Underlying, enduring traits useful for performing a specified act or task, either physical or mental. Such powers can be learned or innate. For instance, oral comprehension is the ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Adult Basic Education usually refers to bringing adults who did not complete high school to a functioning level in reading, arithmetic and science that enables them to obtain their high school diploma as well as prerequisites for post-secondary programs. It is often referred to as upgrading.

Advising is a dynamic, interactive process that “helps [individuals] understand how their personal interests, abilities, skills and values might predict success in the academic and career fields they are considering and how to form their academic and career goals accordingly”. It involves recommending options that are considered best suited to the individual’s needs.

An Ally is defined as “One in helpful association with another” and in relationship to careers supports another person to achieve their goals and objectives.

Applicant tracking systems – ATS (also automated resume screeners) are software applications that enable the electronic handling of recruitment needs and are designed for recruitment tracking purposes. In many cases they filter applications automatically based on given criteria such as former employers, years of experience and schools attended. Resumes are submitted online and then stored in a database, where searches occur to match resumes to job openings – sometimes even beyond the current opening. Someone has to program keywords and key phrases into the computer so it can do a search and perform the resume screening.

Apprenticeship is a form of post-secondary training that teaches the skills and competencies necessary to perform tasks to an industry standard. It combines paid on-the-job learning under the supervision of a journeyperson with short periods of formal classroom instruction, ending with a certification exam. Apprenticeship leads to certification or licensing in the trades. In Canada, apprenticeship is regulated by the provinces and territories.

Aptitude is an ability, tendency, or capacity in a specific area or discipline, inherited or acquired as the result of environment and life experiences, and is usually measurable with aptitude tests. Aptitudes can be used to predict how likely a person is to succeed in certain environments.

Assessment is a process involving gathering information, identifying issues, needs, and clarifying personal and environmental resources in relation to the issues and needs. Assessment helps individuals to increase self-awareness; understand their career issues; establish work, learning, and/or life balance goals; and provides a foundation for taking action and an indicator of ongoing progress. Assessment methods may include a variety of formal and informal techniques such as standardized and non-standardized instruments, interviews, personality measures, questionnaires, checklists, behavioural observations, and reports by significant others. Assessment can be done in an individual or group context.

Barriers to employment refers to obstacles people experience when looking for work or trying to keep a job. They do not make finding or keeping a job impossible, just more difficult. Some people experience multiple barriers to employment. Some barriers, such as lack of transportation, are temporary and easier to address than others.

A Canadian Forces Base (CFB) is a military installation. Bases provide accommodation and support services for the military units assigned to it.

Behavioural interviewing looks at things in one’s past as evidence of how they might handle situations in the future. They are based on the belief that a person’s past performance on the job is the best predictor of future performance. Behavioural interviews differ from regular interviews by the type of questions asked. The questions used seek to find out how a person will act and react in certain circumstances and how this person would handle different types of situations. They will also elicit “real life” examples of how a candidate has behaved in situations relating to the questions. Many employers now turn to behavioral interview techniques with the hope of improving retention and success rates.

The Canadian Armed Forces Personnel Appraisal System (CFPAS) is a system used to develop military careers and evaluate military members. The CFPAS is very important for military members since it determines the future of their military careers.

The Canadian Army is the land component of the CAF. The Canadian Army is an organized force armed for fighting on land.

CJOC is responsible for anticipating and conducting Canadian Armed Forces operations (less operations conducted solely by North American Aerospace Defence Command or specified operations conducted by Canadian Special Operations Forces Command) and develops, generates and integrates joint force capabilities for operations.

CANSOFCOM is responsible for all Special Forces operations that respond to terrorism and threats to Canadians and Canadian interests around the world.

The ability to successfully increase and apply skills and resources toward the accomplishment of goals and the satisfaction of interest holders’ expectations.

Career is a lifestyle concept that involves the sequence of occupations (paid and unpaid) in which one engages throughout a lifetime, including work, learning and leisure activities.

See Career Transition

Career coaching is the process of working with people to help them assess their skills and make critical and informed career development decisions, as well as helping them to use various tools—résumés, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles—to accomplish their career goals. In general, career coaching tends to be a solution-oriented approach, which involves working with clients to see what concrete steps they can take to achieve their career objectives. It helps people to assess their professional situations with a greater degree of honesty.

Career counselling refers to an individual or group process which emphasizes self-awareness and a better understanding of the world of work. It helps people to develop a satisfying and meaningful life/work direction by helping them make career, educational and life decisions. Career counselling is used to guide learning, work and transition decisions, as well as to manage responses to changing work and learning environments over the lifespan. Its predominant ethos is one of facilitation rather than of advice-giving. Career counselling relationships vary according to need.

A career counsellor provides counselling in educational, career and personal domains. A career counsellor assists individuals to achieve greater self-awareness, develop a life/work direction, increase understanding of learning and work opportunities and become self-directed in managing learning, work and transitions. Career counsellors have a unique scope of practice and specialized counselling competencies–they are fully competent career development practitioners and also fully competent counsellors.

Career development is the lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure, and transitions in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future. There are a number of factors that influence career development, including interests, abilities, values, personality, background, and circumstances. Career development encompasses the development of the whole person and is more than just deciding on a major or a job; It really is a lifelong process, meaning that throughout life a person changes, situations change, and every individual must continually make career and life decisions.

Career practitioners, or career development practitioners (CDPs), facilitate the ability of clients to take charge of their own career development by assisting them in the process of identifying and accessing resources, planning, and managing for their career-life development. It is used as an umbrella term that refers to any direct service provider in the career development field. This includes but is not limited to: career practitioners, career educators, career information specialists, career management consultants, work development officers, employment support workers, work experience coordinators, job developers, placement coordinators, career coaches, and vocational rehabilitation workers.

Career education is the curricula and programs that provide information and experiences that help youth make meaningful career and education decisions, and is generally administered in K-12. It equips students and young people to make meaningful links between general education and work-life roles; to make relevant career choices across their lifespan; to develop a positive attitudes towards change; and to manage recurrent career transitions. Career education can also refer to educational training related to a specific career field.

