Unit Two- Career Choices

5. Lesson Five: Types of Employment

• that there are many different kinds of employment available
• that there are benefits and costs to different kinds of employment
• how the career planning process can be useful throughout life
• how to use the career planning process
• that certain skills can be used in many occupations
• why it is important to plan ahead
• how to create a career plan

• there are many types of employment available
• there are benefits and costs to different kinds of employment
• self-employment can be a positive choice for some people

The Work Alternatives

There is nothing new about the work alternatives described in this section except that they are becoming increasingly common. You will likely recognize the descriptions that follow only some of the labels may he unfamiliar. As you read the descriptions, notice that they are described in order of the amount of risk involved in taking them on. Full employment is least risky entrepreneurship is most risky.

Full-time employment is defined as work for a single employer done to a job description for more than 30 hours a week. Usually, full-time employment conies with an expectation of permanence (see contracting when permanence is not expected). In Canada, employers are required to make Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance contributions for full-time employees. Full-time employment gives people a feeling of security and predictability.

Part-Time Employment

Part-time work involves working less than 30 hours per week within a specific job for a single employer. As with full-time employment, part-time employment often carries with it the assumption of permanence or durability. People who want part-time positions usually have other non-work interests (e.g., children, hobbies, school) that are important to them.

Multi-Tracking

Multi-tracking occurs when an individual holds more than one job at one time. These jobs can be full- time and/or part-time. A full-time factory worker who moonlights by working some evening shifts at a restaurant is a multi-tracker. So is a person who holds a part-time position at a clothing store and a part-time position at a gas station. Multi-tracking allows people to pursue a variety of interests.

Job Sharing

Individuals are job sharing when two or more of them work within a single job description. Usually, a full-time position is shared by two or more people; when one goes home, the other takes over. Job sharing is attractive to those who want some predictability hut who do not want to work full-time.

Work Sharing

Work sharing is like job sharing with the exception that a function rather than a position is shared. Two or more people agree to get certain tasks done for an employer in a work sharing arrangement. For example, an employer may require an after-sales service system to make sure customers are happy with the products the have purchased. The employer could create positions to do this (e.g., Service Manager, Service Specialist, Quality Inspector), or the employer could have a team of people responsible for making sure that after-sales service takes place. The latter option involves work sharing. Work sharing is chosen by these who want diversity and flexibility in their work.

Talent Pooling

Individuals within a talent pool commit to each other to find work for members of the pool. Typically, informal arrangements among a group of people with common interests result in a talent pool. A group of people get together and agree to he each others’ marketer and referral source. For example, consider six people who have lost their oil patch work. Each person has different talents. These six people could form a talent pool in which all of them would seek work for their specific talents and for the talents of others in the pool. People choose talent pools in order to broaden their ability to find meaningful work. Also, talent pools allow individuals to say yes” to work for which they (10 not have the competence, hut for which one of the members of the pool does.

Agent

Agents are well known in the world of movie stars and athletes. They will become better known in other areas of work in the near future. Agents (sometimes called brokers) represent other people’s talents or products. They earn their income by taking a fee for linking people with talent to work that needs to he (lone. People choose to he agents when they enjoy selling and value the use of people’s talent.

Contracting

Contract employees are those who work for a pre set time period. Usually working full-time, these employees move from one contract to the next. The major challenge they face is to avoid having long gaps between contracts. Contracting usually comes with no benefits (e.g., dental, employment insurance), so contractors have to look after their own benefits. Contracting is an option for individuals who have confidence in their abilities and like a variety of work for different organizations or in different settings.

Consulting

Consultants work on a number of projects simultaneously. They are like a multi-tracking contractor. Consultants usually work on a number of time-specific and outcome-specific projects, often for a number of different clients, at the same time. For example, a carpenter who is renovating a basement for one customer, installing kitchen cupboards for another and repairing a fence for another is consulting. Consulting allows for a great deal of variety in one’s work life.

Self-Employment

People who develop, market and deliver a service or product are self-employed, if they do not employ others (when they also employ others, they become entrepreneurs). Many of the increasing numbers of home-based businesses are examples of self employment. The potter who produces and sells work from his or her home is self-employed. Self employment is a favored option for people who want to he independent and to he “their own boss.”

Entrepreneurship

An entrepreneur is a self-employed individual who also employs others. The potter whose operation becomes so large that additional people are needed becomes an entrepreneur as soon as someone else is hired to help out. A person who buys a franchise operation is also an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the most risky work alternative because commitments are made to others as well as to oneself. Also, entrepreneurs often invest significant amounts of money to get their operations started, However, entrepreneurs probably have the greatest potential to make money and to control their own destinies.

