How to get a pretty good job in Canada.

[Trex]

Or maybe even a career.

The post header will probably light up every search engine in Asia.
That is certainly not my intention as this post is primarily directed at young, somewhat undecided Canadians.

How do the Canadian industry leaders of tomorrow decide the career route to follow? Today?
And what about the run of the mill, Joe average kid?
Or even a dumb kid?

And what really defines a good job in Canada?

My definition of a good job is one that has the potential to provide the income required to raise a family… I accept that two incomes may be required in a family but what is actually required to raise a family, purchase a home and then look after ourselves in old age?

Obviously if your name is Conrad White (lawsuit alert) and your twin daughters are both planning dual doctorates in gender studies and medieval literature this thread is not for you.

But what about everyone else?

 

[L Gilbert]

Retire early and pursue your hobby.
Do what you like doing and get really good at it.
And I am referring to productive hobbies, not texting, trippin around in Facebook or Twitter, etc.

 

[petros]

A decent haircut and not looking like you fell down the stairs with a tackle box also helps

 

[Trex]

A retrospective look at our school system.

All in all the Canadian public school system does a fairly decent job comparatively speaking.

However I personally have major issues with it.
Teachers in Canada are becoming more and more politicized and unionism is, in my view, a completely political agenda.

Kids as early as grade three are bringing home schoolwork that is skewed to reflect; environmentalism, unionism (and its twin sister socialism), antidevelopment agendas, social activism, indigenous peoples agendas, community planning issues, family planning issues, foreign policy issues and a host of others.
The reality is, it can be very subtle and it may be societally necessary but it’s political as hell.

And just who are these teachers anyway?
Well like the most of the rest of us they fill a broad spectrum.
Some teachers are excellent, most are average and some are terrible.
But education wise teachers are generally understood to be lacking on the higher education circuit.
Its one thing to sneer at geologists as failed engineers who couldn’t hack thermodynamics.
But a bog standard, middle of the road, BA in Education? Sorry to be a **** about it but the reality is, its one up from basket weaving.
People who specialize in Philosophy or Library Sciences are tackling a far, far tougher road.
Having said that there are some very good teachers out there. Teaching is both a skill and an art.

At this point I should admit my wife is/was a teacher.
Full ride scholarship.
Teaching High School at 23.
Quit teaching school High School and moved on at 27.
Recently retired from a senior position at a research university.
She will defend individual teachers to the end.
And has nothing but scorn for CUPE and CTF’s political agendas.


So in my view it falls to the parents to instill responsibilities and work ethics in their children.
Do not let teachers define your children’s goals, ethics or beliefs.
If you can afford to send them to private school, do it.
If the local Catholic school is superior to the local public schools… send them there.
If you live in a city and you can bus them to a better school, do it.

 

[petros]

A retrospective look at our school system.

All in all the Canadian public school system does a fairly decent job comparatively speaking.

However I personally have major issues with it.
Teachers in Canada are becoming more and more politicized and unionism is, in my view, a completely political agenda.

Kids as early as grade three are bringing home schoolwork that is skewed to reflect; environmentalism, unionism (and its twin sister socialism), antidevelopment agendas, social activism, indigenous peoples agendas, community planning issues, family planning issues, foreign policy issues and a host of others.
The reality is, it can be very subtle and it may be societally necessary but it’s political as hell.

And just who are these teachers anyway?
Well like the most of the rest of us they fill a broad spectrum.
Some teachers are excellent, most are average and some are terrible.
But education wise teachers are generally understood to be lacking on the higher education circuit.
Its one thing to sneer at geologists as failed engineers who couldn’t hack thermodynamics.
But a bog standard, middle of the road, BA in Education? Sorry to be a **** about it but the reality is, its one up from basket weaving.
People who specialize in Philosophy or Library Sciences are tackling a far, far tougher road.
Having said that there are some very good teachers out there. Teaching is both a skill and an art.

At this point I should admit my wife is/was a teacher.
Full ride scholarship.
Teaching High School at 23.
Quit teaching school High School and moved on at 27.
Recently retired from a senior position at a research university.
She will defend individual teachers to the end.
And has nothing but scorn for CUPE and CTF’s political agendas.


So in my view it falls to the parents to instill responsibilities and work ethics in their children.
Do not let teachers define your children’s goals, ethics or beliefs.
If you can afford to send them to private school, do it.
If the local Catholic school is superior to the local public schools… send them there.
If you live in a city and you can bus them to a better school, do it.

We could always put the Churches in charge of education again.

 

[L Gilbert]

lol.

 

[Trex]

We could always put the Churches in charge of education again.

What do you mean "again" .
You mean like the Scientology or LDS home schoolers?
The Hindu immersion schools In TO and Van?
The Madrassa's of Ontario?
The Buddhist Academies?
The Talmud schools in virtually every province?
Or just the Separate School system?
I lean towards agnostic with a view to atheism.
But I would put my kids in a good separate school in a minute

 

[JLM]

A decent haircut and not looking like you fell down the stairs with a tackle box also helps

And convince the employer you can make money for him and refrain from asking for holidays during the first week- Willingness to work a few hours for nothing helps too. (It will pay off later when you want a raise).

 

[Tonington]

But a bog standard, middle of the road, BA in Education? Sorry to be a **** about it but the reality is, its one up from basket weaving.
People who specialize in Philosophy or Library Sciences are tackling a far, far tougher road.

Where did your wife go to get her BEd? You can't become a teacher these days without having a fair number of credit hours in teachable courses like English, French, Geography, Math, Economics, Biology, etc.

Basket weaving...sounds like StFX. :lol:

I chose a field I like, a field with huge growth potential, and I prepared for my interview. Had a job before I even walked across the stage to get my degree. Nearly three years later and I'm in my third role. I may end up far different than the rest of my generation, because I could easilly stay with this corporation for my whole career. There is plenty of upward mobility, and again it's servicing that huge growth engine globally, aquaculture.

Picking the right field at the right time is partly lucky, but also requires some serious thought before committing to a program. I didn't think too hard when I first left home, and in the end I changed my degree and college. So it cost me a little more to get here, but in the end I have a good degree in a field I like, with a good career and good future opportunities.

 

[Trex]

University or no university?

Statistics are strange.
One set of statistics says if your kids go to university they obtain better careers.
Which makes sense because most of us feel High School graduates tend to be more successful than dropouts.
And college grads tend to be more successful than High School grads and so on.

Another statistic says that once a country passes a tipping point of University Grads that increasing the percentage of University graduates is of no net benefit to the country at all.
And Canada is well past that tipping point and really there is no net benefit in increasing the number of kids that go to University.
And keep in mind the taxpayer pays by far the larger portion of a University graduates education.

If your kids know exactly what degree they want to obtain and have a future plan mapped out then a University degree may make sense.
If your kid is on a scholarship it’s a no brainer.
If you live in a big city with a good University and you can keep your kid in the house, feed them, pay for transportation, and help out with tuition it probably is worthwhile.

But these days a plain vanilla degree runs about $45,000 to $60,000 all in expense wise if you are out of the family house.
And if your kid is just heading off to university to “find himself” and party a bit it is in no way worth the cost.
Med school, vet school, grad school, engineering, nursing all may indeed be worthwhile.
But racking up large debts for a dime a dozen BA or BSc with no guaranteed career path is a huge waste of money and time.

And in my view a mistake.
There are probably better things to do with the time and money.