1. Career Education 2201 Interview with Employee By Travis Skiffington Interviewed Christine Skiffington Job – PCA-Personal Care Assistant

2. 1. How did you discover/find this job?  I got this job through friends who owns TLC (Tender Loving Care). Now I work for the clients privately I don’t work for TLC anymore.

3. 2. When did you start working?  I started working when I was 16. I worked at Pet City for 8 years, then I stayed home with kids for a couple of years, while I was home I babysat for a girl for 3 years. After another years or so I went to work at Winners. I was there for almost 5 years when I decided to go back to babysitting. I babysat for almost 3 years then started as a Personal Care Assistant (PCA). The clients that I have now I have been with them for almost 3 years.

4. 3. Did you go to post secondary school? If so where and for how long?  Yes, I have a Web Development Diploma from Collage of the North Atlantic(CNA). The course was a two year course but it took me 4 years to complete. I completed the course June 2015.

5. 4.What advice would you give someone ne w in the workforce?  The advice I would give is PCA is a job that requires a lot of care and patience. Every PCA job is not the same. It depends on the needs of the clients. As for Web Development course I completed it is not as easy as it sounds. There is a lot more to Web Development then just creating a web page.

6. 5. Would you work at this job until retirement? If not, wh at else would you  My job as a PCA will keep me with the clients I have now until they don’t need me anymore then I will move on to different clients.

7. 6.Did you want to do this work when you were young? Why or why not?  No I never thought about being a PCA until I started working as a PCA. But now that I am working as a PCA if I had my time back I may have gone into nursing.

8. 7.What are the difficult parts of your work?  There is not really anything about my job that is difficult. My job is just like being home doing house cleaning, preparing meals, and making sure they get around safe. But there are some PCA jobs that are a lot more physical work then I do. It depends on the level of care someone needs.

9. 8.If you could choose, what else would you do?  I don’t think I would change what I would do now. If I had my time back I wouldn’t have done the Web Development course I would have done Nursing.

10. 9. If you could change anything about your career, what would it be and why?  I don’t think at this point in my life there is anything that I would change about my career.

11. 10. What is your favorite part of your work?  I enjoy helping the couple I work for out doing the day to day life.

12. 11. Do you enjoy your work? If so, why?  I do enjoy my work because of the couple that I work for. I love the fact that they have a lot of family support. My job isn’t hard but you have to watch what they do and make sure that they are safe.

13. 12. Are promotions possible at your work and wha t is the procedure?  There are no promotions possible where I work.

14. 13. How long have you been working at this job?  I have been working as a PCA with the couple that I take care of for over 2 years.

15. 14.. Do you like what you do? Why or why?  Yes, I like what I do. To me it is not a hard job, and I enjoy the couple that I work for and I have a good relationship with the all of the family

16. 15. What are the hour’s/work week of your job?  I work Monday to Friday 9 to 5. I work 40 hours a week, there have been a few occasions where I have worked Saturday and Sunday but mostly just the morning preparing breakfast and helping them get ready for the day.

17. 16. What are your future plans?  My future plans depend on the couple that I work for. I am with them until they don’t need me. My job takes commitment because they have a big family who depend on me to be there and would be lost if I wasn’t there.

18. 17. Are you happy with your salary? Why or why not?  I am happy with my salary like most everyone I wish I could be making more but right now my job isn’t hard and I also have the freedom to leave if I ever have an appointment.

19. 18. What skills do you use most often?  The most skills that I use are common sense. I do general house cleaning, preparing meals and take the lady out shopping.

20. 19. Would you rather work alone or with a team? Why?  Right now I like working one on one with my clients in their own home. If I was in a retirement home, I would enjoy working in a team.

21. 20. How are people paid for this work?  I get paid hourly. I think for most PCA’s it is an hourly wage.