Yet, there is something about people working hard for free that makes me uncomfortable and I haven’t been unaware of the controversy surrounding unpaid internships. The Globe & Mail  did a story that exposes both its benefits and drawbacks and Intern Nation: How to Earn and Learn Little in the Brave New Economy  describes itself as “the first no-holds-barred exposé of the exploitative and divisive world of internships.”

The intern relationship has to be a value proposition on both ends for it to really work. For me, the importance of an intern is the value of their freshness and intellect that youth and recent education bring to the table. The value for them is our life and business experience and providing a soft cushion for them to land if they wander too far off course.

Giving an intern all the ‘joe’ jobs doesn’t work for me and I don’t think it actually benefits our organization. Inviting them to participate in our planning and creative meetings is as important as ensuring that along with the regular boring admin tasks, they also have the opportunity to work on projects that benefit us as an organization and allows them to use their creativity and brains.

Of course, finding the right person is key along with the time commitment they’re prepared to make. Through experience we’ve learned that anything less than 3 days per week doesn’t work -  and 5 can occassionally be daunting in terms of filling up their time meaningfully. Typically we look for someone who first of all can fit into the culture of our team (fun, a little unstructured at times, can run with projects, is good with dealing with the more routine tasks, can multi-task wildly). As a result of this ‘program’ I’ve developed great professional and personal friendships and as an organization we have actually hired 4 interns full time.

Jobs are hard enough to find at all right now, never mind stimulating jobs in your field paying a decent salary. Don’t be fooled by stats showing BC unemployment hanging steady – increasingly,  good, full time jobs are simply being replaced by low wage part time positions. The good jobs that remain are in high demand for people with a lot more experience than you. That means for a lot of soon-to-be and recent graduates, it’s back to serving and cashier jobs.

It kind of makes you wonder why you just spent at least four years (probably more) and a fortune to get a fancy degree that seems to buy you little more than a piece of paper to hang on the wall. At least it did for me. Eventually though, after a lot of searching (about 18 months) I was given a solid opportunity – to work for free. For two months I worked very hard to prove myself as indispensable. And then I got the job you ask? No. But I did get a three month temporary contract to continue to prove myself as indispensable. THEN did I get the job? Yes, yes I did. With health benefits and everything!

The first lesson here today, kids, is that unpaid internships are a godsend. Employers are always looking to save some money and they will often take a chance on you if you’ll do the job for free. It may not always lead to a permanent position, but it will give you the vital experience needed to compete with other well qualified candidates.

Now believe it or not, even unpaid internships can be hard to come by, and yes, even they often require some experience. The reasons are simple: there is a ton of demand, and employers – who are not interested in babysitting you – have the luxury of choosing professionals with proven competency. I neglected to mention that even I had a good two years of significant professional work experience before I was given the aforementioned internship opportunity. That’s thanks to my participation in a university Co-op program, which brings me to lesson 2: take advantage of youth development programs.

It’s one of the most common complaints I hear from recent grads, and one I have made myself numerous times: how am I supposed to gain experience in my field if even entry level jobs require experience? The answer is through volunteering, Co-op programs, and association with business organizations like the Burnaby Board of Trade. In regards to the latter, business associations often have youth development programs designed to help students transition into the business community. These programs can be invaluable for building confidence, making connections in your field or industry, as well as fine tuning those job hunting skills.

The BBOT is launching its very own youth development program this spring with first enrollment expected in the fall. If you’re a third or fourth year student looking to bolster your resume, or if you know one, keep your eyes open for more information on all BBOT communication channels in the coming weeks.

Last year we were all relatively new at the BBOT so a lot of our focus was just keeping things moving. But to get better at serving our members, we need to stop, assess, listen, plan and execute. As most of us who work in small organizations know, pausing, planning and executing on a plan is much easier said than done. As soon as things get busy (which is pretty much right away) it’s easy to lose sight of your goals.

So to get the year off to a good start I will:

• Create a marketing and communications plan that on execution provides consistent value to our members.
•  Give direction to the building of a new BBOT website that does the above.
• Ensure that we’re engaging with our members in the right way  in each of our communication channels (e-newsletter, the Voice of Burnaby) as well as our social media channels.
•  continue to build on internal reporting as much as external – it doesn’t count if nobody knows you’re doing it!

Cutting through every day demands will be the enemy of my big picture planning but I’m excited to start the New Year in a positive way and I believe in the end, the ‘pause, listen, plan and execute’ strategy will take us a long way in helping us becoming a better customer-focused organization.

Would love to hear what your own strategies and benchmarks are for the New Year and better yet – how can we better serve you – in terms of marketing and communications.

It can be a serious challenge, and as someone who leaves his shopping and planning until the last possible moment, I can relate. At this very moment I’m trying to write a blog post while simultaneously witnessing a lengthy – and  occasionally heated – email string develop between my wife and my mother (who are arguing and debating about when we’ll be over to open presents and drink eggnog – isn’t it nice to be wanted?). I’m also trying to figure out when I’m going to catch up on committee meeting minutes and over-due marketing collateral while pondering how I’m going to do all my shopping on my Wednesday lunch break.

Interestingly however, I’ve noticed over the last week or so my phone isn’t ringing too much and my (work) email inbox is relatively empty. It seems I’m not the only one having trouble focusing. It also occurs to me though, that rather than seeing other peoples’ inefficiency as a saving grace for my own distraction, I should see it as an opportunity. How often do workplace distractions quiet down to a gentle buzz? Rarely. The last week before Christmas might actually be the best possible time for optimum productivity. No one bothers you. It’s just you and the large to-do list you’ve been meaning to get to all year long. So step up and get to it!

