Aiming for Career Goals - Paul's story

Tuesday, June 10, 2014



A 2013 survey of over 1,500 recruiters, executives and hiring managers found that 94% of employers use social media in their recruiting practices and 96% are using LinkedIn. (Jobvite survey)

In this digital age, attraction and recruitment practices have changed and Champions is ensuring that we are adjusting to the new ways of conducting a job search. One way is by delivering a workshop titled ‘Jump Start Your Job Search with Social Media.’ During this workshop, Champions candidates explore the evolution of social media, the current trends and ways to make the most of social media for job search opportunities.

It was this workshop that candidate Paul M. found most helpful during his time at Champions.

“I learned to tailor my LinkedIn profile to my job target, about keywords and about highlighting specific skills that made my profile more searchable online. It worked, I was contacted about an interview last week for an application I made via LinkedIn.” he commented.

Paul has a non-verbal learning disability and is focused on a career in Supply Chain Management in the Oil and Gas Industry. At Champions, Paul is working with his Case Manager, Mat and Employment Retention Specialist, Susan to reach his goals.

“The three of us are working together to find the right job for my career path. It feels great to have a team of people behind me, without this support. I don’t know where I’d be.”

Currently he is attending the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and working towards a designation in Supply Chain Management. He has found that practical experience is very important to employers in the industry even for entry level positions and his designation not only gives him this experience, but will also boost his skills and confidence in the industry.

“Champions was really keeps me focused and helped to get me back on track. When I was first applying for jobs, I was all over the place.”

Champions takes pride in helping individuals find meaningful employment; we help with career planning and focus on long term objectives so that candidates who work with us can find stability and security in their lives, not just jobs which may help them to ‘get by’. However, we do recognize that interim survival jobs are often necessary and assisted Paul in securing part-time work in the retail industry while he pursues his training.

Paul’s interests lie in politics and government. Through various internships and fellowships, he has travelled widely and earned opportunities to engage and learn from world leaders such as Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair. These interests relate to his career goals in the oil and gas industry. He’s vocal in his opinions regarding future pipelines and other controversial projects in North America. He also wants to shift perceptions of people with disabilities in the workplace.

“People tend to stereotype. When you say ‘people with disabilities’, a lot of people automatically think of very severe disabilities. Learning disabilities are often misunderstood,” he says.


With the Champions team behind him, Paul continues to work hard towards his designation and achieving his career goals. Keep it up Paul, we know you can do it!


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