Find Your ‘IT’

By: Shanelle Weber, Peer Advisor 

Passion is a trait I have always been envious of, and believe me when I say I am not a jealous type of person. My cousin, for example, loves to play hockey. I can’t even attempt to explain how many hours she spends watching, playing and talking about hockey. Sometimes it just makes me angry that I could never do the same. 

I hadn’t truly found my passion until my parents decided to purchase a small camcorder for Christmas in 2010. I played around with this little camera and found myself in the world of filming, editing and even creating special effects, such as gory death scenes. This was something I found myself excited about and what I wanted to do in a career. 

Finding a passion is easier than you think. Perhaps you already have a passion and you’re just not sure how to turn it into a job. Might I suggest some steps that might help you on your quest to turn your passion into a job: 

1. Discover IT: Think about what you have enjoyed doing in the past and what excites you? Consider what books or television shows intrigue you. What is your secret dream? (You know, the day dreams you have in the middle of class where the sky is the limit?) Think about listing a couple of items, or one big idea. For example, I said I like films, so when I began to dig deeper, I saw that I can carry forward this passion into a number of career opportunities such as editor, producer, director, as well as various marketing roles value video creation skills.
2. Research IT: Talk to people in those careers and join associations related to your interests. Try visiting the Career Centre’s Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program to help you find people to talk to in that field.
3. Make IT happen: Try and experiment with things in your field including taking online tutorials and volunteering in relevant environments (e.g., you want to be a law student – join the Laurier Law Society). This will help you build a better resumé as well as help you decide whether IT really is a passion.

Remember, university is the time of your life where you get to try new things, meet new people and make things happen.

Proactive Planning for School…..and Your Future!

By: Allison Lougheed, Peer Advisor

am aware that for most students, your first major assignments are not due until October and therefore you may not feel the pressure to begin these assignments right away. From experience I have learned that it is very beneficial to start research and preparation on assignments early vs. leaving things to the last minute.  I personally find that I am more successful when I work away at them over a longer period of time, rather than at the last minute. This grants the opportunity to critically think about the assignment and re-evaluate the work that I have produced.  The same principle applies for planning a career! Saving your research and preparation (e.g., talking to professionals in a field, volunteering, etc.) for the last minute leaves room for decisions that may not be well thought out and leaves no time to reflect on, and evaluate where you are, and where you want to go.

Career planning is an important factor to consider within the first few weeks of school as this is a time when many companies are posting jobs as well as conducting on-campus recruiting sessions in order to educate students on career opportunities.   While it will serve you well working ahead on your assignments, it is also vital to begin your career research early as it will enable you to strategically choose  what volunteer positions and extracurricular activities to partake in, in order to begin developing work experience in a desired field.  For example, I am a Communication student interested in TV and Radio broadcasting, therefore I chose to volunteer with Radio Laurier to gain work experience within my prospective field of interest.   I hope that these tips will influence you take a different approach to both your academic and career planning within the first few weeks of class so that ultimately you will be setting yourself up for academic, and career success.

Pursuit of Happiness

By: Justin Tabakian, Peer Advisor

I think it is safe to say that most students would enjoy having a career with the flexibility as those seen in the television show Friends. Being able to have lunch every day with your five best friends for however long you want, does seem like something most of us could get used to. But the real important decision most students will have to make involving their career path will be (drum roll please)…will you be a Ross or a Chandler? Yes. That is one of the great ultimatum’s we students will have to face one day.

Will you be a ‘Chandler’? Today, I find sometimes many people make the mistake of being a Chandler and pursue a career path because it is easy, good money, or because someone else wants them to. By choosing a career path for those reasons, you may be setting yourself on a career that will not make you truly happy. You may find yourself ending up like Chandler, who ends up hating his career and deciding to change career paths ten years later.

I’d like to urge students today to be a ‘Ross’. Ross, since he was a child, lived and breathed dinosaurs. He pursued what made him happy. He grew up to study paleontology and work with dinosaurs at museums.  By finding a career in an area you are passionate about, you are laying down a foundation for true success.  I would like to challenge students today to find your version of Ross’s dinosaur. It’s alright if you do not know what you are passionate about at this stage in your life. The Career Centre has many workshops, volunteers, and employees that can help you in your journey to find what makes you happy. Use the Career Centre to find your dinosaur! We can help you with occupational information, employer directories, and educational program information. Let us help you find your passion and follow your dreams.  In your pursuit of money, be sure to pursue happiness as well.

Get Your Feet Wet!

By: Emma Dickson, Peer Advisor

In my first two years at Laurier, I have been lacking in my exploration and I felt a little lost. Sitting in my room I missed out on some great opportunities. I missed deadlines for applications, and if I did make a deadline, I didn’t know what the group was looking for in a member.  At the end of last year I began my own search into what the school had to offer me (other than an education), which is how I became involved as a Peer Advisor at the Career Development Centre. While the phrase ‘back to school’ is not always what people want to hear, it is a time to focus less on what you simply ‘have to get done’, and instead think about what opportunities lie ahead. Now is the time to dip your feet in, before the semester requires you to dive in head first. Take these first few weeks of school — before the rush of assignments and midterms start – to explore all of the activities, clubs and resources Laurier has to offer! Whether you decide to get involved at the Student Leadership Centre, or as part of a club (such as Acts of Random Kindness), or head into the Career Development Centre to explore your future (like I did), involvement of any sort will enable you to gain valuable information and skills that will help you in later years.

Now is the time to get your feet wet at Laurier, volunteer.  Explore!

A Year Off After Your BA Ain’t So Bad!

By: Megan Wibberley (Laurier Alumnus & Former Peer Advisor, Bachelor of Arts, Honours Geography, 2011) 

Throughout my last year at Laurier I felt stressed.  Stressed about having all the right courses to graduate, stressed about finishing my thesis and stressed about what I was going to do next.  Many of my peers had decided on college and graduate programs, travelling or just simply looking for a job. I had lots of great work experience, but I still really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I would look at the programs that my friends were applying too, but I had no idea what kind of program I would even want to take. I came to the conclusion this past February (when most graduate application deadlines are) that I was going to take a year off.  What? A year off? Yes…a year off after my degree to figure out what my next steps were going to be and to ensure these were the right steps for me.   

This year allowed me the time I needed to reflect on what I wanted to do. I was able to work a little longer and save up money to travel for a month, which gave me even more perspective on my future goals. I was able to spend as much time as I needed reading about different graduate programs and narrowing down my applications to 5 schools. These applications ask for a lot of information, and every school is a bit different.  Writing my applications took some time (to say the least), and it was great to not have the stress of assignments and classes hanging over me. I think that I could have written the applications while in school, but the time off had given me a new perspective and drive that I believe really came through in my personal statements. 

Many students (including myself last year) feel a great deal of pressure to have your career and decisions all figured out before you graduate so you can ‘get on with it’.  I think it is important for students in their final year to hear this….taking a year off really ain’t that bad! It offers you the opportunity to reflect on your education, your goals and do some effective career planning to really decide what you want to do next. In this year I have changed so much, and so have my goals. I feel that I have a better understanding of what I am really passionate about. I won’t lie and tell you I have it all figured out (who does?). However, I feel the year off did not put me behind and instead allowed me to make an informed and well thought out decision regarding my next career and educational steps. 

Moral of the story – don’t rush into a career or further education decision without the proper time to research and reflect on your goals. A year off after your undergraduate degree may in fact be exactly what you need to step back, smell the roses and determine your next steps!