Career exploration is the process of reflecting on self and learning about the world of work, identifying and exploring potentially satisfying occupations and their corresponding training and educational requirements, and developing an effective strategy to realize your goals, as a basis for making career-life choices over the lifespan.

Career guidance consists of services that help people successfully manage their career development. It is an inclusive term that has been used to describe a range of interventions including career education and counselling, that help people to move from a general understanding of life and work to a specific understanding of the realistic life, learning and work options that are open to them. Career guidance is often thought to incorporate career information, career education and career counselling.

Career information is information related to the world of work that can be useful in the process of career development, including educational, occupational and psycho-social information related to working (e.g., availability of training, the nature of work, the status of workers in different occupations). It is used to support all areas of the career development process.

Career management is a lifelong, self-monitored process of career planning that focuses on choosing and setting personal goals and formulating strategies for achieving them.

Career maturity is the attitudinal and cognitive readiness to cope with the developmental tasks of finding, preparing for, getting established in, pursuing, and retiring from an occupation. It expresses an individual’s readiness to make educational and vocational choices, including planfulness or time perspective, exploration, information, decision making, and reality orientation.

Career path refers to the series of any combination of work roles, occupations, or jobs that a person moves through by design and coincidence as their career unfolds. This route starts with the first job and continues to encompass the roles throughout the entire career. From the company or industry perspective, a career path is a route that may be taken by workers within a matrix of positions that are connected by increased and new acquisition of skills and knowledge.

Career planning is an ongoing process through which a person sets career goals and identifies ways of achieving them. Through career planning, a person identify and evaluates his or her own abilities and interests, objectives, marketable skills, strengths, and weaknesses, etc., and considers alternative career opportunities, establishes career goals, and plans practical developmental activities. Career planning is not an event or end in itself, but a continuous process.

Career portfolio is a collection of words, pictures, and/or the vast array of multimedia possibilities that demonstrate a client’s unique skills and talents. The jobseeker puts together a sample of his/her work in order to help the employer evaluate their abilities. It is commonly used when seeking certain types of employment, for instance in artistic/design fields, yet is not limited to those fields. It is used in self-marketing in order to present one’s best work. It is sometimes also known as a job skills portfolio.

Career readiness, or employment readiness, refers to how developmentally ready (in terms of level of exploration, awareness of implications, and maturity) clients are for making their initial career decisions. Their level of readiness will determine how ready they are to find, acquire, and keep an appropriate job, with little or no outside help, as well as to be able to manage transitions to new jobs.

Career transition (or career change) is the process you think about and maybe decide to undertake when you realize the job/career you have is just not doing it for you. Career change can take place using your current job as the starting point and working from within your company to create something better for yourself (hopefully more in synch with your talents, values and spirit). Career change can also be about moving on and, no matter how long it takes, finding a new and different career you care deeply about.

Taking a “careers lens” in policy development means incorporating a perspective that focuses on the impact of policies and decisions on individuals’ career development and progression. It involves considering how policy choices influence people’s opportunities for skills development, employment, job quality, job security, advancement, support systems, and overall career well-being.

Caregiver for an eligible Veteran or civilian. A primary caregiver is defined as an adult, who lives with the Veteran, and:

• Is the primary provider of care to the Veteran;
• Is not receiving a wage from the Veteran for this care; and
• Is being supported by or had been supported by the Veteran for a continuous period of at least one year before the Veteran passed away or before the Veteran was admitted to a long-term care facility.

A catchment area is a geographical region that is served by a particular Employment Ontario service provider or center. The size and boundaries of a catchment area may vary depending on factors such as population density, demographics, and available resources.

Certification refers to the issuance of a formal document attesting to a set of skills, knowledge and abilities possessed by the holder often linked to the completion of education/training requirements. More and more career development professional associations have initiated – or are in the process of initiating – certification. In Canada, there are two “streams” with respect to certification: one for Career Development Practitioners and the other for Career Counsellors. While there is overlap in these roles, the scope of practice, the requisite competencies and road to certification are distinct.

Dictates a hierarchy of who is in charge of whom, and of whom permission must be asked.

Attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual, group or nation leading to principled moral excellence.

Any individual who is not a member of the CAF or the Department of National Defence. This includes individuals who are employed by the government in civilian roles, as well as members of the public who are not affiliated with the CAF or the Department of National Defence.

Co-op education refers to co-operative education, a structured program that integrates work experience in a student’s field along with academic studies by alternating in-class learning with periods of actual work. The term reflects the co-operative relationship between students, schools and employers that allows students to alternate periods of study with periods of employment. This type of placement enables students to network with employers, gain valuable work experience in their chosen field and earn academic credits.

Short-term relationship lasting until the individual acquires the skills and behaviours sought out. Coaches observe the individual doing a specific task and provide objective feedback and encouragement.

A code of conduct includes policies and rules for employees and employers to follow in the workplace. Often, a company uses its core values, including its mission, to guide the creation of these codes. These guidelines outline how people can appropriately interact with one another at work.

The Code of Service Discipline (CSD) is the basis of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) military justice system. The CSD is designed to assist military commanders in maintaining discipline, efficiency, and morale within the CAF.

The authority vested in an individual of the armed forces for the direction, coordination and control of military forces.

A commission is an official document issued by the government and conferring on the recipient the rank of an officer in the armed forces.

The Government of Canada defines living common-law means as a conjugal relationship with a person who is not your married spouse, and at least one of the following conditions applies: This person has been living with you in a conjugal relationship for at least 12 continuous months. Also see Dependent

Community capacity is the interaction of human, organizational, and social capital existing within a given community that can be leveraged to solve collective problems and improve or maintain the well-being of a given community. It may operate through informal social processes and/or organized efforts by individuals, organizations, and the networks of association among them and between them and the broader systems of which the community is a part.

The ability to do something well.

The combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal attributes that are necessary for an individual to effectively perform a job or task. Competency encompasses both technical and behavioral aspects of job performance and includes both the required knowledge and skills as well as the application of that knowledge and those skills in real-world situations.

