Did You Know???

Did You Know???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8

I personally found this video is a real brain turner. It was first brought to my attention in a 3rd year Human Resource class, for the purpose of starting a conversation about what today’s graduates need to know to be successful in the 21st century business world. The look on mine and my classmates faces after viewing this reality shock was more than enough to convince me to pass it along. Being the target market of this video, a 21 year-old with a more or less naïve vision of the future, it particularly caught my attention. I realized I really did not know what was ahead of me and my career path. I really did not think that 1 in 4 workers have been with their current employer for less than a year, while 1 in 2 has been with their current employer less than 5! More interestingly, I really did not know that today’s students will have changed their job 10-14 times before the age of 38! So ask yourself, ‘what does this mean to me?’

Did YOU know?

Tara Mitchell, Senior Peer Advisor

Student Career Leader Program

Wilfrid Laurier University, Career Development Centre

I’m an English major, and I’m not going to become a teacher

Last week during one of my English classes, I was listening to some classmates talk about what they are going to do with their English degree when they graduate.  One classmate said they wanted to go to teacher’s college because with an English degree, “That’s the only thing you can do.”  

I cringe to think that after four years of pursuing an English degree, an English student might think that becoming a teacher is the only thing they can do.  If you are an English student, I’m sure you’ve heard this before.  Someone asks you what your major is, you tell them and quite often the response you get will be, “So you are going to become a teacher?” 

An English degree (as with any arts degree), can lead you to a career in many, many more areas than teaching.  Students working towards any degree (arts, science or business) cannot expect their degree to be a free ticket to a great career.  Building a career takes time, energy, research, volunteer and/or work involvement. 

Being a student at university known for a great business program, I’m well aware that there are many people who think that pursuing an arts degree is useless. Arts students have big-picture thinking skills that allow them to see how their talents can be useful in a variety of career fields.  Don’t be discouraged by someone who doesn’t value an arts degree – it is often this type of person who doesn’t have the research, thinking and analytical skills to understand the value of an arts degree in building a successful and happy career. 

 If you are one of many students pursuing an arts degree, remember that the value of an arts degree is only limited by the person who holds that degree.

Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer!

My name is Anum and I’m a third year business student at Wilfrid Laurier University. Throughout the past couple of weeks I have been doing a lot of campus volunteering. I have met many students who have stated that they want to get involved on campus, meet new people, keep busy and to really build their resumes. Students I talk to seem to fall into two categories: either they have no idea what they want to get involved with. Or, there are some students who are way ahead of the game and have started volunteering with campus clubs or groups that are strategically aligned with their career aspirations.   

From my own experience applying to campus clubs is a challenging task mainly due to the fact that the options are endless and sometimes we don’t know what we want to get out of a volunteer experience.  There are sororities, environmentally friendly clubs, and organizations related to every field of study. While I was applying to clubs I did my research and only apply to organizations that reflected my values and interests. I also only applied to the clubs that would help me enhance my skills; help me decide on a career path, and one that would allow for networking opportunities! 

For students who find themselves stuck, are not sure of which club to join, or cannot seem to make a connection to a club and a possible career path, I really recommend you think out of the box! For example, many students have career ambitions of becoming teachers and one job that most students think of is camp counselling. Although, camp counselling is a great stepping stone for people with the aspiration of becoming a teacher – there are other options! For example, SIFE Laurier, a non-profit organization runs various outreach programs. One of their programs, Bridging the Gap, consists of students going into classrooms and teaching elementary school kids fundamental business concepts. This is a great example of how students can get hands on experience and also learn about their preferences toward a possible career path!

I encourage students to get involved on campus, or in the community and set yourself apart from others! If you have no idea what you might want to do, picking a volunteer experience can be hard – so come on in to the Centre and start your career planning!

Anum Khursheed, Peer Advisor, Student Career Leader Program

Wilfrid Laurier University, Career Development Centre

Another Year of School…OR…Attempt to Infiltrate the Workforce?

My name is Natalee. I am in my final year of my undergraduate degree at Laurier. It is scary and weird to think that this time next year I could be starting my first ‘legit’ job, hopefully well on the way to a career. Where will I be next year? Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa?  Being originally from Ottawa, I always assumed I would return home to begin my career. After attending the Job Fair last February it came to my attention that many of the jobs in Marketing, the industry I would like to get into, are in the GTA. If I am lucky enough to find a position right away after graduating, where will I live? How will I afford downtown Toronto housing? Who will I live with?  These are questions I have yet to answer.  It’s weird to think that this will be my last year as a Laurier student. Next year I will be alumni. 

