Naylor-McLeod Group Limited

"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone from the Naylor-McLeod Family. Truly, it has been such a wonderful and enriching experience to have had the opportunity and privilege to participate in this Program with such wonderful people - people who care enough to give their time and effort to make us all (NEW IMMIGRANTS) welcome and get prepared for the Canadian Environment. I give my special "THANKS" to our Program Co-ordinator, Ms. Maureen Lunshof, for sharing her invaluable knowledge and experiences, personal and otherwise, in Job Searching and How We Can Better Equip Ourselves in interviews, writing effective resumes, cover letters, thank you letters and GET THE JOB! I especially liked the Mock Interview, and would surely remember the experience. After the Program and what we've been through, I see no reason why anyone of us cannot find a suitable job for ourselves, if not sooner, than in the near future. (Others have been successful even in the early part of the Program.) Also, I had a wonderful time meeting new friends from different cultural backgrounds; that in it is an experience worth nurturing. I certainly enjoyed everyone's "uniqueness" and "warm reception and camaraderie," and hope to maintain these newfound friends. We, in our batch at least, share a common desire - TO KEEP IN TOUCH! Lastly, to Ms. Ruth Naylor and the Naylor-McLeod Family, what you're doing will certainly go a long way for us, and everyone else whose lives you will touch! THANKS, AND THANKS, AGAIN!!!"

“Upon graduating from the University of Guelph, I began working full-time. At this time, I also began taking night classes at Humber College, where I received an Ontario Management Development Program (OMDP) Certificate. After 7 years in the workforce, a degree and a diploma, I still lacked the focus on where my talents lay in the industry. The career counselling offered on both campuses, while well-intentioned, was not able to give me the different options that Naylor-McLeod has presented in just four weeks.

As a result of this program, I have created a career portfolio, improved all of my job-search techniques and most importantly, I have been able to put together a one-year, five-year and ten-year plan for my career. Four weeks ago, I would have thought that this was impossible.

Through activities and self-analysis, I have been able to determine that my future lies in Business Communications. Kate R. Dance, the Program Coordinator, has not only encouraged me to discover where my skills lie, but she has shown me how to get there.”

"Job Search for New Canadians Program is the most worthwhile program as it gave me the first-hand insight knowledge, courage, hopes, expectations, exciting opportunities as new beginner, interactive skills, confidence, appropriate training to adopt, adjust fairly, and a feeling of being home. The materials and resources provided were plentiful, informative and knowledgeable.

The patience, interest and personal involvement shown by Program Coordinator, Ms. Maureen Lunshof in learning, editing and preparing resumes with cover letters, sending them to prospective employers, and follow-up exercises was a great fun and learning experience, and I will miss such a great and wonderful teacher with ever helping attitude. This program should be attended by every professional moving to Canada as it gives a job shadow exposure and awareness to our responsibilities, rights and obligations to Canadian work culture.

Wishing Naylor-McLead Group and this program a great success as ever."

"The Job Search for New Canadians training program has been very helpful to me. I learned so much with regards to finding employment in Canada: writing a good resume and cover letter, applying and searching for a job, researching a company, preparing for an interview, etc. I am truly grateful that Naylor-McLeod Group Limited has this kind of Program. I would like to thank Ms. Maureen Lunshof for not only providing valuable information but also motivating and boosting my confidence. Thank you for your patience. I also want to thank Ms. Ruth Naylor for the wonderful interview. It was a very memorable experience. I am also thankful to the staff who have been very friendly and helpful. To my classmates, I wish everyone success."

“When I took the Post Secondary Graduate Job Focus Program with Kate R. Dance last year the interest in my resume was passive at best. Since then the interest in my résumé is phenomenal. I had a six month contract which was extended to eight months. My contract ended and I followed the course outline and suggestions for my resume once again. Now I am averaging two interviews per week, and I have had as many as four interviews in a weeks. I have had employment agencies calling as well as employers calling asking for interviews. The common feedback that I have received is how well I present myself and how well I am prepared for the interview (my portfolio). To the present and future students taking Kate R. Dance’s course…the stuff Kate is teaching you works!!”