Five stories of people adjusting to working at all hours

Who are shift workers?
They’re actors, air traffic controllers, pilots, flight attendants, radio personalities, bus drivers, cab drivers, Industrial cleaners and maintenance personnel, grocery clerks, restaurant workers, fire fighters, police officers, nurses—all kinds of indispensable people who work while the rest of us play, travel, go out for the evening and, yes, try to sleep.

They represent more than 20 per cent of our workers, and many people who would once have turned down this topsyturvy
life are living it because they have no choice. How do they cope with the rigorous demands of lives that are often upside down, and in which sleep needs are often much harder to fill than the sleep needs of other workers?

We talked to five shift workers to get an insight into the lives of people we all too often take for granted.

(1) Name: Tamara Stanners
Job: Cohost
of a morning show
Hours: On air 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday through Friday, plus prep tune, recording time and special appearances.
Schedule: up at 3 a.m. to breastfeed eight month old, nap for a half hour; up at 4am. to get to the station before start of show at 5 and Eat fruit snacks and drink a big cup of coffee, the only one all day, “but l really need that one!” At 9 am at shows close “we’re so ‘up’ and psyched! The show takes a tremendous amount of energy, and I feel so perky and then I just crash.” Home for a quick break, nap by 11a.m. and then spend time with the family, and watch TV to prep for next day’s show. In bed by 10:30 or 11:00 p.m.
Comments: “When I started this two years ago, I thought I’d matured enough to get up early and get through the day OK.
“Wrong! At first it was awful! 1 kept getting sick—my daughter was in day care, so we passed every disease available back and forth. Now, my second child never seems to sleep!” Stanners
says she gets “a maximum four hours of sleep at any given time.
“It’s a problem, but I get a job 1 re ally enjoy and also I get to be with my family. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I can be mom, we always do dinner together, and I give the kids their
baths and get them to bed and then I collapse.”
Sleep tips: “I meditate, do deep breathing and relaxation. Meantime, I just figure sleep is something I’ll get to do in 20 years.”

(2) Name: Kristen Griswold
Job: Surgical pediatric nurse at 5.C. Children’s Hospital.
Hours: As a “casual” employee, most of Griswold’s 12hour
shifts are callIns.
This means they can call her anywhere anytime and she could work three 12hour days in a row, take 24 hours off
and return to four 12hour shifts.
Schedule: unpredictable. “Sometimes’ I’ll work two night shifts, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., sleep for a day, and then start a day shift at 7 a.m. I sleep, go for a run or work out at the gym, go back to bed in the afternoon then it’s time to work again.”
Comments: “It’s hard to make plans and have a social life, but everyone’s very understanding.
“It’s hectic— but it does give you quite a bit of flexibility. You get days off during the week, and it does add some excitement and interest to things. I don’t mind the compromises. It all balances
out.” Most annoying moment? “If they page me while I’m skiing.”
Sleep tips: After work, make sure you unwind before you t to sleep. And before, “do something light, fun and relaxing, not high energy.”

(3) Name: Chris Lewis
Job: Millwright welder
Hours: 11:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday
Schedule: Lewis has worked lots of shifts, but says three solid years of graveyard were the hardest: After work, he’d get home by 7 or 8 a.m., have breakfast, and sleep until 3 or 4: get up at
that time you always feel as if you have a mild hangover.” Free time from 4 to 10:30 p.m. Back to work by 11:3O p.m.
Comments: “It’s a dark life. Especially In the winter, you never see the sun at all.
“The weekends were my only ‘day’ life. I’d stay up after work Saturday and keep going, or nap and get up later. I’d have Sunday, but after Monday chores I’d need a power nap to have free time and then go to work again.
“You can’t socialize during the week.
“I’ve lost some friends, and some times felt like a hermit My girlfriends been great though, she’s been a pillar.
Sleep Tips: Find something that feels psychologically healthy and gives you a real escape. Lewis says, just hopping on his Harley and going for a ride would “bring me back to reality.”

