Graduates of nursing in schools in Canada know that they are facing a bright future, with an in-demand job. What makes this future even brighter though, is the possibility of picking up extra work from time to time, to meet a financial goal.

1. Work in a rural or remote area.

Graduates of nursing schools in Canada have a special way to make extra money: The government offers extra benefits to nurses who chose to work in rural or remote areas, which are traditionally under-served by trained healthcare professionals.

The Canadian government offers the following incentives for graduates of nursing college who set up practice in rural or remote areas:

- a $4,500 recruitment allowance paid in two equal installments when the contract begins and one year into the contract

- graduates of nursing schools in Canada who take part-time or full-time work in remote First Nations communities may qualify for a retention allowance starting in their second year of employment

- graduates of nursing college who work full-time in certain remote communities can see up to three return trips per year reimbursed by Health Canada

These initiatives, which are meant to ensure equal access to health care for all Canadians, regardless of where we live, have an added benefit for graduates of nursing college, in that they can make it easier for graduates to meet their financial goals, whether it is to pay off their student loans, save for a maternity or paternity leave, or to buy a first home.

2. Take on extra shifts.

One advantage of shift work is that it often allows you the flexibility to play with your schedule. Hoping to make a lump sum payment on your mortgage this year? Got a child whose overbite demands braces? Nursing college graduates have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that in the event of a financial crisis, they can speak to their manager about picking up extra shifts.

3. Teach a class in your community.

As a graduate of nursing school, you have specialized knowledge. Perhaps you can take advantage of this knowledge by offering a class, for example, on preparing for childbirth or on supporting an ageing parent as they move into a nursing home. Boost your résumé and your bank account at the same time!

4. Sign up with a temp agency.

Can’t get any extra shifts at your existing organization? Some temp agencies are more than happy to have graduates of nursing school on their call list.

5. Be a baby nurse.

Some new parents aren’t content to have simply a nanny on staff for their childcare needs. Some prefer to have a registered nurse watch over their infants, especially at night, at least during the newborn stage. Graduates of nursing school can sell themselves as highly specialized newborn nighttime nannies.

Happy moonlighting!

Visit Mohawk College for more information on nursing schools in Canada.

 
Working with very young children can be one of the most rewarding careers an educator can expect. This is the case because one is not merely educating or instructing them, but one has the potential to help shape their attitudes and personalities for the rest of their lives. While this is cleanly gratifying, it can be somewhat intimidating as well. It is possible a mistake, a simple oversight, or an instance of neglect of a budding problem could have greater negative repercussions later on. Unlike adolescents or young adults who have the larger capacity to deal with singular events of their lives and integrate them into their larger experiences, very young children might run the risk of elevating individual experiences into life-changing events.

Educators aim to serve and help the parents raise their children, not to replace them. But parents have the advantage of being able to deal with their own individual child in a closed one-on-one relationship. Early childhood educators cannot give individual children special attention and must be prepared to deal with situations where the possibility of one child in their class does not necessarily get along with the rest. Here are three example of personality types typically seen in children:

The Bully

Typically, bullies are depicted as being big and mean, but size really has nothing to do with it. Regardless of weight class, a bully is someone who picks on another kid with the intent of taunting or hurting the kid’s feelings. One method for dealing with this situation is to discover a subject or skill the bully does not excel in, and to encourage the other children to help the bully.

The Shy One

Sometimes a child has a shyness that far exceeds normal levels and could possibly inhibit the child from talking, participating and interacting with other children. This could possibly be for a lack of confidence, in which case, one could take the opposite approach from that of the bully. Locate a specific strength or special interest of this child and encourage them to demonstrate this for the other children.

The Protester

Similarly to the shy child, this child also does not want to participate, but they are different because they have no problem vocalizing their resistance, or even physically revolting. Where one might be tempted to try reverse psychology, this can only further alienate this child. One method for dealing with this is to encourage this child to lead an activity, or even to choose the activity on their own. This can have the positive effect of instilling leadership skills.

Aspiring child educators can best prepare themselves through community courses for a variety of these special circumstances.

The wonderful thing about working with children is that they are all different. Early childhood education allows one to experience the varieties of personality types at their formative stages. But not only is it about experience, but about influencing the children who will inherit our future.

Visit Mohawk College for information on community programs such as early childhood education or personal support worker programs.
 
