Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Great Connections Build Great Career Success

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

After a brief hiatus, I am pleased to be blogging again! The past few months have been incredibly busy at BOWEN. As I mentioned in previous posts, we moved offices, launched a new logo and created our Shine Fund, which is dedicated to helping families in need and creating a community where everyone shines. Of course, during this time, all of our day-to-day business operations have continued on at their regular fast pace. The Calgary job market is definitely on the upswing and we are seeing an increase in optimism and opportunities.

Our work at BOWEN is really all about connecting people. I think our new tag line of “Bright people. Bright futures.” nicely sums up our team’s purpose. We want to connect high-calibre candidates with the right job opportunities, and at the same time, introduce our clients to Western Canada’s top talent. Of course, we do much more than that through our other services such as Flexible Workforce Management and Outsourced HR. However, at the core, we want to create and build connections that create success for everyone, whether it is an individual, corporation or one of the amazing non-profit organizations that are dedicated to making our community a better place.

With Stampede starting tomorrow, there will be plenty of opportunities for networking, building connections and of course, having fun. Have a look at my July 9, 2010 blog post for some tips on how to make the most of your Stampede events. Feel free to contact the BOWEN team if you’d like to learn more about how great connections lead to greater career success.

BOWEN Launches On-Line Just in Time for Twestival!

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

There are times when the stars seem to align and the perfect opportunity comes along at just the right time. Such is the case with BOWEN’s sponsorship of Calgary’s Twestival on March 24, 2011.

In my blog, I’ve written several times about how important an online presence is to your job search. As a workforce solutions company, BOWEN recognizes the huge potential for online recruitment opportunities as well. Over the past several months, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to prepare to introduce our new logo at the same time that we launch corporate Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and YouTube accounts and today is the day! While our new website isn’t quite ready for a reveal, it’s also coming soon.

When the opportunity to get involved as a sponsor of Twestival came up, it was easy to get involved and part of our social media rollout. If you don’t know about Twestival, please check it out at http://calgary.twestival.com/

Twestival was created by a woman from Calgary, and was born to bring Twitter users together in support of local and international initiatives. Since then, over 200 cities have participated in Twestival, raising close to $1.2 million for important global and local causes like clean water and education. This year, Twestival will be held on March 24th and the Calgary event will support Making Changes, a great organization that “empowers women by providing knowledge and a selection of work attire for their transition into the workplace”.

Giving back to the community by supporting organizations that help families in need is a priority at BOWEN and sponsoring an event that helps women enter or re-enter the workforce aligns closely with our community investment philosophy.

I’m excited about the event, about ramping up our online activities and about connecting with many of you through our social networks. Please take a minute and get connected with the “new” BOWEN!

It’s a New Day at BOWEN

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

After countless months of hard work, the BOWEN team has moved into our new space. As I look around our new office environment and talk with employees, it is easy to see that change is a good thing. Our new home features an open space concept that invites collaboration and communication. The Beltline location offers ample parking for our candidates and clients. I think it is a place that you will want to come for a visit!

After we get settled in, we are planning open house events for both our clients and candidates. We have much to share! In the interim, it is business as usual and we are here to help job seekers find that perfect new opportunity, and employers access the right workforce solutions for their organization.

Just a reminder of our new address: Suite 700, 602 - 12th AVE SW, Calgary, T2R 1J3. Our phone numbers and email are the same.

We look forward to your visit!

BOWEN ON THE MOVE

Friday, February 18th, 2011

I am excited to share with you that BOWEN is on the move. After operating in Calgary’s downtown core for 37 years, we are moving to the Beltline area (Suite 700, 602 - 12 AVE SW), which will be our new home effective February 28, 2011.

Our move coincides with many new developments at BOWEN, including a new logo, expanded service offerings and new opportunities for both our candidates and clients.

It is going to be a change for us but to put things in perspective, our new office is only four blocks from our current location. Without a doubt, the next couple weeks will be a little chaotic with all of the moving preparations (our office is a bit of a mess with all the boxes right now), however, it is still business as usual leading up to and during our move. You will still be able to reach us through our existing phone and email contacts, including our main number of 403-262-1156 and info@bowenworks.ca.

Thank you for your patience and I look forward to sharing more about our new BOWEN in the posts to come!

Women of Influence Award Nomination is a True Honour

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

I am deeply honoured to be nominated for a Women of Influence award. This award is presented annually in acknowledgement of women who are making a difference in communities across Canada. Giving back is something that is really important to me and my family. I love giving of my time and resources to worthwhile organizations that are truly making our community a better place for everyone.

 

For the past 10 years, my husband, Peter and I have raised money for women and children in need in community, by hosting the Scott Smed Memorial Golf Tournament, in honour of our son. To date, we’ve raised over $600,000 with the help of incredible sponsors and friends. This has been one of the most amazing and inspiring experiences of my life.