(4) Name: Vivianne St. Piarre
Job: Alarm monitor at Chubb Security.
Hours: Day shifts 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., afternoons 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., grave yards 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Schedule: Day shifts are early so you avoid rush hour traffic, and have free time later. On afternoons St. Piarre sleeps until everyone with a regular day shift is at work, and on graveyard
she has breakfast around 2 or 3 p.m., when her “day” starts.
Comments: “On evening and grave yard shifts, you can pretty. well say goodbye to your personal life. I work out, and do some work as a personal trainer— it keeps you focused and energized.
“This kind of work can be draining. Your eating and sleeping patterns change completely. Also, it’s a highstress
job where you have to be on the ball. Often you’re dealing with people’s lives.
“(Shift work) is difficult. Time be comes very precious. If you have a relationship, plan every moment, be structured and detailed, and be more selfish about your time and life.”
Sleep tips: “I have blackout blinds, lake vitamins and do relaxation and breath log, if you take time for yourself every thing else just falls into place.”

(5) Name: Const. Chris Campbell
Job: Beat officer with Vancouver Police Department, riding bicycles.
Hours: Shifts are 11 hours each: Days start at 7 a.m.; afternoons at 2 p.m.; late afternoons at 4p.m. (5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays) and nights 7p.m. Shifts in four days on, four days off.
Schedule: On a late afternoon shift, Campbell will get off work at 3 a.m., sleep in until 10:30 or 11:30 a.m., and have free time until 3 p.m. to prep for the 4 p.m. shift. Often his wife will take their
eight month old daughter out in the morning to let him sleep. “But sometimes I have to get up no matter what.”
Comments: “It’s tough to keep con tact with friends, and tough to do social things, but the advantage is you get to spend more time at home.
“For me, moving from nights to day is the hardest. On evenings and nights, you come home anytime between 2:30 to 6:30 a.m., but that’s when you have to wake up for day shift. You can
feel like a zombie.”
What keeps him going? “Coffee that’s the only thing. Also, talking to your partner. You can stay busier than if you are on your own.”
Sleep tips: keep the phone, answering machine and pager in another room. Also, family cooperation really helps.

You’re not alone. More and more people are considering self-employment as a work option.
In fact, self-employed people are now creating more jobs in Canada than companies in the private sector.
Many of them left steady jobs to strike out on their own. What’s more, the majority are finding they are happier working for themselves.
One major reason for this trend toward self-employment is the changing workplace. As governments and corporations downsize, secure, full-time employment is becoming a thing of the past. There’s still plenty of work that needs doing, but it’s being packaged in different ways. Instead of hiring employees, governments are privatizing and contracting out a wide array of services. Contracting out, or outsourcing, is also becoming a favored way for companies in the private sector to do business.
If you can see opportunity in this situation, you’re already ahead of the game. What’s more, you probably have some entrepreneurial blood in your veins. Many people are starting businesses in order to bid on the increasing amount of work that is contracted out. In some cases they are bidding on the very work they used to perform as employees.
Of course, there are reasons other than economic ones to go into business for yourself. Maybe you’ve taken an early retirement and can’t imagine a life of total leisure.

What next? More than one successful business has been started by retirees with get-up-and-go to spare. You may also be looking for a home-based business to supplement your pension benefits.
Perhaps you’re at the front end of your working life and considering your options. Faced with a shrinking job market, you might well consider creating your own job. If so, you are likely to find plenty of encouragement. Governments at all levels are recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship in job creation. As a result, they are working with the business community to offer all sorts of programs to encourage young entrepreneurs — from Junior Achievement, and Career and Technology Studies, to “incubator” services that reduce overhead by pooling space, equipment and secretarial services.

Last, and most obvious of all, you might be one of those people who knew from your first lemonade stand you were going to be your own boss. As one successful young entrepreneur put it: “I like to run the show.”

What does it mean to be an entrepreneur? As it is commonly used, the word entrepreneur refers to someone who organizes, manages and assumes the risk to start a business or enterprise that ultimately creates jobs for others. This type of entrepreneur usually invests a high level of time, energy and financial resources to succeed in business. At the other end of the scale are people who choose self- employment in order to get out of the “rat race” and are content to make just enough money from self-employed earnings to support themselves. Throughout most of this booklet, we use entrepreneur to refer to anyone who is self-employed no matter where they fall on this scale.
Self-Employment: Aaah, This Is The Life, or Aaaugh, Is This Living?
Like any other career or lifestyle choice, self-employment has its bonuses and challenges. Here are some important factors to consider when deciding whether to go out on your own. Not all of them apply to all types of businesses. Not all of them are equally important to all potential entrepreneurs. Decide for yourself how important each one is to you.

