Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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Pickles
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by Pickles »

queerasmoi wrote:So I'm leaning more and more towards a decision to move back to the Toronto area as a base for job hunting.
That's what worked for me. Hope it works out for you as well, queerasmoi.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by queerasmoi »

A possible Plan B is to enroll in a short school program, no more than a year or so, that would include a co-op placement. Something to push me in an employable direction.

In theory I could use the Lifelong Learning Program to dip into RRSP. But I don't really see a significant advantage to doing that when my TFSA is also of sufficient size and would not come with a repayment obligation. Also all I have in my RRSP are my US dollar funds which I don't really want to have to cash in, swap in/out or hold in taxable again.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by mr_l »

Hi QAM,
Haven't read whole thread but definitely have some thoughts on jobs, sounds like we're about the same age.

Your coop plan sounds like a good one. Make sure to research uptodate stats on how many graduates of the program get work *in the desired field* within a given timeframe (eg 6 months). Also try to find a program with *paid* co-op internships and find out both average pay rate along with typical employers and jobs.

It's hard to get a job these days, but BC is really bad IMO. If you can move to TO, do it! (Sounds like you're not willing to go to $$AB$$).

I would not suggest applying to jobs you see online as an unsupported entry strategy. You may as well buy lottery tickets. Neither has much chance to earning you financial stability.

Instead, you *need* a connection. (This becomes less relevant layer in your career when experience renders you more valuable). So make sure you do your coop/college program *in the city you want to work in*. Leverage confections and resources through that program (lots of ppl fail to take advantage of resume services, networking workshops, mock interviews, etc. offered through the career services at these institutions)

My battery is about to die so have to stop there. GL!
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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Hi mr_l, thanks for your note.

Unfortunately the co-op plan that looked really good to me - a one-year M.Sc. program that includes a 4-month work term - turns out not to be a great option. I spoke directly to the co-op co-ordinator and she says that she's had others in the program who came in with existing graduate degrees. Employers were very apprehensive about these students and in many cases she was unable to get them placements even though the less experienced students had no trouble. Various reasons. Essentially employers are frowning on any perception of someone having "too much education".

She suggested that a college co-op program might be seen by employers as a better sign that I'm taking the job market seriously, compared to a second short graduate program. However my labour market research indicates that taking one of these programs may well just land me in a job that pays no more than the one that laid me off almost a year ago. Does not seem like a great investment. I'm going to meet with Employment Ontario offices when I get there and discuss. If I did go into one of these programs I might be eligible for Second Career funding at least.

You are correct that I am not willing to move to AB. I have a few friends there and I recognize its merits. However I simply don't have the constitution right now to move to another new city without a support network while still being so far from my family.

I know all the conventional wisdom about online job postings having a low success rate. I went to some career coaching at the local employment centre. They talked about cold calling and such. Honestly I think the science industry is very closed and conservative here. They do not want to take cold calls. They do not want to answer questions. I asked my employment counsellor if any of her science clients actually got anywhere with cold calling. She admitted no.

There is a networking opportunity in Guelph a week after I plan to move to Toronto. It's a joint conference of folks in my field from both sides of Canada, which means there should be a few familiar faces who can introduce me to new ones. Seems like a good starting point.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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Another update. After 13 months of unemployment that followed my last 13 months of employment.

I moved to Toronto at the beginning of May. I got an interview lined up with the help of a connection - the founder of a company I was applying for knew my Dad from back in the '70s. The response from that interview dragged on for a few weeks and I had given up hope (while applying for lots of other jobs), but early last week I received an offer. Starting wage is 5% below what I earned in Vancouver but it's significantly higher than zero. First day was Monday, first payday two weeks from Friday. The training is a bit confusing and chaotic so far but I'm sure I'll get used to it. A few weeks later I'll be transferred to their branch office which is actually a smaller company they acquired recently in the same industry. Both are companies that sell specialized chemicals to researchers, whether synthesized on-site or imported and resold after quality assurance.

On the whole I did not draw down my cash savings noticeably nor did I touch my investment account. EI covered my expenses through February, and my tax refund (with the help of deducting a fraction of my carried forward RRSP contributions) powered me through the move. It has been nice to have home-cooked food available but I will definitely tire of parental-house life before the end of the summer and that means eventually an apartment hunt. I'll see how the job works out. I would prefer to live more downtown but the suburban location of my eventual worksite makes that awkward.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by kcowan »

Congratulations QAM

It is just great when a plan comes together? Good luck with the new job!

Having left Toronto for Vancouver in 1995, I can attest to the tougher job market. Even though I knew many people here, they were only able to provide short-term consulting assignments (6 months). I even took a job with a company in Hamilton and flew down regularly.

Finally I was recruited by E&Y in 1997, and everything has been fine after that.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by Pickles »

Heartfelt congrats, Queerasmoi! And welcome back to Toronto. It'll seem friendlier when the pay cheques start to flow. But there are lots of free events to amuse/challenge you on weekends until then. For starters: Happy Pride!
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by Shine »

Congrats QAM...

