Polishing your Professional Image

It’s a new year and a time when many of us take stock of our professional lives – home, career, finances and health.

If you’re considering taking the next step in your career whether by making a move to another company or looking for a promotion with your existing employer, it can’t hurt to freshen up your online presence and resume.

Let’s face it, like or not, the first place a potential hiring manager looks to “check you out”, is LinkedIn and you want to make sure your profile will pass muster.

Is your profile complete and does it look professional? Have you listed all of your certifications and accomplishments? Does your photo reflect the “professional you” or did you go the “selfie” route? You don’t have to pay for a professional photographer – just put on your best suit, pamper yourself with a little extra grooming time and have a friend take a nice head and shoulders shot.

We may not all be model material but we can all look professional!

Next is your resume. Whether you’re looking for a new role or not, it’s not a bad idea to update your resume every year – highlighting the previous year’s accomplishments. This is also a good morale booster – be proud of what you’ve achieved! You may also want to winnow your resume down a bit – you really don’t need a lengthy paragraph for previous roles that have no bearing on your current role and goals. And edit, edit and edit again. This is absolutely essential. You cannot rely on spell check as grammatical errors may slip through – you have to read your resume through, read it again and then have someone else read it through for you! Hiring managers can (and have) taken poor grammar as an indication of lack of attention to detail, or worse, poor communication skills.

You may decide to stay in your current role a while longer but you’ll be ready if the right opportunity – or your favourite recruiter – comes knocking!

And if you DO feel ready to take the next step in your career, why don’t you browse the available jobs here on Rostie.com? You may just find exactly what you’re looking for.

 

by: Pamela Inglis
Manager Recruiting/Senior Consultant
pinglis@rostie.com
416-777-0780

 

Corporate Event Venues

Corporate Event
Choosing a venue for a Corporate event can be difficult. Not only do you have to balance the cost (to keep the accounting department happy), but you also have to make sure all the attendees have what they need. Not only in terms of space on a table and a place to sit. But also in terms of comfort: atmosphere in the venue, proximity to transit or available parking, and even if they have catering available. (Work doesn’t get done on an empty stomach).

These elements can all be difficult to balance for a regular event. But a Corporate event requires extra planning.

Decisions made at the Corporate level can affect entire companies, thousands of workers, and even global economies. It’s important to know that the time spent in these events by the heads of large Corporations cost thousands by the hour, in salaries alone.

To make level headed decisions, event attendees need to be content. They can’t be distracted by the temperature being slightly off or a malfunctioning piece of equipment.

There are many ways you can research the perfect event space. But looking them up online is only one part of the equation: You’ll see the best pictures and the best angles. Make sure you go through the effort to find the best Corporate event venue for your team. 

It’s a good thing that you’re reading this then, because here at The Rostie Group, we’ve perfected Corporate events. The decorations of our rooms can match any corporate office. We’re steps from Union station, and have parking available. We provide full catering with a delicious menu that will please even the most particular of people.

So when you’re doing research on where to host your next event, make sure to book a visit with The Rostie Group. Come see our rooms in person, and you’ll see why we are the best choice. 

The August/September Scoop is Out!

Enjoy This Month’s Scoop And Learn About Exciting Events Happening Around Toronto’s Waterfront.

If you would like to advertise in our growing newsletter we are always happy to showcase local companies and community partners. For more information on advertising, email marketing@rostiegroup.com to request a copy of our Media Kit!

You can also read all the editions of The Scoop, on your phone or tablet, through the Google News App. You can even take them with you and read them offline! Just click here to go directly to our Google News feed.

New Faces on the Floor

Angela Cannon (right) is joining as Catering & Facilities Coordinator. If you’re looking to get excellent food for your meeting, she’s your go-to person.

The Rostie Group would like to welcome to our staff three new wonderful people:

Jenny Mcfaul (left) is joining our Client Services Team You may have seen her at Reception already. Don’t hesitate to ask Jenny for anything you need.

Katie Duff (center) is also joining our Client Services Team. Katie has been in Canada only 2 months, and we’re definitely glad she’s here!

We look forward to what the future holds for all three with The Rostie Group!

The Anatomy of a Virtual Office

A Virtual Office is generally considered to be a package that allows the purchaser to use a business centre’s mailing address as if it were their own. These packages frequently also include services like live reception, a local number, and meeting room hours.

What a virtual office really is, though, is globalization writ small.

How we conduct business has been fundamentally changed since our parents’ time, and the Virtual Office is a very poignant indicator of that. Companies, depending on the industry, can no longer afford to operate solely in one geographic area. In 2018, this expansion is also fundamentally internationalization, in a way that did not occur in, say, the 1950s- this presents numerous opportunities for firms; however, it also presents challenges. The Virtual Office is a symptom of this internationalization, and it arose in response to perhaps the largest of those challenges. For while, a business can be international and exist in many places at once, especially if it does not sell a physical product,

its staff and its offices cannot be.