"The Job Search for New Canadians Program is very good for those who come to Canada from other countries. All facilities are provided to the candidates who join this program. I especially like the Program Co-ordinator Maureen Lunshof who is a very hard worker, doing her job very efficiently. We are so thankful to her and we will never forget the time we have spent here or the information that we learned from this Program."

“I have the distinct pleasure of recommending Mrs. Kate R. Dance Program Co-coordinator as an excellent teacher for the Post Secondary Graduate Job Focus Program. Mrs. Dance is not only an “Ordinary” co-coordinator and teacher. She is kind, compassionate, caring, friendly, and uses a practical professional perspective in any given situation.

I admire her for her sincerity, dedication, and teaching techniques that provide students with valuable insight into the Canadian Job Market. Mrs. Dance is highly respected by her students and peers for her knowledge, and energetic teaching style.

I will always remember her for her professional and excellence in teaching.”

"First, the content of the program has been well researched and developed. The topics covered are very appropriate for people with different backgrounds and future career interests. We learned that the average Canadian will have more than one career in his/her lifetime. Therefore, in this program we learned fundamental skills that may be useful again and again. I thought that the flow of the program was also suitable; the program evolved from personality tests to discover/confirm our interests to researching careers and companies to practical job skills. What I found to be especially useful was the emphasis that was placed on the hidden job market. Since the reality is that most of the jobs are "hidden", it was very helpful to learn specialized skills and be encouraged to look for work through our contacts and to make new contacts.

Second, it must be said that the quality of this program was excellent. The program us delivered in a very professional manner. Kate R. Dance's knowledge and experience shone through in every class that she led. Her information packages were very useful. Kate R. Dance is a truly great resource for any job seeker and she was eager to share her information..."

"I am a recent graduate of York University with a Bachelor of Education. I hold a LL.B./M.B.A. from York University Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business. I never thought that I would need this type of program. After all, as a lawyer, I had developed excellent communication skills and had been interviewed many times. /…/

I found the program overall to be highly effective. It helped me confirm that my career change to teaching was consistent with my values. It helped me take my resume and cover letters from the 80% level to 100% level. Most importantly, it helped me overcome some of my weaknesses that are in hindsight readily apparent. For this reason, I found the practice interviews, particularly when a 2nd practice session was offered, to be highly effective."

"I feel much more confident in the fact that I have so many more transferable skills than I thought I had. I now know that I can use all my volunteer work as career skills. I feel less confident because I also know that what I went to college for is not what I want to do. I have broadened my job search to include more of my strengths but in so doing I am definitely stepping way outside my comfort zone! Quite frankly, that scares me very much. I also know that with the tools I was given from this course I will be able to succeed and look in places that I had never even considered for myself before. Thanks again, Kate R. Dance!"

"I wish they did this program in post secondary school or at least high school. It brings a direction on analyzing who you are (personality assessment), what you like to do (Brigg's activity book), and what you can do (transferable skills). With the daily modules, this direction builds a path of different career choices you can follow, by means that were "hidden" (open, if you will), which I never realized. I have had more job openings and opportunities in the last month than in the 6 months of handing out my resumes everywhere after I graduated. If you felt that your school just gave you a piece of paper and waived you goodbye without helping you find a direction in a career that you will enjoy, I highly recommend taking this program."

“There are several elements that I enjoyed about the Post Secondary Graduate Job Focus program. Besides the fact that a program of this nature actually existed at a time where I needed it most, it was particularly heart-warming to know that I was hardly alone in my situation. Having spent over a year looking for gainful employment in my area of expertise I felt I had exhausted every avenue of courses, resume writing, self-marketing, job search methodology, etc., possible and was getting absolutely nowhere. While I feel I did in fact learn a great deal in the other programs, the results weren’t there until I got into this program.