Contract employees, also called independent contractors, contract workers, freelancers or work-for-hire staffers, are individuals hired for a specific project or a certain timeframe for a set fee. Often, contract employees are hired due to their expertise in a particular area, like writing or illustration.

Credentials are attestations of qualification, competence, or authority issued to an individual by a third party with a relevant or de facto authority or assumed competence to do so. Thus, it typically refers to formal learning and education (e.g., professional designation, degree, or diploma) required for regulated professions (e.g., engineering, trades, and medicine). However, this emphasis on formal learning has resulted in non-regulated occupations being largely overlooked.

A detailed account of one’s work experience, professional training, and educational background, as prepared by a person applying for a job: in academia the curriculum vitae is used in place of a resume and includes the applicant’s teaching and research experience, a list of publications, and any grants or fellowships awarded.

Demographic trends describe the historical developments and changes in demographics in a population over time. They can relate to changes in a population’s age, gender, geographical location, marital status, educational attainment, employment status, household income, race, religion, and health.

Demographics refer to the physical characteristics of a population such as age, gender, marital status, family size, education, geographic location and occupation.

The Department of National Defence (DND) consists of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and public servants.

Dependent is defined as a member's spouse or common-law partner, as well as their unmarried children who are under the age of majority (usually 18 or 19, depending on the province or territory) and who are dependent on the member for financial support and care.

The CAF recognizes two types of dependents: immediate dependents and secondary dependents. Immediate dependents include a member's spouse or common-law partner, as well as their unmarried children who meet the criteria mentioned above. Secondary dependents are individuals who are not immediate dependents but who are still financially dependent on the member, such as elderly parents or disabled siblings.

Diagnostic instrument is an assessment instrument that identifies areas of concern with an individual’s career development.

Digital literacy means having the skills you need to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information is increasingly through digital technologies like internet platforms, social media, and mobile devices.

Central online platform managed by CAF TG for Members to plan and complete their transition to post-service life. Includes information on transition options, registration for transition focused events, translating skills to civilian equivalencies, locations of Transition Centres, access to a transition services directory, and other links and services.

In Ontario, Canada, diplomas are two and three year academic post-secondary programmes taught by colleges and institutes of applied studies, arts, and technology. Two year programmes are referred to as college diplomas, while three year programmes are called Ontario College Advanced Diplomas.

Distance Education is delivered to students who are not physically in a classroom. Nowadays it includes mostly online programs and courses, but it also includes studies offered by correspondence, television programs, or video or audio means, or at an off-campus location. Often, students can study in their own time, at the place of their choice (home, work or learning centre), and without face-to-face contact with a teacher. Students may work individually or in group and communicate with their instructors using print or electronic media, or through technology (such as telephone, emails, video and online teleconferences or seminar). Technology is a critical element of distance education.

Possessing diverse or different qualities and perspectives. In the CAF context, it means the respect for and appreciation of differences in thought, ethnicity, language, sex, gender, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, education, and religion. See Inclusion.

Inter-dependent areas of consideration that form the foundation of criteria for a successful transition. The seven domains defined by CAF and VAC are:

• Purpose. Engaged in activities one finds beneficial and meaningful.
• Finances. Achieving financial security.
• Health. Functioning well physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually.
• Life Skills. The ability to adapt, manage and cope within civilian life.
• Social Integration. Maintaining mutually supportive relationships and being engaged in the community.
• Housing and Physical Environment. Living in safe, adequate and affordable housing.
• Culture and Social Environment. Supported by the culture and social environment, be understood and valued by Canadians.

Downsizing is the permanent reduction in an organization’s workforce. It occurs when an organisation is looking to reduce the number of its employees through restructuring in order to increase profit and maximize efficiency. It may also result from a merger of two companies, or when a company cuts a product line or service, and can be the result of poor economic conditions.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and understand our emotions (as well as emotions of those around us) and of managing how we react to them. The basic idea is, rather than letting our emotions control us, we instead learn to identify them when they arise, recognize their causes and outcomes, and as best we can control them – or at least our reactions to them. Emotional intelligence also involves the perception of other people’s emotions: when you understand how they feel, this allows you to manage relationships more effectively. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic.

Employment counselling refers to a problem-solving process addressing one or more of the following domains: career/occupational decision-making, skill enhancement, job search and employment maintenance. With the support of an employment counsellor, clients set up an employment action plan with the goal of finding permanent, suitable employment. The purpose of employment counselling is to help clients improve their employability and self-sufficiency in the labour market.

Employment counsellors work collaboratively with individuals to assess needs related to decision-making, job search skills, training, and employment maintenance, in order to help individuals search for permanent employment and improve their employability and self-sufficiency in the labour market.

Employment Insurance (EI) is a national program for Canadian workers who are laid off. Canadian workers pay into a central fund that contributors can temporarily draw on if later they are unable to work.

Employment Ontario is a government-funded program in the province of Ontario, Canada that provides employment services, training, and job opportunities to job seekers and employers throughout the province. The program is designed to help people find and maintain employment, and to support businesses in meeting their workforce needs.

Employment Ontario provides a range of services and programs, including job search assistance, career planning, apprenticeship training, language training, and support for individuals with disabilities or other barriers to employment. The program also offers services specifically designed for youth, newcomers to Canada, and Indigenous peoples.

Employment Ontario services are delivered through a network of service providers, including community-based organizations, colleges and universities, and government employment centers. These providers offer a range of in-person, online, and self-directed services to help job seekers and employers connect with one another and achieve their goals.

See Job Developer

A range of employment services, providing resources and supports that respond to both the career and employment needs of individuals and the skilled labour need of employers. Services include: information and referral, job search, job matching, placement, skills training, professional development courses.

The government is transforming Ontario’s employment services to make them more efficient, more streamlined, and outcomes focused.

As part of Employment Services Transformation, a new service delivery model will integrate social assistance employment services, as well as other government employment services, into Employment Ontario. This new system will be more responsive to the needs of job seekers, businesses and local communities.

Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Equity recognizes the need to adjust structures, policies, practices and access to opportunities for particular individuals or groups of people to facilitate their full participation or full benefit from opportunities and entitlements.