Enter the Virtual Office. They were first conceived as a way for companies to expand to other regions without having to hire local staff or leasing office space- perfect for branching out quickly into new markets.
They’re still used for this today- people like seeing that the company they’re doing business with has a local address and phone number- even if that company is actually based half a world away.

So, Virtual Offices get used by companies who want to have a presence in other markets. But if you’ve heard of a Virtual Office before, it probably wasn’t being used that way. By far, the most frequent users of Virtual Offices are home business owners. With the advent of the internet, you no longer necessarily need a brick-and-mortar location for your business. People work from home much more frequently now than ever before, and Virtual Offices were enthusiastically adopted amongst that demographic.

Home business owners

choose to work from home- but they may not want their clients to know that.

Virtual Offices are the perfect fit

for that sector; the convenience of no commute married to the outward professionalism of having live receptionists and an address that isn’t in a residential area.
Virtual Offices are the perfect fit for that sector; the convenience of no commute married to the outward professionalism of having live receptionists and an address that isn’t in a residential area.

Virtual Offices are the natural response to a variety of factors present in today’s business climate- they help new businesses look legitimate (previously very expensive), help others expand to new markets, and demonstrate that the business world’s borders have less and less to do with imaginary lines on a map than ever before.

by: Spencer Anderson, The Rostie Group

John Lopes Vieira (The Rostie Group)

Where is the most interesting place you’ve been? That time I was in London for 4 hours was pretty cool.

What is something that you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? Bungie Jumping. I mean, I’ve never done it, but everyone else should probably do it.

If you had one superpower, what would it be? The ability to make people believe anything I say.

What would you do if you knew you only had 24 hours left to live? Curl up into a ball, try not to cry, cry a lot.

If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would it be? Rob Paulsen.

The Office Industry is Changing

Okay, so when is the industry not changing? This may be a general statement in the world of ever-growing technology and real estate pricing. But, the business centre in a conventional sense is becoming very hard to define.

What is your work environment like? Are you a start up or do you have 40 employees? Do you primarily work at the same desk or find yourself always on the go?

In the past, there have been clear cut destinations that business owners have found themselves drawn to, based on a multitude of criteria. For example, finance companies worked in structured environments with rows of cubicles surrounded by water coolers; graphic designers worked at large

communal tables in brick and beam buildings that formerly hosted industrial assembly lines. They didn’t mix.

But what if these companies could find themselves rubbing shoulders with each other? Could a world filled with both left and right brain thinkers possibly get along together? The shared office space industry certainly thinks so, and companies are beginning to prove them right.

With industry giants such as Regus & WeWork competing at either ends of shared office space spectrum,

we find numerous office providers who are starting to position themselves somewhere in between – with no clear cut definition of their target market.

A once relatively unknown industry is now being considered by multibillion dollar per-year companies, as it presents a cost-cutting method to operate their businesses with a strict fiscal bottom line in mind.

Once considered feared competitors to be reckoned with, the global recognition and media attention that these industry giants are garnering actually benefits the smaller shared office space providers.

How, you ask, can small businesses benefit from the ever growing giants within an industry?

I pose this question to you: Have you ever had a pizza from Domino’s? You know the price, the quality, the speed of delivery, the shape, size, and consistency, but you’re never wowed by the end result. It is a quick alternative that hides itself behind flashy marketing and a cell phone app. They don’t know you, the customer. They don’t know the specifics of your order (unless you tell them, time after time). They are a generic food factory servicing the masses, without the ability to cater to each of their clients’ immediate needs specifically.

Now, have you ever eaten at at your local pizzeria,owned and operated by a family in your very

own neighbourhood? These are the same people that know you by name, face and voice. They know that you live on the same street and know that you don’t like too many black olives. They may even be charitable enough to sponsor your child’s soccer team, or better yet, allow you to pay them back next time when you find you’re short on cash. At the end of the day, they’re friends.

The point, very simply, is that people like to pay for a service that is specific to their likes, wants and needs. Sometimes choosing the largest company in the industry is not the best way to proceed.

This is where privately owned business centres secure their slice within the industry (pun absolutely intended). It is very common to have business owners move to these smaller outfits after stints with large corporations. They do this because they are unhappy with the giant’s inability to cater their services to the specific requirements of each company’s business practice.

So, I challenge you to consider all elements of this
ever-changing industry when selecting your next office space provider. Whether you’re a financial giant or a start up app developer, why go with Domino’s when you can choose an experience that is fundamentally yours?

Like they say, you never know who you’re going to meet.

by: Tyler Blackwell, The Rostie Group

Coffee Tasting

Here at the Rostie Group, we take pride in our coffee. A good meeting needs good coffee to function properly – if it’s an early morning start, for a lot of people, that first cup is exactly what gets them going. We take so much pride, in fact, that we held an impromptu coffee tasting.

We stacked our coffee up against brews from around the neighbourhood. We were a little shocked, and very ecstatic that a blind taste test reaffirmed our faith in our coffee – we won! And not by a small margin, either.

When you’re next at The Rostie Group, come for the meeting, stay for the coffee.

