Helping employees achieve career dreams

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Sonia_Stephanie.jpg” caption=”Sonia Hawrylyshyn, left, and Stephanie Cherwinski in Hawrylyshyn’s office. Photo credit: Chantall Van Raay”]Large glass windows make up the north wall of Sonia Hawrylyshyn's office. From it, she can see the flow of McMaster employees coming to work each day.

Hawrylyshyn knows many of these employees have career aspirations. Since starting in her position a couple of months ago, she has been exploring ways to help them achieve their dreams.

As manager of McMaster's new Employee Career Services, Hawrylyshyn encourages employees to look beyond the tasks of their jobs and reflect on the marketability of their skills within the McMaster community.

“This new service is going to help employees develop their career aspirations, and reach their goals,” she says. “Whether it is through individual or group counseling, or by self-help on our Web site, we're here to help employees gain confidence in newly acquired skills and facilitate their career development.”

Offered through Career Services, the service launches today with a Web site, located at http://employeecareers.mcmaster.ca/. The service also will present workshops, Web and print publications and individual and group counseling sessions.

Three workshops with repeats are planned for December to focus on strategies on managing ones career; preparing resumes and interview processes. Visit the Web site to learn more about these sessions.

Individual counseling sessions can be scheduled with Hawrylyshyn. To book an appointment call ext. 26545 or e-mail success@mcmaster.ca.

Most services will be offered on the main campus, during regular business hours; however some evenings and off site services will also be available.

Hawrylyshyn is a strong advocate of promoting from within and the new career services initiative is one way to achieve this, she says. “The workplace itself is shifting and everyone of us is empowered to manage our own career in order to achieve satisfaction, growth and development. This service will help create a climate that people will want to stay in — whether it is a lateral move or a new challenge. Employees are seeking out organizations that promote career development and we want to create a global image of an employer of choice.”

Jason Cole, senior manager of Human Resources Services' Organization Performance, agrees. “The most successful organizations promote from within,” he says. “The competition for talent is fierce, and in order to continue to attract good people to the University and keep them here, we need to offer services like this.”

Based on feedback received from a needs assessment survey conducted last year, Lisa Boniface, manager of Career Services, anticipates there will be a strong demand for the service. In total, 864 people responded to the survey  a 31.7 per cent response rate  and of these, 94.2 per cent support a career services program. “The results from that survey were amazingly strong,” she says.

Stephanie Cherwinski, chair of the Working at McMaster/Career Planning & Development steering committee says: “The launch of this new initiative is exciting and will provide employees with the necessary tools to assist them in realizing their potential, furthering their career goals and personal excellence. I would like to congratulate all who have been involved in bringing this project to fruition.”