Looking forward to your insights on your new life in Ontario.

cheers
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by MALDI_ToF »

YAY!!! New job!! :thumbsup: Hope things are going well in Toronto. Good luck on the apartment hunt when that begins. At least that is easier than a job hunt! I imagine that it would be cheaper than here in Vancouver?
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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MALDI_ToF wrote:YAY!!! New job!! :thumbsup: Hope things are going well in Toronto. Good luck on the apartment hunt when that begins. At least that is easier than a job hunt! I imagine that it would be cheaper than here in Vancouver?
Doubtful. I really did have a plum cheap apartment in Vancouver. I mean it's not impossible to live here with a roommate at a similar rent to Vancouver in a musty apartment with regrettable carpeting in neighbourhoods with older housing stock. Or basement apartments. I'm just not sure that's what I want this time around, and those areas are either inconvenient to the job site or boring.

Anyway I can probably expect my housing costs here to be 25-100% higher than in Vancouver depending on whether I share again, what neighbourhood, what standard of living etc. If I want to keep to the "30% of after-tax income" rule for housing costs that would best be closer to 25%.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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queerasmoi wrote: I'm just not sure that's what I want this time around, and those areas are either inconvenient to the job site or boring...
I agree with you. Toronto so large and hard to navigate, that pursuing a particular housing strategy will not work if you already have a job and commuting limits. And their definition of views is different than ours.

My son and also an old friend have chosen The Beach. That is a splendid area. But both of them must drive to work!
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by SkaSka »

Congrats QAM! I remember following your story on looking for lab work here in Vancouver and having difficulties. Having been through 8 months of unemployment myself in 2011-2012, I can sympathize with the frustration, but also the jubilation of finally finding work!
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by parvus »

queerasmoi wrote:
MALDI_ToF wrote:YAY!!! New job!! :thumbsup: Hope things are going well in Toronto. Good luck on the apartment hunt when that begins. At least that is easier than a job hunt! I imagine that it would be cheaper than here in Vancouver?
Doubtful. I really did have a plum cheap apartment in Vancouver. I mean it's not impossible to live here with a roommate at a similar rent to Vancouver in a musty apartment with regrettable carpeting in neighbourhoods with older housing stock. Or basement apartments. I'm just not sure that's what I want this time around, and those areas are either inconvenient to the job site or boring.

Anyway I can probably expect my housing costs here to be 25-100% higher than in Vancouver depending on whether I share again, what neighbourhood, what standard of living etc. If I want to keep to the "30% of after-tax income" rule for housing costs that would best be closer to 25%.
Where's the job? Mississauga? Markham? Do you own a car? Parking space downtown is very limited and transit to suburban industrial parks is quite horrid. Downtown, you're probably looking at a rental for a one-bed at $1200 to $1500. But you could look into co-op housing.

PS, congrats.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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Great to hear you're again employed!

Now that you're back in the burbs, you're likely just a few km north from yours truly! 8)
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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parvus wrote: Where's the job? Mississauga? Markham? Do you own a car? Parking space downtown is very limited and transit to suburban industrial parks is quite horrid. Downtown, you're probably looking at a rental for a one-bed at $1200 to $1500. But you could look into co-op housing.

PS, congrats.
Richmond Hill 1 km off the Yonge corridor. Yes I have a car. Theoretically YRT goes there but realistically even the express services are slow and more than 2x the travel time of driving.

Parking space downtown is not all that limited if you actually live there. Apartment and condo buildings have underground parking for rent and it is often underutilized because residents rarely own cars. In neighbourhoods with permit parking you get a street permit from the city. The key is, you only take the car out if you're going where transit won't help you, or perhaps for groceries. Then tuck it away out of sight.

I like the principle of co-op housing but my boundaries as an adult just aren't compatible with what a co-op would demand of me.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by kcowan »

You might find the RH GO train an interesting option. I used it for years.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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queerasmoi wrote:Richmond Hill 1 km off the Yonge corridor. Yes I have a car. Theoretically YRT goes there but realistically even the express services are slow and more than 2x the travel time of driving.
You may be surprised how fast YRT is, especially compared to the alternatives at rush hour. Route 91 / 91A / 91E will get you to Finch subway every 10 minutes or better, and they stick to their published schedule religiously.

RH Go Train is a good option too, if their time slots suit you.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by Bylo Selhi »

adrian2 wrote:RH Go Train is a good option too, if their time slots suit you.
And if you live on the right(*) side of the tracks. I used to live within walking distance of the Old Cummer station to the leftt of the tracks. The station itself is on the right side of the tracks. CN had chain link fencing to prevent people from crossing "for safety reasons." I'd either have to walk around a 1 mile block (bounded by Leslie, Finch, Bayview, Steeles) or drive to the station and park in a lot that was usually full early in the morning. What a bunch of idiots (CN and GO.)