Essential Skills are the skills needed for work, learning and other activities of daily life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills, such as technical skills, and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to change.

Experiential learning is learning that is based on students being directly involved in a learning experience rather than their being recipients of ready-made content in the form of lectures. It is inductive, action-oriented, and learner centred with emphasis on the process of learning rather than the product. With experiential learning, knowledge is created from the combinations of grasping and transforming experience.

Experiential learning is often viewed as a cyclic five-phase process where: (a) an activity occurs, (b) observations are shared, (c) patterns are determined, (d) inferences and principles are derived, and (e) learning is applied.

Exploration stage is when the individual begins to investigate the careers that are of interest to them by “trying things out” through classes, work experience, and/or hobbies. They learn the skills that are required and develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter career fields that appeal to them.

Exposure is the act of subjecting yourself to an influencing experience. Exposure implies opening oneself to the learning experience by charting a path with passionate curiosity, accepting failures, correcting course & learning something more about yourself in the process. This means that exposure is closely related to exploration.

Formal learning takes the form of education, training or development, usually systematic and through an institution with some kind of institutional recognition or credentials. It is organised and structured, and has learning objectives. From the learner’s standpoint, it is always intentional: i.e. the learner’s explicit objective is to gain knowledge, skills and/or competences. Typical examples are learning that takes place within the initial education and training system or workplace training arranged by the employer.

Working for different companies at different times rather than being permanently employed by one company.

Full-time employment is defined as work of 30 hours or more per week; part-time employment is work of fewer than 30 hours per week.

Refers to the roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society may construct or consider appropriate for men and women.

GBA Plus is an analytical process that provides a rigorous method for the assessment of systemic inequalities, as well as a means to assess how diverse groups of women, men, and gender diverse people may experience policies, programs and initiatives. The “plus” in GBA Plus acknowledges that GBA Plus is not just about differences between biological (sexes) and socio-cultural (genders). We all have multiple characteristics that intersect and contribute to who we are. GBA Plus considers many other identity factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability, and how the interaction between these factors influences the way we might experience government policies and initiatives. Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.

Generational cohorts, or generations, are groups of people who share birth years, history, and a collective personality as a result of their defining experiences. It is however important to recognize diversity within cohorts as much as the diversity between them.

The gig economy includes temporary, part-time, freelance and contract work in a variety of task-based employment situations. The gig economy provides workers with flexibility, increased employment mobility and entrepreneurial opportunities. Criticisms of the gig economy center around shifting the burden of economic risk onto workers. Workers who engage in the gig economy may receive an unstable/unpredictable income, lack employment and health benefits and receive low wages for their work.

Goal setting is a two-part process of deciding what one wants to accomplish and then devising an action plan to achieve the result one desires. Setting goals helps people work towards their own objectives. Goal setting that involves establishing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-targeted goals is referred to as S.M.A.R.T goal setting.

Guidance counsellors are professionals who offer academic, career, university/college or postsecondary, social advice, and guidance to children in Grades K through 12. A guidance counsellor is employed with a school board, elementary or secondary school. Key activities include providing guidance to students on personal and learning-related issues. A major emphasis is post-secondary education and training choices with a minor emphasis on school-to-work related issues.

Hard skills are specific, teachable abilities gained through experience and education that can be defined, quantified and measured. Examples include speaking a foreign language, typing speed, a degree, and proficiency in computer programming.

Hidden job market refers to job openings that are not advertised or publicly listed. This happens because it is often easier for an employer to hire a person connected to someone in their network: hire someone referred to someone they trust is less risky than hiring a complete stranger, and they also don’t have to go through the hassle of advertising the job, sifting through résumés and interviewing people. The most effective means for accessing this market are by word of mouth, active networking, social online networking, and unsolicited approaches to potential employers.

See Recruitment

Hiring managers are responsible for hiring an employee, or employees, to fill open positions in an organization. Hiring managers are typically people from the hiring department and often serve as the new hire’s future supervisor. Hiring managers work in coordination with their HR team, which supervises the interview and hiring processes. Ultimately, a hiring managers’ job is to hire the most qualified applicant for a given position.

Human Resources (HR) is the department of a company or organization charged with finding, screening, recruiting and training job applicants, as well as the orientation and retention of new employees. Human Resource is also the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration and training.

The process whereby diverse personnel actively collaborate and work well together, recognizing that everyone is different. Ideally, it means embracing the different experiences and competencies that each individual brings to the CAF to optimize their contribution to mission success. This is fostered in a safe work environment where every individual is valued and develops a sense of belonging.

Informal Learning is the acquisition of skills and knowledge through such channels as independent study, volunteer activities, travelling and hobbies. It is often referred to as learning by experience or just as experience. This learning is not usually given recognition in the form of credentials from institutions. Informal learning is not organised, has no set objective in terms of learning outcomes and is not intentional from the learner’s standpoint.

An informational Interview (informational conversation, information interview) is a brief meeting (generally one hour or less) arranged and led by a potential jobseeker in which he/she seeks to obtain insider information on a particular career or industry, on specific companies that he/she might want to work at, and other information that cannot be obtained in print or online resources; while an employed professional learns about the jobseeker and judges their professional potential and fit to the corporate culture, so building their candidate pool for future hires. An informational interview is not a job interview – it can lead to a job offer, but this should not be expected from the jobseeker, and the interview should not be used to sell oneself. It is one of the most effective networking strategies for jobseekers and graduates. In an informational interview, the interviewer can be unemployed, or else employed and considering new options. The jobseeker is expected to lead the interview and have questions prepared beforehand.

Intercultural competence refers to someone having understanding, knowledge, and comfort in interacting with other cultures. It involves adapting to cultural differences through increased intercultural sensitivity, an appreciation of multiple perspectives and the ability to behave appropriately and effectively in another cultural context.

An organization or system in which all the members or participants are seen as having an interest in its success, based on whether they can affect or be affected by it. This is a replacement for the term “Stakeholder”.

Interests are preferences for activities that are expressed as likes or dislikes. These could include activities, hobbies and subjects or topics. Some examples include: sports, music, art, and topics like science or fashion.

