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Workshops & Events

The Career Centre offers free workshops to assist with your employment needs. As everyone has a different approach to learning, we offer our workshops face-to-face, via Zoom or for those who prefer to learn at their own pace, an option for online learning.

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There are no upcoming events.

Latest Past Events

May 19, 2025

Closed for Victoria Day

The Career Centre 3 - 187 Bagshaw St, Parksville

April 21, 2025 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Career Centre Closed – Easter Monday

The Career Centre 3 - 187 Bagshaw St, Parksville

April 18, 2025 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Career Centre Closed – Good Friday

The Career Centre 3 - 187 Bagshaw St, Parksville

LEARN IN A SMALL GROUP SETTING

LEARN IN A SMALL GROUP SETTING

Learn in-person or via Zoom

LEARN ONLINE AT YOUR OWN PACE

LEARN ONLINE AT YOUR OWN PACE

Learn at your own pace...in your own space

Written by Julie Fowler on Apr 23, 2025. Posted in

Discover Our Workshops

Word Processing & Internet Basics

Skill Development
This one-on-one support session will guide you through word processing basics. Using Microsoft Word, you will learn how to save, open and modify documents. Learn the skills you need to search and apply for jobs online, including the basics of searching the web and using email.
Career Planning

Career Decision-Making & Personality Assessments
Using Career Cruising ™, you will clarify your personal and career objectives, ensuring you create a strong foundation to move forward with your career goals.
Career Cruising ™: This is a Canadian based tool in which the participants complete personal inventories of the tasks they prefer to do at a job, incorporating subject matter that holds their interest. The user can go into a great deal of detail about how suitable the job may be for him/her. The software provides a list of suitable occupations to research, based on the given responses. As clients are exploring occupations, they are able to view online interviews through “A Day in the Life” which features people actually working in a particular area of interest.
This workshop is suitable for people entering the workforce for the first time or those wanting to reconnect with their passion following a significant absence from the workforce.
Here’s what workshop participants had to say...

“Great course and well presented.”

“Assessment opened my mind.”

“This workshop taught me how to realistically pick a career, not just what I want to do.”

“I learned that I can get through the obstacles that get in my way!”

“I learned the variety of resources available for career research and development.”
Creating Your Own Employment

Career Decision-Making & Personality Assessments
Is self-employment for you? Come to this lively workshop and discover if you are suited to running your own business. Learn about consumer trends, how to move your business idea forward and access resources to further explore this exciting opportunity.
Finding the Fit with Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment®
Career Decision-Making & Personality Assessments
The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment® is considered to be a valid and reliable tool for those changing or seeking their first career. Success in a career is dependent not only on your skills and training but also on the inter-relationship between your personality preferences and activities in the job.
Objectives of the workshop:
- To provide tools for self-awareness
- To highlight differences in each other
  - Where we get our energy
  - How we gather information
  - How we make decisions
  - How we appear to others
- To understand your dominant preference and the sequence of your type development
- Apply what you have learned about personality type to your job/career search
You must first meet with an Employment Consultant to register for this workshop.
Here's what one workshop participant had to say...
“Thank you so much for your insight, positivity & PATIENCE! Outstanding presentation!”
Know Your Personality Dimensions®

Career Decision-Making & Personality Assessments
Use Personality Dimensions® to identify your work interests, strengths and values. Gain a better understanding of yourself and others while exploring the occupations that best fit your personality and career goals.
You must first meet with an Employment Consultant.
Here’s what workshop participants had to say…

”Fun workshop!”

“Insight into myself and others behaviours and interactions.”

“Good information to take into every angle of life.”

“Learned lots of things about myself and working with others.”
Resumes and Cover Letters

Job Search
Learn how to create and organize a resume and cover letter so employers can understand your skills and qualifications. By the end of the session participants will be able to:
Identify the characteristics of a good resume / Identify the benefits and drawbacks of the 3 types of resumes / Identify the standard elements found in a resume / Write effective accomplishment statements / Identify cover letter uses, styles and formats / Identify employers stated and unstated needs from job ads / Identify the components of a cover letter / Write a powerful first opening sentence
This workshop also includes “what to do” and “what not to do” when writing and formatting resumes. No computer skills required.
Here's what workshop participants had to say...
“Enjoyed continuing education.”

“Very, very helpful.”

“The instructor was very friendly and made me feel comfortable. I’m glad I attended.”