 

I love reading stories about people who have a heart for philanthropy. I hope you will be inspired by what you read here: http://survey.womenofinfluenceinc.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=l2LH874  and I encourage you to take the time to vote for the women you connect with…

 

Voting ends Oct. 15, 2010.

Bullying Discussion Heats Up

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

On Saturday, Jun 12, the Calgary Herald featured an article about BOWEN’s Bullying in the Workplace seminars.

If you haven’t had a chance to read it, check it out here:

//www.calgaryherald.com/life/Bullying+workplace+rise/3145498/story.html

Interestingly, the story resulted in some great responses from Herald readers who were happy to see that this important topic was being discussed!

Yesterday, newspapers across Canada were picking up the story based on Queen’s University’s School of Business research that shows workplace bullying can be more damaging than racial or gender harassment. Interestingly,the Province of Ontario is preparing to pass a bill that will require employers to “develop and communicate workplace violence prevention policies, assess the risks of workplace violence, and take reasonable precautions to protect workers from domestic violence in the workplace”.

(http://http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/canada/Bullying+work+worse+than+gender+racial+harassment+Report/3151623/story.html

Quebec and Saskatchewan already have similar legislation in place. Let’s hope it is not long before every province follows suits. Workplace bullying is wrong - plain and simple!

Hats off to everyone in the staffing industry!

Monday, June 7th, 2010

This week is Staffing Week in Canada, and I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the incredible team of staffing professionals at BOWEN, as well as the employers who come to us seeking assistance for a wide variety of workforce needs, and to the job seekers who ask for our help with their careers.

I recently celebrated my 26th anniversary with BOWEN and can honestly say I still love coming to work each day. This is a dynamic and challenging industry, that is also very rewarding. There is such satisfaction in helping people find a job that will carry them along their career path and balance their work / life responsibilities! At the same time, I am honoured that so many of Canada’s top companies have trusted BOWEN’s experience and expertise, and invited us to essentially become part of their human resource and business teams.

The past few years have been particularly challenging for the staffing industry, as we were so directly impacted by the economic downturn and the effects on business. However, there is a positive shift happening and I know that regardless of what the future holds, we will continue to give our best to the employers and job seekers who want our help. Congratulations to all who are part of the staffing industry and enjoy the week!

Tweet, Tweet, Jumping onto Twitter

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

I’m on a learning curve but am excited to be venturing into the world of social media. From all I’ve been seeing and reading, it is becoming an essential part of an organization’s entire marketing approach. I know there is still much to learn but one of the things that really appeals to me about social media is the opportunity for virtual networking and dialogue in such an informal, easy way. My tweets are somewhat infrequent, but I am starting to post more regularly. If you’d like to follow me on Twitter, you can find me at http://twitter.com/sbowensmed. I’d love to hear from you and look forward to more chats in the future.

Thank you for Making BOWEN Your Choice

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

The results of the Calgary Herald Reader’s Choice Awards were announced this week and once again, BOWEN was one of the top picks for staffing companies. This particular award has always been especially meaningful to me because it is a “people’s choice” award.

One of our highest priorities at BOWEN is to provide both job seekers and employers with exceptional customer service. This has been a foundation of our company since it first began in 1974.

There is no doubt that this past year has been particularly difficult for people looking for work. It is my hope that when candidates come to us seeking help, they feel that we are genuinely committed to helping them through a tough job market. 

The same goes for employers. BOWEN continues to offer our expertise and support to these organizations, becoming part of their team to navigate through these difficult waters. 

Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for BOWEN for the Reader’s Choice awards. Your support and acknowledgement of our work is deeply appreciated by all of us.

The Power of Persistence

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a fundraiser for Inn from the Cold featuring keynote speaker Christopher Gardner, the inspiration behind the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness”.

It was truly a remarkable evening and he is one of the best speakers I have ever heard! Many of you are probably familiar with his story , as portrayed in the movie, of being homeless on the streets of San Francisco.  As a parent, I was deeply touched by the sacrifices he made to try to shield his son from their hardships and give him as normal a life as possible.

Chris was working during their period of homelessness and had a burning desire within to become successful in the field of finance.  After earning a spot in the Dean Witter Reynolds training program, Chris began to pursue his dream of becoming a broker.  He talked about how he would make 200 calls a day in hopes of building his “book” or business.

Think about it! 200 phone calls a day!  He joked that his finger was permanently crooked from dialing the phone!

I can’t help but think there is a lesson in his story - particularly as it relates to having the persistence to overcome tough situations.  He was willing to start at the bottom, work hard and set big goals.  Through persistence and a whole lot of hard work, he has exceeded beyond even his wildest dreams.

Each day at BOWEN, our recruiters meet with unemployed candidates who are discouraged by the soft job market and who have knocked on a lot of doors to try to find a new opportunity.

I use the Chris Gardner story as an illustration to encourage anyone who is currently looking for work or wanting to better their current work situation to keep trying.  Keep calling, sending resumes, following up with your network and talking to people.  Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom.  With persistence and a belief in yourself, the doors will open and you will create a new opportunity.