters might give you some ideas for planting seeds and growing wings while you choose to stay put for a while ... Take a look and see what ideas come to mind. Perhaps there's something here you might adopt or adapt to keep yourself going and keep your eye on a brighter career future.

Arts and culture workers! Back in June WorkInCulture and Humber College hosted an online conference to explore "solutions and ideas for the arts and culture industry moving forward during this time of crisis." The panel discussions are available online for viewing any time. Topics include: Engaging Audiences in Digital Spaces, Finding Value Online, Accessibility Online, Activism and the Arts, and more >> https://www.culturescompass.com/

There is nothing to fear in the act of beginning. More often than not it knows the journey ahead better than we ever could. Perhaps the art of harvesting the se...cret riches of our lives is best achieved when we place profound trust in the act of beginning. Risk might be our greatest ally. To live a truly creative life, we always need to cast a critical look at where we presently are, attempting always to discern where we have become stagnant and where new beginning might be ripening. There can be no growth if we do not remain open and vulnerable to what is new and different. I have never seen anyone take a risk for growth that was not rewarded a thousand times over. JOHN O'DONOHUE Excerpt from the books, Benedictus (Europe) / To Bless the Space Between Us (US) Ordering Info: https://www.johnodonohue.com/store Connemara, Co. Galway / Ireland Photo: Ann Cahill

Our conversation needs to focus on who dies, why they die and how we can save them while we press for effective treatments and vaccines. Service industry workers, first responders, teachers, food supply chain and processing workers, the elderly and immigrants die because society believes them to be disposable. In our rush for economic recovery, too many workers fearing loss of both income and health insurance are coerced to return to work sites that are not safe. These are the people who can’t work from home but provide essential services to those who can. ~ Cleve Jones in The Guardian Advocating for paid sick days is an important move towards a more equitable and compassionate response to the pandemic. For information and advocacy actions follow Decent Work and Health Network and Fight for $15 & Fairness.

Today is the pan-Canadian Day of Action for Paid Sick Days! Share your paid sick day story using the tag #PaidSickLeaveSavesLives -- and @ or call your MPP to l...et them know we need the provinces to implement permanent paid sick days for all before it's too late. Find local actions & ideas here: https://www.decentworkandhealth.org/day_of_action_for_paid_

Modernized employment equity legislation at all levels of government, all across the country! >> From Anthony Morgan: In my years of legal, policy and public advocacy, I’ve offered many ideas about how Canada can do better by Black Canadians. I’ve recommended everything from an African Canadian Justice Strategy to address the overpolicing and overincarceration of Black Canadians to the implementation of a national policy for Black arts, culture and heritage, to tap into and ...enhance the immense potential of Canada’s Black creative communities. I stand by these and other ideas and maintain that they should be adopted. But in the midst of the current anti-Black racism reckoning that has spurred Canada’s Great Racial Awakening, it is economic justice for Black communities that I think is most needed. That means modernized employment equity legislation at the federal level, and the introduction of robust provincial and territorial employment legislation across the country. Read more at the link ... See more

Great examples here of how workplace norms and power structures can be changed to make spaces safer for Black, Indigenous, racialized and trans workers - plus introductions to inspiring workers who are organizing and supporting each other to advocate!

I've shared this @Careershifters blog with a number of clients lately because it sets up a simple and relatable framework for when you're feeling stuck in your career exploration and then suggests some ideas for next steps. Are you without much direction and need a new career goal? Or do you have a goal but you're seeking the path forward? Read some tips for "Goal Finders" and "Path Finders" here! >> https://www.careershifters.org//which-type-of-career-chang

Looking forward to this virtual get-together today with dancers and the DTRC! We will chat about career questions, how and when to start exploring a transition, and how to look after ourselves in times of change.

It's so easy to feel overwhelmed these days and find it a challenge to focus. If in the midst of all this change you are trying to keep some fire burning for a career transition, this "micro shift" approach might help: From Careershifters.org: "For Micro Shifters, five minutes is plenty to make a start on something.... "Five minutes in line at the bank [or at home between tasks] write the first crappy draft of an email to someone inspiring (because once you have a first crappy draft, the mental barrier of that ugly blank page is gone). "Ten minutes to talk to a friend about an idea you've had, however vague and uncertain it is, to see what inspiration and possibilities they can think of for you (because in a week's time, when they come across something relevant, they can send it to you and spark something new). "A few hours to go [virtually] to a talk on a subject that interests you (because it interests you, and anything that interests you is a Little Yes on the string of tiny light bulbs). "Micro Shifters take consistent, tiny actions because every little step gets them further along the path."

