3 Tips for Education Options for Financial Services Careers

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No one gets ahead in their career by standing still or waiting for things to happen. If you are ready to take the next step in your financial services career, you likely are thinking about education. Check out the internet and you will see so many options: certified financial planner courses, investment training, the Canadian Securities Course, insurance courses such as fundamentals in insurance or the LLQP, ethics courses and so much more. The list is nearly endless. So, the big question is how do you choose what to enroll in and what to ignore?

The answer is simple to understand, though it requires a bit of leg work. The course you take should be based on the next steps you want to see in your career. Do you want to become a financial planner? Taking education that leads to the CFP course (Certified Financial Planner Course) is a good choice. Looking to enhance the products you can offer clients and move off the teller line into more of an advisor role? Taking the CSC Course (Canadian Securities Course) may be the way to go. If you are looking to a career that includes insurance products, perhaps working towards the Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP) would be a good option.

Here are a few tips to help guide your education choices:

1. Talk to people in the industry

There are a number of people who have gone before you in similar career paths. If you know where you want to end up (you want to be a CFP for example) you can seek out those who have successfully completed their CFP course and find out what their journey looked like. Where did they start? What worked for them?

You’re going to want to learn about the pitfalls they encountered as well as the things that worked well. While some of these interactions will be one-offs, others may lead to informal mentoring situations where you can continue to ask questions as you progress through your education and your career. You’ll want to respect your mentor’s time and be grateful for the advice they give you while considering how it fits into your personal path and goals.

2. Reach out to educational institutions

Education institutions with financial services programs are an excellent resource. Look for those who offer more than one financial program. For example. Ashton College has the Canadian Securities Course, a Certified Financial Planner Course and the LLQP. Contacting the school and finding out what they offer as well as who teaches it can be helpful in guiding your educational decisions. Look up the courses, find out what they include and consider how well they complement your career aspirations and future plans.

You will also want to look up the instructor biographies to learn about their experiences and what makes them a good choice for delivering your education. It is important that you have a strong fit in both content and instruction.

3. Find out what your employer will pay for

If your current employer has a reimbursement program for your education, you will want to seriously consider what is included and get to know any limitations. If you are on the teller desk, it is unlikely that your employer will foot the bill for a full Certified Financial Planner course. However, they may consider a Canadian Securities Course. Talk to your human resources team to find out what education options are included in your current position and continue to move forward until you reach the point where taking the CFP course is an option for you.

There are a lot of courses in the financial services arena and it can be overwhelming considering your options. Talk to others, research schools and see what your employer will pay for before making your decision.

Social and Emotional Learning for Students with Disabilities

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If a challenge comes at you during the day, how do you cope? Do you throw a tantrum become overly frustrated and give up? Or do you acknowledge your feelings, take a moment to reassess the situation and move forward from there? Obviously the latter response is better for self-growth and improvement and it’s an example of one outcome from Social and Emotional Learning. 

Students, of education assistant course like the one offered by Ashton College, will learn about social and emotional learning, which is also sometimes referred to as SEL, or socio-emotional learning, in their education programs. 

Very simply put, SEL is learning that allows individuals to better manage their emotions, establish decisions and goals, work towards those desired outcomes, and maintain positive relationships in ways that include empathy. This approach with students comes from understanding the SEL concepts taught in education assistant courses such as: emotions, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. 

Benefits of Social and Emotional Learning

Anyone can benefit from SEL, yet for students with disabilities, SEL can be  life-changing. The benefits aren’t just felt by students either, individuals who take an education assistant course will quickly learn that the student’s family and social circle also benefits from this ongoing form of education. Facts to support SEL can be found from various studies online and in the materials provided in teaching our education assistant courses, but some findings report that students involved in SEL learning have: less emotional distress, fewer disciplinary incidents, increases in school attendance and improved test scores and grades. 

Individuals who take an education assistant course will be among the first to point out that these factors would be beneficial to almost all students with and without disabilities. This type of learning can make both the education journey and the outcomes following education even more successful. The SEL approach works, because it comes down to basic principles of human nature – kindness, respect and understanding of self and others. Everyone can benefit from learning that focuses on improving these traits. 

