Madilayn
Mistress of Ebil
I am a Swan.
24 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 01-02-2006
Posts: 3589
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Oh Sweetheart!!! My heart really goes out to you - not only as somebody else who has been in that position, but also as a recruitment consultant.
Ok - to deal with some things in order. If you are doing her job whilst she is on maternity leave, you deserve to be paid the same as her. The argument you will use is that you are not "offically" doing it - i.e. not sitting at her desk. However, do some research and find out what is being paid for the role. I am an EA over here and going rate for that is $49K per annum - so you may want to translate that into Canadian $$, or just go straight with it.
Then, provide the proof that you are being paid $10K less than the industry standard.
To avoid giving you a payrise, they will use the "global economic downturn" as an excuse.
Contact a few recruitment agencies. I've been doing some searching, and have found a few for you.
David Aplin Recruitment
Hays Canada
If you want to try the sports angle, with your quals, then try
Sports Recruitment International
Unfortunately, we know that Sports is the last bastian of male domination in employment - you will find the same barriers in Canada that you did in Australia, plus the "you haven't had experience in sports played in Canada" hurdle. But give them a try anyway.
You could also try the Public Service - you can look for both admin and sporting roles. Canada Public Service
I also found another big job board - Workpolis.com that you might want to try as well as Monster.
Make sure your resume is up to date - feel free to send it over to me, sweetie, if you want me to look through it.
Whatever you do, don't quit until you have another job. A good recruiter will assit you and understand you are working, and will schedule interviews during your lunch hour or after work hours.
When you do sign up with a recruiter, allow a couple of hours to do so. Maybe schedule a couple (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and then take the day off (you are feeling ill, aren't you?) to do it.
No use signing up with hundreds one or two should be enough. Be aware, though, that they will not contact you about jobs. You will still have to do the searching and contact them. It's not fair, and it's not the way it should work, but most recruiters have not discovered the power of their database and keep ignoring it. Silly people. I tended to always fill my roles from database searches!!
Most importantly, remember we're here to support and love you.
Don't let the bastards get you down!! 
__________________
"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
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14-11-2008 23:28
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Hinotori
Babbling Loonie
I am an Eagle.
2 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 09-10-2007
Posts: 2004
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14-11-2008 23:48
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SJ_SwanJun
Forum Goddess
I am a Red Squadron.
9 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 26-04-2007
Posts: 2867
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Wow, Maddy! What an informative post!!!
Thank you for all that information.
I did sign up with an agency: Drake, but there are the most unhelpful mob on the planet.
I originally applied for an EA position and did a myriad of testing that, indeed, took almost two hours (including interview).
My typing speed was 70wpm with a 100% accuracy (do you believe the accuracy bit??? with my online typos??)
I scored 98 on the MS Office exam, which put me in advanced.
I scored 97 on the Admin Assistant exam.
I have almost 8 years with my current company.
I apparently interview very well ...
They absolutely apparently wanted me for a specific position -- and I never heard back. Since, I have applied for other positions through the agency and although they state that if you are unsuccessful they'll email you and tell you why, I have never heard a thing from them!
Another interview bombed simply because I wasn't the race they were expecting. I shit you not. I have a Vietnamese surname, but am whiter than snow. When I showed up, the first thing they said was "you aren't oriental" ...
Sighhhhhh
What am I doing wrong? I have to be failing somewhere to be stuck like this.
But... On a positive note. I have decided that these next 12 months I am going to do everything given to me to the absolute best of my ability and will be the epitome of a true and vibrant EA/Phone Jockey.
If the little Princess thinks that I will bomb, I'll prove her wrong. The dangerous game she is playing is that with me doing all of her work, and doing it with absolute success, means that she has set herself up for making her position obselete.
So this may actually work to my advantage.
12 months is a perfect time-frame for me to prove I can do it, and that she is totally unneeded.
I will discuss pay when she is out of the picture next month ... I must time it right.
Wish me luck.
SJ
__________________
Sighhh
Why do men snore when lying on their backs?
Because their balls fall over their butt holes and they vapour lock.
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15-11-2008 01:28
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Madilayn
Mistress of Ebil
I am a Swan.
24 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 01-02-2006
Posts: 3589
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You've certainly blitzed the testing - which would put you top of any list I compiled for good candidates.
As for the accuracy - it was the speed that astonished me when I did my last testing in January this year. Came up as 95WPM with 100% accuracy - couldn't believe that - but I did a couple of others and got the same!
I know that in the US and Canada they are very zealous to ensure that their company has the "right amount" of minority and ethnic groups - to the point of not putting the best person for the job if they feel that they have too many of that ethnicity. In my opinion, that is also a form of discrimination. You should have made a complaint about the agency that told you you weren't the right ethnicity.
Drake is pretty bad - their reputation in Australia isn't too good either. Unfortunately, all agenices will tell you they will follow up, but rarely ever do. That's the culture of recruitment - it is slowly changing, but that change is slow and until recruitement goes from a "sales" culture to a "service" one, the bad things like never getting back to chanddates and not mining their database will continue.
All I can suggest is that you keep trying to find something new, and, as your next "anniversary" for starting at that company comes up, get your case together for a payrise and put it in writing to them. If you haven't had one for a few years, then part of it should be an increase to cover the cost of living. See if you can find what the Canadian CPI was at the time of your last payrise and then what it is when you do your recommendation.
Always keep a track of what you have achieved - eg streamlining systems, doing additional duties, etc. This will bolster your case, and also make sure that it's listed in your resume (under your duties, put a sub heading of "Achievements" and list them there.
And don't forget to keep coming back to us for huggles!!!
__________________
"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart
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15-11-2008 17:44
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