An internship is a temporary professional working position that is typically offered to students or inexperienced workers. It is a project-oriented, supervised, on-the-job learning experience in which the intern has specific learning goals and gives the intern valuable work experience and gains first-hand experience about a particular industry or field of work. It may be paid or unpaid. Internships help inexperienced workers get involved in the workplace, and can sometimes lead to permanent positions.

Involuntary turnover occurs when an employer chooses to terminate an employee. For example, involuntary turnover may happen when an employee’s conduct or performance fails to meet their employer’s expectations. This is commonly known as firing an employee. Involuntary turnover also includes employees terminated due to layoffs.

Involuntary turnover occurs when an employer chooses to terminate an employee. For example, involuntary turnover may happen when an employee’s conduct or performance fails to meet their employer’s expectations. This is commonly known as firing an employee. Involuntary turnover also includes employees terminated due to layoffs.

A job application is an official online or hard copy information form a potential employer asks a potential jobseeker to fill out. This can happen before a first interview, after an offer is made, or at any time during the process. The job application provides a consistent format with the same questions that must be answered by each person who applies for an open position. The job application is a legally defensible listing of a job applicant’s employment history, educational background, degrees, qualifications, references, and more.

A job developer (or employment outreach specialist) is a human resources and marketing professional whose responsibility is to fill the gap between unemployed jobseekers and the work available in their communities. Found within social service agencies both in the private and public sectors, job developers are responsible for creating job opportunities for clients of their organization by researching, identifying and soliciting commitments from possible sources of employment. Additionally, they may provide clients with soft skills training.

A job posting (or job application) is an official online or hard copy information form a potential employer asks a potential jobseeker to fill out. This can happen before a first interview, after an offer is made, or at any time during the process. The job application provides a consistent format with the same questions that must be answered by each person who applies for an open position. The job application is a legally defensible listing of a job applicant’s employment history, educational background, degrees, qualifications, references, and more.

Job searching, job seeking or job hunting, is the act of looking for employment, due to unemployment, discontent with a current position, or a desire for a better position.

Job shadowing is a model of experiential learning and a career exploration activity that gives someone a first-hand look at a work environment within a chosen field. It offers the opportunity to spend time observing the day-to-day activities of a professional currently working in a person’s career field of interest, thus offering a chance to see what it’s actually like working in a specific job. A job shadow can extend from a simple hour-long visit with one person to an extended week-long stay allowing interaction with numerous staff and observation of a variety of activities. This activity can be integrated into curricular learning but is not only for students: new or less experienced workers can also benefit from it.

Knowledge workers are employees who are engaged primarily in acquisition, analysis, and manipulation of information as opposed to in production of goods or services. They have high degrees of expertise, education, or experience, and the primary purpose of their jobs involves the creation, distribution, or application of knowledge. The term was first used by Peter Drucker in 1959.

The labour market is the arena where those who are in need of labour and those who can supply the labour come together. It is where workers find paying work, employers find willing workers, and wage rates are determined. The market is in a constant state of flux, dependent on changing external influences.

Labour markets may be local or national (even international) in their scope and are made up of smaller, interacting labour markets for different qualifications, skills, and geographical locations. They depend on exchange of information between employers and job seekers about wage rates, conditions of employment, level of competition, and job location.

Labour market information covers the principal elements of the labour market and its operations. It includes, for example: data on employment, wages, standards and qualifications, job openings, working conditions. Information may be historical, current or projected; formally or informally collected; and based in skills, occupations or industries.

A lateral career move is when you switch to a job that is on the same level on an organizational chart and similar in pay to the one you already have. Lateral career moves can happen within the same company or between different employers. There are two types of lateral career moves: Change jobs but not companies; change companies but not jobs.

The process of directly or indirectly influencing others, by means of formal authority or personal attributes, to act in accordance with one’s intent or a shared purpose.

Life skills are the skills you need to manage the activities and challenges of everyday life effectively. Mastery and development of these skills can improve all areas of your life, from your career to relationships. They allow you to handle almost everything better, from processing your emotions more effectively to interacting with others. Necessary life skills can vary according to a person’s age or even their culture.

Life transitions is both a process and a stage that occurs throughout our lives and is associated with a discontinuity with the past (e.g., the transition from high school to work).

Lifelong learning may be broadly defined as learning that is pursued throughout life: learning that is flexible, diverse and available at different times and in different places, through an interconnected web of different kinds of education and training that serve both life and work goals. Lifelong learning crosses sectors, promoting learning beyond traditional schooling and throughout adult life, after compulsory education is completed.

Living wage is a level of hourly pay which enables someone working full time to have enough to meet their basic needs and build some savings for the future. It is not the same as the minimum wage, which is the legal minimum all employers must pay. This newer concept is based on the local cost of living and takes into account the actual costs of living in a specific community, with rent being the biggest single cost. The living wage is calculated as the hourly rate at which a household can meet its basic needs, once government transfers have been added to the family’s income and deductions have been subtracted.

A mentee is someone who is not as familiar with a certain topic, skill, or organization & its culture and wants to learn more about it. They are not the same as a student, who is attending a formal educational program. Mentees are often open and willing to learn as much as they can from their mentor.

A mentor is an individual who acts as an adviser or coach for a less experienced or advanced mentee, providing expertise and professional knowledge from a more experienced perspective. At the core of the relationship, a mentor is available to their mentee to offer advice, provide support and answer questions. Mentors protect the interests of their mentees. Mentees often learn from this relationship, and mentors frequently benefit from acting as trusted advisers.

Mentoring, in a career context, is a partnership between two people (mentor and mentee), normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences – for example, an experienced teacher might mentor a student teacher or beginning teacher. The mentor shares his/her knowledge and experience in an area with the person being mentored. A mentor is a guide who can help the mentee to find the right direction and who can help them to develop solutions to career issues. The mentorship relationship also helps the mentee becoming more self-aware and more self-confident. It is a helpful relationship based upon mutual trust and respect.