Approaches taught in teaching assistant courses

SEL is taught in a number of different ways and will vary based on the school district, school, teacher and student. Three approaches teaching assistant courses should touch on are the Responsive Classroom approach, the Open Circle approach and RULER (recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing and regulating). The common element of all of these methods is that they are evidence-based – meaning there has been research conducted to prove that the approaches are effective across large groups of individuals. 

SEL methods have the best outcome when they are school-wide, but certainly, classroom-wide applications will also have clearly visible benefits. The joy in using SEL approaches with students who have disabilities comes from seeing their excitement and ability to move forward in areas they may have struggled with previously. 

Bringing SEL activities to the classroom

There are a number of things to learn to fully appreciate all that SEL has to offer, but with the origins in valuing self and others, an education assistant will easily come up with great ideas to apply with students. Each student’s disability (or disabilities) should be considered when creating activities along with the various student personalities and learning styles. 

Some examples of activities include having students read a book together. Talking about placement of the book so that both students can hold it, reading aloud that requires speaking clearly and sharing of information are key elements in this exercise.

Another example would be to have students watch a video with children of their own age. Break students into groups to discuss how the person in the video felt during certain moments. Allow students to respond with their own feeling of how they would have felt in the same situation. 

It’s essential for education assistants to appreciate the expected social and emotional skills at various levels and various ages of students with disabilities. Once these have been identified, the fun of creating engaging and growth-inspiring activities based in SEL will begin.  

Expanding Your Immigration Consulting Firm

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Immigration in Canada is at historically high levels and this is causing a correlating growth in the field of immigration consultants. Some immigration consultants, who are lucky enough to have their own thriving practice, are doing so well that they are looking to bring others into their firm who have taken an immigration consultant diploma program and/or are regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants. 

While there are steps to take to become regulated after successfully completing an immigration consultant diploma program, some individuals may be looking for a job prior to completing these steps to become regulated, or perhaps they want the education, but would prefer to work at an assistant’s level. Others may have already completed their immigration consultant diploma program and have achieved their regulated status, but don’t want to start their own firm, preferring instead to work for someone else. Still others may want to specialize in areas like refugee immigration law or tribunal immigration law. 

Obviously there are many types of people in the immigration consulting and the owner/manager of an immigration consulting firm will need to know what roles they want to hire for as they grow and expand their the business. Consider these four aspects when it’s time to add to your team:

  • Education – Do you have a preference for where someone took their immigration consultant diploma program or other education? Ashton College is one of the most established institutions in providing education in the field of immigration consulting. Therefore a graduate of Ashton may want to hire individuals who are also alumni from the school. This is understandable with the high-calibre level of graduates Ashton has had come through the program and the advanced, hands-on experience of the instructors. Plus, the immigration consultant diploma program is offered online as are the refugee immigration law and tribunal immigration law courses. This online offering is always beneficial, but especially so during COVID restrictions.
  • Specialization – Some regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants want to be generalists but also want to add specific services to their firm’s offerings. This could be handling cases that require refugee immigration law or tribunal immigration law. While Ashton College provides education in both of these areas in its immigration consultant diploma program, it also offers specific courses in both areas. This specialization allows a firm to take on much more detailed and demanding cases that may go before the Immigration Division. Hiring someone with this type of background will allow a firm to add new specialized services.
  • Focus on who – You will need to get very clear about who you want to bring into your firm in order to create your job posting. Postings can be as long and detailed as you need them to be, but they must also be honest and enticing. You want potential candidates to be excited about the idea of working for you and yet, they must also get an immediate sense of whether they are a fit for what you are looking for or not. Use clear and specific language about the type of person you want. Define your expectations, what their education and experience should include and their personality type. Knowing – and communicating – the traits of the right candidate is more than half of the job in finding them. 
  • Look in the right places – You’ll need to put your job post in a few places, but you want to be selective. Some organizations post job ads on Facebook, but this is not likely the right fit for an immigration firm. You’re more likely to do better through professional job sites, LinkedIn and even using a professional recruitment firm to find the right individual to fit your firm’s needs. 

Hiring people is a big deal that takes a lot of time and energy and you want to get it right the first time. Take your time in understanding the type of person you’re looking for and how to reach them and you’ll be well on your way to making them part of the success of your growing immigration consultancy. 