To be accepted, albeit a week into the program, and meet a group of people who were in exactly the same situation as I was, was the first positive sign – I really wasn’t alone. As time progressed I found myself offering help to members of my group in areas I had already discovered, and they were helping me. That was the second important part of the program – we could help each other, and we did, often.

Since I’d taken so many courses in resume writing, job search methods, self-marketing I thought I’d be ahead of the game in this program. But what this program did where others failed was to tie so many elements together. More than a job finding course this program is a life-skills program that fits employment and career into the bigger picture of our lives as a whole. While we may be missing one part at the present time, that being employment, there are equally important areas that need to be addressed and fortified in order to cope with the missing piece at the present time.

On a personal note, I learned how much I define who I am by what I do. I worked hard to achieve a goal and because that goal hasn’t been realized within the timeline I set or as quickly as I want the feeling of failure, fear and doubt had become so overwhelming and paralyzing – sentiments shared by my classmates as well. The program made me see this time of unemployment in a different light – that there are significant areas in my life that I’ve ignored because of employment and maybe more than anything, this time is the time I am to address these areas. The key to success, not only in my job search and in life in general, is balance!

The Richard Bolles “What Color is your Parachute” and the companion workbook exercises were the beginning of this discovery, and as a group exercise it was invaluable. From there, each unit, from resumes to stress management, subsequently fit into my overall puzzle opening my eyes to areas I had refused to address before. In my opinion my life was so out of balance I had impeded my own ability to constructively find a position because of my imbalance, hence my inability to focus on what I really wanted in said position/career path/life. This program changed all of this! Now I am working equally on all parts of me. What I learned and what I accomplished is beyond my wildest expectations. Not only have I landed a job and have other prospects lined up as well, I have learned more about myself than I ever expected.

Whatever and however I have came to this point, be it cosmic forces, perfect timing or simply the absolute end of the line, I cannot adequately describe what this program did for me. I only wish I could have taken it sooner and that it had been part of my formal education. In truth it should be incorporated into the high school education system so everyone can have the tools to cope with life uncertainties when they come along, and they always do. While this scenario is unlikely I still believe that this program should be expanded because I know there are others just like me who need it right now.

For me, this is a treasured experience and will be firmly endorsed and highly recommended always. If this program is ever expanded I would like to be more than just an advocate. I’d like to give to others what Kate R. Dance and Naylor-McLeod’s Post Secondary Graduate Job Focus Program gave to me – confidence, strength, realistic and attainable goals and the courage to not let fear get in my way. Thank-you.”

“Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Post Secondary Graduate Job Focus Program. found the entire course to be very helpful. I feel confident that the skills that I have learned in this program will be useful throughout my working career.

I was very pleased with the program content, structure and format. The initial task of working through the Bolles textbook and workbook established the groundwork for the other exercises taught throughout the program. I found this process to be very informative in identifying my transferable skills and individual needs and abilities. It also proved valuable because it provided a framework for determining the proper career path for someone with my aptitudes.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator exercise was exceptional. I found this highly informative and a valuable resource when marketing my skills to potential employers. Through this exercise, I was able to gain confidence to investigate some areas that I had been hesitant to pursue.

I liked the way the information gathered by the Bolles exercises and MBTI was then applied to creating a resume and cover letter. I found this module to be highly effective, as I personally needed to “brush out the cobwebs” in this area. I learned how to tailor my resume and cover letters to specifically target positions I was interested in. I trust I will be able to continue to use these skills in my on-going job search.

Kate R. Dance, I believe you have a wonderful ability as an instructor. I found your teaching style to be highly effective and professional. Your positive attitude really helped to set the tone in the classroom. I believe that an as individual you are an extremely valuable resource in the success of this program.

Thank you Kate R. Dance for your part in creating and facilitating this program. I certainly believe it is highly valuable in the changing workplace of today, to have this type of training in order to stay flexible and adaptable in future job changes. Best wishes to you in all of your professional and personal endeavours.”