Ethnic Tolerance in the Workplace

The North American workplace, much like a North American university, has changed dramatically over the last three decades. If you worked in an office setting thirty or forty years ago, you might remember that if you had looked to the left and right of your desk, there was a great deal of homogeny in the workplace. Everyone was probably the same colour and gender, white and male. And even if they weren't the same religion, they were most likely tight-lipped about their personal beliefs because that wasn't the sort of thing you spoke about in the lunch room. 

Never before in history, has the North American workplace been more diverse. As a Vancouver native, I've spent the last eight years working in office settings where no one ethnic group was more prevalent than another, and being a visible minority myself, absolutely loved coming into work each day to a rainbow of faces. However, because of the significant increase in diversity, most employee handbooks now include entire chapters on cultural and ethnic tolerance. Employers have recognized that creating a safe and tolerant work environment makes for a productive and happy workforce. Once you leave the open-minded world of your college campus, it's important to understand what being tolerant in the workplace looks like, so you don't lose that job you've worked so hard for!

1) Your language usage needs to change dramatically, that is, referring to people with the correct terminology. Referring to someone as a "black" person is not acceptable, and using the term 'African American or African Canada" is considered to be more acceptable. But to really safeguard yourself from getting into hot water, don't refer to someone by using their ethnicity, but use their name and position instead when discussing them in a social setting. 

2) DO NOT make racial or gender jokes of any kind! Leave the Russell Peter or Chris Rock comedy routine to the professionals, and ditch any ethnic humour. If you want to go have drinks after work and shoot the breeze with your multi-ethnic co-workers, and the deem it acceptable to make those kinds of jokes, it's up to you to show good judgement. But in the workplace, you never know who you might offend. 

3) DO NOT forward or manufacture offensive memo's, emails, or notes to be distributed around the office. First of all, the distribution of offensive material not only has the potential to get you fired, but if one of your co-workers finds it exceptionally offensive, they can bring about a lawsuit depending on the severity of the correspondence for workplace harassment. 

Post-College Conundrum - To See the World, or Not?

As I neared the end of my twenties, I started to feel anxious about my impending high school reunion. I was still in touch with a handful of my high school friends on Facebook, but it wasn't the same thing with having to be in a room with three hundred people, who last knew me as a gangly, awkward 17 year old. I started to look back on my life, and what I had and hadn't accomplished. I started to compare myself with lives I knew nothing about, and eventually, I began to drive myself mad. My reunion eventually came around, and after an evening of mingling and hob-nobbing, I came home feeling a certain sense of satisfaction.

Nearly everyone I had spoken to, who had graduated from university had done the exact same thing. They graduated, found themselves a job which turned into a career, found a partner, got married, and either started a family, or, were well on their way to having children. I found myself repeating the same sentiment over and over, "Oh, how wonderful, that sounds so great". And no sooner had the words left my lips, I could read the disappointment on their faces as they realized that their lives hadn't quite gone the way they expected them to. I was regaling one of my many African adventure stories to a couple of my classmates, when before I knew it, I had drawn in a small crowd. I looked into the faces of my educated colleagues. A pharmacy tech, a marine biologist, a lawyer, a chartered accountant, it was a room teeming with successful professionals, with important careers, yet I was the main attraction.

So why was I so different? Well, for one, I took a few extra years to complete my first degree. I didn't see the rush! As a young student, I never understood why everyone was in such a big hurry to be what we deemed a "grown-up", doing grown-up things like starting a family, and getting a mortgage. When I closed my last book, I booked myself a ticket to Thailand. And over the course of the last four years, I'd been stepped foot on five different continents, and experienced cultures I'd only read about in National Geographic. And as I watched their faces light up as I took them on a journey through the jungles of Northern Thailand, I realized as I said goodbye to them that night, they were left inspired but sad, wondering why they hadn't done the same thing.

Travel is the most exquisite gift you can give to yourself. And after spending the last four years cooped amidst the stacks, stepping out into the world, literally, is beneficial not only to yourself, but also to those you converse with. It opens your mind, humbles you, and reminds you that life is so much more than Christmas vacations with the -in-laws, dentist appointments, cubicles, office meetings, and anything else mundane. There is an entire world beyond your doorstep, so get the heck out there and live it!

