Tell us about your business/organization and what makes you stand out as an employer? 

Tutoring…With A Twist is the only tutoring agency that guarantees success beyond the classroom. We tutor all subject areas, all grades, all ability levels and all learning styles. We are unique as an employer as the founder, Amber Scotchburn, started the business herself at her kitchen table in little, old Nanoose Bay. Amber built the business herself from the ground up which means that she has carried out each of the roles that are expected of the tutors! She personally works with each tutor to ensure they will experience success with their learners. Read what one of our Twisted Tutors, Chris Bordeleau, shared about working with us.

How many employees do you have? 

At the moment we have 19 employees. This includes our CEO, 16 Twisted Tutors, and a fantastical marketing team. A fun fact to share – we got our first employee (Doreen Sayer) from The Career Centre, read what she shared about working with us.

What do you look for in a new employee? 

First and foremost, we look for someone who is Twisted. We do not train in The Twist so all applicants must ensure that they fully understand and want to embrace The Twist as part of how they educate. You may be asking yourself “What is The Twist?”.  In a nutshell, we want every child to feel as though they can learn and that they enjoy learning!  All of our Twisted Tutors have Criminal Record Check. This, like the Twist, is non-negotiable! Most of our Twisted Tutors are certified teachers. That said, we do entertain applicants who are not certified teachers, based on their unique education, experiences and skill sets. We are always looking out for specialty tutors for those with specific needs: higher level maths, languages, and special education, to name a few. We are flexible with our locations and scheduling! This means that we are looking for an employee that has a passion for education that they want to share and is also happy to set their own hours. Given our current pandemic situation, all tutoring is happening online. When the pandemic restrictions lift, tutors can choose to continue working online and/or work out of the library of their choice.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for your organization? 

1. Research the tutoring industry.  Learn more about the duties of a tutor. We wrote a blog, How To Become A Tutor, that you may want to check out.

2. Apply!  Visit the Join Our Team page on our Tutoring…With A Twist website. You will see (by clicking this link) that we ask a lot of “interview” type questions ahead of time. Why, because when we meet you in person, we want you to show up as who you are, as opposed to being who you feel your employer (us) wants you to be.

3. Show up as yourself.  We match learners with tutors. A parent knows that we ensure our tutors are well educated & have a criminal reference checks, so their more important concern is: “Who is this person that I’m trusting my child with?”. We want to be able to answer that and are able to do so when a potential employee shows up as themselves!

4. Ensure The Twist is the right fit for you.  The hiring process is not only about the organization but about the individuals that make it up. Ask questions to fully understand the expectations and to ensure that this Twisted organization is the right fit for you!

5. Ask yourself: Are you ready to be part of a team?  We pride ourselves at looking at everybody as member for our team. This means the obvious people like the other tutors! However, this also includes the families that we work with and the not so obvious people, like the library staff (as we typically have always worked out of the libraries). A team mindset means that when we are looking at a potential problem, we are looking at how every member of our team might be affected by the solutions we pose.

Do you anticipate hiring in the next 6 months?  If so, for what types of positions? 

Yes! We generally are always hiring meaning that we are always open to receiving applications and then, hold interviews every 2-3 months. Given the current climate, we expect that the need for tutoring will increase. This may increase the frequency of our interviews!

What is the best way for someone to apply if they are interested in working for your organization?

Venture over to our Join The Team page on our website. Please mention in that application that you heard about us from reading this article!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tell us about your business/organization and what makes you stand out as an employer?

Island Health provides a comprehensive range of progressive health services to the 765,000 residents of Vancouver Island and adjacent coastal communities.

We offer an exceptional employer-paid benefits package (depending on position) including dental and prescription coverage, group life, long term disability and extensive extended health plan, plus up to four weeks’ vacation after your first year of employment.

 

How many employees do you have?

Approximately 24,500 employees, 1,900 physician partners and 3,000 volunteers across the region.

 

What do you look for in a new employee?

We are always searching for people who are passionate and dedicated to providing the highest quality of patient care.

The ideal candidate would be motivated and goal-oriented, with an eagerness to learn. They would adapt well to change, challenge any obstacles with a positive attitude and have the ability to think outside the box. They would work well individually and in a team environment.

 

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for your organization?

Explore your options!

We have a wide variety of work environments from rural/remote hospitals to busy, urban hospitals and everything in between!

Consider your lifestyle.

Would you prefer working in a remote community on northern Vancouver Island where you have access to incredible outdoor recreational opportunities and cultural experiences or would you prefer to live in an urban setting with easy access to a variety of restaurants, festivals and shopping?

Search our career opportunities.

Visit our VI-Hire website and search all current job postings. We are always hiring talented people – and may have an opportunity for you!

 

Do you anticipate hiring in the next 6 months?  If so, for what types of positions?

We are always hiring talented people! Some of the positions we are currently hiring for include:

• Registered Nurses / Specialty Nurses
• Lab Techs
• Physiotherapists
• Community Health Workers
• Cooks
• Food Service Workers/Food Service Supervisors
• Environmental Service Workers
   

What is the best way for someone to apply if they are interested in working for your organization?

Visit the How To Apply page on our website. This is a great resource on how to navigate the Island Health Career Centre and our job application tracking system (VI-Hire). You can search current opportunities, create a profile and set up job alerts for new job postings.

Search current Island Health careers.

 

 

In lieu of this month’s Employer of the Month feature, we’d like to share some suggestions for finding employers to connect with during your job search in this unprecedented time.

 

Essential Services

By government definition, essential services are those daily services essential to preserving life, health, public safety and basic societal functioning. They are the services British Columbians come to rely on in their daily lives.

Essential services fall under the following sectors:

• Health and Health Services
  • Direct-to-Public Health Services
  • Health Service Providers
• Law Enforcement, Public Safety, First Responders and Emergency Response Personnel
• Vulnerable Population Service Providers
• Critical Infrastructure Service Providers
• Food and Agriculture Service Providers
• Retail
• Transportation, Infrastructure and Manufacturing
• Sanitation
• Communications, Information Sharing and Information Technology (IT)
• Non-Health Essential Service Providers

For a fully detailed list of all essential services within those sectors, during COVID-19: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/essential-services-covid-19

 

Keep an eye on our Career Centre job board.

Stay up-to-date with the latest positions, as posted directly by local employers.

https://www.careercentre.org/find-a-job/

 

Research companies who have had to pivot their business or change their mandate during this time, to see if they need help.

Examples of business pivoting:

• In-person services shifting to online services
• Distilleries making hand sanitizer
• Restaurants shifting to delivery model (often contactless)
• Manufacturers shifting to production of health protective wear, such as gloves and masks, and vital health equipment, such as ventilators

 

Please check back next month for our regular feature.

 Stay safe and well, and please reach out to us for ongoing job search support.