scrubbedexpat091

I have a lack of experience as well. Which with a lack of education is a double whammy.

Lack of useful experience I should say for the type of jobs available in the area.

Siouxie

But you have a lot of experience in various areas - so play up the good points that you have and downplay the things you don't know as much about. It's what most of us who don't have a specific career have to do! I have huge gaps in my work periods - from living overseas, from being unemployed, from moving to Canada (where I couldn't work for many years due to Govt. regulations) to only being able to work part-time.

I have taken a couple of on-line courses which really are only specific to the job I do right now. I took an Entrepreneur course as part of a Govt. program for the unemployed (which I have mentioned to you before). I have plenty of office administration experience but no formal qualifications unless you count shorthand/typing certificates, lol. (oh and GCSE English [ A* ] which I took at 40 to prove I could, lol).

I don't have a G12 education but I have a lifetime of experience - and sometimes you get lucky and that is just what the employer is looking for.

You need to use this time to go online, do some courses - there are many that are free including Twitter, Facebook, Google Analytics - show that you are doing 'something' with your time to improve yourself and employers will look on that favourably.

BristolUK

Did you and Shirtback ever go on missions together? I'm trying to work out which is April Dancer and which is Modesty Blaise.

Siouxie

No, but funnily enough we were in the same country at around the same time!

BristolUK

Mum's the word.

scrubbedexpat091

Having never worked in an office type job, I think I have no real idea what people in those kinds of jobs do....


I just don't want to work night audit anymore, the overnights kill me, but at the same time hotel front desk during the day is so insanely busy and multitasking (which I am no good at, high stress to multitask) that working front desk during the day is just going to set me up for failure.


If YVR-Vancouver Airport wasn't so far and pain in the ass to get to, I'd try for an airport type job, but I can't do that kind of commute everyday.

Once moved I can go around and see what places might be hiring, right now I have just been concentrating online search wise since we have not yet moved, but next week we will be moved in, so will have the chance to go out and about.

This whole needing to know people because companies don't like to advertise jobs is also a pain, but tis how they operate.

Siouxie

Don't know if it would be of interest, but Home Depot at Chilliwack seem to have a few vacancies.

They're having career fairs


Pet Value have a job that might be interesting too.

scrubbedexpat091

I'll take a look...


I think the biggest hurdle is the jobs I want to get into are either regulated and require X amount of education, or just in a field where employer won't consider you without relevant training.

Just need to figure out how to make 17-20 per hour.....

Siouxie

How about an ophthalmic technician?

Training provided.

Ophthalmic Technician/ Assistant job - Dr. W. De Bruin - Chilliwack, BC | Indeed.com

scrubbedexpat091

I'll send a resume and see if anything happens....

Dorothy

I did that job for 20 years. While the Dr may say training provided it is a diploma course to call yourself an ophthalmic assistant and post grad for a technician. Definitely multitasking and definitely very customer focused.

scrubbedexpat091

Diploma and certificates are pretty much my hurdle.

Limited to no access to financial aid means no education in Canada, and without education or extensive experience, you get stuck in the 11-12/hr circle with no way out.

I'd have no issue paying for training if it were affordable, but will take a decade just to save the money needed, the cost of short term educational training is insane.


If only I were a single parent, disability will pay for single parents on disability to go for retraining, but they won't help the rest of us, we are on our own for the most part.

Dorothy

When I did my diploma it was 2 years at Centennial College in Toronto. Lots of science (physics and optics and anatomy) and on the job training. I still have the papers I wrote

Siouxie

It's still worth applying - nothing ventured, nothing gained!

scrubbedexpat091

Is this what they do?

Dispensing Opticianry - Douglas College


I can't find any training courses in BC using Ophthalmic Technician or assistant as key words.

Schools in Alberta as well as the one you mention in Toronto come up, but everything in BC that comes up is for dispensing optician....

Maybe BC does it differently?

This is what came up for Alberta

http://www.nait.ca/program_home_32109.htm