When one thinks of an architect, one may have the idea of a creative genus pouring over blueprints on a fancy drafting table in a slick high-rise loft. This romantic stereotype is concerned with nothing less than the conceptualization and design of contemporary society's megalithic urban monuments. While this career and lifestyle is certainly very appealing, it undermines the vast majority of real career possibilities that a student of architecture can explore. Modern society does not need to turn out droves of genius building designers as much as it requires professionally trained individuals to perform many different specialized tasks in the conception, design, building and maintenance of architectural projects. In fact, if there were no other jobs to be had in the architecture industry, than many graduates would find themselves without the possibility for real work. Fortunately, this is not the case. 

Aside from the aforementioned artistic creative type that could be found in the architecture industry, the variety of careers awaiting students of architecture can demand other important qualities, such as mathematical minds, practical thinkers, organizational-orientated people, and detail-orientated types. Careers in this industry are therefore not limited to design firms that we imagine occupy modern loft-style offices. One can find work in engineering firms, construction companies, and even in the public sector. Here is a list of other careers one can pursue after architectural technician college:

- CAD technician: CAD means 'computer aided design.' The CAD tech specializes in computer software for creating 2D and 3D graphic images of building and other engineering projects.

- Building inspector: This is often a certified position that checks that a building's structure and various systems are up to certain standards. Aside from architecture, they must also be familiar with basic plumbing, electrical, and mechanical systems.

- Estimators: This person works under the supervision of the project architect to estimate the cost of a building project. They must know about building materials, labor, and other factors and figure out ways to be the most cost efficient.

- Project Scheduler: Like the estimator, the scheduler is concerned with the proposed length of time for a project to be completed. They then break up the project into various stages (concept, design, material acquisition, construction, wiring, etc.) and create the schedule for the entire project. Sometimes, one person can be both the estimator and project scheduler.

- Plans Examiners: This position must review all the planning involved in a building project for various reasons, including ensuring the plans meet local codes and regulations, and determining based on that the cost of permit fees and other plan expenses.

 - Construction Manager: This is an overall position that is involved in overseeing the entire project from beginning to completion. This person often acts as a coordinator between all of the above specialists.

Erecting a building is a team effort. The many responsibilities and skills required of an architectural technician go way beyond the idealistic creative aspirations of a single designer.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on architectural technology.
 
Accounting is no easy job. It requires a mind for pure numbers and calculations with a sense for the world of business. Whether an accountant is employed within a single company, or acts as an intermediary for an entire industry, there are many factors which the accountant must master in terms of translating numbers, figures, assets and flows from one recognizable set of data to the next. How does one translate sales of manufactured products and intangible services? How is a company's competitive edge measured in terms of employee expertise or speculative markets? How are financial standings understood regarding money earned and money owed? These are just some of the questions an accountant must be ready to answer.

There are several key concepts that are integral to the education of an accountant. These are:

- Revenue Recognition

- Fixed Assets

- Intangible Assets

- Goodwill

These concepts are inter-related in sometimes complex ways; sometimes these concepts overlap and sometimes they stand in contrast with one another. There are several published guidelines the accountant must be familiar with that sets standards and principles for defining these concepts, such as the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). A thorough accounting program will ensure the future accountant is very familiar these standards and principles regulate how these four concepts function on a balance sheet.

Revenue Recognition

This is the principle which measures revenues of a company based on the company's activity regardless of whether the company has been paid. In simple terms, it is how much money one can count on receiving in a certain period of time, and not how much money a company has at a given time. An example would be if I sold my services as a house cleaner for a future date, and will only get paid after the job is done. The money I am expecting becomes listed as revenue recognition.

Fixed Assets

This is also known as Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE). This relates to the assets of a company that has value but is not easily sellable or liquefiable. An example of this would be a printing press in a book publishing company, or a fleet of cars for a pizza delivery restaurant.

 

Intangible Assets

These are assets a company has that are not actual physical objects, and thus have no clear way of measuring or valuing them. The basic principle of intangible assets are time and effort that a company invests in order to make money. Examples of these are things like professional expertise, but also things like intellectual property.

Goodwill

This is closely related to intangible assets. In simple terms, goodwill are intangible assets that have been given some sort of monetary value because they have been sold. For example, if a pizza restaurant has a secret recipe for tomato sauce, in itself it is an intangible asset. But if they sell their recipe to another pizzeria, the value of that sale is listed as goodwill.

These are simple definitions with easy to understand examples. Accounting courses can be entirely dedicated to each one of these concepts. Knowing them individually and then understanding their relationship is core factor in mastering the concepts of accounting.

Visit Mohawk College for more information on business courses and accounting training.

 
Bookkeeping is one of the oldest professions in the business world. It began in ancient Mesopotamia, where farmers and herders needed to keep track of their crops and livestock. Their form of bookkeeping relied on the usage of tokens, and this development marked the beginning of an entire industry of professionals who would continue to gain importance as the modern business world evolved.