Read our other blog- The Certifications You Need to Get Ahead in Your Career

The Certifications You Need to Get Ahead in Your Career

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Most people have a picture in their mind of how they see their career playing out. They imagine starting off with an education in their chosen field, getting an entry-level job, working up through more advanced roles and gradually taking on a managerial or executive position, or something involved in moving and driving a company forward. Perhaps they see themselves consulting or running their own business after gaining experience. They might imagine making the move to establish a company once they feel confident in their abilities. Perhaps they will even bring on staff of their own.

That vision of the future is genuinely important, but in many cases it must also be paired with certification. Certification or a designation assigned by a third-party organization gives you credibility in your career. It proves you have the skills and knowledge to operate in your job at an experienced level. It also shows others that you have a commitment to your field that includes a willingness to complete the ongoing certification requirements (such as annual education and attending events). Through certification or designations, you are proving that you are engaged in your field and that you are devoted to what you do.

Which certifications are the best? Of course this depends upon the field you wish to pursue as there can be hundreds of certifications and designations available for different careers in Canada. Finding the right certification for you will come from talking to others in your field, reviewing what employers are looking for and doing the research of certification and designation organizations to determine what the best fit is for you and your future.

HR Certification in Canada

If we look at HR certification in Canada, Google returns almost 13,000,000 results. It’s a challenge to narrow the options down, so here we expand on the steps noted above to get you started in your exploration of the Human Resources courses in Canada. These steps will apply to just about any field when determining the right certification or designation for you so even if you’re not looking towards a career in HR, you’ll be able to find the best options.

First, talk to others in the HR industry to determine what certifications and designations they hold, what they found to be the most useful and why. Ask a range of individuals at various levels in their career as there will be some who have been in the HR field for a longer period of time that hold (or have in the past) several different certifications or designations. You’ll also want to talk to entry level HR employees as well as mid-level employees to get a feel for what the benefits were from their choices.

Once you’ve had some input from those in the industry, take a look at current job postings to see what kinds of certification and/or designations in HR are required or preferred in the jobs that appeal to you. Again, don’t just look to entry level jobs. Look to more advanced roles that you would aspire to in a number of years to see what your future job might require.

Then, once you have this input, look at the organizations that offer the certifications and designations you feel would be of the most benefit. One that is likely to come up frequently in HR circles is the Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR). CPHR offers different types of memberships that will lead to the CPHR designation. This can be done through one of three paths outlined on the BC and Yukon chapter site at CPHRBC.ca.

For some roles in HR, some companies may not specify HR specific programs and courses, but many – and certainly those in management positions – an employer will generally require specific HR training and certification such as that accredited by CPHR. Education in a specific HR program like a Human Resources Management Diploma will position you with specific understanding around labour relations, personnel and recruiting as well as benefits and compensation. This will contribute towards earning a CPHR designation through the organization’s accredited path.

Education Assistant Courses in Canada

Another area where certification is of benefit is in the field of an education assistant/teaching assistant. Teaching assistant courses in Canada are often taught through experienced schools with qualified instructors who have experience in the industry. These types of courses will generally be described as a certificate or diploma course. This is important to note when reviewing education institutions. Not all schools make this distinction and many employers specifically ask that an employee have education assistant courses in Canada and a certificate or diploma from the institution as a result of completing the program.

In these cases, where a certificate or diploma isn’t issued from a third-party organization, there is a different method to review your options. This isn’t about assessing designations from a specific body, but rather, determining the best education option that will provide the learning you need and the certificate or diploma that employers are looking for.

Start by talking to others in the industry about their experiences. What school did they go to? Was the program flexible and offered online as well as in-person options? Were they awarded a certificate or diploma upon successful completion of the program? Ask all the questions that will ensure you understand the experience they had as a student. Again, be sure to talk to not only those new to the field, but also those who have been education assistants for a longer period of time.

Secondly, look to job postings to determine what employers are asking for. Do they specify that they want a certificate or a diploma? Do they outline things that you must have in your background in terms of education?

And finally, do a review of education institutions. You want to choose one that can offer programs and courses taught by professionals who have experience in the industry.

Certifications, designations, certificates and diplomas can be somewhat confusing. Take your time to talk to others, review schools and organizations and check out job postings to determine the right option for your future.

 

Be Career Ready with Online Courses

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Individuals who have immigrated to Canada sometimes face the prospect of starting a new career because their previous training and experience don’t mesh with Canadian regulations and systems or perhaps they see coming to their new country as the ideal time to look at different job options. It’s definitely a big challenge to explore a new career, but fortunately there are a number of career ready courses for immigrants that will make the transition easier.