Minimum wage is a provincially imposed lower limit on wage rates. It is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Most employees are eligible for minimum wage, whether they are full-time, part-time, casual employees, or are paid an hourly rate, commission, piece rate, flat rate or salary. However, there are jobs that are exempt from the minimum wage provisions.

A government of Canada tool that will translate civilian occupation NOC codes to a military-equivalent occupation.

The National Defence Act (NDA) identifies the legal and organizational foundation of the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Code of Service Discipline.

The National Defence Act (NDA) identifies the legal and organizational foundation of the Department of National Defence, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Code of Service Discipline.

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is a national, standardized reference on occupations in Canada. Over 30,000 job titles have been organized into 520 occupational group descriptions that can be used for defining and collecting statistics, managing information databases, analyzing labour market trends and extracting practical career-planning information. Also, it provides statisticians, labour market analysts, career counsellors, employers and individual job seekers a consistent way to collect data that describes and understands the nature of work. The NOC is updated according to five-year Census cycles, reflecting the evolution of the Canadian labour market.

VAC is working on a strategy to connect Veterans and employers to leverage these skills resulting in finding meaningful employment after service.

A professional network is a connected community of people with similar business interests or educational backgrounds.

Networking is a process in which the client develops long-term relationships with others for mutual benefit. In a larger sense, networking (including social networking) can include almost anything we do or say to someone who might be able to help us in our career, or who might know someone who can. This includes connecting to online communities or professional networks as well as to people we find through our existing connections and even articles we read in the newspaper or online.

A non-commissioned member is a serviceman other than an officer. A non-commissioned member does not hold a commission.

A non-disclosure agreement is a legal contract in which the parties involved agree to keep the information included private.

Non-standard work (non-standard employment) broadens the consideration of workers looking to pursue work alternatives. Part-time, contract and temporary work are common examples of non-standard work. Other examples include home telecommuting, satellite office telecommuting and “own-account” self-employment, which is the selling of goods or services by people who do not employ workers themselves. In addition to regular or permanent full-time and part-time employees, organizations can have a mix of employment arrangements for fixed-term employees, independent contractors, temporary project staff, interns and co-op students.

An occupation is a group of similar jobs or types of work sharing similar skills, education, knowledge, and training, and found in different industries or organizations.

Occupational information applies labour market data to specific occupations or occupational groups. It includes categorization of occupations into groups, description of duties, skill levels, aptitudes, interests, physical activities, environmental conditions, educational/training requirements, data and statistics on wages, job openings, industry employers, all in relation to the work roles in demand in the labour market. Current and accurate occupational information is a crucial component of successful career decision-making.

An officer is a serviceman who has received the King's (or Queen's) or Viceroy's (or Governor General’s) Commission or a CAF member who holds the rank of officer cadet.

On-the-job training (or workplace training) refers to human resource development or ongoing training for workers on the job. It includes ongoing staff development in business and can cover everything from literacy training to management training. There are several methods of providing on-the-job training; four frequently used methods are coaching, mentoring, job shadowing and job rotation.

The process of integrating a new employee with a company and its culture, as well as getting a new hire the tools and information needed to become a productive member of the team.

A communication, written, oral or by signal, which conveys instructions from a superior to a subordinate.

Outplacement provides assistance to employees who were laid off or terminated in finding new employment. This service is delivered by a third party. It is usually paid for by the former employer.

Part-time work hours, in Canada, includes employed persons who usually worked fewer than 30 hours per week, at their main or only job.

Personal agency refers to people’s beliefs about the extent to which they are active agents in their own life events, in contrast to being passive recipients of the events one experiences.

A personal brand is the unique combination of skills, experience, personality, and values that an individual projects to the world. It is the way in which an individual presents themselves and how their reputation is perceived by others, both personally and professionally.

Personality refers to an individual’s combination of personal, social and emotional traits, motivations, needs, drives, attitude and approach to activities and outlook. There are many different personality types, and it can be difficult to classify a person into a single type as there are many different personality traits one can possess.

Personality traits are relatively enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that distinguish individuals from one another. Combined together, they form a person’s personality.

Persons with disabilities refers to persons who identify themselves as experiencing difficulties in carrying out the activities of daily living or experience disadvantage in employment, and who may require some accommodation, because of a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

Placement is the act of connecting clients to employment opportunities matching their abilities. Personnel offices interview and test applicants for the purpose of achieving suitable job placements where there is a good match between management needs and employee qualifications. This can lead to part-time, summer, or full-time opportunities. It can be done as part of a job preparation program or service.

Portfolio careers are a non-traditional approach to jobs, the job market, and career management. Portfolio careers are usually built around a collection of skills and interests, though the only consistent theme is one of career self-management. With a portfolio career you no longer have one job, one employer, but multiple jobs and employers within one or more professions.

Post-secondary education is any learning that happens after high school, such as college, trade school, or certificate programs.

A posting is the rotation of military members into new positions. Postings are done to enhance training and experience, and to keep members alert and ready to handle new challenges.

Prior learning assessment is a systematic process that encompasses what a person knows and can do. It involves the identification, documentation, assessment and recognition of competencies (knowledge, skills and attitudes) that have been developed through many formal and informal means (e.g., work experience, training, independent study, volunteer activities, travelling and hobbies). The recognition can be used toward the requirements of an academic or training program, occupational certification or labour market entry.

Prior learning assessment & recognition (PLAR) is a process that gives you the opportunity to obtain academic credit for one or more courses in a certificate, diploma or degree. You will need to demonstrate that you have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge through life experiences. This may include work, training, independent study, volunteering, travel, hobbies and family experiences.

In the context of the Canadian federal public service, priority entitlement refers to the right of certain employees who have been laid off or whose positions have been declared surplus to be appointed to other positions within the federal public service ahead of other candidates.

Profession is an occupation requiring specialized knowledge and advanced training, including instruction in skills and methods as well as the scientific, historical, or scholarly principles underlying such skills and methods. A profession is a group of people in a learned occupation, the members of which agree to abide by specified rules of conduct when practising the profession.

Professional development is improving yourself through learning and training to advance your career. Companies may offer training sessions to further teach their employees, but an employee typically works on their own professional development independently.