Back to School Time is Back to Work Time

Available Positions Include:

We’d also like to take this time to Thank all of our Advertisers. The Scoop would not be possible without all of you.

Waterpark Athletics

E: waterparkathletics@oxfordproperties.com

P: 416-360-4047

EXtatin Inc.

P: 416-707-2969

The Staffing Exchange Inc.

P: 1-844-STAFFEX

Cryptoducation

E: cryptoducation@gmail.com

P: 1-888-292-3574

W : www.cryptoducation.com

Michael Scott

E: scott.michael@kw.com

P: 416-998-2434

SWAT Health

W: www.swathealth.com

Enriched Investing Incorporated

E: candiv@enrichedinvesting.com

P: 416-203-3028

W: www.enrichedinvesting.com

Frederick Simon Hawa BSc MBA LLB (JD)

E: fredhawa@sympatico.ca

P: 416-707-2969

Concordia University

W: www.concordia.ca/toronto

One East Hair Salon

P: 647-348-6656

Pie Bar Pizzeria & Cocktails

P: 416-533-8368

Waterfront BIA

W: www.waterfrontbia.com

Egg Painting Competition

We’d like to thank everyone so much for coming down and joining us to paint some Eggs.

We’ve discovered that it’s actually a very nice way to de-stress. Very relaxing and creative. And no, you don’t have to be an artist to enjoy painting an egg.

Here is a Gallery of all of the eggs! All of them are great!

[envira-gallery id=”9269″]

But of course, there can only be one Winner! (At least this time)

Congrats Puneet!

The Oxford Way

Back in September 2017, Oxford Properties conducted a customer satisfaction and loyalty survey. Many clients took the time to let Oxford know whether they were meeting or exceeding service expectations. To celebrate the fantastic results Oxford have created a visual representation of this commitment via “The Oxford Way” video:

We love being part of WaterPark Place!

Here’s some events they’ve held in the building over the past year:

[envira-gallery id=”9035″]

Click here for more information on how you can become part of the Oxford community.

Meet You @ The Rostie Group – The 3 Meeting Room Styles

Toronto Meeting Rooms

 

The Rostie Group is the perfect location to book your meetings and training rooms. We’re just a short walk from Union Station through the PATH so you won’t have to brave the elements any longer. Overlooking the lake on one side and Toronto’s Financial Core on the other, the view alone is enough to get your creative juices flowing. With over 7000 sq. ft. of meeting space, our variety of modern meeting rooms can host anywhere from 2 to 100 people.

On top of the great venue, our caring and dedicated team will give your events a personal touch, customizing any room to the specific needs of your event. We buy high q
uality local food, providing fully catered pre-fix menus and/or a breakfast meeting menu with freshly made and just out of the oven pastries, croissants and bagels. Our team also provides in-house technical support to help set up rooms for you’re A/V needs.
danish

Over the last 25 years, we’ve had the pleasure of overseeing a large variety of businesses using our space for events such as:

1. Training events and Town Hall meetings

Join the growing number of businesses conducting Town Hall meetings to engage with their employees in a more personal setting. Our larger rooms like Rainy Lake and Muskoka are perfect for hosting bigger, training sessions or conferences; these rooms can be customized to be open concept and promote collaboration and teamwork.

For the last 15 years we have also been host to several Canadian universities such as Concordia and Dalhousie. They employ this style of meeting to enrich their learning experiences while utilizing our video conferencing systems to best help their students succeed.

food-22. Formal meetings

Our Atlantic and Pacific rooms are perfect for formal meetings such as off-site arbitration, board meetings and client consultations. With modern design and video conferencing equipment, you will be more than ready to close your next deal. Our Toronto Bay room which looks out onto the Toronto Waterfront also has a comfortable seating area and has the amenities to conduct a more personal meeting if required.

3. Interviewing rooms

Get out of the loud and crowded coffee shop and into one of our conveniently-priced smaller rooms like Lake Joe, Baltic or Caspian. They provide the perfect intimate atmosphere to have one-on-one interviews. With soundproof walls, you will be sure to have the privacy you expect in your meeting. These rooms also come equipped with A/V hardware and can be used for video conferencing.

And much more

With fully customizable rooms, we are fully flexible and can adjust the space for any sort of meeting, event or training session required. You can easily book online at www.TorontoMeetings.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-648-1840 or 416-216-4622.

#ThirstyThursday Oktoberfest

oktoberfest-5

Join us @ The Rostie Group for our Oktoberfest #ThirstyThursday Social for some well deserved Highlander Brew Co. Local Craft Beer courtesy of SIP.  Make sure to not miss out on this opportunity to unwind after a hard days work for fun times, social networking and some great beer.  

What is SIP? SIP is a membership club for discovering bars and restaurants near you.  SIP members enjoy 1 Welcome Drink per day at any of their partner venues which includes tons of Toronto hot spots.

Download the SIP app today and enter the invite code sipbar30 to enjoy a FREE 30 day trial!