Posts

Featured Post

Comfort Zone

Image
Yesterday I did something that was out of the ordinary for me.   I signed up for an 8 week improv class with the  Bad Dog Theatre Company . The idea for attending such a class was suggested to me when I attended  DisruptHRToronto  (a networking event) where I heard a speaker named Lori Pearlstein on December 1, 2016. Ms. Pearlstein owns a company called  Playworks .  Ms. Pearlstein’s company provides improv classes to corporate clients and helps people to improve their public speaking, team building and brainstorming skills. I thought to myself that improv is something that I would like to try. As is usual with me, I filed the suggestion away in my head perhaps to re-visit in the future. I was talking to a friend of mine and we were talking about food preferences. He noted that I could be more adventurous when it came to food. Point well-taken.    I wrote a LinkedIn post called “ Ham .” In this post I talk about my early foray in the world of musical
Post a Comment
Read more

tap into passion (part 2)

Image
Really thought that I lost my mojo to write. Ideas for writing a post dried up. It wasn’t so much that I lost my passion to write, but that I was focused on something else. I was immersed in an interview process for the last 6 weeks. Getting this job was all I thought about. Today I can announce that I got a job with the YMCA and start next week. I’ll be working in the HR department and advising on health and safety and HR matters. I’ve always been passionate about health and safety. I’ve had the good fortune to co-chair Joint Health and Safety Committee meetings at CCH and Combined Insurance for 11 years.  I administered workers’ compensation claims at CCH. I graduated from the Occupational Health and Safety Certificate Program at Ryerson University with an “A” average.  I adapted a CCH health and safety book that was written by an American author. I am a certified Joint Health and Safety Committee member.  Recently I subscribed to Thomson Reuters’
Post a Comment
Read more

Works of Beauty

Image
My friend and I went on an outing to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls yesterday. 2000 live butterflies call this place home. You experience butterflies in a natural setting amongst a backdrop of lush greenery, a gentle waterfall and moist temps.         Earlier this year I attended an art exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario called Mystical Landscapes: Masterpieces from Monet, Van Gogh and More. It seems to me that the Butterfly Conservatory shares certain similarities with an art exhibition. They both feature works of beauty . The butterflies are beautiful and colourful. They are natural works of beauty. They are like living art. I stood mesmerized looking at the butterflies for an hour-and-a-half. Several paintings at Mystical Landscapes were enthralling. One painting in particular that I enjoyed was Van Gogh’s “Starry Night Over the Rhone.” I stood mesmerized looking at this painting for minutes on end. I marvelled at how Van Gogh dep
Post a Comment
Read more

What Inspires Me About The Terry Fox Run

Image
We all have hidden talents and given the right circumstances these hidden talents can come out and shine. The Terry Fox Run brings out the fundraiser in me. I ask everybody I know.   I ask people I haven’t met. One time in the 1990’s I took a bold and dare I say saucy(!) approach with a co-worker.  Instead of asking “Will you sponsor me for the Terry Fox Run?” I asked “How much are you sponsoring me for this year” thereby hoping that it would be harder for him to turn me down. Pretty sure he sponsored me that year. This year (2017) marks the 22 nd time that I will be fundraising (and walking) in The Terry Fox Run. I find Terry Fox extremely inspirational and heroic. He embodied hope, positivity and determination. I am proud to participate in this annual fundraising initiative that bears his name and legacy. You can read about Terry Fox here . The Terry Fox Run gives me a sense of purpose. I like helping people. What I can do
Post a Comment
Read more

ubiquitous networker

Image
I am a ubiquitous networker.   I look at LinkedIn as soon as I get up in the morning. Yesterday morning at 6:30 a.m. a friend of mine (“John”) sent me a LinkedIn message. He said that there’s a tech job fair at the MaRS Discovery District and that it starts at 12 noon.  I thought to myself that I didn’t have anything planned, and so I said “yes” to the job fair. My friend was being very prescient when he said that I could write a post about my job fair experience. And that the theme could be on how I stepped out of my comfort zone. When I arrived at the job fair, I surveyed the companies that were there. I headed straight to a particular booth, because another friend (“Tom”) recently applied for a job at that company. I followed-up on Tom’s behalf. I went up to four other booths and introduced myself. “Hi, my name is Jamie.  I’m an HR professional.  I’m looking to work at a company as a culture specialist.  It could be part-time or contra
Post a Comment
Read more

Yoga Story

Image
When I was at university, I checked out the array of activities that I could participate in like ballroom dancing, squash, yoga and fencing. I never did the fencing, but while at university I took ballroom dancing lessons.  I have since hung up my dancing shoes, but I do enjoy watching “Dancing with the Stars.” Years after I left university, I kept up my Hart House membership and I took squash lessons.  Squash is fun and I played squash a couple of times.   I recently read a terrific article by Kendra Wright called “ 4 Things I Learned by Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone 850 Times in a Row .”  This is an inspirational article.  Ms. Wright did something cool by doing 850 things that made her step out of her comfort zone.  At the end of Ms. Wright’s article, check out the list that she compiled of 100 things that you could do to step out of your comfort zone.  After looking over the list, I immediately thought to myself that I need to do something that I had put off do
Post a Comment
Read more

Job Search Chronicles - Part 5

Image
Yesterday I read an inspiring article by Kendra Wright called “ 4 Things I Learned by Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone 850 Times in aRow. ”  Ms. Wright’s article inspired me to write this post. “Stepping out of your comfort zone” is different for everyone. For example, you may consider speaking up at a meeting at work as stepping out of your comfort zone and overcoming a fear. For me I recently stepped out of my comfort zone by overcoming personal inertia.    I was debating whether to volunteer in a Conversation Circle program where I would help newcomers to practise their English.  The benefits?  It would get me out of the house and meet new people.  I get to do something that I enjoy which is helping people.   The place where I would volunteer is within walking distance -- just 10-15 minutes to get there.  No real downside except I just needed to overcome my internal inertia.  Two weeks ago, I made a move and sent my resume to the volunteer coordinator.  A return messa
Post a Comment
Read more

Job Search Chronicles (Part 4)

Image
Last Friday I had a coffee with my high school friend who has since retired. We inevitably came around to the topic of my job search.  My friend had one employer for his entire career. He reminded me that when he was looking for a job, he knocked on the doors of a few companies and asked to fill out an employment application form.    He found his one and only employer by going directly to the company and submitting an application form. I wonder if there are many companies left where you can go and ask to fill out an application form?       When I was working at Combined Insurance in Human Resources (2005 – 2013), application forms were available with the receptionist.   Candidates could come in, fill one out and talk to the receptionist.  Does the Ontario Human Rights Code still reference application forms?  Yes, they are referenced in Section 23(2) of the Code. When I was recently at the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations (OSSCO), we
Post a Comment
Read more