Education that provides an understanding of the military profession’s body of knowledge and enhances cognitive capacities essential to the profession’s expertise across the full spectrum of defence and security missions.

The conduct and performance expected of a professional.

Career purpose is the element of a person's career that brings them personal fulfillment. Careers that have a purpose are positions that allow you to perform work that's meaningful to both yourself and others.

Qualifications are the requirements a candidate needs to qualify and be successful in a specific role. These can include: A certain degree level and major, years of experience, certifications, licensure, core competencies, personality traits, goals and interests, physical requirements, achievements and accomplishments.

Quality of life is the general well-being of individuals and societies. It can be applied to a broad range of contexts, but on the individual level, it refers to individuals’ perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. It is a broad ranging and subjective concept affected in a complex way by the person’s physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships, personal beliefs, and their relationship to salient features of their environment.

Recruiters are people hired by employers to find the best candidates for the employers’ job openings. There are two primary types of recruiters: Internal recruiters who are members of employer staffs (typically in Human Resources), and external recruiters who typically work for a third party, like a staffing agency.

Recruitment refers to the overall process of attracting, selecting and appointing suitable candidates (from within or outside of the organization) to one or more jobs within an organisation, either permanent or temporary. The term may sometimes be defined as incorporating activities which take place ahead of attracting people, such as defining the job requirements and person specification, as well as after the individual has joined the organisation, such as induction and onboarding. Recruitment can also refer to processes involved in choosing individuals for unpaid positions, such as voluntary roles or training programmes.

Red Seal is a standard of excellence adopted for the Interprovincial Standards Program to signify interprovincial qualification of tradespersons at the journeyperson level. It is a passport that allows the holder to work anywhere in Canada without having to write further examinations. It is obtained by completing an interprovincial exam.

Reflective practices are methods and techniques that help individuals and groups reflect on their experiences and actions in order to engage in a process of continuous learning. Reflective practice enables the practitioner to become aware of the patterns of thoughts and behaviours that shape their thinking and action. Reflective practices nurture self-awareness, imagination and creativity, as well as systemic, non-linear modes of thinking and analysis.

Regular Force members are fulltime members of the Canadian Armed Forces. When they join the Regular Force, they are signing on for several years of service.

Rehabilitation is a treatment or treatments designed to facilitate the process of recovery from injury, illness, or disease to as normal a condition as possible.

An administrative process referring to the termination of the service of an officer or non-commissioned member in any manner.

A job relocation is a term that refers to an employer requesting that a new or existing employee moves to a different area. Relocations are common when employers open new offices or require additional personnel at busy locations. Your employer might also ask you to relocate because of a promotion.

The Reserve Force is made up of men and women who volunteer to devote a portion of their spare time to military service. A limited number of reservists also volunteer to serve on a full-time basis.

A member of the Reserve Force.

The ability of and individual and/or their family to respond positively to an adverse situation and emerge from the situation feeling strengthened, more resourceful, and more confident than its prior state.

A resume is a concise, written compilation used by jobseekers for self-marketing. It usually includes work experience, education, and skills. Common types are chronological, functional, or combination.

An effort by a business to maintain a working environment that supports current staff in remaining with the company. Many employee retention policies are aimed at addressing the various needs of employees to enhance their job satisfaction and reduce the substantial costs involved in hiring and training new staff.

The RTD Program is a comprehensive recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration program for ill or injured CAF members with the objective of returning the member to general and operational duties. Injured or ill CAF members who have received a recommendation for RTD from a primary health care provider will have a RTD Plan prepared that focuses the collective efforts of the chain of command, the member and support organizations towards a smooth and effective RTD. The RTD plan must be approved by the unit CO.

A returnship is a paid work placement which is aimed at experienced workers who have taken a career break, but are now wanting to go back to work in their sector.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is Canada’s air component of the CAF. The Royal Canadian Air Force contributes substantially to the defence of Canada and North America.

The Royal Canadian Navy is the sea component of the CAF. The Royal Canadian Navy maintains the combat-capable naval forces necessary for Canada’s defence.

Launched by the Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces in 2018 with the goal of improving services to CAF members and their families when they move to a different province or territory. Since then, the Seamless Canada Steering Committee (SCSC) has been engaged in ongoing discussions with provincial and territorial governments and partners, as well as national partners, exploring opportunities to help military families receive fair and equitable access to public programs and services.

Sector is a term that may be used to describe a grouping of industries or a grouping of occupations. Skill sets that are common within a sector support career mobility.

Sector Councils are industry-led partnership organizations that bring together representatives from business, labour, education and other professional groups to study human resource challenges, identify solutions and implement solutions in key sectors of the economy.

Self-assessment is the process of evaluating one’s abilities, skills, values, interests and personality traits. It is the first step in the career planning process. There are a variety of tools and tests that can be used to gather information about oneself, but the self-assessment process isn’t necessarily based on formal testing. The purpose of this process is to find occupations that are a good fit for the individual.

A service provider is an organization or individual that delivers employment services and supports to job seekers and employers on behalf of the program.

In the context of Employment Ontario, a Service System Manager (SSM) is an organization that is responsible for planning, coordinating, and integrating employment and training services within a defined geographic area or region.

SSMs are typically municipal or regional governments, and are responsible for overseeing the delivery of Employment Ontario services and programs within their area of jurisdiction.

A current member of the CAF Regular or Reserve component.

Skills are abilities and aptitudes, what a person is good at. They can be learnt or developed. Some examples of skills include typing, planning, organizing, communicating, etc. Skills are learned through a variety of methods: school, work, volunteering, sports, hobbies, peers and experience. In a career context, skills are the aptitudes needed to perform certain tasks. Work skills (or job skills) are the competencies you need to perform tasks the job requires.

Social assistance is also known as “income support,” “income assistance,” and “welfare assistance.” These programs are intended to alleviate extreme poverty by providing a monthly payment to people with little or no income or people with disabilities.

