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Working Finding a job
Finding a job can be pretty tough for those who don’t speak French. Jobs in phone sales are popular with students and Montreal has no shortage of telemarketing positions up for grabs. Unfortunately, a lot of them are carefully disguised commission-only sales gigs and the best thing to do might be to hone your French skills and try to avoid them altogether. The best job opportunities will always come through personal contacts, although most newspapers now put their job ads on the Web for all to see and there are of course the usual online job sites, which relieve the job searcher of a bit of leg work Canada Employment Centre It’s wise to check in every few days at your local branch. Call 1-800-206-7218 for locations or to speak to someone about employment insurance or a SIN card. Posted listings and computerized job bank machines are available at each of the CEC locations. You can also find CEC job listings on the Web at www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca. Emploi-Québec Has many listings not on the federal site, as well as employment and training programs that are administered provincially. Call 1-888-367-5647 or check out http://emploi.mess.gouv.qc.ca Access Montreal (see Tenants’ rights for details) Carrefour jeunesse-emploi network, a free employment and internship service for anyone between 16-35, www.cje-ndg.com for a directory of centres. Concordia Off-Campus Housing and Job Bank (see Housing for details) McGill Career and Placement Service Job service for McGill students. Job listings are only available on their Web site, but they have numerous programs based at their office including free computer use for Internet access and CV creation. Open Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm, 3600 McTavish #2200. Call 398-3304 or try www.caps.mcgill.ca Youth Employment Service Started by Alliance Quebec, this group caters specifically to anglophones, usually between 18–35, looking for jobs. Besides the job search, they offer an entrepreneurship program and an introductory business French course. 630 René-Lévesque #185 (metro Square-Victoria), 878-9788, www.yesmontreal.ca CV Creation and Copy Centres
Don’t go a-hunting without a snappy résumé. There are countless options for making copies of your existing CV, but if you need to make one from scratch and don’t have a computer or printer at home, there are a number of options beyond your school’s computer lab-which is likely to be chock full of madly coding computer geeks who refuse to give up their stations. Atwater Library Provides on-site rental of computers and printers-perfect for putting together your CV. They have 12 PCs with a wide variety of software and nine high-speed, DSL Internet stations. Prices are $4/hour for non-members, $2/hour for members. Student memberships are $25 per year for a computer membership and $60 for computer and other library services. There are two black-and-white laser printers available (25¢/page) and one colour inkjet (50¢/page). There’s even a scanner you can rent for $2/day. No time limit but they highly recommend calling to make an appointment and for hours. 1200 Atwater (metro Atwater), 935-7344 Concordia Copy Centres Concordia students have access to three university copy centres. Beyond mere photocopying services, they’ll print your CV from a PC file (common applications supported) and can also scan images. Hall Copy Centre H-118 (1455 de Maisonneuve W.), 848-3483; Loyola Copy Centre CC-201 (7141 Sherbrooke W.), 848-3484; Super Centre LB-119 (1400 de Maisonneuve W.), 848-3488 Jonathan and Elyce Joy Berman Multimedia-Centre At the Jewish Public Library, members presenting a valid library card can surf for $1/hour and have free access to MS Office 97 software, CD-ROMs and databases. Non-members are welcome to use the Internet and e-mail for $3/hour and use MS Office 97 programs for $1/hour. Other services include scanning, laser printing and computer courses. Closed Saturdays. 1 Cummings Square, 345-2627 ext. 3001 Youth Employment Service (see Finding a Job) Offers one hour/day of free computer use for ob-hunting on the Web and word processing. $5 deposit required. They’ll also translate your CV into French; the charge is $25 for a two-page CV and $15 for a one-page cover letter. Pay in advance, translation takes about one week. Try also:
Copies Ressources (3822 St-Laurent, 982-9435) has everything you need to make a document or CV look great, including Mac services by the hour. They can laserprint from your disk in most formats, and fax out a copy as well. There are also several other good copy centres on St-Laurent between des Pins and Rachel. M.C. Copy (2019 Bishop, 842-6817) provides copy services and computer/Internet use right by Concordia’s downtown campus;. Copie 2000 has two locations which rent computer time as well, at 5041 du Parc, 277-2000 or 1115 Sherbrooke W., 845-8229. Students will be familiar with either Copies Nova (1015 Sherbrooke W., 848-0423) or Copies Concordia (1520 de Maisonneuve E., 931-3063), and Copie Express has several locations around Montreal, including 680 Sherbrooke W., 288-0288; 945 de Maisonneuve E., 526-0057; 5315 Sherbrooke W. in NDG, 485-4632. Those sequestered in the west can also try Envoy Services d’Affaires at 5764 Monkland, 483-6869. Keeping a job
Commission des normes du travail Provincial office meant to ensure employment laws are observed, investigates complaints and offers employee mediation. Provides information on vacation pay, salaries, wrongful dismissal. Call 873-7061 or go to www.cnt.gouv.qc.ca Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST) is the Quebec equivalent of the Workers’ Compensation Board. As the provincial agency mandated to improve health and safety in the workplace, it provides compensation for work accidents and parental-leave benefits, and investigates accidents. English communication is sometimes a problem. 1 Complexe Desjardins, South Tower, 34th fl., 906-3000, www.csst.qc.ca (currently French-only) Action travail des femmes du Québec Resources and support for women workers in non-traditional jobs. 4706 Wellington, Verdun, 768-7233 Centre d’aide aux travailleurs et travailleuses accidenté(e)s de Montréal Lobbies the government for better labour laws and provides aid for injured workers. The Centre d’aide also deals directly with the public through education, information sessions and consultations on workplace safety and labour laws. They’ll also help claimants at CSST hearings, distributes newsletters and pamphlets. 3661 St-Hubert, 529-7942 If you are a student and wish to apply for welfare or employment insurance, it’s a good idea to consult with one of the following groups before contacting a government office. Unfortunately, many of the Web sites listed below are in French only. Comité chômage de l’est de Montréal Information on unemployment and welfare laws as well as free legal representation. 1691 Pie-IX #302, 521-3283, www.axess.com/ccem Comité chômage Sud-Ouest Publishes a guide to Employment Insurance in English, French and Spanish. Organized information sessions on employment law available on request. Web site includes a condensed version of their guide including info on student EI regulations. Open Mon–Thurs, 1–4:30pm, 819 du Couvent, 933-5915, www.comitechomage.qc.ca Mile-End Community Mission Welfare rights info, advocacy and referrals. They’ll also help you fill out applications. Call first. 99 Bernard W., 274-3401 Mouvement action-chômage de Montréal Informs you of your rights while receiving EI benefits. Weekly information meetings. 6839 Drolet #304, 271-4099 NDG Anti-Poverty Group Welfare advocacy and networking. Also offers clothing, computer access and an emergency food pantry. 6525 Somerled #7, 489-3548 St. Columba House Welfare Rights Committee Run by and for people who are either on welfare or have been. Info and advocacy services. In Pointe St-Charles at 2365 Grand Trunk, 932-6202 Association pour la defense des droits sociaux A politically oriented group that will advise and assist individuals. 1691 Pie-IX Rm. 02, 252-0788 Centre sociale d’aide aux immigrants Helps immigrants with welfare, EI and other issues. 4285 de Maisonneuve W., 932-2953 Welfare Hotline Social-aid Info and complaints line run by Quebec’s Ministère de la solidarité sociale. 1-888-643-4721 or try www.mss.gouv.qc.ca for extensive info offered in both languages. |
Living : Housing | Government subsidized housing | Co-ops | Tenant’s rights | Other housing groups | Other useful numbers Working : Finding a job | CV Creation and Copy Centres | Keeping a job | Welfare/EI Getting Around : Transportation | Buses | Trains | Planes | Automobiles | Cycling Eating : GROCERIES : Markets | Health food stores | Ethnic foods | Late-night groceries RESTOS : Cheap Eats | Vegetarian Restos | Study-friendly cafés | Cybercafés | All-night & late-night eats Shopping : Low-budget clothes | Low-budget furniture | Books | Magazines/Newspapers | CDs/Records | Instruments & sheet music Time Out : Repertory cinemas | Video stores | Pool halls | Bowling alleys Services & Health Care : Emergency numbers | CLSCs | Dentistry clinics | Pregnancy & parenting | HIV/AIDS Getting Help : Legal | Discrimination | Support lines & groups | Addiction | Self-defence for women | Food banks Digital on the cheap : How to get a computer into your life without losing your shirt DIY ISP : Save money by sharing your Internet |
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