What Career Education Options are Available Online?

Ensuring you have the right training is key to landing your first (and subsequent) job in your new career in Canada. It’s essential to identify online courses suited for immigrants so that you can research the various careers that may be of interest to you that will have an education program available when you decide which field to pursue. Knowing that the design of the online courses is a fit for immigrants helps as well because there are likely to be others in the program who are immigrants also going through the same need for education and change. Similarly, you’ll likely find a more straight-forward approach in the how the education is delivered because it will be designed as career ready courses for immigrants and it will focus on presenting the information in formats suitable for those who weren’t born in Canada.

A web search of online courses for immigrants may return education programs that focus heavily on ESL or simplified offerings. This isn’t for you. You’re looking for a career! Instead turn to programs delivered by institutions designed by leaders who understand the challenges faced by immigrants. For example at Ashton College, the focus is on career ready courses for immigrants and others in a wide range of fields. For online programs, this includes areas like bookkeeping, education assistant course, home inspection course, human resources management, immigration courses and red seal exam preparation. This gives immigrants the ability to upgrade their professional credentials in certain fields and/or explore new career options in other fulfilling areas.

Many post-secondary schools offer online courses suitable for immigrants so take the time to do the research and learn what is available and what most appeals to you in terms of your future career.

Why Online Courses for Immigrants?

Online courses are an excellent option for immigrants for the same reason they work well for anyone who is busy and is trying to earn a new education. For the most part, the biggest concern of both new immigrants and those who have been in Canada for a while, is flexibility. Usually, there is a need to balance education with family demands and a current job. That job may have unusual hours as shift work, may be part time or may fall on different days each week. Therefore having flexibility in course structure is perhaps the best thing an online program can deliver.

Online courses are offered in fairly standard formats. They include: video lectures, video labs and a course classroom communication platform. So long as you have access to a device with a video camera, microphone and internet access, you’ll be able to take part in the lectures and labs. These are generally offered live, or after the session as a recording, and include the instructor providing information and/or direction. Alongside the video will be a “chat box” where students can enter questions and interact with the instructor as well as with each other. This delivers a classroom-type environment where students can build off the education being shared.

Of course in a recorded session provided later, students will only be able to watch the video and see the comments made by students so the same synergy of learning isn’t possible, but for those who have to miss the online class now and then, there is no worry of losing out on the education. Plus, the course classroom platform allows for interaction between the lecture and lab sessions. Students are able to log in, see assignments, submit assignments, receive grades, ask questions, access learning materials and reach out to other individuals in the course, including the instructor. It’s essentially an interactive chat room for those in the program with the ability to upload and download files.

Eliminating Unnecessary Contact and Travel

Online learning is a wonderful option that ensures students are able to continue their education regardless of certain limiting challenges in the world and their environment. In an era where COVID-19 is a dominant topic, it’s important for students to know they can continue learning and be safe. Online education delivers the same top-quality information without the worry of maintaining physical distancing standards.

The online accessibility also eliminates the need to travel to a campus for regular lectures, labs or lessons. Some schools even offer exams online through the use of an online proctoring program. Because there is no need to travel to a campus constantly, students can take courses they otherwise would have overlooked due to a drive that was too far, lack of public transit, expense in parking and the time involved in getting there. All that is required in online learning is a trip to a desk, chair or couch with your device with internet access.

Perhaps one downside of online learning is that it does require students to be structured and consistent in how they apply themselves. They need to be prepared to fit in the lectures and labs as well as the required coursework within their own schedule. Therefore a certain amount of self-discipline is necessary.

If it’s time for you to pursue a new career, online education can open up a wide range of options and opportunities. It will take research to determine the right fit in terms of field and the education required and it will also take a high level of commitment, but online offerings give the flexibility many immigrant students need in order to bring a new focus into their lives while working around the demands of a busy daily life.

You Won’t Succeed in IT without this Kind of Training

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IT and IS departments are undergoing a shift. And it’s a massive shift, due to the increase in activities costing companies and individuals billions of dollars every single year. According to the Cybercrime in Canada report from Statistics Canada, Canadian businesses spent $14 billion on prevention, detection and recovery from cyber security incidents in 2017 alone. Prevention and detection actions were taken by 94% of businesses in Canada.