Hmmm, I Didn't Think About That!

Do you remember when you were nearing the end of your high school days and your parents, teachers and school counselors were trying to prepare you for college? Maybe you had a conversation with your parents about finances and ensuring you stick to a budget. And maybe your teachers were emphasizing the need for you to get exceptional grades to ensure that you have plenty of options when you started to apply for post-secondary institutions. And maybe your school counselor coached you on what it meant to leave high school, and tried to provide you with tips to help navigate your way through the next four years. But during this time, we're young and impressionable and still need a great deal of guidance.

In the latter part of our college years, we've grown into responsible young adults, capable of running our own lives. We will often seek out guidance to determine our career path, and try to find coping mechanisms that will allow us to go out into the big bad world. But sometimes, but in life, there are issues that pop up, that we're not quite prepared for! Here are a few things to consider when you start making your own way in the world.

1) Dealing with the Debt Monster! Almost every college student in America is racked with debt that feels insurmountable. It really isn't. When the time comes to repay sit down with the "community" (the family) and work out a long term and short term repayment plan so there are no surprises and you can have realistic expectations. You think your budget was tight in college? Just wait until you have to start paying grown up bills like rent, utilities, medical costs, groceries etc. Debt effects you both financially and emotionally, and it's important to take care of your state of mind as much as your fragile bank account!

2) Friends Don't Come Easy. When I finished my first degree, I was completely caught off guard by how difficult it was to meet new people. In college, for a significant amount of time, you are surrounded by people who are close to you in age and share many of the same interests. There are any number of clubs and organizations on campus that you can become a part of, but when you graduate, that safety net is no longer there. And just like high school, you will most likely lose contact with many of your college friends as they move on with their careers. In the big bad world, it's not a popularity contest. It's going to take some serious effort to meet quality individuals that are going to contribute something good to your life.

3) A New Wardrobe, New Grown-up Life! College, like high school, may have been a bit of a fashion show, but opportunity won't come knocking just because you look cute in your new oxfords. When you start hunting for that dream job, you are going to need a grown up wardrobe. First impressions are absolutely everything, and what you wore in class to impress your colleagues may not be acceptable in an interview setting.

To Move Home or Not to, That is The Question!

The college years are full of discovery, and new found freedom. Your mind is open, your heart is open and your wallet is hemorrhaging! The price for admission to a college life is quickly creeping towards being an option only available to a privileged few. So here you are, one of the privileged few. You may not feel so privileged when you've got the weight of an entire college degree's worth of debt on your shoulders. Here you are standing at the edge of the world, your business degree from Saint Leo University in hand, and it's time for you to start banging on some doors to make it all worth while. But without the luxury of time and money, someone could come knocking on your door with their hand out, expecting payback for all those college years. So to avoid that, you have to make some tough decisions.

Even the idea of moving home after college can bring just about as much dread as a crippling tuition bill. But you're a grown up now, and it's time to make grown-up decisions. You need to take a good hard look at your financial situation. There are a few poignant questions that need to be addressed; Are you currently employed, and if so, do you make enough to pay to live, pay off debt,  and have the time to seek out a career in the field you graduated in? Sounds impossible doesn't it. Of course it isn't, you just have to be prepared to make some tough choices.

Moving Home - It's time for a heart-to-heart with Mom and Dad. Moving home is the ultimate way to save money. Save up to buy a house and save up for an emergency fund so when you do eventually move out that way you'll have a nest egg to support you in case you fall on hard times. Another great thing about moving home is that you don't feel like you're in a pressure cooker, you have the luxury of time so you can find your dream job!

Some may argue that moving home is more stressful than living out on your own because of tensions or family issues. This is entirely possible, but perhaps you can use this as a time to heal old wounds, and work on your relationship with them. If the past is irreparable, than perhaps it isn't the best idea, and you need to seek out alternative, and affordable living arrangements. But if this is an option for you, it could be a win-win situation for all involved; Your parents get to put off their empty-nest syndrome a little longer, and you get to save a boatload of cash so you can pay down your debt, and start building a better life for yourself.