Counselling/Kids Help Phone

[chelly]

Hey everyone, I am currently enrolled at a postseconday school with a major in sociology and I want to end up working as a counsellor at kids help phone. I read the requirements which includes at least 3 -5 years experience in the service sector, and skills in managing paperwork, anaylzing statistics, and so on.

I am entering into my 3rd year in sociology, and I am quite worried as of now about the future. My marks are not that great and I need to start volunteering.
Does anyone want to share their experience in landing a carrer in the service sector field and would share any recommendations?

[Shwa Girl]

Re: "at least 3 -5 years experience in the service sector, and skills in managing paperwork, anaylzing statistics"

This is their ideal applicant - 3 to 5 years experience.

With your two years of social work education, you have already been handling paperwork. Have you taken statistics or analysed data when you wrote your assignments?

Do you have a job for the summer -- in what area? Depending on your job, you may be able to identify some characteristics of your job that are similar to the job description for the Kids Help Phone.

If you don't have a job, could you take an elective course this summer -- by distance education from your school or another school (with rolling enrollment dates)? This may help boost your grades.

Hopes this helps.

[Shwa Girl]

This jobs board may be helpful.
http://www.ohpe.ca/taxonomy/term/30
Social worker positions are sometimes posted. Check it weekly.

Since you are in the GTA, so you could look at your public health unit for jobs too.
There was a recent announcement from the Ministry of Child and Youth Services, that each public health unit may hire a social worker in the family health department, to work with the family health nurses in the community.

In the Ontario Family Health teams and community health centres, they hire at least one social worker. And, in the Community Care Access Centres, social workers are hired.

So, your job prospects looks promising!
You can PM me if you want more tips and tricks.

[chelly]

This jobs board may be helpful.
http://www.ohpe.ca/taxonomy/term/30
Social worker positions are sometimes posted. Check it weekly.

Since you are in the GTA, so you could look at your public health unit for jobs too.
There was a recent announcement from the Ministry of Child and Youth Services, that each public health unit may hire a social worker in the family health department, to work with the family health nurses in the community.

In the Ontario Family Health teams and community health centres, they hire at least one social worker. And, in the Community Care Access Centres, social workers are hired.

So, your job prospects looks promising!
You can PM me if you want more tips and tricks.

Thanks for the tips. However, I do not think I am qualified for those positions yet since I am still a student. I would assume most of these jobs require a completed BA/Masters Degree or Diploma in any of the social sciences. But once I do qualifiy, ( that being said I still need to look for a promising internship/volunteer position and work for a god 3 years before starting) I will take a look

[Shwa Girl]

Thanks for the tips. However, I do not think I am qualified for those positions yet since I am still a student. I would assume most of these jobs require a completed BA/Masters Degree or Diploma in any of the social sciences. But once I do qualifiy, ( that being said I still need to look for a promising internship/volunteer position and work for a god 3 years before starting) I will take a look

Yes, you COULD assume that. However, I see people who have just graduated with social work qualifications landing jobs, without experience.
It's how you "sell" yourself in the interview, how you explain what you have done in school and what you have learned and how these learnings can contribute to the workplace. I have seen it many, many times. Sometimes, it's also being in the right place, or having the right connection (knowing someone, who knows someone --- your network).