counselor

instructor

shelter support worker

employment consultant

associate manager

Costi

I enjoyed working with about 4 different programs in 4 different locations. E.G.From working with 2 other people,to working with 1 other person; and from working with specific age-groups to mixed age groups;from working with long-term care to short-term Care and from working in one locations at a time  to working at alternative locations in a month! And eventually working by myself. 
I leant more about my ability to adapt and to be flexible and how much I  like Changing my environment to caete new  outlooks and a variety of experiences.. In addition to that,I learned that I worked well with others as wel as by myself, I know how to handle people and children from all walks of life in different set-ups  with ease. My interpersonal communication skills were sharpened.

. The hardest part of my job was dealing with children's separation anxiety; and learning how to emotionally detatch myself from children, soon after helping them settled in. Because most of these programs are not designed as long term as ordinary Day Cares,due to the nature of the clientelle,alot of stress was involved.. The parents used the programs,as needed,while pursuing other goals or services like L.I.N.C ,ESL programs,Employment, Settlement or Job workshops services and left accordingly. CNC was designed as Care for New Comers in transition.

The most enjoyable part was engaging in activities with children of all ages,alot of whom had not had opportunities to learn and play!  Seeing their glee faces while learning to play with different toys and games was fulfilling to me. Watching them laughing  AND opening up into self-expressionsuages,with curiosity,even in their own languages  was pure joy. The best part was when they did not want to leave! The parents were always in awe of how much the children felt safe andcomfortable in a fun program provided,even in the shortest possible time spent in the program. The case workers were eager to bring children whose parents were having a hard time with discipline. That gave me an opportunity to challenge myself and to put my extensive work experience with children of all ages to the test.

As an intern, I work as administrative assistant helping newcomers with international qualifications assess the variety of opportunities that are available to them. Each day, I respond to prospective clients' enquiries, giving them information about the organization's programs and eligibility criteria, sometimes directing them to other services they can fit into.

I learnt the customer services procedures (answering of calls and forwarding of such to appropriate officer) in relation to different categories of people, workplace hazards & Harassment, my rights and that of others.

My co-workers are a fun to be with. Despite being an African, I don't feel segregated and they are always ready to assist me whenever the need calls for it. In a nutshell, I see them as my family.

The hardest part is the silence I experience especially on days when there were few or no call-in / walk-in clients. However, I spent those periods in gathering information about opportunities that abound for me to help me improve in the discharge of my duties.

The most enjoyable part is seeing satisfaction and approval in the faces of our clients. I'm always happy knowing I have been able to give hope to someone. Also being part of my work agreement with my employer, I find joy in studying online and attending job fairs, seminars & training workshops.

In a typical day in my position  as a case worker assistant stars with making sure what client i will visit that day and get all the information ready for the visit. Also Throughout the day I completed various administrative duties, including preparing client's reports and maintaining those reports in the agency database as well  answering phones, and  drafting documents and emails.
.  
Everyday I learn different things, since we always work with different type of clients.  The fact that we always work with different clients allows me to learn how to improve my cultural sensitivity skills. Being respectful with my coworkers and be able to communicate well with them and with my clients are very important skills in this type of work.

There is not a hard part on this job. I will say that the challenging  part of this job is to work with strict deadlines. Also reducing and managing caseloads are challenging, however with great planning skills and  case management skills makes the scenario way different.

The most enjoyable part of my job is to work as a team work, and making our clients to have access to their needed services. I also enjoy working with different people from different cultures and different way of thinking,since I always learn different things .

In a typical day, I helped individuals with their search for employment, skills training, and sometimes housing and other necessities.  Every day was different, and when dealing with individuals new to Toronto, I learned a lot of interesting things about the different 'norms' in our clients places of origin; this was very helpful in finding the appropriate avenue for them to pursue.  I gave many workshops and information sessions to our various groups to help answer questions and help them with their future planning.  I took pride in providing exceptional client service.  I am always careful to listen attentively and treat everyone as an individual with their own unique needs.  The most enjoyable part of all of my positions is to see a positive change in clients in the form of increased self confidence/self esteen, and sometimes to see something they had been working toward materalize and come to fruition... to see them happy, and know I was able to play a part in their success.

I have worked for some great organizations in some very rewarding roles.

I have learned that besides professional competence the key role is playing experience and knowledge at work with newcomers and refugees. It is not enough just to do your job, very often you need to go beyond  duties because this is work with people who are refugees, and who are new to Canada. Refugees are people who have fled their countries because of a well-founded fear of widespread persecution and who are unable to return home. I must say that COSTI provides all possible assistance to their clients. All staff members is very supportive and professional with deep knowledge in legislator, policies, case management, referrals,  languages, and also possess experience in work that they are doing. Work with people might be very challenging  in some way, but from another side is very rewarding. I enjoy seeing positive outcomes of our work at COSTI. The best possible reward for my work is to see clients happy and satisfied, with set of knowledge that can enable them to start a new life in Canada.

•	Involved in all aspects of Reception Center, working with refugee families and individuals by doing intake,
•	Facilitate RAP orientation sessions to ensure warm welcome and easier settlement of clients 
•	 Provided supportive settlement services to newly arrived immigrants through interpretation services and on-going client support 
•	 Assisted housing counselor in securing permanent accommodation for clients
•	 Escorted clients to various appointment including healthcare, applications of identification, and financial services
•	 Conduct fellow up on client assessment while ensuring they are receiving fellow assistant.
•	 Implement life skill workshop and ensure that the client were able to become an effective members of the community

A great employer to work for with the exception they need to evolve with changing times. Professional Development required for staff, a bit more structure should be in place, performance appraisals should be a must.  The union should be made obsolete. Overall however some locations are excellent to work at. They support individuals looking for a new pathway.  I loved my job there.

A very fast paced environment and always learning new things from people coming to the center. Always researching on programs offered in Ontario, whether free or paid and at the end of the day you are very resourceful.
I really appreciate the managers of all locations within the organization for their support and team spirit.

Each day was different. The management team were very supportive and encouraging. Everyone said good morning and talked to you - they never made it feel like you were alone. The hardest part of the job is that it was very fast paced and since everyday was different, you had to learn new things each day and pick it up really quick. The most enjoyable part was that we hosted job fairs and workshops and went out of the office once in a while.

It has to be worst place that I ever worked and there have been some. The organization purpose is to help new people which have moved to Canada, but they fail to do this. 

The organization staff is mainly made up of newcomers to Canada but management treats these people with no respect and they try their hardest not to pay their staff what is owed to them by tricking their employee's who don't know their rights as they are new to Canada. 

If you do know your rights, Management will find a reason to terminate your employment.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Counselor 8 salaries reported	$56,860 per year
Instructor 11 salaries reported	$40.96 per hour
Shelter support worker 14 salaries reported	$48,967 per year
Employment consultant 5 salaries reported	$59,602 per year
Associate manager 4 salaries reported	$33.86 per hour

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