Meet Heather Jamieson – a graduate of our Professional Office Essentials program!
With her daughter in mind, Heather knew she wanted to start her journey to a career that would provide stability and security. With a high interest in Administration and some prior background skills, once Heather saw OSTTC was offering a Professional Office Essentials program she knew that it was a perfect fit for her!
Professional Office Essentials is a 16-week certificate program in partnership with Fanshawe College. In this program, students would be provided with the skills and abilities to perform effectively in an office environment. Students gained new skills and knowledge in Customer Service, Office Procedures, Navigating Computer Applications, Accounting Basics, Marketing and of course were instilled with ways to increase functionality in an office setting. One of Heather’s favourite learning topics was Microsoft Excel! She notes that, “I always thought it was going to be tough or confusing. It turned out to be a breeze and useful in the work environment!”
With this program, Heather was able to perfect prior background skills and also gain new ones! Heather mentions she thoroughly enjoyed learning Accounting, which she says is not as scary as it sounds. In reflection to the program, Heather says that
“the Professional Office Essentials program was awesome, it really helped me brush up on a lot of different aspects.”
After graduating, Heather soon found herself employed as an Administrative Assistant for MCFN Life Long Learning Department! “I was surprised I landed a job so quickly when most positions I applied for required experience and I had zero. I took my certificate and started at entry level.” In this position, Heather can be found handling small admin duties for several of her coworkers; such as booking meetings and appointments, assisting with data entry, collecting information and researching. Heather loves her current position as it allows for a steady, daily routine as she always starts her day at 8:30 and is ready to start her commute home at 4:30. In the coming years, Heather hopes to further her career and climb the corporate ladder as she continues to gain experience and knowledge.
Heather pays homage to the Professional Office Essentials program for leading her to a career path that she loves and thrives in! When asked how the Professional Office Essentials program set her up for success, Heather says
“It gave me a career path. I found something I like and that I’m good at. Now all my skills and qualifications added to a great resume in Administration! Not just in Administrative aspects, but this program helped students to understand and utilize Social Media Marketing plus newer and more up to date ways to do our resumes, cover letters and interviews. This program gave us all the pieces we needed to have successful career paths from doing the work to getting the job.”
Heather’s advice to those interested in applying to an OSTTC program is to
“do it immediately. OSTTC is one of the best resources I think we have on Six Nations. If you can get certified for a career, while receiving financial support along with materials and lunch provided, why would you not? It costs nothing but your time and dedication but you walk away with something so satisfying and so valuable.”
OSTTC is so proud of Heather and how she quickly went from one of our students to an employee at a great organization! Keep doing great things, Heather! To learn more about OSTTC and to follow Heather’s advice, visit www.osttc.com.
