GUEST PROFILES SECTION

A special section of The Learning Clinic devoted to profiles of people living and working or attending post-secondary school in the City of Greater Sudbury

Beginning in January 2010, I will be posting profiles of people who are living or who have lived in the City of Greater Sudbury who are willing to share the story of their personal journey through secondary and post-secondary school years. 

In addition, I will be posting information about the careers that people are currently working in or that they once worked in. The stories that they share will help give students a better understanding of careers that they may be interested in pursuing after they graduate. The profiles will also help parents become better career coaches for their children.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WITH THE LEARNING CLINIC...

Simply email whatever you can tell us about your education and/or career journey. Tell us what it was that you enjoyed as well as what you did not enjoy. Give us some real insight into what your career is all about. Our readers want to hear what you have to say. They can get packaged job descriptions off numerous web sites and from plenty of books, but what they want to hear is the real truth about your career.

When you are writing your profile, include some of the suggestions you would give to young people interested in following your footsteps. Give them some strategies that will help them become more successful in achieving their goals and objectives. Also, tell us about the skills that will be most important to develop and work on as students prepare for your particular career.

SEND YOUR PROFILE TO THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS:

rkirwan@thelearningclinic.ca 

PAYROLL AND BILLING SUPERVISOR
by Jeannine Bolger

I am a Payroll and Billing Supervisor for Bayshore Home Health and absolutely love my job!

I was working a previous job, got laid off, and went to Toronto School of Business (now Everest College ) and took the Payroll Supervisor course and worked very hard to get top honours.  In the last week of my job preparation I heard about an open house being held for Bayshore (a new company in Sudbury at the time) and attended.  

I was hired the following week...that was February 2003 and have since been made the System's Administrator (computer guru) and been promoted a few times. I was originally hired as a Client Service Coordinator because they had already hired someone for the payroll position (a peer from TSB). But they were impressed enough with me to find a job for me.  

As Bayshore grew they expanded and I became an office assistant and then the payroll department needed an additional body. I was promoted to a payroll clerk and then 5 years ago promoted to Payroll Supervisor, and this month our department has expanded again and will now be overseeing the Sault Ste Marie and Timmins payroll and billing operations of which I am the supervisor.

I never in a million years thought I would be where I am today!  Education, hard work and dedication pay off, and with a company like Bayshore....I have no desire to go anywhere else!

As for my job summary, the Payroll Supervisor, under the direction of the National Payroll and Benefits Manager, supervises the day-to-day payroll activities required by Bayshore Home Health. You can go to the following link for a much more detailed explanation of all of my duties and responsibilities, but basically I supervise all other employees who look after payroll and benefit related tasks. I am responsible for reporting directly to the National Payroll and Benefits Manager. The Payroll Supervisor also liaises with Human Resources – National and Branch.

In order to become a Payroll Supervisor, you need a minimum Secondary School Diploma and completion of the level III CPA Payroll Management Program. After that you are expected to continue to enroll in payroll/human resources programs to keep up with new trends.

To become a Payroll Supervisor, you need about six years of related payroll experience with at least two years in a supervisory role; strong working knowledge of the Windows, Excel, and the ACCPAC payroll module, or similar. Familiarity with Provincial and Federal Legislation. Experience in implementation and maintenance of payroll systems.

You also need to have exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team; ability to meet deadlines; strong commitment to continued learning; attention to detail; ability to take leadership in special projects. Minimum 30 w.p.m. typing speed required.

The Payroll Supervisor must demonstrate ongoing competency in completing all duties and responsibilities of this job description, in response to changes by the regulating body, as well as agreed upon specific goals and objectives.  

For a more comprehensive profile go to >>>>>>

PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

The benefits of being a Public Accountant include:

• Variety:  you work on different clients / engagements / industry from one week to the next
   
•  Flexibility: although there are set hours that you are required to work, most firms can be flexible in terms of arrival times and leaving times as long as you work your set hours.
   
•  Teambuilding: you work with different teams on each engagement which allows you to get to know the various members of the office.

The biggest challenges of being a public accountant include travel and overtime.  Depending on the location of your clients, you may be required to be out of town for several weeks during the year.  Most firms are very good at ensuring that you would not be out of town for several weeks in a row and that the travel is shared amongst the other staff members.

The key skills to possess in order to be a Chartered Accountant include:

·         accuracy

·         a general understanding of business

·         strong written and verbal skills

·         team-working skills

·         tact and discretion

·         professionalism

·         problem solving skills

·         numeracy

·         leadership and self management

·         personal motivation and commitment

The various public accounting firms do recruiting at the University every fall.  All job postings are posted on the firm’s website and all positions must be applied for online.  Some firms also offer a member referral program so it would be helpful for you to network to get to know other public accountants. 

Engineering Project Manager for Bell
by Curt Beggs – Graduate of Laurentian University

FISHING & HUNTING GUIDE
Self-Employed

I am self-employed in the tourism industry as a fishing and hunting guide.  An appreciation and respect for our natural resources is a pre-requisite.  Although I always enjoyed the outdoors as a hobby, making a living out of it is both hard work and requires good people skills.  I am obviously a successful angler and hunter but to teach, guide and pass on these skills to novices can be a challenge.  I must deal with different personalities and have lots of patience.  I also am faced with ever-changing conditions such as cold fronts, heat spells and other factors that shut down wildlife and can also lead to dangerous outings as well.

Attention to detail will help ensure a successful outing and make sure we all return safe and sound.  In spite all of the frustrations that can arise, the excitement of a child's first fish or helping to encourage a father and son annual tradition is priceless. It is the ideal job for someone who truly cares about our heritage and who likes to pass on their experiences and knowledge.  

Claudio Rocca
Fish and Game Getaways
http://www.fishandgamegetaways.ca   
(705) 929-FISH