At Work�
Calgary takes pride in being a friendly city, and that means also a less formal atmosphere at work. Don't be surprised if everybody is on a first name basis in a company. This does not mean that the company president or your supervisor, are your best friends�It is important to understand that the same work expectations and responsibility are required. It is safe to address people that you meet for the first time in a more formal way using the family name and the prefix: Mr. or Ms. or Mrs., as appropriate. Use Ms. (pronounced miz) if you do not know the marital status of a woman or if she is not married. Usually, the address term Miss. is used for very young women or adolescents. Please remember to use a formal way of address when for the first time you meet or contact a person by telephone or in writing. Their response will set the tone for further communication, they may indicate right away if they want to switch to a less formal way.

Work never stops, even in winter at -25C or cooler temperatures Calgarians rush to work or school every morning. Outdoor work continues at very low temperatures and winter is a busy construction season. The only relative slow down happens during the Calgary Stampede at the beginning of July, when the entire city celebrates the annual western heritage festival. Everybody is dressed in blue jeans following the western theme, people attend horse-ridding shows and everybody has a great party time. For official business meetings and job interviews, it is important to remember to wear formal business clothes even if people all around you are dressed casually.


Cycles of Hiring Activity
The major hiring season starts in September, usually after the Labor Day long weekend and lasts until mid-December. The next hiring season starts later in January and lasts through May. Summers are usually slower months for hiring in professional careers, unless there are major projects approved to start in the middle of the year. People working in trades usually have various contracts throughout the year, if the local economy continues to grow at a steady pace.

Oil and Gas Industry: drilling activity and seismic exploration take place in winter and spring when the soil is still frozen and heavy equipment can be brought and installed in remote locations without getting stuck in the mud. Oilrig production occurs throughout the year. Office work at oil and gas companies is at its peak during the winter months.

Construction Industry: the nature of work in construction is short-term as projects start continuously throughout the year, especially in residential construction. In winter, extreme cold may slow down outdoor work (-30C and lower). Interior construction work continues at any temperature

Retail, Food and Business Services: expect to work around the clock, even during holydays. Stores and restaurants may be closed only briefly for the New Year Day and Christmas Day. Some large shopping malls started to be opened even on January 1. In retail, there is a slow down following January 1 and it lasts until early spring.

Dress Code at Work
Usually a conservative, classic, well-groomed and well-dressed appearance is the standard at the office. Darker suits and ties are standard for men, while for women darker colours and a two-piece jacket and skirt/ dress pants are the norm. In some smaller companies the dress code may be more relaxed. It is fine to be a bit overdressed for your first day at work, afterwards observe and adjust to what you see around you. Trendy, fashionable clothes and unusual hairstyles are not appropriate unless you work in an art, fashion or design environment. Some companies and institutions have casual Fridays when a more relaxed dress code is in place. You need to ask your co-workers or your supervisor if the casual Friday dress code is in place.

Trades people need to observe the safety code in their occupation (hard hats, steel boots, tool belt, gloves, etc.). For the rest clean overalls, or blue jeans are appropriate. Heavier clothes and gloves are necessary for outdoors work during the cold season.

Perfume or Aftershave and Any Strong Scents at Work
Wearing perfumes, hair spray or anything heavily scented in the workplace may be a difficult issue, because co-workers or customers may have scent related allergies, chemical sensitivity or may suffer of asthma. Avoid strong fragrances/scents, as they may be a health hazard. Hospitals and doctors� offices are usually fragrance free. It is best to avoid any strong scents and relay on the clean scent of your daily fresh shower and fresh clothes.


Everyday Life

Starting a Conversation
Calgarians are open and quite interested in knowing about other cultures and countries. The standard comfortable distance between people in a normal conversation is around two feet (60 cm) and the popular greeting is How are you? People expect a short positive answer; this is a simple form of showing kindness and interest. Good starting topics for a conversation are: weather, sports, films, travel, food, and positive comments about our city.

Dress Outside of Work
For work related outings, dress casually or elegantly as appropriate for the occasion keeping in mind that you may sit right near important people in your company. Very trendy or revealing clothes are not appropriate for work related events. On weekends, Calgarians dress casually in a more practical, sports oriented fashion. Feeling comfortable and staying warm are most important.

Invitations and Gifts
It is customary to invite people to a restaurant to celebrate birthdays or to have a business related meeting at a restaurant. Small, inexpensive and fun gifts are exchanged among friends and co-workers at Christmas time with the intention of showing goodwill and sharing. Personal gifts like perfume, clothing and jewelry are appropriate for family members, only. Please do not offer gifts to your doctor, dentist, accountant, lawyer or any government official assisting you and your family. The only acceptable gifts are in a business situation, when companies offer their best clients tickets to hockey or baseball events, memberships to sports clubs, corporate gift items with the company logo and gift certificates to restaurants or major stores.