National Edition - May 4, 2008  What type of employee are you? Find out with our personality tests. Jobboom visitors are now eligible for discount rates on e-Career Fit evaluations via our website. Check out the three tests below - they're bound to pique your interest: - eCF Personal Styles Assessment : Discover your strengths, limitations and personal style. - eCF Work Values Assessment : Identify which values are important to you, then capitalize on them to land the perfect job. - eCF Entrepreneur Index : Find out if you've got what it takes to be your own boss. Newsworthy Seoul's problem employees to work on the land For those not old enough to remember, during the Cold War employees in the Eastern Block accused of being slackers were often shipped off to Siberia. Now, in South Korea, Seoul's municipal government is sending their delinquent employees to the countryside. The "reindoctrination" program includes trekking, meditation, computer courses, foreign-language training and 50 hours of volunteer work toiling on a farm or in a factory. (Source: AFP) Trendspotting Switching to Green-Collar Jobs Some soothe their mid-life crisis with a brand-new, zippy convertible, while others trade in their long-time partner for someone much, much younger. Of course, plastic surgery is also an option. Thankfully, an increasing number of mid-career individuals are doing the right thing by taking up the fight to save the world. Green-collar jobs (pun intended), i.e. careers concerned with the environment, are a growing sector. (Source: Business Week) Career Options Trade your cubicle for a kitchen Newfangled organizations pride themselves on their degree of flatness. This creates vague and complex interpersonal relations between supposed peers. In contrast, professional kitchens have remained transparent, with multi-level hierarchies ranging from chef and sous-chef right down to the lowly dishwasher. Many thrive in this environment, where everyone knows exactly where they stand in relation to others. For this reason and others, enrolment in culinary schools is skyrocketing. However, getting your chef papers is only the beginning, then the real work begins. (Source: CNN) Workplace Challenge To-do: Quit putting off tasks According to a recent study, Canadians depend on daily to-do lists more than any other group of people in the industrialized world. However, these lists are somewhat of a trap, as the same study ranked Canada worst in efficiency - even behind Spain, where people spend most of the afternoon napping. Fixing this disconnect requires allotting time each day to actually complete the tasks on the list. At present, half of all Canadians devote an hour per week to writing, rewriting and checking off items on their lists. That's two days per year. Canuck men's to-do lists consist primarily of long-term goals, while women tend to list items that need to be done immediately. (Source: Career Zone, Jobboom) Work/Life Balance Volunteering boosts professionals An increasing number of Canadian companies are doing more than paying lip-service to "social responsibility", and are even taking the concept quite seriously. As such, they frequently support their employees' volunteer efforts by providing time off during the work week. More than a carefully planned public relations stunt, the scheme actually boosts employee morale. Volunteering also gives employees the chance to learn new, valuable skills and expand their networks. In turn, this professional and personal growth tends to pay off in the workplace. (Source: Career Zone, Jobboom) Do you volunteer? To answer, click here. Are you... the new guy or gal? Starting a new job can bring back irksome memories of the first day of kindergarten. Here are some dos and don'ts to help recent hires ease into unfamiliar surroundings and succeed in their new roles. Do: • Have a positive attitude • Get clarity from your boss at the outset regarding your role, priorities and expectations • Find a mentor • Show up early Don't: • Use company time to surf the Internet and send personal e-mails • Gossip about colleagues • Confront your boss about problems without offering up possible solutions. May 8 Summer Hiring Fair Calgary, AB May 10 – 18 Canada-wide Science Fair Ottawa, ON May 20 - 22 Futurallia Québec 2008 Quebec City, QC May 20 - 22 International Development Days Vancouver, BC May 25 - 27 Forests of Change Prince George, BC May 25 - 28 Canadian Skills Competition Calgary, AB May 25 - 28 Rendezvous Canada Vancouver, BC May 28 Self Employment Discovery Workshop Toronto, On May 28 Conquering the Behavioural Interview Oakville, ON May 29 NAPP Job Fair 2008 Toronto, ON May 31 Calgary Education Fair Calgary, AB June 2 - 3 STORE 2008, Canada's Retail Conference Toronto, ON June 5 Healthy Connections 2008 Toronto, ON June 5 People in Motion Toronto, ON June 8 – 10 Apprenticeship – Our Competitive Advantage Victoria, BC June 11 – 12 Western Workplace Health 2008 Calgary, AB June 16 Bio Career Fair San Diego, CA NOTICE: Jobboom and its sponsors do not necessarily endorse the opinions conveyed in the articles selected for this e-zine and do not assume any legal liability in consequence thereof. Comments: info@jobboom.com Research and editing: Austin Macdonald #noDossier#