Staff testimonials

Here are 13 inspiring stories of employees who have developed their careers while working for the City of Guelph, and have become part of the Guelph Story.

Ariel

I’m Ariel. A recreation coordinator. I started with the City as an Aquatic Facilitator at the Victoria Road Recreation Centre. I was excited to get a full-time position so quickly after college, especially a position related to my education and previous work experience. My position changed a few years later, and with that came more responsibility. I had the chance to do more things, like hiring new employees and developing the facility budget. I had been preparing for this new role; I had taken some initiative in my career and suggested new programs to improve the facility’s services. I also developed programs in partnership with other Guelph organizations. Now, I have a great job. My coworkers make coming to work fun, and I love being able to work with and support our young aquatic staff. The moral of my story: Share your ideas and try new things. You never know where it will lead you!

 


Harjeet

I’m Harjeet. A customer service clerk. I never knew I would have the opportunity to work for the City when I first moved to Canada in 2011. I started my career with the City as a solid waste sorter. I made sure to take control of my career: I took volunteer opportunities to learn skills needed for various positions and to learn the computer programs used by the City. I also stepped out of my comfort zone by working at a reception desk. What started as part-time and temporary positions has turned into a full-time job that I love. My success comes from taking the learning and job opportunities that came my way – and the great support from my management teams and coworkers.


Jennifer

I’m Jennifer. An information, privacy and elections manager, and deputy city clerk. I took control of my career by taking on different learning and development opportunities in different parts of the organization. I used the skills I learned through job shadowing, stretch assignments and training opportunities to take on a variety of interesting positions at the City, including being a marriage officiant and managing elections. I find that it’s important to be open to new opportunities, and even taking on volunteer positions. These opportunities can lead you into new and interesting directions!


Laura

I’m Laura. A communications manager. I’ve worked in the Communications Department for my entire City career. I love my team—everyone’s supportive, creative and ready to help wherever needed. When the leadership position came open, it was the support from my leader and the encouragement from the team that made my decision to apply so much easier. Plus, I was ready—from the get-go, I have learned as much as possible. I took all of the training and learning opportunities that I came across, including leadership training. I owe a lot of my success to the amount of work I put into both my professional and personal development. The mentors, coaches and leaders I met at the City helped me to learn more about working for the City and the direction I wanted to take my career. My advice is to keep learning, keep stretching yourself and find people who can help you on your career path.


Lynette

I’m Lynnette. A human resources associate. I am proud to work for the City. It took me a while to get the position that I wanted here. I started with Transit, but I was determined to work in Human Resources. I was able to work my way up to better contracts and a permanent position through a lot of hard work, optimism and dedication, and also with some great advice from Human Resources. With their help, I learned how to write a better resume and came away with some great interview tips. With their encouragement, I also joined the Diversity Steering Committee, a great opportunity to network and to meet new people, as well as helping to make a difference for City employees. I set a goal, and I didn’t give up until I reached it!


Marilyn

I’m Marilyn. An administrative coordinator. I have worked in the City Clerk’s Office since 1980. I have seen a lot of change over the years, including changes to my role and the work that I do. I’m even a designated Marriage Officiant! One thing I believe that has not changed is that a career path doesn’t have to mean a position change. For me, my career path meant growing and diversifying within my role and taking on new challenges. I take pride in my work and consciously think about how what I’m doing now will benefit me in the future. What I know is that we need to be kind to others and we need to get to know our teams—this will benefit us all far into the future.


Matthew

I’m Matthew. A data analyst. I got my degrees in Australia, but my first job as a professional web developer in Canada is with the City. I took courses, webinars and other training opportunities to keep on top of the current trends in data and web development, which have helped me land more contract positions. I find the City a great place to work—my team is supportive, friendly and fun. These are some of the reasons why I’m working hard to get a permanent City position by taking on new opportunities and continuing to learn about my field.


Muhammed

I’m Muhammed. A program manager. I started my career with the City in 2017 through an internship program with the City of Guelph and Conestoga College. I have an electrical engineering degree from Ghana, and the position with By-law Compliance, Security and Licencing was a good fit for my education and previous work experience. I was new to working in Canada, so I knew that keeping a positive attitude and really getting to know my job would help me to adapt to this new work environment. I learned what I could to help me do my job well—I learned about the programs, systems and software used by the City, I built connections with security managers and administrators at different facilities and I did lots of job-related training. City staff are open, friendly and create a positive work environment. This is a great place to work!


Patrick

I’m Patrick. A lead hand. I started my career at the City right out of high school working with Traffic Field Operations. I stayed with this department for many years. When changes came to the department, I decided to try something new and took a position with Corporate Property. I learned many new skills in this position, and learned how truly diverse the City is as a workplace. But I missed my old team. I knew I had to update my licences if I wanted to work full time in Traffic again, so I applied for help through LEAP (the Licensing, Education, and Accreditation Program). I’m now happily back with my old team and motivated to do the best work that I can.


Shamim

I’m Shamim. An information technology support technician. I started as an IT Asset Control Officer, but was promoted to my current job. My success comes from working hard, being flexible and building relationships. I worked at many organizations in downtown Toronto and Mississauga, and people would come to work, do their jobs, and then go home. That’s not what it’s like for me here at the City. Here, the City feels like home. Everyone is so friendly and helpful here that I’m happy to come to work every day, and I leave with a smile on my face.


Tanya

I’m Tanya. A front of house coordinator. I worked part-time for several years at the Guelph Entertainment Centre-turned-Sleeman Centre and accepted a permanent position after I finished university. After one season, I moved into the coordinator role at the River Run Centre on a full-time, permanent basis. It was a new position, which meant I could carve it out in a way that played to my strengths. I took this to heart: I pushed myself to learn, to take on new tasks, to try new ideas and to learn from my mistakes. What helped with my success? I wasn’t afraid to ask a lot of questions, knowing that the knowledge and experience of those around me is extremely beneficial to my job and to my team.


Val

I’m Val. A supervisor. I always knew I wanted to work in museums and was fortunate early in my career to land at Guelph Museums. Now 24 years in, I’m proud to be the Supervisor of Visitor Experience and I love bringing history to life. It’s a privilege to work with a team that thrives on searching out, developing and implementing new, innovative, interactive and thought-provoking ways to tell Guelph’s stories. Being kind, keeping a positive attitude and keeping “can’t” out of my vocabulary has helped immensely in my success. I keep in contact with other City staff to draw on their wealth of knowledge—staff here have a lot to offer, and I don’t want to take that for granted!


Yanick

I’m Yanick. A public works supervisor. I started with the City of Guelph as a sidewalk winter control operator for two seasons before getting a full-time position in Public Works. It was always my goal to take on more responsibility. I used a lead hand job posting as my road map for training, and I signed up for project management courses and the Leadership Development Program at Conestoga College. I love working for the City. I’m surrounded by great people who work hard to serve the community. It’s not unusual to resolve issues within a few hours, and I’m proud of that.