Today, the world of accountancy is multifold. No business or industry, no matter how large or small, how self-contained or externally divided, can function properly and ethically without the work of accountants. There are two major forms of accounting that are distinct from each other: managerial accounting and financial accounting. When considering a career as an accountant, it is important to obtain a good background education in the principles of both forms before making the decision regarding which kind of account you want to become.

Managerial, or management accounting is an internal form of accounting employed primarily within single businesses and concerned with the growth and development of that business. Its interest is fully absorbed with the costs and profits of a company with minimum regard to external considerations, like shareholders or outside investors. A managerial accountant works closely with a company in terms of decision-making, planning, and assisting in the company's forward-looking strategies. If you consider yourself more of a team-player within a group of shared interests, cost and managerial accounting is best suited for your career aspirations.

In contrast, financial accounting is a bit wider in scope. Financial accountancy is more of a central mind, tying and sharing financial information together for a large collection of interested parties, like companies, stockholders, banks, and even government agencies. Financial accountants are responsible for measuring and monitoring performances and profits and reporting constant financial feedback to all of the interested users. Unlike the managerial accountant, the financial accountant is less concerned with the day-to-day operations of an individual company. If you have more of a mind for mining data and finding patterns, consider specializing in a career as a financial accountant.

When considering enrolling into an accounting college, choose a program that offers students a generalized education in the early semesters. This allows the student to get a taste of all the various forms of accounting before having to decide upon a specialization. Not only will the student get a basis in both managerial and financial accounting, but also some other accounting specializations that could be pursued, such as taxation, business finance and applied accounting systems. Another important consideration in selecting a program is having good transfer options after the early semesters. A basis in accounting could lead the student to other areas of the business world like business marketing, insurance, administration or financial services.

Obtaining good accounting training, therefore, opens up to the future accountant a wide variety of options in the business world. But for those dedicated to working in the exciting world of number-crunching and financial planning, whether within the family of a single company or as the networking centre of the larger financial world, then management accounting or financial accounting is a great career you can count on.

Visit Mohawk College for more information onaccounting courses.

 
The cost of an education today is often seen as proportional to the kind of salary one can expect upon graduating and entering the chosen field or industry. This is why so many people are considering enrolling in two- or three-year programs in many business-related fields, especially accounting.

Whether you've just graduated high school and are gearing up to enter post-secondary education for the first time, or are a mature student looking to go back and get a fresh start in a new career in accountancy, everyone needs to consider the cost of their time in training. It isn't just tuition that can add up; there are books and other academic expenses, as well as the cost of living of being a student and not being able to work full time. Sure, there are plenty of part-time jobs one can get on the side, but often they can be tiring and boring and contribute nothing to your academic and career aspirations as an accountant.

Some schools, however, offer the accounting students the opportunity to work while studying in an accounting-related job. With this comes dual benefits of making money whilst gaining experience at the same time. Here are some of the jobs offered to students who enroll in accounting courses with an 'earn while you learn' program.

- accounts receivable: handling the debt or money owed to a business by its clients

- accounts payable: handling the credit owed by a business to its suppliers

- bank reconciliation: detailing the difference between the data of a bank's statement and that of a business

- job costing: calculating the costs in preparation for a job

- process costing: tracing direct costs and allocating indirect costs involved in a job

- perpetual inventory: updating of available inventory for a job

- personal tax preparation: preparing tax returns such as income tax for individuals

- financial statement analysis: preparing formal records of a financial activities of a business or individual

- budget preparation: planning all financial expenses and revenues for a business   

- variance analysis: analyzing the difference between planned budgets and actual revenues and expenditures

- payroll: preparing the sum of all salaries, wages and bonuses for a company's employees

among others

Another advantage to an accounting school which offers this kind of work program is that it can help the student get a taste of many different aspects of the accounting industry. As there will come a time in their studies, and especially after graduation, when one will have to choose a specialization and pick a career, this experience can help students make that choice more confidently.

If you're studying to become an accountant, why prepare coffees to help pay for your education when you can prepare tax statements? Why budget your living expenses when you can prepare financial budgets?

Visit Mohawk College to find out about accounting trainingand other business programs.

 
During the day you work in an office doing whatever it is that you have become so skilled at doing. You use the little spare time you have to run marathons, organize fundraisers, join rallies, and do whatever else you can to participate in local initiatives and causes. But despite your efforts to split yourself in two, you still feel like what you're doing for the community isn't enough.

