By Miranda Voth
Almost finished your degree and/or just need a job to get you through the summer? Move out west and get one. The pay is better, there’s a huge demand for jobs, plus you have the Ryerson skills to succeed. It’s where all the top businesses in Canada, voted by their employees, are located anyway.
3. AdFarm
AdFarm is actually four smaller companies that came together in 2002 to form an advertising and public relations agency specializing in agriculture. It’s based in Calgary with satellite offices in Guelph, Ont., Fargo, N.D, and Kansas City, Mo.
Adfarm has a low employee turn-over rate of about five per cent. “To be honest we lose far more people to maternity leave than anything else,” said Kim McConnell, CEO of AdFarm. To encourage a team environment, there’s no job titles and positions are fluid.
Requirements: Many educational backgrounds are helpful. Anyone straight out of graphic communications management, image arts, business management or journalism at Ryerson could potentially snag an entry position as a designer, copy writer, account executive, administrator or accountant at AdFarm.
The Payout: Salaries vary, depending on the area of work. Those in agency positions make around $35,000 – $45,000 a year in starting positions.
Salaries are capped, but they insist there’s competitive salaries and bonus programs for over achievers. AdFarm also gives you freedom to work in many areas of the company.
2. Back in Motion
This firm is a full-service rehabilitation and disability management centre in Surrey, B.C.
Ken Hemphill, director of human resources at Back in Motion, said they primarily employ physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapist, kinesiologists, registered clinical counsellors and registered rehabilitation professionals.
Requirements: If you are working towards a degree in occupational and public health, health services management or even disability studies, you could land a job right out of university.
If you are graduating from Ryerson’s public administration and governance program you could score yourself a position with the administrative staff. But first you need at least two years of office experience.
Any volunteer experience is helpful. “Obtaining degrees or professional qualifications would help, as would demonstrated leadership abilities, excellent clinical skills, and people-oriented values,” said Hemphill.
The Payout: Salaries vary depending upon experience, performance and value added-skills such as specialized credentials.
Salary reviews are conducted yearly and promotions are based upon merit. They do hire 10-15 new employees a year, so get your resume in. Directors earn just over twice as much as an average employee.
1.Vancity Credit Union
This Vancouver-based credit union has $11.8 billion in assets and about 330,000 members. Entry-level positions usually take the form of tellers.
You have the opportunity to annualy plan where you want to be in the company a year later. If you do the right stuff, it could mean a promotion.
Requirements: A business degree, Canadian securities course, and possibly a financial planning course are some of the training you will need for the job.
At Ryerson, get a business management degree or Bachelor of Commerce. Community service and volunteer work scores brownie points on your file.
The payout: Top customer service reps can earn up to $96,000. So if you’re a business hound, you could be making that plus incentive as CEO one day.
Depending on company performance, they can give away some slick bonuses, plus $2,400 a year to upgrade your education on the way.
Don’t forget the satisfaction of working at the best place in Canada.
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