            Not feeling quite ready to give up my life as a student – I have recently, and by recently I mean last week, decided to apply for a Masters program at Laurier. The program I am interested in will only take 1 year to complete. It seems like it is the perfect opportunity for me to remain at Laurier for one more year, while at the same time working towards bettering my chances of finding a job after graduating. Now come the questions. What are the benefits of taking a Masters? Will it actually better my chances of breaking into Marketing or is it just another year of work that won’t make a difference whether I have it or not? What are the chances of getting into the program? How competitive is it? After doing a bit of research, much more is needed (especially to sell my parents on the idea).  It seems that if I work very hard this year (getting at least a B+ in every class) that I will have a good chance of being accepted into the program.  But is the sacrifice and hard work of a graduate program worth staying another year?  The next couple months is going to involve a lot of researching and speaking with faculty about the benefits of a Masters program. Anyone who is also in this position, deciding between going on in school (either for Teacher’s college, a masters program or postgrad college program) I encourage you to talk to as many people as you can in the field (as well as Career Consultants at the CDC) to get a strong sense of whether further education is beneficial to you. Wish me luck!

 

Natalee Snell, Peer Advisor

Student Career Leader Program

Wilfrid Laurier University

Career Development Centre

Don’t knock it until you try it

In the past few weeks, I have gone from anti-Twitter to a Twitter addict. Here’s why. 

When I first heard about Twitter, I was unimpressed.  I was under the impression that Twitter was another Facebook-like tool with limited features.  I was not interested in getting Twitter or even learning more about Twitter.

 I was officially introduced to Twitter when Tara Orchard, Career Consulting Co-ordinator, gave a presentation to the Student Career Leaders at the WLU Career Centre about Twitter and other social networking applications.  I was still a little sceptical, but excited to try out Twitter.  I got an account, started following (try www.wefollow.com for some ideas!) a few friends and celebrities I was interested in and became quickly hooked.

I like Twitter because it is a great place to gather interesting information, from interesting people who share similar ideas and goals as me.  Instead of searching the Internet for great articles or websites about student life, my favourite celebrities or publications I’m interested in I can open my Twitter and quickly find new information that someone I’m following has ‘Tweeted.’ 

 Now that I have become a self proclaimed Twitter addict, I’ve begun trying to get friends to join the world of Tweeting, texting Tweets, TweetDecks, Retweets, designing backgrounds, hash tags and followers.  I have noticed that many people seem to be in the same boat I was – reluctant or even actively against using Twitter.  If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to try Twitter – you just might start Tweeting your way to new ideas, networking possibilities or even job opportunities.

Nicole Wray

Is the "net" working for you?

O.K. No more excuses…It has never been easier to reach out to new contacts and to warm up existing contacts than it is right now.  With tools like LinkedIn (a.k.a. Facebook for professionals), Twitter and blog sites (like this one), previously unreachable contacts inside target companies are only a mouse click away.  Even if you are reluctant to pick up a phone, book an “informational” interview or contact a company or a hiring manager directly, by creating an online professional profile and linking to the people you know, the people they know and the professional groups and affiliates that you are interested in, you can easily narrow the degress of separation between yourself and those who may be in a position to offer you employment one day.   No time like the present to join LinkedIn and begin building your professional profile.   You could be just clicks away from getting the “net” working for you.

Three Down, One To Go

Three down, one to go

                As I enter my final year of university, I can describe my feelings in three words:  excited, scared and overwhelmed. My feelings of fear began to set in this summer while I was working my first nine to five type job.  I know there are many jobs that are more engaging and creative than the repetitive, unsocial office work I was doing this summer, but I couldn’t help but fear that I might end up in an unfulfilling and monotonous more permanent job position once I graduate.

                Although scared, I’m determined to match my fears with excitement.  I’m going to be a university graduate with various work and volunteer experiences that are going to help me find a meaningful career, and I think that’s exciting! I have the tools, skills and resources to ensure that I won’t end up in a more permanent job position that I don’t like.  As a WLU student and Peer Advisor at the Career Centre, I’m determined to make use of the resources available to help me on my way to an exciting and dynamic career…but what career will that be?

                I’m an English and Global Studies student who truly believes that a degree in the arts prepares graduates for a very wide variety of career options.  Not only are there a variety of career options, but a variety of work environment, potential working hours and working locations (the whole world!) to choose from.  I’m very excited to have a world of options before me, but I am certainly overwhelmed as well.

Nicole Wray, Peer Advisor, Student Career Leader Program

Wilfrid Laurier University, Career Development Centre