First off, don't be so hard on yourself. The fact that you even want to dedicate yourself to community projects is in itself extremely admirable. Second, there exist two incredible industries that that will allow you to reconcile your need for an income with your dedication to community involvement. Here they are:

Health, Wellness and Fitness

Health is among the most prevalent issues that every society must address. Ensuring that a society is strong and prosperous will necessarily involve ensuring that it is also healthy. The issue at hand, of course, is that no government or state can force healthy habits upon its citizens. While some governments have developed laws and policies that make it harder for people to make bad health choices (i.e. increased taxes on tobacco products) and easier to make good health choices (i.e. more access to affordable, local produce) there still remains a dire need for societies to adopt healthier lifestyles.

That said, a worthy career venture to take on would be that of a health, wellness, and fitness advisor. Doing so would put you in a position to help people understand why and how they should adopt healthier lifestyles.

Typical Health, Wellness and Fitness programs include the following community courses:
  • Exercise Techniques 
  • Critical Analysis for Health, Wellness & Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Theories of Weight Management
  • Aerobic Training
  • Fitness Equipment & Facilities
  • Health Issues in Canada
  • Sport Injuries
Social Services

We all know that it is vital for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle on both the physical and emotional levels. The difficult part about this is receiving the necessary guidance and support to achieve both of these levels of wellness.

Careers within the social services industry include, but are not limited to, mental health workers, guidance counsellors and employment counsellors. By working in the social services industry, you will be able to take on the role of someone who not only educates people on how to maintain a good, balanced mental state, but also protects them by way of educating them on what their rights are as a person.

A Social Services Worker Diploma is a type of Urban Studies program, and can often include the following courses:
  • History & Ethics of Social Work
  • Introduction to Group Dynamics
  • Privilege & Oppression
  • Working with Children & Adolescence
  • Issues Related to Family
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Community Change
  • Social Policy & Law
Being a health advisor or a social worker will involve earning a diploma in a Community and Urban Studies program. The majority of the curriculum in either program will deal with community courses, ones that aim to educate aspiring community professionals on how to communicate with the different segments of the population and how assess varying issues.

Community professionals are vital to any society and help maintain a healthy and thriving population. You've reach a point in your life where you are torn between your career aspirations and your desire to want to help people on a daily basis, and now you know how to reconcile the two.

 
PSWs assist with providing attentive care to the elderly and to patients who suffer from mental and/or physical disabilities, and chronic illness. Their presence is crucial to the healthcare system because of the assistance they provide to patients on a daily basis.

If you're thinking about pursuing a career as a PSW, you may want to take a look at the three qualities listed below to get a bit of a sneak peek into what is involved.

Career and Task Flexibility

PSWs have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private care settings. A PSW should be willing to work in any of these settings in order to ensure maximum exposure to all sorts of experiences that a PSW career has to offer. There are many jobs that do not offer this level of mobility, so it is definitely an aspect that prospective PSWs can look forward to.

But regardless of the setting, PSWs definitely need to be flexible as far their duties go. Overall, PSWs are relied on to carry out a number of tasks that are crucial to patient care, including bathing patients who have limited mobility; making and changing patient beds; and maintaining a tidy environment for the patient. There is no such thing as 'picking and choosing' which task to do. They all need to get done.

Attentive

PSWs spend a lot one-on-one of time with patients, and are thus exposed to their behavioural patterns. That said, it is important for PSWs to constantly remain mindful of any unusual or alarming behaviour by the patient. Many of these patients will be suffering from ailments that restrict their speech or levels of basic awareness, thus they may be completely incapable or unable to voice their discomfort or their very own concerns regarding their physical state.

What this translates to is that PSWs really have to be sensitive to even the slightest shift in a patient's behaviour. Being able to notice such detail will of course come with experience, and PSWs will have also taken health courses that touch on this topic.

Accepting of Death

This idea of death can be a reality that some people are not comfortable with. Needless to say, this sort of aversion wouldn't be very helpful in the healthcare industry. PSWs, along with every other healthcare professional, care for patients who are in some way fighting an ailment. Whether that ailment is immediately life-threatening or not does not eliminate the immediacy of death that is present in a the healthcare setting on a basis.

Being comfortable with the idea of death does not equate to being insensitive to life. Everyone has their own belief system, and has their own way of accepting life and death. For PSWs, it is important to not only explore their personal take on this, but also to be accepting of the different beliefs that others have. Most Health and Technology programs will include courses that touch on these issues, and will give students a chance to develop their own perspective on the matter.

 
You're playing around with the idea of becoming a nurse, but are still not sure if you want to commit yourself to the profession. Deciding what career to go into is not an easy decision for anyone to make. It requires time, serious contemplation, and a good deal of soul searching to really figure out what profession best suits your personality and your goals.

