Marketing

Like to Help Others? Consider a Career in Business

What color is your parachute? This guide for job seekers is one of the most popular books for people looking to start or change their career. One of the main points of the guide is that people should figure out what they do best and what they enjoy doing (usually these are the same thing).

To help you out, we’ve identified five “types” – leader, outgoing, helping people, organized, and analytical – and the personal traits associated with them. The traits each type has lead towards different career paths.

business careers

In previous posts, I’ve talked about possible careers for people who are leaders and those who are outgoing. This post focuses on individuals who like to help people.

Often nursing, social worker, personal support worker, and therapist are some careers proposed to people who like to help others. However, there are many jobs within the world of business that deal with helping people, such as human resources, marketing, law, business administration and office administration.

Human resources professionals work with employees to help them achieve high levels of job satisfaction. They also can become specialized in health and safety or rewards and recognition.

In Algonquin’s one-year Graduate Certificate program in Human Resources Management or our three-year Advanced Diploma in Business Administration with a major in Human Resources Management qualified students can complete an unpaid work placement at the end of the program. Participating in this placement gives students practice and experience in real world organizations along with building their professional network.

Those who like to help can do well in a career in marketing. Marketers are sought out for their expertise and ability in helping companies improve their image or increase their sales. Marketers can make a tangible difference in helping business owners succeed.

As part of our one-year Certificate program in Marketing Management, students complete a field placement as consultants to develop a marketing plan and strategy for a Canadian or international organization. They gain real world experience and build connections with industry leaders.

Law is another area where individuals who enjoy helping others can achieve success. This field requires excellent interpersonal and human relations skills, and ability to be organized and detail-oriented.

Our two-year Ontario College Diploma program prepares graduates for employment as law clerks. Law clerks, who work under the general direction of a lawyer or paralegal, perform routine legal and administrative duties and also help lawyers and paralegals by conducting a variety of legal functions.

Qualified students can participate in a coop placement in the winter term of second year that allows them to gain valuable and practical experience in the field.

Algonquin’s program in Office Administration prepares students for a career in helping to make an office run smoothly or providing support for an executive. The program emphasizes the development of strong technical, communications and human relations skills. Students gain practical experience in the classroom through simulated office situations.

These are just a few examples of the many ways a people with a strong “helper” personality can find a career fit in the business world.

What field of business appeals to you? Share in the comments!

“Algonquin is More Than Learning – It’s Doing”, says Grad Alex Hosselet

Does post-secondary education train a person to make their mark on the world, or is there something deeper that qualifies someone as memorable?

Alex Hosselet Algonquin Business student“Everyone is capable of accomplishing great and impressive things, but a small minority push themselves hard enough to deliver that,” says Alex Hosselet, Algonquin alumni. “Algonquin College taught me that.”

A graduate of the Business-Marketing and Business-Management and Entrepreneurship programs, Hosselet began his career as the Algonquin campus program coordinator for Leave the Pack Behind, a campaign to help students quit smoking. At the same time he also served as web marketing assistant and events team lead for Algonquin Student’s Association.

After graduating he worked as a marketing coordinator for T-Base Communications; currently he is the Marketing Manager for Momentus, a digital marketing agency, and he is a member of the Algonquin College Alumni Advisory Committee.

Hosselet says he plans on being with Momentus for a very long time. “With my career secured, I’ve got time to participate in more community events – both networking and charity functions. I’d like to continue developing my local involvement in that regard,” he says. In ten years, he hopes to be known for his work in developing the Ottawa community.

“I see myself as being a crucial influencer in my agency and the Ottawa business scene,” Hosselet says.

It was as soon as during his first year of a three-year program when he began to feel like not merely a student, but a businessman. “You become what you say you are,” says Hosselet. “By putting yourself in situations that you might think are over your head, you learn, adapt and succeed.

“There are four people that were crucial in my development at Algonquin: Jeremy McQuigge, Wayne McIntyre, Phil Jones, and Bill Garbarino,” Hosselet says.

Jones, the coordinator for Business-Management and Entrepreneurship, according to Hosselet was the first person to really see his potential. Garbarino, the coordinator for Business—Marketing ‘ran him through the gauntlet,’ thus sharpening his skills, Hosselet says.

McQuigge, another graduate of SME and employee at Algonquin, offered his advice and friendship since Hosselet’s very first semester, and McIntyre, director of Student Support Services, gave Hosselet not only support but employment.

“My time in the business programs at Algonquin College gave me the skills, technique and practice to jump right into the career of my dreams,” says Hosselet. “Algonquin is more than learning – it’s doing.”

Author: Christine Kokic, Algonquin Journalism Alumni

5 Career Options for Outgoing People

Businesses in every industry, from hi-tech to retail, need staff with a variety of traits and strengths. Not everyone is suited for the same job. Plus, that would be pretty boring and wouldn’t be efficient.

We’ve identified five “types” and the personal traits associated with them. Each type of businessperson is ideally suited for different roles within the corporate world: leader, outgoing, helping people, organized, and analytical.

business careers

In a previous post, I talked about leadership traits and what types of careers are possible for leaders. Today I’m focusing on those with an outgoing personality.

Check out the list below; do many of these descriptions match you?

  • Naturally optimistic
  • Eager to meet and greet people
  • Proactive
  • Others-referenced
  • Feeling-oriented
  • People/process-oriented
  • Extroverted
  • Comfortable in groups
  • Self-confident
  • Enthusiastic
  • Gregarious
  • Friendly
  • Love crowds and events

If a large number of these traits resonate with you, you probably have an outgoing personality.

