Get Connected 21st Century Special Post: Further your skills during COVID-19

1.      Smart Serve / Food Handler Certificate 

For activations that involve the serving/handling of alcohol – a Smart Serve is required. In Ontario – you can obtain this certification online. It is a great tool to have in the experiential marketing industry as it will open more opportunities for you. 

                                                               i.      For the month of April – Smart Serve is providing FREE online training (which otherwise typically costs approx. $65). You can access the registration here. 

A Food Handler certification is another item sought out by many clients as well. This is required for all activations/samplings involving food. This is also a tool necessary for any serving position as well. 

                                                               i.      You can obtain this certification here. 

2.      Free Online Courses 

Have you ever wanted to expand your skill set and learn more about a new area of study (such as finance, computer science, or psychology)? Now is a great time to do so. There are some online resources (some of which are from prestigious universities) that provide free courses for a variety of different subjects. I’ve provided some resources below: 

                                                               i.      Coursera 

                                                             ii.      Harvard University (some classes are free – others cost approx. $30) 

                                                           iii.      Free Code Camp (there are a variety of different Ivy League courses to choose from) 

  

Practice Social Distancing 

Together – we can slow the spread of COVID19. We understand the challenges that isolation presents after being away from our friends and family – but the sooner we can flatten the curve the sooner we can all get back to our “normal” realities. Please stay home as much as possible. I’ve provided below some awesome resources to stay in touch with friends and family during this time: 

  

1.      Watch2Gether (this website allows you to watch videos with your friends – synchronized at the same time). 

2.      Google Hangouts/ Zoom video conferences / Skype are all a great options for group video calls that allow many people to dial in at once 

3.      House Party – this is a great app to download if you have not yet. You can video chat with your friends and play some games as well. 

  

  

Mental Health & Well-Being 

It is natural to feel a heightened sense of anxiety and uncertainty during this time. If you are struggling with these emotions – there are many online resources aimed to help. Here are some suggestions: 

  

Headspace – this is an application you can try for free that provides guided meditations to practice mindfulness. 

Anxiety Canada – this website offers great articles and resources on coping with anxiety. They host seminars you can dial into as well! 

Fitness – it is important for both your physical health and mental health to stay active during this time. Many fitness studios are providing free online classes you can follow along with in the comfort of your home. See below for some Instagram pages that have great virtual workouts: 

@barryscanada 

@flytclubto 

@fitsq 

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