by Ellen Roseman (eroseman@thestar.ca)
Jaime Hurlbut has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from the University of Ottawa. She wanted to work in event planning and media, but struggled to find a job. "Once I graduated, I quickly realized that most jobs in my field required two to three years of experience. How was I to get this experience?" After doing research on the Internet, she found Career Edge. It's a not-for-profit organization that offers one-year internships for recent graduates hoping to launch careers in their chosen field. Hurlbut got a chance to do the work she dreamed of as an intern with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. She was hired full-time later and spent three-and-a-half years there. Today, she's the events and communications director at another non-profit group, ACE Canada (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship). "The internship opened huge doors for me," says Hurlbut, 29. "I can't thank Career Edge enough. Of the people I keep in contact with, I'm one of three actually working in our field." Started by a group of Toronto business leaders, the Career Edge Organization has placed more than 7,000 interns in its 10 years of existence. It currently has 26 active postings for interns, with 98 in the process of being filled. "The advantages for job seekers are enormous," says Kimberley Wakefield, director of marketing and communications. "You get practical, career-related work experience. You get to apply the knowledge you learn in school to the work world.
"All our host organizations provide coaching and support, so you learn what behaviour is expected and how to work with people of all different ages, experience and background." Career Edge interns are paid $20,000 a year. The stipend goes up to $22,000 starting April 1, 2007. Can you live and work in high-cost Toronto for $1,667 a month before tax? What if you have student debts to repay? "It was very difficult living on that salary," says Hurlbut. "I rented a room in Ajax, outside Toronto, and my employer paid for a GO train pass. My parents also helped out." With $37,000 outstanding in student loans, she applied for interest relief for the first two years. Only now — six years after graduation — is she making her last payments to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. Internships are a way to break into more creative fields such as media, advertising, publishing or the arts. You can also accept short-term contracts or project work. But you may have to live on starvation wages while you get your foot in the door. "You hear science and commerce students talking about the salaries they're making and you're not earning anywhere near that amount," says Anne Markey, executive director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers. "Don't get caught up in the salary. You need some experience. Even if you're with a company for one or two months, you can make a big contribution and gain a huge edge. "Consider getting into the field you want, but not the job you want, by working in data entry or reception. You can get a sense of the work environment, the culture, even the language. "Don't undersell yourself, but don't have too closed a mind. Take any option that will get you where you want to go."
With internships, the salary may be low — but so is the commitment. "Look at an internship as a further investment in your education, a way for you to test out the career you may be interested in," says Wakefield. "It's a giant leg up." More than 50 per cent of Career Edge interns are hired after they finish. They get a job with the same employer or another company in their field. About half the postings are business-related — human resources, accounting, finance, marketing, sales and communications. Another 30 per cent are in information technology and the rest are in fields such as health sciences and engineering. Career Edge has spun off two related organizations: Career Bridge for foreign-trained professionals and Ability Edge for graduates with disabilities. "We've worked with over 1,000 organizations in our 10-year history," Wakefield says. Both the Ontario government and the city of Toronto are host employers. What are the advantages for employers? Low costs are an attraction, for sure. A 12-month internship costs an employer about $25,000. This includes the intern's stipend plus payroll taxes, worker's compensation and a small program delivery fee to Career Edge. "Employers can choose to top up an intern's salary or give bonuses. We don't take any percentage of that," says Wakefield. "We do all the recruiting and we have people on staff going to career fairs and networking. We also facilitate and manage the payroll here." The lack of commitment means lower risk. Employers can try young people out before hiring them full-time and see whether they fit into the corporate culture. It's like an extended job interview. Other benefits for employers: Expanding the pool of entry-level talent; meeting diversity targets; covering short-term needs and maternity leaves; and extending the hiring budget. Interns are Career Edge employees while working at their host organizations. They don't affect the host's head count. Meanwhile, employers don't pay any extra fees if they hire someone at the end of the internship. That would defeat the purpose of the program, Wakefield says. The internship program is open to recent graduates who want to build up their resumés and get their careers launched. They can use it once only. (You can find more information at http://www.CareerEdge.ca or by calling 416-977-3343.) Recent graduates can also check out the Ontario government's two-year internship program. It pays salaries ranging from $39,700 to $54,500 a year for entry-level work in seven fields — business and financial planning, communication, human resources, information technology, labour relations, policy development and project management. Candidates must have graduated from a recognized college or university within the past two years (May 2005 to August 2007). They submit an application online from Jan. 2 to Jan. 29, 2007, with the internship to begin on June 11. For more information, go to http://www.internship.gov.on.ca
Jaime Hurlbut has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from the University of Ottawa. She wanted to work in event planning and media, but struggled to find a job. "Once I graduated, I quickly realized that most jobs in my field required two to three years of experience. How was I to get this experience?" After doing research on the Internet, she found Career Edge. It's a not-for-profit organization that offers one-year internships for recent graduates hoping to launch careers in their chosen field. Hurlbut got a chance to do the work she dreamed of as an intern with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation. She was hired full-time later and spent three-and-a-half years there. Today, she's the events and communications director at another non-profit group, ACE Canada (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship). "The internship opened huge doors for me," says Hurlbut, 29. "I can't thank Career Edge enough. Of the people I keep in contact with, I'm one of three actually working in our field." Started by a group of Toronto business leaders, the Career Edge Organization has placed more than 7,000 interns in its 10 years of existence. It currently has 26 active postings for interns, with 98 in the process of being filled. "The advantages for job seekers are enormous," says Kimberley Wakefield, director of marketing and communications. "You get practical, career-related work experience. You get to apply the knowledge you learn in school to the work world.
