Career Professionals of Canada News Feed
Shaye Belanger is a nationally Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP®)), career coach, workshop creator, and mentor with over 10 years of experience guiding newcomers, students, and professionals through career transitions. Based in Ottawa, she is the founder of Full Circle Immigrant Services. Shaye has held leadership roles in employment and student services and has supported hundreds of individuals in finding clarity, confidence, and direction in their careers. Her work has earned national recognition, including nominations for the 2025 Outstanding Community Outreach Strategist Award through Career Professionals of Canada and the Women…
This is the first in a series of articles I’ve written for my community of fellow career practitioners. Over the series, I’d like to step back from day-to-day practice and invite a broader reflection on work itself — how we understand it, how it shapes our lives, and why so many people (including career practitioners) are feeling increasingly strained. Many of the challenges we’re seeing in career development make more sense when viewed through this wider lens. So, I’m extending an invitation to rethink work, and I’d like to start…
For decades, students, jobseekers, and career changers were encouraged to “learn technology” as a pathway to stability and success. Many followed that advice. They earned IT diplomas, learned to code, and mastered software that was considered cutting-edge at the time. But technology moved faster than anyone expected. Programming languages evolved, platforms disappeared, and tools changed before graduates could fully settle into their careers. Today, many people are asking a hard but necessary question: What actually matters now? We are living in a new era. Artificial intelligence is reshaping work at…
Most of us grew up with a clear rule: if you copy someone else’s work and claim it as your own, that is plagiarism. It was a rule that was straightforward, teachable, and enforceable. Then AI arrived, and suddenly the line felt blurry for many people. A client says, “I used AI to help me rewrite my cover letter because my writing is not strong.” A student says, “I asked AI for an outline because I did not know where to start.” A jobseeker says, “I used AI to write…
When I arrived at Cannexus26 in Ottawa, I’ll admit I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. This was not just because it was my first time attending Canada’s largest career development conference, but it was my first time as Executive Director of Career Professionals of Canada. Add to this, winter decided to make a bold statement with frigid temperatures and record-breaking snow. Living in Northern Ontario teaches you to respect the weather, and as snow followed me from Sault Ste. Marie to Toronto and then on to Ottawa, I…
Afreen Akhlaque Sayyed is a career strategist dedicated to supporting and uplifting professionals as they navigate growth and change. Known for her approachable, client-focused style, she coaches, facilitates workshops, and guides individuals to build confidence, explore career paths, and manage career transitions with clarity and purpose.. Her background in the service industry sparked her passion for connecting people to meaningful work. Today, as a Workforce Development Coordinator at Ignite Fredericton, Afreen creates positive and inclusive impact by equipping young talent with the right resources and supporting them as they take…