It’s a Dog Eat Dog World

I always knew finding a job after graduation would be a daunting task – the intense job search, the heavy competition from graduates, not just from your university but also those from across the province. Just thinking about this situation makes me nervous.  To calm my nerves, I chose to attend some employer information sessions and tried to understand the lay of the land. What were employers looking for in a candidate?  How could I stand out from the rest of the pack? But when I walked through the doors of the Senate and Board Chamber, I saw that it was every man for himself.  Hundreds of students were fighting for the attention of the few recruiters, business cards were being swapped and notes were being taken of every word a company representative was saying. The good news was that I wasn’t the only student nervous about my future, and in a way I also got to see my present and soon to be competition. 

After getting home I started digesting the heavy dose of information I had just received regarding the professional world: 

First, good grades are key – employers definitely look at grades (particularly finance and accounting). However, extra-curricular experiences are also important.  Students who can maintain solid grades while also being a positive contributor to the school or community at large, shows an employer that the candidate can multi-task and still excel. So if you haven’t already signed up with a campus club or volunteer outlet, do so now! And don’t be afraid to get involved.  If you’re afraid that you can’t juggle the extra-curricular and work, Learning Services on campus has some great workshops on time management and learning styles. 

Second, attend the employer information sessions – a lot of them take place in September, but if you missed them, don’t worry, there are many more throughout the year. This is a prime chance to have face time with recruiters and ask them questions regarding entry level positions with their companies and crafting connections to follow up with.  

So if you’re going to be competitive in the dog race, it’s time to get involved to beef up that resumé.  

 Raoul Chopra, Peer Advisor

What Can I Do With My Major? The Proverbial Question…

Being a fourth year student most definitely comes with new pressures and new considerations. Not only have expectations and workloads increased, but with graduation just around the corner, the job market and the real world are knocking at my door. All of this has forced me to start thinking about my future career path more seriously, and where I want to be in 5 or 10 years. This is a pretty heavy topic, and it’s gotten me thinking, will my program be useful in getting me a job after graduation? Have I chosen the wrong major? I think this is a pretty common feeling among arts majors, because realistically speaking, how many jobs out there are specifically looking for people who are awesome at analyzing poetry or doing an in-depth presentation on Jane Eyre? But arts kids, please don’t fret because volunteering in the Career Centre has made me realize a few important things about undergraduate programs in relation to possible careers.

First, it is important to remember that employers don’t hire degrees; they hire people.  So make sure that your resumé really shows off your personality and specific skills and achievements. 

Getting involved in the Laurier or broader Waterloo community is always helpful. You may not have the ‘perfect degree’ for a specific job, but taking initiative by getting involved in the community may just give you the edge companies are looking for.  (Not to mention the fact that volunteering is single-handedly the most insightful thing you can do to help figure out what career you want to pursue). 

Transferrable skills are extremely important. Think about your specific experiences (they could be from your program, work, or volunteering) and consider the skills you’ve gained that would be applicable in many domains. For instance, being an English major has taught me to be an effective critical thinker, manage my time efficiently, and communicate my thoughts verbally, and through writing – so I can take this to determine what careers require the same skill set. 

So all in all, yes your major is important, but it isn’t the only thing that determines the job you’re going to end up in, because your personality, skills and experiences are just as important. So don’t lose faith, because with some effort, planning and a bit of help from the Career Center, your desired career will be just around the corner. 

Heidi Dumaresq, Peer Advisor

Grad School Application Anxiety? Read On…

It’s the beginning of the school year, my fourth year at Laurier, and I’m all excited for my last year – until I attend a Graduate Studies Workshop on how to apply to grad school. I find out that the deadline for two of the major applications (OGS and SSHRC) is October 19^th, one month from now. As I’m sitting in this workshop, I’m becoming more and more overwhelmed with the information that is being thrown at me – everything from how to write a good proposal, to how to ask for professional references and the importance of ordering transcripts ahead of time. Here I am thinking, “I have to do all this in a month, plus take on the challenge of fourth year classes?”

After my initial stress, I started planning the steps I need to take in order to apply to grad school. Here are the best tips that I learned:

1. Know your deadlines. Scholarship deadlines tend to sneak up on you so make sure you’re organized and write them down. More importantly, though, keep track of each school’s deadline for application submission.
2. Ask questions. If you don’t know the answer about a program requirement, find the contact person for that program and email them. I have been doing this all week and learning a wealth of information about the school, program, admission requirements and scholarships.
3. Dedicate a good portion of time to the application process. From what I have seen of each school is that application and scholarship applications are lengthy, requiring lots of time and energy.

Lastly, if you’re overwhelmed with the application process, there are lots of great resources on campus to help. You can also book an appointment with the Career Centre to assist you in grad school applications, tests, writing a good proposal as well as to help answer any questions you might have about schools or programs. The Career Centre also puts on the Graduate and Professional Education Fair, which is taking place October 19^th from3:00-6:00 in the Concourse, Paul Martin Centre, and Senate Board and Chamber. If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout this process, it’s that the more you ask questions, the more information you’ll acquire and the better you’ll feel about the strength of your application!

Suzanne Glenn

New posts will begin the week of September 19th!

In the meantime, check out posts from our previous Peer Advisors in the Archives section.