Interestingly, few businesses (just 10%) reported cyber security incidents to a policing agency. Most likely, this low level of reporting is because there is very little possible in the way of penalizing those who commit cybercrimes. The best companies can do is get to know their weaknesses and prevent potential attacks.

Therefore, having a professional to identify, prevent, and recover from cyber security issues is important to nearly every single business in the country. For those who are interested in “fighting the bad guys” and keeping data, electronic assets and records safe, a career in cyber security could be just the right fit.

Local Cyber Security Course Availability is on the Rise

Before firing off a cover letter to a business, it’s important to note that having the right skills is an essential part of doing the job. Luckily there are a number of cyber security courses in Vancouver to take care of local training needs. Depending upon your background and experience, you might be able to take courses through a cyber security training company in Vancouver immediately. However, certain cyber security courses in Vancouver require a baseline of experience and education in the field.

Some of these courses are a short-term boot camp style while others are remote offerings. It’s important to stay aware of the cyber security training companies in Vancouver in order to see which courses are available and whether the way they are taught will meet your needs. You’ll also want to ensure the courses are of benefit to your long-term career goals. Just as the job requirements are constantly growing and changing, so too are the courses offered, what they cover and the companies offering education.

A Look at Penetration Tester Skills and Training

Individuals who are interested in becoming a penetration tester (aka: pen tester) should get to know the basics of the job, whether they have the background education and skill fit and the advanced courses to allow them to do the job. It sounds somewhat glamorous, being a “white hat hacker” combatting the “black hat hackers” out there, but truth be told, it’s a precise, monotonous role that takes a special kind of individual. And, that individual has to prove they have the right training behind them to do the job.

Penetration testers work on finite elements of a company’s overall system or network. They might be running a review and testing of an app that allows customers to find the nearest location and reserve a seat. It might be a check of a certain employee accessed cloud-based interaction tool. No matter what the testing is reviewing, it must be thorough, complete and conclude with a report about the findings. Some penetration testers are involved in the resolution of their findings while others are not.

There are a number of people who work as pen testers who have been self-taught, but like a lot of fields in IT and IS, the era for self-taught individuals has mostly passed in terms of breaking into the job market. There are simply too many bright, capable individuals who have the same background, same interest AND they come with the education that proves their skills. While there is an abundance of jobs in cyber security like that of penetration tester, companies want to have proof of capabilities.

Education for a pen tester can include a lot of things. First and foremost, individuals must have an interest in and aptitude for math, sciences and computer science that is illustrated in their education. Penetration testers may be a lower to mid-level role in many companies, so a bachelor’s degree may be required, but some employers will look for a balance of experience and education. This experience will need to be within an IT or IS department with exposure to and awareness of cyber security practices.

White hat hackers must also be willing to constantly learn and upgrade their education as the electronic world undergoes constant change. Hackers are clever. A penetration tester must be able to anticipate how a black hat hacker uses social engineering methods while also identifying and suggesting ways to prevent the exploitation that can come from them.

Ongoing education may include things like certified ethical hacking courses. Some of the best course are offered through cyber security training companies in Vancouver. These can include: CEH – Certified Ethical Hacking, CISM – Certified Information Security Manager, CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor and others. Perhaps the most important aspect it to look for is courses that are not tied to any specific backend system so that the skills can be applied to nearly any organization’s platform and technology.

Other Roles to Consider in Cyber Security

Of course, there are numerous jobs available in cyber security in addition to penetration testing. Some will be more of a management or department head role while others, like the pen tester, will be lower level. It’s important to get a feel for the job descriptions that feel like a fit for your education and skills as many companies call their cyber security, IT and IS positions by various names even when the roles are similar.

For example, a more senior job is a cyber security engineer. This job title is often interchangeable with security engineer or information systems security engineer to name a few. As a senior level position, someone who starts out as a data analyst may progress to penetration tester, work up to cyber security architect and advance to cyber security engineer. The career path may be in the same organization (if it is a larger company) or through a range of businesses to keep progressing. Smaller organizations may have the cyber security roles fall within existing jobs in an IT or IS department or they may have only one or two cyber security specialists.

The career progression will be different for everyone, but the common thread for those looking to work in cyber security is the obvious need for stay ahead of the ever-increasing and evolving threats.