Freelancers and entrepreneurs: Have you checked out the services available through your local centre for business or entrepreneurial hub? Many of those offices, like the Stratford Perth Centre For Business where I live, are pulling together remote services including free tips and advice for navigating options for financial support. Don’t go it alone! Find out what services your local small business community can offer.

Seems like a good time to share this again ...

The eligibility criteria for CERB has been expanded >> https://www.cbc.ca//cerb-emergency-benefits-trudeau-1.5532

If you are out of work and income at the moment, don’t forget about the government-funded employment centres. In Ontario, various community agencies receive funding from Employment Ontario to provide free career and job search services to anyone unemployed or underemployed. Those agencies, like the Stratford Career Centre in my neighbourhood, have their ears to the ground for local employment needs, offer workshops and resources, and sometimes provide specialized services for youth and new graduates. If you’re in Ontario, you can look up your local employment services by entering your postal code here >> http://feat.findhelp.ca/eng/search.php

We have to give permission to one another to have different strategies and not shame, or hold one strategy over another. ... We want to be compassionate with each other as we move through this.

I hope many, many employers are aware that parents and caregivers working at home are feeling the pressure to do it all more intensely now and often with the emotional and psychological fallout of not pulling it off. But: This cannot be solved by tweaks to the schedule, helpful routines, and virtual activities. We have to collectively recognize that parents and any caregivers right now have less to give at work. A lot less.

The application process will open Monday for the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) which provides a payment of $2,000 for a 4 week period for up to 16 weeks. If you stopped work and are not earning employment or self-employment income as a result of COVID-19, you can apply. Here is the link to the Government of Canada information which includes what you can do today to be ready to apply this coming week >> https://www.canada.ca//benefi/apply-for-cerb-with-cra.html

Sometimes I’m great with to-do lists and sometimes not so great. This list looks to offer some helpful inspiration as I continue to reorient myself in my strange stay-at-home reality right now. While I have worked at home for many years, I am definitely navigating grief and anxiety about this pandemic and about the necessary isolation at home, as well as feeling concern for healthcare workers, those who are sick, and those who must continue to go out to work in contact with others. So these to-do reminders feel grounding. If you are feeling disoriented and emotional and not very productive, you are not alone!

These days as we are warned and instructed to stay at home as much as possible, I am thinking so much about workers who must still work but can’t work at home. I'm trying to stay informed and support groups and movements that advocate for reducing health risks and ensuring safety. Advocating for yourself in these circumstances is not easy, but knowing your rights can help. You might want to check out this online workshop from Toronto-based Workers' Action Centre on April 2nd.... There’s strength in knowledge and in community. It will cover: How do you access Employment Insurance if you lost your job because of COVID-19? What can you do if your boss asks you to work in conditions that put your health at risk? What income supports can you get if you had to self-isolate? Here’s the registration link: https://www.15andfairness.org/webinar_april2_2020 Stay as safe as possible, everyone!

Sending out special thanks to workers in essential services! Here’s some health information for anyone still going into their workplace at this time:

I attended the Cannexus career professionals conference in Ottawa this week for an intensive two and a half days of professional development. Enjoyed workshops, keynotes, networking, resource sharing, and reconnecting with colleagues. It’s a huge national conference - 1,300 attendees and so many workshops it was hard to choose! I’m especially grateful for the keynote speakers who shared big picture ideas that stimulated thoughts on how career development builds community, influences public policy, and could contribute to Indigenous reconciliation. Supporting people in their career exploration and decisions - from school through to retirement - has so many ripple effects!

It is always great when someone reaches out to me who just learned there's such a thing as career counselling! Most of us talk to friends and family first when we're feeling restless at work - and that makes sense. But when it's time to take action, often dialogue with someone not involved in your life can help as you explore options and build courage to make a career move. Career counsellors offer support to clarify career needs, expand possibilities, and make confident deci...sions. I love this work and have been doing it for 12 years! I haven't been so visible on social media for a few months, but I'm still offering remote counselling appointments Wednesday to Friday and some Saturdays -- and I start with a free 20-minute phone consultation. Call or email if you're at a career crossroads! I work with clients throughout Ontario ... and sometimes beyond. See more

If thinking about a career change feels heavy and scary and you're not sure where to start, this article might offer some ideas ...