New Professionals and New Professionalism Series
This series of articles provides a wealth of information and insight on everything from New Professionalism theory and institutional initiatives to advice on landing that first public sector job and launching your career. The articles will be written by Alana Lawrence, who has a Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development at Cape Bretton University after completing a BA in Political Science and Sociology, a BBA in Marketing, and a Certificate in Law and Policy Studies.
If you have questions about these articles please contact us here.
New Professionals Update: Spring 2018
Now, this may not sound like the most interesting thing to read when you’ve got some spare time on your hands but, bear with me. If you’re a student of Canadian Public administration interested in a future career in the Government of Canada, if you’re looking for that first full-time job, or if you’re just interested in an inside look at the state of jobs and work inside the federal government, check out the 24th Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada.
The report is compiled by the Clerk of the Privy Council, Michael Wernick, for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the state of the federal public service. And there’s actually a lot of stuff that the Clerk reports on, including the work completed by public servants within Canada and internationally. When you read this (and it’s only 44 pages long, with pictures) you get a good feel for the wide variety of issues that public servants and their managers have to deal with on a day-by-day basis inside the federal government.
These issues range from improving services to members of the public through the use of online resources and social networks, promoting mental health and workplace well-being, to providing employees, especially new ones, with the skills and knowledge they need to excel and, if they’re interested, developing the experience to move into management positions.
As a New Professional myself, I was really interested in what the Clerk reported about how the federal government is working to attract, retain, and develop New Professionals. In 2015-16, the federal public service hired 7,698 people to fill a whole variety of new, full-time, permanent positions in the federal government, with these jobs spread all across the country. Of these new hires, almost 33% were under the age of 30 and just over half were under 35 years of age.
Intergenerational change is happening, and these jobs are open to all sorts of people. As younger people enter the public service they bring with them new ideas about how organizations can and should work better. One of these ideas is inclusiveness. Health Canada, for example, is showing strong initiative in creating a more inclusive and welcoming workplace for historically disadvantaged Canadians. This can be seen in the Aboriginal Employee Development Initiative. The policy includes an Aboriginal Management Development program and an Aboriginal Career Management for Employees program. Indigenous New Professionals benefit from these programs and, hopefully, Health Canada policies will come to better serve all Canadians.
Not only is the federal government hiring young people, but it’s also training them for their current jobs and for possible future management positions. The Canada School of Public Service offers a wide range of skills-development courses for everyone, including new hires, managers, and senior executives. The subject matter of these courses covers a lot of what you’re already getting in Thinking Government: organizational structures and policy process; financial management; human resources programs; public service ethics; accountability; teamwork and leadership.
It’s really exciting to see all of the opportunities there are in the federal public service for young people interested in careers in public administration. And remember, I’ve just been writing about what’s going on in the federal public service over one year. Provincial governments are also hiring, and most public servants in Canada work for municipal governments. There are plenty of good jobs out there for young, university- or college-educated people interested in government. A focus on Political Science and Public Administration and a willingness to move for the right job doesn’t hurt either. Knowing how to put together a great resume and to prepare for a job interview are also important skills. Look for more about these skills in my next update.
Welcome
Hi there, I’m Alana Lawrence and I’ll be writing regular articles on New Professionals and New Professionalism for the Thinking Government website. Like you, I’m a university student who has been thinking about my career options. I started my university studies at Cape Breton University (CBU) in a Bachelor of Arts program and continued on with a few other programs. I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Political Science and Sociology, a Certificate in Law and Policy Studies, and Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Marketing. I am currently working towards my Master of Business Administration in Community Economic Development while also employed as an Enrolment Services Professional, both at CBU. And a little trivia: I studied Political Science using the first edition of Thinking Government!
Getting to be a New Professional is not always easy. It requires you to pursue a specific education, and this may mean obtaining a graduate degree. It also requires you to have a CV strong enough to land a much sought after job, with career potential in the public or private sectors. If this is something you're interested in and you're looking for a career in the public sector (either federal, provincial, or municipal) or a non-governmental organization, you should start planning your career path now. Completing a college or university program is exciting and is the first step on this type of career path—aim to excel in your education and be strategic in your course and program selection. To get ahead, start researching potential job opportunities while still in your postsecondary studies. What and how should you research? Here are a few tips:
1. What jobs are available in your field of study?
Get to know the types of jobs you’ll be qualified to apply for. Talk to your professors about your program and possible job prospects. Read articles in The Hill Times, browse provincial and federal government websites, and read publications, such as ones mentioned below, to determine what jobs are available and in demand of new employees.
2. Who are the top employers in Canada?
Watch for articles in publications such as Forbes, Maclean’s, The Economist, or Canada’s Top 100 Employers. We did a little bit of our own research here and found some interesting “perks” offered to employees by some of Canada’s top employers. For example, the Bank of Canada offers “flex dollars” to its employees, Bell Canada has many different recognition programs to celebrate workplace success by its employees, Canadian Heritage provides onsite subsidized daycare accessible to employees, and Export Development Canada offers academic scholarships for children of employees. (Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2017, Anthony Meehan, 2016 Mediacorp Canada Inc. and The Globe and Mail, page 6)
3. When are potential employers likely to be hiring?
Is there a specific season that organizations are most likely to be hiring in your field? For example, if your program of study is Education, school boards will likely begin hiring in the spring to prepare for September when school begins. If you're interested in work with the federal or a provincial public service, look at the government websites listed below. They provide detailed information about available jobs and how to apply for them. Also, many universities and colleges host job fairs where employers come to campuses to speak to students (aka prospective employees) about career options. If you hear about such a job fair, go to it—with copies of your resume in hand.
4. Where are jobs posted?
You can find job postings online through websites such as Indeed, Career Beacon, Career Jet, Work Directory, and Monster. Sites that deal specifically with public sector jobs can be found through the Government of Canada. The following are some examples: Nova Scotia Public Service, Ontario Public Service, Alberta Public Service, British Columbia Public Service, New Brunswick Public Service, Newfoundland Public Service, Manitoba Public Service, Saskatchewan Public Service, Prince Edward Island Public Service, Northwest Territories Public Service, Yukon Public Service, Quebec Public Service.
5. Where are jobs available?
If you are willing to move out of your hometown, keep your search open to different provinces. There will likely be more jobs available in some areas than others. Make note of the areas with more job opportunities, as well as other considerations you may have about these places such as social events, libraries, restaurants, and community groups. These will be great to refer back to when you are beginning your job search.
6. How much experience will you need?
When looking at job postings online, read through the qualifications section. You want to watch for educational requirements, work experience, volunteer experience, and any other qualifications that may weigh in your favour.
Do your research and get an idea of what companies, and what career, you would like to pursue once your post-secondary education is complete. It can be a stressful search, but also exciting! Although your formal education will be complete, being a New Professional is an adventure of learning, growing, and showing how you can succeed in reaching your goals.
In future New Professional posts, we will be looking at topics such as building your resume, preparing for job interviews, and applying to grad programs. If you have any topics you’d like written about, please email us at requests@utorontopress.com.
