Reading Week – Job Search or Bon Voyage…or Both?

Author: Liz Evans, Peer Advisor 

I have always been jealous of those people who have the money and the time to go away for reading week, and so, as it is my final year at Laurier, I have decided that this year is the year I am one of those people. Some of my close friends and I are planning a Cuban vacation for the week, but not without some difficulties. Midterms the weeks before and after, as well as large projects, have everyone a little apprehensive about going. This year being my last at Laurier also means that I need the extra time to contribute to my job hunt, or I will have nothing to do after school ends.

Here is my strategy:

• Do all assignments before you leave the country, then you don’t even have to think about them, and you won’t be cramming to get them done
• Take study notes for midterms with you for the plane ride. The way I see it, you will at least look at them on the way home when you are all vacationed out, and you’ll feel slightly better about your tests
• Use the weekend before you leave to write up some cover letters and spruce up your resumé, then send them out and check job postings a couple times during the week before you leave. When you get back, it will be perfect timing for some follow-up emails and thank-you letters.

Let’s face it, you’re not going to be burying your head in a textbook when you could be staring at the ocean. But with some preliminary preparation in the weeks leading up to the break, and using that airplane time wisely, you can stay on top of your job search and academics and still enjoy that well deserved break.

It will be mildly stressful before and after my trip, but I still say “Bon Voyage!” If others can find the time to go away, I can too, and even find the time to keep my job search strong.

Work and School Demands a Different Sort of Intelligence

Author: Mehak Bhatia, Peer Advisor

Recently, I had a discussion with one of my professors where I mentioned my belief that working at a professional job seems harder than being a student.  Contrary to my opinion, my professor said that attending classes is certainly more difficult since it demands more intellect. While my professor might have a point (depending on the type of ‘job’ of course), these past few months I have been balancing an academic and professional volunteer role and I am starting to strongly realize that the workplace demands far more practical and social intelligence to succeed.

For instance, as a Peer Advisor with the Career Centre I sometimes feel that conducting a resumé critique is more challenging than my studies. Reading a textbook allows ample time to process the information and organize thoughts, whereas, conducting a resumé critique demands thorough, ‘on-the-spot’ analysis of a resumé within about ten minutes. Making mistakes while taking notes during a lecture does not affect anyone but me, but conveying the wrong idea during a resumé critique might cost a student his job. Communicating difficult ideas effectively while keeping every student’s needs and learning styles in mind feels a lot more challenging to me than working independently at school.  Extending thoughts beyond my specific area of study and into another student’s area of interest to gain a better perspective of their needs can also be more thought provoking.

Most of the time, working independently at school pays off (at least in the arts, maybe less so in business where many projects are team-based). In contrast, working as a co-operative team player is key to success at work. Moreover, the workplace also demands compliance with a specific code of conduct that maintains professionalism. Therefore, for someone like me who is managing school and work simultaneously, it becomes important to understand the difference between the environment at school and at work and to shift my approach accordingly.

Academics certainly promotes mental preparation, however, practical and social intelligence are another important aspect of being successful in the future. Therefore, it is essential to find outlets that help build your practical and social intelligence so that when you enter the workforce as a graduate, you won’t find the transition so challenging.