“Unbelievable! I was treated like a “king” today. I finished my resume and the help I received was over and above my expectations.”
Acing the Interview
Job Search
Successful interviewing is essential to receive a job offer. This workshop contains tips and strategies for effective interviewing from preparation to follow up.
We help you ‘Ace the Interview’ by:
- Putting you in the shoes of the employer – you decide who to hire
- Outlining how to effectively prepare for an interview
- Providing strategies for commonly asked questions in employment interviews
- Understanding how to answer behavioural questions using the STAR model
- Creating safe opportunities for practice and feedback
Following this workshop some people find it beneficial to video record mock interviews. If you are interested in a video recorded session, please speak to an employment consultant.
Here's what workshop participants had to say...
“The instructor was great and always responded very knowledgeably to difficult questions.”

“This workshop opened my eyes to what I have to do to prepare for interviews.”
Beyond the Postings - Finding Work in Oceanside
Job Search
Eighty percent of jobs are not advertised. Learn the tools you need to successfully access this hidden job market. Gain an understanding of the local economy and find work faster.
If in your job search you are looking only at posted jobs, i.e. classifieds and internet, you are missing 80% of the available positions. Not only that, you have a lot of competition as there will be many people applying for the same job as you!
In this workshop you will learn how to:
- Identify sources of and research labour market information
- Identify key aspects of the local labour market
- Conduct a job search guided by current, relevant economic trends, statistics, opportunities and projects.
Beyond the Postings will give you tools to access the hidden job market and understand the local economy.
Here's what workshop participants had to say...
“Excellent! Great facilitator and guest speaker.”

“My next step will be using the information learned in this workshop to help me find employment.”
Branding "You"

Job Search
Learn how you can create your own employment opportunities or find existing ones faster by actively networking and marketing your unique set of skills.
Here’s what one workshop participant had to say…
“Excellent! Great facilitator and guest speaker.”
Hot Leads Hour

Job Search
Start your week's job search off right at this Wednesday morning check in. Receive job leads for the week and learn about job search strategies that are working for local job seekers.
Here's what workshop participants had to say...
“Hot Leads was very informative. I met some really great people, received some good tips and tricks as well as leads from other attendees.”

“Well worth the short amount of time required to attend, plus it gave me hope meeting others and later hearing of their success in securing a job through a lead.”
Learn Linkedin

Job Search
LinkedIn enables you to leverage your network and personal brand, enhancing your job search. Let us help you to create your LinkedIn account!
Bring samples of your work and images to include in your profile as it will be a hands-on workshop in the lab.
Here’s what workshop participants had to say…
“I enjoyed that we could all work from where we're at.”

“It's been so nice to have the guidance.”

“Definitely helpful.”

“LinkedIn is an extremely valuable way to network and search for possible careers.”
Business Planning

Self-Employment
This 2 day workshop follows the Exploring Entrepreneurship class and will take the information learned to write a concise and thorough business plan that covers all aspects of business operation. Held at Community Futures’ office in Parksville (#203 -153 Memorial Avenue).
You must first meet with an Employment Consultant to register for this workshop.
Here’s what workshop participants had to say…
“The workshop really broke down the process step by step on how to write a business plan.”

“Writing a good business plan helped me to make less mistakes when I started my business.”
Exploring Entrepreneurship

Self-Employment
Part One: Is self-employment for you? Discover if you are suited to running your own business., Learn about consumer trends, how to move your business idea forward and access resources to further explore this exciting opportunity.
Part Two: Must meet program eligibility. For those with a desire to start a new, or buy and existing business. This workshop will provide an overview of the critical steps to consider before taking the plunge into self-employment.
Self Employment Info Session

Self-Employment
Part One: Is self-employment for you? Discover if you are suited to running your own business. Learn about consumer trends, how to move your business idea forward and access resources to further explore this exciting opportunity.
Part Two: Must meet program eligibility. For those with a desire to start a new, or buy and existing business. This workshop will provide an overview of the critical steps to consider before taking the plunge into self-employment.
Single Employment Initiative

Self-Employment
This program aims to remove barriers to employment for single parents on income and disability assistance by providing them with the supports they need to secure long-term and sustainable employment.

Career Centre

#3 - 187 Bagshaw Street
Parksville, BC V9P 0J3
Tel. 250.248.3205
Fax. 250.248.4154

Hours
Mon-Tues 8:30am-4:30pm
Wed 8:30am-6:00pm
Thurs-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm

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#3 - 187 Bagshaw Street
Parksville, BC V9P 0J3
Tel. 250.248.3205
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8:30am-4:30pm; Wed: 8:3am-6:00pm

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