Good afternoon and welcome to the new Work Life newsletter.
I’m Déjà Leonard and every Monday afternoon I’ll give you the scoop on the most important trends affecting your work life and provide expert-backed solutions to some of your biggest challenges. Whether you’re an individual who’s eager to level-up or a leader who wants an inside look at how other companies are navigating a postpandemic world, you won’t want to miss Work Life.
Déjà Leonard hiking in the Purcell Mountains.Déjà Leonard/The Globe and Mail
Last week I did something scary. I climbed the longest and highest via ferrata (a protected and assisted climbing route) in North America on Mount Nimbus in British Columbia.
From climbing steep rock faces to walking across wobbly, 600-metre-high suspension bridges, there were times when making the next move or taking the next step had my heart racing. I was scared I wasn’t skilled enough or might fall.
During my trip I connected with Amélie Goulet-Boucher, a guide with heli-skiing and summer adventure company CMH, who also took a big leap about five years ago when she left her marketing career and started working as a hiking and skiing guide.
“I feel very proud [of making the move], even though I still have imposter syndrome,” she says.
CMH guide Amélie Goulet-Boucher on the trail.Supplied
Déjà Leonard crosses the longest suspension bridge on the Mount Nimbus via ferrata in The Purcell Mountains, Southeastern B.C.Déjà Leonard/The Globe and Mail
Half of Canadians say they have started looking or plan to start looking for a new job in the second half of 2024, according to a recent study by recruitment firm Robert Half. That is the highest point in the last three years.
So we asked Ms. Goulet-Boucher, someone who has made a big leap in the past and who is used to helping others, to share some advice.
She told me that it’s important to understand your motivations for switching jobs and use that as a compass.
“For me, staying in a job that makes a lot of money, but that I don’t have a passion for, was never going to cut it,” she says.
Like many workers today, she was looking for more purpose. While the Robert Half data shows that the No. 1 factor driving people to seek a new job is a higher salary, the next two top factors are better perks and more flexibility.
Déjà Leonard and other hikers on the Conrad Glacier via ferrata.Déjà Leonard/The Globe and Mail
Ms. Goulet-Boucher said the reality of a different job can be different than the perception and that it can be easy to see a potential career shift through rose-coloured glasses.
While exciting, she says it’s best to talk to people who are in the line of work, or at the company you’re trying to switch to, so you can get a realistic view on what’s to come.
“There’s a lot of little aspects that you probably don’t think of when you want to consider a new profession,” she says.
As a guide, Ms. Goulet-Boucher is doing much more than scaling mountain sides, skiing fresh powder or relaxing in the lodge – she’s also interacting with guests, picking up garbage and fitting people in equipment.
While some of those parts are less than glamorous, she isn’t going back.
“If you want to do a career switch, you should do it. Life is too long to stay in the same career if you hate it,” she says.
Fast fact
Quit it with the swag, already!
Globally, employers spend an estimated $242-billion a year on corporate gifting.
The problem is that a ton of it ends up in landfills. So, why do companies that claim to care about the environment keep buying these mostly-plastic giveaways? And, why can’t we say “no” to a free water bottle when we know we won’t use it?
Career guidance
So, you just found out you’re underpaid
Don’t: When negotiating your salary, don’t compare yourself to your peers, even if you know they are doing the same work for more pay.
Do: Focus on how you’re adding value and do your internal and industry-related salary research ahead of time, advises Permpreet Soomal, chief people officer at Capital One Canada.
Quoted
Looking busy
“The more time that employees have to spend being performatively busy, the less likely they’re doing things that are actually translating to outcomes.” – John Trougakos, professor at Rotman School of Management
Whether hybrid, remote or in-person, most workers are employing some interesting tactics, like walking around to show face or keeping their chat status online all the time, to appear present and busy at work. Ultimately, it’s making it harder for them to actually get their work done.
On our radar
Step into the lab
What? Some Canadian employers are offering genetics testing through third-party labs as a part of their benefits packages.
Why? It can lead to more accurate prescribing, faster treatment and reduced health care costs for companies.
But wait. It could introduce inequities if it’s offered through companies and not public health care plans, and there are concerns around who can access data from the results.