Social justice refers to the fair and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities; the direct action to ameliorate oppression and marginalization within society; and the full inclusion and participation of all members of society in a way that enables them to reach their potential. It implies fairness and mutual obligation in society: that we are responsible for one another, and that we should ensure that all have equal chances to succeed in life.

Social media encompasses websites and all other online communications channels that are used by large groups of people for community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration, and to develop social and professional contacts.

Soft skills are largely intangible, hard to quantify and represent personality traits and interpersonal skills. Examples include organizational skills, reliability, etiquette, getting along with others, communication skills.

The Province of Ontario defines a “spouse” as a person who is married or entered into a marriage and will therefore be entitled to an equalization of net family property under Part I of the Act. Also see Dependent

See Interest holder

A Canadian Forces Station (CFS) is a minor military installation. Stations are operationally oriented units that usually do not have support capability.

Soft skills are largely intangible, hard to quantify and represent personality traits and interpersonal skills. Examples include organizational skills, reliability, etiquette, getting along with others, communication skills.

Succession planning is an organizational planning process that ensures continuity of leadership and core staff skills by identifying, developing and replacing key people (in mission-critical positions) over time. It involves making sure that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key role within the company, that they develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities, and are prepared for advancement or promotion into ever more challenging roles.

Talent acquisition is the process of promoting job openings to encourage qualified professionals to apply. Its purpose is to identify candidates whose skill sets and experience, or talent, can help the company reach its goals.

Talent development, also known as HR talent development, is a strategy used to teach employees new skills and abilities. This usually includes upskilling and reskilling, as well as preparing employees for promotions and career advancement. Talent development can also be a useful tool for uncovering hidden talent.

Talent management in HR is a process of attracting, hiring and retaining employees that helps achieve company goals. This process relies on HR professionals as well as supervisors within the company to determine which candidates are best to fill a position. Talent management employs various strategies in order to achieve their goal to get and keep the best talent for a company.

Talent strategy is the holistic approach an organization takes to source, hire, onboard, engage and retain talent.

Technical skills, also known as hard skills, are qualities acquired by using and gaining expertise in performing physical or digital tasks. There are many different kinds of technical skills. Traditionally, people working in mathematics, computer science, mechanics and information technology have used many technical skills. Today, however, many more industries rely on employees with technical knowledge. For example, retail and foodservice workers often need to know how to use point-of-sale (POS) software.

A TOS is a contract between a member and the Canadian Armed Forces to provide military service until lawfully released.

Total compensation includes all forms of pay and benefits an employee receives. It can include base salary, overtime pay, bonuses, commissions, benefits, and any other cash or non-cash compensation. Total compensation can be divided into two categories: direct and indirect.

Transferable skills are the talents a person gathers throughout their career and through other real life experiences which can be applied to a new job or new career. These talents might seem insignificant when a person is looking for new employment, however they’re often just what an employer is looking for when they’re hoping to hire a new employee. Transferable skills include the interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills a person obtained while working previous jobs, undertaking volunteer work, playing a team sport or completing a university degree.

While there are many accepted forms of transition, this directive is primarily concerned with the period of reintegration from military to civilian life and the corresponding process of change that a serving member/veteran and their family undertakes when their service is completed.

A Transition Advisor (TA) is a CAF member or public service employee responsible for implementing the Military to Civilian Transition and providing guided support to members and their families undergoing transition.

Turnover is a term used in human resources to describe the number of employees who leave an organization within a given time period. This can be measured in terms of either the number of employees who leave, or the percentage of employees who leave. See Involuntary turnover, Voluntary turnover

Underemployment refers to being employed, but not in the desired capacity, i.e. at work that does not permit full use of one’s skills and abilities. This could mean working fewer hours than desired, doing jobs that require less skill or experience, being underpaid and working less intensively than able or willing to work. While not technically unemployed, the underemployed are often competing for available jobs.

Value proposition is a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. This statement should convince a potential consumer that one particular product or service will add more value or better solve a problem than other similar offerings. In the context of the job search, it is the unique, consistent, and compelling message jobseekers use to effectively market and sell themselves to the employer.

Values are a broad range of beliefs or principles that are meaningful to a particular group or individual. They are subjective and based on inner personal experience and occur at cultural and organizational levels. They are fundamental beliefs that drive the decision-making process and are key when making a choice about careers. For example some people value job security, structure, and a regular schedule. Others value independence. Work values, such as helping society, influencing people, and working alone are essential to consider in career planning. When expressed in the work setting, work takes on purpose and meaning.

A vertical career is when an individual moves from a lower position to a higher one over a period of time. This can happen within one company, or by an individual moving to a more senior position in another company. Vertical career growth is often associated with getting promotions.

Vertical career growth typically involves a person getting a new title, their position within a business changes, their status within an organization is different, they earn more money and they have more responsibility.

A veteran is defined as a former member of the CAF who has been released with an honourable discharge or who has completed their term of service.

“Vocation” is a broader term than “profession.” Vocations include a wider sense of purpose and contribution to the world, whereas a profession constitutes a job or career with specific skills.

Vocational training is a type of education that focuses on teaching the skills and knowledge required for a specific job function or trade. Vocational training can be offered at different levels, such as high school, college, or on the job.

Voluntary turnover is an HR metric referring to an employee’s departure based on their own decision rather than the employer’s decision. The reason for departure could be for many reasons, including relocation, moving to a different organization or a role, or for any other reason.

Volunteering involves performing a service without pay in order to obtain work experiences, learn new skills, meet people, contribute to community, and contribute to a cause that’s important to the volunteer, such as helping animals, people in situation of poverty, the elderly or the environment.

A wing is the Air Force equivalent of a base.

Work-integrated learning is a form of curricular experiential education that formally integrates a student’s academic studies with quality experiences within a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences include an engaged partnership of at least: an academic institution, a host organization, and a student. WIL can occur at the course or program level and includes the development of student learning objectives and outcomes related to: employability, agency, knowledge and skill mobility and life-long learning.

A Canadian Armed Forces term used to describe the transition process of members releasing from the military due to an illness or injury. These members are eligible for a vocational rehabilitation program, part of which includes on-the-job training with a civilian company paid for by the CAF.