(*) Right and left as in east and west, not political orientations ;)
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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adrian2 wrote:
queerasmoi wrote:Richmond Hill 1 km off the Yonge corridor. Yes I have a car. Theoretically YRT goes there but realistically even the express services are slow and more than 2x the travel time of driving.
You may be surprised how fast YRT is, especially compared to the alternatives at rush hour. Route 91 / 91A / 91E will get you to Finch subway every 10 minutes or better, and they stick to their published schedule religiously.

RH Go Train is a good option too, if their time slots suit you.
kcowan wrote:You might find the RH GO train an interesting option. I used it for years.
What are you all smoking?!?

The RH GO Train is only for people who commute *with* rush hour. I would be reverse commuting. Even the replacement bus service does not have a northbound trip until 9:10 AM.

Regarding YRT, there are no fully dedicated bus lanes or priority signals yet, even after all these years since it was promised. Viva's "express" service shaves maybe a minute or two off the travel time of the every-stop buses. Hence there is absolutely no way they can be faster than driving at this point. If there were actual rapid transit of any sort for reverse commuters into Richmond Hill I would keep it in mind.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by kcowan »

Well the subway and bus run both ways during rush hour. You just have to reframe and consider the extra travel time as your email/reading time.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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If you work in RH, have family in RH but don't want to stay with them, there's plenty of condos to rent in RH.

One big difference between the TTC and YRT is that the latter sticks to their timetable. Viva does not need a timetable because they operate almost as often as the subway. If your work place is within walking distance of Yonge, Viva will get you there fast (even faster when your commute is against traffic).
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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kcowan wrote:Well the subway and bus run both ways during rush hour. You just have to reframe and consider the extra travel time as your email/reading time.
Nonetheless the GO Train is not an appropriate option to bring up... You guys have not been the first to suggest it and it's a bit of a sore point with me because everyone keep suggesting it and nobody is actually aware that it's absurdly useless.
adrian2 wrote:If you work in RH, have family in RH but don't want to stay with them, there's plenty of condos to rent in RH.

One big difference between the TTC and YRT is that the latter sticks to their timetable. Viva does not need a timetable because they operate almost as often as the subway. If your work place is within walking distance of Yonge, Viva will get you there fast (even faster when your commute is against traffic).
No no no, the family lives in North York near Finch Station, and I do not want to live any further north than they do. It would bore me out of my mind. I want to live in a walkable neighbourhood where I can ignore the car when I'm not commuting. And as a gay man who has been single for far too many years, I need to be able to keep my social life nearby enough and interesting enough that I have some meaningful chance of meeting someone.

The RH job site is almost smack dab between Yonge and Bayview, a 900 m walk from the Viva stop. A Google Transit estimation of the morning ride from Finch Station ranges from 39-42 minutes depending on whether it suggests walking (shorter) or transferring to a short bus hop. The same commute from my current parental residence increases to 48-52 minutes because any time advantage on Viva is sacrificed due to not being located close enough to a Viva stop. I can't speak to the with-traffic drive time as I haven't started commuting to that site. Moving any further south along the Yonge line would then add whatever additional amount of subway time and connection time to the 39-42 minutes, e.g. from Yonge and Bloor it's estimating 69-79 minutes on transit.

The complete lack of fare integration also makes it a big mess. Fares have hiked considerably on both YRT and TTC since I left town without an actual improvement in the services that would be required to get me to work and back. So as much of an idealist as I've always been about transit, this is going to be a car commute for the foreseeable future.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

Post by Bylo Selhi »

What, you don't believe Kathleen's and Glen's promises to spend $billions and $billions on every 15 minute GO service? I'm :shock: :shock: :rofl:
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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Bylo Selhi wrote:What, you don't believe Kathleen's and Glen's promises to spend $billions and $billions on every 15 minute GO service? I'm :shock: :shock: :rofl:
Well the important detail is that it won't be functional for a very long time.
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Re: Withdrawal time... (before retirement)

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queerasmoi wrote:The RH job site is almost smack dab between Yonge and Bayview, a 900 m walk from the Viva stop. A Google Transit estimation of the morning ride from Finch Station ranges from 39-42 minutes depending on whether it suggests walking (shorter) or transferring to a short bus hop. The same commute from my current parental residence increases to 48-52 minutes because any time advantage on Viva is sacrificed due to not being located close enough to a Viva stop. I can't speak to the with-traffic drive time as I haven't started commuting to that site. Moving any further south along the Yonge line would then add whatever additional amount of subway time and connection time to the 39-42 minutes, e.g. from Yonge and Bloor it's estimating 69-79 minutes on transit.

The complete lack of fare integration also makes it a big mess. Fares have hiked considerably on both YRT and TTC since I left town without an actual improvement in the services that would be required to get me to work and back. So as much of an idealist as I've always been about transit, this is going to be a car commute for the foreseeable future.
If your aim is to be at work on or before 9 am, you might find that using a car would not be a great improvement, time-wise, compared to Viva.
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