Outgoing people are suited for many types of jobs, including work in international business, management and entrepreneurship, human resources, marketing, and law.

Strong leadership skills and confidence are essential for running a successful business, whether as an entrepreneur or part of a senior management team. If you’ve considered owning a business or working for an SME, our diploma program in Management and Entrepreneurship helps set you on the right track.

If you like meeting and interacting with people perhaps a career in international business is for you. Often networking and strong interpersonal skills are essential for success in business abroad.

Human resources professionals work with all other business areas in organizations to help improve employee productivity to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Having good communication and interpersonal skills, the ability to adapt to organizational changes, and being motivated and proactive will assist you in a career in human resources.

Those who are outgoing are also very well suited for a career in marketing. Businesses looking to hire a marketer look for people who are self-motivated, have a pleasant personality, and have business acumen. Check out this article What Companies Want: The Seven Traits of an Ideal Marketer for more details.

Law is another area where outgoing individuals can really succeed. It requires excellent interpersonal and human relations skills, and ability to be organized and detail-oriented. You can pursue a unique and rewarding career as a Law Clerk or a Paralegal.

Based on your personality and interests, what program sounds most appealing to you? Share in the comments!

AC Biz School: Back Where I Started

Many years ago (I won’t say exactly how many) I was a student at the School of Business in the Business-Marketing program. I spent most of my waking hours in B Building, stressing over group work and exams, celebrating kick-ass presentations and papers, and developing life-long friendships. I loved my time at AC (or the Gonq as we affectionately called it) and I left armed with the knowledge, skills and experience to go out and pursue my dream career in Marketing.

After I graduated I decided to take advantage of the College’s transfer agreements and further my education at University. I’ll be honest – I went to Uni mostly because I thought I “should.” Out of my group of friends from Algonquin, some decided to go this route but many did not. Years later, we are all enjoying successful careers in Marketing. Depending on where you want to go in your career, a degree might help or might even be necessary, but the 83% employment rate of the School of Business grads speaks for itself. Our programs are designed to prepare you for career success.

When I graduated with my degree I was lucky enough to get a job in marketing right away. I was the Marketing Manager for a local distance-education career-training school. Being thrust into that role right out of school was a challenge but one that I welcomed. As I started to get my feet wet, I was amazed to see how much of what I learned at Algonquin came into play. All of the knowledge and applied learning the College gave me helped me do my job, and do it well.

I stayed in that role for three years until I had my daughter. (Isn’t she adorable?!)

Then I decided to step back from my career for a few years to focus on family. Sounds awesome right? Not entirely. While I loved being with my daughter, I really MISSED working. (I might be a wee bit crazy!) So I decided to launch a small online business on Etsy.com. I made and sold personalized picture frames.

My marketing and business background served me well in this little enterprise. It was only supposed to be a little pet project to keep my mind from going mushy but soon I found myself shipping out multiple orders every day, to customers all over the world. In two years I made and sold over 1500 frames. It was a fantastic experience and it gave me the challenge and sense of accomplishment I had been missing.

Then finally the time came for my daughter to go to school and for me to go back to work. I was so excited to see what the next phase of my career would be. One day while scrolling through a job posting website, I saw these words:

Marketing Officer, School of Business, Algonquin College

I wanted to yell “Oooh! Oooh! Pick me! Pick me!” How perfect would I be for this job? How perfect would this job be FOR ME? To be able to go back to Algonquin after all these years and help promote the School of Business – the School that gave me such an amazing education and start to my career – seemed like a dream. And luckily for me, the dream became a reality.

I am so thrilled to be working at the School of Business. Algonquin College is an amazing community and I feel very proud, and very lucky, to be back where I started.

What Type of Business Person are YOU?

Every organization needs talented business people to succeed. However, not all business people are created equal — or at least, not all business people can perform all jobs equally well! There are a variety of positions within business that favour specific skill sets.

We’ve identified five “types” and the personal traits associated with them. Each type of business person is ideally suited for different roles within the corporate world: leader, outgoing, helping people, organized, and analytical.

business careers

Let’s Take a Look at Leader

Do you usually find yourself in a position of leadership? Are people often looking to you to provide guidance? Do you enjoy leading a team of people?

Here are some traits a leader should possess:

  • Has integrity
  • Able to see peoples’ strengths and know how to use them
  • Is positive and encouraging
  • Good listener
  • Passionate

Of course, traits alone don’t guarantee success. Beyond these personal traits, there are specific skills to master in order to be an effective leader:

  • Communication – A leader must be able to communicate in a manner that gets people to work toward a common goal.
  • Motivation – A leader understands the team dynamic by knowing each person’s strengths and weaknesses and how to motivate them. A good leader will use each person in a position that makes the most of their strengths.
  • Planning – A leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He/she is able to view scenarios from a high level and not get too bogged down by the details.
  • Delegation – A great leader acknowledges that he/she can’t do everything and is be able to delegate effectively.

Check out Ben Yoskovitz’s blog for a list of more leadership skills.

Leaders are concerned with developing others to reach their potential, and use that potential to reach the corporate goal. Here is a great video that helps to explain what leaders focus on: top 10 differences between managers and leaders. Often, leadership traits are most easily recognized in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

SMEs are the fastest growing sector of the economy, internationally and locally. Strong leadership skills are essential for running a successful business, whether as an entrepreneur or part of a senior management team. If you’ve considered owning a business or working for an SME, check out our diploma program in Management and Entrepreneurship.

If you’ve given thought to a career in international business, our graduates find employment opportunities in a wide range of international fields including government, banking, financial services, industry, logistics, supply chain management, marketing, sales, and management consulting.