To help you with your decision-making, here are just a few of the many reasons why a nursing career is both fulfilling and rewarding.

Recession-proof

Nurses have to deal with a lot, but one thing they don't typically need to worry about is losing their job because of a weak economy. Truthfully, no industry or job is completely recession-proof. When the economy drops, all of us are affected in one way or another in varying degrees. However, there are certain industries that are less susceptible to suffering the negative sides of an economic decline, particularly, the healthcare industry. Unlike other industries, healthcare does not rely on consumerism in order to thrive. In fact, economic declines or recessions tend to lead to an increase in a population's need for medical attention.

You may never experience a recession throughout your entire healthcare career. But if you do, your nursing job will likely be safe from the blow.

Versatility

A career in nursing can include a great deal of diverse healthcare roles. More often than not, those who receive their nursing degree will be streamlined into a practical or registered nursing position. Soon enough, however, nurses are exposed to the multiple career options available to them. For one, a staff nurse is given a lot of professional mobility insofar as a nurse can transfer from one unit to the next multiple times throughout his or her career.

Secondly, a nursing degree opens the door to many different nursing positions, including, but not limited to:
  • Nurse Researcher: work closely with academic or corporate research teams on developing medical studies and experiments.
  • Nurse Educator: provide medical education to fellow healthcare workers (doctors, PSWs) and the general public, as well as conduct information sessions at healthcare institutions (hospitals, clinics, wellness centres)
  • Entrepreneur/Manager: Own or manage a wellness centre, recovery centre, or even private care services.
  • Registered Nurse: provide exceptional patient care in a hospital, clinic or private setting.
Academic Accessibility

A key component to the appeal of a nursing career is the accessibility of most nursing schools and nursing courses. Unlike other medical degrees, practical nursing colleges do not require many pre-requisites other than a standard highschool or college degree and a number of science courses (Chemistry, Biology, etc.) The option of applying as a mature student may also be available, depending on the college.

Honourable Work

The nursing profession is an honourable one. I'm not saying this to appeal to your ego. I'm saying it because it is true. Nurses have to deal with quite a lot, from being understaffed and overworked. And in the midst of the mayhem, nurses have to keep it together every second of the way, making sure that they care and support patients properly. It is difficult to do your job properly when so many factors are working against you, but nurses manage to do this every day for the sake of the health of patients.

 
Civil engineers are behind the scenes on pretty much every detail that goes into city development. From street plans to bridges, and power lines to sewer systems, we rely on civil engineers to come up with ideas that make our everyday lives both liveable and enjoyable. But what exactly do they do? Here is a quick look at two (of many) types of civil engineering specializations to help you get a better idea of what the profession involves.

Urban Planning

Admittedly, it can be surprising at first to think of urban planners as engineers, or vice versa. But the fact of the matter is that the two are so inter-related that they can't function without each other.

Engineers detail every aspect that goes into the design of a land span. From the width of sidewalks and alleyways to the height of skyscrapers, engineers need to consider every last inch of space covering whatever grounds they are working on.

A more concrete example of how civil engineering and urban planning are indeed fused disciplines is the emergence of bike paths in urban areas. The urban planning element lies, of course, in the goal to integrate a more green and healthy mode of transit into the lifestyles of the urban demographic.

The civil engineering element lies in the actual design and construction of the path. It isn't enough for a city to agree to implement a bike path into their city structure. Special care has to be taken to ensure that the path sits on the proper terrain, and is designed so that cyclists can be integrated without interfering with auto traffic and in such a way that the bike path route allows them safe and open access into the city as they would have with a car.

So, civil engineers who want to focus on urban planning will definitely need to take a few technology courses to help them master both the theoretical and practical aspects of design.

Structural Design

Structural design is among the most complex of civil engineering specialisations within Engineering Technology programs and the career at large. Experts within the field are the ones we rely on to build our bridges, tunnels, canals and dams. That said, structural engineers have a lot riding on their designs. Apart from the pressure to adorn a city with a beautiful structure, they are also responsible for ensuring that a structure is safe in every way possible. There are so many factors that are considered when a design is being developed, including climate, terrain, air quality, and even levels of traffic that will exist around the structure. All of these elements determine what material will be used, the size and shape of the structure, and its ultimate functionality.

One of the most exemplary structural engineering designs is the Panama Canal, which is a ship channel that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Taking over 30 years to build, the canal optimized travel time for trade ships, and has become an essential element in economic expansion for countries worldwide.

To be frank, our cities would be desolate flat-grounds without all of the incredible civil engineers. And even though they are behind the scenes and rarely get public recognition for what they do, our lives would be completely different without them.