When students approach us about study in Canada opportunities, we are commonly asked about career planning. Students are commonly pleasantly surprised to understand how much support Canadian universities, colleges and polytechnics, offer to students.
For example, from the beginning of studies, there is typically an office that helps students prepare their resume or curriculum vitae (c.v.). The same office will help students prepare for interviews and will usually have all kinds of job postings from companies and organizations off-campus. Fortunately, when students get a study permit for Canada this includes a work permit to work on or off campus. Even in the summer break from May to August students can actually work anywhere in Canada that they wish.
So below you will find a good example of how a Canadian institution helps its students. This newsletter is from the renowned Sobey School of Business, at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Impressively, every two weeks it distributes to its students a wealth of advice to help their personal and professional development. This same office offers a variety of employment postings, volunteer opportunities, paid internships, upcoming events and programs, financial awards, tours of companies looking to hire graduates and a variety of other resources.
So take a look and see if you learn something useful for your own future and for certain you will get a better idea about how Canadian institutions help to prepare their students for the future!
CAREER CONNECTIONSWeek of March 23 Volume 4 Issue 14Welcome to Career Connections. This bi-weekly digest is designed to connect you with information and inspiration to keep you moving forward on your own personal and professional journeys while here at the Sobey School of Business. (Approximate reading time – 5 minutes)
Inspiration
“I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” – Anne Lamott
Commentary
As I am writing this piece, seated here in the early dawn hours scanning the airwaves for the latest news on COVID-19, it’s easy to feel concerned at this moment in history. Yet all around the world, exquisite stories of love, kindness, hope, and connection are penetrating this gloom and shining sweet light. It is abundantly clear to me, as we navigate this uncharted territory, we have choices to make.
Today, your real power comes from being able to discern where you can have impact and where can focus your attention. I know you feel out of control, but this is perfectly normal. Today we’re going to challenge you to turn your eyes toward your career goals.
You might say ‘What’s the use?’ ‘There are no opportunities out there!’ Some of it might be true, however, the fact remains, there is lots you can be doing right now to build a solid foundation for your future. Here at GCS we’re here to help. These are some activities we think will position you for action when the world recalibrates. If you know of others, please send them our way and we will share in an upcoming Career Connections – again we are all in this together so let’s make this time count!Educate Yourselves. There are a ton of free online courses out there. Courses that can enlighten. Course that can inspire. Courses that can pad your resume. With this gift of time, there is no time like the present to take advantage of these wonderful resources. I just stumbled upon this free course from Yale on the Science of Wellbeing. Where else can we get an Ivy League education for free! Check out more cool links below.Self Inventory. Speaking of ‘education’, now’s the time to educate yourself, on yourself!We have designed this nifty Self Inventory Workbook that helps you gain a deeper understanding of the gifts you bring to this world. Always the best place to start with career planning.Resume & LinkedIn Tune Up. Let’s face it, resumes are a lot of hard work. Good resumes are a product of a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Unfortunately, we often craft these tools at the last minute with limited bandwidth. This gift of time may be a blessing in disguise as you can begin to do a deeper, more meaningful dive into the content of both your resume and LinkedIn. Remember we are here to support you and are happy to help you put your best foot forward so feel free to email your latest revisions for our review and feedback. It’s your opportunity to craft the ‘voice’ that is the best and truest version of yourself. Powerful stuff! See the following resume templates: Chronological, Combination, and Functional.Practice,Practice, Practice, Your Pitch. This is another area we often ignore until it’s too late. The content and quality of your pitch has the power to make or break your brand with decision makers. The recent #HireMeHalifax contest has produced some amazing efforts. Check out this piece of work by Solomon Asamoah (MTEI). He nailed it!Routines Rule. While in a state of flux, it’s always a good idea to create some rigor around routine. Why not dedicate an hour each day to career building and your job search. Be fierce in protecting this time. You will quickly find a sense of control and… progress!Keep Networking, but… It’s true that the economy will be messed for a bit, but employers will be working hard towards a speedy recovery and you want to be top of mind when that happens. My advice: give them a few weeks but in the meantime, stay in touch with words of support and comfort. This will go a long way to build your social capital.Create Community. We need ‘community’ at times of crisis. Connecting with others who are sharing the same experiences brings great comfort. Now, more than ever, and with so many platforms available, it is possible to create community in powerful ways. Get together with your classmates online, share your stories, provide support and ideas. Together we are stronger. And while you are at it, feel free to log on to our own little virtual Graduate Career Services Community every Friday at noon!So, as we head into this new world of uncertainty, let’s look hard at what we can control in our lives – our attitude, our kindness our grace – and the activities we choose to focus on every day. Wherever our ‘attention’ is our ‘intention’. It’s our choice. It’s our future. Let’s make it count.
Cool LinksCOVID-19 Assessing the Potential Economic Impacts for Atlantic Canada – A terrific reality check for us all. An evidence – based approach to understanding the current economic landscape. I recommend taking the time to get grounded in this intel. Spoiler Alert – there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Job Club – Join our online discussion on career planning, tools, and resources this coming Friday, March 27th from 12:00PM – 1:30PM.
Registration for Spring & Summer Courses – View upcoming course offerings at Saint Mary’s University
Therapy Assistance Online & E-Mental Health – Resources available on the internet or accessed by phone.
Here are 450 Ivy League Courses You Can Take Online Right Now for Free – From 8 Ivy League schools which are among the most prestigious colleges in the world: Brown, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia universities, and the University of Pennsylvania. Courses include: Business, Programming, Personal Development, Data Science, andProgramming (to name a few).
The 10 Best Apps to Help you Crush Your Career Goals in 2019 – A great listing of resources to utilize in today’s digital economy.Career360°
Career360° provides a home base from which to engage with career-related activities, events, resources, and opportunities as you work toward the path that’s right for you. Let Career360° work with your academic degree and unique experiences to prepare you for your life and career you want to build. Explore employment opportunities, book appointments with us at GCS, and track your achievements and experiences. Check it out today!