And for all of you requiring some tips on how to be more productive, here’s a short article that might help. Come on – read it now, and you can procrastinate for five more minutes!

From the Burnaby Board of Trade, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! See, I said both. No one’s offended

But even now, my phone bill is only $10 per month (+ tax) and it serves all my needs. It makes me seriously wonder how much more value anyone could possibly be getting out of a $200-$400 “smart” phone.  And at the rate these things become obsolete, should companies really not just be giving them to you in exchange for the additional $100 per month payment you’re already making just for the privilege of using it?

“Ah but!” you’ll say. “The phone is not just a phone, it’s also a computer that lets me shop online, check facebook and follow Charlie Sheen’s twitter account!” Okay, fair point I guess – if not for the fact that you probably also carry around a laptop or tablet for that very purpose. And if you feel any of those things are really worth your time. Mobile online shopping, for instance, just seems unnecessary (and says something about gross hyper-consumerism). As far as rampant social media goes, I’ve never really understood the fascination. I have no Facebook account, yet I don’t seem to be lacking for friends. And I don’t tweet, as there have been few worthwhile statements ever made in 140 characters or less (and I don’t believe the average tweeter is capable of mastering the art). I do have LinkedIn, but only because you can’t get a job anymore without it.

Now as for blogs … do I sense some potential here? The opportunity to express full, complete thoughts? To inspire real dialogue? Maybe there is a place for me in the too often superficial world of cyberspace. I feel like Christopher Columbus, discovering something millions of people knew about before me!

… And yes, for the sharp ones out there, that last line was a Simpsons reference. Expect a lot of those from me; I use them frequently and shamelessly.

I suppose my real issue with social media is not the general idea of it, but the volume and shallow content that has frankly grown out of control. People (and businesses) with nothing to say are providing the same useless updates about their lunch plans and whatever else on not one, but three or more different media channels. This is ludicrous behavior, and if you’re a business it’s also harmful. I know everywhere you turn people are telling you that social media is a must for engaging your client base – and they’re probably right. But it has to be done well. It has to be relevant, interesting, and absolutely should not be used for directly selling something. I’m not going to provide tips for effective social media (it’s obviously not my strong suit), but if you want to find out more, there’s an interesting article in the Burnaby Board of Trade Membership & Resource Directory.

So remember: use social media responsibly; buy new technology critically; and argue with me! Let me know what’s so great about all this new-fangled, feel-good online sharing!

Buy Local

Like Michael, I too took some kind of beginner computer programming course at university but that was back in the day when I still deluded myself into thinking that I was a ‘techie’. By week three I was forced to drop out because I had no idea what was going on and I enrolled in film instead. Any illusions of technical ability died with that course. Chatting and telling stories were much more my thing. Like Michael I am hopeless with technology or anything that requires spatial sense but unlike him, I love social media. HELLO WORLD! Social media is the perfect environment for an almost professional conversationalist.

It was by way of the oldest of these digital technologies, email, that I came across the idea for this post… a little something to chat with you about. The email was about ‘buying local’. If you’re anything like me, gift buying is difficult at the best of times. But buying gifts in financially uncertain times is definitely a challenge for all of us. That’s why buying local makes so much sense.

It’s not just about supporting businesses in your local community but also buying things that people might actually need or use. For example, there were some great ideas in the service sector that I would never have thought of as gifts. Along with gift certificates to your favourite local restaurants, pubs or hotels, why not  give gift certificates for services like hairdressers, oil changes,  florists, financial services, pre-paid vet or dental visits, car detailing, gym memberships, museum or gallery visits,  a round of golf at a local course, computer tune-ups, garden makeover or support local musicians by supporting your local pub! (I’m quite partial to this last one!).

If you’re looking for something a bit more personal there are local artisans, jewelers and fashion designers that could provide just the right gift. I’m sure I’m missing a hundred categories but you get the idea.

For Burnaby Board of Trade members there is the added bonus of our Member to Member Discount program that offers special discounts to BBOT member purchases. For example, J and M Jewelery Ltd. offers a 10% discount on all regular-priced jewelery and Baxter-Kobe Flowers and Gifts offers 10% off all floral arrangements, gift items and greeting cards!

I would love to hear what your gift buying strategy is this season and if there’s anything I’ve missed here that’s obvious.

Now I am not a programmer, but I am a newbie blogger, and it is in that spirit that I have appropriated and bastardized the Hello World ritual for the title of this blog post, the first of many that will soon be coming from the BBOT.

Yes, the Burnaby Board of Trade blog is back, and I have been charged by my peers to contribute. In fact, it looks as though I have the honour of the first real post. I will take the opportunity to speak to something that has come to be one of my favorite times of the year: Movember.

The 30th is tomorrow and I’m conscious that I have only a few more hours to remain a strong and virile man with a mighty Mo. Then my wife will make me shave, and I will revert back to being a skinny man-child with no moustache at all. I will feel scared and vulnerable. Worse, I’m sure to experience Mo withdrawal – a sense of loss, desperation and deep sadness. This is the oft-cruel cycle of Movember.

But there were highs as well, and that’s what makes Movember so great. The BBOT put together a hell of a campaign this year with participation not only from the Mo Bros but the Mo Sistas as well. Led by the fundraising strength of BBOT CEO Paul Holden, the team managed to raise nearly $1,000 in support of men’s health and prostate cancer research. As the strong and fearless captain of Team BBOT, I would just like to thank everyone who donated to the cause, or who otherwise encouraged and supported our manly shagginess. I also want to thank my teammates with whom I shared a comradery normally reserved solely for lumberjacks, firefighters, private investigators and 70s rock stars.

Only 11 Months until the next Movember!