Bonuses
• Satisfaction of creating your own job. Many self-employed people enjoy the sense of independence and accomplishment that comes from using their skills and experience to create their own work rather than depend on an employer for a job.
• Opportunity to follow your heart. Self-Employment offers the chance to work at something that not only provides a paycheque but also appeals to your passion. As your own boss you have the freedom to determine where to invest your time and energy
• Variety. No day is predictable. There are always new customers, clients and suppliers to meet, new problems to solve, and new projects to tackle.
• Feeling of control. Being self-employed gives you control over your schedule, working conditions, and how you do your work.
• Opportunity to use your creativity. Many entrepreneurs say they felt confined and their creativity thwarted in a corporate or government environment. Being your own boss lets you test your bright ideas and fulfill your passion for creativity,
• More tax deductions. Self-employed people are entitled to tax deductions on a wide range of things such as a car, home office, travel, professional development, and other items related to their business.
• Flexible work hours. If you want to spend time in your garden in summer or catch a child’s performance at school, you may be able to juggle your schedule to do so. And if you make up for it on evenings and weekends, it will be by your own choice.
• No dress code. Every day can be “casual Friday,” when you’re calling the shots. Home-based business operators, in particular, can enjoy dressing for comfort on days without meetings with customers or clients.
• Opportunity for a healthier lifestyle. Working at a home-based business can pay health dividends, according to a recent survey by Income Opportunities magazine. Among people who work at home, 45 per cent say they exercise more often than they did when they were employees.

Challenges
• Long hours. Anyone who goes into business thinking it will be easy street compared to being an employee will not last long. Self-employed people often talk of 12 to 16-hour days as the norm. Clients and customers can be demanding, and customer service can make the difference between success and failure.
• No benefits. A downside of self-employment is the loss of benefits such as health, dental employment and disability insurance. If you are used to having a benefits package as part of your employment, you can generally count on paying about 15 per cent of your former salary to replace those benefits when you become self-employed.
• Loss of structure. Being your own boss can be unsettling if you’re used to having an employer imposes a certain structure on your work day. There’s no “time clock” to punch, no set coffee breaks. It’s up to you to create your own structure, based on what’s needed to market yourself and your product or service and to get the work done.
• Isolation. As a self-employed person, you could miss the support of co-workers or the opportunity to socialize on coffee breaks, especially if you work from home.
• Paperwork. When you run your own business, you’re not only the president and marketing manager, but also the comptroller and bookkeeper. Of course, you can hire an accountant to help you set up your books and do your taxes. But you will still have to spend many hours doing the paperwork and record-keeping required.
• Unpredictable income. Until you get a new business off the ground and running smoothly, budgeting is vital. Even if you’ve done your homework and prepared a thoroughly researched business plan, your income won’t be as predictable as a regular pay cheque. Some new business owners take part-time or even full-time jobs during the first year or two to keep a steady income until the business takes off.
• Constant pressure to keep sales up or work coming in. Every day is a marketing day or a work search day for the self-employed. If you have employees, the pressure is even greater to bring in enough work to keep them busy and pay their salaries.
• Potential for loss. Starting any kind of business requires some financial investment at the outset. Even equipping a modest home office to perform a professional service such as accounting requires a minimum investment in such essentials as furniture, a computer, software, business telephone line, copier and fax machine. The capital required to start a restaurant or manufacturing operation can be substantial. Should your business fail, this investment may never be recovered.

What Motivates Entrepreneurs?
Most people who start businesses have worked as employees for other organizations first. Why would they give up their jobs to be self-employed? The following are some of the main reasons people give for starting their own enterprises:
• They feel they can do the job better than their boss.
• They seek the challenge of starting and nurturing a business from scratch.
• They seek variety and a sense of adventure.
• They want to make better use of their skills and knowledge.
• They want the freedom to work in their own way.
• They would get more of a sense of accomplishment from running a business.
• They prefer to reap all the profits from their work.
• They want to have more control over their career and their life.
• They want to recapture the feeling of working at something close to their heart.

Notice that money is not prominent on this list. For most successful business people, the prime motivation is personal fulfillment. Of course, money is important to them, but only as a means to do more with their businesses and their lives, not simply to acquire wealth and prestige.

In fact, anyone who goes into business for the money alone may be in for a rude awakening. Are you prepared to work longer hours and receive less pay than you did as an employee? That’s the kind of dedication it takes to get a new business up and running. But the rewards in terms of work satisfaction can be great. According to a 1996 Angus Reid-Royal Bank poll, 55 per cent of sell-employed people in the study reported they were very satisfied with their work, compared to 44 per cent of people who were full-time employees. Also, 77 per cent said their job satisfaction improved after they started their own business and almost as many said they were better off working for themselves.

Here is a fabulous website to explore on related topics:

http://www.careerccc.org/products/cp_00/home_e.cfm?yearid=7&sectionid=3&art_number=15