"All our host organizations provide coaching and support, so you learn what behaviour is expected and how to work with people of all different ages, experience and background." Career Edge interns are paid $20,000 a year. The stipend goes up to $22,000 starting April 1, 2007. Can you live and work in high-cost Toronto for $1,667 a month before tax? What if you have student debts to repay? "It was very difficult living on that salary," says Hurlbut. "I rented a room in Ajax, outside Toronto, and my employer paid for a GO train pass. My parents also helped out." With $37,000 outstanding in student loans, she applied for interest relief for the first two years. Only now — six years after graduation — is she making her last payments to the Ontario Student Assistance Program. Internships are a way to break into more creative fields such as media, advertising, publishing or the arts. You can also accept short-term contracts or project work. But you may have to live on starvation wages while you get your foot in the door. "You hear science and commerce students talking about the salaries they're making and you're not earning anywhere near that amount," says Anne Markey, executive director of the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers. "Don't get caught up in the salary. You need some experience. Even if you're with a company for one or two months, you can make a big contribution and gain a huge edge. "Consider getting into the field you want, but not the job you want, by working in data entry or reception. You can get a sense of the work environment, the culture, even the language. "Don't undersell yourself, but don't have too closed a mind. Take any option that will get you where you want to go."
With internships, the salary may be low — but so is the commitment. "Look at an internship as a further investment in your education, a way for you to test out the career you may be interested in," says Wakefield. "It's a giant leg up." More than 50 per cent of Career Edge interns are hired after they finish. They get a job with the same employer or another company in their field. About half the postings are business-related — human resources, accounting, finance, marketing, sales and communications. Another 30 per cent are in information technology and the rest are in fields such as health sciences and engineering. Career Edge has spun off two related organizations: Career Bridge for foreign-trained professionals and Ability Edge for graduates with disabilities. "We've worked with over 1,000 organizations in our 10-year history," Wakefield says. Both the Ontario government and the city of Toronto are host employers. What are the advantages for employers? Low costs are an attraction, for sure. A 12-month internship costs an employer about $25,000. This includes the intern's stipend plus payroll taxes, worker's compensation and a small program delivery fee to Career Edge. "Employers can choose to top up an intern's salary or give bonuses. We don't take any percentage of that," says Wakefield. "We do all the recruiting and we have people on staff going to career fairs and networking. We also facilitate and manage the payroll here." The lack of commitment means lower risk. Employers can try young people out before hiring them full-time and see whether they fit into the corporate culture. It's like an extended job interview. Other benefits for employers: Expanding the pool of entry-level talent; meeting diversity targets; covering short-term needs and maternity leaves; and extending the hiring budget. Interns are Career Edge employees while working at their host organizations. They don't affect the host's head count. Meanwhile, employers don't pay any extra fees if they hire someone at the end of the internship. That would defeat the purpose of the program, Wakefield says. The internship program is open to recent graduates who want to build up their resumés and get their careers launched. They can use it once only. (You can find more information at http://www.CareerEdge.ca or by calling 416-977-3343.) Recent graduates can also check out the Ontario government's two-year internship program. It pays salaries ranging from $39,700 to $54,500 a year for entry-level work in seven fields — business and financial planning, communication, human resources, information technology, labour relations, policy development and project management. Candidates must have graduated from a recognized college or university within the past two years (May 2005 to August 2007). They submit an application online from Jan. 2 to Jan. 29, 2007, with the internship to begin on June 11. For more information, go to http://www.internship.gov.on.ca
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